140 He is raising pigs

Zhai Huan was naturally reserved and didn't often smile or speak casually in front of outsiders, but he never hesitated to show warmth to his close relatives, especially to his cousin Zhai Le, whom he knew best.

To put it crudely, whenever Zhai Le wiggled his butt, Zhai Huan could guess what schemes were brewing in his mind.

So he asked, "What's on your mind, Xiao Fang?"

Zhai Huan's smile carried a hint of danger.

Zhai Le instinctively straightened his back and timidly replied, "I was just thinking... Brother Ah seems... to prefer things not going too smoothly?"

"Of course, a little chaos is better."

The tax and silver matter might just be the spark.

Zhai Le suddenly looked up at his cousin. His mouth opened as if to say something, but he didn't know where to start. He wiped the sweat from his palms on his knee and muttered, "It would be better... Ah, you've seen how those common people are..."

Stability in the situation was beneficial for the people to recuperate. Even small-scale skirmishes between villages could affect their lives, let alone large-scale conflicts involving thousands or tens of thousands.

Thinking about the journey they had come, Zhai Le hoped they could avoid war if possible, at least to let the people live peacefully for a few days.

How could Brother Ah not understand this reasoning?

"Hehe, Xiao Fang, you're thinking too simply. The northwest may not be large, but there are plenty of strategists. Only by stirring up trouble can we know who is restless."

Zhai Huan knew well that chaos in the northwest continent was inevitable. The current situation was just the calm before the storm.

Whether there was that spark or not, the outcome would hardly differ much.

The situation in the northwest continent could basically be described as "small temple, strong wind, shallow pond, many turtles."

On the surface, it appeared to be a balance of power among nations, but in reality, it was a volcano ready to erupt.

Compared to the entire situation, individual efforts seemed too weak.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly—dealing with these matters was a waste of time. It would be better to find Shen Xiong and enjoy drinking and having fun!

Zhai Huan could tell from just a glance that his younger cousin couldn't sit still again. He chuckled and said, "You can go out and play, but don't stir up trouble recently. Be cautious if any strangers try to befriend you."

If the escort was indeed for tax and silver—

Even though the County Governor hinted it was a disguised team to confuse outsiders, Zhai Huan dared not take it lightly. After all, characters like the County Governor, who were adept at scheming, had a low credibility. Who knew if he was telling the truth or testing?

Even though he knew his cousin wasn't a naive fool, Zhai Huan still worried that Zhai Le might unintentionally be used by someone.

Zhai Le clasped his hands together in a mock salute.

In a solemn tone, he replied, "Brother Ah's orders will be followed without fail."

Zhai Huan shook his head with a smile.

As the two brothers spoke, the chessboard with its remaining pieces was already set up. He said, "Xiao Fang, accompany me for a couple of games."

"Sure, but after the game, Brother Ah should also join me for a small drink," Zhai Le said, shaking the wine jug he brought back from Shen Tang.

Zhai Huan smiled and replied, "Okay, as you wish."

Here they enjoyed a friendly and respectful atmosphere as brothers, but things were less than ideal on Shen Tang's side—this had to do with her trip into the city with Chu Yao today. Chu Yao was busy with matters and happened to inform another student in passing to prevent misunderstandings by the butcher's family that he had gotten into trouble and run away.

Shen Tang couldn't accompany them on the trip.

She had arranged to meet Chu Yao at a specific time and place and found herself bored, so she picked a street corner and resumed her old trade—selling wine and paintings.

Yes, you read that right, she was also selling paintings.

Live portraits were priced quite high, equivalent to a jug of wine. Passersby were drawn by the aroma of wine, occasionally asking about prices, but no one was interested in on-the-spot painting packages. Shen Tang wasn't in a hurry, wearing a rough reed hat and leisurely enjoying the sun.

Until—

A vaguely familiar fragrance drifted to her nose.

Shen Tang lifted the brim of her hat and asked the approaching person, "Mr. Gu, why is it you again?"

The young man found this quite amusing. "That's what I should be asking. It's been a while since I last saw Miss Shen. How have you been?"

Shen Tang dropped her lazy and boneless sitting posture and instinctively sat up straight, smiling faintly, "Oh, I'm doing just fine."

In her heart, though, she muttered a curse.

The newcomer was Shen Tang's natural nemesis—

Gu Chi!

This man's scholarly talk was a nightmare for chatterboxes.

Xiaocheng wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. Why did she always encounter people like Gu Chi whenever she randomly set up a stall? 

Gu Chi twitched a corner of his mouth upon hearing Shen Tang's inner monologue.

Unaware of her thoughts, someone might think Gu Chi was stalking Shen Tang like a pervert, when in fact he just happened to be passing by from the neighboring street. Normally, the inner voices of ordinary people are chaotic and illogical, but this young gentleman was different. When bored, he could script dialogues in his mind, complete with sound, color, and images, making it hard to ignore.

"And what about Mr. Qi Yuanliang? Is he not with you?" Gu Chi asked.

"You mean Yuanliang? He stayed home to look after the piglets. They just got castrated and need someone to take good care of them," Shen Tang replied, surprising Gu Chi.

"Looking after... piglets???"

"Qi Yuanliang went off to raise pigs?" He froze for a moment, almost doubting his own ears, his expression on the verge of cracking open. "The renowned Qi Yuanliang, feared across the northwest, enemies everywhere, now turned pig farmer?"

Seeing his reaction, Shen Tang couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Strictly speaking, those are my pigs, but since I had to leave, I entrusted Yuanliang to take care of them. Why that expression?"

Gu Chi replied, still incredulous, "Really?"

Shen Tang affirmed, "Absolutely."

Near Xiaocheng, not only Shen Tang's gang, but other bandits had their own strongholds, always needing a few capable guards. Either Gong Shuwu or Shen Tang had to stay behind. With Chu Yao's departure, accompanied by his assistant, Shen Tang volunteered to follow.

Before leaving, she repeatedly urged Qi Shan to take good care of her pigs, all suffering from castration, a serious injury, needing careful attention. This was more than just a herd of piglets; it was her source of braised ribs, trotters, sweet and sour pork, and more for the next half year...

Qi Shan's face turned quite unsightly, but he still agreed.

All things considered, Qi Shan was well-qualified to raise pigs on the hillside.

Gu Chi smiled knowingly, "I'd actually like to see that."

And he'd eat it, even if the pork was rancid and unpleasant to swallow, he'd still eat two bowls!

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

Gu Chi shook his head inwardly.

While he'd seen all sorts of unusual things in the world, he'd never imagined Qi Shan raising pigs and couldn't quite picture the scene.

Unfamiliar yet intriguing; that's what made it worth seeing.

Gu Chi chatted idly, seeming to test, "Besides raising pigs, has Qi Yuanliang been up to anything else lately?"

Shen Tang retorted indignantly, "What's wrong with raising pigs?"

For the common folk, food is everything.

Anything related to eating is indeed serious business!

Gu Chi realized Shen Tang was wary of him and didn't want to waste time on useless topics. "Things seem to be getting restless lately."

He didn't believe Qi Shan was unaware of this.

Given Qi Shan's temperament, he couldn't possibly sit idly by, just raising pigs.