I'll Raise Pigs to Support You - Chapter 45
Aside from the bowl in front of Song Yugui, where every wonton remained perfectly intact, the wontons in everyone else’s bowls were more or less falling apart. In the bowls of Chi Xiangyue and Shen Xizhi, the wrappers and fillings had completely separated—not a single one remained whole.
Nevertheless, Chi Xiangyue ate quite contentedly and happily. After all, it was her first time making them herself, so it held a different significance.
When Song Yugui saw the bowl of mush in front of Shen Xizhi, she felt a bit guilty and leaned over to whisper, “I did a terrible job wrapping them. They probably don’t taste good.”
Not a single one had its wrapper and filling still together.
But Shen Xizhi didn’t seem to mind. She scooped up a spoonful and said, “They’re not bad. They’re delicious.”
As long as they were made by her, they were good.
Song Xinyu kept her head down, focused on eating the wontons. Though she had helped with household chores since childhood, she hadn’t done much. Her wontons were decently wrapped, though clearly not as good as Shen Xizhi’s—a few in her bowl had still broken apart.
Each wonton was thin-skinned and generously filled, bursting with the flavor of fresh meat.
Hearing her wife praise her wontons, Song Yugui knew deep down she was just being sweet, but she couldn’t help but smile, thoroughly charmed.
“Then eat more. I see you didn’t take much. Should I cook a few more for you later?”
She coaxed gently. Xizhi always ate too little—how could that be enough?
She’d be hungry at night, and eating so little wouldn’t give her any energy.
“I’ve had enough.”
She had cooked the wontons according to her own appetite, so it was definitely enough.
“How about I give you two of mine? Oh, but… I’ve already taken a bite…”
Guigui felt guilty. How could she offer someone food she’d already eaten?
But Shen Xizhi’s eyes lit up slightly at the suggestion. She shook her head with a soft smile. “Why would I mind?”
That meant she was willing. After all, they were both women—why should there be so many reservations over sharing a meal? Song Yugui transferred two or three wontons from her bowl to Shen Xizhi’s.
Shen Xizhi’s expression grew even gentler as she slowly ate them with her spoon.
Chi Xiangyue watched them curiously and couldn’t help asking, “How did you realize you were lesbians?”
She didn’t even know whether she liked men or women.
Song Yugui gave her a speechless look. Who asked such things at someone else’s house? How rude.
So she didn’t answer, only saying, “Just eat your food.”
“Oh.”
Chi Xiangyue wasn’t offended by the dismissal. If they told her to eat, she’d eat.
The wonton filling was quite fragrant, and the broth was tasty too.
Song Yugui ate the small wontons one by one, thinking to herself that it would be even better if they had seaweed and sesame oil. She’d have to buy some later.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, Chi Xiangyue glanced outside and hurriedly said, “My dad will be back soon. I need to hurry home. If he finds out I ate at your place, he’ll definitely scold me.”
“Take care, Miss Chi.”
Song Yugui didn’t try to stop her at all. The sooner she left, the quieter it would be.
Since Chi Xiangyue was leaving, Song Xinyu couldn’t very well stay either and also said her goodbyes.
Song Yugui addressed her as “Miss Song” and told her to be careful on the road.
Once everyone was gone and only the two of them remained in the house, Shen Xizhi slowly sidled up to Song Yugui, nearly clinging to her, her voice soft and sweet.
“Wife~”
Song Yugui had initially told her not to call her that, but since Shen Xizhi said she liked it, she didn’t object.
“Hmm? What is it?”
Her wife looked especially adorable at this moment, her little mouth red and pouty.
“Hug me.”
She made the request so tenderly it made Song Yugui’s heart melt.
Without a second thought, Song Yugui opened her arms and pulled her close. “What’s wrong? Why do you suddenly want a hug? Are you feeling down?”
Shen Xizhi murmured, “I just want a hug.”
She was actually in a very good mood. She had noticed the change in Song Xinyu’s attitude toward her wife, but she had also noticed the distance her wife maintained toward Song Xinyu.
No matter how Song Xinyu changed, as long as Sister Yugui didn’t like her, it was pointless.
What she feared was Sister Yugui developing feelings for her again.
“Wife, can you not pay attention to Miss Song from now on?”
Song Yugui was taken aback. She even withdrew the hand that had been resting on Shen Xizhi’s waist, holding both palms up innocently. “I haven’t been paying attention to her! I was just being polite. It’s not like I can just ignore her completely.”
That was true. They were all from the same village—it wouldn’t do to make things too awkward. And that Miss Song was the village chief’s daughter…
Shen Xizhi bit her lip, pressing her little head against Song Yugui’s chest and nuzzling softly before obediently saying, “Then… then you have to be like you were today. Don’t be nice to Miss Song, and don’t be nice to any other girls either.”
Her possessiveness was fierce. Whether it was Miss Song or Miss Li, none of them were allowed.
Song Yugui was well aware of her wife’s jealousy and immediately agreed. “Okay, you’ll always be the most important to me. No one could ever surpass you.”
Shen Xizhi’s heart swelled with joy. That was exactly how it should be.
As she sat there, she gradually shifted from her own stool onto Song Yugui’s lap, wrapping her arms around her neck and wriggling her little waist in her embrace, utterly endearing.
Song Yugui held her waist with one hand, then decided one wasn’t enough and used both, hugging her close. Earlier, when Shen Xizhi had suddenly gotten angry, it had really worried her. She had no idea why she was upset, but now that her anger had subsided on its own, she didn’t want to press further, lest it remind her and make her angry again.
“There are still some wontons left. I’ll wrap the rest later, and we can have them for breakfast tomorrow. Don’t go for a walk outside—stay with me. You don’t have to help wrap them, just keep me company.”
Shen Xizhi knew Song Yugui liked to take walks after meals to aid digestion, so she made this request. She loved clinging to her—it couldn’t be helped, since Song Yugui treated her so well.
If she wanted to stick to her, she wouldn’t let her go.
Song Yugui didn’t mind at all. She nodded and sat beside her, keeping her company until all the meat filling was used up. The remaining bit of flour, she said, would be used to make noodles for her the next day.
Noodles were delicious too, and she loved them.
Every dish her wife made was delicious.
After that, it was time to rest. The two of them soaked their feet, warming up before undressing and getting into bed.
The sheets were a bit cold, nothing like the plush blankets of modern winters that could be laid out for warmth.
But lying down, they didn’t feel cold at all.
If they had the chance… they could save up some money and buy a tiger pelt or something to spread over the bed next year.
It would definitely be expensive, but for now, she could dream.
As she was lost in thought, the other person, who had just lain down, silently rolled into her arms. That afternoon, when she hadn’t been held while sleeping, she hadn’t been able to fall asleep at all!
It had been so miserable.
Shen Xizhi pouted.
Song Yugui wrapped an arm around that slender waist, skillfully tucking her into her embrace.
Only then did drowsiness begin to creep in.
The little girl’s head bobbed slightly, and without needing to say another word, she tilted her head and fell asleep.
Song Yugui had just been about to whisper a few words to her wife, but after calling “Xizhi” a few times with no response, she looked down and realized she was already asleep.
With no one to talk to, she didn’t last much longer either. Soon, she was fast asleep in their shared embrace.
The next day, they got up while it was still pitch black outside. The wind howled beyond the walls, and inside wasn’t much better—it was freezing.
But since they had gone to bed early the night before, waking up wasn’t too difficult.
Shen Xizhi lit the oil lamp and cooked the wontons. After they finished eating, they headed to the pig farm, where they slaughtered a plump pig weighing over two hundred pounds. The farm charged them 6,500 copper coins. Song Yugui paid the 2,600 coins she owed from the day before, leaving about 4,100. This time, she simply paid 4,000 coins, owing 2,500, which she would pay upon their return.
They then hauled the pork out, pushing it on a cart with several wheels—thankfully, or it would have been exhausting.
By the time they reached town with the pork, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
She set up shop immediately.
Gradually, the elderly vegetable vendors arrived with their stalls, setting up their produce. Seeing how early the two of them were, they teased, “Your stall makes the most money every day. Why do you still work so hard, never resting? Don’t you get tired?”
Song Yugui just smiled. “Who would ever say no to more money?”
No matter how tired she was, as long as there was money to be made, it didn’t feel tiring.
Besides, arriving early meant they could finish early and go home sooner.
She still wanted an afternoon nap.
Today seemed to be a market day, with an unusually large number of vendors setting up stalls and crowds of people coming to shop. The place was packed. Shen Xizhi held her wife’s hand, eyeing the variety of stalls around them. “How about I buy a fish? Let’s have fish for dinner today.”
Fish was expensive in winter, but they hadn’t had it in a while.
Song Yugui swallowed and nodded, handing Shen Xizhi all the money left after paying the deposit that morning, telling her to buy whatever she liked.
That’s what she said, but Shen Xizhi was always well-behaved and sensible—she definitely wouldn’t take her up on it. She just acknowledged the words and took the money.
She bought a bream, a fish with few bones, perfect for braising. Cooking fish required a lot of oil, but fortunately, since they sold pork, they had plenty to spare. She also bought a few radishes—good for the eyes—to stir-fry with meat later.
After buying just those two things, she didn’t purchase anything else and headed back.
Song Yugui handed the weighed meat to a customer and glanced back at her wife, puzzled when she saw how little she had bought. “Why didn’t you get more? What about snacks?”
Shen Xizhi shook her head, mixing the remaining money with what they had earned from selling meat. Softly, she said, “I don’t really like eating those. Three meals a day are enough.”
“I’ve never noticed you not liking them. Whenever I buy them for you, you always eat them happily.”
“Well, if you’ve already bought them, it’d be a waste not to eat them.”
Shen Xizhi said coyly.
If she admitted to liking snacks, Sister Yugui would just buy them for her every single day, and that would be a waste of money.
“Hmph. Well, when we go home later, I’m buying you some snacks to take back.”
“You’re impossible…”
She fell silent, knowing that when it came to spending money, her wife wouldn’t listen to her no matter what she said.
Because of the market, the town was especially crowded, and the pork sold quickly. Before long, nearly half was gone. The two of them minded the stall, greeting every customer with bright smiles. Some people bought meat just to see them and cheer themselves up.
Many people from Song Village also came to town to shop.
They greeted the couple, and those who were better off bought a couple of ounces of meat to take home.
After standing in the bustling market for a while, a voice suddenly rang out—enthusiastic but also a bit of a headache.
“Xizhi! Yugui! So this is where you’re selling pork!”
Song Yugui: “…”
Shen Xizhi immediately tensed, gripping her wife’s wrist tightly.
Both of them looked up simultaneously and saw a poised woman standing beside a refined gentleman. Dressed in simple attire with her long hair tied into a high ponytail, she waved cheerfully at them.
Chi Jingming was also someone who left early and returned late each day, so their paths rarely crossed. His impression of them was rather vague. He couldn’t help but ask his daughter beside him, “Are these the people whose house you went to for dinner yesterday?”
“Yes, Dad! We had wontons at their place—they were delicious.”
Chi Jingming nodded slightly in understanding. “Since they’re your friends, go say hello and buy two pounds of meat while you’re at it.”
“Oh, okay.”
Chi Xiangyue agreed and skipped over energetically.
“Yugui, Xizhi, let me help you sell the meat!”
The moment she arrived, she had already forgotten her father’s instructions entirely.
Shen Xizhi bit her lip and glanced at Song Yugui, her watery eyes filled with urgency—hoping she would refuse.
Song Yugui’s lips twitched. “That might not be appropriate. Your father seems to be waiting for you.”
Reminded, Chi Xiangyue turned to look behind her. Her father stood there, watching her patiently with a gentle expression.
But she waved it off carelessly. “It’s fine. I’ll just tell him to go ahead first. I want to hang out with you two.”
Shen Xizhi anxiously tugged at her wife’s sleeve, afraid she might hesitate to refuse out of politeness. In a moment of urgency, she blurted out stiffly before Song Yugui could respond, “No!”
Chi Xiangyue blinked. “Why not?”
“I—I can handle selling the meat with my wife. There’s no need to trouble you, Miss Chi.”
“Ohhh~”
Chi Xiangyue caught on. “You don’t want me interrupting you and Yugui, right?”
Shen Xizhi’s face flushed red. Though that was the gist of it, she hadn’t expected Chi Xiangyue to pick up on it so quickly—and even say it outright! Too embarrassed to admit it, she flusteredly denied it.
“No, that’s not it! Don’t talk nonsense.”
Her cheeks burned even brighter.
The more she reacted like this, the more confident Chi Xiangyue became. “It must be. Well then, I really shouldn’t disturb you two.”
Shen Xizhi, thoroughly embarrassed, hid behind Song Yugui, gripping a corner of her clothes with slender, jade-like fingers.
“Alright, alright. I can’t win against two people alone. Then just sell me a few pounds of meat.”
“How many pounds?”
She couldn’t remember what her father had asked for, so after a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Five pounds. Let’s go with five.”
“What cut?”
Chi Xiangyue didn’t understand the different cuts, so she just said, “Whatever,” and randomly pointed at the pork belly.
Song Yugui thought, Well, turning down money would be stupid.
With a swift cut of her knife, she sliced off slightly over five pounds, giving the extra as a bonus.
Chi Jingming had been waiting for a while. When his daughter returned with five pounds of meat, his brow furrowed. “Did you tell them how much we needed?”
“Five pounds.”
“…”
Five pounds for two people? How long is that supposed to last?
Chi Jingming shook his head helplessly but didn’t scold her, simply leading her away.
Today’s sales went smoother than usual. By noon, all the meat was sold, earning them over eight thousand coins.
Shen Xizhi had been hiding to the side, counting the coins one by one.
She really was a little money-grubber.
Song Yugui pulled her along, not heading straight home but stopping at a sugar-painting stall diagonally across the street.
She had been eyeing this stall for a while. The elderly woman skillfully painted tigers, rabbits, and other shapes with ease, making them look quite lifelike. She wanted to try it out.
Shen Xizhi also thought this was an unnecessary expense, but seeing how happy her wife looked, she held her tongue. If she wants to buy one, let her. Money can’t buy happiness.
But then, Song Yugui said, “Grandma, can you paint one to look like her?”
Shen Xizhi’s face turned red, and she lightly pinched Song Yugui’s fingers. “What are you doing? Just paint a little rabbit.”
Why would anyone want a sugar painting of her face?
But Song Yugui ignored her protests, insisting on having her likeness painted. Shen Xizhi muttered something under her breath but eventually fell silent.
The elderly woman studied Shen Xizhi intently for a while before smiling. “I can do it, but painting a person costs more—six coins.”
Ordinary animals were simpler and only cost three coins. Painting a person was trickier since everyone looked different.
Six coins wasn’t a big deal, so Song Yugui agreed.
The old woman then kindly said, “Little girl, stop hiding behind your sister. Come out so I can see you properly.”
Shen Xizhi had been too embarrassed to move, but the moment she heard “sister,” she got annoyed. She stomped out from behind Song Yugui, her expression pouty.
Unaware of her irritation, the old woman called to Song Yugui, “Tell your little sister not to frown. It’ll make the painting turn out unflattering.”
Song Yugui soothingly rubbed Shen Xizhi’s back and gently corrected, “She’s my wife, not my sister. You’ve mistaken.”
The old woman froze.
Shen Xizhi, seeing that Song Yugui hadn’t just let the mistake slide, softened slightly. The frown between her brows eased, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Realizing her earlier misstep, the old woman apologized, “This old lady’s eyes must be failing me.”
Song Yugui shook her head. “It’s fine.”
People mistook them for sisters all the time anyway.
As the old woman prepared to paint, she kept murmuring about how lovely and well-matched they looked together. Shen Xizhi’s smile widened, her eyes crinkling with joy.
The sugar portrait took a while to complete. After waiting patiently, they finally received it. Song Yugui paid the six coins and led her wife away.
Shen Xizhi held the sugar-painted stick, too mesmerized to even help push the cart. She walked alongside, marveling at the sugar figure.
It really did resemble her—about thirty percent, at least.
“Don’t want to eat it?”
Song Yugui, struggling to push the cart alone, glanced back and asked.
Shen Xizhi’s eyes sparkled as she nodded excitedly.
She had been reluctant to spend the money earlier, but now that it was done, she was quite pleased.
“If you don’t eat it, it’ll melt. Hurry up.”
Song Yugui smiled and urged, adding, “If you like it, I’ll buy you another next time.”
“Mm!”
In the past, whenever Song Yugui offered to buy her something, she would try to dissuade her. But this time, she agreed immediately—proof of how much she liked it.
Seeing the villainess happy made her happy too. Song Yugui’s smile didn’t fade the entire way home.
Until the sizable sugar figure was presented before her.
“You take the first bite.”
Shen Xizhi couldn’t bear to eat it. If she didn’t take a bite first, her wife might just admire it all day.
So Song Yugui leaned in and took a bite out of the sugar figure’s little face.
For some reason, Shen Xizhi touched her own cheek, watching the missing bite.
Her ears gradually warmed.
She didn’t say anything else, obediently licking the sugar in small bites.
Since it was cold out, the sugar didn’t melt quickly. She could keep licking it all the way home.
Passing by the pig farm, Song Yugui handed over the 2,500 coins they owed from the morning, leaving them with 6,000 coins.
Even after accounting for costs, their daily earnings were substantial.
After finishing the sugar, Shen Xizhi counted the money again at home and came out cheerfully. “We still have so much left. Let’s buy some fabric tomorrow—I’ll make you a new set of clothes.”
It was rare to hear her suggest spending money. Song Yugui’s eyes lit up. “Oh? You know how to make clothes?”
The little girl nodded modestly. “Mm. Making them yourself is much cheaper than buying ready-made ones. But it’s been a while—I might be rusty. If they turn out ugly, will you still wear them?”
She tilted her fair, almost glowing face upward.
How could Song Yugui possibly refuse?
The original host’s clothes were all hideous anyway. She had long since resigned herself to that. How bad could the villainess’s handmade clothes be?
I refuse to believe it.
“I’ll wear them. Even if one sleeve is longer than the other, as long as you made it, I’ll wear it.”
Shen Xizhi gave her a light shove, her eyes shy and coquettish like a young bride’s. She pouted, feigning displeasure. “It won’t be that bad.”
They chatted for a while indoors until it grew late. Having skipped lunch, their stomachs growled loudly.
Luckily, there was still dough from last night. Shen Xizhi took it out, kneaded it a bit more, and then cut it into thin strips.
She stir-fried some shredded meat and two eggs in the pot until fragrant, then added water to simmer. The broth took on a golden hue.
Once it was ready, she added cabbage and a handful of carrot shreds they had bought at noon before finally dropping in the noodles.
Song Yugui had smelled the delicious aroma from afar. The eggs were fried in lard, and lard-based noodle soup was simply the best.
Soon, a pot of steaming noodles was ready. Song Yugui carried two bowls to the table, her mouth watering at the scent.
“Xizhi, your cooking keeps getting better.”
The moment she was praised, Shen Xizhi’s face flushed. “Just eat. Stop talking.”
“What, you don’t like it when I talk?”
Song Yugui frowned playfully. “How heartbreaking. First, you don’t want me to speak, and next, you won’t even want to see me?”
She stirred the hot noodles to cool them while teasing unreasonably.
“Stop talking nonsense! When did I ever say I didn’t want to see you? You—if you keep this up, I really won’t talk to you anymore.”
Seeing the faint anger in her expression, Song Yugui grinned and admitted defeat. “Alright, alright, I was just joking. You can’t ignore me. If little Xizhi stops talking to me, I’ll be so heartbroken I won’t be able to eat or sleep.”
Shen Xizhi squirmed. “You’re just spouting nonsense. I don’t believe a word of it.”
She had been angry yesterday, but this woman slept soundly without a care. Now she says this? Clearly, it’s not true.
After some playful bickering, they finished the delicious noodles and lingered in the yard to enjoy the breeze before heading up the mountain to cut pig grass.
Today, with Chi Xiangyue absent, Shen Xizhi breathed a sigh of relief. Though her help had been efficient, she talked way too much—enough to make one’s head ache.