Chapter 336

Sun Jinhua had just finished speaking when Wang Guifen strode over loudly, saying, “The rules of the feast forbid asking others for food!

Your own family can do as they please, but you can’t take from others. Sun Jinhua, isn’t what you have in your bowl enough? Do you really need to ask your niece for more?”

The noisy crowd quieted for a moment, all eyes on Sun Jinhua.

Granny Xu, sitting nearby, asked, “Jinhua, why aren’t you sitting down? Why are you running over to someone else’s table?

Even the men with big appetites are full after three big spoonfuls of these flour lumps. You’re a woman and can’t get enough? And you still want to take food from a little child?”

“I saw clearly just now, Shuiqing moved quite a bit of flour lumps from her bowl to Wanxia’s. As her mother, you’re not even as good as an aunt. How can you call yourself her real mother?”

“I’m so embarrassed for you! Go back. If today’s food can’t fill your stomach and shut your mouth, then you’re just too greedy.”

Honestly, with meat, eggs, rice, and white flour, there are so many good things, yet Sun Jinhua still wants to snatch a bit of food from Wanxia. It’s easy to imagine how life was for her when she was still called Zhaodi.

Sun Jinhua wasn’t afraid of quarreling with Hu Shuiqing’s family. She privately believed that since Zhaodi was her daughter, whom she carried for ten months, her maternal bond was above all. What’s wrong with eating a piece of pork fat? Even if she had to repay it with flesh, it would be worth it! Who could argue with that?

It turns out people could argue, and everyone sided with Hu Shuiqing!

Sun Jinhua opened her mouth to explain, “I, I didn’t mean that, I was just worried that Zhaodi’s stomach is weak, eating too much meat might upset it.”

“Oh please, do you think we’re three-year-olds? If she really can’t eat it, she has her whole family here, it’s not up to you, the aunt, to decide.”

“Ha, when you sold your daughter for food, you didn’t say anything, but now that it’s time to eat meat, you suddenly remember she’s your biological daughter?”

Sun Jinhua’s face turned red with shame. Seeing people craning their necks to look at her, she quickly lowered her head and slipped away.

Shuiqing stood up and thanked everyone who spoke up for her. The crowd returned to eating their flour lumps, exclaiming how delicious it was!

Shuiqing sat down with a smile, noticing Wanxia beside her with her head down like she had done something wrong. She gently reminded, “Eating is the most important thing in the world, don’t let this affect your mood. Eat up.”

At the same time, she felt a bit resentful towards Sun Jinhua. Of all times to come, why now, during a meal? It ruined everyone’s appetite.

Wanxia suddenly looked up, her eyes full of confusion, and quietly explained, “Auntie, I’m not upset, I just feel like I’ve caused trouble for you.”

Her aunt’s first thought was not to scold her but to care about her feelings. Shuiqing softly responded, realizing what the girl was worried about.

“Oh, you! Look, I didn’t even have to say anything, and everyone else took care of it for me. You need to understand that as long as you become strong, what once seemed like an insurmountable mountain can be easily crossed, not even considered a mountain.”

Wanxia was stunned.

Strong? Indeed, she needed to become strong!

In the past, when Grandma caused trouble, filial piety alone could suppress Auntie, making her unable to act. But now, no matter how Grandma caused trouble, it didn’t bring any actual benefit, just some annoyance.

Now, even Auntie’s interference didn’t add any annoyance.

If Auntie weren’t strong, she wouldn’t be able to… Right now, Auntie is protecting her. She hopes that one day she can protect Auntie in return…

The first village feast in Shanshui Village ended in excitement and satisfaction.

Everyone was very satisfied, even Fan Qian and Zhang Tuzi’s families had nothing to complain about the food.

This was the most sumptuous and enjoyable meal they had had all year.

The other villagers felt the same way. The entire village enjoyed the rich and delicious food, even the soup was a hot, oily meat broth, warming their stomachs and soothing their year-long hard work.

They didn’t know when the next feast would be, but everyone felt energized for the next one.

Moving towards days where they could eat well and be full, getting closer and closer.

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The winter months were usually a time of leisure for farmers, who besides gathering firewood, would mostly stay indoors to keep warm.

This year, however, Shanshui Village was exceptionally busy.

The first priority was building pigsties and sheep pens. Every household got involved, making adobe bricks, clearing weeds and dead branches, digging foundations… it was a flurry of activity.

Though the first batch of pig and sheep farmers wasn’t large, everyone wanted to build their pens during the slack season. This way, when they later bought pigs and sheep, they wouldn’t have to scramble, especially since the next batch might arrive during the busy farming season when no one would have the manpower to build pens.

Building pig and sheep pens was much easier than building houses for people. Firstly, they didn’t need to be as tall, just about a person’s height, saving half the adobe bricks. Secondly, the roofs weren’t made of tiles but thatch, making the whole process more labor-intensive but not costly.

A few days after the village feast, the pens were built, and families that had bought piglets and lambs happily went to Shuiqing to fetch them.

The money had been paid long ago, so they just loaded the animals onto carts and transported them to their new pens.

The old village chief had already discussed with other families about caretaking arrangements.

There weren’t many animals in the first batch, just a few families, about nine in total. Each night, one or two people from each household would guard the pens, rotating every nine days. With so many family members, it wasn’t exhausting.

Later, when more than thirty families were raising pigs and sheep, the rotation would be once a month, which would be even easier.

Li Wenxi carefully placed three piglets into the pigsty, while Li Wu gently placed five lambs into the sheep pen. Watching the animals explore their new home, the family looked on with loving eyes.

It was as if they weren’t looking at livestock but at the white silver coins and the good days ahead.

“Dad, our family is raising the most!” Li Qiang said joyfully.

Aunt Wu’s family had ten sheep, but she was too late to get any pigs.

Other families might have sheep, but none had as many pigs as theirs!

Li Wu continued, “It’s thanks to our eldest sister-in-law! She acted quickly, otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten three pigs.”

“Eldest sister-in-law is the best!” Zhang Hui immediately chimed in.

Their praise made Wang Guifen a bit embarrassed, and she waved her hand, “Alright, alright, it was Dad’s idea. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have acted so quickly.”

Aunt Wu’s family was just a step behind because the head of the family didn’t agree right away.

The old village chief was used to the children’s praise eventually coming back to him. He didn’t continue with the compliments but brought up a serious matter: “What do you all think about moving the rabbits out?”

Wang Guifen and the others’ eyes lit up.

They had long wanted to move the rabbits out!

There was space at home for raising rabbits, but they couldn’t expand further. Plus, in the future, they’d need to gather grass for pigs and sheep, and since it’s all grass, it would save time to feed the rabbits as well.

“Rabbits are our biggest source of income. We were afraid of losing them before, but now that there will be people guarding the hillside day and night, I think we can give it a try.”