I’ll Butcher Pigs to Support You! 7

Chapter 7

Rubbing out bruises was the most painful part. Several spots on the woman’s snow-white, jade-like skin were rubbed red.

A cold sweat beaded on the young woman’s skin, and her body trembled. She bit down hard on her red lip, wanting several times to cry out for her to stop, but each time she met the other’s focused expression, she swallowed her words.

It hurts so much, but it’s not the pain of a beating. I’d better not make her angry.

When Song Yugui had finally, with great difficulty, rubbed out all the bruises, she looked up to find the young woman’s eyes red-rimmed. They were brimming with tears that threatened to spill over, making her look as if she had been cruelly bullied.

Song Yugui: …

So fragile?

Alright, then. The main villain’s specialty was being good at feigning fragility.

She always made one’s heart turn as soft as cotton.

Forgetting the persona she was trying to maintain, her voice softened again. She stroked the woman’s long, soft black hair. “I’m done rubbing. It’s alright now. I’m going out back to feed the pig. You… you rest here at home, okay?”

Her tone was almost questioning, but only Shen Xizhi knew its true meaning: she didn’t want her to go out, didn’t want her to have contact with other men.

She didn’t even like her, yet she was intensely possessive. If any man spoke to her and she found out, she would fly into a rage and beat her…

Hah. For a fleeting moment, she had actually thought she’d changed. As expected, she was still the same loathsome person she had always been.

Shen Xizhi lowered her eyes, her expression betraying nothing. She answered in a soft, timid voice, “I know, Wife.”

Song Yugui nodded and got up, gathering the pig feed from the courtyard to go feed the pig.

In the countryside, almost every household raised pigs. Even a good-for-nothing like the original owner had raised two.

It was just… these pigs were terribly thin. Even if she sold them, they wouldn’t fetch much money.

Her heart shattered at the sight of the pigs. She had been thinking about whether she should slaughter one soon to get some practice.

It would be better to fatten them up first.

It made sense. Shen Xizhi was the only one managing everything at home. She wasn’t very strong, so she could only cut a small amount of pig feed each time. How fat could the pigs possibly get?

Song Yugui spread the feed from the basket into the trough. Seeing the pigs begin to eat with loud snorts, she picked up the basket and headed out.

Pig feed grew in many places, but since every household needed to cut it for their pigs, the nearby patches were all gone. One had to walk quite a distance to find any.

Song Yugui worked for half the day. It was getting dark by the time she started back, carrying a full basket on her back and another bundle in her arms.

When she got home, Shen Xizhi was sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Her beautiful, clear eyes stared blankly into the distance, her chin propped on her hand, her thoughts a mystery.

Song Yugui didn’t disturb her, carrying the feed over to give the pigs an extra meal.

The noise finally startled Shen Xizhi. She rose blankly and, seeing her wife had returned, instinctively took a half step back, her aversion clear.

Realizing what she had done, she quickly lowered her head to hide the disgust that had unconsciously surfaced in her eyes.

Luckily, the other woman paid her no mind, simply walking toward the pigsty.

Clutching the hem of her skirt, she sat down again quietly, her gaze following Song Yugui’s back.

Country folk ate little and were mostly very thin. She was, and so was Song Yugui.

Her shoulders weren’t broad and didn’t look the least bit dependable.

Hmph.

The young woman, who was in a bad mood every day, averted her gaze, no longer looking at her.

If Song Yugui didn’t speak to her, then she couldn’t be bothered to speak to Song Yugui either.

Their dinner was prepared by Shen Xizhi. It was vegetable congee again. The sight of the green, watery soup was enough to make one’s face turn green.

Song Yugui sat down with difficulty, making a silent vow: once she had money, she would banish wild vegetables from her world!

“Xizhi, do we have any fields?”

This was a question she had been wanting to ask for a while. If they had fields, they could eat their own rice, which was better than buying it. The coarse rice was a bit scratchy on the throat. If that wasn’t possible, even planting some vegetables would be good. Eating wild vegetables day in and day out… she wasn’t a sprite made of wild vegetables.

Shen Xizhi was used to her asking these strange questions, as if she really had lost her memory. She didn’t care if it was an act or not; she answered whatever was asked.

“Yes, we have a few fields. But with no man in the house, it’s difficult for me to manage them alone, so they’ve been left to go wild.”

“Oh…”

That was understandable. There were only the two of them. Shen Xizhi already had to cook, clean, and feed the pigs. Was she supposed to farm as well?

The very thought was exhausting.

“What about a smaller plot of land? I’ll buy some vegetable seeds later and plant them.”

“Wife wants to plant vegetables?” she asked, her expression one of surprise.

“Mhm. We can’t keep eating wild vegetables forever. Don’t you think they taste awful?” Song Yugui asked sincerely.

The wild vegetables always had a slightly bitter taste that she couldn’t stomach.

Shen Xizhi fell silent. Of course she thought they tasted awful, but what choice did she have?

They barely had enough money for rice, let alone other vegetables.

“Then… does Wife have the money?”

She was testing her, probing to see if Song Yugui had any other money. She herself had none, but if Song Yugui had money, planting some vegetables would certainly be a good thing.

Because Song Yugui’s money was never spent on her; she would never let her benefit in the slightest.

Song Yugui was instantly silenced, her face stiff. She silently lowered her head and ate, her meaning all too clear.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Shen Xizhi’s eyes.

But soon, she heard the other’s muffled voice. “I’ll go earn the money.”

She had already mentioned this several times today. Shen Xizhi couldn’t help but wonder, Is Song Yugui really willing to work hard and earn money now? Or did some woman outside say something to her again, making her want to earn more?

Honestly, Shen Xizhi leaned toward the latter.

She was fond of many women outside. It was sometimes bewildering. If she disliked her so much, why had she spent her entire fortune to marry her?

This person’s thoughts were always so hard to fathom.

Song Yugui didn’t want to say anything more to prove herself. She finished her congee in a few gulps. Fearing the awkwardness of two strangers staring at each other, she decided to go for a walk in the village.

The countryside was at its most peaceful at night. She walked down from their house and saw several families eating in their courtyards. She didn’t recognize anyone, but they recognized her. A few uncles greeted her warmly, “Yugui girl, out for a stroll?”

Her face immediately stiffened. She forced a smile, mumbled a greeting of “Uncle, Auntie,” and fled.

Shen Xizhi was at home tidying up. By the time everything was in order, Song Yugui had returned.

She looked listless. The moment she was back, she asked, “Besides you, do I have any other women in the village?”

Shen Xizhi: ?

Her long lashes fluttered. She looked over weakly, her heart tense. “What is Wife trying to say?”

If Song Yugui were a man, that would have sounded like she was about to take a concubine.

But, Song Yugui was not a man, and no one would marry someone like her as a concubine.

“Nothing. It’s just that a girl stopped me on the road just now and told me to stop following her. It was the one who spat at me this morning. Who is she?”

Shen Xizhi: …

So that was it.

She lowered her eyes and said softly, “Wife has provoked many young women in the village. Their mothers have all come to our door to find me. From Wife’s description, that was probably the village chief’s daughter.”

Song Yugui: …

Original owner, you really deserve to die, she thought. How dare you provoke others after getting married, and then make your wife face their families’ anger?

Shen Xizhi spoke of it lightly, but anyone with a brain could guess that if she had harassed their daughter, the mothers’ attitudes would have been anything but kind. And Shen Xizhi had always been frail and easy to bully. The villain’s life was miserable; no wonder she turned so dark later.