Chapter Thirty: Selling Pork

Zhang Guihua was weeding her small vegetable garden with her daughter, Sheng Wenwen, when a neighbor—the very same gossiping old woman—walked by.

This woman, surnamed Wei, was about the same age as Grandmother Sheng. The two had never gotten along, and if one were to ask why, it was always over the same trivial, messy nonsense—who loved whom, who didn't, and who was pining for whom. Having given birth to three daughters before finally having two sons, Old Lady Wei had always secretly compared herself to Grandmother Sheng, constantly trying to prove she was superior. Even at their age, with both their husbands long deceased, she still jumped at any chance to make Grandmother Sheng miserable.

"Third son's wife, still busy? Why don't you hurry over to your mother-in-law's and grab some meat? That wild boar is so huge, your mother-in-law and the others can't possibly eat it all!" she prodded. "If you don't go now, there won't be any good cuts left!"

Any sensible person could see through such provocation, and Zhang Guihua, being a mature adult, understood perfectly well what Old Lady Wei was up to. Her daughter, Sheng Wenwen, however, did not. She immediately dropped her work and stood up. "Mother, let's hurry to Grandma's house!"

Zhang Guihua shot her a stern look, and Wenwen immediately clamped her mouth shut.

"Thank you, Auntie Wei," Zhang Guihua said coldly. "My mother-in-law and I have already separated households. If it doesn't belong to us, I don't want it. You should probably worry more about your own affairs—I just saw your grandson, Gou Dan, running toward the mountains!"

No sooner had the words left her lips than Old Lady Wei let out a wail and scrambled toward the mountains. The eldest Sheng daughter, Zhaodi, had just had her leg snapped by that wild boar; she couldn't let anything happen to her own little grandson.

Once Old Lady Wei was out of earshot, Zhang Guihua looked sternly at her daughter. "Wenwen, I know you’re craving meat, but remember: never covet what isn't yours. Tomorrow, Mother will take you to town to buy some meat, and we’ll come back and make dumplings."

Sheng Wenwen gave a soft, submissive response, nodded, and squatted back down to continue weeding. She just didn't understand—it was only a bit of meat, so why did her mother have to be so difficult? They were all granddaughters; what was wrong with her eating a little?

Zhang Guihua watched her daughter weeding with a heavy heart and sighed. The task of raising children was a long and arduous road—just look at the children in the eldest Sheng household; they were already lazy, greedy, and slippery. With only two children of her own, especially with Wenwen being a girl, she had to ensure she was raised properly.

***

"Grandma, please take this piece of meat to the village head. I meant to ask Auntie Song to take it earlier, but she seemed too embarrassed. I’ll handle the cooking today, so please, go ahead and make the trip!"

Grandmother Sheng was no fool; she understood her granddaughter’s intent. She handed over her apron, washed her hands, and prepared to carry the meat to the village head's home.

Just then, the wicker gate was pushed open, and several village women entered. Looking sheepish, they clearly had something on their minds. Seeing them nudge one another, none wanting to be the first to speak, Grandmother Sheng took the initiative. "What is it? You’ve all turned into mutes? If you have something to say, speak up."

"Auntie, hehe, we were just wondering... are you selling that wild boar meat?" one woman asked cautiously. "We figured your family couldn't finish it all, so we thought we'd ask." She was careful because she had seen Sheng Wanqiu kick Liu Juan flying just yesterday; she didn't dare provoke the girl, especially since she was no match for her strength.

"Wanqiu, what do you think?" Grandmother Sheng asked, turning toward her granddaughter, who was busy chopping ribs.

The women watched as Sheng Wanqiu raised her cleaver, *clack-clack-clack*, deftly hacking through a pile of ribs with impressive speed. She then walked over holding the cleaver, causing the women to instinctively step back several paces—the way the girl held the blade was truly intimidating.

"Pork in town goes for fifteen coins a pound," Sheng Wanqiu said. "Since we’re all in the same village, I’ll let you have it for thirteen coins. If you have eggs at home, you can trade those too—fifteen eggs for a pound of pork. There’s only so much meat, so first come, first served. If you want some, come over here, and I’ll cut it for you!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than the women scurried home. Anyone who didn't buy pork at such a bargain would be a fool—it was two coins cheaper, and buying it in town would involve the cost of a cart and travel fees, which would easily add up to enough to buy another pound of meat.

"Grandma, you go to the village head's place. Leave this to me and Huaian," Sheng Wanqiu said.

Grandmother Sheng looked at her granddaughter, who stood there with the cleaver and an air of immense confidence, and nodded. She picked up the cut meat and headed out.

Just as Sheng Wanqiu had expected, the women returned in a frantic swarm, bringing even more people with them. They had clearly gone home to tell their neighbors, who had arrived clutching coins or baskets of eggs.

"Wanqiu, girl, I brought my scale from home. Do you think you can use it?" the woman who had spoken first asked, offering the scale with a flattering smile.

"You're so thoughtful, Auntie! I don't have a scale, so I'll borrow yours. I'll cut you a bit of pig liver to take home for soup later," Sheng Wanqiu said with a smile, accepting the scale. The woman was so delighted she couldn't stop grinning.

"Huaian, I'll do the cutting, you handle the money," Sheng Wanqiu directed. "Everyone, line up! One by one!"

Sheng Huaian rolled up his sleeves to help, and even little Huaimu stood by their side, looking for ways to be useful.

Sheng Wanqiu’s voice was loud enough that the Liu Juan household next door heard everything. Sheng Zhaodi, who had been carried back, was still unconscious, running a high fever and deliriously babbling, leaving Liu Juan so terrified that she forced her two younger daughters to take over the caregiving. Liu Juan felt like she could eat someone alive, staring with venomous eyes in Sheng Wanqiu's direction. How was it that this little wretch, Sheng Wanqiu, hadn't had her leg snapped by the boar? And how was it that she was lucky enough to kill it and drag it back? That was all meat!

"Auntie, watch closely—three pounds of pork. Here you go!"

Sheng Wanqiu worked with swift precision, cutting exactly what the villagers requested, always giving them a generous measure. The villagers left with smiles on their faces. Although Sheng Huaian didn't know many characters, he was excellent at accounting, and the siblings worked with seamless synergy.

Because this group was limited, Sheng Wanqiu worried the meat wouldn't last, so she closed the wicker gate and had little Huaimu guard the entrance, allowing people to leave but letting no one else in.

The last person to leave was the woman who had lent the scale. Sheng Wanqiu gave her a large piece of pig liver as a reward, which left the woman overjoyed. She showered Sheng Wanqiu with praise and thanks before finally heading home with her goods.