Chapter 10: Pickling Salted Eggs

Li Pan took the eggs out one by one, washed and dried them, then placed them on a winnowing basket to dry off the moisture. Once the eggs were completely dry, she mixed them with yellow clay that had salt added to it. Li Pan used cheap coarse salt, and the amount of salt had to be just right, too much would cause the eggs to mature too soon and would also make them too salty to eat.

If too little was added, the eggs would spoil and stink, making them inedible.

She did this often, so she had the right touch, mixing the yellow clay to a slightly thick yogurt consistency, deliberately adding a bit of leftover liquor, which helped prevent the eggs from spoiling. Now, it was time to roll the eggs, each one needed to be evenly coated with clay, ensuring none was exposed, or it would spoil.

She placed them one by one into an earthenware jar, which was unsightly but very useful due to its good breathability.

After filling the jar, she poured in some more clay to fill the gaps, wrapped it with a plastic bag to seal it tight, covered it with a lid, and then it would be ready to eat in a month.

She filled two large jars, enough to last for a while, and noted the pickling date on a label on the jar for the record.

Glancing at the fully hung smoked fish, and the entire shed filled with various grains and preserved chicken and fish meat, she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling content to continue working.

She checked the cave entrance to make sure everything was fine before confidently going to the fields to transfer superpower, weeding and watering in the process.

Almost a month passed by in a blink, and there was no sign of when Xue Dong would return; the sprouts in the fields had started to grow and looked quite pleasing.

At the end of March, at the entrance to the farm, Xue Dong returned with people heading straight to the shed, knowing she would be in the fields without seeing her.

"Wow! The girl is really effective—starting to make green bricks saves a lot on cement and sand, Xue Dong, you are indeed lucky."

The colleagues from the base who came with him were there to install telegraph poles and a signal base station, among other things.

"This girl, I told her not to go up the mountain, but she just had to run up there."

Seeing the dried wild vegetables and the fired green bricks, Xue Dong knew Li Pan had dug them from the mountain.

"Don't complain if she doesn't come back; let's stop nagging and find her so we can start installing."

The four of them went to the fields.

"Pan'er."

Xue Dong called out to her as he found her.

"Brother, you're back, how was it, everything went smoothly? Hello to the three brothers."

"I brought back everything, bought quite a few items; my teammates you've met. They came to install the signal base station. Once it's installed, you can use your phone, and I've paid for the internet service as well," Xue Dong explained.

"Thank you so much for your help, brothers. You've worked hard."

Li Pan quickly expressed her thanks.

"No need for thanks, young lady. Xue Dong, stop the chatter; let's get to work."

"Right, Pan'er, finish this then head back to cook. We'll handle the installation. I've also brought back a water pump, once installed, there won't be a need to haul water manually."

Xue Dong was meticulous with his work, bringing back everything he could think of first.

"Okay, I'll go prepare the meal, and then join you to harvest Stevia later. Brother, come here, I want to talk to you."

Li Pan gestured to Xue Dong.

When Xue Dong came over, Li Pan whispered, "Brother, I've found senna leaves, the correct kind. They help with digestion and constipation, and there's also dandelion, which is good for detoxifying and clearing heat. It's the right season to harvest them. What do you think about taking some back to trade for something useful?"

"Okay, I'll have a look later. They'll take all the Stevia tomorrow; let's see how much we gather, weigh it, and use it to offset the debt for this machinery I bought on credit. With the herbs, we shouldn't worry about not being able to pay back."

"I'm off to cook; shall we have rice?"

"Sure, I saw smoked fish and chicken in the house; make two big pots, then everyone can join in plowing a few more acres to plant sorghum."

Xue Dong discussed with her, understanding the need to offer sustenance when guests help, as hard work shouldn't go unrewarded.

The base commander was thrilled to find Stevia at their farm, sending three reliable colleagues to help with installations and labor, brothers who were reliable in life and death, satisfied just to be well-fed without needing her money.

"Then I'll head back now. There's also cured meat, we'll have a good meal before they leave tomorrow."

"You make the arrangements, and bring some food for the road."

"Okay."

Li Pan had transferred some superpower to the field and then headed back.

First, she cooked some mixed-grain rice, took a few smoked wild chickens and smoked fish, and there was still cabbage left uneaten, stewed some cabbage and potatoes, made some green vegetables, steamed some buns, and had rice or buns to choose from, then made some egg drop soup.

She glanced at the cave entrance before going to cook.

After busying herself for an hour, the meal was ready; she went to the fields to call them back to eat.

"Wow! It smells great; thanks for the treat, sis."

"Not at all, thanks to the brothers for helping me out. I caught these fish from the lake; everyone try them, there's plenty to go around."

Li Pan warmly invited everyone to take a seat.

Her table was too small, so in the middle of the yard, a stone table had been makeshift with green bricks.

"Delicious, you've worked hard, sis."

"Eat up."

Xue Dong put a lot of meat and vegetables into her bowl.

"We should have the base station and the poles set up by afternoon, let's see if we get a signal, it's better to fix any issues while I'm here; I can handle it alone in the afternoon, you guys go clear the weeds and break the ground."

The speaker was Gao Wenbin, a team member installing the signal base station; a Gold Element superpower user specializing in electrical repairs.

"Alright, how much land should we clear?"

"Clear a few more acres."

"Understood."

They ate quickly; the dishes were clean in half an hour. Qin Jianzhong efficiently washed the dishes, then he and Zhao Quan and the others ran off to clear weeds and break the ground.

Hiring someone for private work costs money and Contribution points, with day-end settlements; long-term hires require a contract, and dodging payment could lead to arrest.

Xue Dong's team members came to work for free, naturally, she provided them with better food. They were actually here to collect stevia, and once the task was completed, that was it. But since they were on good terms, they stayed to help out.

While they were busy, Li Pan prepared the dough to steam buns in the afternoon.

"Brother, these are senna leaves and dandelions, I didn't finish picking them. Also, I need to discuss something with you, should we hire a long-term contracted worker? The two of us might not be able to handle all this work."

"We should hire someone, I was thinking of hiring someone we know, to be safe and sure. Also, I've finalizes my resignation to come back and farm with you; I'm not going to the front line anymore."

Xue Dong talked as he tidied up.

"That's great, now I feel more settled. No matter what, we won't be risking our lives, and this farm will surely sustain the two of us."

"Yes, you can't handle all this work alone, and I wouldn't feel secure leaving the farm unattended. We still need to hire someone; what do you think about Jianzhong? He's a Middle-level Wind Element superpower user with strong combat skills, a reliable person, a bachelor with no family to worry about, no hassle, and he's been my close battle companion for many years, with unquestionable character."

"If you think he's good, then fine, but how will his salary work?"

"For long-term workers living on the farm, give a thousand Contribution points a month and a salary of three thousand. If he does well, there's a year-end bonus. As for food, give him twenty kilograms a month, or he can choose to exchange it for other resources or salary and Contribution points."

Combat superpower users are exceptional and their hiring prices are not cheap; even a Middle-level Wood Element superpower can support a whole family and lead a comfortable life, let alone combat superpowers; they're in high demand."

"Alright, I think it's suitable, if Brother Qin agrees, let him come."

"I'll ask him. If it's okay, we'll sign the contract. Take a break this afternoon and tidy up the things I brought back. Keep an eye on the cave, I'll go clear the weeds and break the ground, and get the water pump and pipes all installed."

Li Pan nodded.