The sky was dimly lit when Chen Xiaobei set off. He brought thirty wild eggs, hoping to try his luck at the market, and fifty coins, enough for him to buy whatever he wanted in the county town.
He was quite lucky.
Old Wu cleared a corner of his vegetable stall for him to display the wild eggs.
What made him even happier was that not long after, Lady Liu Rumei, his god of wealth, reappeared.
This time, Chen Xiaobei was much bolder. While Liu Rumei was picking vegetables, he smiled and said, "Miss Liu, these wild eggs are from the wild chickens you bought a few days ago. Eating them can strengthen your body."
A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Rumei's eyes.
She extended her delicate hand, picked up a wild egg, and brought it closer to observe it carefully.
Chen Xiaobei almost drooled at that moment.
Her arm was as white as a lotus root, her fingers long and slender, spotless, with bright red polish on her nails. He wondered what material nail polish was made of in this era.
As she reached out, a faint fragrance wafted over, making him feel refreshed and his mind wander.
Alas, he thought, since he had transmigrated, why hadn't he transmigrated to be by Liu Rumei's side?
Just as Liu Rumei looked up to ask the price, she saw Chen Xiaobei staring at her blankly.
Liu Rumei coughed lightly, but Chen Xiaobei had not yet awakened from his reverie.
At this moment, Xiao Qing, the long-haired maid beside Liu Rumei, became angry. She picked up a vegetable leaf and slapped it onto Chen Xiaobei's face. "How dare you be so rude! Who told you to stare at my lady like that?"
Seeing this, Old Wu quickly stepped forward and tugged at Chen Xiaobei's arm. "Kid, have you gone mad again? Miss Liu is asking you something, what are you grinning foolishly for?"
Chen Xiaobei thought to himself, I'm not grinning foolishly, I'm looking for an excuse.
A few ideas flashed through his mind, and then he cupped his fists towards Liu Rumei and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Liu. I was distracted just now. I suddenly thought that if I added two wild eggs while stir-frying cucumber, the taste would surely be delicious."
It had to be said that Chen Xiaobei's sales pitch had indeed moved Liu Rumei.
"That's true, I haven't tasted cucumber stir-fried with wild eggs before."
"Alright, send your wild eggs to my mansion later."
She then turned to the long-haired maid beside her. "Xiao Qing, quickly apologize to this young master."
Young master?
Xiao Qing's eyes clearly showed a hint of disdain. Chen Xiaobei also understood that with his current appearance, he looked more like a beggar than a young master. He waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no need. It was my fault just now. I really was distracted. Please forgive me, Miss Liu."
After Liu Rumei left, Old Wu glanced at him. "Little brother, you're not married yet, are you?"
Chen Xiaobei sighed. "Alas, my family is destitute. What can I use to get married?"
"Whether you are married or not, in the future, when you see Miss Liu, don't stare at her so intently. If she gets angry, she could send you to the yamen, and you'd be in for a lot of trouble."
Chen Xiaobei delivered the wild eggs to the Liu mansion and exchanged thirty wild eggs for thirty copper coins.
Holding these thirty copper coins, Chen Xiaobei became happy again.
Besides buying salt, he also bought some grain. In addition, he specifically went to a cosmetic shop and bought a box of rouge. As he was leaving the city, he casually bought six steamed buns.
Chen Xiaobei returned before noon. Seeing the meat buns, Chen Qiao'er clapped her hands and jumped with joy, grabbing one and stuffing it into her mouth.
"Oh, Qiao'er, don't choke. I'll go get you some water," Cui Hongyu quickly got up and went into the room to fetch water.
Chen Xiaobei took the opportunity to follow her into the room, took out the rouge he had hidden in his sleeve, and presented it to Cui Hongyu.
"This is for you!"
"Rouge."
Cui Hongyu exclaimed subconsciously.
She was knowledgeable and recognized this as not just any rouge, but the best quality from the county's most reputable shop, Zhao Ji.
This box of rouge alone cost five cents.
From her surprised eyes, Chen Xiaobei knew he had made the right purchase.
"Hongyu, do you like it?"
Cui Hongyu nodded, then shook her head. "No, no, husband. This rouge is too expensive. I..."
Chen Xiaobei smiled calmly. "It's not expensive at all. My woman deserves the best."
His words carried confidence and a hint of dominance.
Cui Hongyu was stunned.
Everyone said Chen Xiaobei was timid, fearful, and useless. But the gift he gave her today was too surprising, and the words he had just spoken were resolute.
This seemed different from the legends.
However, thinking about Chen Xiaobei's words from last night, Cui Hongyu hesitated again.
After lunch, Chen Xiaobei went to catch up on his sleep.
After all, he had woken up early and made a trip to the county town.
He fell asleep, but Cui Hongyu did not. It wasn't because she wasn't tired, but because she had decided to do something important.
As the saying goes, one does not accept favors without reason. Since Chen Xiaobei had given her such an expensive gift of rouge, she felt she had to contribute something to the household in return.
Cui Hongyu took out a bundle from her dowry. Inside was the silk she had bought from the county town.
This silk had cost several dozen copper coins back then. She had dreamed of wearing it, of making a grand red wedding dress with it to get married in great splendor. But now, this silk was no longer useful.
Therefore, its only purpose was to be exchanged for money to subsidize the household.
"Qiao'er, when your brother wakes up later, tell him I've gone back to my mother's home and will be back before dark!"
Chen Qiao'er nodded obediently and continued playing in the yard. What did she know at such a young age?
As soon as Cui Hongyu left Hetou Village, Chen Ermao and his group followed her.
Three miles outside the village, seeing that there was no one around, Chen Ermao waved his hand, and a few ruffians rushed forward, surrounding Cui Hongyu.
Seeing Chen Ermao and the others approach, Cui Hongyu's heart panicked.
She quickly picked up a stone from the ground, held it in her hand, and deliberately shouted in a loud voice, "Chen Ermao, what do you want this time?"
Chen Ermao chuckled. "Miss Hongyu, don't be afraid. You are married to brother Xiaobei. As the saying goes, the elder brother is like a father. I am Chen Xiaobei's elder brother, so I am your father."
Cui Hongyu's eyes widened. "Chen Ermao, you're talking nonsense! Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"
Chen Ermao looked around, and seeing no one, his courage grew. "Divine retribution is for later. For now, I just want to have some fun with you."
Saying that, he lunged forward and tried to grab Cui Hongyu.
Cui Hongyu was, after all, a weak woman. Although she appeared to be holding her composure, her heart was already in a panic. Seeing Chen Ermao approach, she flusteredly threw the stone in her hand away.
The stone, hitting its mark, struck Chen Ermao directly in the eye. The pain made him yelp and crouch on the ground, clutching his eye.