The next day, when Jiang Qiuyue woke up, Lin Zhengrong had already gone into the mountains.  

Lin Beibei said there was hot water in the pot. “Dad said not to wake you. We got up super quietly. He said he’d be back soon and told us not to wait for him for breakfast.”  

Jiang Qiuyue lifted the pot lid—sure enough, there was hot water inside.  

Even though it was summer, she still preferred washing her face with warm water. After a quick rinse, she steamed sweet potatoes and eggs in the pot, thinking that by the time breakfast was ready, Lin Zhengrong would be back.  

But by nine o’clock, there was still no sign of him.  

She stepped outside to look around, and the two kids stood beside her, also staring into the distance.  

Auntie Niu, returning home after picking vegetables, saw this and teased, “Oh, Qiuyue, are you waiting for Dazhu?”  

Jiang Qiuyue admitted it. “Yesterday, the brigade leader mentioned there are wild boars in the mountains. Dazhu said he’d be back soon, but it’s almost noon now.”  

“Then you don’t need to worry. Others might be scared of wild boars, but with your Dazhu’s build, he might even bring you some wild boar meat!” Auntie Niu chuckled. “It really is different when a man’s back home. You look so much more radiant now—well-nourished, I’d say.”  

Well-nourished?  

It took Jiang Qiuyue a moment to catch the underlying meaning of Auntie Niu’s words, and her face slowly turned red. But if she denied it, it’d seem odd, so she could only giggle awkwardly.  

Still, wild boar meat—Jiang Qiuyue couldn’t help but drool at the thought.  

But then she reconsidered. What if Lin Zhengrong ran into an especially strong boar? If something happened to him, wouldn’t she have to work in the fields to earn work points?  

No, no. She could live without wild boar meat, but she didn’t want to do farm labor.  

After chatting with Auntie Niu for a bit, the older woman mentioned that the peanuts in the fields were ready and said she’d bring some over after boiling them.  

“No need for the trouble. I’m free right now—I’ll go help you pick them,” Jiang Qiuyue offered. The kids immediately chimed in, saying they wanted to go too.  

But just as she finished speaking, Niu Zhuangzhuang came running from afar, shouting, “Auntie Jiang! Quick, go see… see for yourself!”  

Auntie Niu grabbed her grandson’s arm. “Why are you running so fast? Speak slowly!”  

“I can’t! If we’re slow, others will take it all!” Niu Zhuangzhuang was frantic. “Grandma, you should hurry too—come with me!”  

The more he urged, the more curious Jiang Qiuyue and Auntie Niu became. Under the older woman’s repeated questioning, Niu Zhuangzhuang finally spread his arms wide to demonstrate. “Uncle Lin caught a wild boar this big! The village committee is butchering it now. Uncle Lin told me to come get you… to bring something to carry the meat!”  

Wild boars in the mountains were considered communal resources. If someone hunted one, the meat had to be shared with the whole village. Smaller game like pheasants could be kept hidden for private meals, but a wild boar was too big to conceal.

Hearing that Lin Zhengrong had actually caught a wild boar, Jiang Qiuyue’s first reaction was, “Is your Uncle Dazhu okay?”  

“He’s fine—he’s great!” Niu Zhuangzhuang was eager to get some meat and tugged at his grandma. “Hurry, Grandma, or all the good cuts will be taken!”  

Auntie Niu smiled and agreed. “Qiuyue, grab a basket quickly. Let’s go together.”  

By the time they arrived at the village committee, Lin Zhengrong and a few others had already butchered the boar and divided it into smaller portions.  

Villagers had heard the news and formed a long line.  

Since Lin Zhengrong was the one who caught the boar, he could take an extra pig’s head or trotter. He let Jiang Qiu Yue choose.  

Staring at the enormous boar on the ground—bigger than herself—Jiang Qiuyue was stunned. “Did you catch this all by yourself?”  

“Not entirely. Jianshe helped block it for me.” Lin Zhengrong rolled up his sleeve, revealing a bruise. “Still got knocked a bit, but it’s nothing. I don’t mind the pain.”  

“Just because you don’t mind doesn’t mean it’s okay!” Jiang Qiuyue insisted. “Later, have Doctor Jiang take a look. We can’t risk any lasting problems.” Otherwise, you might have to retire from the military, she thought.  

Auntie Niu, standing nearby, watched with a knowing smile. “Dazhu, see how much Qiuyue cares about you? When Zhuangzhuang said you caught a boar, she didn’t even ask how big it was—she just wanted to know if you were hurt. And now, even though that bruise will fade by tomorrow, she still wants you to see a doctor. What a wonderful wife you have!”  

Jiang Qiuyue: “……” I’m just worried he’ll get injured and discharged, leaving me without his military benefits.

But judging by everyone’s expressions, they all seemed to share Auntie Niu’s interpretation.  

Fine. She wouldn’t explain. Pig heads were a hassle to clean, so she opted for the trotters instead. Besides those, she could also claim three jin of meat—she chose two jin of ribs and one jin of pork belly. When she found out no one wanted the intestines or liver, she quickly told Lin Zhengrong to take them. These are delicacies! It’s just that most people didn’t know how to remove the strong smell due to limited cooking resources.  

On the way home, Jiang Qiuyue couldn’t help but praise Lin Zhengrong. “You’re really amazing. That boar must’ve weighed over two hundred jin, right?”  

“It did.”  

The corners of Lin Zhengrong’s lips lifted slightly at the compliment. Carrying the bamboo basket, he glanced down at the offal inside. “Are you really sure you can prepare this?”  

Lin Beibei stayed far away, pinching his nose and complaining about the smell, even pulling Lin Nannan back to keep her from looking.  

“Just wait until it’s cooked—then you’ll say it smells delicious,” Jiang Qiuyue said, pleased with the day’s haul. The offal could be cooked today, and the ribs and meat could wait until tomorrow.  

But Auntie Niu was still skeptical. “Qiuyue, I know you’re a good cook, but don’t waste your oil. If the pot ends up stinking, it’ll be a shame.”  

“Don’t worry, Auntie. Once I’m done, I’ll bring you some to try,” Jiang Qiuyue replied. Once they taste it, they’ll know I’m not lying.

Back home, she sliced the liver thinly and soaked it in water.  

Then she mixed the intestines with sweet potato starch and took them to the river to wash. She might be lazy about other chores, but when it came to cooking, she never cut corners.

After scrubbing and rinsing the intestines several times by the river, Jiang Qiuyue finally discarded all the excess fat and headed home.  

Wild boar intestines had an even stronger gamy smell, so Jiang Qiuyue first blanched them with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine. Then she took out her treasured cinnamon and star anise to stir-fry them. Instead of adding water right away, she poured in rice wine to submerge the intestines, followed by a bowl of warm water.  

Lin Zhengrong watched as Jiang Qiuyue generously added seasonings and finally understood why she was so confident about the taste.  

“These spices—I got them from… someone else,” Jiang Qiuyue almost slipped up. She had originally bought them from the black market, thinking she’d use them for braised dishes someday. Who knew today would be the perfect opportunity? “They’ll mask the gamy smell. I also added chili and angelica root. Honestly, these spices are worth more than the intestines themselves—how could it not taste good?”  

The braised intestines bubbled in the pot, releasing a rich aroma that made Lin Zhengrong’s mouth water.  

Lin Beibei stood at the door, initially pinching his nose. But when the scent reached him, his eyes instantly lit up. “Mom, is that really the smell of intestines?”  

“Yep. I’m going to add some taro next—it’ll stew until soft and soak up all the braising liquid. The taro will taste even better than the intestines!” Jiang Qiuyue said, swallowing her own saliva at the thought.  

Now fully on board, Lin Beibei declared, “Mom, I’ll help you!”  

The taro had been a gift from the Niu family. Jiang Qiuyue peeled and cut them into thumb-sized chunks, then added them to the pot to simmer.  

The rich fragrance of their taro and braised intestines soon spread with the wind.  

Next door, Wang Chunhua and Lin Fugui had just returned. They had stayed overnight at the Bai family’s place and only came back after the Bais promised to visit the village that afternoon—missing the meat distribution entirely. Lin Erzhu and Qian Li had gone to claim their share, but they arrived late and only got some bones and neck meat.  

“Useless! Your dad and I have been running around for Sanzhu and the others, and you two couldn’t even get decent meat? Worthless!”  

Wang Chunhua, already fuming, took it out on the second son and his wife. “Everyone else rushed to get the good cuts—are your legs broken or your hands useless? How are we supposed to eat this?”  

Qian Li was also resentful. Because of Sanzhu and Lin Xiao’s scandal, villagers either avoided them or mocked them when they went to work in the fields.  

No one had even bothered to notify them about the meat distribution. By the time they heard and rushed to the village committee, only scraps were left. “Mom, Erzhu and I have to work in the fields and take care of Dabao. With so much to do at home, it’s normal that we couldn’t keep up!”  

“Busy, busy, busy—that’s all you ever say! When Jiang Qiuyue was here, she managed just fine!” Wang Chunhua was mid-rant when a tantalizing aroma hit her nose. “Who’s cooking something so delicious?”  

Qian Li, not daring to talk back, pinched her husband hard.  

Lin Erzhu quickly changed the subject. “Since meat was distributed today, everyone’s cooking pork. Mom, how did things go in town?”  

“At least you still care about your younger siblings. The Bai family said they’ve pulled some strings—they’ll come talk to the village head this afternoon.” Wang Chunhua sighed. “What a mess! A son who won’t acknowledge his mother—see, a child who isn’t your own flesh and blood is never reliable. If we’d known Lin Dazhu would turn out to be such an ingrate, we never should’ve bought him in the first place.”

Lin Fugui shot her a look. “Enough talk—hurry up and make lunch.” He was starving.  

Wang Chunhua turned to Qian Li. “You heard him. Still acting like a spoiled princess?”  

“Fine, I’ll cook.” Qian Li had just reached the doorway when her mother-in-law added, “Don’t cook the meat for lunch. Save it for when Sanzhu and the others come back.”  

Thinking of her son and daughter still tied up at the village committee, Wang Chunhua started cursing Jiang Qiuyue and Lin Dazhu again. “They’ll get what’s coming to them—mark my words!”  

Meanwhile, the targets of her curses—Jiang Qiuyue and Lin Zhengrong—were well aware that Wang Chunhua and her husband had returned. Lin Zhengrong immediately headed to the village committee to call his police officer comrade in the city.  

“I’ve spoken to Qiujie. He’s already on his way,” Lin Zhengrong said upon returning. “No matter who the Bai family brings, with my comrade here, Lin Sanzhu and the other one are destined for labor reform.”  

“What if the Bai family doesn’t show up this afternoon?” Jiang Qiuyue asked.  

Lin Zhengrong snorted. “Then let them try to pull strings at the labor camp. I’d like to see who has the power to get someone out of reform through the farms.”  

Reassured by his confidence, Jiang Qiuyue smiled and urged him to try the braised intestines.  

“Well? Any weird taste?” she asked eagerly.  

“None at all,” Lin Zhengrong praised. “With skills like yours, you could be a chef at a state-run restaurant.”  

“I’d never want to be a chef. You have no idea how exhausting it is—just the stir-frying alone would leave my arms sore. I’d much rather stay home. With you around, we don’t lack money anyway.” Work? Absolutely not. Jiang Qiuyue would rather wear one less new outfit than ever hold a job again.