Early the next morning, as soon as Jiang Fengnian and the others got out of bed, they felt different than before.
A sense of lightness seemed to flow through their entire bodies.
It was truly refreshing!
Unlike in the past, when they always felt as if something was pressing down on the roof beams, making it hard to breathe and often leaving them sighing.
Now, the tightness in their chests was gone, and even their complexions looked brighter than before.
When Sun Chunxue and Li Qiqiao got up, they too had slept soundly for the first time, both wearing smiles on their faces, looking cheerful and happy.
Coincidentally, the family had just sold their grain, and Feng Shi gave each of them two hundred wen, allowing them to visit their parents' homes in a couple of days.
Thus, the two sisters-in-law were in high spirits and got up early to prepare breakfast.
Jiang Fengnian and Jiang Fenghu were diligent workers. After hastily eating a few bites, they hurried to the fields to gather straw.
It was just after the autumn harvest, and there weren’t many villagers working in the fields. Jiang Fengnian stretched his arms in the morning light and was about to hand the seven-star rake to Jiang Fenghu.
Just then, a grunting sound came from behind.
Before Jiang Fengnian could react, a wild piglet wandered into the field, sniffed around, and began rooting through the straw on the ground.
"Big brother, look behind you! A wild piglet has run into our field!" Jiang Fenghu was utterly shocked, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Tiger, you must’ve gotten up too early and are seeing things," Jiang Fengnian didn’t believe him, thinking his younger brother was playing a trick.
But when he turned around, he saw that there really was a wild pig in the field, weighing about fifty or sixty jin.
That was enough to feed the family for several months.
Jiang Fengnian’s head buzzed with disbelief.
No way… The mountains around Daliu Village were poorer than the people, and even bird eggs were hard to find. How could a wild pig come down from the hills?
"Big brother, if we don’t catch it now, it’ll run away!" By then, Jiang Fenghu was already frantically lunging forward.
"Our family has had bad luck for so many years. Who would’ve thought we’d have such good fortune today? Alright, let’s catch it!" Jiang Fengnian shuddered with excitement, then swung his rake.
Fortunately, it was only a half-grown wild pig. With each brother wielding a rake, they handled it easily and soon knocked the piglet unconscious.
After finishing the task, and making sure no villagers had seen them, Jiang Fengnian lifted the front hooves while Jiang Fenghu grabbed the hind hooves. Excitedly, they carried the pig home, one in front and the other behind.
"Mother, look what big brother and I caught!"
"It’s a wild pig! Heavier than our fifth brother, and it came into the field on its own!" As soon as they entered the courtyard, Jiang Fenghu shouted joyfully.
Feng Shi was scooping millet from the jar, counting how many meals it would last for her daughter.
At first, she thought she had misheard.
But when Feng Shi rubbed her ears and pushed the door open, she was astonished to see a wild piglet lying in the courtyard, right at Jiang Fengnian’s feet, panting heavily.
Feng Shi was both shocked and overjoyed. She rushed out in such a hurry that she even lost one of her shoes.
"Eldest, did you really catch this wild pig in the field? How could such good fortune happen? Don’t lie to your mother."
Jiang Fengnian picked up her shoe with a smile. "Mother, Second Brother and I were just as startled. Isn’t it strange? What wild pig would wander into someone’s field?"
Feng Shi patted her pounding chest, her smile stretching almost to her ears.
It wasn’t just strange.
It was nothing short of a stroke of heavenly luck!
After three years of drought, many families struggle to even have enough to eat, let alone come across such plump wild piglets.
At that moment, Sun Chunxue, Li Qiqiao, along with Feng Jing and Feng Miao, hurried out from the house.
They had long forgotten the last time they tasted pork, and now, each of them was so overjoyed that their eyes nearly sparkled with excitement.
Especially the fifth child, Jiang Fengmiao, who stretched out his grubby little hand, secretly wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth while gazing eagerly at Feng Shi.
Feng Shi knew it was time for the family to have a proper nourishing meal.
So she waved her hand and said, "Oldest and second son, go quietly and slaughter the pig without alarming anyone. After it's done, we'll have a meal ourselves, and the rest can be sold in town for money."
Nowadays, it's hard enough for people to fill their bellies, let alone raise livestock.
The prices of pork and mutton outside are extremely high.
Feng Shi couldn't afford to raise pigs or buy meat, so now that there was a rare chance to have meat, she didn't want to be too fixated on money. At the very least, she had to let her own family have some first.
"Alright, Mother!"
Jiang Fengnian and Jiang Fenghu were delighted to hear they could keep some to eat, rubbing their hands together happily.
One of them went to close the main gate, while the other ran off to sharpen the knife—they were ready to get to work!
Sun Chunxue also fetched a bucket of water, pouring it into the large pot to boil, planning to use it later for washing the pigskin.
"Mother, let's keep a bit more to make cured meat. That way, it'll last longer, and when the holidays come, we'll have meat for cooking. Otherwise, every New Year, the fourth and fifth children always drool when they smell the stewed meat from the second branch of the family," Sun Chunxue pleaded, looking at Feng Shi.
Li Qiqiao also smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Yes, Mother. Once we've pickled the cabbage later, we can cut half a head and stew it with the cured meat, adding some vermicelli. Sitting on the heated bed in winter and eating it like that—warm in both body and stomach—would be so comfortable."
Feng Shi didn't hesitate either: "Alright, then we'll keep two hind leg cuts and a rack of ribs to make cured meat. We'll also keep two large marrow bones for making soup, to nourish our Nuobao."
Thinking that his little sister could have bone broth, Jiang Fengjing happily went to lend a hand to his brothers.
Jiang Fengmiao, like a little bean sprout, swung his overly long sleeves as he bounced around the courtyard.
"Great! Little sister gets the soup, and I'll lick the bowl. Plus, we'll have meat to eat during the New Year! Oh, Mother, can we make the cured meat extra spicy… I want it so spicy it makes my nose run!"
Jiang Fengjing shot him a disdainful glance: "You're already dripping snot right now, how gross. Wipe it off before you talk."
For a while, the sounds of knife sharpening, water boiling, and playful laughter filled the Jiang Family courtyard.
Little Nuobao, hearing the bursts of laughter outside, woke up from her nap.
"Hmm, good luck… caught a piggy?"
That's right.
Little Nuobao squinted her eyes and giggled, her silvery drool nearly dripping onto the pillowcase.
Now that the house was free of the unlucky spirit, good fortune naturally arrived.
As for the second branch and Old Lady Jiang's side, they had been found again by the unlucky spirit—they could just wait for the troubles to come…