Chapter 15: Fighting Over The Pig
Su Yaoguang dragged such a large wild boar down the mountain, quickly attracting the attention of the villagers.
The villagers gathered around, inquiring how she had obtained the wild boar.
Su Yaoguang pointed to the pig blood on her face and said with a bitter expression, “Bad luck. While digging for wild vegetables on the mountain, I encountered this thing. Fortunately, the environment at the time was convenient for hiding. After much struggle, I finally wore it down to death. It was truly a matter of life and death. I thought I was going to die under the wild boar’s hooves today.”
“Your luck as a girl is too good, isn’t it? Did your little husband make a move? I see he has an injury on his arm.”
“Fortunately, he helped me hold it off, otherwise how could I have survived? Unlike some men, who watch us fight the wild boar with cold hearts.”
While Su Yaoguang was speaking, Jiang Yihui and Xiao Yanci came down from the mountain. Both had bloodstains on them. Without Su Yaoguang naming names, everyone knew who she was referring to.
Su Yaoguang dragging the wild boar was too ostentatious. Soon the villagers knew that the two had encountered a wild boar while digging for wild vegetables on the mountain, fought it using the environmental advantage, not only survived, but also gained a wild boar for free.
That wild boar must weigh around two hundred jin. Many villagers asked Su Yaoguang if she wanted to sell some pork, and if so, everyone wanted to buy some.
Wild boar meat isn’t that tasty, no need to keep it all, and no need to drag it to the city to sell. Su Yaoguang decided on eight wen per jin, allowing interested people to come to her home to buy meat.
Zhang Zhaodi was in the courtyard hanging clothes to dry. Seeing Su Yaoguang covered in blood, she was so frightened her legs went weak.
“What happened? Don’t scare your mom!”
“It’s not my blood, it’s all from the wild boar.” Su Yaoguang dragged the wild boar from behind her into the courtyard. “Wangshu and I killed it on the mountain. Mom, get ready. The villagers will come soon to buy pork. I told them eight wen per jin. With such a big wild boar, the three of us can’t eat much, so let’s just exchange it for money.”
Hearing this, Zhang Zhaodi chanted “Amitabha Buddha.”
Before long, the villagers came to the door.
The wild boar was already dead, and most of the blood had drained. They just needed to boil water to scald off the pig hair, then cut the wild boar into strips.
More and more villagers rushed over upon hearing the news. They saw with their own eyes Su Yaoguang cutting the wild boar into pieces single-handedly, and their gazes toward Su Yaoguang changed.
“Auntie Wang, this strip you picked is five jin, total forty wen.”
“Yaoguang girl, make it cheaper. You know Auntie Wang’s family isn’t well-off.”
“Auntie, for this wild boar, I nearly lost my life. Look at our Wangshu, he still has injuries and needs money for medicine.”
“Fine, fine, then give me this pig liver for free, okay?”
Other villagers also bargained with Su Yaoguang. Her principle was not a single copper coin less, but she could throw in some other things. Of course, ribs and the pig head and such still required payment.
Zhou Wangshu collected the money nearby. He calculated extremely quickly, able to swiftly figure out the amount no matter the weight.
They had just sold more than half the pig when noisy voices came from the doorway, followed by Zhong Lanhua dragging Xiao Yanci in angrily.
“What are you doing at my house?” Seeing her, Zhang Zhaodi rushed forward waving a knife.
Seeing Zhang Zhaodi covered in pig blood and holding a blood-drenched slaughtering knife, Zhong Lanhua’s aggressive demeanor diminished considerably.
“This pig has half belonging to us. I’m here to get the pork.” Zhong Lanhua said with hands on hips.
“Let’s hear it, why does half belong to you?” Su Yaoguang said, viciously hacking off the pig head with a fierce gaze.
Zhong Lanhua swallowed, looking at Su Yaoguang’s blood-soaked ferocious appearance, and pushed Xiao Yanci beside her, saying, “You explain.”
Xiao Yanci frowned. Seeing so many people staring at him, and that fierce village girl looking at him coldly, he reluctantly spoke, “She killed the pig using our knife.”
“Hear that? That’s the reason.” Zhong Lanhua said with hands on hips. “Without our knife, could you have killed the pig? You probably wouldn’t even have saved your own life.”
“If I hadn’t killed this wild boar, those two’s lives wouldn’t have been saved either. In that case, I’m their benefactor. Shouldn’t they give me a thank-you gift?”
“Nonsense! I heard them say that if you two hadn’t lured the pig to them, they wouldn’t have encountered such danger at all. My son is a scholar, aiming for an official position. He just went through such a fright that he’s starting to talk nonsense now. If anything happens to my son, your whole family couldn’t compensate with your lives.”
“Scholar? Heh, what a scholar. Your family’s weak scholar who can’t even truss a chicken was so scared by the wild boar he wet his pants, and even pushed this person toward the wild boar to use him as a scapegoat. Aunties and uncles, you all must watch your own children closely. Don’t let them stay with this scholar, or the next one might be them.”
“You’re lying, everyone don’t listen to her nonsense. No, why am I arguing with you? Today I’m taking this meat.” Zhong Lanhua said and rushed forward to grab it.
Bang! A stone shot over.
Zhong Lanhua’s knee hurt, and she fell forward, kowtowing loudly toward Zhang Zhaodi.
Su Yaoguang looked toward Zhou Wangshu beside her and saw him secretly putting away his slingshot. She gave him a thumbs up and leaned close to praise, “Well done.”
Zhou Wangshu had an innocent face: “She’s so annoying, wants to bully Yaoguang.”
“Right, these people who bully us are all annoying. When it’s time to fight back, we must fight back.” Su Yaoguang agreed.
“Oh my, it’s not even New Year yet, and you’re already kowtowing to your great-granddaughter. Isn’t it a bit early?” Zhang Zhaodi laughed heartily.
The nearby villagers also laughed along.
Zhong Lanhua had always been particular, unlike most farm women in the village. Though over thirty, she maintained herself like a young wife in her early twenties. Many village women resented her. Now seeing her suffer a loss, they were secretly delighted.
Zhong Lanhua roared at Xiao Yanci: “Are you blind? Hurry and help me up.”
Xiao Yanci came over and helped her up.
She cursed at Zhang Zhaodi: “You’re bullying people too much.”
Su Yaoguang, impatient, waved her knife and walked over, saying to Zhong Lanhua, “Get out now, or I’ll throw you out.”
Seeing Su Yaoguang made Zhong Lanhua cower.
Has this stinky girl been possessed lately? Why are those eyes so frightening?
“Young lady, let’s not discuss right or wrong about what happened on the mountain. Regardless, you used our knife, so shouldn’t you compensate? Not half the pig, but at least ten jin.” Xiao Yanci thought himself polite and courteous, his words and manners impeccable, but the people nearby looked at him with disdain.
“Is this guy an idiot? Maybe Yaoguang girl used their knife, but in that situation, if Yaoguang girl hadn’t found a way to kill the wild boar, they would’ve lost their lives. Yaoguang girl even said not asking them for a thank-you gift was already generous, and they still have the nerve to come rob meat. Must be several lifetimes without meat, gone mad for it.”
Of course the villagers sided with Su Yaoguang. After all, if Zhong Lanhua took the pork, they wouldn’t get any. The children at home were waiting for pork to go into the pot!
