I'll Raise Pigs to Support You - Chapter 21

In the blink of an eye, another day passed. Having forgotten to buy rice earlier, Song Yugui made a point to purchase a ten-pound bag on her way home from work today, spending another forty-five coins.

Calculating like this, the remaining money in hand was already running low.

Song Yugui was worried.

Even after returning home, she couldn’t muster a smile.

Seeing her like this, Shen Xizhi grew uneasy. Her dark, wide eyes fixed on Song Yugui as she approached, gently tugging at her sleeve and asking softly, “Why are you unhappy? Did I do something wrong?”

The young girl instinctively blamed herself, pressing closer.

Song Yugui absentmindedly grasped her slender, fair fingers and replied, puzzled, “Huh? What does this have to do with you? I’m just thinking about something.”

After saying this, she fell silent again, clearly not intending to share her thoughts. Shen Xizhi pursed her lips, displeased but saying nothing, quietly sitting beside her to keep her company.

The half-month’s advance wages were nearly depleted. The dream of eating meat every day still seemed far out of reach, so she had no choice but to endure a few more days of hardship.

No matter how unpalatable the porridge was, she had to eat it. No matter how much she disliked wild vegetables, she still forced them down.

Of the remaining forty-eight coins, aside from the three spent on cabbage seeds, she rarely touched the rest.

A month’s wages had to last two months. At the very least, they had to scrape by until then before life could improve slightly.

Song Yugui worked like a machine, cutting a bucket of pigweed every morning before dawn and taking her wife to the mountains to gather firewood every evening. After a month of backbreaking labor, she finally received the remaining one hundred fifty coins—only to feel utterly hopeless.

Over the course of a month, some expenses were unavoidable. Household necessities and two mouths to feed had long since exhausted the original forty-eight coins. Thankfully, the wages arrived just in time—otherwise, she wouldn’t have known what to do. But even this money had to last another month. Life was truly stretched thin.

On the way home, Song Yugui spent the entire time berating herself. Not only had she spent all her own money, but she’d even dipped into her wife’s hard-earned earnings from washing clothes.

On the small earthen slope, Shen Xizhi was holding a basin of something to feed the chickens. Song Yugui walked over, opened the pen, and leaned in for a closer look—it was a pile of shredded vegetable leaves.

Sensing the familiar warmth approaching, Shen Xizhi didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Softly, she explained, “Aunt Li’s family grows cabbage. She gave me some wilted leaves to feed the chickens.”

“Oh.”

Song Yugui knew nothing about raising chickens and could only watch curiously. After a moment, she asked, “Are we only keeping one chicken?”

Shen Xizhi shook her head. “We’ll raise a few more later. There’s no hurry.”

Right—they were poor. How could they afford more chickens?

“I’ll work harder to earn money,” Song Yugui said dejectedly.

Providing for a family was so damn hard. She had newfound respect for her parents, who managed to raise her. Now, she could barely support her own wife.

Shen Xizhi, however, didn’t seem to care much about money. Hearing this, she turned to look at Song Yugui, her expression gentle. “It’s fine. Things are already good enough as they are. Don’t overwork yourself, Wife.”

She never forgot that they were both women.

Though women could be resilient, their physical strength was still inferior to men’s, making them tire more easily.

As long as they could get by, why exhaust themselves chasing more money?

Before, she had hoped Song Yugui would suffer so much she’d never come home. But now, she felt an unwillingness—a reluctance to let her go.

Song Yugui didn’t respond. She still felt uneasy without a bit of savings.

“I’m going to the mountains to gather firewood. Will you wait for me at home?”

“I’ll go too.”

There wasn’t much else she could help with, but gathering firewood was within her abilities. To stock up enough for winter, she went along every day.

The young girl fetched a bamboo basket she had recently woven and trotted after her.

Autumn provided the most dry branches. Instead of cutting down trees, they only collected thick, sturdy branches that would burn well.

Each carried a full basket home—enough to last a while.

“Tired?” Song Yugui asked on the way back, glancing sideways.

Shen Xizhi obediently shook her head. “Not tired.”

What did she have to complain about? All she did was feed the pigs and chickens at home. Compared to Song Yugui’s labor, her work was nothing. Complaining would be too much.

“Mm. What’s for dinner?”

“I… I bought two eggs. How about egg pancakes tonight?”

“You bought two eggs?”

Song Yugui seized the keyword, suddenly turning her head with wide eyes. Remembering Shen Xizhi’s stubbornness—how she had previously refused her money out of pride—she frowned.

“Where did you get the money for eggs?”

She narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t go back to washing clothes for people, did you?”

It wasn’t an unfounded suspicion. Shen Xizhi never listened!

Always pretending to obey but doing the opposite.

The young girl’s fair cheeks flushed slightly as she stomped her foot. “No, no! I helped some villagers with farmwork, and they gave them to me.”

Song Yugui: ?

Excuse me, what did I just hear?

You might as well have gone back to washing clothes!

“Have I ever let you go hungry or without clothes? Why can’t you just sit still?”

She turned away, her voice carrying a hint of sternness.

Shen Xizhi shrank back, gripping the hemp rope slung over her shoulder as she muttered, “But… but you’re a woman too. I can’t just stay home doing nothing, relying on you to support me.”

Ever since learning she was to marry a woman, this was how she had seen things. As long as her spouse treated her slightly better than her parents had, she would work hard to build a life together. But she never expected…

After marrying, she found herself in an even deeper hell.

She had resigned herself to a life with almost no light—if things became unbearable, death would be an escape. Yet just then, Song Yugui changed.

Into someone she hadn’t even dared to dream of.

She had actually started to care for her.

A crack tore open in the darkness, and light came pouring in. The young girl, who had never been treated kindly before, was easily enchanted.

“Don’t you already do the laundry and cooking? How is that ‘relying on me to support you’?”

Song Yugui didn’t understand. Household labor had value too!

“That… that’s different. I also want to contribute money to the household.”

Some people just don’t know how to enjoy a good life.

She received a disdainful look, but Song Yugui didn’t dare scold her. The last time she had criticized her, Shen Xizhi had sulked for an entire day and was nearly impossible to coax. Now, no matter how stifled she felt, she couldn’t bring herself to reprimand her. After a long pause, all she said was, “Don’t go again.”

Shen Xizhi: !

Pouting, she grumbled, “You’re always forbidding me from doing this and that.”

Ever since being gently pampered, her courage had grown—she even dared to talk back now.

“The fields are full of men. They’re stronger—how much help could a young girl like you even be? Don’t go.”

She didn’t know how things worked in this world, but in her modern life, having seen too many news stories, she was instinctively wary of men.

Shen Xizhi couldn’t win the argument. Huffing, she turned away and ignored her.

She’s mad again.

Hmph, let her be mad.

Song Yugui lifted her chin, also refusing to speak. But before long, she sidled over and held the girl’s arm, deliberately cold. “The mountain path is rough. If you fall, who’s going to cook for me?”

Shen Xizhi: …

Has anyone ever told you that you’re terrible at pretending to be harsh? It’s so fake.

“Then I’ll trouble my wife for your help.”

She wasn’t ungrateful. Seeing the offered olive branch, she quickly took it. Her spouse had worked hard all day—why make her worry over a quarrel?

Shen Xizhi lowered her gaze. Fine. If she doesn’t want me in the fields, I won’t go. She’s always feared I’d be unfaithful—why give her reason to doubt me?