Chapter 140: He's Raising Pigs [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Zhai Huan is naturally aloof and reserved, rarely smiling in front of outsiders, but he never hesitates to smile at his family, especially his cousin Zhai Le, whom he watched grow up and who knows him best.

To put it bluntly, just by looking at Zhai Xiaofang's ass, you can tell what kind of shit he's up to and what he's thinking.

He then asked, "What is Xiaofang thinking about?"

Zhai Huan's smile carried a hint of danger.

Zhai Le subconsciously straightened his back and said timidly, "I was just thinking... it seems that my brother... can't stand seeing this go smoothly?"

"Naturally, a bit more chaos is better."

The issue of taxation and silver may have been the trigger.

Zhai Le suddenly looked up at his cousin, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something but he didn't know where to begin. He wiped the sweat from his palms on the hem of his shirt and muttered, "It's not that bad... Brother, you've seen the lives of those people..."

Only when the situation is stable can the people recuperate and thrive.

Even small-scale armed conflicts between villages can affect people's lives, let alone large-scale battles involving thousands or tens of thousands of people.

Looking back on the journey so far, Zhai Le still hopes that war can be avoided, so that the people can at least live in peace for a few days.

How could my brother not understand this principle?

"Hehe, Xiaofang is thinking too simply. The Northwest is not a big place, but there are many people who have designs on it. Only by stirring up the waters can we find out who is causing trouble."

Zhai Huan knew that chaos in the Northwest of the mainland was inevitable, and the current situation was merely the calm before the storm.

Whether or not that fuse was lit, the outcome would be much the same.

The situation in Northwest China can basically be described as "a small temple with a lot of evil winds, a shallow pond with many turtles."

What appears to be a situation of mutual restraint and balance among nations is actually a volcano that has been accumulating power and is ready to erupt.

Zhai Le could do nothing but sigh.

Compared to the overall situation, individuals are too weak and powerless.

He couldn't help but grumble to himself—wasting time dealing with these things? It would be much better to go drink and have fun with Brother Chen, how delightful!

Zhai Huan knew at a glance that her cousin was restless again, and said with a smile, "You can go out and have fun, but you can't cause trouble recently. Be wary if any strangers want to befriend you."

If what they are escorting is indeed tax silver—

Even though the prefect hinted that it was a fake team to mislead outsiders, Zhai Huan dared not let his guard down. After all, a scheming and unscrupulous person like the prefect had very low credibility; who knew if he was telling the truth or testing him?

Even though he knew his cousin wasn't a reckless fool, he was still worried that Zhai Le might be unintentionally taken advantage of.

Zhai Le clasped his hands in a fist salute, pretending to accept the order.

He replied in a deep voice, "I dare not disobey my elder brother's orders."

Zhai Huan smiled and shook her head.

While the two brothers were talking, the chess game was finished. He said, "Xiaofang, play two games with your brother."

“Alright, but after we finish, brother, you must have a couple of drinks with me.” He shook the wine jar he had brought back from Shen Tang.

Zhai Huan laughed and said, "Okay, whatever you say."

While the atmosphere here was one of brotherly affection and respect, things weren't looking so good for Shen Tang—it all started when she and Chu Yao went down the mountain to the city together today. Chu Yao had some business to attend to, and he also wanted to inform another student he had taken in, lest the butcher's family think he had run away in the wrong place.

It was inconvenient for Shen Tang to follow along.

She arranged a time and place to meet Chu Yao, and out of boredom, she found a street corner and went back to her old trade—selling wine and paintings.

Yes, you read that right, they also sell paintings.

The on-site portrait painting service was quite expensive, costing the same as a jar of wine. Passersby, drawn by the aroma of the wine, occasionally stopped to inquire about the price, but the on-site painting packages remained untouched. Shen Tang, unperturbed, leisurely basked in the sun, wearing a rough reed hat.

until--

A slightly familiar scent of incense wafted into my nostrils.

As Shen Tang pulled up the brim of his hat, he asked the person who had come.

"Mr. Gu, it's you again?"

The young man found it amusing: "That's the question I should be asking. It's been quite a while since I've seen Master Shen. How have you been lately?"

Shen Tang abandoned her usual lazy and carefree posture, and subconsciously sat up straight, giving a forced smile: "Me? I'm perfectly fine."

He secretly cursed the bad luck in his heart.

The person who arrived was none other than Shen Tang's natural nemesis—

Gu Chi!

This person's approach to literature is a nightmare for chatterboxes.

Xiaocheng is neither big nor small. How come I always run into people like Gu Chi whenever I set up a stall anywhere?

Gu Chi heard Shen Tang's inner monologue and his lips twitched slightly.

Those unaware of the situation might think Gu Chi was some kind of pervert stalking Shen Tang, unaware that he was simply passing by on the next street. Normally, the thoughts of ordinary people are chaotic, noisy, and illogical, but this young man is different. When bored, he can conjure up vivid stories in his mind, so detailed and engaging that Gu Chi can't ignore them even if he wants to.

"Where is Qi Yuanliang? He didn't come along?"

"You mean Yuanliang? He stayed home to take care of the piglets. They were just castrated and need to be well cared for."

Shen Tang's words were startling.

Gu Chi: "...???"

take care of……

Piglets?

"Qi Yuanliang went to raise pigs?" He was stunned for a moment, almost doubting that his ears were playing tricks on him, his expression almost splitting open—Qi Yuanliang, who was famous in the Northwest, had enemies everywhere, and whose name was used by many forces to grit their teeth, had changed careers to become a pig farmer?

Seeing his reaction, Shen Tang chuckled: "Strictly speaking, those should be the pigs I raised, but I had to go out, so I asked Yuan Liang to take care of them. Why are you making that face?"

Gu Chi: "...Really?"

Shen Tang: "Absolutely true."

There were more bandits near Xiaocheng than just the one that Shen Tang and his group had wiped out. Each stronghold needed a few capable guards, and either Gong Shuwu or Shen Tang had to stay behind. Chu Yao had lost Wenxin, so he needed someone with him, and Shen Tang volunteered to come along.

Before leaving, she repeatedly told Qishan to treat her pigs well, as they had all been castrated and were severely weakened, requiring careful tending. These weren't just piglets; they were also the source of her braised pork ribs, braised pig's trotters, sweet and sour pork, and braised pork belly with preserved vegetables for the rest of the year…

Qi Shan looked very upset, but she still agreed.

Rounding up, it makes perfect sense for Qishan to raise pigs on the mountain.

Gu Chi smiled meaningfully: "I'd like to see it for myself."

If he could eat a bite of Qi Shan's pig, even if the pork was so smelly and unpalatable that he could eat two bowls!

Shen Tang said, "What's so interesting about that?"

Gu Chi shook his head inwardly.

He had seen many strange and unusual things in the world, but he had never seen anyone raise pigs in Qishan, and he couldn't imagine the scene.

I've never seen it before, so it's rare and therefore beautiful.

Gu Chi asked, seemingly casually but also subtly, "Besides raising pigs, has Qi Yuanliang been doing nothing else of substance lately?"

Shen Tang retorted, dissatisfied: "How is raising pigs improper?"

Food is the most important thing for people.

Anything related to food is a serious matter!

Gu Chi knew that Shen Tang was wary of him and didn't want to waste time on useless topics: "Things are going to get turbulent in the coming days."

You don't believe Qishan knows this.

Given Qi Shan's temperament, it's impossible for him to stay put and raise pigs.

(End of this chapter)