Chapter 22: The Chicken That Lays Golden Eggs

This reason was rock-solid. "These past few days, when I went into town, I noticed the bodies rotting way too slowly. I was worried about disease—epidemics and all that. So I figured, better safe than sorry."

"Oh," everyone said, relieved. In ordinary people’s eyes, so many unexplainable things were just shorthand for mystery and fear. Where there’s mystery, there’s curiosity; where there’s fear, there’s faith. Xiaoqiang’s explanation made perfect sense. They nodded in agreement.

"Dad, talk to Dafu and start sorting out any tools we might need down the line."

Li院长, standing nearby, asked, "So the Bureau’s not watching over us anymore? The war’s supposed to be over, right?"

Xiaoqiang’s mom chimed in, "It’s been days now. Life’s settling back into routine. What else could possibly happen?"

Xiaoqiang shook his head. "You think it’s really that simple? Ever heard of a war lasting just one day? If the whole country goes to hell again—warlords carving up the land like they did in the old days—what do you think we common folks are supposed to do? Thirty-six strategies: retreat is the best move. We prepare now. If worst comes to worst, we hole up in some mountain ravine. Once things actually stabilize, we’ll figure out the rest."

"I’ve seen people from other towns in the city scrambling for supplies these last two days. Conflicts are inevitable. Honestly, my head’s spinning. I can’t even imagine what the future looks like. Better to be ready than regret later."

The joy they’d built up over the past few days evaporated instantly. A thick wave of anxiety washed over each of them.

Xiaoqiang climbed upstairs and grabbed a few gold necklaces and thinner gold bangles. Just as he turned to leave, Yingzi blocked the doorway.

"What are you doing with our gold?"

"Since when did it become *your* gold?" Xiaoqiang sighed, exasperated. At that moment, his mom and Li院长 came up the stairs too. "We saw it first—it’s ours. You’re not touching it."

Ironically, the women—who had just moments ago been gripped by dread—now forgot all their fears. *A misfortune may turn out to be a blessing.*

Fine. Like throwing a meat bun at a dog—gone without a trace. Xiaoqiang tried to sweet-talk them. "Money’s probably useless now. I’m trading this gold for a few chickens. Otherwise, the kids won’t have eggs."

That did it. The women softened. Xiaoqiang kept pleading, cajoling, until he finally managed to slip out with a few pieces. But not before getting stern warnings: no more stealing their gold.

Xiaoqiang’s eyes welled up with silent tears. Once gold changed hands, it was no longer his.

He grabbed two extra handguns, hopped into the Elora, drove straight to the repair shop, swapped it for a truck, then headed north—toward the countryside, where he planned to collect some old laying hens.

After half an hour, he spotted a cluster of farmhouses in the distance. He got out, peered through the fence. Twenty-plus chickens, scattered around the yard.

From inside the house, a middle-aged woman stepped out. “What’re you staring at?”

“Oh, sister,” Xiaoqiang said, “I’m from the orphanage in town. I’m here to buy a few chickens. You sell them?”

She gave him a strange look. “I don’t lack food or clothes. Money’s trash now. What am I gonna sell?”

Xiaoqiang perked up. *Gotcha.* “I’ve got something here. Take a look. Might catch your eye.”

He pulled out the gold bracelet. Her eyes lit up instantly. Sure, cash was worthless—but gold? That still held value. Everyone knew the saying: *In peace, antiques; in chaos, gold.* This deal was solid.

She stepped closer. “You ain’t trying to fool me with fake stuff, are you?”

“Hey now, sister, come on—take a good look yourself.” He handed it over.

She took it, ran her fingers over it. Feels real—same material as hers, but thicker.

Xiaoqiang pushed further. “If you still doubt it, bite it. Won’t hurt.”

She hesitated, then bit down hard. A tiny dent appeared. That was how most people checked gold—by tooth.

Now she believed. “How many chickens do you want for this?”

Xiaoqiang chewed on the question. “This bracelet’s 50 grams. Before the war, it was worth 25,000 yuan—no less. Could’ve bought 200 chickens easily. But times are tough now. Let’s cut a deal—60 chickens. Fair enough?”

She mulled it over. “Food’s precious these days. These are real local hens—lay one egg a day, sometimes two or three. You take ’em home, you’ll never worry about eggs again. How about 40?”

“What? Sister, are we talking about the same thing? Forty chickens for one gold bracelet? Are your hens laying golden eggs?”

“No, wait—I didn’t come to the wrong place, did I?”

“Look,” Xiaoqiang said, turning to walk away, “even if war’s raging, gold’s still gold. When has gold ever dropped to cabbage prices? Not in thousands of years.”

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t desperate to feed my kid. My head must’ve been cracked open by the door. Trading gold for chicken? You’ve never heard of someone dumber than me, have you?” She paused, realizing she’d gone too far. “Okay… maybe you’re right. Fine. Fifty-five chickens.”

Xiaoqiang nodded seriously. “Sister, bargaining over one or two chickens makes things awkward. I came out here to buy in bulk. Your hens—60 for this bracelet. No less. But I’ve got another piece.” He pulled out a gold necklace—studded with tiny diamonds, shaped like a blooming peony. Her eyes locked onto it. *Zero resistance to shiny things.*

“This necklace isn’t as heavy as the bracelet, but it’s just as valuable—maybe even more. Add fifty more chickens, and it’s yours. I see you don’t have that many hens here. Go ask your neighbors. I don’t care how you get ’em. I just want the chickens. One bracelet, one necklace—110 chickens total. How’s that?”

She blinked, her mind racing, calculating. After two minutes of silence, she said, “My neighbors around here? Combined, they don’t even have 100 chickens. I’d have to go farther. All that running around? Not worth it. And those diamonds—they’re not worth anything. I’d rather have gold. If it’s 100 chickens, I can make it work. But 110? I can’t do it. Can’t you compromise?”

Xiaoqiang’s jaw dropped. “Sister, you *dare* say diamonds aren’t worth anything? Want me to pop ‘em off and hand you the stones? Today, I’ve learned something new—*you’re a master of persuasion*. You could convince a dead man to stand up and dance.”