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The people who came to help the Wangs with the pig-catching praised the well-raised fat pig in the pen. However, Wang Qian couldn’t help but think: what good was raising it well if they still couldn’t eat it?
Wang Zhenhe delivered the pig to the purchasing station and received money for the sale of the big pig. Additionally, he was given a meat coupon for 100 pounds. However, he promptly exchanged the coupon for meat. He couldn’t bear to see the disappointment on his children’s faces. This pig had been raised with great effort by the children, especially considering the tears shed by his youngest daughter. His heart ached.
At the purchasing station, they slaughtered the pigs and, if someone didn’t want the meat coupon, they would weigh out the meat for the members from the slaughtered pigs.
After selling and buying, Wang Zhenhe was left with hardly any money. He sold the pig based on its gross weight but bought back the net weight, which included the head, hooves, and entrails. Those who came with him advised, “Zhenhe, buy less. There’s not much value in the entrails. It’s better to save the meat coupons for regular meals.”
Determined, Wang Zhenhe even bought the pig’s blood, solely to ensure his family could have a complete meal with pork.
As Zhang Lan and her children mourned the loss of the pig, they were surprised to see Wang Zhenhe return with half a pig. Everything seemed to be intact. They looked at Wang Zhenhe, who was happily carrying the meat, with astonishment.
“What’s going on, Zhenhe? You didn’t exchange all the coupons for this, did you?” Zhang Lan asked, surprised by her husband’s somewhat irrational actions.
Wang Zhenhe, feeling apologetic, said to Zhang Lan, “Wife, I should have discussed this with you beforehand. But when I thought about how the children have been tending to the pigs all year and then wouldn’t get to eat pork, I felt terrible. Look, we can slowly compensate for the meat we bought with the coupons. As long as the children are happy, that’s all that matters.”
Wang Zhenhe was unaware of the family’s situation, but Zhang Lan was fully aware. The repayment of the meat coupons had been completed long ago; she simply hadn’t told her husband. However, seeing Wang Zhenhe’s performance today, she was genuinely delighted. The fact that this father was starting to consider the children’s feelings and take care of their family meant a great deal to her. Perhaps it was time to have a word with him about some things.
Smiling, Zhang Lan accepted what he brought back. “Zhenhe, I never expected you to do this. Today, I’m truly happy. I understand exactly how the children felt just now. I never expected you to buy the meat back so the children could have a taste of pork. Well done, our family is going to have a great New Year this year.”
Seeing the returned pork, the disappointment the children had just experienced turned into excitement. They hurried over to help. “Uncle, you’re amazing. We have meat to eat at home now,” exclaimed Zuo Yu, his mood lifting as the pork returned.
Hao Lianchun felt a mix of comfort and sadness as she saw how much meat they had gotten in exchange for the hard work of raising the pig. “Zhenhe, why go to such lengths? You could have kept the meat coupons for regular meals. Why buy it all back?”
Wang Zhenhe smiled and replied, “Auntie, you’ve been raising pigs all year. How could I let you go without blood sausage at the end of the year? You don’t need to worry. We can enjoy the meat in various ways. We’ll have more when there’s more, and less when there’s less. It’s worth it for the hard work the children put in this past year.”
The arrival of the pork excited everyone, especially the children. They began the process of scalding the pig’s hair and preparing the trotters, following the standard procedure for pig slaughtering. The atmosphere of butchering a pig suddenly returned to the household, much to Wang Qian’s delight.
Mingyuan and the others excitedly followed Wang Zhenhe to see how he dealt with the pig’s intestines, while the elderly gentlemen helped out as well. The joyous atmosphere infected everyone in the household.
As for the pig’s blood sausage, Zhang Lan decided to wait a couple of days until Peng Ziyun and his wife arrived so they could all prepare it together, creating a lively atmosphere for everyone.
The news of Wang Zhenhe’s acquisition of half a pig spread quickly through the village. Opinions were divided, but none of this could affect the joyful mood of the family.
After dinner, Zhang Lan and her daughter helped tidy up the house and discussed whether they should tell Wang Zhenhe about the space.
“Mum, we should tell him. It’s not sustainable for you to work so hard for such a long time. Even if Dad doesn’t ask, he’ll definitely have some guesses in his mind. If we tell him, he can help out in the future. Besides, even if Dad favors someone in the future, I’ll have the final say in the space. No one can come or go without my permission. It’s okay. Let’s take him in to see it tonight. Some things he should know by now.”
Zhang Lan dared to have this idea because she had been feeling exceptionally well lately, without any other illnesses, just like a normal person. Moreover, considering her husband’s recent behavior, she believed it was time to bring it up.
Later that night, while the children were asleep, Zhang Lan and Wang Qian brought Wang Zhenhe directly into the space. They woke him up, still a bit drowsy. “Zhenhe, wake up.”
Wang Zhenhe immediately sat up, thinking something serious had happened. Rubbing his eyes, he saw his wife and daughter standing before him, and only then did he calm down. But when he saw the surroundings, he was taken aback. “Wife, what’s going on? This isn’t a dream, is it? Pinch me. I must be dreaming.”
After muttering to himself, he closed his eyes again. Zhang Lan couldn’t let him go back to sleep. She pinched him hard, and Wang Zhenhe let out a yelp as he opened his eyes. “Wife, that hurts. Can’t you be gentler? What’s going on? Where are we? Don’t tell me this is a paradise.”
Seeing her husband’s disbelief, Zhang Lan felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Silly, take a good look. This is indeed a paradise. Let me tell you, this is your daughter’s treasured space. Our ample grain supply at home is due to me and the children working here every day. Do you think the grain we receive is enough for our whole family to eat?”
Wang Zhenhe carefully examined the scene in front of him. The ripening wheat was bending down, the corn and soybeans were almost ripe, and there were some grapes and vegetables in the field. It turned out that this vast area had been cultivated, one shovel at a time, by his wife and daughter. And for the past two years, the ample food supply at home had been harvested by their tender shoulders and young hands.
The pain and emotion struck his somewhat fragile heart at that moment. Wang Zhenhe couldn’t imagine how his wife, with her delicate health, and their seven-year-old daughter had cultivated such a large piece of land bit by bit.
Tears welled up in his eyes. He had noticed the changes at home, but he was unaware of the reasons behind them. When he finally learned the truth, his surprise far outweighed any sorrow.
“Wife, Qianqian, both of you have suffered. It’s all my fault. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let you endure this for so long.”
Wang Zhenhe hugged the mother and daughter with a choked voice, and tears fell from the eyes of this big man, who rarely shed tears.
“Dad, you’re not mad at us for not telling you the truth, are you?” Wang Qian asked with some concern.
Wang Zhenhe kissed his daughter’s cheek. “Silly girl, what could I blame you for? I should be blaming myself for not working hard for this family’s livelihood day and night. In the past, it was my fault. I won’t do anything to make you sad in the future. Tell me, what’s the matter with this place?”
The mother and daughter sat Wang Zhenhe down and slowly explained the whole story. Wang Zhenhe listened with tears in his eyes.
“Wife, you’ve suffered. As I’ve said, our family always has enough to eat. We even have surplus grain. I’ve thought about it before, but I had no idea it was all because of this. In the future, both of you should rest, and I’ll take care of these tasks. You’ve been working hard for so long, and it’s time for me to take over.”
Under the guidance of the mother and daughter, Wang Zhenhe started inspecting the land that he would now be working on. He couldn’t resist picking a tender cucumber and tasting it.
“Wife, you said you sell the produce from here when you go to the city. How about I go with you in the future and help out? You can’t just take things out anytime and anywhere. It’s too risky. For the sake of our children’s future, only the three of us should know about this. We must not let anyone else find out. This is a precious secret. If others were to know, think of the danger our children would be in.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qian smiled and said, “Dad, we’re afraid you might let something slip. Look at Mom and me; we’ve kept this secret for so long. You need to be careful from now on.”
Wang Zhenhe lifted his little girl. “Silly girl, do you think your dad is a fool? Secrets like this must be kept hidden. I won’t say a word about it. Even if my own parents were here, it wouldn’t matter. This concerns your life; I wouldn’t joke about it using your nickname.”
Wang Zhenhe finally understood the reason for having enough oil at home when he saw the half-filled jar of soybean oil. “Wife, save some of this oil for your parents. They’ve always supported our family with oil in the past. Even with our own supply now, we mustn’t mistreat them.”
Wang Qian cheerfully replied to Wang Zhenhe, “Dad, don’t worry. When it comes to managing the household, Mom is better than you. You can take charge of farming in the future. We’ve really shouldered a heavy burden before, but now we can relax. We’ll hand over this heavy responsibility to you. After all, you’re the one who has to carry it from now on.”
Wang Zhenhe could feel the hardships endured by the mother and daughter. Cultivating two acres of land, from sowing to harvesting and processing, was all done by the two of them. Even the young daughter endured silently without complaining about tiredness. This realization both filled him with distress for his child and kindled self-reproach for his own indecisiveness. If he hadn’t been so indecisive, his wife and daughter wouldn’t have suffered so much.
The chapter ends with thanks to friends who have sent gifts and shown support.