Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 246 - 246 246 Collecting Pigs

?Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Collecting Pigs Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Collecting Pigs The next morning, Bai Xiao, Bai Song, and Bai Yue got up early, for today their family was to sell their pigs, including the sow and the four boars that remained, which Bai Yue and her son had raised to be particularly plump and strong over the last few months.

Bai Xiao estimated that one of them weighed around three hundred pounds, and its size was likely one of the largest in the village. They had not fed the pigs the previous evening, adhering to the local custom of selling pigs. Honest villagers usually followed this rule to avoid being criticized for dishonesty.

Because of those who cheated and acted slyly, skipping the pigs’ meal in the evening but then feeding them heavily in the morning to increase their weight was common. However, buyers weren’t fools; they could easily spot such tactics.

The amiable ones would laugh it off, exposing the act and simply subtracting the extra weight, but if they met someone less forgiving, they would refuse to buy the pigs right then and there. If they were deceived into buying, they would likely never buy from that family again.

Li Haiping, Li Haian, and Li Haishun were so excited that they didn’t know what to do.

Chickens laying eggs daily was such a common occurrence that it was taken for granted, but the money from these few pigs was no comparison to that from chickens.

All three children understood that this was a significant income for their family and it would affect their future path. They were all aware that theirs was the only family in the village without any land, unable to rely on farm crops for sustenance. Instead, they depended on the chickens and pigs at home to provide for their meals and to afford schooling for the youngest child.

Soon, Wang Yan led a short, stout man into the house.

“Oh, everyone’s here? Bai Xiao, Bai Song, you both have come back for the New Year. This man here is Brother Sun Weimin, our town’s pig buyer. He said he’d start buying in our village today, and I brought him to your place first to do business and then we’ll head to my place,” Wang Yan spoke to Bai Song and Bai Xiao.

Bai Song was a man and currently the backbone of the family.

He quickly pulled out a pack of Ashima cigarettes with filters, given to him as a gift by Bai Xiao, and offered one to each, “Brother Wang, Brother Sun, have a cigarette.”

Sun Weimin and the Wang Family had connections. Who could compare to the Wang Family when it came to pigs in the region? Not only were their pigs well-fed and sturdy, but they also had a high turnover rate. Other families took five to six months to produce a batch of pigs, but the Wang Family could manage it in four and a half months, yielding two more batches in three years than anyone else, and they raised the most pigs.

In the neighboring ten villages, the Wang Family held the status of major pig breeders, capable of producing forty to fifty pigs in a single batch, making them one of the major breeders in the area.

Initially, when Wang Yan had brought him to the Bai Family to buy pigs, he didn’t pay much heed; it was just another deal. But he had heard about the Bai Family, apparently they had a college student, which was big news for the ten villages. He also knew that the eldest sister had divorced and returned home with her three children to raise pigs and get by, he had heard of that too.

In theory, a household raising just four pigs, like Bai Yue’s family, wouldn’t warrant a personal visit from Sun Weimin to buy pigs. However, he couldn’t refuse Wang Yan, who had taken over his father’s skilled legacy, so he reluctantly agreed to follow Wang Yan on this trip.

Now seeing Bai Song’s gesture, offering cigarettes with filters, and noting his military attire, Sun Weimin, who was worldly and knowledgeable, recognized the bars on the uniform and knew at once that Bai Song was someone formidable—a man of rank.

He immediately treated him with greater respect.

Smiling, he took the cigarette and lit it for Bai Song, “Brother Bai, you’re too courteous.”

Wang Yan also lit a cigarette, and the three of them squatted in the courtyard, engulfed in smoke, talking. Then Wang Yan and Bai Song took Sun Weimin to the backyard pigsty. They were surprised to see the four plump and sturdy pigs, which significantly improved their impression of the Bai Family. Despite being a household of orphans and a widow, they were quite adept at raising pigs.

Watching the pigs nodding continuously, they looked at Bai Yue, who followed behind them, with newfound respect. Initially, they thought a divorced woman managing to raise pigs was impressive enough, but they never expected her pigs to be in such good condition, nearly matching those of the Wang Family.

Sun Weimin couldn’t help but take a second look at Bai Yue. On closer inspection, he discovered she was rather pretty, not at all old and ugly as rumored. This revelation added to his contemplation.

He had indeed made a good amount of money as a middleman in the pig trade, but his wife had died early, leaving him with a son and a daughter being looked after by the elderly at home. Because of his busy business, he had no time to concern himself with matters of marriage.

However, living alone was ultimately lonely and bleak. Every day, he came home to no hot meals, not to mention how cold the bed felt at night. Since last year, he had been thinking about remarrying.

But he hadn’t met the right person yet.

The matchmakers were mostly interested in his money, otherwise why would any decent girls willingly marry him?

He had seen a few but none caught his eye.

Today, upon seeing Bai Yue, although she didn’t stand out at their initial meeting and no one took notice, he now found that the more he looked at her, the more appealing she became, despite her having three kids.

But with Bai Yue’s skill in raising pigs, managing those three kids wouldn’t be hard at all. Most importantly, Bai Yue, as a woman who had been divorced, still retained her charm, which was a whole different matter compared to younger girls. Sun Weimin couldn’t help but take an interest.

“Your pigs are impressive. I didn’t expect a woman with three children to be able to raise them this well. It’s truly rare!” Because he had made up his mind, Sun Weimin’s attitude towards Bai Yue and Bai Song became even more polite and friendly.

While speaking, he even turned his head specifically to address Bai Yue, instead of Bai Song, who had been standing beside him all along.

Bai Yue smiled, pleased with the compliment, especially since raising those pigs had taken a lot of effort from her and her children. She felt quite proud. “Brother Sun, please don’t praise me so much. I really have to thank Brother Shitou. If it weren’t for his help, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been able to raise these pigs. When they first arrived, they put me in quite a predicament by all falling ill. It was only after Brother Shitou came over with medicine twice that we managed to save them,” she said.

Wang Yan glanced at Sun Weimin, feeling a chill, as he noticed something off in the way Sun Weimin was looking at Bai Yue.

“Still, it took a lot of hard work from you and the kids to raise the pigs so well! I reckon each of these pigs weighs at least three hundred pounds. Here’s what we’ll do—I’ll take all four of these pigs. I’ll have my men come over soon to weigh and load the pigs directly into the truck. The price will be the same as the Wang Family’s, ninety cents per pound, certainly fair for you. Once you’ve raised good pigs again, just call me directly and I’ll send the truck over to pick them up!”

Sun Weimin was very enthusiastic, and Bai Yue thanked him profusely.

The expression in Wang Yan’s eyes grew even colder.

After exchanging some more pleasantries, Sun Weimin then followed Wang Yan back to the Wang Family’s home.