Chapter 8

The pig farm was in a rather remote location. It took quite a while before Huzi and Mu Wanwan finally arrived.

From a distance, Mu Wanwan already caught a foul stench in the air, laced with a faint metallic tang of blood.

Huzi ran ahead and knocked loudly on the gate.

“Brother Tiezhu, I brought someone to buy pork! Hurry and open the door!”

The door soon creaked open, and a burly man stepped out.

“Brother Tiezhu, this sister wants to buy pork, so I brought her here,” Huzi explained.

Wang Tiezhu gave Mu Wanwan a quick glance, then stepped aside to let them in.

In the yard, several tables were set up, each laid with butchered pigs.

“How much meat do you want? Which cuts?”

Since Huzi had brought her, Wang Tiezhu took the initiative to ask.

“I’d like pig offal. Give me twenty jin.”

Her request startled Wang Tiezhu. Twenty jin of pig offal?

That sort of thing almost never sold. Though technically still meat, it was all just innards. Even when cleaned properly, the odor lingered, and the taste wasn’t good.

The price was cheap, but it still moved slowly. Yet here she was, not only buying, but buying twenty jin at once.

Wang Tiezhu’s mouth twitched. “Girl, you’re not pulling my leg, are you?”

“Of course not. And I’ll be buying twenty jin every day from now on, so you’d better give me a good price.”

“Every day?”

Wang Tiezhu was stunned again. But seeing how serious she looked, she clearly wasn’t joking.

Though he didn’t quite understand, business was business—he’d be a fool to turn away money.

“Fine! My pork is cheaper than what the state shops sell. Regular cuts go for seventy cents a jin. Offal, I usually sell at forty cents. But if you’re really taking twenty jin daily, I’ll give it to you for thirty cents.”

The price was even lower than Mu Wanwan had expected. That meant more profit on every jin of braised goods she sold.

She negotiated a bit more with Wang Tiezhu and also arranged for Huzi to deliver the offal to her house every day. She would pay him extra for the errand, which would save her plenty of time.

Huzi was overjoyed. His grandmother’s medicine was costing money, so the chance to earn more was a blessing.

After paying for the offal, Mu Wanwan had completely emptied her purse.

Huzi helped carry both the fabric and the pig offal to her home, making sure to note the address.

Back home, Mu Wanwan immediately began cleaning the offal. The pig intestines were the most troublesome, and it took her a long time to wash them thoroughly.

She ate a simple lunch, then used the fabric she had bought to sew undergarments for herself.

With a sewing machine at home, it didn’t take long. When she tried one on, the fabric felt light, smooth, and especially comfortable.

The weather was hot, and such garments were more breathable. Since she had plenty of fabric, she also made herself a slip dress, which she put on for her afternoon nap.

From morning until then, she hadn’t stopped working. Exhausted, she fell into a deep sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, unaware even when a thunderstorm broke outside.

Wenlin returned home drenched. He had first dropped Wen Xin off at the old family residence before coming back.

The rain was coming down harder, the wind rattling through the house. He quickly closed the windows in the living room.

As he was about to change clothes in his bedroom, his eyes drifted to the guest room across the hall.

The door was ajar, and through the narrow gap he caught sight of a slender figure lying on the bed, the curtains lifting with each gust of wind.

After hesitating a moment, Wenlin stepped inside.

The wind was strong, the draft enough to give someone a headache. With the rain coming down, water might seep in.

He crossed to the window and shut it, then turned and noticed the woman on the bed.

Mu Wanwan’s face was damp with sweat, her brows tightly furrowed. Looking closer, he saw her body trembling faintly—she was clearly having a nightmare.

Concern flickered in him. He walked to the bedside and reached out to wake her.

But suddenly Mu Wanwan grabbed his arm, soft sobs spilling from her lips.

Tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, tightening something deep in Wenlin’s chest.

Worse still, she clutched his arm against her chest, and through the thin slip he could feel her curves pressed against him.

The neckline of her dress was low, and from his angle he could glimpse pale skin within.

A rush of heat swept through his body, despite his rain-soaked clothes.

Damn it. He was still wet, and yet he felt hot.

As he struggled with what to do, Mu Wanwan rubbed her face against his arm, then shifted onto her back, releasing him at last.

Wenlin quickly pulled his hand free. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of her long legs peeking out from beneath the hem of her pink slip dress. He turned and hurried out of the room.

Shaking his head, he changed into dry clothes and lay down on his own bed.

But then he dreamed of Mu Wanwan.

In the dream, she too wore that pink slip dress. Her slim, fair arms looped around his neck, her soft body pressed tightly against him, rubbing against him until he burned like fire.

She was like a temptress, clinging to him until he could no longer hold back. He lifted her onto the bed, pressing her down beneath him…

When he woke from his nap, Wenlin’s expression was dark.

He had actually dreamed of doing such things to Mu Wanwan. He must have lost his mind—it was just a dream!

He hurriedly changed trousers and washed the clothes he had worn.

Outside, the rain still fell, the sky dim and heavy. Hearing movement in the kitchen, he walked over.

Mu Wanwan was busy cooking. After waking, she had gone straight to the kitchen to prepare the braised dishes, along with dinner.

“Do you need help?”

Wenlin offered.

“No.”

Without even turning her head, Mu Wanwan answered coldly, as if he didn’t exist.

Yet Wenlin edged into the kitchen anyway. After a pause, he spoke:

“I’ve already looked into what happened this morning. You really shouldn’t have hit Xiaoru. Her health is fragile, and it isn’t worth getting angry at her.

Her brother died saving me. I promised him I would take good care of her. To me, she is the same as Wen Xin. Don’t misunderstand, and I hope you won’t target her again.”

Mu Wanwan’s coldness had started the night of their wedding. Wenlin was convinced she still resented him for leaving her to rush to the hospital that night, and that this was why she was now against Lin Huiru.

At his words, a pang of frustration rose in Mu Wanwan. She turned her head and glared at him.

“Her poor health has nothing to do with me. I already said—she’d better not provoke me again, or I won’t let her off.

As for what’s between the two of you, I couldn’t care less. If you’re truly worried about her, then tell her to stay far away from me!

And you—you’d better stay away from me too!”

Her final words rang out almost like a shout.