Chapter 137: One Duck, Two Ducks, Three Ducks

"Grandfather, are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Second Uncle, it's crooked, it's crooked!"

There was a large vacant space left in the backyard of the new house. Wen Yao had specifically chosen a corner and asked Old Man Wen to lead Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing in building her a roasting oven.

While the three men were working, Wen Yao paced back and forth nearby. Old Man Wen held a brick, unsure whether to place it or not, his head nearly exploding from the girl's incessant chattering.

"Forget it, do it yourself!" Old Man Wen threw the brick down, grumbling as he prepared to walk away.

Wen Yao hurriedly begged for mercy.

"Grandpa, I was wrong, I was wrong! I'll shut up. Please, continue, I beg you. I promise, once the roasted duck is ready, you'll be the first to taste it." She quickly grabbed Old Man Wen and made a gesture of zipping her lips.

She certainly couldn't build this thing herself.

Old Man Wen shot her a glare, then huffed at his two sons who were snickering on the side: "Laughing, laughing, what are you laughing at? Get back to work!"

The two men, at the bottom of the family food chain, could only keep their heads down and continue their labor.

After the four of them spent the better part of the day tearing down and rebuilding, modifying as they went, the roasting oven was finally finished. Now, they just needed to light a fire and let it dry out before testing whether it would work.

"Are you sure this thing will work? It's neither a house nor a stove; what is it even supposed to do?" Old Man Wen asked, full of doubt.

Wen Yao circled the oven twice to check for any unfinished spots, replying, "Whether it works depends on how well the oven performs. Well, let's let it dry. Grandfather, let's go. I'll make you a couple of side dishes so you can have a few drinks."

It was a pity the peanuts they had planted hadn't sprouted yet; otherwise, she would have certainly prepared a couple of ounces of peanuts for the old man to enjoy with his liquor.

Old Man Wen brushed the dirt off his clothes and instructed his two sons, "You two stay here and keep an eye on the fire. Don't let it bake until it cracks."

"Yes, alright." The two had no choice but to agree, pulling up small stools to sit and keep watch.

Wen Yao and Old Man Wen returned to the front of the house. Mrs. Luo walked out of the kitchen, looked at them, and raised an eyebrow: "Finished?"

"Yes, it's done. The second and third boys are keeping watch while it dries," Old Man Wen said before walking over to the water vat to wash his hands.

Mrs. Luo wiped her hands on her apron and walked out, asking Wen Yao, "Yao Yao, what is it you're working on now? Can you tell us yet?"

Wen Yao leaned in toward the old woman and asked, "Grandma, do Second Aunt and Third Aunt know how to raise ducks?"

"Raising ducks?" Mrs. Luo was silent for a moment, thinking it over before saying, "Our family has never raised ducks, but if we really want to, we can ask Iron Bull's mother. If that doesn't work, we can pay a little to have her teach us. But, do you want to raise ducks?"

Wen Yao continued, "Yes. If this roasting oven works, the demand for ducks will likely increase. I was thinking that since we'd have to buy them anyway, why not raise them ourselves? Wouldn't that be an extra source of income?"

Mrs. Luo was skeptical: "Can it really work? Is the duck you roast in that oven of yours actually delicious?"

Wen Yao was full of confidence: "You can rest easy on that score. It will absolutely be in high demand."

Mrs. Luo thought of Wen Yao's current skills and culinary talent, then gritted her teeth: "Fine. When your Second Aunt and Third Aunt return from the fields this evening, I'll discuss it with them."

Old Man Wen, having heard the entire conversation, lifted his head to look at the old woman and the young girl. He sat up straight and said, "Hey, I say, can you show some respect for the head of this household? Why don't you consult me about these things?"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Luo cast a disdainful glance at him and sneered: "Are you the one who cuts the grass, or are you the one who cleans the duck pens? Or perhaps you're the one who drives the ducks to the river? Consult you? Consult on what? Consult on how you're going to eat it?"

Old Man Wen was choked for words: "You old woman..."

Mrs. Luo huffed, tucked Wen Yao's hand into the crook of her arm, and, holding her head high like a triumphant rooster, led Wen Yao into the kitchen.

They left Old Man Wen behind, muttering something under his breath, but neither of them paid any mind.

Once they were alone, Mrs. Luo asked Wen Yao earnestly, "Yao Yao, can it really work? You know the family's current situation. If we really want to raise ducks, we'll have to make a significant investment. If it succeeds, that's fine, but if it doesn't..."

If it succeeded, the families of the second and third sons would surely remember the favor, but what if it failed? Wen Yao's idea represented the eldest son's household; she feared the other two sons and their wives might hold a grudge against them.

Wen Yao now had a share of the profits from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Although she hadn't received the money yet, judging by the business the pavilion had been doing, the dividends should be substantial.

"Grandma, if it really doesn't work, I'll cover the investment. You and the aunts can be responsible for raising them. When we sell the ducks, we'll split the profits. I provide the capital, you do the raising, and we'll split the proceeds fifty-fifty," Wen Yao said.

As soon as Mrs. Luo heard this, she gave her a slap: "You silly girl, do you have too much money? What kind of fifty-fifty split? Grandma doesn't want any of it. Just pay your two aunts some wages. Don't go around saying things like 'fifty-fifty' to others, do you hear me?"

Wen Yao was moved; the old woman's heart was truly with them.

Wen Yao said solemnly, "Grandma, I'm not joking. The demand for duck will only increase in the future. If our family raises a few hundred ducks, just paying the aunts a wage won't be enough."

Mrs. Luo thought she had misheard: "How many? A few hundred ducks?"

Mrs. Luo had thought Wen Yao wanted them to raise a few dozen at most; she hadn't expected her to suggest hundreds right off the bat.

Never mind whether they could manage to raise them, they didn't even have that much space. A few hundred ducks—she couldn't believe the girl could even say it.

Wen Yao didn't offer any further explanation to Mrs. Luo; once she finished roasting the duck, the truth would be revealed.

Wen Xiuzhu and Wen Xiuqing took turns guarding the oven, spending two full days drying it out inside and out.

The duck that Mrs. Luo had been keeping was successfully sacrificed under Aunt Li's large knife. In addition, they bought two more from Iron Bull's family at one hundred coins each. All three ducks were placed on Wen Yao's cutting board.

Cleaning, marinating, the whole process was handled in one go.

Next came the roasting. They tried three different levels of heat.

The first duck: the skin was burnt.
The second duck: the heat was insufficient, and the skin wasn't crispy enough.
The third duck: it was just right, but still lacking something.

And then, there were no ducks left.

Mrs. Luo took out another two hundred coins and gave them to Aunt Li: "Second daughter-in-law, go to Iron Bull's house and buy two more ducks."

Aunt Li licked the lingering taste of roasted duck from her fingers and, without a moment's hesitation, took the money and headed out.

The rest of the Wen family, except for the last one left for the three children who were at school—Wen Xiwang, Wen Jun, and Wen Nong—had all been divided up and eaten by the others.

Wen Yao was so anxious she squatted in front of the roasting oven, pulling at her hair.

"Stop pulling. I thought the last one was roasted quite well; why is it still not good enough?" Mrs. Luo said, stopping Wen Yao's hand in time.

Wen Yao shook her head: "It's still missing something."

While no one was paying attention, Wen Xiuyi leaned in close to Wen Yao and asked, "I remember you used to have a thermometer in your oven. Can we use something like that?"

Wen Yao pointed at the circle of people around them, and Wen Xiuyi immediately made a zipping motion across his lips and fell silent.

She would have loved to bring out an oven thermometer, but how could she explain its origin?

Having space resources she couldn't use was truly exhausting.