I'll Raise Pigs to Support You - Chapter 6

The two returned home together, but Shen Xizhi didn’t speak to Song Yugui anymore. She deliberately kept her distance and quietly picked up a broom to sweep the house inside and out before shouldering a bamboo basket and heading out.

Song Yugui didn’t notice. She was still preoccupied with figuring out how to make money.

After racking her brains, she felt nothing but despair. She really wasn’t cut out for time travel—she didn’t know how to do anything useful. Which time-traveling heroine was as useless as her, only capable of office work and butchering pigs?

Other transmigrators would invent all sorts of gadgets and live prosperously, while she, the moment she arrived, lost even the one job she could do in ancient times.

If only she had listened to her father and focused on butchering pigs properly. Truth be told, butchering pigs could earn a decent income, but she had stubbornly refused, thinking it didn’t suit a beauty’s image. Well, no use regretting now. Tomorrow, she’d go to town and look for odd jobs first.

Lost in thought, she stood up and decided to go out for a walk. Since it was her first time in this place, she ought to familiarize herself with the surroundings.

“Xizhi, I’m going out for a bit.”

Song Yugui called out from inside the house but received no response. Puzzled, she stepped outside and saw the empty courtyard before realizing—Shen Xizhi must have gone out too.

She was the only one home.

Though she didn’t know what the big villain was up to, whatever it was, it had to be something productive—unlike her.

Aside from mealtime yesterday, this was the first time Song Yugui had stepped into the yard. Looking into the distance, she realized their house stood on a small slope, surrounded by several other households, all with wisps of smoke curling from their chimneys.

She squinted for a moment before suddenly remembering—they hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch.

Had Shen Xizhi left without eating?

Her plans to go out were temporarily shelved. Song Yugui rummaged around the house, determined to cook something. She couldn’t just lie around waiting for meals every day.

But after searching for a while, all she found was a handful of wilted wild vegetables.

Staring at the green leaves, she recalled yesterday’s watery green porridge and felt her soul wither. No wonder Shen Xizhi was nothing but skin and bones—living on rice broth and wild greens every day, how could anyone gain weight?

Forget it. She’d have to endure for now. Later, she’d ask if there was any unused land around the house.

—

Shen Xizhi returned from afar, carrying a basket of fresh grass on her back. When she saw smoke rising from their chimney, she froze—her first thought was, Is there a fire?

Rushing closer in panic, she saw Song Yugui emerge with a bowl of rice porridge in hand.

She actually knew how to cook? Wasn’t she the type who couldn’t even lift a finger?

Song Yugui spotted her too. She was about to smile when the aloof persona she’d abandoned since last night suddenly repossessed her. Pressing a fist to her lips, she coughed lightly and forced her expression to cool. “Where’ve you been? Only coming back now.”

Seeing her unsmiling face, Shen Xizhi’s confidence instantly deflated. She peeked at her timidly, inching forward bit by bit, stopping a few steps away before whispering, “I went to cut grass for the pigs. They haven’t been fed yet.”

Song Yugui was shocked. “We have pigs?”

The girl frowned slightly, wondering if all that drinking had truly rotted her brain.

Still, she answered obediently, “Yes, we do. Almost every household in the village raises pigs.”

After a pause, she hesitantly added, “You used to sell pork in town, but you stopped a while ago and gave up the stall.”

She wasn’t sure if Song Yugui remembered—after all, her mind seemed quite damaged.

Of course, Song Yugui had no idea. Horrified, she pressed, “Why did I stop?”

Shen Xizhi bit her lip and lowered her head, replying carefully, “You said butchering was work for crude people. You wanted to study, to cultivate an elegant temperament.”

Naturally, she never actually studied. After quitting the meat business, she idled around even more, becoming the local troublemaker.

Every woman in the vicinity feared her.

Song Yugui: “…”

She didn’t need to ask to guess what happened next.

Rubbing her temples, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself in frustration.

What kind of idiot throws away a good livelihood just to suffer?

Shen Xizhi watched as her wife’s expression shifted between cold detachment and inexplicable amusement, shrinking back a couple of steps in fear.

What’s wrong with her? Did she really hurt her head? This is terrifying—is she going to hit me?

She hated being hit the most. Her deer-like eyes were soft and timid, long lashes trembling as she stole furtive glances, not daring to look directly.

Song Yugui’s face cycled through a myriad of expressions before settling on a sigh. “Never mind. Sit down first. We’ll talk about this later. I made vegetable porridge the way you did yesterday, but I added a bit of salt. Try it.”

Yesterday’s porridge had been bland, barely palatable. She’d tasted this version earlier and found it much better—at least edible.

Shen Xizhi looked down at the two bowls on the table. They contained a generous amount of rice, even hers. The porridge was neither too thin nor too thick, its fragrance wafting temptingly.

But her heart ached at the extravagance. Hugging the basket of pig grass to her chest, she muttered unhappily, “I’ll feed the pigs first. You eat—don’t mind me.”

Song Yugui was baffled. “What’s the hurry? Sit down and eat first. The pigs won’t starve to death.”

Shen Xizhi hesitated, torn between reluctance and obedience. Only when Song Yugui’s patience neared its limit did she reluctantly nod. But instead of sitting, she fetched a small bowl from the kitchen and scooped out most of her porridge into it.

“What are you doing?” Song Yugui was utterly confused.

The girl pressed her lips together, her eyes lingering on the bowl with visible distress. “I can’t eat this much.”

Song Yugui: “…”

No wonder she was as thin as a skeleton.

“You need to eat more to have strength. Look at you—you didn’t even gather as much grass as others.”

Just then, a woman carrying two full buckets of pig grass passed by their gate. Song Yugui casually remarked on it.

But the woman shot her a horrified glance, then quickened her pace. The buckets swayed precariously as she practically fled, even dropping a few handfuls of grass in her haste.

“…”

Song Yugui was beginning to understand—the original owner of this body was probably deeply unpopular in the village, especially among women.

Shen Xizhi also glanced at the other woman’s haul, noting that it was indeed much more than hers. It was a fact, but for some reason, it made her inexplicably upset. Her expression turned sullen, and she simply ignored Song Yugui.

After a few sips of porridge with no response, Song Yugui realized she was being given the silent treatment. Looking up, she saw Shen Xizhi clutching her bowl, cheeks puffed out like a wronged little wife who didn’t dare complain.

The sight amused her.

But her laughter startled Shen Xizhi, who mistook it for rage. Flustered, she hurriedly looked up, ready to salvage the situation after her brief defiance—only for Song Yugui to pinch her cheeks.

Her face was thin and angular, with barely any flesh to grab. Dissatisfied with the lack of squishiness, Song Yugui let go after two pinches. “Eat up. Later, I’ll go cut more grass. You stay home. Oh, do we have any medicine for injuries?”

Yesterday, her mind had been too muddled to think about treating her wounds. Now that she remembered, she felt a twinge of guilt.

Shen Xizhi didn’t understand the sudden question but was relieved she wasn’t angry. She nodded slightly. “We have some medicated oil.”

After a pause, she added a concerned, “Are you hurt?”

Being this well-behaved shouldn’t make her angry again, right?

Song Yugui finished her porridge and checked the sky. There was still time to cut grass later, so she said, “Go fetch it after eating. I saw your bruises yesterday—they haven’t faded. I’ll help massage them away.”

Bruises that weren’t properly treated would hurt for a long time. A good rub would speed up the healing.

“F-For me?” The little deer was startled.

The medicated oil had always been reserved for Song Yugui’s use. Whenever Shen Xizhi was injured, she simply endured until it passed. Now, she could use medicine too?

“Mm. Eat first, then go get it. No rush. Eat more—don’t worry about saving food. I’ll go to town tomorrow to find work and earn some money. At the very least, I won’t let you starve.”

Shen Xizhi automatically tuned out the part about finding work. She’d heard that line many times before, but Song Yugui had never followed through. So she didn’t take it seriously.

But the fact that Song Yugui cared about her injuries stirred something strange in her. Her grip on the bowl tightened, her knuckles turning pale.

“Okay…”

She responded softly, appearing docile and obedient.