CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: GOING UP THE MOUNTAIN TO GATHER HERBS

Today, Zhao Zhitong had so much fun that she lost track of time. It wasn’t until Sun Mei came to find her that she reluctantly said goodbye to Qiao Muchen and Wei Shulan.

On the way home, Zhao Zhitong bragged to Sun Mei that she was no longer afraid of roosters.

Sun Mei just chuckled.

Talking and laughing, before long, they arrived in the village.

As the sun went down and the weather became less stuffy, many farmers would sit outside with bowls of food and chat.

Mrs. Wang, the stepmother, and Mr. Zhao were also outside enjoying the cooler air. At that moment, Mrs. Wang was chatting with the neighborhood ladies.

Seeing Zhao Zhitong, Sun Mei, and Zhao Yu from a distance, she promptly turned around, grabbed her husband, and hurried back into their house.

In this era of scarce entertainment, gossip and casual chats were the only pastimes. So, what happened in a neighbor’s house could quickly spread around.

Mrs. Wang had just heard from the neighboring women that Sun Mei had stolen the lamb Country Gentry Wei provided for the school. She hadn’t even heard the whole story when she saw Sun Mei and her children approaching.

That was lamb, such a valuable thing! Their lowly family couldn’t possibly afford to compensate Country Gentry Wei. Consequently, she began to worry that Mrs. Sun had asked Mr. Zhao for silver.

That’s why, the moment she saw Sun Mei and the others, she avoided them as if they were plague-stricken.

Mr. Zhao was perplexed. "What are you pulling me for?"

Mrs. Wang glared at her husband and said coldly, "I’m telling you, we’re out of silver! That was the silver my son gave me out of filial piety. Don’t even think about taking it to cover for some thieving crooks."

Mr. Zhao was still baffled.

Sun Mei happened to overhear Mrs. Wang’s words, and her face immediately darkened. Mr. Zhao might have been baffled, but Sun Mei understood the insinuation.

Weren’t those words meant for her to hear?

So, she pretended not to see them and, taking Zhao Zhitong and Zhao Yu, strode home.

Although Zhao Zhitong was young, Mrs. Wang’s words made her uncomfortable too, as she knew they were aimed at them. Seeing her mother upset and unhappy, she piped up in her childish voice, "Mom, don’t be angry. When Tongtong grows up and becomes successful, I’ll earn endless money for you and make sure you have endless meat to eat."

Sun Mei smiled at her daughter’s words. "Good, good. Mom will wait for you to grow up and make your parents proud."

Mrs. Wang watched Sun Mei and her children’s retreating figures, rolled her eyes, and sneered with disdain, "Hmph, really expecting a good-for-nothing girl to bring glory? What a fool’s dream! Earn money? They should clean up their thieving hands first! Pah! Besides, if we’re talking about bringing glory, it will be my grandson Ji’er who brings honor to the Zhao Family."

Her eldest grandson, Zhao Ji, was twelve years old and had already passed the county examination, becoming an Elementary Scholar.

Becoming a top scholar in the future is practically guaranteed!

By then, she would be the grandmother of a top scholar. If her grandson could earn her the title of a ’Lady’ in the future, she could just wait to enjoy a life of ease and comfort.

Furthermore, her eldest granddaughter was also beautiful and played the zither wonderfully. In the future, she could marry a high official or a noble, which would also bring glory to her face.

But look at Sun Mei’s daughter, just like a wild monkey, scampering about all day, not like a girl at all. Even if she were sent to school, what then? Could they really expect her to become an official in the future?

Such a family of short-sighted fools.

The more Mrs. Wang thought about it, the more smug she became, as if she would truly become the grandmother of a top scholar in the very next second.

After Sun Mei and the others returned home, the more Sun Mei thought about it, the angrier she became. She couldn’t help but vent to her two sisters-in-law, "Pah! Who cares about her bit of money? It makes me so mad!"

Hearing Sun Mei’s complaints, her Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt couldn’t stop cursing Mrs. Wang, calling her a disgrace.

Finally, Eldest Aunt said to Sun Mei, "Still, it’s a good thing she doesn’t know our tofu business is making money now. Otherwise, with her greedy nature, she’d definitely come asking for the recipe."

Sun Mei retorted angrily, "If she dares to be shameless enough to come, I’ll make her regret it! I’m no pushover!"

It was the first time Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt had seen Sun Mei so furious, and they both gave her looks of approval. "Little sister, that’s right! That’s the spirit! If she dares to come, we’ll make her regret it!"

...

Today’s little episode was indeed rather unpleasant.

「The next day.」

Zhao Dong brought back a piglet from his father-in-law’s house. Zhao Zhitong was still lazing in bed when she heard the news.

Zhao Dong had inquired with Butcher Zhao that day; all his pork was sourced from farmers, then slaughtered and taken to the marketplace to be sold.

So, the strong, gamy smell of the pork wasn’t because it was unfresh or from wild boars; it was its natural odor.

Sun Mei speculated it was because the pigs weren’t neutered.

Unneutered pigs secrete sex hormones that make the meat smell unpleasant, whereas castrated pigs don’t have this odor, and their meat is tender and delicious.

More importantly, neutered pigs were better for fattening up quickly.

Because the pork had such a strong gamy smell, they hadn’t eaten pork in a long time. So, Sun Mei decided to raise one herself and try neutering it.

Zhao Dong, however, was thinking further ahead. If it was successful, he planned to raise pigs on a large scale and supply them to major restaurants. This would be a big business, much more profitable than making tofu.

So, after learning that his father-in-law’s sow was pregnant, Zhao Dong and Sun Mei approached her older brother, saying they wanted to buy two piglets to raise.

Hearing this news, Zhao Zhitong stopped lazing in bed. She tumbled out of bed and ran towards the pigsty.

Sure enough, she saw a little white piglet in the pigsty, oinking continuously.

She was watching it gleefully when Sun Kang arrived. He was going to take Zhao Zhitong up the mountain to gather medicinal herbs today.

"Tongtong, your grandfather is here! Quick, come wash your face and eat your eggs," Sun Mei called to her from the kitchen doorway.

"Oh, okay~"

Zhao Zhitong responded and ran over. Without letting Sun Mei wash her face, she scooped up water with her little hands, haphazardly splashed it on her face a few times, and then went to dry it.

"Have you brushed your teeth?"

Zhao Zhitong didn’t particularly like brushing her teeth, mainly because they currently used willow twigs, which easily made her gums bleed.

But she was still obedient, dutifully going to rinse her mouth and brush her teeth.

Then, she took the egg Sun Mei had already peeled for her, gulped it down in a few bites, picked up the bowl of porridge sweetened with white sugar, drank it all down with a GULP, GULP, wiped her mouth, and grinned, "I’m done eating! Grandpa, let’s go!"

Sun Mei had already brought her small back basket, putting a few boiled eggs and warm milk, poured into a bamboo tube, inside it for her.

Zhao Zhitong obediently put it on her back, took Sun Kang’s hand, and they set off.

This was her first real herb-gathering trip, and Zhao Zhitong was very excited. Along the way, like a curious little baby, her mouth chattered non-stop, asking about this and that.

"Wow, these little white flowers are so pretty! Are they medicinal herbs too?"

"This is Husheng Grass. Its effects are to harmonize the spleen, promote urination, stop bleeding, and improve vision. It treats dysentery, edema, gonorrhea, chyluria, vomiting blood, blood in stool, uterine bleeding, excessive menstruation, and red, painful eyes."

"Wow, the tail of this grass is so long! Is it a medicinal herb too?"

"This is Foxtail Grass. It also has medicinal uses. It can clear heat and drain dampness, dispel wind and improve vision, detoxify, and kill parasites."

"Grandpa, Grandpa, look quickly, there’s an eagle!"

...