Chapter 146 Buying a sow home leads to gossip
Back to the brigade.
Along the way, many people saw Ji Xuening bring home a piglet, and they all talked about it, saying that people can't even get enough to eat, yet he still bought a piglet to bring home. He must have a lot of nerve.
When they learned that he had bought a sow, everyone thought he was out of his mind. Who would buy a sow and raise it for five or six months? Putting aside the pig's food, who would have the time to take care of a sow?
Among these people was He Guangliang, the head of the brigade. The reason he didn't want the brigade to set up a pig farm was because he thought it would be too expensive and laborious. Pigs were difficult to raise and often got sick, and he might lose so much money that he wouldn't even have pants to wear.
Hua Gui was not happy to see him bring back the boar using a tractor, but she still put on a kind and persuasive expression: "Fourth son of the Ji family, are you really planning to raise a sow? Many people in our brigade raised pigs when the country called for it, but they all ended up losing money. Although your family has raised good pigs in recent years, you can't be lucky every year..."
"And this sow is very difficult to raise."
Ji Xuening lifted the piglet off the tractor and said expressionlessly, "Treat pigs like people, think about pigs with a human attitude, and there's no way you can't raise them well."
Hua Gui said, "How can you treat a pig as a human being? This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. Aren't you insulting people? Pigs are just animals that are slaughtered and eaten."
Ji Xuening frowned slightly.
Hua Gui continued to chuckle and mock, "This is the first time I've ever heard of treating pigs like people. Aren't you afraid people will laugh their heads off if you say that?"
Ji Xuening didn't want to pay attention to her anymore and prepared to drive the piglets home, but Wang Yuqing and several team members from the non-staple food department came to watch.
Wang Yuqing naturally heard Hua Gui's words, and she said loudly, "Some people are not even as good as pigs. They wear human skin but do things that are worse than pigs and dogs."
Hua Gui understood that the implication was that she was being insulted. She glared at Wang Yuqing and said, "Wang Yuqing, what are you saying? Who are you insulting? How can you have such a sharp tongue?"
Wang Yuqing winked at her: "Aunt Hua Gui, I didn't scold you. I was just giving an example. Why did you think I was scolding you?"
Hua Gui's face turned even uglier.
Wang Yuqing added, "And the fact that he raises pigs well isn't just luck; it's because he's capable!"
Ji Xuening listened with a smile in her eyes.
Lei Yongxia said, "Treating pigs as people? I don't understand that at all. People wear clothes too."
Wang Yuqing explained, "Ji Xuening means that if you want to raise pigs well, you have to treat them like people. People eat cooked food, people like to be clean, people have houses to live in, and people like to be comfortable. Pigs will definitely eat cooked food, like to be clean, and also have houses to live in and like to be comfortable."
"If the pigs are comfortable, they will naturally grow well."
Lei Yongxia and the others around her understood. Lei Yongxia said, "Raising pigs requires meticulous care, and I certainly can't do it."
Chen Xiang began, "The pigs I raise either die of disease or become skin and bones. I even got scolded by my mother-in-law. I simply stopped raising them this year. Raising pigs is quite tiring. I didn't expect Ji Xuening, a grown man, to be so considerate..."
Chen E joked, "That's right, it's so good for a man to be attentive, he'll definitely be even more attentive to his wife."
Ji Xuening glanced at Wang Yuqing, who laughed and said, "Aunt Chen, what's wrong with you lately? You always like to joke around with me."
Chen E chuckled, "Isn't it because you two got your marriage certificate now? You're a married couple now. I wouldn't dare joke about you two before you got your certificate."
Cao Huan suddenly stepped forward, smiling broadly, and reached out to pull the thick braid to her chest. She asked gently, "Comrade Ji Xuening, I've heard you're good at raising pigs. My pigs have been having diarrhea lately. Can you teach me what to do?"
Ji Xuening didn't give Cao Huan a second glance. He simply said a few words: "Improper feeding."
Cao Huan continued with a smile: "I also think it's due to improper feeding. Why don't you come over and take a look?"
Ji Xuening said, "You should find a veterinarian."
Cao Huan sighed: "Our production team's veterinarian is a complete idiot. He can't tell anything, and he charges exorbitant fees."
She pleaded, "Why don't you come over and take a look at me when you have time? You raise pigs so well, you must be much better than a veterinarian."
Ji Xuening glanced at Wang Yuqing again.
Wang Yuqing felt that refusing this request would be rather heartless, and since everyone is part of a collective now, mutual help is the norm. However, she didn't quite like Cao Huan's tone and attitude.
Wouldn't it be better if they just told me directly?
However, she wasn't the petty type, so she said, "Ji Xuening, why don't you go back with her after work tonight and see her?"
Ji Xuening nodded after hearing Wang Yuqing's agreement, "Okay."
Tang Wan and Chen E, who were standing nearby, felt that Cao Huan's gaze towards Ji Xuening was strange. Chen E whispered in Tang Wan's ear, "Look at her, her eyes are practically glued to Ji Xuening. This person's mind is definitely crooked."
Tang Wan noticed it too.
It was lunchtime, and after Ji Xuening returned the sows to their place, he cleaned the pigpen thoroughly and cooked some food for them.
He plans to build a bigger pigsty when he has time.
Grandma Ji knew he had bought a sow, but she didn't say anything to him. She knew Ji Xuening well; he must have thought things through before making his choice. She was just an old woman, and she didn't know as much as he did.
She felt sorry for her grandson, saying he was too tired, "You need to take care of yourself and rest when you need to."
Ji Xuening said, "Grandma, I'm not tired."
Grandma Ji smiled and said, "I've noticed you're working with more and more energy lately, is it because of Yuqing?"
Ji Xuening also had a smile on her face, but she didn't say anything.
Grandma Ji couldn't help but ask, "Are you two planning to have a baby this year?"
These words almost made Ji Xuening choke on his saliva. Although his relationship with Wang Yuqing was not bad and they were closer than at the beginning, they were not that close yet.
He said, "Grandma, don't think about that now. Making money is the priority. We'll build a new house later."
Grandma Ji snorted: "Having a baby should definitely be done as early as possible. I'm getting old and my body isn't what it used to be. I just want to see the baby as soon as possible. You have to consider whether I can live a few more years."
Every time Grandma Ji brought up this matter, Ji Xuening would get very angry. He would raise his voice and say, "Grandma, don't talk such nonsense. You're not even seventy years old yet. You'll definitely live to be a hundred."
Grandma Ji chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, I won't say anything."
She didn't say much since her grandson was angry, and changed the subject by asking, "Where did you get the money to buy this piglet?"
Ji Xuening immediately said that it was twenty yuan given to him by Wang Yuqing.
After hearing this, Grandma Ji sighed and said, "She is such a good child. I will say the same thing again: you must treat her well in the future and not mistreat her. After all, she is still your benefactor."
"benefactor?"
Ji Xuening was a little confused.
Grandma Ji realized she had let something slip and quickly said, "Isn't she your benefactor? She gave you money to buy piglets, and when she came, you became the militia company commander. Moreover, our family's life has improved since then."
Hearing Grandma Ji say that, Ji Xuening didn't think too much about it and nodded: "Okay, I will treat her well."
In the past, he might have just been fulfilling his grandfather's last wish, but now it's different; he genuinely wants to be good to her.
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