I’ll Butcher Pigs to Support You! 27p1

Chapter 27 p1

A tragic, piercing scream suddenly rang out from outside, but Shen Xizhi, lost in her own world of panic and despair, didn’t notice at all.

She fumbled in the corner for a piece of hemp rope that didn’t look very sturdy. Her fingers gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white, her pale lips nearly bitten raw.

Everything was getting better. Why… why was it all fake? Why… am I so unlikable? Does Song Yugui hate me?

As the young woman thought this, a mixture of boiling hatred and deep grievance churned within her.

The red in her eyes never faded.

Outside her house, their neighbor, Uncle Song, had already rushed over to break up the fight.

He had just returned from the fields and was passing by his niece’s house when he looked up to see his niece smashing a man with a stool.

This wouldn’t do. What if she killed him and got into trouble with the law?

He hurriedly went to pull them apart. His niece was surprisingly strong; he almost couldn’t hold her back.

“Don’t stop me! I’m going to beat this bastard to death today!”

The man was a well-known hooligan in the village. Uncle Song looked at him several times before he could barely recognize him through his bruised and swollen face. He widened his eyes. “Song Bao, how is it you?”

Song Yugui used to be good friends with Song Bao. He had often seen them drinking together. But today, Song Yugui was actually hitting Song Bao?

Uncle Song let out an unworldly gasp.

The stool was snatched from Song Yugui. She clenched her fists, so angry she could barely breathe.

No wonder. No wonder Shen Xizhi, after enduring for so long, suddenly made up her mind to kill Song Yugui. No wonder Xizhi, so timid, who would only hide in a corner and grieve alone even when bullied, what kind of outrageous insult must it have been to make her do this…

Song Yugui’s heart trembled.

Bastards. Not human, a bunch of inhuman things, all bullying Shen Xizhi. Damn it all, everyone bullies her!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She was about to lunge forward again. “Uncle, let go! I’m going to kill him today!”

With that, it was even more impossible for Uncle Song to let go. He held her tightly. Having farmed for many years, he was naturally stronger than an ordinary person. “Song Bao, what did you do to make Xiaogui so angry?”

Song Bao only had two hands. One was clutching his aching chest, the other his swollen eye. He knew he couldn’t reveal his and Song Yugui’s plan. Selling one’s wife was something that, if it got out, the villagers would drown him in spit, and no girl would ever be willing to marry him again.

So he just jumped up and cursed, “How should I know what’s wrong with her? She just suddenly started hitting me! Uncle, you have to stand up for me!”

Uncle had no intention of standing up for a hooligan.

“Xiaogui?”

Since he couldn’t get an answer from Song Bao, he naturally looked at Song Yugui.

Song Yugui couldn’t possibly say something that would damage her own wife’s reputation, so she just stood there with her neck stiff, her eyes looking as if she wanted to beat Song Bao again.

Song Bao took a fearful step back.

Uncle Song was at a loss. He pulled the two of them out of the courtyard.

His niece’s family only had so many things; it wouldn’t be good if any of them were broken.

At the same time, Auntie Li also heard the noise and came over. Seeing the three of them go out, she had no choice but to go into the house and ask Shen Xizhi what had happened.

Uncle Song questioned them outside for a long time but couldn’t find out why they were fighting. It just seemed… that Xiaogui was more in the right. Song Bao kept muttering, “If you don’t agree, then don’t agree. Why resort to violence?”

It was most likely his fault.

So he put on a stern face and said, “You were both in the wrong today. I’ll just consider this matter settled. Don’t you two hang out together anymore, you hear?”

Song Bao’s eyes widened in shock. Wait, how is it settled? I’m the one who got beaten. What do you mean, we were both in the wrong? I got beaten up and I’m still at fault?

The hooligan was indignant and was about to speak when he met Song Yugui’s cold, deep inky gaze. His heart suddenly sank.

Damn it, I don’t know what’s wrong with Song Yugui. Her strength has suddenly become so great; I can’t even beat her!

A life of debauchery had hollowed out the hooligan’s body. Even a slightly stronger woman could easily handle him.

Song Yugui stared at him coldly. Song Bao. The novel had also mentioned his name. He had coveted the female lead’s beauty and had caused trouble for the main couple several times. In the end… he had died mysteriously at the bottom of a cliff.

Mysteriously, died at the bottom of a cliff.

Thinking of this plot point, Song Yugui’s heart skipped a beat. The cause and effect that the novel hadn’t explained clearly gradually became clear in her mind.

So that’s how it was…

She had originally thought it was the female lead who had done it.

She took a deep breath and looked at Song Bao coldly, her voice firm. “The matter you mentioned, no matter how I agreed to it before, I will never agree to it now. Don’t ever appear in front of us again, or I’ll beat you every time I see you.”

Thinking back now, she felt that Song Bao’s resistance had been weak and powerless. If she worked for a while longer, she could probably lift him with one hand.

If he dared to bully her wife again, she would not let him go.

Being beaten up like this by a woman, Song Bao felt extremely ashamed. But just as he puffed out his chest, he looked at Song Yugui, then at the muscular Uncle Song, who was clearly biased toward her, and gritted his teeth, not daring to say a word.

Song Yugui gave him one last look. Thinking of her wife’s reaction when she saw this person, she lowered her head and cursed inwardly. She must have known that the original owner and this bastard were conspiring to sell her.

No wonder she was so angry!

If I had known, I wouldn’t have let this psycho come to my house. I shouldn’t have, I shouldn’t have let him come over just to know a little more of the plot that wasn’t in the novel, just to have a little more control.

Song Yugui was already filled with regret. After chasing Song Bao away, she hurried back to find Shen Xizhi.

Who knew that after running a few steps to her own courtyard gate, she would see two aunts standing in her courtyard at the same time.

Auntie Li saw her first, and her thick eyebrows immediately shot up. She pointed at her and said fiercely, “You still know how to come back? Why don’t you continue your debauchery with that brother of yours?”

Song Yugui’s body stiffened. She lowered her head, unable to refute.

She hadn’t intended to carouse with Song Bao, but she had been the one to bring him over, after all.

Auntie Li continued, heartbroken, “It’s a good thing I came over, otherwise Xizhi might have hanged herself and you wouldn’t have even noticed!”

Song Yugui’s face changed drastically. What, hanged herself?!

She didn’t have time to say a word. She bypassed the two aunts and hurried inside, her clothes fluttering. In a few steps, she was in the inner room, where she saw the woman lying alone on the bed, her thin figure not concealed even by her thick cyan clothes.

Shen Xizhi’s once lively eyes were now quiet, staring blankly at a spot. Her slender fingers gripped the quilt helplessly, her knuckles turning white. From the moment she entered, she hadn’t glanced at her once.

Song Yugui stopped, her heart tightening. A sour feeling spread through her limbs.

It made her unable to even lift her hand.

Auntie Li followed her in. Fearing that she would revert to her old ways, she immediately scolded, “You’ve finally changed for the better. Don’t be like you were before. Xizhi is a good girl, you…”

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Song Yugui’s suddenly raised, very serious voice. “I know. I won’t. I won’t be like I was before.”

So, don’t be sad. I’ll come and coax you in a little while, okay?

Auntie Li was half-convinced by her words. If she hadn’t reverted to her old self, how could she have driven a good girl like Xizhi to hang herself?

It was a good thing she had arrived in time and hadn’t let her succeed.

It was terrifying.

“Xizhi…”

Seeing the young woman’s eyes redden and a tear silently fall as she lowered her head, Song Yugui’s heart ached. She unconsciously took a step closer, reaching out to take her hand.

The other, likely still lost in her grief, didn’t react in time and was actually caught. But soon, that hand, so smooth and pale and tender, the one she usually held, slipped from her grasp and was deliberately hidden under the quilt, refusing to be touched.

Her pale lips were pressed tightly together.

This stubborn, pitiful sight made one’s heart ache even more.

Song Yugui took a deep breath and began to see her guests out. “I’m sorry to have worried you, Auntie. I will take good care of Xizhi. You should go home first. Allow me to speak with Xizhi for a while.”

She wanted to hold her in her arms and coax her properly.

Auntie knew this was someone else’s family matter and that she shouldn’t interfere so much. She gave her a helpless glare. “Wait a minute. I just called for the village’s barefoot doctor. Aren’t you going to let her take a look before she leaves?”

Although Xizhi didn’t seem to have any physical injuries, her mental state was truly worrying.

Hearing that the other auntie was a doctor, Song Yugui quickly made way.

The auntie had only learned a little bit of medicine and recognized a few herbs in her youth; she was by no means an expert. The other refused to give her her hand for a pulse reading and wouldn’t speak, so she could only guess. “She was probably frightened. She’ll be fine in a few days.”

Song Yugui lowered her eyes. Of course she was frightened. She was almost sold by the original owner. If she had been a little later, she might not have made it in time…

“Thank you.”

Song Yugui took out some copper coins to pay her, but the auntie waved her hand. “No need. I was just passing by, weeding, when I was called over. What money do I need? As long as you live a good life with Shen-guniang from now on and don’t go harassing my daughter anymore.”

(guniang: girl, young woman, young lady, daughter, used particularly in the countryside)

Song Yugui: A bolt from the blue.

There’s still more of this mess!

“Your daughter is… the village belle?” she guessed with difficulty. From what that Song Bao had said, the person the original owner truly admired was the village belle, but she didn’t know who the village belle was.

Could it be this auntie’s daughter?

The auntie was a little embarrassed by the compliment and said with a smile, “Although my daughter is very beautiful, the village belle is the village chief’s daughter. If she heard you say that, she would be unhappy.”

The village chief’s daughter.

So it was her.

Song Yugui now knew. She cursed the original owner a few more times for coveting what was in the pot while eating from her own bowl. A rustling sound came from her side. She turned her head to see that Shen Xizhi had burrowed under the quilt, even her head, completely enveloping herself in the thin blanket.

She quickly saw the two aunties out. Although they were worried, it was their own life to live. No matter how worried they were, there was nothing they could do. So they both left, hoping in their hearts that the two could reconcile as they had been for the past two months.

Uncle Song, being a man, couldn’t enter a woman’s room, so he waited outside for Auntie Li. Their houses were close, so if there was any commotion, they would be able to notice it immediately.

When there were only the two of them left in the room, the rustling cold wind beat against the wooden door, making a heart-wrenching creaking sound.

Song Yugui walked to the side of the bed, the heartache in her eyes almost tangible. She bent down and patted her through the quilt, her voice as gentle as water. “Xizhi, I can explain what happened today. Can you come out first?”

The body under the quilt wriggled, but not to come out, but… to move further in, person and quilt together, escaping from her hand.

Song Yugui: …

“You’ll suffocate like that.”

She continued to speak in a soft, gentle voice.

Every word that reached her ears was so gentle, as if this period of time wasn’t just an illusory, beautiful dream. The thin quilt began to tremble slightly.

Song Yugui’s eyes were filled with heartache. She longed to hold her in her arms and coax her properly.

The quilt was forcefully thrown open, revealing the small girl curled up inside.

Having suddenly lost her protection, Shen Xizhi hadn’t yet reined in her feelings of resentment and hatred. When she looked up, a sliver of it escaped.

Song Yugui was stunned, a dull ache in her heart. She pressed her lips together and didn’t speak, just bent down and forcefully lifted the small bundle of a girl into her arms.

She explained dryly, “It’s too stuffy under the quilt. The air isn’t circulating. It’s… it’s not good for breathing.”

Shen Xizhi didn’t understand a word she said. And not understanding, she didn’t ask questions like she used to, but silently turned her head to the other side, not listening to her.