Old Man Yun stared at the big black ball on the table for a long time. If Xian He hadn't helped crack it open, he wouldn't have known there was chicken hidden inside.
Beggars Chicken was made by wrapping Cloud Ying Chicken in lotus leaves and mud, then roasting it. It was a bright reddish-brown, fragrant with the fresh scent of lotus leaves. The meat was tender, soft, and flaky, so delicious that Old Man Yun's tongue practically blossomed.
Yun Zhantian was his father-in-law, so it was fine to eat a little. As long as he didn't eat all of it.
Slaves at the slave market cost around a thousand Copper Coins. If he could sell these goods for just two thousand Copper Coins, that would be enough to buy two slaves.
After devouring one Beggars Chicken, Old Man Yun stopped.
One was enough to satisfy his craving. How could he eat it all? His son-in-law still had to sell them for money to support the family.
"Not bad!" Old Man Yun smacked his lips. "How many Copper Coins does this chicken cost? I'll pay you, so you can't complain about me behind my back."
People in the Sky Fortune Tribe raised chickens too, but only a handful of nobles could afford to eat them. Most of the tribe could only look on enviously.
"We're family. Why would I take your money? If I dared to charge you, Yun Ling would give me hell when I got home."
Old Man Yun was his father-in-law. Since he couldn't bring him into the Mountain River Society Diagram to enjoy the good life, what was wrong with treating him to a Beggars Chicken?
If he liked it, Xian He would bring him one every day, until he couldn't stand the sight of it.
Besides, Yun Ling was having litter after litter of children with him, like a rabbit. If he was stingy with her father on top of that, he'd be a pretty lousy person.
"Didn't you say that even brothers should keep their accounts straight?" Old Man Yun raised a hand, determined not to take advantage of Xian He. He was a man with principles, after all. "Quit wasting time and tell me how much it costs. I still have to make porridge!"
He'd thought it through, too. He wasn't paying Xian He any Copper Coins, so why should he expect him to work for free?
They might be family, but if he really did that, Xian He would start resenting him before long.
"All right, one hundred Copper Coins!" Xian He held up one finger.
"What? One hundred Copper Coins? That cheap?" Old Man Yun was stunned.
Chicken was something only a handful of nobles could afford, and this brat was selling it so cheaply. Had he lost his mind?
He'd be ruined at this rate!
Besides, it tasted so good that people would buy it even if he charged a thousand Copper Coins.
"That's right, it's that cheap!" Xian He replied. "If you're free, help me sell the chickens... All right? That one hundred Copper Coins will be your commission and stall rental. Don't worry about the porridge. I'll make it."
Old Man Yun would do a better job selling them than Xian He.
He'd been in business for years, and his motto was to treat young and old alike fairly.
If Old Man Yun sold them, there was a better chance the customers would trust him and buy.
"Sure, no problem!" Old Man Yun readily agreed. Pointing at the eggs, he asked, "How much are these?"
"Plain Boiled Eggs are ten Copper Coins each. Eating one increases your strength by eight percent for an hour. Fried Eggs are one hundred Copper Coins each. Eating one increases your strength by ten percent for two hours..." Xian He explained them one by one.
Xian He didn't explain where the eggs and chicken came from, only telling Old Man Yun it was a trade secret.
After hearing Xian He's explanation, Old Man Yun closed his eyes and focused, looking inward at his dantian.
Just as Xian He had said, the true qi in his body had increased by nearly fifteen percent. It had passed the six-hundred mark, reaching Yellow Obsidian One-star.
"Awesome!" Old Man Yun opened his eyes and slowly uttered two words.
His son-in-law was far too amazing. He could actually cook such extraordinary dishes.
If hunters ate this food, their hunting efficiency would shoot way up.
"All right, Old Man, keep an eye on the stall. I'm going back inside to make Wood Powder Porridge."
Clouds parted over the mountains, and the first light of dawn appeared.
Customers caught the fragrant scent and came early to queue for porridge.
Old Man Yun's good porridge was only sold one pot a day. If you arrived late, there'd be none left.
The appetite was one of life's great pleasures!
Getting up early was worth it to satisfy a craving.
"Mmm... The porridge smells especially good today. Could Xian He be here?"
"If so, we're in for a treat."
"Hm? What are those things in front of Old Man Yun? Big black balls, one after another. Are they lumps of charcoal?"
"No idea. Let's go ask."
The early customers gathered around Old Man Yun.
"Old Man, what are these big black balls?" asked a potbellied customer.
"What do you mean, 'big black balls'? They're called flower chicken. There's a whole chicken wrapped inside. My precious son-in-law came up with them." Old Man Yun gave the fat man a proud look. "What, want to try one?"
The fat man froze. "Uh... You mean chicken—the kind only a handful of nobles can afford?"
"That's right! I'll stake my reputation on it: this chicken is even better than what the nobles eat." Old Man Yun thumped his chest. Seeing the fat man hesitate, he added, "Don't worry. Beggars Chicken isn't expensive. Just one hundred Copper Coins each."
"One hundred Copper Coins? That could buy dozens of bowls of Wood Powder Porridge. And you call that cheap?"
"You don't know what you're talking about! How can Wood Powder Porridge compare to chicken? Only the chief and the elders can afford chicken. Even a thousand Copper Coins wouldn't be too much to charge for it."
Before you continue