Li Zhong thought Qiao Xin didn’t know how dangerous the wild boars were, so he quickly explained, “Yes, ever since we moved here a few years ago, we’ve never been able to grow anything because these beasts keep destroying our crops.”

Tigers and other wild animals only enter human settlements when they are starving.

But wild boars are different.

Once they find a food source in an area, they return every day with their entire family, refusing to leave until they’ve eaten everything. “That’s why we avoid Beishan (North Mountain) whenever we can.”

Qiao Xin sighed, “What a pity! I bought a courtyard over there, planning to clear some land in the spring.”

Li Zhong was stunned. “What? Bought a courtyard? Isn’t your home by the stone bridge?”

Qiao Xin replied matter-of-factly, “I have three sons. How can one courtyard be enough?”

Li Zhong: …

Qiao Xin then looked at her grandchildren and said, “My poor little ones, you’ve lost weight recently. You need some nourishment. Do you want to eat meat?”

Qiao Dalang and his siblings exchanged glances, then sighed in unison.

It seemed their plans to go out today were ruined—Grandmother’s hunting instincts had kicked in again!

But… they would get to eat meat!

Just thinking about it made their mouths water.

They eagerly nodded, “Yes!”

Qiao Erniang, who had gained some weight under Qiao Xin’s care, asked in her soft, childish voice, “Grandmother, can I have two bowls of meat broth?”

Qiao Xin pinched her chubby little cheeks and said, “Of course! Once Grandmother has some free time, I’ll make even more meat for you!”

The little girl beamed, showing her tiny teeth, nodding so hard it nearly melted Qiao Xin’s heart.

After talking to her grandchildren, Qiao Xin turned to Li Zhong and asked with a smile, “Does your family need some meat?”

Li Zhong: ???

Qiao Sanlang, unable to watch anymore, stepped in and translated, “Grandmother is asking if you want to come hunt wild boars with us.”

Li Zhong: … Did he hear that right, or was the wind too strong?

Was Qiao Xin really inviting them to hunt wild boars?

He stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before reacting, “Yes, yes, yes! I’ll go gather people right away…”

The Qiao family members were taken aback when they saw the children return so soon, looking dejected and empty-handed.

Xu Shi hesitated and asked, “What… what happened?”

Qiao Dalang, looking discouraged, honestly answered, “Mother, Grandmother said we can’t go out for now.”

The people in the courtyard were puzzled and turned to Qiao Xin.

She had left in high spirits—why the sudden change of plans?

“There are wild boars on Beishan(Northern Mountain). The children won’t be going for now. Everyone, go back to your tasks. Sharpen the knives—we’ll be bringing back some pork soon.”

Elder Mo was startled. “Mistress, are you going to Beishan?”

“Yes. I originally planned to take the children there to pick Chinese tallow seeds. But I just heard from the village chief that the wild boars there are abundant—whole families of them. I don’t want the children to get hurt.”

Qiao Yunqing asked, “Mother, are you going hunting first?”

“Yes, we need to clear them out eventually, and the children need some nourishment,” Qiao Xin answered firmly.

The three Qiao brothers exchanged looks.

As expected!

If they planned to settle here long-term, they would have to deal with these issues sooner or later.

They couldn’t always rely on Qiao Xin to do everything.

This time, no matter what, they were going with her.

Qiao Yunqing even came up with a solid reason: “Mother, learning to use a bow and hunt is also an important skill!”

Qiao Xin understood his intentions.

After a brief silence, she allowed them to come along.

The three brothers sighed in relief and quickly went back inside to prepare.

Elder Mo hesitated for a while before finally deciding.

He went into his room and brought out a jar of medicinal powder, handing it to Qiao Xin. “Mix this with food. If the boars eat even a little, they’ll pass out.”

Qiao Xin didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted it right away. “Alright, I’ll take it.”

Qiao Dalang, feeling forgotten, couldn’t help but ask, “Grandmother, what about us?”

Qiao Xin called them over and led them to the stone bridge, pointing at a few Chinese tallow trees by the river. “You’re not going up the mountain yet. Gather the seeds from these trees and give them to Granny Shi and Grandpa Mo to process. Once the danger is cleared, I’ll take you there myself!”

Qiao Erlang, always energetic, looked up at the tall trees excitedly. “Can we climb the trees? Father and Mother won’t punish us, right?”

Qiao Xin laughed and ruffled his soft hair. “Grandmother is in charge today! Climb as much as you like, but be careful.”

Shi Yazi, gathering his courage, stepped forward. “Madam, let me climb the trees. The others can catch the seeds from below. I climb trees all the time—I’m really good at it!”

Qiao Xin smiled and said, “Just call me Grandmother Qiao like the others. Boys can all climb, but the girls should stay on the ground.”

The children cheered, “Yay!” and ran to hug Qiao Xin.

She was the best grandmother ever!

Zhang Shi had just stood up to check on things but was pulled back by Xu Shi. “Mother-in-law is watching over them. What are you worried about? Besides, they’re right outside the house. If anything happens, we’ll hear them. Let’s focus on getting ready.”

Zhang Shi thought about it and agreed, so she sat down and continued tending the fire.

There was a lot to do today—no one was going to be idle.

With Qiao Xin’s approval, the children took off running.

Soon, they returned with baskets and gathered under the trees.

Six boys split into teams, each picking a tree.

They started from the lower branches, snapping them off and tossing them down.

Surprisingly, the tallow seeds were still tightly attached and barely scattered.

Just as he claimed, Shi Yazi was an expert tree climber.

He moved through the branches like a monkey.

However, the cold weather had covered the tree trunks with ice and snow, making it harder to climb than usual.

Luckily, the children were dressed warmly and didn’t feel the cold as they moved.

The girls collected the fallen seeds in bamboo baskets and carried them back home for Granny Shi and Elder Mo to boil and soften.

This repetitive process was tedious and time-consuming.

After softening, the seeds were placed on sieves, scrubbed clean, and sorted.

Once enough wax had accumulated on the sieves, it was scraped off and boiled again for further purification.

This process was repeated multiple times to remove impurities. When most of the water had evaporated, they were left with purified wax, ready to be turned into candles.

Elder Mo finally understood what Qiao Xin was doing.

He hadn’t expected such a precious product to be made so easily by a simple village woman.

If the wealthy nobles found out, how would they react?

He also wondered—what was Qiao Xin thinking?

This was a family secret that could be passed down for generations, yet she openly let them all participate.

Should he admire her generosity or be grateful for her trust?