“By the way, Xiao Jin, today Grandpa took care of something big.”
“Grandpa, what big thing?”
“Today, Chengshan and I bought quite a few chicks and ducklings and put them in the storage room.
You can take a few each day and just say they were eaten by a cat or a weasel.
Raise the rest slowly in your space, and someday we’ll never lack meat or eggs.” Su Tingyun’s voice lowered significantly as he spoke.
Su Jin raised a thumb toward her grandfather with a smile. “Grandpa, that’s clever.
I was just planning to ask Uncle Su to get some tomorrow morning. I didn’t expect…”
He chuckled, “We’re in sync, the two of us. I also had a few carts of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and some seeds delivered to the warehouse. You can get some when you have time, but don’t let anyone notice.
Take half for now, and let Uncle Su share the rest with a neighbor—shouldn’t be a problem.”
When he returned home today, he noticed two people skulking near his house, watching. He didn’t know whose people they were, but his house had been under surveillance.
Fortunately, Xiao Jin had hidden everything that needed hiding.
Tomorrow, he planned to organize everything: a few factories, a street of shops, and some houses, even the small Western-style buildings.
Later would probably be too late…
“All right, I’ll go now.” Su Jin stood to head to the warehouse, but Su Tingyun stopped her. “Rest for a bit, no rush.”
“Grandpa, I’d rather finish the task first. If I don’t, I won’t rest properly.”
Su Tingyun sighed, “Fine, just don’t overdo it.”
“I’m careful, Grandpa,” she said, and went to the warehouse.
Sure enough, there were several small heaps piled up.
Su Jin collected about half of the piles and took a few chicks and ducklings along the way.
That evening, when Su Chengshan went to feed the chicks and ducklings, he counted them three times, but the numbers didn’t match. Muttering to himself, he said, “Strange… I counted correctly at noon.”
He searched the corners of the storage room but found nothing. He hung the door shut with an empty bucket in hand and left.
On the way, he muttered, “How can this be? Where could they go?
Even though they have wings, they can’t fly!
Could wild cats or weasels have eaten them?
No, that can’t be.”
He decided to count again the next day.
Early the next morning, Su Wanqing got up without washing and went to the storage room, taking three chicks and two ducklings. She left as if nothing had happened.
When Su Chengshan came to feed them, he felt his eyes were failing him.
Of the twenty-odd chicks and over a dozen ducklings, he couldn’t count them properly.
Today there were five fewer than last night. Panicked, he rushed to find the old master—these were the ones he had bought.
Although not worth much, he could replace them—but this was too bizarre.
There were no signs of weasels or wild cats!
The whole situation seemed stranger and stranger.
“Old Master! Old Master! Something’s wrong!”
Su Tingyun, sipping tea in the living room, frowned slightly at his flustered housekeeper. “Chengshan, what’s the matter, why are you panicking?”
Taking a deep breath, Su Chengshan said, “Old Master, the chicks and ducklings in the storage room are missing.
Yesterday, I counted a few missing and planned to recount tonight. But when I fed them just now, several more were gone.
I checked inside and outside—no traces of weasels or cats!
Could it… be haunted?” He lowered his voice.
Su Tingyun understood immediately. Seeing his expression, he cleared his throat. “Chengshan, stop scaring yourself. No ghosts here. This is the new society—we don’t do such things.
Maybe, just maybe, a wild cat ate them without leaving a trace.
They’re just a few chicks and ducklings. If some are gone, we’ll replace them tomorrow.
Let it eat—one day we’ll catch it.”
Su Chengshan nodded, “Yes, Old Master. I’ll replace them right away—I just don’t believe it.”
After Su Chengshan left, Su Tingyun couldn’t help but laugh, his face softening with fondness. “That girl…”
If they weren’t under surveillance, he would have put hundreds of chickens, ducks, and even sheep into Xiao Jin’s space.
At that moment, the phone rang. Su Tingyun hurried over and answered.
A strong, confident voice came through: “Su, is that you, Su? This is Pei Mingche!”
Su Tingyun’s hand tightened on the receiver instinctively. “Brother Pei! It really is you! How have you been? Everything alright?”
“All good, all good, very healthy.” His tone carried concern. “Su, I heard some news. Is everything okay on your end?”
“For now, all’s fine at home. We’re preparing to respond to the country’s call, contributing everything we can donate.” Su Tingyun added cautiously, “Brother Pei… well, there’s something I’m not sure whether I should mention.”
“We’re brothers—what’s there to hesitate about? Just say it.”
Taking a deep breath, Su Tingyun decided to speak. “It’s about that old joke we once made—about letting our children be childhood betrothed.
The previous generation didn’t marry, so the next generation could—but I don’t know if you remember this?”