I'll Raise Pigs to Support You - Chapter 39

The days of rest always passed so quickly. On the second day after the female lead entered the village, it was already time for her to return to work.

Fortunately, the original owner hadn’t sold her pork cart, or she would have had to buy a new one—another expense.

Now, aside from the cost of buying meat, renting a stall in town also required a significant outlay.

She had already inquired with the person in charge of stall management and paid a day’s rent for the pork stall. The fee was shockingly high—far more expensive than the few coins charged for vegetable stalls. A single day cost fifty coins.

Song Yugui: Suffocating.

She had originally planned to pay for a month upfront, but the money in her pocket was only enough for one day. If the person in charge hadn’t recognized her, they wouldn’t have rented it to her at all.

Since the location wasn’t far from the restaurant, foot traffic was decent, but the price was correspondingly steep.

That day, she woke up early, pushed her cart to the pig farm, sharpened her knife, and selected a pig to slaughter. The pig weighed nearly three hundred jin (about 150 kg). At twenty-eight coins per jin, she owed the pig farm owner seven thousand eight hundred and forty coins. The owner rounded it down to seven thousand eight hundred coins.

Song Yugui paid a deposit of three thousand coins upfront—she didn’t have more than that—then pushed a cart piled high with pork to town. She had set out very early, and along the way, all she could see was a thick white fog. The cold weather made her shiver uncontrollably.

Deep down, Song Yugui was also very uneasy. Damn, a single pig costs over seven thousand coins. I’ve never even earned seven thousand coins since coming to ancient times. What if I can’t sell it all? Wouldn’t that mean I’m stuck with it?

Ah, if my luck is really that bad and I end up with unsold meat, I’ll have to work odd jobs to pay off the debt.

She thought pessimistically.

When she arrived at the stall, there was no one around yet—only a few scattered uncles and aunties selling vegetables.

This was also her first time setting up a stall to sell pork, and she wasn’t very skilled at it. Just standing behind the stall made her so nervous she felt like a wooden stick.

A young woman walked past her, glanced at her nervous expression, found it amusing, and stepped back, covering her mouth as she laughed. “Little girl, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time selling pork?”

Song Yugui opened her mouth, about to say yes, then paused, remembering something, and silently shook her head. “No, I’ve sold it before.”

“Really? Then why do you look so nervous?”

Song Yugui lowered her head and eyes. “It’s been a while, so I’m a bit out of practice.”

“Alright, I thought you’d never done it before.”

The woman glanced at the pork on her stall, covering her mouth as she smiled. “You’re young, but the pig you slaughtered looks good. Give me two jin (about 1 kg) of tenderloin.”

This was Song Yugui’s first sale. She straightened up, her eyes instantly brightening. She answered with a “Yes,” swiftly cut two jin of tenderloin with her knife, tied it up with string, and handed it over respectfully. “Seventy coins, thank you.”

The woman looked at her in surprise. Buying pork and actually getting a “thank you” in return?

In the village, Shen Xizhi also woke up early, intending to hug her wife before getting up to cook. But when she reached out, her arms only met empty air. She lowered her head—Huh?

Where’s my wife?

No, she’s gone?

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she quickly got out of bed to search for her. But she didn’t find anyone—only two eggs warming in the stove.

Clearly, Song Yugui had left them there.

She had boiled two eggs for her and then sneaked away!

Shen Xizhi stomped her foot angrily. That awful Song Yugui! You promised to take me with you today!

Who wants your stupid eggs? And you boiled two of them—eggs don’t cost money?

The little girl was furious, cursing her in her heart, but there was nothing she could do. She could only sulk and eat the eggs—though she only ate one.

She didn’t know where Song Yugui’s stall was and couldn’t easily go looking for her. Today, she’d just have to wait at home.

Shen Xizhi pursed her lips, unhappily scooping some grain to feed the chickens. But as she stepped outside, she noticed the girl next door was also out, seemingly practicing some kind of martial arts move.

That Chi Xiangyue also spotted the stunningly beautiful girl from next door and brightened, calling out cheerfully, “Miss!”

Shen Xizhi didn’t know why she was being called. Her expression remained indifferent as she glanced over but didn’t respond.

Chi Xiangyue awkwardly rubbed her nose. What’s going on? This family is so cold. There’s not a single lively one among them.

But she didn’t mind. People’s temperaments were what they were—it wasn’t right to demand they change for her.

So she still cheerfully walked over. “You look about my age—are you also seventeen?”

Since the other girl had approached her and hadn’t provoked her before, Shen Xizhi couldn’t keep ignoring her. She pressed her lips flat and nodded slightly.

The girl seemed even more excited, grabbing her arm and refusing to let go. “Then we can chat in the future!”

Shen Xizhi: “……”

She tried to subtly pull her arm back. Who wants to chat with you? Are you crazy?

The little girl bit her lip, lowering her head to suppress the frustration of being abandoned by her wife and the annoyance of being dragged into conversation by someone she disliked. Her voice was barely steady as she replied calmly, “I still need to cut pigweed later. I’m afraid I won’t have time to chat.”

“Pigweed? What’s pigweed? What’s it for?”

A villager wouldn’t ask this question. The fact that she did showed she must have come from a well-off family—though it was unclear why she was here now.

Shen Xizhi glanced at the girl’s clothes—brightly colored and made of high-quality fabric she’d never seen before. Just looking at them, she could tell they were expensive.

After a moment of silence, she reluctantly answered, “It’s for feeding pigs.”

The other girl immediately exclaimed in amazement, “Wow, your family raises pigs too? Can I see them?”

She looked hopeful.

Shen Xizhi: “……”

She didn’t want to show her, but the request wasn’t unreasonable.

Hmph, it’s all Song Yugui’s fault for not taking me with her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have to talk to the neighbor.

Grudgingly, she opened the fence. “Fine, go take a look.”

She led the girl to the backyard to see the pigs. The exclamations of wonder came one after another, as if the girl had never seen a pig in her life.

But even if she hasn’t seen a pig, hasn’t she eaten pork before? What’s so surprising?

The noise gave Shen Xizhi a headache.

Finally, she said coldly, “Are you done looking?”

Chi Xiangyue was still fascinated and didn’t pick up on the chill in her tone. She shook her head cheerfully. “Not yet, not yet! Let me look a little longer. Hey, does it just eat grass?”

……

Why doesn’t she understand human language?!

I already said I need to cut pigweed! QAQ.

Shen Xizhi sulked, her expression growing even frostier.

But Chi Xiangyue didn’t notice at all. From the moment she’d met this girl, she’d had the same icy demeanor.

Only after satisfying her curiosity did she ask, “What does pigweed look like? Can you take me to see it?”

Shen Xizhi: “……”

I want to cut pigweed alone! QAQ.

Reluctantly, she replied, “Pigweed looks like ordinary grass. There’s nothing special about it.”

“But I’ve never seen it before!”

The girl’s eyes were earnest, clearly eager to go.

Shen Xizhi, who rarely refused others and didn’t know how to respond: QAQ.

Song Yugui had no idea her wife was being pestered at home. She was happily selling pork in town.

At first, she was very nervous, but as more and more people came and went, her tension gradually faded, and she focused solely on cutting and distributing meat.

“Little girl, give me a rib.”

“Half a jin, that’ll be seventeen coins.”

“I’ll take a jin of pork belly.”

“Alright, here you go.”

“Do you still have pork kidneys?”

“The kidneys are sold out. We still have liver—would you like that?”

“Never mind, then.”

Her attitude was gentle, her meat-cutting swift, and her appearance pleasant—not rough or intimidating. She was easy on the eyes, and for larger purchases, she even rounded down the price. Soon, many people were flocking to her stall.

About half an hour later, half the pork on the stall was still left, but the income was already quite decent—enough to at least pay off the three thousand coins she owed.

Whatever was left after that would be her profit.

Song Yugui stayed in town until nearly sunset before returning. A fair amount of meat remained unsold, but compared to her initial fear of losing money, this was already a good outcome.

About eighty jin of meat was left—mostly pork fat and less desirable cuts. Tomorrow, she’d see if she could bundle them as freebies with other purchases. There were also some lower-quality pork belly portions and more expensive spare ribs.

In total, she’d earned six thousand seven hundred and seventy-three coins. Just on the first day, she’d made this much. She couldn’t help but curse the original owner in her heart: You abandoned this lucrative business—no wonder the village beauty looked down on you!

Excitedly pushing her cart back to the village, she passed by a pastry shop where the line had just cleared. She parked the cart outside, thinking that since she’d earned a bit more today, she should bring something back for Shen Xizhi.

To coax her into a better mood.

Of course, she remembered her promise last night to take her to town. But when she woke up early in the morning, the sky was still dark. She could endure the hardship of working before dawn, but dragging her wife along? What kind of terrible person would do that?

Seeing Shen Xizhi sound asleep, she couldn’t bear to wake her.

But she could easily guess—Shen Xizhi must be furious.

If she didn’t coax her properly, there’d be no peace tonight.

“Two horse hoof cakes, two pea flour cakes, two peach blossom pastries, and two osmanthus cakes.”

When she was poor, she could only afford one type of expensive pastry. But now that things were better, she couldn’t skimp on the cheapest ones to appease her wife. She splurged on the priciest options, spending a whopping fifty-six coins.

This was the first time she’d been so extravagant since arriving in ancient times.

After all, the big villain had suffered a lot alongside her. Now that life was improving, she had to reward her for her loyalty.

Song Yugui pushed the cart full of unsold pork back to the village, first paying the pig farm owner the remaining four thousand eight hundred coins.

I still owe my wife ten coins.

When renting the stall, she’d been short ten coins and had borrowed them from Shen Xizhi.

Borrow one, repay ten—I’d never shortchange my wife!

Along the way, many villagers stared at Song Yugui. Some, seeing the amount of meat she’d brought back, exclaimed in amazement, “Ah, you’re back to selling meat?”

Song Yugui smiled and gave a brief reply. “Yes.”

One person’s question led to another, and soon, villagers kept approaching her.

She felt uncomfortable, her neck flushing slightly.

Is this how it is in the village? The slightest commotion draws the whole crowd?

This is terrifying.

“Did you get this meat from the same place as before?” someone else asked.

Song Yugui nodded as usual, and the person looked envious.

Being a butcher was undoubtedly profitable, but not just anyone could do it. Butchers were usually trained from childhood—who would dare try it otherwise? Pork was expensive. What if the cuts were ruined, affecting the price?

This was serious business.

Ordinary families who wanted to slaughter pigs had to apprentice under a master. Only relatively well-off households could afford the materials to practice. Without growing up around it, who could master the skill?

“Yes.”

“Ah, it really pays to have a trade. Look at you—now that you’re butchering again, you’re not the same as before.”

Song Yugui didn’t understand how butchering made her “not the same as before.” Wasn’t she still living in the same small village?

She could only smile awkwardly.

The aunties chatted with her for a while longer before eyeing the pork covered with cloth on her cart. “This… didn’t sell out?”

Song Yugui paused, then nodded. “Yes, some didn’t sell.”

“Are you taking it all back to eat now?”

Their tone carried a hint of probing. Song Yugui quickly caught on. “Yes, I’ll sell it at a discount tomorrow.”

“How much of a discount? Why don’t you tell us? If it’s really cheap, we might buy some too. We’re all from the same village—we should help each other out.”

“The wholesale price is fixed, so I can’t discount it too much. How about thirty coins?”

“Thirty…”

The crowd hesitated, then dispersed.

Song Yugui: “……”

Villagers were poor. Families that could afford meat daily were considered wealthy. With the New Year just passed, they’d already had their fill of meat. Now, they were just looking for a bargain. Seeing that the discount wasn’t significant enough to justify spending several days’ worth of expenses, they left.

Song Yugui’s lips twitched as she pushed the cart home.

At the doorstep, she spotted two girls walking toward her, each carrying a basket on their back—one cold and aloof, the other lively and spirited.

She caught snippets of their conversation:

“Cutting pigweed is so fun! Can you take me again tomorrow?”

That was definitely the female lead.

And beside her, her wife didn’t utter a word, walking in silence.

Only when they reached the doorstep and saw her did Shen Xizhi’s frosty eyes instantly fill with grievance.

Song Yugui was about to greet her wife cheerfully with an “I’m back,” but seeing this, she frowned. “Xizhi.”

The slender girl only glared at her with teary eyes before slowly, reluctantly, walking over, her expression growing more aggrieved, her lips puckering.

Song Yugui didn’t know what had happened, but seeing her wife walking with the female lead—whom she’d just declared she disliked yesterday—and looking so upset, she wondered: Did the female lead bully her?

Though, based on the novel, the female lead wasn’t the type to bully others—on the contrary, she was very friendly. But in the novel, her wife was also a murderous villain.

And what was the reality after transmigrating?

A soft, bun-like sweetheart who let others push her around and rarely fought back—completely different from the novel’s description. Clearly, the novel couldn’t be trusted.

If the female lead bullied her…

Hmph, even if she’s the female lead, she can’t bully my wife!

Song Yugui’s expression cooled slightly.

“What’s wrong? Were you bullied at home alone today?”

This had never happened before. The only difference was the female lead moving in next door. It was hard not to suspect her.

Chi Xiangyue was baffled. After spending the day together, why did this ice queen suddenly look so wronged the moment she saw her family?

Weren’t we having fun?

Shen Xizhi was upset but didn’t want to say anything in front of others, so she just pressed her lips together and leaned into Song Yugui’s arms, her long lashes lowering to hide her teary eyes.

Instantly, Song Yugui’s heart melted.

Who dared bully my wife?!

She cursed inwardly but kept her tone calm as she reached out to take the basket of pigweed from Shen Xizhi’s back.

Chi Xiangyue, seeing this, quickly took hers off too. “Here, this is also yours. I cut this one—I went with her.”

She emphasized.

Song Yugui’s lips twitched again. So the female lead had gone up the mountain to cut pigweed for them.

“Thank you, Miss Chi.”

Chi Xiangyue waved her off. “No need for thanks. Just make sure she takes me along next time she goes to cut pigweed.”

Song Yugui: “…”

Damn, she’s latched on.

“Miss Chi, you jest. We can’t possibly trouble you to do our chores.”

She gently pulled the unusually clingy girl, who was burrowing into her arms and refusing to leave, closer, patting her soothingly.

Shen Xizhi pressed her lips together and nuzzled further into her embrace.

Chi Xiangyue stared, dumbfounded. This beauty has two faces! She wasn’t like this with me!

Isn’t she supposed to be cold and aloof by nature?

Well, the “not talking much” part might be true, but “cold and aloof”?

Chi Xiangyue was stunned.

It took her a while to realize Song Yugui was still speaking to her, so she quickly shook her head. “No, no, I’ve never done this before, so I wanted to try it. Look at how neatly I cut it—pretty good, right?”

She proudly held up her basket for Song Yugui to inspect.

Since she’d helped out, it was only polite to thank her again. Song Yugui looked down at her fragile, aggrieved wife.

Her little face was scrunched up, as if she only wanted to talk to her and no one else.

“Shall we go inside?”

“Mhm, I’m tired.”

Without even glancing at the female lead, she nodded.

Song Yugui’s suspicions were confirmed. This sudden change is definitely related to the female lead. Thank goodness—I thought it was because of me.

“Miss Chi, my wife isn’t feeling well, so I’ll take her inside first.”

She still politely excused herself.

Chi Xiangyue froze again, almost doubting her ears.

What did she say?

Shouldn’t they be… sisters?

What does she mean by ‘wife’?

Since when does an older sister refer to her younger sister as ‘wife’?

Song Yugui half-carried Shen Xizhi into the courtyard.

Shen Xizhi could actually walk, but she deliberately clung to her wife, refusing to move on her own.

The pork, covered with a cloth, was left outside for now. Coaxing her wife took priority.

Song Yugui sat her down on the bed and crouched in front of her, her brow slightly furrowed, her expression serious.

“Why do you look so upset the moment you come back? Did Chi Xiangyue bully you?”

It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption, given how things looked…

Shen Xizhi bit her lip, nodded, then shook her head, sulking. “She kept pestering me today… I wanted to cut pigweed alone, but she insisted on coming with me and wouldn’t stop talking.”

Song Yugui: “…”

So that’s all it was.

My little villain really does hate the female lead. Just talking to her has her this upset.

Before Song Yugui could fully process the situation, Shen Xizhi suddenly punched her shoulder—not hard, like a kitten swatting, but it still startled her. She looked up to see her wife’s eyes red with anger.

“It’s all your fault! You promised me last night! QAQ.”

Song Yugui: “…”

Pride comes before a fall. The fire has finally reached me.

“I woke up too early—I didn’t have time to call you.”

Song Yugui was guilty, her brown eyes darting around evasively. Shen Xizhi’s teary eyes glared at her.

“If—if you hadn’t lied to me and sneaked off without me, she wouldn’t have pestered me all day. It’s all your fault!”

The little girl sat on the bed, stomping her feet in anger.

Song Yugui hesitated. “But it was really too early. I was worried you wouldn’t get enough sleep and would be exhausted.”

“You weren’t exhausted, so why would I be?”

Shen Xizhi pouted, turning her head away angrily.

Song Yugui had no choice but to coax her. “You’re delicate—I can’t bear to see you suffer.”

The other girl’s eyes welled up with tears, completely unconvinced. She sniffled, her nose red. “You just thought I’d be a nuisance and didn’t want to take me!”

How could Song Yugui admit to that? She immediately denied it. “Nonsense! How could I ever think you’re a nuisance? I’d never think that of you. Alright, alright, don’t be angry. I bought you pastries—try them, okay?”

She had bought the pastries precisely because she’d anticipated her wife’s anger.

Shen Xizhi’s mood improved slightly at the sight of the pastries.

But overall, she was still very unhappy.

“I don’t want pastries. I want to go to town with you. I don’t want to be left alone again…”

She hated being alone.

Back when Song Yugui was still her old self, Shen Xizhi had wished she could be by herself, wished Song Yugui would disappear. But now…

Song Yugui had changed. She’d become the person who treated her the best in the world, so Shen Xizhi wanted to stay by her side.

She was actually very afraid of loneliness, very afraid of being alone.

She just wanted to cling to her.

Song Yugui, you big idiot. You won’t even grant me this one request, always deciding what’s best for me without asking what I want.

You’re the worst.

“How about… you try the pastries first? They’re delicious. Last time, you said you liked the horse hoof cakes, right? I bought them for you again. Try them—if you like them, I’ll buy them for you often, okay?”

Shen Xizhi glared. Do you think I’m that easy to appease?

“I’m going to town with you tomorrow.”

She stated her demand coldly.

Then, with icy, unwavering eyes, she stared at Song Yugui, as if daring her to refuse.

Song Yugui choked, then finally raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I’ll definitely take you tomorrow. I promise, okay?”

She repeated her assurance multiple times.

Shen Xizhi’s expression softened slightly, but she was still very displeased, her voice frosty. “If you hadn’t lied to me and left without me, I wouldn’t have been pestered all day. You might like her, but I don’t.”

The little girl turned her head away again, leaving Song Yugui with only a clear, beautiful jawline and a head full of confusion. “When did I ever say I liked her? Even if you’re angry, you can’t just make things up.”

Shen Xizhi gave her a cold look.

Song Yugui: “…”

“If you don’t eat these pastries, I’ll give them to Auntie Li.”

As she spoke, she reached for the pastries, but Shen Xizhi swiftly hid them behind her back. Finally looking at her properly, she huffed, “You can’t take back a gift! Song Yugui, how stingy can you be?”

“Who told you to stay mad at me and make up lies? I don’t like Miss Chi at all. You’re still hung up on me glancing at her yesterday? Your heart is as small as a needle’s eye.”

Shen Xizhi bit her lip, refusing to respond to her complaints. Her little face remained cold as ice. Song Yugui couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch her cheeks, kneading them until Shen Xizhi could no longer maintain her icy demeanor. She lowered her head, letting her black hair hide her expression.

“I didn’t see you all day. Can’t I be angry for a while?”

It wasn’t like she was that angry—she was just venting a little. Was that not allowed?

She had a habit of saying outrageous things when upset, and Song Yugui was used to it. After kneading that soft little face for a while, she sat down beside her, ignoring her struggles as she pulled her into a hug.

With a helpless chuckle, she said, “Fine, fine. But after you’re done being angry, remember to forgive me.”

Shen Xizhi lowered her eyes and didn’t respond.

Of course she would forgive her. If she didn’t, what else could she do? It wasn’t like she could let go.

This wasn’t a big deal—she was just throwing a tantrum. But she couldn’t overdo it, or Song Yugui’s affection might fade.

Shen Xizhi pretended to struggle futilely before reluctantly leaning into her embrace, muttering, “The pastries you bought me—you can’t give them to anyone else.”

Her wife was tender, soft, and adorable. Though she often threw tantrums, overall, she was well-behaved and endearing.

Seeing her calm down, Song Yugui’s tone softened as well. “They were always for you. If you like them, I’ll buy more for you tomorrow.”

She patted her head gently.