Chapter Forty-Seven: The Exchange of Pork and Goods

Madam Liu was so infuriated by these people's words that she felt as if her heart, liver, and lungs were about to burst. What good could such a daughter-in-law possibly have? Even if she was capable, if she refused to listen to her, wouldn't that mean endless irritation in the future? She would much prefer a daughter-in-law who was meek and never dared to talk back!

She watched as many villagers approached, baskets on their arms and wooden basins in hand, all ready to exchange for meat. Madam Liu clutched her chest, taking several deep breaths to calm her rage.

“Mother, are we really going to trade our meat for all these things? This really doesn’t make sense. What was Sister-in-law thinking—did she get her head caught in a door or something?” Chu Qingbai squeezed in, fanning the flames in Madam Liu’s heart. There was so much pork—he wished he could eat it all himself!

Just thinking about being able to eat pork today, even if they had to give some offal to the villagers, made Chu Qingbai feel busy but content. After all, this wild boar was theirs!

“What can I do about it? Your eldest brother won’t interfere, and I think he’s genuinely taken with that shrew. Your father keeps saying your brother is accomplished, but I say he’s just spineless.” Madam Liu didn’t dare get too close to Gu Xiaoyao either, afraid she’d tie her up again.

Having experienced her eldest daughter-in-law’s “unreasonable behavior,” Madam Liu felt a shadow had been cast over her heart.

Gu Xiaoyao finished scraping the pig bristles, gripped her knife, hung the pig up, and in one swift motion slit open its belly, then chopped it cleanly in half.

“Those wanting to trade for meat, line up. Take a look at what you’ve brought and see which part of the meat you can exchange it for. Xiaoshu, come here and help keep track. I remember you’re quite good with numbers.” Calling her younger brother over, Gu Xiaoyao’s cool gaze swept over Madam Liu and Chu Qingbai, whose faces were flushed with indignation.

Gu Xiaoshu looked at his sister with admiration; he truly hadn’t expected her to be so capable. She’d gone into the mountains and hunted such a large wild boar. Inside the house, Madam Li was already fast asleep, having taken her medicine and fallen into a deep slumber.

“All right, Sis, I’ll help you with the counting,” Gu Xiaoshu replied solemnly, puffing out his little chest as he accepted the responsibility.

The villagers queued up with their goods, each approaching to trade for meat—some brought valuable items, others only coarse grains. Gu Xiaoyao looked over what they offered and cut them pieces of meat accordingly. Wild boar, after all, had little fat, mostly lean meat, so it made little difference which part was cut. Perhaps the head was the least desirable, though some people favored it for its tenderness, even if the bristles were a chore to clean.

“Chengjin’s wife, can I exchange these things for a little meat? Just a bit—I want to make some broth for my little grandson,” an elderly woman with a sallow, thin face asked, carrying a basket of sweet potatoes, looking anxious and embarrassed before Gu Xiaoyao. She was well aware her offering paled in comparison to what others brought.

“Hah, what are you daydreaming about! With just that basket of sweet potatoes, you want to exchange for meat? You must be mad with hunger!” Madam Liu erupted, pointing at the old woman and berating her until her face flushed red and she shrank back in shame.

Gu Xiaoyao shot Madam Liu a cold look, silencing her. With a knife, she cut off a piece of pork and handed it over. “Yes, you may take this.”

The old woman gratefully accepted the meat, quickly dumping her sweet potatoes into the basket.

Seeing Gu Xiaoyao’s generosity, Madam Liu could endure it no longer. She rushed over, reaching to snatch the knife from Gu Xiaoyao’s hand.