Chapter 123 : Going to the Pig Farm to Raise Pigs

After getting off the bus in Qingshi Town, Fang Xiaoluo decided to buy two chickens.  

Not long after they entered the courtyard, she and Shen Zheng spotted Shen Jinxia playing with a group of children.  

When Shen Jinxia saw her, she ran over, calling, “Mom!”  

Yu Xiaopang, another child, followed suit and greeted her, “Hello, Auntie!”  

Fang Xiaoluo smiled warmly and said, “Xiaopang, come over to our house for dinner tonight. Auntie will make chicken stew for us.”  

Yu Xiaopang licked his lips in delight. “Okay, thank you, Auntie! I’ll come right away.”  

She handed a handful of candies to Shen Jinxia and Yu Xiaopang. “Share these with the other kids, alright? Let’s eat together later.”  

Generous with children, Fang Xiaoluo often gave out treats, and Shen Jinxia had become quite popular among his peers for sharing biscuits and candies. Yu Xiaopang, ever the loyal friend, followed him protectively like a chubby little guardian.  

As they walked toward home, passing Liu Lijua’s house, they heard the sound of a heated argument inside.  

Curious, Fang Xiaoluo turned to see Liu Lijua’s daughter, Qian Jiayan, sitting outside, bent over her homework on a long wooden bench.  

“Jiayan?” Fang Xiaoluo called.  

Looking up, Qian Jiayan replied, “Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle Shen.”  

Fang Xiaoluo squatted beside her and asked gently, “Why are you sitting out here?”  

Inside the house, the voices grew louder. An adult man’s voice argued with Liu Lijua, but it clearly wasn’t Qian Jiayan’s father. Overlapping it was the familiar wailing of Liu Qianru, adding fuel to the fire.  

Jiayan explained softly, glancing at the house nervously, “My cousin is being sent to a pig farm. My uncle is here to make trouble, demanding my father to protect her.”  

Fang Xiaoluo exchanged a glance with Shen Zheng. So, Liu Qianru was finally being sent away.  

She couldn’t help but feel pleased. The thought of this troublesome woman, who had caused her so much grief and often hovered around Shen Zheng, finally being removed from their lives brought her a sense of relief.  

Inside the house, Liu Qianru’s father, Liu Yongsheng, roared, “Liu Lijua, are you even my sister? Qianru is just 20 years old, her best years! How can you stand by while she’s sent to a place like that? You’re going to ruin her life! What kind of aunt are you?”  

Liu Lijua’s voice quavered with suppressed anger. “Brother, our family treated me like I didn’t exist when I was young. If I hadn’t married Qian Hongtao, you wouldn’t have bothered to visit me all these years. Qianru knows exactly what she did. And now you want my husband to step in and ruin both his future and mine? Absolutely not!”  

With a resolute voice, she added, “If you think like that, then let’s go back to how things were, pretend I’m no longer part of the Liu family, and I’ll do the same.”  

Enraged, Liu Yongsheng raised his hand to strike her, but Qian Hongtao swiftly intervened, shielding his wife. “Liu Yongsheng, enough! This is my house. How dare you try to hit my wife here? Take your shameless daughter and leave!”  

Liu Yongsheng and Liu Qianru were unceremoniously thrown out.  

Liu Qianru, her eyes red and puffy from crying, immediately spotted Fang Xiaoluo squatting nearby.  

“It’s you!” she screamed, charging toward her. “Fang Xiaoluo, you ruined me!”  

Before she could get close, Shen Zheng stepped in. He grabbed her arm, twisting it just enough to immobilize her, and pushed her to the ground.  

“Let me go!” Liu Qianru cried, struggling in vain. “You’re all satisfied now, aren’t you? I hate you!”  

Shen Zheng shoved her firmly into Liu Yongsheng’s arms and said coldly, “Get out!”  

His tone was so menacing that even Liu Yongsheng froze momentarily. Compared to Qian Hongtao’s anger, Shen Zheng’s quiet fury was far more intimidating.  

Fang Xiaoluo stood watching, surprised. It was rare to see Shen Zheng so stern, he was usually calm and approachable.

Liu Yongsheng angrily dragged Liu Qianru away, leaving the place finally quiet.  

Liu Lijua wiped her tears and said softly, “Xiaoluo, I embarrassed myself in front of you.”  

Fang Xiaoluo shook her head. “Not at all, sister-in-law. To be honest, it was Liu Qianru who was stirring up trouble. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have escalated like this.”  

Liu Lijua sighed. “You can’t say that. Her actions were wrong, but we can’t be careless with our words. You didn’t harm her in any way.”  

As Liu Lijua watched Liu Yongsheng and Liu Qianru leave, a sense of relief washed over her. It felt as though she had finally broken free from the years of oppression and favoritism from her family.  

“It’s better this way,” she said quietly.  

Fang Xiaoluo could sense that Liu Lijua’s family must have mistreated her, giving everything to her brother and leaving her to fend for herself.  

“Sister-in-law, Shen Zheng and I bought two chickens. You and Brother Qian don’t need to cook tonight. Come over to our house for dinner.” She then looked at Qian Jiayan and added, “Jiayan, do you want to come to my house to do your homework? If you have any questions, maybe I can help.”  

Qian Jiayan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really, Auntie? Then I’ll go!”  

Liu Lijua and Qian Hongtao exchanged a glance. Seeing Jiayan’s enthusiasm, they nodded in agreement.  

“Thank you very much, sister-in-law,” Qian Hongtao said gratefully.  

At Fang Xiaoluo’s house, she set up a desk for Qian Jiayan in her room.  

Meanwhile, Shen Haiping stood quietly at the door, holding his sketchbook and pencil.  

Fang Xiaoluo noticed him and waved. “Haiping, come here. This is Sister Jiayan.”  

Qian Jiayan naturally recognized Shen Haiping. Although she was in junior high she approached him warmly, squatting to his level. “Hello, Haiping.”  

Shen Haiping, with his clear eyes, responded softly, “Hello, Sister Jiayan.”  

Qian Jiayan smiled. “You’re such a good boy.” She pulled a handful of peanuts from her pocket, handed them to him, and gently took his sketchbook. “Here, try these they’re delicious.”  

Shen Haiping accepted the peanuts and said, “Thank you, Sister Jiayan.”  

She lowered her head to look at the sketchbook and asked, “Can I see what you’ve drawn?”  

Shen Haiping nodded. “Sure.”  

When Qian Jiayan opened the sketchbook, she saw drawings of a blue sky, white clouds, a family, a pig, and a stove.  

“Haiping, your drawings are amazing! I couldn’t draw anything this beautiful,” she praised sincerely. “I’m here to do my homework. Can you draw beside me?”  

Shen Haiping glanced at Fang Xiaoluo for approval. When she nodded, he agreed softly, “Okay.”  

Fang Xiaoluo brought over another chair, and the two sat side by side, Jiayan doing her homework and Haiping drawing. The scene was heartwarming.  

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Shen Zheng and Zheng Lanhua worked efficiently, cleaning and chopping the two chickens.  

Fang Xiaoluo fried the chicken pieces, then added soup and seasonings, letting them stew. The rich aroma wafted through the house, making mouths water.  

On the other hand, Yu Xiaopang, who had eagerly come over for chicken, was rummaging through the kitchen drawers.  

Han Weiping noticed and asked, “Yu Xiaopang, what are you doing in there?”