Chapter 8: Carrying the Pig Home

Just as Tang Xingcai departed, Tang Jianbing arrived at Qingshi Hollow with a load-bearing pole and baskets, accompanied by Tang Genshui.

Before he could even set the baskets down, Tang Jianbing asked nervously, "Fourth Brother, I just saw Tang Xingcai. He didn’t discover our wild boars, did he?"

"No. Look, I buried them in the snow long ago," Tang Jiancheng replied with a smile, gesturing toward the snow mounds.

Tang Genshui, holding a long carrying pole and a coil of rope, asked, "Old Four, did you really find wild boars? Jianbing said there were piglets, too. Where are they?"

"Jianbing, you dig away the snow here. I’m going to drag over the boar I hid earlier."

Ignoring his father’s question, Tang Jiancheng went off to retrieve the other boar, while Tang Jianbing began frantically shoveling the snow.

Moments later, a sow weighing over two hundred pounds and three piglets weighing twenty to thirty pounds each were revealed. Tang Genshui stared in disbelief. "Such a stroke of good luck is actually true?"

"Jianbing, didn't you say these three piglets were still alive? How come..." Tang Genshui’s gaze fell upon the three small carcasses.

Tang Jianbing said innocently, "They were indeed alive when I left, but I don't know why Fourth Brother decided to bury them alive and let them freeze to death."

Just then, Tang Jiancheng returned, and Tang Genshui repeated his question.

Tang Jiancheng said nonchalantly, "They’re wild boars—very difficult to domesticate. Even though they’re small now, if you keep them in a pigpen, their destructive nature is immense. By the time we realize they aren't worth raising, they’ll have already collapsed the pen. It wouldn't be worth the trouble."

Upon hearing this, Tang Genshui found the logic sound and dropped the issue.

The three men worked together to bind the large sow, put the three piglets into one basket, and placed the eighty-pound yellow dog into another. Tang Genshui carried the baskets, while the two brothers, Jiancheng and Jianbing, hauled the large boar. The firewood was left behind; they would return for it in the morning. In the mountains, firewood was abundant and rarely stolen unless one encountered someone particularly petty or short-sighted.

By now, it was already dark.

Snow began to fall in heavy, swirling flakes, and the entire Daping Village was swallowed by a world of white. The north wind howled, and the snow flew thick and fast. Not a soul could be seen in the village; everyone had retreated indoors to huddle by the fire or burrow under their quilts.

The three men walked boldly back to Tang Jiancheng’s house.

Tang Jiancheng had left after lunch and had not returned by nightfall, leaving Liu Fangfang increasingly anxious. It wasn't that she worried about his safety, but the house was completely out of rice and vegetables. She could endure a missed meal, but there were nine children in the house!

The youngest was still nursing, so she was fine for now. The eldest five daughters were older and could handle skipping a meal, but the sixth, seventh, and eighth daughters were young and frail. In this bitter cold, they were already prone to illness, and without food, it was doubtful they could survive the night.

"That wretch, where has he gone to fool around again?!"

Liu Fangfang’s heart was filled with resentment toward Tang Jiancheng, though she was accustomed to it. In truth, when they were first married, he had treated her quite well, saving the best food for her and entrusting his earnings to her. But after she gave birth to three consecutive daughters, his attitude soured. After the fifth daughter, he stopped giving her a pleasant look and frequently resorted to abuse. By the time the eighth was born, he had become a degenerate—neglecting the home, smoking, drinking, gambling, and chasing women. When he did return, he either slept like a log or beat his wife and children.

After the ninth daughter was born, Liu Fangfang had reached despair. The baby was only ten days old, and Tang Jiancheng had already beaten her ten times, while her mother-in-law, who favored boys, had spent those same ten days berating her. Yet, today, Tang Jiancheng had suddenly changed. He protected her, comforted her, and cooked for the children. Even if he only did it to sell the kids, Liu Fangfang had accepted her fate.

However, since he had disappeared at noon, she couldn't help but curse herself for being so naive as to believe he had changed. If he could change, pigs would fly!

With a bitter self-mockery, she decided to risk her mother-in-law's wrath to borrow some rice and vegetables. But just as she bundled herself up to leave, the door swung open.

A frigid blast of wind and snow swirled in. Then, she saw Tang Genshui carrying a load of wild boar, followed by Tang Jiancheng and Tang Jianbing, who were bearing an even larger one.

Seeing this, Liu Fangfang froze for several seconds before covering her mouth in shock, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Why are you dressed like that? You’re in your postpartum recovery; you shouldn't be going out, don't you know that? Get back into the room this instant!"

Although there was a hint of anger in his tone, it sounded sweet to Liu Fangfang, and she hurried back into the room. It was true that with her father-in-law and brother-in-law present, it wouldn't be proper for her to be seen.

"Big Sister, Second Sister, hurry and boil some water!" Tang Jiancheng shouted.

Hearing the commotion, the eight children poked their heads out of the kitchen and saw their grandfather, their sixth uncle, and their father bringing in several boars.

"Wow, it’s a pig!"
"What a huge pig!"
"There are three little ones here, too, but it’s a pity they’re all dead!"

Before the men could even set the pigs down, the younger children crowded around, chirping excitedly. The older ones were also thrilled, but having endured so much abuse, they were timid and stood far off, not daring to get too close—not to the boars, but to Tang Jiancheng.

Tang Jiancheng sighed inwardly, then waved at them with a smile. "Come over if you want to see. In a little while, we’ll all have meat to eat!"

"Eat meat? Really?"
"That's great!"
"I want to eat meat!"

The children cheered, filling the house with a rare, joyful atmosphere. Liu Fangfang, unable to suppress her curiosity, wrapped herself up again and went to the kitchen. Tang Jiancheng glanced at her but said nothing, instead directing the children to boil water while he retrieved his butchering tools.

Tang Genshui went home to get his own gear and brought his wife, Yuan Yuezhu, along.

"What are you doing standing here in your state? Get back inside! Don't come crying to me if you catch a cold and blame my Jiancheng for not taking care of you!" Yuan Yuezhu snapped the moment she saw Liu Fangfang.

Liu Fangfang pursed her lips but stubbornly refused to leave; she hadn't seen a pig butchered in years.

Seeing that Yuan Yuezhu was about to lash out again, Tang Jiancheng intervened. "Mom, let her stay; it doesn't matter. She has to keep the fire going and the water boiling anyway."

"You just protect her! She’s given you a houseful of money-losing goods. See what happens when you get old!" Yuan Yuezhu glared at her daughter-in-law before turning to focus on the fire.