Chapter 43: Pigs in the Mortal World Are Mortal Pigs, Pigs in the Immortal Realm Are Immortal Pigs

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Pigs in the Mortal World Are Mortal Pigs, Pigs in the Immortal Realm Are Immortal Pigs

Yun Xiu untied all the bags, and the raw, gamey scent of pork spread through the air. Any seasoned person would know this was fresh pork from a recently slaughtered pig.

The village chief leaned in for a closer look and couldn’t help but marvel. "Such thick fat and massive chunks of meat! I’ve never seen pork so plump and meaty. It’s premium lean pork, absolutely top-tier meat!"

Hunters Wang often dealt with wild game. Although he had never slaughtered a domestic pig, he had butchered wild boars. The difference was that wild boars had a distinct, pungent stench. "The smell is strong; it must be fresh!"

The villagers all craned their necks to look at the pork inside the bags.

Someone with a sharp nose sniffed and looked puzzled. "That’s not right. I bought pork in town two years ago. When cooked, it was indeed wonderfully rich and savory, but the raw meat smelled incredibly pungent, rank, and bitter. Although the pork the Goddess brought also has a strong scent, it doesn’t smell bad at all."

"That’s right. My family also bought pork once three years ago for my old mother’s sixtieth birthday. My wife bought two catties in one go. I smelled it, and raw pork smells awful."

Another villager retorted, "Can the pork the Goddess brought from the Immortal Realm be compared to pigs from the mortal world? Pigs in the mortal world are mortal pigs, while pigs from the Immortal Realm are immortal pigs. According to the stories from the older generation, Immortals naturally emit a fragrance called immortal aura. Isn’t it perfectly normal for an immortal pig to be imbued with that aura?"

The crowd came to a sudden realization!

"Right, right, right! We were thinking about it all wrong."

"Mortal pigs from the mortal world have a stronger, rank stench. Pigs from the Immortal Realm have immortal aura, so their smell isn’t as pungent."

Listening to the crowd, Yun Zhen finally realized something was off. When she first won the prize, she had been so thrilled she could have jumped for joy. She hadn’t paid any attention to the smell of the pork. Even if she had noticed a different scent, she probably would have subconsciously ignored it in that environment.

She wondered, "That’s true. Why didn’t the pork from over there have a strong, rank stench?"

Yun Zhen addressed everyone, "Aside from the twenty-four catties of pork I need to save for social favors in the Immortal Realm, the rest is all here. It probably wouldn’t sell in the Immortal Realm since they don’t lack meat, but everyone here needs it. Therefore, I’ve decided to leave all this pork as our village’s food reserves. In this weather, it can be preserved for a long time. Eating more meat and putting on some weight will help fend off the bitter cold."

Upon hearing this, the villagers cheered and danced with joy.

The children hopped around happily. "AWOO! We get to eat meat! We get to eat meat!"

Yun Zhen took out another bag filled with small, colorful packets. "I also bought the spices for making braised pork. Tomorrow, I’ll have my father and Uncle Village Chief cut up dozens of catties of meat to make braised pork for you all!"

Her voice rang clearly in everyone’s ears. The crowd gasped sharply in excitement.

"This is great! We’re having braised pork!"

"We get to eat meat tomorrow! I’m not dreaming, am I?"

SLAP!

A loud slap echoed as someone struck himself in disbelief, rubbing his painful cheek. It wasn’t a dream! Many people were moved to tears.

Yun Xiu and the village chief wanted to stop her. This was pork! The villagers hadn’t tasted meat in three to five years; it could save lives at a critical moment. However, this was Yun Zhen’s intention. Yun Xiu didn’t want to undermine his daughter’s authority in front of outsiders, and the village chief didn’t dare defy the Goddess’s orders. As for the rest of the villagers, they unconditionally supported all of Yun Zhen’s decisions. If the Goddess said they would drink thin gruel, they drank thin gruel. If the Goddess said they would eat meat, they ate meat. By following the Goddess and listening to her words, they would never go hungry.

Yun Zhen made further arrangements, "Tomorrow, we will also steam a pot of rice. Not thin gruel, not thick porridge, but solid, fluffy rice without a trace of excess water."

The crowd shouted, "The Goddess is wise!"

A villager named Skinny Monkey smiled so widely that the wrinkles on his face bunched together. "We can eat meat tomorrow! I haven’t had meat in ten years. The last time I had it was when the village chief’s eldest son got married. The chief cooked radish soup for the village, and everyone had one tael of meat in their bowls. One bite, and it was so rich and greasy! I haven’t had such a treat since. By now, I’ve almost forgotten what meat tastes like."

Someone added, "We also get to eat steamed white rice."

Another villager wept bitterly. "Since the day I was born, I’ve only eaten coarse grains, tree bark, and grass roots. I’ve never had steamed rice made from refined white rice!"

"Forget about you, ask around—who in the village has ever eaten it?"

The answer was no one. Taoyuan Village was far too poor. In peaceful years, they could barely keep themselves fed and warm. A catty of refined rice cost sixty cents in the county town. Buying half a catty to boil into thin gruel was manageable, but who could afford to eat a solid bowl of steamed rice?

The crowd’s joy was self-evident.

"Steamed rice and braised pork!"

This was a beautiful fantasy that wouldn’t even appear in their wildest dreams.

Feeling the icy chill in the air, Yun Zhen couldn’t help but shiver. "It’s getting very late. Everyone, go back and get some sleep. Tomorrow, you’ll be able to eat meat."

The village chief spoke to the still-excited villagers, "She’s right, it’s too late today. Let’s not disturb the Goddess’s rest. The Goddess still has to return to the Immortal Realm tomorrow. The ten people originally scheduled to learn the crafts should also head back and come over tomorrow evening instead."

Only then did the crowd realize how late it was. The sky outside had grown pitch-black, and the rustling sound of falling snow echoed in their ears.

"Yes, yes, yes, we’ll head back right now. We won’t disturb the Goddess’s rest."

The village chief then turned to Yun Zhen. "Goddess, we won’t have them learn the crafts today. It’s too late, and it would disturb your rest."

When the people of Taoyuan Village weren’t working, they usually climbed into bed right after eating their evening meal between 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. By this time, everyone should have been fast asleep.

Yun Zhen had no objections. "We’ll do as Uncle Village Chief says."

The villagers left, holding their large white steamed buns and eating as they walked. Once they were all gone, Yun Xiu slid the door latch into place. Yun Zhen piled the meat in the corner and placed the hundred catties of rice she had brought into the food storage area.

"You bought so much rice again." Touching the rice, Yun Old Lady’s hands trembled. They already had a significant amount of food stored at home—enough to feed the entire village for several days—yet her daughter had purchased even more provisions.

Yun Zhen told her mother, "Food is the top priority. If nothing goes wrong, I will buy grain every day before coming home."

Yun Xiu strongly agreed with his daughter. "Zhen Niang is absolutely right. In this famine year with heavy snows, a stable food reserve is fundamental. With enough reserves, no one has to fear going hungry."

Noticing her daughter was absent, Yun Zhen asked, "Is Xiaobao asleep?"

At the mention of his granddaughter, Yun Xiu’s eyes softened considerably. "She fell asleep right before you came back. You arrived late today, and she simply couldn’t stay awake any longer."

Yun Old Lady nodded as well. "Xiaobao originally wanted to wait for you."

Feeling a bit guilty, Yun Zhen said, "From now on, if anything comes up, I’ll definitely come home first to report my Ping’an."

When she first arrived, the atmosphere in the room had been oppressive and tense. Her parents’ faces were pale, Uncle Village Chief looked terrified, and the villagers were all so anxious they were on the verge of tears. Yun Zhen had been so overwhelmed by winning the grand prize of half a pig that she completely forgot to come back early to report her Ping’an.

Yun Xiu asked, "Are you sleeping at home tonight?"

Yun Zhen hummed in agreement. "I want to keep Xiaobao company."

Yun Xiu nodded. "Good thing there’s a fire lit in your room."

Yun Old Lady sighed in amazement. "Pigs in the Immortal Realm are truly fat. A single pig weighs two hundred catties! Even the butchers in town and the county have probably never seen such a robust pig. Several families in our village used to raise pigs, and the heaviest one was only about ninety catties."

Yun Zhen corrected her, "Mother, this is actually only half a pig!"

"What?!" Yun Xiu cried out upon hearing this.

Now, it wasn’t just Yun Old Lady who was shocked. He was completely astounded as well.