Chapter 138: Flatulence Often Leads to Foul Odors
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Jiang’s father was a man of action rather than words. These days, he worked diligently at his carpentry, so whenever the shops in the county tried to imitate the latest designs from Hengfeng Carpenter’s Shop, they simply could not keep up. Hengfeng released new products far too quickly.
What no one else knew was that every one of those new products had been made by this unassuming, honest man. Even the people of Xitang Village merely thought that Jiang’s father was working as a junior hand at the carpenter’s shop.
Yet most of his inspiration came from serving his wife and daughter.
Oh no—his daughter-in-law.
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Bai Yan’s rabbit farm was thriving more and more. As the weather grew warmer, the variety of fruits and vegetables they supplied continued to expand.
One day, Jiang Chengyan was driving an ox cart to take Bai Yan to the county to deliver their goods when they saw Magistrate Chen waiting there early, smiling from ear to ear.
“Ah, Chengyan, Yanyan, I have something I’d like to discuss with you.” Hearing such an overly sweet nickname come from Magistrate Chen’s mouth made even the accountant standing beside him shudder.
Jiang Chengyan said nothing, simply waiting for Magistrate Chen to continue.
“It’s like this. You can see how wonderfully the hills around Xitang Village have recovered, and you have so much land. Would you be interested in starting a chicken farm? Fence off a section of the mountain and let the chickens roam freely there. Chickens raised that way have firm, delicious meat! Growing nothing but fruits and vegetables is boring!”
Jiang Chengyan and Bai Yan listened in silence. Then both of them stared at Magistrate Chen expressionlessly.
“Magistrate, pay up! Pay up!” Bai Yan stretched out her little paw toward him, clearly having ignored everything he had just said.
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“Hey, why won’t the two of you consider my suggestion?” Magistrate Chen asked, baffled.
“We don’t want to. Growing vegetables already makes plenty of money.” Bai Yan collected all the silver from the accountant and stuffed it into her little money pouch.
“Raising chickens will make even more money than growing vegetables!” Magistrate Chen persisted.
“Oh.” Bai Yan finished putting away her little pouch, then looked at him with an innocent expression. “Then you should raise chickens, Magistrate!”
With that, she had Jiang Chengyan take her away.
Behind them, Magistrate Chen stamped his feet and pounded his chest in frustration.
“Magistrate, why don’t we really start a chicken farm in the county office’s name?” the accountant suggested coldly.
“I doubt that would work for us.” Magistrate Chen shook his head. His short, sturdy body moved forward as he sighed. “We don’t have any land. Just look at that couple. They took thirty acres of wasteland and somehow turned it into thirty acres of treasure. How do their vegetables grow so well?”
“I heard the villagers fertilize their fields with manure,” the accountant added suddenly.
“That’s enough. You may close your mouth now.” Magistrate Chen glared fiercely at him.
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Jiang Chengyan took Bai Yan to buy rice and flour. Holding his hand, Bai Yan followed behind him, leaning her head against his body.
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“Should we buy more mung beans and red beans?” Jiang Chengyan asked gently, without pushing her little head away.
Bai Yan nodded. “Beans are yummy.”
“Eating too many can give you stomach gas.” The words suddenly slipped from Jiang Chengyan’s mouth.
Bai Yan’s lips drooped, and she immediately covered her little belly.
Stomach gas made it easy to let out stinky toots. Boo-hoo-hoo.
At the thought of passing gas, Bai Yan released Jiang Chengyan’s hand and marched ahead angrily.
As she moved forward, someone stepped directly in front of her.
Then the woman raised her leg and tried to trip Bai Yan.
“Your mother is dead.” When Bai Yan saw the person blocking her path, she suddenly muttered this under her breath.
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