I’ll Butcher Pigs to Support You! 60

Chapter 60 

The noodle soup was thick and scalding hot. One mouthful was extremely fresh and fragrant. Chi Xiangyue hadn’t eaten and was starving, so she ate one mouthful after another in a great hurry.

Song Yugui had eaten at noon and was not in a hurry, chatting with Xizhi on and off.

“Ugh.”

A sudden muffled grunt attracted the attention of both of them. “What’s wrong?”

Chi Xiangyue waved her hand in pain. “It’s nothing. I was eating too fast and bit my mouth.”

Song Yugui, Shen Xizhi: …

“Eat slower. No one is fighting with you.”

“Hiss, I think I broke the skin. It hurts a little, which affects my eating.”

As she spoke about it affecting her eating, she slurped and slurped, not even sparing the noodle soup. She ate a full three bowls before she was done.

It was really hard to see how it was affected.

“By the way, what’s for dinner tonight? I see you bought fish.”

“Braised fish, shredded carrots.”

Just hearing ‘braised fish’, Chi Xiangyue was already very eager to eat. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had fish.”

“It’s still early for dinner now. I’ll go out and play for a while, and then I’ll pick some mushrooms for you to stir-fry.”

Hearing that she was leaving, Song Yugui sat up straight, her eyes even lighting up a little, barely restraining herself. “Mmm, then you take care. Remember to come back for dinner. Don’t just pick any mushrooms, be careful of poison.”

Chi Xiangyue: Don’t take me for a fool. I can see you two are about to get close again!

She had originally walked out in a huff, but after a short while, she came back quickly, ignoring the two of them facing each other, as if about to kiss, her eyes filled with the excitement of gossip.

“Xizhi, your mother and your brother are here.”

Song Yugui frowned slightly at her words. “Are they coming to my house?”

Damn it. Are they trying to sponge off me again?

Song Yugui was about to go to the next room to get her butcher’s knife when Chi Xiangyue shook her head. “No, they’re with my father. Let’s go out and watch the show. She’s throwing a tantrum, trying to get my father to take that Shen Yaozu.”

Song Yugui: …

Your love for gossip hasn’t changed.

“Alright, then let’s watch for a while.”

Song Yugui was also a little interested in this kind of thing and agreed without much thought.

Shen Xizhi stood up nervously but was pressed back down. “You can sit for a while longer.”

“I… I want to go and see too.” She hadn’t seen her family throw a tantrum in a long time.

“You won’t be unhappy?”

Sometimes, the more a girl was neglected by her family, the more she longed for kinship. If she was scolded outside, she would probably be sad again.

But Shen Xizhi was very confused and tilted her head blankly. “Why would I be unhappy? I don’t care about them at all. Seeing them make a fool of themselves, I might even be in a good mood.”

From the moment they married me off, I completely stopped caring. Marrying a woman was a very difficult thing for a family in the village that cared even a little about their daughters to accept. My already meager family affection had long been bought out by a few taels of silver.

Shen Xizhi went closer to her wife and buried her head in her warm neck, saying softly, “As long as Wife doesn’t scold me, it’s fine. If you scold me, I’ll be unhappy.”

Song Yugui: …

Are you implying that my scolding makes you unhappy?

She snorted lightly. “If you don’t do anything wrong, I won’t scold you.”

Shen Xizhi was speechless and could only look at her with pitiful, watery eyes.

Every time she couldn’t win an argument, she would pretend to be pitiful. Song Yugui was used to it and easily changed the subject to let her off the hook. “Then let’s go and take a look.”

She casually pinched her wife’s face.

Shen Xizhi’s small face was as white as light, and she just smiled warmly.

Chi Xiangyue hated herself for being so nosy. The moment she came in, her head was spinning from being shown off to.

She naturally noticed that the way the two of them interacted was different from before.

Although Yugui had been very good to Xizhi before, the intimate actions were mostly done by Xizhi. Even if she did them, they wouldn’t be too over the top, unlike now… She had noticed that Xizhi’s mouth was swollen when she was eating!

She didn’t know how to describe her complicated feelings. Perhaps it was that she had made a further discovery about the intimacy between two women. If liking to kiss a woman was lesbian behavior, then that one time…

Chi Xiangyue’s gaze also gradually became complicated.

The three of them walked out together. Wang-shi and Shen Yaozu had just followed Chi Jingming to the small earthen slope.

Wang-shi was throwing a tantrum, demanding that Chi Jingming must take Shen Yaozu. Suddenly, she saw Shen Xizhi come out, and she was with that Chi Jingming’s daughter. First, she remembered the loss of face last time and subconsciously glared at her fiercely. Then she realized that she had a good relationship with the Chi family and quickly said, “Xizhi, why don’t you hurry up and ask Miss Chi to plead for your younger brother? We’re all family. How can you be so disregardful of your parents and brother’s kinship! It’s like we’ve raised a white-eyed wolf!”

The moment Shen Xizhi came out, she was scolded. She immediately looked at her wife with a wronged expression. Even though she knew she wouldn’t be sad, Song Yugui still silently stood in front of her, blocking Wang-shi’s forceful gaze, and looked back coldly.

Thinking of her son losing such a good teacher because of them, Wang-shi was so angry she couldn’t stand it. “You heartless bunch! No matter what, I’m still Xizhi’s mother! How dare you be unfilial to me! You’re living a good life here, but you’re treating your own mother and brother like poor relatives! And now you’re even instigating Mr. Chi not to take your younger brother as a student! Is there any justice in this world! It’s all because my son and I are usually too kind that we’re being bullied like this!”

As Wang-shi spoke, she sat down on the ground and began to roll around.

Shen Yaozu was wearing a decent long robe, without a single patch, clean and tidy. When he bowed with his hands clasped, he was even more graceful. But such a graceful person let his mother do such an ugly, shameful thing for him.

His tone was heavy. “Mr. Chi, Yaozu has been reflecting on his mistakes at home since that day and has deeply realized his mistakes. Please give me another chance, Mr. Chi!”

Shen Yaozu’s attitude was also very humble, without a trace of the arrogance of not putting others in his eyes from before.

At that time, he still had his pride, thinking that even if he wasn’t Chi Jingming’s student, he could learn well with any other teacher and could also pass the xiucai, juren, and even zhuangyuan(1) exams.

But, after changing to another teacher and listening to just one lesson, he knew it was wrong.

There was no such feeling of sudden realization at all. The teacher’s words were obscure and difficult to understand. He couldn’t understand them at all!

For his future, for the glory of his family, he had no choice but to come and bow his head.

Chi Jingming looked at his daughter, who was watching the show with a look of amusement, helplessly. He ignored the rolling Wang-shi beside him and just said faintly to Shen Yaozu, “You haven’t even learned how to be a person yet. Don’t be in a hurry to study. You should learn how to be a person first. This is the foundation of establishing oneself.”

Shen Yaozu didn’t understand what being a person had to do with studying. Being a person was not something a teacher should care about. As long as he was good at his studies, it would be fine, right?

Why did Mr. Chi have to make things so difficult for him!

In his anger, a hint of resentment couldn’t help but appear in Shen Yaozu’s eyes.

Chi Jingming noticed, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. “You can go. I won’t take you.”

“Is it because I was disrespectful to your daughter!”

Hearing his resolute tone, and probably knowing that there was no turning back, Shen Yaozu also lost his composure, his questioning voice a little sharp and indignant.

It was just a daughter. In the future, he could participate in the imperial examinations!

Even if he had said a few disrespectful words to her, how could it be like this? And besides, he wasn’t the one who had said those words!

Shen Yaozu felt wronged and became even more unconvinced.

Chi Jingming saw that he had already gone bad and shook his head. “No. Even if it weren’t my daughter, it would be the same. You shouldn’t take anyone’s contributions for granted, you shouldn’t be so high and mighty, and you shouldn’t be so self-important.”

These were all major taboos for scholars.

Wang-shi’s voice was so loud it hurt one’s ears.

Shen Yaozu continued hatefully, “In the end, you just think my family is poor and has no money to give you gifts. You’re ashamed that I asked my sister for money to pay the tuition fees and lost face for you. You just look down on me!”

Chi Jingming: …

If you want to think so, there’s nothing I can do.

“Your roots have already gone bad. It will be difficult for you to achieve great things in the future.”

Shen Yaozu clenched his fists, his originally pale face red with anger. “Mr. Chi, don’t bully a young man just because he’s poor! If I achieve success one day, I hope Mr. Chi won’t come to regret it!”

He said with conviction, which left Chi Jingming speechless. He looked at his own daughter, who had practiced martial arts since she was young and was immensely strong, and said faintly, “Take them away. Don’t disturb the peace of the neighborhood here.”

Chi Xiangyue was just watching the show when she was suddenly given a task. She didn’t refuse. She had long been dissatisfied with these people. She nodded and jumped out, lifting the tantrum-throwing Wang-shi with one hand.

Wang-shi’s eyes widened in shock, her feet forced off the ground. “You… you junior dare to lay a hand on an elder! I’m going to the government to sue you!”

“Go ahead.”

She didn’t care at all and lifted Shen Yaozu with her other hand. He was a man, after all, but he couldn’t struggle free from her hand at all, so frightened that he instantly lost his composure and shrieked.

The onlookers couldn’t help but make way for a wide path. Chi Xiangyue just carried the two of them all the way out and warned them not to come again.

Wang-shi hadn’t expected a woman to have such strength and was a little terrified. “Yaozu, let’s go back quickly. These are all a bunch of lunatics!”

It was the first time her tantrum hadn’t worked. Shen Yaozu’s face was black. He didn’t say a word and left with a flick of his sleeves. Wang-shi followed behind him and hurried away. This trip had really been for nothing. Not only had they not gotten a single coin, but they had also been scolded. It was all that damn little hussy’s fault.

Shen Xizhi had been hiding behind Song Yugui, poking her small face out to watch the show. She would occasionally frown, as if thinking of some unpleasant past event, then lift her sleeve to wipe her face, and her wife would immediately turn to comfort her. She was immersed in her wife’s sweet affection, her heart filled with sweetness. When she saw Chi Xiangyue jump out and effortlessly lift a person up, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ya.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Miss Chi is so strong! It must hurt a lot to be hit by her!”

Song Yugui: …

“What are you talking about? Why would Miss Chi hit someone for no reason?”

Seeing the troublemakers leave, the surrounding onlookers also quickly dispersed. Chi Jingming turned around and actually thanked Song Yugui and Shen Xizhi.

“Thank you for taking care of Yue’er these past few days.”

He knew that Chi Xiangyue had been bothering them every day and eating at their house.

Song Yugui had always been a little afraid of scholars. Seeing Chi Jingming was no different from seeing a teacher in modern times. She immediately became obedient and managed a nervous smile. “Mr. Chi, we’re friends with Miss Chi. It’s what we should do.”

Perhaps because he was older, it was the first time he had known that friends were addressed as ‘miss’.

Chi Jingming didn’t say anything, just chatted with the two of them for a few sentences before he went back. That night, they received a plucked chicken that Chi Jingming had asked Chi Xiangyue to bring over.

It was said to be a specially raised broiler chicken, with firm meat, and it was delicious whether it was stewed in soup or stir-fried.

Chi Xiangyue looked at them with eager eyes. “Do you want to pan-fry it or stew it in soup?”

She liked both methods!

“Half for soup and half for stir-fry.”

“Alright, alright.”

After the three of them had dinner, they each went back to their own homes. They still had to get up early the next day. Xizhi insisted on going with her to the stall, which was hard work. So Song Yugui didn’t bother her at night and just pulled her down to sleep.

Sensing her wife leaning against her chest, Shen Xizhi’s small face turned red. She had thought they were going to do something, at least eat something. But who knew that her wife just rested her face on her chest, and before her shyness could fade, a steady breathing sound had already come.

Shen Xizhi was dumbfounded.

She lowered her head to peek and only saw a fluffy, dark head. She tentatively called out to her, “Wife?”

The reply she got was muffled, clearly very sleepy.

…

Why is it that after that day, my wife no longer touches me? Is… is my body no longer attractive? No, that’s not right. My wife kissed me during the day and even sucked on that place. She clearly liked it very much! Hmph, if she doesn’t touch me, she doesn’t touch me. I don’t really want it either. If she doesn’t touch me, I can go to sleep earlier!

Shen Xizhi thought, closed her eyes, and prepared to sleep. After a long while, she opened them again. Damn it, I can’t sleep. I can’t sleep!

She secretly reached out a finger and pinched her wife’s face twice, blaming her for not satisfying her wife.

Song Yugui was sleepy. She probably knew who was pinching her. She shook her head to avoid it and buried her whole face in the woman’s large, white, and soft rabbits.

It was a little hard to breathe, but she liked it very much.

She was sleeping soundly. Shen Xizhi couldn’t wake her up. No matter how unwilling she was, she had no choice but to give up. The next day, she woke up and glared at her with a look of unsatisfied desire.

Even though the room was dim, Song Yugui couldn’t ignore that gaze. She helplessly went over. “What’s wrong now, my little ancestor? You’re about to stare a hole through me.”

Shen Xizhi pressed her lips together and continued to glare at her, her small face puffed out.

The young woman was thin-skinned. How could she be so shameless as to say she wanted her to touch her? She could only sulk on her own, her long lashes lowered slightly, her small appearance extremely pitiful.

Song Yugui didn’t even want to go to work when she saw her.

Who wants to go to this stupid job? Haven’t you seen my wife is wronged? I don’t know why she’s wronged, but I know that now I should coax her properly, hold my wife!

“What’s wrong, Xiaozhi’er? Who made you unhappy again? Was it me? Was it me?” She held her in her arms and sat her on the edge of the bed, her slender palm resting on her abdomen, rubbing it gently now and then.

Everything was fine last night. She suddenly became unhappy when she woke up. If it’s not me, who else could it be? But I didn’t do anything. Could it be because I didn’t do anything?

Song Yugui’s whole body tensed up. She had been single for many years. How could she know what it was like for ordinary people to be in a relationship? And besides, she and Xizhi had directly skipped the dating phase and had become a couple.

Shen Xizhi was in a pique, her mouth puffed out. She deliberately didn’t speak, just hummed softly.

The humming made one’s heart soften even more.

Her voice also became gentler. “Didn’t you say last time that you would tell me whatever was on your mind? Did you go back on your word again?”

Shen Xizhi lowered her head and pressed her lips together. Should I say it? But if I say it, it’s like I’m actively seeking pleasure. If I don’t say it… with my wife’s stupidity, what can she understand! She’s just an idiot. If I don’t take the initiative to say it, she’ll never guess what’s on my mind.

“Xizhi?”

Her wife seemed to be cursing her in her heart, her expression alternating between calm and angry.

Only then did Shen Xizhi come to her senses. Before she could speak, her soft lips were pressed against hers. The other said with a smile, “A good morning kiss. I forgot.”

She guessed it might have been because there was no kiss.

Shen Xizhi was stunned. In the dark morning, her small face turned so red it was about to burst, her tender pink fingertips curling slightly.

Ah, she… she kissed me. Then I… I’m not angry anymore, right?

The young woman shyly nuzzled against her.

Song Yugui’s heart was greatly warmed. She kissed her a couple more times, but for some reason, she stopped just as she was about to hold her wife, her arms retracting, a little troubled. “I kissed you, but it’s nothing. You would have kissed me anyway.”

She had kissed her yesterday too, always kissing her.

Song Yugui was bewildered. “Weren’t you unhappy because I didn’t kiss you?”

Being glared at by Shen Xizhi with resentment, she hesitated for a long while, her whole body like a cooked shrimp, before she stammered, her voice watery, “I… I’m not that petty.”

Song Yugui: …

Don’t talk nonsense. The three words ‘not petty’ have nothing to do with you.

She held her on her lap, facing her, her long, slender fingers unconsciously landing on the woman’s delicate bottom, rubbing it now and then.

“Mmm-hmm.”

Shen Xizhi was comfortable from being rubbed and couldn’t help but let out a hum. Then she lay in her embrace with an extremely wronged expression, not looking at her face, as if this could reduce a little of her shyness and timidity, and said with a bold voice through gritted teeth, “You… you don’t even touch me! You haven’t touched me in several days! Are you tired of me!”

The young woman’s thin lips were pressed very, very close to her wife’s shoulder. She thought angrily, If Yugui-jiejie dares to say she’s tired of me, I’ll bite her!

How could Song Yugui dare to answer such a life-threatening question!

She almost instantly sat up straight, and the person in her arms was held so tightly that she couldn’t help but straighten her back.

Her two thin, long legs were wrapped around her waist.

Her arms also held her wife’s neck, her whole body dependently hanging on her!

“How could I be tired of you? You’re simply talking nonsense, spouting nonsense, and out of your mind!”

Shen Xizhi: …

She refuted me, but it doesn’t seem to make me very happy.

Her cheeks puffed out again.

She glared at her with great displeasure.

Song Yugui couldn’t see and patted her slender waist. “I like you so much. I want to be close to you every day. How could I be tired of you? Don’t say such things anymore. Haven’t I said it before? I also like you. I was just afraid that if we made too much noise at night, it would affect our stall in the morning. Your little head is quite good at letting your imagination run wild.”

Originally, only her bottom and waist were hit. Now her head was also hit.

Shen Xizhi: Fuming.

She was like a person who had never been loved before. It was rare for someone to love her. She was clearly very happy in her heart, but she would always be at a loss from time to time, doubting the authenticity of this love. When she asked and got a definite answer, she would quickly become happy again. But she couldn’t be happy for long and would have to awkwardly continue to doubt the authenticity of this love.

Sometimes Song Yugui really wanted to pry open Xizhi’s little head to see what was inside. How could she always be so stupid?

“Is that really what you’re thinking?”

Shen Xizhi was a little skeptical again, her large, clear eyes staring at her wife, but the joy in her heart was spreading little by little. See, she said she likes me again.

“Of course. Next time you want it, can you just tell me directly? I’ll get up and serve you even if I’m dying of sleepiness. But don’t give me the cold shoulder first thing in the morning again. I thought I had committed some heinous crime.”

Shen Xizhi was embarrassed and burrowed into her embrace like a little kitten. “Who wanted it! I won’t say it directly.”

It makes it seem like she likes those things very much. How embarrassing. What woman would be obsessed with such things…

“Alright, then to stop you from letting your imagination run wild, I’ll be more proactive in the future?”

She thought to herself that it was not good at night. She still had to get up early the next day and would inevitably be tired. Then it would be in the afternoon. In the afternoon, they would both be free. They had done plenty of things in broad daylight.

Hearing her say she would be proactive, a bright light flashed in Shen Xizhi’s eyes. She was both too embarrassed to agree immediately and reluctant to refuse. Her small mouth opened, her long lashes lowered shyly, and she just held her, her voice becoming even softer. “Alright.”

She was only brave enough to say this one word and refused to say any more.

Her small, snowy white face was delicate and pink. Today was a clear day, with no rain. So she wore an exceptionally beautiful black and white long skirt, her hair tied up with a jade hairpin, as beautiful as a fairy.

She was holding a bamboo-woven basket in her hand. “Let’s go to town and buy some more vegetables. Does Wife want to eat beef?”

“I want to eat cumin beef. Do you know how to make it?”

Shen Xizhi: …

Another dish she had never heard of.

She was a little helpless. “You have to teach me.”

“Alright. Let’s have it tomorrow night. We’ll have chicken tonight. Miss Chi is waiting.”

“Alright.”

They had left a little late today. By the time they reached the town, the sky was already very bright, and the vegetable market was bustling with people.

She told Xizhi to go and buy five meat buns, while she pushed the cart in to set up the meat.

There were already regular customers waiting.

Shen Xizhi quickly bought the buns and came back, but she didn’t even have time to eat. “The lard is thirty wen.”

“Eighteen wen. Here you go.”

In the midst of her busyness, she didn’t forget to take the time to remind Shen Xizhi, “Eat two. Don’t eat less.”

Shen Xizhi had already taken a bite. The fresh fragrance of the vegetables instantly spread out. The moment Song Yugui smelled it, something was wrong. She turned her head. “Why did you buy vegetable ones? Didn’t I tell you to buy meat buns?”

Shen Xizhi ate her buns on her own, not listening at all. “I like to eat vegetable ones. They’re delicious. I don’t want to eat meat ones. Do you want to try one? They’re really delicious.”

The moment the words fell, Song Yugui turned her head, stretched out her neck, and took a large bite of the bun in her hand. Then she was so burned she was grimacing, almost stir-frying a dish with her tongue.

Shen Xizhi stared blankly at the bun wrapper in her hand, which only had a bottom left, then at her wife, speechless for a moment.

My wife is so childish.

“I’ll give you mine in a little while too. You have to eat more meat. Otherwise, if you’re so thin, people will think I’m not feeding you.”

“Oh, alright.”

Shen Xizhi lowered her head and stuffed the piece of bun wrapper that had been bitten into her mouth, her small hand covering her mouth as she chewed with her cheeks puffed out, her serious expression a little cute.

Translator’s Notes

1 The zhuangyuan (状元) was the scholar who ranked first in the highest level of the imperial examinations, an extremely prestigious and rare honor.