"Coming."

Jim Thorne dusted off his hands and walked over. He easily lifted a large, full bucket of pig feed. Before he even reached the sty, the two plump, white pigs started oinking and happily nudging the gate. They waited for this feeding all day.

"What’s the rush? You’ll get your share."

Jim Thorne rapped the trough a few times with a ladle, and the two pigs backed away, clearing a path. He spooned the feed into the trough, and the pigs began to eat happily, MUNCHING away noisily. They were clearly enjoying their meal, and in no time, they had devoured half of it.

One of the pigs was very aggressive. It kept nudging its companion, trying to hog all the food. Jim Thorne furiously rapped it a few times with the ladle. "Stupid pig! The more you eat, the sooner you die! There’s plenty of food for both of you. If you try to hog it again, I’ll beat you to death!"

Tang Xiao’nan leaned on the edge of the pigsty, watching with fascination. The fat-headed, big-eared pigs were actually kind of cute. The only problem was that the sty reeked. It was bearable now that the weather was cooler, but in the summer, it would be swarming with flies and mosquitoes, and the stench would become utterly overpowering. The sty had to be cleaned every other day, otherwise the smell was enough to knock you out.

Jim Thorne poured the rest of the feed into the trough and shooed the greedier pig to one side. He stood watch until the smaller pig had eaten its fill, only then letting the other one back. He looked just like a general commanding a battle, full of authority.

"Third Brother, why are the pigs Grandma and Mom raise so fat, but the pig Aunt Green raises is so scrawny?" Tang Xiao’nan asked, genuinely confused.

Rosalind Green was raising one pig, while Phoebe Huxley and Raina were raising two. They had all gotten the piglets on the same day, but in just ten-odd days, a clear difference had emerged. The pigs belonging to Raina and Phoebe Huxley were plump and white, whereas Rosalind Green’s pig looked unchanged. It was still quite svelte.

"She cooks so little feed each day, it’s not even enough for a person to eat. She feeds it when she remembers and starves it when she forgets. It’s a wonder she hasn’t killed it yet," Jim Thorne said with a look of contempt.

’That woman isn’t just ugly, she’s lazy too,’ he thought. ’She’s terrible at housework, useless in the fields... she can’t do anything but cry. How did a woman like that ever get married? Adrian Hawthorne’s father must’ve been completely blind.’

Tang Xiao’nan...

’Does this count as pig abuse?’

’No wonder the Hawthorne family’s chickens are so skinny too. At least they’ve managed to grow up. Rosalind Green just lets them run wild, forcing the chickens and ducks to find their own food on the mountain or in the pond. Any longer and they’ll probably turn feral.’ 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Once the rabbits were settled, Tang Xiao’nan went to Raina and put on her cutest act, successfully wheedling the old woman into a beaming smile. Raina generously gave two biscuits each to Tang Xiao’nan and Jim Thorne. She even gave one to Amanda Chapman, which was completely unprecedented. Amanda was so excited her hands were trembling. Unwilling to eat it all at once, she licked and nibbled it carefully, looking like she could make that single biscuit last the entire evening.

"Grandma, where did Third Uncle go?" Tang Xiao’nan asked curiously.

"He’s definitely off messing around with those good-for-nothing friends of his again. When he gets back, I’ll break his legs! Never does an honest day’s work..."

The mere mention of her youngest son set Raina off, and she started cursing up a storm. Tang Xiao’nan stuck out her tongue and didn’t dare ask any more questions. She tiptoed out of the room, still able to hear Raina’s yelling from a distance.

Tang Xiao’nan gave her biscuits to Jim Thorne and Amanda Chapman, one for each of them. ’She had no interest in such plain biscuits. Once she had money, she was going to buy herself some proper pastries.’

Raina came out and hollered at them, "Jim, go ask your mom when she’s planning to haul the night soil! Tell her not to forget!"

"Got it."

Jim Thorne called back. ’He didn’t understand why Grandma was so concerned about his mom hauling night soil, but all he had to do was relay the message.’

Tang Xiao’nan’s lips twitched. ’Grandma is so petty,’ she thought. ’She actually remembered. It looks like Phoenix Golding isn’t going to escape her date with the maggot pit after all.’