Chapter 82 Pig Farming

Lin Chuntao asked this because she was actually a little afraid that the pigs might get sick. These days, the most frightening thing is disease outbreaks, because that would cause both livestock and people to suffer.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chunhe glanced at Lin Duo'er, while Lin Duo'er looked at Lin Chuntao and then quickly looked away.

Judging from the expressions of these two sisters, is this a fabricated story?

Lin Chuntao thought of the pig her grandmother raised when she was little. After raising it for a whole year, it had become very fat and stopped eating its feed. Every day, her grandmother would take two handfuls of cornmeal, sprinkle a layer on it in the basin, and the pig would eat a few bites. After it finished eating, she would sprinkle another layer, as if coaxing it to eat. Every meal took a long time to finish.

"What good food did you two give it?"

Lin Chuntao's casual remark made both sisters look up at her simultaneously.

Lin Chunhe explained, "Sister, it wasn't me, I didn't do anything."

Lin Chuntao slowly shifted her gaze to Lin Duo'er. She bit her lip and hesitated for a long time before saying, "Sister, I didn't do anything. I was eating potatoes when I went to check on it a couple of days ago. I didn't hold on properly, and the potatoes fell in and it ate them."

Many families raise pigs, but they either cut grass or bran to feed them, or drive them out to eat like cattle and sheep. No one is willing to use grain, because the grain they have at home is not enough to feed themselves.

Lin Duo'er didn't do it on purpose. The first time it was really an accident. It fell in and was cooked and eaten. After it finished eating, it looked up at her as if it wanted more. At that time, she didn't dare to give it any more food.

Later, when she went to cut pig feed, she found potatoes that people had dropped on the ground while digging potatoes. They were either half-rotten or very small. She picked them all up. The pigs didn't distinguish between raw and cooked potatoes; they loved to eat them all.

Later, when they couldn't find any more in the field, Lin Duo'er took some potatoes from home to feed the pig. But the potatoes were bought with money, and she felt bad feeding it. Moreover, the potatoes were dwindling day by day, so she didn't dare to continue feeding it. She could only pretend that nothing had happened and feed it only pig feed. As a result, the pig started to become picky about food, eating only a few bites and then refusing to eat anymore.

It's been picky about food for a few days now. If this pig doesn't eat and gets thin, won't there be less meat?

Lin Chunhe then told Lin Chuntao, but she didn't betray Lin Duo'er. She only said that the pigs weren't eating pig feed anymore, and whether Lin Duo'er was lying or admitting it was her business.

Lin Duo'er only told half of the story; she still didn't dare to tell the rest.

Lin Chuntao already knew what was going on after hearing just one sentence. Seeing Lin Duo'er's guilty look, she smiled and asked, "You only ate one? Didn't you take the potatoes from the bag to feed her?"

Lin Duo'er, having been correctly guessed by Lin Chuntao, hurriedly slid to her knees.

"Sister, I was wrong."

"I was just picking up some rotten food outside to feed it, but it stopped eating when I couldn't find any, so I gave it some food from home..."

Food is precious; any naughty kid who feeds food to pigs will definitely get a beating.

Lin Chuntao knew that grain was precious, but she had a different idea. Grain was precious, but meat was even more expensive. If she fed pigs with grain and sold the meat, she could buy more grain. So she didn't object to feeding pigs with grain. She had wanted to do this for a long time. It wasn't because she was afraid that it would get out and cause trouble. The pigs weren't that big yet. She would feed them pig feed and hang them up until her corn was ripe. Then she would feed them cornmeal. That was her original plan.

But now Lin Duo'er has accidentally brought it forward.

Lin Duo'er bit her lip and looked pitifully at Lin Chuntao, waiting for her punishment. Lin Chuntao glanced at her and said indifferently, "We're eating, why are you making faces?"

"So what if it ate them? It ate our potatoes, and we'll eat its meat later. It's no different."

Lin Duo'er's eyes darted around, and she thought it made a lot of sense.

Lin Chunhe pursed her lips and looked at Lin Chunxing beside her.

Lin Chunxing wasn't too upset. The main thing was that the pig had already eaten, and she couldn't very well ask it to come back. Just like Lin Chuntao had said, she was waiting to eat the meat.

"Sis, what should we do? Should we keep feeding her?"

Lin Chuntao nodded, thinking of Tian Shi and the others. In the past, many potatoes would be ruined when they dug them up. Once potatoes were broken, they were not easy to preserve. They had to be eaten quickly or they would spoil easily. In addition, in the days after the potatoes were dug up, everyone wanted to eat the ones without broken skin. But every time she cooked potatoes, Tian Shi would put some half-eaten potatoes in. After they were cooked, these would be given to Lin Chuntao and the others to eat.

Even though the food started to rot towards the end, the old lady still cut off a piece and gave them the part that wasn't rotten.

Other families also ate some, but they couldn't eat them as fast as the potatoes were rotting. When they were completely rotten and inedible, they were given to the chickens.

Right now, everyone has just dug the potatoes out of the ground, and probably every household has a lot of these broken potatoes.

If they could make money from it, they would probably be happy to, right?

She bought them to feed the pigs, at most one coin for two pounds. The main problem was that there was only one pig, and the potatoes would easily rot after being bought, so they wouldn't last long.

Lin Chuntao: "After we finish eating, let's go to the village and ask if they sell the potatoes that have been dug up?"

"What price should we offer?" Lin Chunxing asked. Lin Chuntao replied, "One coin for three catties, or one coin for two catties if no one sells."

Lin Chuntao suspected that many people were reluctant to sell, at least the larger potatoes, they would think of keeping them to eat first, and only the small ones that were inedible would perhaps be put out for sale.

After lunch, Lin Chuntao was brewing medicine, while Lin Duo'er was already eager to go buy potatoes. Lin Chunxing couldn't stand her annoyance and took her and Lin Chunhe with her first.

They carried baskets on their backs and asked around the village.

The villagers were surprised to hear that they had bought potatoes that had been dug up. "Chunxing, didn't you buy potatoes from Grandma's house? Why are you buying bad ones?"

Lin Chunxing calmly replied, "My sister said to buy some more. Even if they break off, they're still edible. We can also slice some potatoes, boil them, and dry them in the sun."

Once this was explained, everyone in the village understood. They realized that the villagers were reluctant to use good potatoes to slice, and instead bought some damaged ones to use instead.

The larger potatoes can be chopped in half, washed, and peeled before eating, so it's a shame to sell them. But the smaller ones are harder to handle, so you can pick them up and sell them; even if you can get ten coins, that's good.

Lin Chunxing took Lin Chunhe and Lin Duo'er with her, and soon they filled their baskets. They carried small baskets, each capable of holding about 30 kilograms. Once the baskets were full, the sisters carried them home.

The courtyard smelled strongly of medicine; it was almost ready.

After Pei Ying finished washing clothes, she went to fetch water. Lin Chuntao went over to help her carry the basket down. She looked at the potatoes she had bought. Most of them were only about the size of an egg, and they were broken pieces. There were also some small, whole potatoes the size of quail eggs.

This was pretty much what she expected.

"Sister, where should this pile be?" Lin Chunhe asked.

Lin Chuntao frowned slightly. If it fell on the ground, it would be a waste of time to pick it up every time. She said, "Leave it for now. It's hot now. We'll deal with it later."

Lin Duo'er and Lin Chunhe no longer need to take medicine; only Lin Chunxing and Lin Chuntao are still taking it.

While waiting for the medicine to be brewed, the two sisters each poured a bowl of medicine from the pot and let it cool.

When Pei Ying returned with water, he saw the three baskets of small potatoes and asked Lin Chuntao, "Should we get a bamboo basket to hold them?"

Lin Chuntao nodded, "That's fine. I remember Aunt Guizhi has some. I'll go buy two after I finish my medicine."

Pei Ying responded.

The sun was blazing outside, and the news that Lin Chuntao and her friends wanted to buy the damaged potatoes had already spread throughout the village. Every penny counts, and those who heard this asked the seller, "Do they still want them? I think I still have two or three baskets left."

"Chunxing said she wanted more, but it's too hot to carry now, so she said she'd go back and rest for a while."

The woman who asked the question laughed and said, "It's nothing, we can easily send it to them."

As they were talking, the person went back into the house to pick potatoes. After picking them up, he poured the ones he wanted to sell into a basket on his back and hurried toward Lin Chuntao and the others' little thatched hut.

Lin Chuntao was about to take her medicine when she heard someone knocking on the door.

Lin Chunhe ran to open the door and saw three aunts standing at the entrance with baskets on their backs. "Chunhe, where's your sister?" she asked, peering into the yard. Lin Chuntao, hearing the voice, also craned her neck, met her gaze, and smiled, "Auntie, is there something you need?"

"I'm home, come in quickly."

As soon as she finished speaking, the women came in carrying baskets on their backs, their faces full of smiles: "I just heard from your third grandmother that you bought potatoes that had been dug up badly, do you still want them?"

Lin Chuntao looked at the contents of the basket and smiled, "I still need more. Auntie, you can put it down and rest for a while. I'll weigh it after I finish my medicine."

Three women arrived, and Lin Chunhe brought them stools to sit on.

Lin Chuntao held the bowl of dark medicine, pinched her nose, and gulped it down. Pei Ying casually handed her a bowl of honey water, which she drank in one go.

Seeing her like this, the three of them frowned slightly.

"Chuntao, where do you feel unwell?"

Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I caught a cold a few days ago. The doctor said I was in poor health and needed some medicine to help me recover."

"This is going to be very tough."

The woman said, "As the old saying goes, good medicine tastes bitter, and the more bitter it is, the better it is."

During their chat, Lin Chuntao went inside and brought out a scale. The three of them had carried about 100 pounds, so they needed to find something to pack it. Lin Chuntao temporarily used the large basket that Pei Ying had used before.

After weighing the potatoes, the three of them didn't stay, and even asked Lin Chuntao and the others if they wanted to buy more.

Lin Chuntao smiled and asked, "Auntie, do other families have any more?"

The woman smiled and said, "Yes, every household has some. Some weigh twenty or thirty catties, while others weigh forty or fifty catties."

Lin Chuntao said, "I still want some, but if there are other people who want to sell them, please tell them to bring the bad ones and the good ones separately so I can store them properly."

The woman agreed, and they went back and told the others what Lin Chuntao had said.

Nobody buys this stuff. Even the big, good ones are only sold for one penny per pound, and the slightly smaller ones are less than one penny.

Suddenly someone said they wanted to buy these small potatoes, and I was ready to sell all the ones I had.

After seeing them off, Lin Chunxing smiled and said, "We don't need to go anymore, right?"

"Okay," Lin Chuntao said, "I'm going to Aunt Guizhi's house."

Pei Ying went along with them to get the large bamboo basket.

Aunt Guizhi was boiling mugwort water in the yard, preparing it for Lin Shuilian to use to bathe her body.

She had just overheard the neighbors discussing Lin Chuntao buying rotten potatoes, and was thinking of asking her about it after she boiled the water when Lin Chuntao and Pei Ying arrived.

"Auntie, do you have any more large bamboo baskets here?"

As soon as Lin Chuntao entered the door, she asked, "Aunt Guizhi said, 'We're out of the extra-large ones, but we have three medium-sized ones. Do you want to use them to pack potatoes?'"

"Hmm, half-grown should be enough, sell us both."

Aunt Guizhi said, "I'll get it for you in a bit. Why did you buy that badly dug potato?"

Aunt Guizhi and she were close, so she didn't lie to her. She whispered something in her ear, and Aunt Guizhi looked at her in surprise.

"If one family sells you twenty or thirty kilograms, that's a lot. Can you finish it all?"

Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "It's a little risky. I haven't seen a suitable one yet. Otherwise, I could buy another one and raise it to be ready for slaughter during the New Year."

Aunt Guizhi said, "If you want to buy one, I'll go and look around for you, and I'll tell you what I think is good."

"Wait two or three days. If you can buy a lot of potatoes, then you can take a look for me again."

After Aunt Guizhi agreed, Lin Chuntao suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Auntie, what are you planning to plant in your empty space?"

Lin Chuntao's question clearly indicated there was more to it than met the eye. Aunt Guizhi smiled and said, "It's not decided yet. What do you want to plant?"

Lin Chuntao said, "Isn't Chunxing selling soup noodles? She needs tomatoes and chives, which we usually buy at the market. I'm worried it will be harder to buy them in a few days. We also have corn growing in our fields, so I was thinking of asking if it's okay to plant anything else on the empty land..."

Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Guizhi said, "If you don't want to plant them, tell me how many tomatoes and chives you need, and I'll get them for you."

Seeing that she was going to take over, Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I'll get some tomato seedlings and leek roots in the next day or two. Auntie can plant them then, and when they're ready to harvest, I'll give them to you at the market price."

Aunt Guizhi thought of listening to her and suggested that she get some seedlings, but then she thought that the corn seeds that Lin Chuntao had gotten herself were growing very well, and many of the corn buds had already grown tassels. She was sure that the harvest this year would be good, so she decided to listen to her and just give her the seedlings money later.

Once the matter was settled, Pei Ying looked out from the courtyard gate and saw that there were still quite a few people carrying baskets on their backs heading home.

He told Lin Chuntao, and Lin Chuntao couldn't stay for a chat.

Aunt Guizhi went to get the bamboo basket. Lin Chuntao counted out the money and offered it to Aunt Guizhi, but she refused to accept it. Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Auntie, if you don't accept it, how can I have the nerve to come and ask you for things next time? Please accept it and I'll go back now."

As she was leaving, she saw two children running out of the house. Lin Chuntao looked at Aunt Guizhi and said, "I was so busy earlier that I didn't even know their names."

Aunt Guizhi said, "The eldest son is Lin Hu, and the younger sister is Lin Zhaoyin. Your great-grandfather helped come up with the idea."

Lin Chuntao smiled upon hearing this, "That's good." Then she asked them, "Would you like to come to my house to play?"

The brother and sister pursed their lips, somewhat wanting to go, but then shook their heads. Lin Chuntao asked with a smile, "Aren't you going? Then come to my house with Grandma next time."

The brother and sister then nodded.

When Lin Chuntao and Pei Ying returned with large bamboo baskets, there were more than a dozen people standing in the yard. Each person carried two small baskets on their backs, and there was another person squatting in the yard picking things up. They were all very enthusiastic when they saw Lin Chuntao return.

Lin Chuntao greeted them with a smile, weighing the food and paying them. The large bamboo basket was placed in the yard, and Lin Chuntao poured the contents into it after weighing.

The sisters spent the whole afternoon busy like that.

Sun went to visit relatives and didn't return until late afternoon. She had just entered the village when she heard about Lin Chuntao and the others, so she came straight over without even going home.

The elderly couple looked at the two large bamboo baskets in their yard, one of which was filled with potatoes.

"Oh my, why are you buying so much of this?"

Lin Chuntao was smiling and about to speak when she heard the piglet grunting over there. Lin Cunzheng went over to take a look and found that the piglet had grown quite a bit, but it wasn't fat.

Lin Chuntao whispered something to Sun Shi, who said, "Why is it so precious, yet we still have to feed it grain? Has this pig been castrated?"

"It's been castrated. The doctor even told me to eat more meat to replenish it, but I can't afford to buy meat every day. I'm just waiting to kill it during the New Year because it won't gain weight..."

As they were talking, Mrs. Sun went over to take a look. It was too small; the pig would have to be raised until next year before it could be slaughtered.

Those two animals they raised last year, they're about two years old.

This is too small. There are only a few months left before the Lunar New Year. How can we kill it?

Lin Chuntao said, "These spoiled potatoes are not plentiful in each household. If you use them to feed pigs, you won't get many pounds of meat and they'll just become picky eaters. I was thinking of buying some to see if I could make a difference."

Mrs. Sun nodded, still feeling the pinch of the money, but buying meat was indeed more expensive, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The elderly couple sat in the yard for a while, and Lin Chuntao also talked about the tomato seedlings and leek roots. She said that she would buy them at the vegetable price when they grew up, and Sun had no objection and agreed immediately.

Having determined the approximate number they would plant, Lin Chuntao planned to exchange the money back tomorrow and give it to them to plant.

Then we can see how much is growing in the fields, saving us the trouble of buying it from outside and carrying it back.