diskusbooks Chapter 22 Pig Farming Begins
Chapter 22 Pig Farming Begins
Ying Wuyou slept soundly through the night without a single dream. In the morning, sunlight streamed through the window, waking her. She stretched, washed up, and headed to the palace school. She was in a good mood, looking forward to the new day.
The morning's classes were intensive and fulfilling, and Ying Wuyou listened attentively. After two classes, she returned to her courtyard and had a simple lunch. After lunch, she decided to change her clothes and then leave the palace.
Ying Wuyou was in a good mood lately and looked radiant. She stepped out of the palace gates, breathing in the fresh air and feeling the warmth of the sun. The world outside the palace was full of life and vitality, which pleased her. She strolled along the street, admiring the scenery around her, chatting with people, and appreciating the beauty of life.
Ying Wuyou had originally planned to buy a carriage, but now she had no money left, and even if she bought it, she would have nowhere to store it. So, she decided to rent a carriage instead. The carriage bumped and swayed along the way, and soon arrived at the manor. Ying Wuyou saw Zhu Laisan, the pig-tooth, and his nephew, who had come to deliver piglets, in the distance.
After disembarking from the carriage, Zhu Laisan ran over cheerfully, his face beaming with enthusiasm, and said, "Honored guest, the fifty piglets you requested have all been delivered. Please have someone count them." He then led Ying Wuyou to the pigpen. Ying Wuyou nodded slightly in agreement. He then turned to the guard behind him and instructed, "Go and count them to see if there are fifty piglets." The guard obeyed and quickly returned to report to Ying Wuyou, "Master, after careful counting, the number of piglets is correct; there are exactly fifty." Hearing this news, Ying Wuyou was satisfied and thanked Zhu Laisan, saying, "Thank you, Manager Zhu."
Hearing Ying Wuyou's praise, Zhu Laisan smiled even more broadly. He quickly pushed his nephew forward to Ying Wuyou and said, "Honored guest, this is my nephew, Zhu Xiaozhu. He'll be raising pigs for you from now on. If he doesn't do a good job or slacks off, don't be shy, punish him as necessary." Ying Wuyou nodded and said, "Okay." Zhu Laisan then said to Zhu Xiaozhu, "Xiaozhu, from now on, work hard for this honored guest, earn money, and take good care of your mother, understand?" Zhu Xiaozhu nodded and said, "Second Uncle, I understand." Zhu Laisan gave Zhu Xiaozhu a few more instructions before bidding farewell to Ying Wuyou.
Ying Wuyou called out Old Man Liu and his wife, who were looking after the estate, introduced Zhu Xiaozhu to them, and explained the main task for the estate going forward—pig raising. Then, he suddenly made a strange request: to castrate the pigs. Everyone looked surprised, but Ying Wuyou didn't explain further, simply telling them, "Just do as I say. Find someone experienced in castrating livestock to castrate these boars, leaving only two or three uncastrated. Also, you must not spread this around. If I find anyone gossiping about it, I will make sure they pay!" With that, he sharply scanned everyone present.
The men accepted the order and left. Ying Wuyou then toured the estate again before returning to the palace with her guards. Sitting in the carriage, Ying Wuyou pondered how to report the estate's situation to the emperor upon her return. She knew that this seemingly simple task of raising pigs was actually related to the nation's food supply and people's livelihood, and therefore required utmost care.
The carriage slowly entered the palace. Ying Wuyou composed herself, alighted, and went straight to the King of Qin's bedchamber. Before the king, she explained in detail the current state of Zhuangzi and her own plans, including the progress of pig farming and the decision to castrate the boars.
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin asked Ying Wuyou curiously, "How do you know that pork has a gamey smell because the boar wasn't castrated when it was young?" Ying Wuyou thought to himself, [I can't just say I dreamed about it, I need to come up with a reason. Hey, I've got it!] Ying Wuyou quickly replied, "Father, I heard it from the pig farmer on the farm." The King of Qin chuckled and asked, "Oh? I didn't expect this little pig farmer to have such abilities?" Ying Wuyou casually made up a story, "Father, the wisdom of ordinary people is sometimes much greater than that of those old scholars, they just don't have a place to use it, so I've created an opportunity for them."
The King of Qin remained noncommittal after hearing this. He asked Ying Wuyou, "You must have spent a lot of money during these two days. Do you have any left?" Ying Wuyou replied sheepishly, "Your subject truly has no money left, but I have thought of a way to earn money. I am certain I can earn money, Father, do not worry." The King of Qin asked, "Oh? What way do you have to earn money?" Ying Wuyou smiled and said, "Father, it's a secret for now. You'll find out later." The King of Qin said, "Very well, then I'll wait and see what kind of money-making scheme a little girl like you can come up with."
After returning from Zhangtai Palace, Ying Wuyou enjoyed a sumptuous dinner in a pleasant mood. After the meal, she strolled through the tranquil courtyard, feeling the gentle breeze on her face, and chatted with the system.
"System, do you have design blueprints for items such as chairs, benches, and sofas?" Ying Wuyou asked expectantly.
The system stretched lazily and replied, "[Of course I have them, but host, it's probably not appropriate for you to suddenly bring them out now!]"
Ying Wuyou asked curiously, "Why?"
The system patiently explained: "Host, we are currently in the Warring States period, the golden age of Confucianism, Legalism, and other schools of thought. Although the Qin Dynasty is primarily dominated by Legalism, Confucianism also has many supporters. The furniture you mentioned, such as the sofa, contradicts Confucian ideals and is likely to be criticized by Confucian scholars."
After listening to the system's analysis, Ying Wuyou fell into deep thought. She realized she needed to act cautiously and not easily expose things that contradicted the prevailing social norms. Perhaps she could hide them for now and reveal them when the time was right. After all, in this era, people's thoughts and ideas were relatively conservative, and anything novel could easily cause controversy and skepticism.
Ying Wuyou decided to temporarily set aside her desire for chairs and other items, and continue to enjoy the unique experience this ancient era offered her. She believed that, with the passage of time, one day she would be able to skillfully integrate modern elements into this ancient world, creating her own unique brilliance.
Since the chairs and benches couldn't solve the problem, Ying Wuyou had no choice but to unleash his ultimate move! Thinking of this, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but chuckle to himself. The system, however, was worried. It felt that its host might not be very bright, but what could a small system like itself do?