Chapter 16: Burning Pain

“What!!! Five pounds!!!”

A group of people standing behind Chi Wan all made the same expression at the same time. They widened their eyes in disbelief. Five whole pounds of pork, what concept was that… In an ordinary farming village family, each person could eat less than half a pounds of pork per year. They would only get some oil and water during the New Year. Five pounds… that was almost three years’ worth of pork for a family of three! The intellectuals in their production brigade were better off than ordinary farming households, they got half a pounds of pork every month, and a pork ticket every two months. Chi Wan wanted five pounds in one go, which meant saving up a whole year’s worth of meat tickets. It was completely impossible.

Captain Zhang also seemed to be in disbelief. But Chi Wan was confident from beginning to end, her bright eyes shining with no hint of nervousness. She said in a firm voice, “Captain Zhang, help me calculate, my unused meat tickets, and this month’s work points, all converted into meat tickets, is it enough for five pounds?”

Captain Zhang pushed his glasses up, half confused, half doubtful. He slowly lowered his head, took out his thick notebook, and looked through the records about Chi Wan. He held a pen in his hand, calculating back and forth. The result he got was… it actually could be exchanged for five pounds of pork. Not only enough, but there was even some left over. The glasses on Captain Zhang’s nose almost slipped off. He usually didn’t pay much attention to Chi Wan, and Chi Wan was an introverted and quiet person, she only had a slightly better relationship with Ye Si Ling. Without paying attention… she had saved up so much meat tickets. Now she spent them all at once.

“You sure you want five pounds?” Captain Zhang asked, looking at Chi Wan after putting down his notebook.

Chi Wan smiled lightly, “I’m sure. Five-flower meat, with skin, fat and lean.”

Everyone was still in shock and confusion, and when they heard Chi Wan wanted five-flower meat, they were stunned again. Chi Wan didn’t understand about this. In an era when pork was scarce in every household, many people who bought pork liked to buy the fattier kind. More fat meant more pork lard, which could be used for cooking, frying, and making soup. This oil and water could last for a long time. But for Chi Wan, she only knew that five-flower meat was the most delicious part of pork, a perfect balance of fat and lean, loved by all.

With the sound of the knife, “dong dong” two times. A large piece of five-flower meat, with fat and lean interspersed, was handed to Chi Wan. She took the five-flower meat tied with hemp rope, the more she looked at it, the more she liked it, a smile on her lips, her eyes seemed to be able to bloom flowers.

The others couldn’t help but swallow their saliva. Looking at such a large piece of pork, they could only envy and covet.

… Because of these five pounds of pork, Chi Wan became the top celebrity in the village. The news spread at an extraordinary speed.

“Did you hear? A female intellectual in the production brigade bought five pounds of pork in one go! Five whole pounds!”

“Is it the one who married the eldest son of the Huo family a few days ago? Is it really their family? Why do all the good things go to their family, so much pork, there must be ten or more pounds! How can they possibly finish it all…”

“What?! A whole pig head! In the past, even the landlords only offered half a pig head when they worshipped their ancestors, and their family has a whole pig head?! “

As the villagers spread the word, the rumor became more and more outrageous. From the initial five pounds of pork, it eventually became a whole pig head, and if it was passed on further, it would probably become a whole pig for Chi Wan alone. The rumor became a rumor. At the same time, it spread to a certain household in the village…

“Huo Lao’er, Huo Lao’er’s wife, are you home?!”

“Oh my god! It’s a big deal! Why are you still cutting potatoes here, come out quickly!”

“Your new wife in the Huo family has made a big splash in the production brigade!”

In the sound of a middle-aged woman’s shouting, a woman with a bulky figure came out from the courtyard behind the stone wall. Judging from her appearance, she was about forty or fifty years old. The woman had a wide face and her eyes were narrowed into slits, clearly a very shrewd and domineering look. This was Huo Lao’er’s wife, Sun Guixiang. She squinted her eyes, looked at people with her nostrils, and looked like she was too lazy to pay attention to anyone. Until the middle-aged woman who came to the door said, “I’m telling you, Huo Lao Da’s family will have pork to eat tonight…”

Sun Guixiang’s eyes widened immediately. She grabbed the middle-aged woman’s sleeve and asked loudly, “Tell me clearly!”

… After work that day. Chi Wan carried the five pounds of pork, happily walking towards the Huo family. But just as she reached the courtyard wall, she heard a commotion. There were shouting, fighting, and the sound of chickens and dogs flying everywhere. Among them, there was a strange voice that she had never heard before, sharp and piercing. In contrast, Zhang Yue’e and Huo Chuchun’s voices were much weaker, almost inaudible. They seemed to be arguing about something, and there was even a hint of fear in Huo Chuchun’s voice.

“Good for you, Zhang Yue’e! You’re living a good life! You have money to marry a new wife for your son, and you eat and drink well! I ask you, where did you get the money! You’re poor as a church mouse, where did you get the money? Did you steal it from the old lady?!”

“I tell you, we agreed when we split up! The old lady belongs to our family, and the old lady’s money is also ours! You don’t get a penny!”

“Tsk tsk tsk! You even raised chickens? This… this can’t be your chickens! I said why there were fewer chicks in my chicken coop, did you steal them?!”

“… No, no, we didn’t steal them.”

“… Don’t touch me!”

“… Mother, be careful…”

The chaotic sounds made Chi Wan’s heart skip a beat, she had a gut feeling that something was wrong at home. And judging from the sound, it was all women’s voices, obviously Huo Nanchuan and Huo Dong Zhi hadn’t returned from the fields yet. Chi Wan hurried towards the gate. At the same time, she had a second thought, and put the five pounds of pork she was carrying into the spirit treasure space. When she entered the door, she was empty-handed, her heart filled with anxiety.

At a glance, she saw a scene that made her heart burn. There were three strangers in her courtyard. One was an old lady with gray hair, sitting with a cane, watching this farce, silent and not saying a word. The other two were two fierce women. One of them was holding a chicken cage, putting the newly caught chicks into the cage, as if she was going to take them for herself. Zhang Yue’e was entangled with her, but she was no match for the fierce woman. The other one was even more vicious.

This person was Sun Guixiang.

Sun Guixiang’s shrewish appearance was fully revealed. She held a bamboo stick in her hand, her expression vicious, her eyes glaring at Huo Chuchun, her arm raised high, about to swing it towards Huo Chuchun. Huo Chuchun’s thin figure, like a withered leaf in the cold wind, had already curled up into a ball. She was still holding a chick in her arms.

“No! It’s not stolen! It’s our chicken, you can’t have it, you can’t have it…” The girl’s voice was as thin as a willow leaf, trembling slightly. She clearly saw the bamboo stick that Sun Guixiang was about to bring down, but she didn’t dodge or avoid it, she protected the chick in her arms, not wanting to be taken by Sun Guixiang.

The bamboo stick cut through the air, making a whistling sound.

“Chuchun—” Zhang Yue’e shouted anxiously, but she was helpless.

At this moment, Chi Wan’s heart jumped into her throat.

Sun Guixiang didn’t have any intention of showing mercy, the bamboo stick in her hand went straight towards Huo Chuchun’s face.

“Chuchun!” Chi Wan didn’t even think, her figure flew forward. She spread out her arms, hugged Huo Chuchun tightly, protecting the trembling and frail girl carefully.

Time didn’t stop. The bamboo stick also fell in an instant. It didn’t land on Huo Chuchun’s face, but on Chi Wan’s back.

A heavy blow. Chi Wan’s clothes were not thick, the bamboo stick passed through the thin fabric, hitting her back hard. There was a burning pain on her skin. Especially on her neck. The snow-white skin that was not covered by the collar was scratched by the thin bamboo stick. Like a sharp blade, it cut out small wounds.

“Hiss—” Chi Wan gasped in pain, her delicate brows furrowed. Even so, she didn’t move, her arms tightly wrapped around Huo Chuchun, not wanting her to be hurt in the slightest.

Huo Chuchun was completely dumbfounded, she didn’t even react to what had happened. Zhang Yue’e, on the other hand, reacted faster. She didn’t care about wrestling with the fierce woman, she trembled and shouted, “Xiao Wan! Xiao Wan, are you okay! Xiao Wan!”

Sun Guixiang was already furious, how could she stop at this time. She swung her strong arm, wanting to hit again. Zhang Yue’e took a step forward and pushed Sun Guixiang away.

Chi Wan finally got a chance to breathe. She protected Huo Chuchun with one hand, and slowly stood up, anger flashed in her clear pupils, she went straight towards Sun Guixiang who was throwing a tantrum.

Sun Guixiang was stunned by her glare. Originally, she wanted to say something, but at this moment, she also widened her eyes, like a hellish demon. She roared, “It’s you! You must have instigated it! Otherwise, how could your family have so many chicks, how could they have pork to eat!”

Chi Wan listened to these words that were black and white, her brows furrowed tighter. She endured the pain in her back and asked loudly, “Who are you, this is my home, if you keep making a fuss, don’t blame me for being impolite!”

In an instant. A powerful force burst out from Chi Wan’s thin body. Cold and sharp chills filled the air. Especially when she looked at people with her deep eyes, it even shocked Sun Guixiang for a while.

Sun Guixiang’s brain buzzed, she was stunned for a while before she reacted. She looked at Chi Wan fiercely and sneered, “Heh, just a newly married wife, what? Just a few days, you really think you’re a member of the Huo family? Since you’re a member of the Huo family, how come you don’t even know me, Sun Guixiang! You, you should kneel down and kowtow to me, serve me tea, and respectfully call me Second Aunt!”

After the fierce woman mentioned the name “Sun Guixiang”, a sense of familiarity flashed through Chi Wan’s mind. She remembered some of the plot in the original novel, all about the Huo family’s rotten affairs. The male lead, Huo Nanchuan’s father, was the eldest son of the Huo family, known as Huo Lao Da. Huo Lao Da had three brothers, Huo Lao’er, Huo Laosan, and Huo Lao Si. Huo Lao Si left home twenty years ago without a trace, his life or death unknown, and he was never mentioned again in the original novel. As for Huo Lao’er and Huo Laosan, they were all worse than beasts. When Huo Lao Da died unexpectedly, the family lost its pillar, leaving Zhang Yue’e and three young children. As soon as Huo Lao Da’s seventh day of mourning was over, Huo Lao’er and Huo Laosan started to fight for a split. And they took advantage of Huo Lao Da’s death, and Huo Nanchuan was not yet an adult, not considered an adult male in the family, so they took away a large part of the family property that originally belonged to Huo Nanchuan.

The Huo family also had an elder, Huo Nanny. Zhang Yue’e originally hoped that Huo Nanny could uphold justice and divide the house and land that belonged to them. But Huo Nanny pretended to be senile, letting Huo Lao’er and Huo Laosan make a mess. But it was clearly written in the original novel. This Huo Nanny was also a cunning old woman! She was not senile at all, but she wanted to have sons to take care of her in her old age, so she deliberately let Huo Lao’er get his way and got more property. Later, she even secretly instigated the relationship among the several families. She let everyone know that she still had a large sum of private money. In this way, Huo Lao’er and Huo Laosan would compete with each other to grab her money, and they would constantly be nice to Huo Nanny.

The Huo family, every single one of them had eighteen twists and turns in their hearts, they were all troublesome. They could be said to be the absolute—extreme, excellent, supporting, characters in the first half of the original novel.