"I wonder how these white-feathered chickens taste compared to regular ones?"
The two elderly women discussed it and eventually decided to buy some from someone else to try first.
"Auntie wants to buy white-feathered chickens? I can take you there. There’s a farm where a batch is just ready for sale."
"If I go buy them now, we can still make it in time to add them to today’s cafeteria meal."
Yang Yufen wasted no time. After taking delivery of five thousand white-feathered chickens, there were still egg-laying hens to deal with, so Aunt Wang stayed behind.
Riding her bike, Yang Yufen carried her passenger and traveled for nearly half an hour before arriving.
"Auntie, you can’t just walk into the farm. I’ll call someone to bring the chickens out for you."
Yang Yufen nodded but took the opportunity to observe the conditions of the farm.
The towering piles of chicken manure emitted a stench that could be smelled from miles away, a clear sign that the farm housed a massive number of chickens.
They also raised a lot of chickens, so they’d need to find a place to store the manure—after all, their orchard and the vegetable plots at the foot of the mountain needed fertilizer too.
Yang Yufen wandered around a bit. The farm wasn’t completely enclosed, and through gaps in the bricks and ventilation holes, she could still catch glimpses of the inside.
"Aunt Yang, is twenty enough for you?"
Hearing the voice, Yang Yufen hurried back and watched as two men carried out the chickens. The cage held twenty plump, snow-white birds, each weighing at least four pounds. Could they really grow this big in just a month and a half?
Ordinary chickens might take a whole year to reach this size, and only if they were well-fed.
"That’s plenty. Do you sell all the chickens at once when they’re ready? How many days does it usually take? We might need more later."
Twenty chickens might seem like a lot, but if they were experimenting with recipes, it might not be enough. Besides, these chickens looked unusually large.
"Fastest is four or five days, but even at the slowest, they’ll all be sold within ten. If you need more, Auntie, you can come back anytime in the next few days."
The farm workers were friendly and didn’t hold back any information.
"Sounds good. How much?"
After paying, Yang Yufen loaded the chickens into sacks and strapped them onto the bike. She had arrived in a hurry, and now she left just as swiftly.
Shen Xianjun got off the bus with a group of children. As they walked, the kids amused themselves by looking at flowers and grass, never seeming to get bored. Even Little Baby and Miaomiao kept up without complaining.
"Look, a big house! That must be the place Grandma mentioned!"
Li Wu, sharp-eyed as ever, pointed it out and then broke into a run. The children chased after one another, completely forgetting about Shen Xianjun in their eagerness to be the first to confirm.
Suddenly, the sound of a vehicle came from behind. Shen Xianjun turned and saw a truck loaded with baby chicks. He called out to the kids, and the truck slowed down as it passed.
"Wow, so many baby chickens!"
The children’s attention was instantly captured, and they trailed after the truck.
Aunt Wang had been waiting for the delivery of chicks too. At first, she didn’t notice the group of children following the truck—until it stopped and she heard their voices.
"Grandma!"
Yaoyao was the first to spot her grandmother and called out loudly. Miaomiao saw her too and immediately ran over, hugging Aunt Wang’s leg.
"Grandma!"
"Oh my, how did you all get here?"
Aunt Wang was pleasantly surprised but quickly looked behind them.
"Aunt Wang, we all came together!"
Seeing Hu Zhenghao and the others, and then spotting Shen Xianjun, she finally relaxed. She had been worried the children had wandered off on their own—this place was quite remote, far from the residential area.
"Auntie."
"Ah, you take the kids to play nearby for now. I’m receiving the chicks, and your mother’s out—she won’t be back for a while."
Aunt Wang spoke to Shen Xianjun.
"Got it. Don’t worry about us, Auntie."
"Grandma, can we look at the baby chickens?"
Miaomiao tugged at Aunt Wang’s hand.
"Of course, but wait a little, okay? We’re moving things around now, and it’s messy. Once we’re done, I’ll call you over."
"Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll watch Miaomiao. We’ll just stand to the side and won’t run around."
Yaoyao held onto Miaomiao and made the promise.
Shen Xianjun took in the newly built chicken farm, the staff dormitories, and everything else around him. A thought flashed through his mind:
This must have cost a fortune. How much did they borrow to pull all this off?
The sheer scale of it weighed on him. His mother was really going all out.
Unconsciously, he touched the twenty-some yuan in his pocket. He’d have to be frugal—every penny counted.
"Young man, mind stepping aside? You’re a soldier too, aren’t you? Who are you here to see?"
An elderly man’s voice came from behind Shen Xianjun. The man held a sickle, likely for cutting grass.
"I’m here to see my mother."
Shen Xianjun met the old man’s gaze and instinctively straightened his posture.
"You must be Sister Yang’s son. There’s a resemblance. Good, good—young people these days are impressive."
The old man nodded approvingly, then bent down to cut some fresh grass.
"Let me help you, Uncle."
Noticing the man’s limp and the unnatural bend in his arm, Shen Xianjun felt a surge of respect.
"No need, no need. This is light work. You brought kids with you? If you’re staying for lunch, head to the canteen and look for Old Zhou. They’re cooking now—just follow the smoke."
The old man pointed with his sickle, and Shen Xianjun saw the rising smoke he hadn’t noticed before.
"Got it."
The children had already started playing on their own. Shen Xianjun made his way to the canteen, passing a few others who, like the old man, bore the marks of past battles.
Those with sharp eyes could tell Shen Xianjun’s identity just by looking at him.
As he reached the canteen, Shen Xianjun suddenly felt a rush of wind behind him. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed.
"Easy, easy! Don’t kill it! Big White, serves you right for always pecking at people—see what happens?"
Shen Xianjun found himself holding a large white goose by the neck. Though its fate now rested in his grip, its powerful wings flapped wildly, sending feathers flying and smacking against him.
"Young man, you must be Sister Yang’s son, right? You look just like her."
An old man adjusted his glasses—only one eye still worked properly.
"Yes, Uncle. What should I do with this goose?"
"Just toss it into the pond over there. The fence is a bit low—it keeps escaping."
"Alright."
Shen Xianjun nodded, gripping the goose by the neck and wings before striding toward the pond and flinging it in.
When he turned back, the one-eyed old man was still waiting for him.
"Going to the canteen? Come on, I’ll take you."
The old man led the way with a smile. Before even stepping into the kitchen, his voice boomed out:
"We’ve got a special guest today—Sister Yang’s son is here! Old Zhou, how about an extra dish for lunch?"
"Ah, someone from the chicken farm already came by. Sister Yang went to buy chickens—we’ll have extra meat today. The steamed buns might not be enough, though. I’ll knead some more dough."
"Thanks for the trouble. He’s brought some kids too. I used to work in the mess hall—let me give you a hand."
