Reborn Just To Be a Big Shot Family Freeloader

Chapter 16: My Monkey King Brother

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Gongyu Mingxi waved her hand and said, “Let’s eat. He won’t come back until this evening.” The sisters thought about it and agreed.

After lunch, Yan Qixun continued to copy the medical books while the three of them continued to make clothes.

Yan Lingsu was thinking of making a pair of shoes for Yan Qixun to allow her to go out. The current pair of broken shoes that had ripped open was their mother’s old shoes when she was young. There were no proper shoes for Yan Qixun to go out of the house at all. It was a pity that Yan Lingsu did not have any shoe soles available. Instead, she made oars and cloths as the shoe’s soles.

The ground outside had already dried up quite a bit after a sunny day by sunset. The following day, it would be easier to go out and have a walk. Yan Qixun had finished copying an entire medical book in one day, while Mother and two sisters had also made two cotton-padded clothes.

Yan Qixun put away the dried paper and placed it neatly, and said, “I do know how to make paper. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Second Brother to help me dig a pond at home. We have a lot of straws, so I’ll go and get some papyrus first. Then in my free time, I’ll go to the pond to slice up the papyrus and make some high-grade papyrus.”

There was no shortage of papyrus in the countryside. There were fields and rivers everywhere, but this stuff was high-grade paper-making material. For a scientist with her background, paper making was not difficult. Of course, it was impossible to make a good paper in one go. One still had to figure out the craft bit by bit. For now, making paper was the top priority.

She was fed up with the awkwardness of having no paper in the toilet. She had to use bamboo, stone, or leaf to clean herself. Perhaps, one should know how that felt like! If she made papyrus, she could go to the toilet anytime to ease herself.

Li Yian and Lin Daiyu also had the elegance of writing letters in their boudoirs. It was different from proper paper making. Unlike later generations, paper-making techniques were top-secret in the big paper mills in ancient times. Ordinary people wouldn’t know about the methods.

Therefore, when she said that the process was simple, her mother and two sisters were shocked. “You even know how to make paper?”

Yan Qixun nodded. “In my previous life, the fundamental processes of these techniques were open to the public. Not to mention ordinary paper, I even knew about the methods from Northern China. However, calligraphy paper was not just about the process. It also had extremely high requirements for the materials.

“As for now, the high-quality paper could not be made due to lack of materials. However, ordinary high-quality mulberry paper, rough straw paper, and bamboo paper were not tricky. As long as you know the process, it would be fine. If you wanted high-quality paper, you just had to fumble around slowly.

“On the other hand, the straw paper could be made right now. Let me make straw paper first so that it will be more convenient when we change clothes. It’s so inconvenient now for us to change clothes.”

Yan Qixun sighed while the other three rolled their eyes and said, “It’s just changing clothes. How would that be inconvenient?”

Yan Qixun continued to sigh. “After our house caught fire, all the toilet paper in the house was burnt away. In my previous life, we used toilet paper, and it was softer than silk. Not only is it soft, but it has to do with hygiene requirements. This is why I have to make toilet paper first. This way, when Mother has he period, it won’t be so troublesome.”

Gongyu Mingxi blushed and glared at her. Yan Qixun rolled her eyes. “Mother, why do you have to be embarrassed? In my previous life, this was something that all of us, regardless of gender, had to learn in class. Even the knowledge of both genders is something that we have to learn in the class.”

The three of them looked at each other and said, “Things like this are taught during class?”

Yan Qixun nodded. “That’s very normal. For example, Third Sister, you’re a medical student, so you must learn everything. For future generations, this is considered general knowledge. There’s nothing to hide.”

While they were talking, Gongyu Hao pushed open the wooden door and entered the courtyard. The mother and three daughters looked at him and could not help but be amused.

They saw Gongyu Hao carrying a long stick on his shoulder. At least 20 chickens and at least 20 rabbits scuttled on one end— some of them were gray, and some were white. Where did he go? Did he become a devil entering the village and hunt?

Yan Qixun looked outside and laughed. “Second Brother, you’re no longer my Brother Monkey! You’re a dead man.”

Based on the intensity of his hunt, it was estimated that all the wild chickens and rabbits in the mountain would become extinct in a few years.

Yan Lingsu felt sorry for her brother, so she quickly got off the brick bed to help. Yan Qixun and Yan Lingyu also got off the brick bed. One of them looked at the wild meat Gongyu Hao brought back, while the other fetched water for Gongyu Hao to wash up.

After Gongyu Hao entered the central room and placed the burden on the ground, he said to Gongyu Mingxi in the room, “Mother, I’m home.”

Gongyu Mingxi tidied up the things on the brick bed and went into the central room. “You’ve come home with so many chickens and rabbits. Have you gone deep into the mountain? How can you be so bold? No one dares to enter deep into the mountain.

“Next time, do not go into the deep mountain anymore. Look at your clothes. It’s soaking wet! Quickly, take off your clothes and lie down on the brick bed. Yan Lingsu, when you make a fire and cook, dry your second brother’s clothes on the fire.”

Gongyu Hao said indifferently, “I didn’t enter deep into mountains, but I just went too far inside. Mother, I’m not like before. Even if I’m not as capable as when I was the Monkey King, the deep mountains don’t scare me.

“I originally wanted to get a few tigers, wolf, and fox skins for you, but unfortunately, I didn’t even see a badger. Otherwise, the badger skin will also be good enough. I only got these chickens and wild rabbits. However, I think these are too much for our family. What should we do about this?”

Gongyu Mingxi glared at him. “No matter how capable you are, how can wolves and tigers be easily hunted by you? You’re not allowed to enter deep in the mountains in the future! And as for these…”

After thinking for a moment, Gongyu Mingxi said, “Logically speaking, we should send some to the elders, but given our family’s current situation, I reckon that even if we send them, they wouldn’t be willing to accept it.

“Pass a chicken and a rabbit to the Zuo family next door. Normally, our family also ate quite a lot of their food. We’ll keep two of each animal for you and your sister. The rest of it, we’ll bring it into town tomorrow to sell them.”

Gong Yuhao waved his hand. “I met Yan Lingzhou on my way back. I gave him two chickens and two rabbits. I asked him to give half of it to Second Granduncle’s family. I wanted to give him more, but he wasn’t willing to take it.

“There’s no need to give any to the Zuo family. Uncle Lu and I entered the mountain together. “If you want to sell it, then I’ll go with Uncle Lu tomorrow. But Uncle Lu said that we caught too many animals this time. Besides, he has caught dozens as well. I’m afraid we can’t sell them in town. We have to go to the county.”

“Alright, you don’t have to bring back any money after you sold them. I think you can sell these animals for more than one tael of silver. Instead, you can use the money to bring back some rice noodles.”

After buying the quilt and cotton cloth yesterday, the remaining money was only enough to buy ten katis of rice, ten katis of fine noodles, and twenty katis of coarse grains. Even with the grain sent by the two Granduncles, they wouldn’t be able to eat for long. She had initially thought of earning some money to buy food, but she didn’t expect Gongyu Hao to bring back many animals today.

One tael of silver was enough to buy over 200 katis of brown rice. It was enough for the five of them to eat for a month or two. Gongyu Mingxi was in a good mood.

Yan Qixun poked the rabbit with her finger, and she said, “Then cook some chicken soup tonight and use the chicken soup to make hand-rolled noodles, okay?

“It’s a pity that we don’t have any chili. Why don’t we cut some scallions, mash some garlic, sprinkle some sesame, pour some oil on it, and pour some on the chicken soup noodles? It definitely will be delicious.” Yan Qixun swallowed her saliva and sighed deeply with satisfaction..