But whether Song Qingshan believed it or not, the next day, he brought back a big wild boar.

A real, male wild boar, and he had even brought a few soldiers with him to transport it.

On the day he brought the live wild boar home with a tractor, the whole village was in an uproar.

As for Su Xiangwan, after discussing with Zhao Guodong, she took the 135 yuan from the village’s accounting office—the only money the village had—and, accompanied by Song Jianguo, who was particularly good at picking sows, they went all the way to a pig farm in the county to buy a female pig.

In Song Jianguo’s words, this sow had smooth, glossy fur, black skin, and tender flesh. It was obviously the kind best suited for breeding.

As for the village’s money, it belonged to the village itself and was meant for raising pigs, so no one had any objections.

The wild boar could bite, and to let it mate with the domestic pig, they had to worry about it eating the domestic pig.

The wild boar, of course, was willing to mate with another wild boar, but it refused to mate with a domestic pig.

It could smell the distinct scent of the domestic pig—strong and gamey—while the sow Song Jianguo brought back was a smooth, shiny, black-skinned beauty, so the wild boar refused to mate.

In the end, in order to breed pigs that could be harvested in just four months, Song Jianguo was nearly worn out.

After the wild boar bit him, the breeding issue was handed over to the strongest man in the village, Song Dan’s father, Song Qi. But even Song Qi couldn’t handle the wild boar.

In the end, it was Song Qingshan, who had just returned from work, who somehow managed to solve it. Regardless of how he did it, the two pigs finally managed to mate.

Not only did Su Xiangwan want to know how he did it, but Goudan and Lu Dan also wanted to know.

“Dad, just tell us, how did you manage to get them to mate?” Goudan pestered Song Qingshan.

Song Qingshan had come home late, and seeing that his son hadn’t slept, he couldn’t help but smack him on the backside. “Go to sleep.”

“If you say ‘Song Xiling, go to sleep,'” Goudan insisted, deeply fond of the casual name his father had given him.

Song Qingshan had no choice but to say, “Song Xiling, go to sleep.”

Goudan immediately hugged his father’s muscles. “Dad, you’re the best.”

It was unbearably cheesy.

Originally, Su Xiangwan wanted to ask Song Qingshan for fertilizer, but the village reservoir needed to be closed to store water, and they needed to redirect water from elsewhere. Of course, these tasks required blasting the mountains and digging trenches. He hadn’t been home for nearly four months.

Qingshui County, due to its geographical location, was blessed with clear mountains and beautiful waters.

The climate was closer to Sichuan, and once the New Year passed, the weather warmed up quickly.

As expected, once the frozen soil melted and the ground turned green, the villagers dug a bit, and lo and behold, some herbs began to grow strong and robust.

This made the entire village of Xiao Songzhuang ecstatic.

In just a few days, the ginseng, astragalus, and bupleurum—of the best medicinal quality—could be harvested and sold.

Although the winter was tight and the family struggled a bit, they still had enough to eat.

In rural winters, with the mountains sealed by snow and everyone lacking clothes, everyone stayed indoors, burning stoves to stay warm.

Su Xiangwan’s skin was noticeably fairer than last year.

She, along with Song Ershan, Zhao Guodong, and Song Jianguo, collected the herbs from each household and brought them to the township government. When Township Chief Han saw them, he immediately gave a thumbs-up.

A village leader who could boost production—who wouldn’t like that?

Without delay, Township Chief Han issued a letter of introduction, and Song Dashan and Song Jianguo took the herbs to the Qingshui County Health Center, where they sold them.

The biggest sale came from Song Jianguo’s family, who earned 20 yuan, while the smallest sale was 5 yuan, which came from Song Qingyu.

Half the money and half the receipts. Song Jianguo took the receipts, rushed to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought two pounds of milk candy—one pound for his own two children, and one for Su Xiangwan’s two children.

It wasn’t just him—fifty families in Xiao Songzhuang, apart from the old lady, none of the villagers held a grudge. After some discussion, they all agreed that since the seeds for the medicinal herbs were provided by Su Xiangwan, they should send her something in return.

However, it was Song Ershan who had the final say. He said, “Let’s each take a yuan from the money we made selling the herbs—50 yuan in total—and give it to my sister-in-law.”

Everyone agreed.

The only exceptions were Song Qingyu, who had earned only 5 yuan and refused to give anything, and Song Qi’s family, who had no money because they were using it to treat Song Dan’s back.

They were stopped from contributing.

In the end, the 48 yuan was given to Su Xiangwan by village chief Zhao Guodong.

Zhao Guodong thought Su Xiangwan would refuse, but to his surprise, she accepted without hesitation. “You have to tell them that I spent just as much on the seeds, so I didn’t take advantage of them.”

With the money in hand, as Su Xiangwan walked, she passed by Song Qi’s house and saw Xiao Qin supporting Song Dan. They were playing with Lu Dan.

Since Song Dan’s back had been bent for so long, he couldn’t stand up straight. He gave a thumbs-up and called out, “Pig leader, we’re raising the pigs now. In spring, they had five piglets, and they’re about to start fattening up!”

Although the wild boar had initially refused to mate, after mating once, it had received the “delicious” signal.

A month later, it had another litter.

And now, the sow was pregnant again.

It turns out that calling someone “pig meat secretary” used to be an insult, but now, if you call someone that, it’s a compliment.

Who wouldn’t praise the pigs raised by Su Xiangwan, who only eat corn stalks, are easy to care for, and put on fat every day?

Su Xiangwan bent down and looked at the child: “Can you lift the pig food barrel?”

“Of course, I can. I’m bending my waist, but I still have strength,” Song Dan said, shaking his arms.

Su Xiangwan laughed and quietly gave the 48 yuan to Xiao Qin: “Tomorrow, let your dad take Song Dan to the hospital. His waist should be treated, and the doctor can reset the bones.”

Xiao Qin was excited: “No, Su Secretary, this is the money everyone gave you for seeds.”

Seeing the girl cry and laugh, hesitant to accept, Su Xiangwan quickly said: “Stop, if you don’t take it now, I’ll regret it later.”

Even though in her past life, people always called Su Xiaonan a saint, Su Xiangwan was not truly a saint.

It wasn’t easy for her to earn some money, so giving it away like this didn’t sit well with her either.

When she got home, she saw Song Qingshan teaching the kids military drills.

Spring had come, and the weather was warm. He rolled up his sleeves, his muscles bulging.

After the kids got tired from practicing, he picked them up, one under each arm, and spun around in the yard. It was so much fun!

There were wild vegetables everywhere now, and young shoots of red astragalus and scutellaria were perfect for cold dishes.

After Su Xiangwan became the village party secretary, the village rewarded her with a bucket of oil, and with the oil allocated based on work points, there was plenty.

She decided to use some of it to make a cold dish and then stir-fried some tender yellow chives with eggs.

There was also a bit of rabbit meat left, which she sautéed with potatoes—savory and delicious.

After dinner, the kids played in the yard with Zhi Zhi and the dog.

Song Qingshan asked Su Xiangwan, “It’s not just one wild boar, is it? That wild boar almost broke Chen Aidang’s waist. So tell me, is there anything else you need me to do?”

“There’s plenty. With spring plowing coming up, I need two plows that can be hitched to tractors for plowing to save labor. Also, your army has a big canteen. After the soldiers eat, the leftover soup and bones, if fermented, make great fertilizers—organic, phosphate, and nitrogen fertilizers. You know how to make that, right? Can you get me some?” Su Xiangwan said.

“Plows hitched to tractors? Su Xiangwan, I’ve only seen those on large farms. As for biological fertilizers, that’s something our army is researching right now. You know that, right?” Song Qingshan said.

Su Xiangwan gave him a look, carefully scooped out some snow cream, and applied it to her face: “I said I swapped identities with your previous wife. You don’t believe me, so don’t ask. Just get the stuff for me.”

Of course, Song Qingshan couldn’t accept it, but he decided to let it go. As long as he didn’t suspect her of being a spy and was willing to bring things back home, that was good enough.

About three days later, Song Qingshan brought her the welded plows.

In response to the village party secretary’s call, Song Ershan also learned how to drive a hand tractor.

Today, Song Qingshan finally had a day off, and Su Xiangwan gave them the tractors to use for plowing.

Wow! What used to take the women half a month to plow by hand could now be done by the tractors in a single afternoon.

Industrializing agriculture—it was revolutionary in how it changed farming.

On this rare day at home, Song Qingshan heard that the educated youth would soon arrive, so he started tidying up the house, fixing the collapsed kang (a traditional bed-stove).

Although he was often away from home, whenever he was back, he was still a reliable soldier.

It wasn’t clear whether he believed it or not, but whenever Su Xiangwan asked for something, he gave it to her.

He never mentioned where she had come from.

But that evening, as they were about to wash their hands for dinner, he suddenly asked, “You know that little Su, right? She really liked Tingxiu, and she never hid it from me. I just want to ask you, do you feel the same way?”

At this moment, he was willing to believe that she was no longer the same person as before.

Su Xiangwan, who was sweeping the dust outside, was surprised: “Why do you suddenly ask this?”

Song Qingshan was silent for a while before he said, “Tingxiu is back. He’s at the old house now. He’s been transferred to the police department. Mom is going to the city to live with him tomorrow. She wants us to join them for a meal.”

Ah, so that’s why the old lady hadn’t been crying for the past couple of days. It was because Song Tingxiu had returned?

Su Xiangwan immediately said, “Of course, I’ll go. Why wouldn’t I?”

She remembered that when her mother-in-law had gone to the county town, she had been badmouthing her at Tingxiu’s workplace, and it led to his job being reported and lost.

“I’m not only going, but I’m also going to make a scene with you, and with your brother,” Su Xiangwan suddenly said. “Ah, I won’t be able to move once I see Tingxiu.”

Song Qingshan was immediately nervous: “You said you’re not her, so why would you make a scene?”

“Money. Fifty yuan. The bonus the government gave when the reservoir closed. Why didn’t you give it to me?” Su Xiangwan stretched out her hand.

Song Qingshan stared at this woman. Okay, at first she pretended so well—so gentle and considerate. When he received the box of condoms from Chen Aidang, he had even thought about a new beginning in life.

He didn’t know what had happened recently, but suddenly, the people were taking charge.

And as she had guessed, he had really received the 50 yuan bonus.

“That money, I’m planning to give to Tingxiu. He’s working in the city now, and Mom will be supported by him. I’m giving it to him as a supplement,” Song Qingshan kindly explained.

Su Xiangwan replied, “Don’t worry, she won’t leave. And if you really want to give Mom money, that’s fine, but only when I feel comfortable. I’ll give it myself when I’m ready. You can’t give it.”

Song Qingshan said, “This is strange. Didn’t you say you liked Xiao Songzhuang, but the one without my mother? And didn’t you also say you weren’t my original wife? So why are you getting angry now?”

You have to understand, it was precisely because of this that after Tingxiu came back, Song Qingshan made time to go to the city to discuss with Song Tingxiu. He asked him to settle his work and then find a partner to bring his mother to the city.

Song Tingxiu was more filial than Song Qingshan, so of course, he readily agreed.

Su Xiangwan wouldn’t say, “If your mother moves to the city, she’ll have to give up your brother’s job.”

With great confidence, she snatched the fifty yuan and said, “When I asked you for a plow or fertilizer, I wasn’t your wife. But when you want to give money to your mother, suddenly I am your wife, and not just any wife—one who has been through a lot with you.”

She stuck out her tongue and added, “Meh, I’m a dead woman hanging.”

Song Qingshan stared at her. “You really are…”

Perhaps because she was beautiful and had the right to be a little willful, Song Qingshan thought to himself, his wife had turned into quite the character.

She was becoming more and more beautiful, but he couldn’t dwell on it too much; otherwise, his head would explode.

“If you’re not her, do you plan to divorce me or continue being my lover and family member?” Song Qingshan didn’t back down and threw a retort.

She had fooled him quite well. Before she exposed it, he never doubted her. But her hand-made plow, welded and attached to the tractor, was almost flawless.

And the formula she gave him, such as using leftover food, tree leaves, and other things for high-temperature fermentation to make fertilizer, indeed met the standards for potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Su Xiangwan said, “Of course I’ll do it. Your salary is pretty good, and you’re a good person. You can help me catch wild boars, help me develop fertilizer, weld iron plows, and improve crop yields. Isn’t that great?”

“I want a wife, not just someone to raise the children. You still need to fulfill your duties as a wife. Have you had experience with that?”

“Experience with what?” Su Xiangwan shot him a look. Not bad.

He was very masculine, with tight muscles, handsome, and only 26 years old—quite the young man. “When both of us have needs, let’s do it whenever we want.”

Song Qingshan was caught off guard and nearly couldn’t catch his breath.

“Song Donghai, Song Xiling, Ji Ji, come home to eat!” Su Xiangwan shook the fifty yuan and loudly called.

When Lu Dan and Goudan heard “old house,” they frowned immediately. “Mom, we want to eat your food, not go back to the old house.”

Of course, Mom’s food was delicious.

Yesterday, she said when the pigs in the village were fattened and the leeks came up, she would make dumplings for them.

What could the food at the old house offer?

Su Xiangwan said, “Enough with the nonsense, let’s go.”

At the old house, the old lady was genuinely happy today.

Her Tingxiu had returned, and her Dahua had returned as well.

However, Dahua didn’t come to see her.

Why? Because there was something embarrassing.

Her son-in-law, Fang Gaodi, had knocked Dahua down again.

Speaking of Dahua, the old lady felt like crying and laughing at the same time.

Dahua was tall, cheerful, and capable. She was praised by the leadership for her hard work.

But Fang Gaodi had a bad habit of hitting his wife when drunk.

He wasn’t careful about where he hit, and after hitting her, he would kneel down and apologize.

A few times, Dahua couldn’t even get out of bed, but since both of them had jobs and children, and Fang Gaodi usually apologized after waking up from drinking, the old lady didn’t think much of it.

Recently, Dahua had been causing a scene and had sent word to the old lady saying she wanted a divorce.

However, if they divorced, she would lose her job.

The old lady thought that once they moved to the city, she could help Tingxiu find a partner and persuade Dahua not to divorce, as she couldn’t handle both things at once.

Moreover, the old lady had to hide the fact that Dahua had been beaten from her first and second children, afraid that if they went to the city, they would beat up Fang Gaodi.

After all, Fang Gaodi was a cadre. If he was beaten and the matter escalated, neither of them would have jobs.

How could that work?

When the whole family sat down to eat, Su Xiangwan didn’t hesitate to sit down too.

The old lady asked Song Tingxiu, “If you’re going to support me, you need to ask your brother for money. Ask him for money.”

Song Tingxiu had just been demobilized and had his demobilization fund, so he was planning to take it out to give to the old lady.

He said, “If I say I’ll support you, then I will. Don’t bring up this issue again.”

But the old lady wasn’t willing to accept that. “How can it be just you supporting me? Get your older brother to contribute as well.”

She said loudly, “Qingshan, from now on, give your brother fifty yuan every month. After all, the third one won’t be coming back. In this life, I’ll be supported by the second one.”

As it turned out, Tingxiu was much more honest than the eldest.

He had money and was willing to give it all to the old lady.

This time, after being demobilized, not only did he have his job at the police station, but he also had a large demobilization fund, which he was planning to give to the old lady.

Song Qingshan had just had his money taken by Su Xiangwan, so he could only honestly say, “I have no money.”

Old Lady Song, furious, slapped the table. “Aren’t you working on the construction site screening sand? You must have at least fifty yuan a month. Su Xiangwan can support the children, but why can’t you give me the money?”

Su Xiangwan sneered. “Because of the two kids, I can’t give birth to one. It’s your son who planted them, so why shouldn’t he support them? Is the Song family’s habit to only plant but not support?”

“Qingshan, listen to what she’s saying. How can you not divorce her?” The old lady slammed the table. “Tingxiu, you should hear this too. When we get to the city, I’ll make sure everyone knows how shameless she is.”

“Mom, it’s because of your gossiping that not only has Su Xiangwan’s reputation been ruined, but our whole family is embarrassed,” Song Qingshan said.

The old lady wasn’t afraid. “No way! I’ve written so many letters to the army, and isn’t Tingxiu still the head of the police department?”

That’s right. Once she moved to the city, there would definitely be more drama.

Because Song Tingxiu had previously scared her, saying that when Tingxiu returned, he would only be able to watch the main gate, but now that Tingxiu had become the deputy director of the police station, the old lady thought that accusing Su Xiangwan was the right thing to do.

“Mom, you’ll never be able to get into the city, really,” Song Qingshan slammed his chopsticks on the table and said. “Tingxiu, Mom can’t be taken to the city. She should stay here and live properly.”

Su Xiangwan, feeling smug, shot Song Qingshan a look: I told you, didn’t I? You think I don’t know what your mom wants to do in the city?

Song Qingshan whispered, “Su Xiangwan, thank you, really.”

He couldn’t even imagine what would happen if they really let the old lady into the city.

After all, her issues could be brushed off in the village, but if the old lady went to cause trouble in front of the leaders, how could Song Qingshan and Song Tingxiu face people and continue their work?

But when she heard that she couldn’t get into the city, the old lady jumped up angrily: “Song Qingshan, you dare to keep me here? I’m still going into the city. I even tried to persuade your eldest sister not to divorce!”

“Why did you try to persuade my eldest sister?” Song Qingshan said sternly.

Before the old lady could answer, Song Fu, who had his mouth full of eggs, said, “What else? My aunt’s got a lot of issues. She beat up my uncle a few times and then started saying she wanted a divorce.”

Both Song Qingshan and Song Tingxiu stood up almost at the same time, slammed their hands on the table.

Song Qingshan shouted, “That bastard from Fang Gaodi actually dared to hit my sister?”

Song Tingxiu directly said, “Let’s go and beat him up!”