Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Xu Qi continued to sell meat at her stall, but this time the person selling vegetables next to her changed to a big sister selling wild boar meat. The price she set was a bit higher than Xu Qi’s pork, but there were still many people buying, eager for that fresh taste.

“Hey, aren’t you that girl from the neighboring village who sells pork?”

The big sister selling wild boar meat took the initiative to come and talk to her, with a hearty smile showing off her white teeth.

Xu Qi felt a sense of goodwill and replied, “Yes, I sell pork. My name is Xu Qi.”

“Xu Qi, huh? Do you sell meat here every day?”

“Yeah, I’ve taken over this spot.”

“Then your business must be really good. You earn a lot every day, and you only need to sell for half a day to make it back home.”

The big sister’s face showed some envy.

“It’s okay, doing this is pretty easy-going.”

Xu Qi replied with a smile, seeming very relaxed in her interactions.

The big sister became enthusiastic, “Hey, do you know where my pigs were hunted?”

“It must be in the mountains nearby, right?” These wild boars were usually found in the deep mountains.

“That’s right. It was on the mountain behind our village. There are quite a few wild boars up there. They used to come down and damage our crops, and we couldn’t do anything about it. But guess what happened yesterday? One of the wild boars fell into the trap at my house, haha. We quickly slaughtered it and brought it here to sell today.”

“You’re lucky, big sister. I envy you. When I go up the mountain, I only see a nest of rabbits, never any wild boars.”

Upon hearing about rabbits, the other woman’s eyes lit up.

“Rabbits? And there’s a nest? You should bring them back and raise them slowly. When they’re fat, they’ll be good for a feast.”

The big sister from the neighboring village assumed Xu Qi had the same idea.

However, Xu Qi seized the opportunity and quickly “complained”

to everyone, “It’s all because of my husband. He’s too kind-hearted. He can’t bear to eat rabbits, let alone let them leave their home. He doesn’t allow me to go catch them.”

“Oh, so you didn’t catch them?”

“No.”

Xu Qi put on a helpless expression. “My husband would make a fuss. If I dared to catch them, he wouldn’t let me into bed. How could I bear to leave him and not go to bed? So I had to let go of those rabbits.” (Too exaggerating…)

The big sister from the neighboring village: …

Why does this sound like bragging to them?

“It seems like your husband is really kind-hearted.”

“Yes, not only is my husband handsome, but he’s also incredibly kind. I adore him.”

Young people are so open about their affection, unlike them. When they get older, they’re too embarrassed to praise their husbands like this.

The big sister from the neighboring village shook her head with a smile.

After finishing showcasing her husband, Xu Qi realized the conversation was coming to an end. She closed her mouth and eavesdropped on the conversation at the next stall, where someone was discussing the war. She wanted to know a bit about the situation in advance to avoid suffering.

After all, she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Have you heard? The border is in a tight spot right now. Our country is losing, and Yao Country has already captured several of our cities!”

An older lady said solemnly.@@novelbin@@

The others quickly showed surprise. “What? Is that true?”

“What about the civilians in those cities?”

Someone asked.

“The ones who couldn’t escape in time were all slaughtered, and some managed to pack their things and run away, but they have nowhere to go. They’re begging along the streets. Many nearby towns suddenly have a surge in population.”

“Do they stay there?”

“Not necessarily.”

The older lady gave a meaningful look. “Those places are also close to the war zone. Who knows when they’ll lose again? They’ll have to move again.”

“Oh, can’t you hope for something good? What if we win?”

The older lady shook her head with a bitter smile.

After finishing eating melons with the big sister from the neighboring village, Xu Qi returned to her stall, feeling somewhat lost.

“Hey, why did our country lose the war?”

“Who knows? It’s not like us ordinary folks have anything to do with it. Let’s just focus on earning money.”

The big sister also knew this truth, but she sighed nonetheless.

However, Xu Qi’s heart was not so calm.

She had arrived during a wartime era, where ordinary people were already struggling. If the war intensified, it would be even harder.

And for some reason, there was a strong voice in her heart constantly saying, “During wartime, store more food, store more food…”

Xu Qi’s eyes lit up. After selling the pork, she said goodbye to the big sister from the neighboring village and waited alone at the meat stall for Xu Zhi.

“Let’s go, sis.”

As soon as Xu Zhi arrived, she got on the donkey cart and waited for Xu Qi to catch up. However, Xu Qi first sent her away.

“What are you doing?”

“Come, accompany me to buy something.”

“What are we buying?”

“Just follow me.”

Xu Qi impatiently dragged Xu Zhi and took her to Doctor Chen’s medical hall.

Xu Zhi was shocked. “Are you sick?” It didn’t seem like it.

“I’m not sick.”

She walked in and greeted Doctor Chen familiarly. “Why are you here?”

Doctor Chen asked.

“I’m here to buy some tonic herbs for men. I want to go back and stew some medicinal meals for my husband.”

Xu Qi smiled and handed over the pig liver in her hand. “These are gifts for you, Doctor.”

Doctor Chen smiled, his eyebrows raised. “This is unnecessary. Pig liver is good for replenishing blood. You can fry it for your husband to eat.”

“Come here.”

Doctor Chen fumbled for a few taels of medicinal herbs and put them in a packet for Xu Qi. “These are all tonics for men. You can add a bit to the meals every day. It won’t affect the taste, and it’s good for men’s health.”

“Okay, thank you, Doctor Chen. I’ll bring you a jin of meat tomorrow.”

After getting the medicine, Xu Qi happily left the clinic.

Xu Zhi was sour outside. “You’re doing well now. You have a precious husband, and you even dragged me along to buy things for him. Have you forgotten I have nothing?”

“Why don’t you marry someone?”

Xu Qi didn’t think too much about it. She just felt that marrying someone was enough.

But Xu Zhi shook her head. “Forget it.”

She thought about her father’s temperament and her brother’s temperament. She wouldn’t be able to let anyone in.

“Buy two bags of rice.”

“Why are you buying so much? Will these two bags last your family for long?”

Xu Zhi was stunned when Xu Qi started buying rice without a second thought, and she couldn’t help but question her.

“Don’t worry about it. Just carry them.”

She put the rice on Xu Zhi’s back, one bag for each, almost crushing Xu Zhi’s small frame, which lacked the nourishment of a husband.