Chapter 75: Preparing for the New Year, Buying Pork

Because the compound was close to the county town, all the wives in the courtyard were hurrying down the mountain to shop for New Year’s supplies. The number of people leaving by bus was unusually high.

Chu Yue had originally thought of bringing Lu Yuanbao with her. The child had never been to the county before—it would be good for him to see the world a bit.

But seeing the crowd, she gave up on that idea.

Judging by how packed the buses were, if she brought Lu Yuanbao along, he’d probably be squashed into a little meat pancake, unable to even breathe properly. After weighing her options, she decided it was best to let Lu Yuanbao stay home.

But she didn’t let him idle around. She took out some storybooks, along with pencils and notebooks she had bought earlier, and had him start learning to write.

Whether he actually learned anything wasn’t important—it was about getting a feel for it. That way, when spring came and he started school, he wouldn’t feel completely out of place.

Lu Yuanbao didn’t show whether he liked it or not, but his dark, shining eyes lit up as he tilted his head and asked Chu Yue:

“Can I really go to school too?”

In the countryside, going to school was a luxury. In the entire village, maybe only the village chief’s grandson got to go to school.

Even when teachers were sent to teach in rural areas, most parents still wouldn’t send their children to class. Because once a kid turned six, they weren’t just a child anymore—they were a small source of labor for the household.

So for Lu Yuanbao, going to school had been a far-off dream—something he never even dared to hope for.

“Of course you’re going! You have to go to school!” Chu Yue replied firmly. “And once you start, if your grades are bad, I’ll take a bamboo stick and give your butt a good spanking.”

When Lu Yuanbao heard this, he didn’t look scared at all. Instead, his small hands gripped the unfamiliar pencil and paper tightly, and his little head lowered with a hidden smile.

Chu Yue patted his head, then put on her hat and scarf, picked up her bamboo basket and backpack, and headed out.

Chen Fengying had been waiting for her for a while. As soon as they met, she greeted her warmly:

“Sister Chu, everyone else is going down the mountain to shop, but your basket looks full. You look more like you’re going down the mountain to sell something!”

She had hit the nail on the head.

Chu Yue really was heading to the county to sell something—but with so many people around, it wasn’t the right place to talk about it openly.

She patted the wild ginseng hidden in her dimensional space and casually brushed off the topic with a vague reply.

Just then, the other wives nearby saw Chu Yue and their eyes widened. They couldn’t help but crowd around curiously.

“Sister Chu, I heard you beat up that old Li Jinhua again? That’s the second time, right? I never would’ve guessed you were so tough! None of us like that old woman. Always bringing her two chickens around and stirring up trouble. If it weren’t for her age, I would’ve given her a beating myself by now!”

“Hah! You always talk big, but I bet you wouldn’t dare lay a finger on her for real. Not like Sister Chu—she’s the real deal! A heroine among women!”

Because they all disliked Li Jinhua, the wives naturally took Chu Yue’s side.

Still, Chu Yue knew there were some things she had to set straight.

“She laid a hand on Yuanbao first. I only fought back—it wasn’t like I attacked her unprovoked,” Chu Yue said seriously, her tone steady. She looked around at the other wives. “I’m a mother. I can’t stand seeing my child bullied—especially when she said such awful things. Yuanbao is my everything. If the same thing happens again, I’ll still do the same. I hope you all can understand how I feel.”

The wives fell silent.

Suddenly, they felt a chill in their chests, like a cold wind had swept through them.

They didn’t quite know why. Chu Yue didn’t seem particularly old or imposing—her skin was still soft and youthful. But every time she spoke with that calm, cold demeanor, she gave off a formidable pressure.

Maybe it was true what people said—married couples grow alike over time.

The more they looked, the more Chu Yue really did resemble Lu Zhanlin—that same icy, intimidating air.

There was a clear warning in Chu Yue’s tone, and all the sisters-in-law picked up on it. From then on, no one dared to say another word about “Lu Yuanbao not being her biological child.”

They all nodded with lingering fear still in their hearts — just then, the vehicle rumbled its way over, shaking and swaying. Someone in the crowd shouted,
“The truck’s here! Hurry and get on!”

In the blink of an eye, they were down the mountain.

This time, no one got off halfway. The sisters-in-law were all headed to the supply and marketing cooperative, and the entire way there, they kept urging the driver to go faster and step harder on the gas.

“I asked around — the co-op only butchers three pigs a day, and pork sales start at 9 a.m. If we get there too late, it’ll all be gone!”

“Only three pigs? That’s not enough even for everyone on this truck! I was hoping to buy a pig head and make a proper pig-killing feast for New Year’s.”

“Three pigs means only three heads. You want a pig head? Better keep dreaming. I’m not greedy — I just want some hind leg meat. Ideally, the pork hock or trotters… Stew them in a cast iron pot with a handful of soybeans — oh, the smell! That’s my biggest craving every New Year.”

The sisters-in-law spoke so vividly, drooling as they talked, their eyes sparkling as if the pork were already right in front of them.

As soon as the vehicle stopped — even before they reached the co-op — they started scrambling to get off, elbowing and jostling each other. At this point, speed was everything!

It looked more like fleeing a zombie apocalypse than a supply run.

Chu Yue wasn’t particularly interested in this chaos. She didn’t lack pork, and she had already bought a good amount of cured meat at the market last time. Eating something rich and oily during the New Year wouldn’t be an issue for her.

Unfortunately, beside her stood the ever-enthusiastic Chen Fengying.

Grabbing Chu Yue’s hand tightly, Chen Fengying said,
“Chu-sis, I know you’re too polite and shy to fight with people. Don’t worry — I’m an expert at this. Just stick with me and don’t fall behind!”

With almost a full-on 100-meter sprint, Chen Fengying pulled Chu Yue into a mad dash — and actually managed to get them near the front of the crowd.

But in front of the supply co-op, it wasn’t just army wives; townsfolk from the city had also come to stock up for the New Year. Some had started queuing up as early as 7 a.m., in the bitter cold.

Standing in line, Chen Fengying puffed out warm breath and muttered constantly under her breath.

“Dear Eight-Way Fortune God, Bodhisattva — please let me get some pork. I’m not greedy, just three pounds will do! My Da Zhuang has been craving pork stew with glass noodles for half a year now. I promised to make it for him for the New Year. And some cabbage-and-pork dumplings too — that would make it perfect! Dear Earth God, I beg you, I really beg you!”

Chu Yue watched her clasp her hands in prayer and mutter nonstop. She couldn’t bring herself to point out that the Fortune God and Earth God probably didn’t manage pork — if anything, she should be praying to the Kitchen God.

Time passed as the crowd pressed tighter and tighter.

The pork from the supply co-op grew less… and less… and less…

The lucky ones at the front left smiling, clutching their meat. Those still in line craned their necks, tiptoeing to see if there was any hope left.

Maybe Chen Fengying’s prayers really worked, because when it was finally her and Chu Yue’s turn, there was still pork left.

Unfortunately—

The worker behind the counter, holding a meat cleaver, slapped it down on the chopping block, glanced at the two of them standing together, and said,

“There’s only three pounds of pork belly left. Which one of you came first? Who wants it?”