12. Getting food that is not edible?

Mina had a stack of papers in her bag as she took out honey that Elder Kang accepted even without blinking. With a big smile, she left the house realizing the simple fact. She forgot to ask where does Lei family lives.

Looking right and left she couldn't see not even one person passing by, neither left or right and when she turned her back towards Elder Kang's doors she remembered that Elder Kang told her she will go rest for a bit so she sighed and just started walking to the opposite side of the village. After all, near her lived, Choi, Lee and Ming family, she knew that much, but Lei...

As she walked she could hear the loud chirping of multiple children and as she got closer she saw a small girl sitting on the floor and trying to pull the strange plant out ground while children fired her up.

''Pull, pull, pull...'' She was curious what they ere doing but didn't want to break their fun so she just watched from a bit far away.

Suddenly the root gave away and the girl happily held in her hand a strange looking... animal? ''You are a mean Bakett. There is no gold down inside the road. You think our Elders wouldn't know. You probably saw the rainbow worm again. How silly, come I will give you a bunch of rainbow worms at home. Sigh...'' She cuddled the strange animal into her hug and rushed home while few kids followed while others saw Mina.

''Miss Mina, how are you?'' They all bowed politely while Choi Hyuk smiled at her happily. ''Miss Mina, in two days we chose to go to the forest again, do you want to come?''

Mina thought about it and nodded. ''Fine. I shall come again. I learned so many things from you so I hope you can teach me more.''

The kids started cheering until she rose her hand. ''Just a question, where is Lei household? I heard they are killing pig today so I plan to buy some meat.''

Choi Hyun pointed at the house not far from them. "There are three Lei houses. One is right there and two op on the hills. But looking at people coming and going, I think it's here. Come with me, I'll introduce you."

As they turned around the corner Mina could already hear the crowd in front of one of the houses. "You promised me the leg. This..."

One older woman held belly fat and waved in front of the red-faced man that stared at his wife that tried to hide her eyes. He turned his eyes towards the woman and bowed. "I am truly sorry. My wife forgot and sold it while I didn't look. The big meat I meant to keep for myself, but I'll sell it to you for the price of leg meat. Next time I will leave two legs for you."

Mina got closer and saw who the woman was. Miss Liu smiled brightly and accepted his offer. "Good. Then we shall do that. When are you killing next pig?"

Lei Ming scratched his head. "In five days is the next one. After that, we won't kill any for one month. I killed only today five of them. In five days another five and then the next kill will be next month."

Mina slightly sighed as she saw few big baskets filled with insides and as it seems no one wanted to take that. She came closer and was about to greet Liu but she just rushed passed her without even making a slight stop.

Choi Hyun shook his head and chuckled. "Don't think too much about it. She hates talking to people."

Mina nodded with a smile and stepped further behind one woman that shook on the whole body as she counted, again and again, her few coins. She mumbled. "Not enough, just not enough. How am I to feed them?"

Mina looked at Choi Hyun that sighted as his face fell in the grievance. "That is Ko Mea. Her husband died a few days ago, leaving her and six children completely alone. They were poor from start on, but now it will be hard..."

Mina scrunched her eyebrows and thought about it. She had an idea but first she want to see what kind of person she is.

Ko Mea sighed deeply and with resoluteness approached Lei Ming. "I have only this much, what can I get for this."

No matter how much she shook Lei Ming's face was completely calm. "For this, you can get hand size belly fat or head of a pig. Your choice."

Mina scrunched her eyebrows as she saw a small piece of belly meat for few coins. Thinking about it she realized how expensive meat is. But all that good food in baskets, what will happen with it?

The woman was looking at the ugly head and a small piece of belly meat and made a decision. "Give me the head. I know belly meat is probably much better, but the head has lots of meat as well." She could see that much of neck meat was still connected to the head so her choice was not wrong.

Mina smiled and nodded. "Very good choice."

The two people just now realized her as no one else was left after Liu's wife was gone. Mina bowed politely.

"Hello. My name is Mina Leng, I am new to the village. Elder Kang told me that you will butcher your pigs today. I see that you have left with some meat."

But suddenly Lei Ming's wife jumped as she remembered that the meat they wanted to be was gone. "We don't have!"

Her high voice made Lei Ming raise his eyebrows. "Why are you yelling?"

She came closer and pointed at the last piece of belly meat. "Our children need to eat some meat as well. You sold our meat to old Liu woman."

He looked at Mina with an apologetic expression. "I am sorry. I have no more meat. In five days I will butcher a few more. Do you want to order in advance?"

She smiled and nodded. "Good. Then leave half pig for me. And I have another question..."

Mina pointed at insides in the baskets. "What are you doing with this?"

He sighed. "I heard you came from the south? My mother was southern as well and knew how to prepare entrails well, but my wife hates it, so we usually throw it away. I threw away those from the morning, but I have left two baskets from a short while ago. I will give it to you for free. I have one more head left, do you want that as well?"

Mina scratched her head and nodded but pointed at heavy baskets. "Do you have a carrier? I will bring the stuff to my house and bring it back after that." She paid the head and ears with few coins that wife happily collected.

Choi Hyun shook his head. "Miss Mina, I live nearby. I will come with you and will bring the carrier back. "

Mina sighed but Lei Ming shook his head. "I need to go to the forest to gather some woods. I'll take you with my carriage." After all the baskets were really heavy as entrails and inwards were still just cut out the pigs.

He took one more basket and put head and ears inside and put on his carriage then took the two big baskets as well and looked at his wife that had a resentful expression as she held the piece of belly meat. ''I will bring some mushrooms if I find.''

A snort escaped her lips and she just turned furiously around and went to the nearby house while he looked at her back with a smile. ''My wife is so cute even if she is angry. How cuteee.'' He looked at her escaping back and chuckled happily. ''Am I not luckiest man ever?''

Mina was flabbergasted at his expression and his words. What cute? She was clearly furious. Luckiest man? She looked at Chou Hyun that just shook his head. ''Tomorrow...''

She understood his meaning so she quickly sat on the carriage and with a smile said goodbye to the boy and curious woman that looked at the baskets filled with dirty things. ''that si edible?''

Choi Hyun shrugged. ''I heard that those that are close to the Koh Empire eat such things. They have certain way to clean it and cook it and I hear after that it is not only edible, it is delicious.''

She nodded as she stared at the pig head. ''Let's check how much meat I can save from this thing.''

As she walked towards her home she saw Mina's excited expression as she saw the intestines. ''Maybe I should go and ask her how to prepare that. Even in neighbour villages, they throw away those things. If we can make meals from it, we might as well survive well.'' So she hurried home and saw a bunch of children just running around and playing.

With a sigh, he showed the head of the pig and as they stared loudly protesting, so for the first time in he life she became furious. ''Then no food for any of you today!''

As they heard those words they didn't really care and started disappearing in surrounding houses, leaving her completely alone. ''I really made a bad decision as I let them be free. They don't even listen to me anymore...''