Chapter Ninety-Two

When it was time to release one of the family's boars from its pen, Mu Jin called Mu Lingyun over and, because of their close kinship, sold it directly to him.

"Brother, you've fattened this pig quite a bit."

Mu Jin smiled and said, "Qi Qiu and Zhao Ran feed the pigs with pig feed and wheat bran all day long. They eat a lot."

The men Mu Lingyun called over helped tie up the pig, weigh it, and toss it onto the cart.

"Brother, it's just over two hundred catties. The price of live pigs is a bit cheaper, so it'll only be one tael and six mace in total. Do you think that's too little?"

Mu Jin smiled and nodded, "We're all family, how could Brother Lingyun leave me out? Of course not."

Zhou Si took out his money bag and carefully counted out the silver.

Even close brothers should keep clear accounts, especially when buying and selling things; it's always best to be clear about money matters.

Mu Jin took the silver, glanced at it, confirmed it was correct, and put it into her purse.

How's business lately?

Zhou Si smiled, but his expression didn't look too good. "I'm alright, big brother."

While it was still early, they took the pig home, slaughtered it, and took it to town to sell it while it was still fresh.

Zhou Si and Mu Lingyun did not linger and drove the oxcart, pulling the struggling boar, back home.

Mu Jin frowned slightly as she looked at Zhou Si, who was noticeably thinner than last month.

He gently shook his head. Zhou Si was a thoughtful person, and ever since she got married, she didn't want to talk to him about her worries.

Even when I tried to comfort him, I couldn't find a topic to talk about.

With a soft sigh, Mu Jin put the silver she had just earned from selling the pigs into the bedding under her bed in her bedroom, and hurriedly went out to clean the vacated pigsty spotlessly.

Farmers raise pigs, and aside from the money they can earn, they also collect a considerable amount of pig manure each year.

A lot of fertilizer has been composted.

In autumn, when the land is turned over, fertilizer is applied to it.

Next year, the harvest in the fields will definitely be much better than this year.

Next spring, when the sows at home are bred and give birth to a litter of piglets, the manure will surely be more abundant than this year.

The villagers keep a close watch on the droppings of their poultry and livestock.

The village dogs, when they go out to run wild, are often taken out onto the road, and if you happen to encounter one, you have to take it home.

The pigsty was clean and tidy after being tidied up. Mu Jin piled up the straw covered in pig manure and the swept-up dirt to one side.

After cleaning the pigsty and sweeping the yard, Mu Jin hung the dyed cloths out to dry.

We've accumulated quite a few baskets and winnowing trays at home lately, and they're piled up in the woodshed.

During her free time, Mu Jin steamed a pot of jujube cakes.

While I was at it, I cooked lunch and kept it warm in the pot so that when Zhou Lin came back, he could just take it out and eat it directly.

Seeing that it was still early, they packed up the package and delivered one copy to Zhou Chuxue. Then they went to deliver one copy each to Mu Nianjun, Zhou Si, and Uncle Mu.

When Zhou Lin returned home, Mu Jin had just come back from Uncle Mu's place.

"Where did you go?"

Zhou Lin gently placed the little raccoon dog he was holding on the dining table.

"A raccoon dog? Where did it come from?"

Mu Jin didn't have time to reply to Zhou Lin. Listening to the little raccoon's sweet, childlike cries, her heart was melting.

Zhou Lin laughed and said, "It was born to my master's cat. It's over two months old and there are several kittens. This one is the most affectionate. I was thinking that since we have food at home, we should keep a tabby cat so it can catch mice and protect the food."

Hibiscus gently reached out, very carefully, as if afraid of startling the little one at the dinner table.

Unexpectedly, the little raccoon let out a soft meow at Mu Jin and nuzzled his hand with its head.

Her face was full of coquettishness and flattery.

Mu Jin immediately beamed and gently took the little raccoon into her arms.

"The food in the pot is ready and warm. You can serve it."

Zhou Lin chuckled and shook his head. This raccoon was the best-looking one in that litter.

With a raccoon's body and a tiger's face, soft fur and sharp teeth, a long tail and short waist, eyes like gold and silver, and a multi-faceted upper jaw, it is a rare and excellent specimen.

Its fur is yellow and white, and according to Mu Shi, it is the biggest eater among its many cat brothers and sisters.

Because the whole cat is chubby and adorable.

Zhou Lin also took a liking to it at first sight and shamelessly asked Master Mu for the raccoon cat.

The owl wagged its tail, approached Mu Jin, and gently sniffed her, its eyes filled with curiosity about the yellow ball in Mu Jin's arms.

Mu Jin smiled and asked, "Has Master given it a name yet?"

Zhou Lin calls him "Master" all the time, and Mu Jin has started to change her address to him these past two days.

“Get up, call him Fatty Huang, he’s the fattest of them all.”

"That's a good name. Let's call him Fatty Yellow. Night Owl, you'd better get along well with Fatty Yellow."

When the owl heard Hibiscus call him, it wagged its tail slightly, sniffed at Fatty Yellow, and licked the little cat's head with its tongue.

It has a big dog mouth that can swallow Huang Pang'er whole.

Mu Jin laughed and patted it, saying, "You've gotten all your cat fur wet."

I put Huang Pang'er on the dining table and gently fed him a piece of jujube cake.

"They were just steamed this morning. I haven't had a chance to deliver them to the chef yet. When you go over this afternoon, bring a basket of them."

Zhou Lin nodded, and seeing that Mu Jin really liked Huang Pang'er, he was also happy.

Until evening, Zhou Lin looked at the chubby Huang, curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed, sleeping soundly and motionless.

"…………"

"Ah Jin, let it go outside and sleep with Night Owl. The cat is dirty and has fleas, so it's better not to let it sleep on the bed."

Mu Jin touched the soft, chubby yellow dog at her feet. "I cleaned it this afternoon and combed out the lice with a fine-toothed comb. It's very clean now."

Zhou Lin sighed helplessly, "You don't mean you want it to sleep with us forever, do you?"

Mu Jin pretended not to understand the meaning in Zhou Lin's eyes and nodded, "It's cold in winter."

Zhou Lin sighed, never expecting to bring back a troublesome little thing who would make babies at night.

The joy of the day vanished in an instant.

Mu Jin's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Go to sleep, it's getting late."

Zhou Lin: "…………"

Looking at Mu Jin lying on her side beside him, who then closed her eyes, he felt a surge of pent-up frustration with nowhere to vent it.

The next day, Zhou Lin was unusually grumpy when he woke up. He glanced at the chubby yellow dog licking its fur in the corner of the bed.

He got up silently and returned at noon carrying a special nest he made for Huang Pang'er, along with two wooden bowls.

"Put old cotton wadding and old clothes that you don't use in there, and put them in the closet in the room."

Mu Jin shook her head and chuckled. After tidying up the nest for Huang Pang'er, she thought she would have to coax him a bit, but to her surprise, Huang Pang'er went in by himself and lay down.

Judging from its appearance, it's quite satisfied with this nest.

Zhou Lin breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, when Zhou Lin returned that evening, Huang Pang'er's den had been moved to the kitchen along with the owl.

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Lin was surprised. He had seen how much Mu Jin liked Huang Pang'er, so how could he have lost favor in just one afternoon?

"You know what, this little male cat is really naughty. It almost tore the bed curtains. It's better to keep it in the kitchen."

Zhou Lin chuckled helplessly, "Well, I've wasted my time."

"Big brother, I'm back."

Mu Jin and Zhou Lin were having lunch when Wen Zhaoran's cheerful voice came from outside.

Mu Jin stood up. "Why are you back so late? Have you had lunch?"

"I've eaten, I've eaten early today."

As Wen Zhaoran spoke, she ladled out another half bowl of millet porridge for herself.

"I've been staying at Uncle Mu's place for a while now, and I've really missed your cooking, brother. I can still eat half a bowl of it."

Mu Jin chuckled and placed some stir-fried cabbage on his plate. "Eat more if you want."

Wen Zhaoran nodded, "Brother Qi Qiu really went to the capital?"

Mu Jin nodded, "She's been gone for a few days, I reckon she'll be back soon."

I didn't feel anything when Bai Qiqiu was around, but after he left, I always felt something was missing, and nothing felt right.

“These days when I visit Uncle Mu’s uncle and aunt, whenever this topic comes up, I can’t stop feeling envious. I can’t help but feel so jealous in my words.”

Mu Jin sighed and laughed, not to mention others, he was extremely envious.

In the village, people who have been able to go to the prefectural city can talk about it for more than ten years.

Going to the capital is something most families in the village would never even dream of in their entire lives; they can't help but feel envious and jealous.

Zhou Lin observed this, his eyes darting around, seemingly lost in thought.

No one dislikes cats. After lunch, when Wen Zhaoran went back to his room to rest, he also picked up Huang Pang'er.

With Wen Zhaoran back, the house was finally less deserted and a little more lively.

Before they knew it, it was time for the full moon celebration of Mu Laoqi's son, who was born late in life.

Mu Jin was too lazy to put in too much effort. After thinking for two days, she found some leftover fabric from making winter clothes at home, so she made a little jacket for her younger brother whom she had never met.

Then he strung ten coins together with a red string.

The jacket was made of cotton cloth, and with a string of copper coins, it was considered a generous gift in the village.

The Mu family is a large family in Mujia Village, and many people came to the full moon celebration of Mu Laoqi's youngest son.

The courtyard was bustling with noise and activity.

Mu Jin then met her younger brother, whom she had never met before. He was fair-skinned and tender, and resembled Zhou Ling. He would grow up to be a handsome young man.

Zhou Lingren was in high spirits because of the happy event, and after resting for so long, she looked much fatter than before.

"Jin-ge'er is back. Come here and give your little brother a hug. This is the first time you two have met."

Mu Jin smiled and reached out to take it. It was heavy, indicating that she had eaten quite a lot over the past month.

"My younger brother is Zhong Lingminxiu, a very handsome young man. Father, have you named him yet?"

Mu Jin hugged the sleeping tiger head and began to praise it.

Zhou Ling felt relieved upon hearing this. "It's alright, Mu Chengyu. The fortune teller your father hired calculated it."

Mu Jin smiled and nodded, "It's a good name, Xiao Chengyu."

Mu Bai stood to the side, smiling as she poked Tiger Head's tender little face.

"He's grown a lot. He used to look like a monkey, but now he looks quite good."

The woman and her husband standing nearby chuckled, "Brother Bai, you were just like your little brother when you were a baby. Newborn babies are all like that. You'll grow out of it."

"Brother Bai is still young and doesn't understand these things. Your father and stepfather are both upright people. How could their child be ugly?"

Mu Jin chuckled, but before she could hold him for long, a woman snatched him away and gave him to her daughter-in-law, who was not yet pregnant, to hold for a while.

Let's share in the joy.

Tiger Head's full moon celebration was a lively affair, and Mu Laoqi was beaming with joy, having drunk quite a bit of wine during the meal.

Zhou Lin accompanied his father-in-law and drank quite a bit as well.

After the banquet, Mu Jin helped Zhou Lin, who reeked of alcohol, and was quite disgusted by his strong smell of alcohol.

When they got home, they boiled a pot of water, wiped Zhou Lin down, and helped him rinse his mouth before putting him to bed.