The Vicious Ex-Wife Stripped Me Bare, and Now the Commander Is Seeing Red Every Day - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Why Buy Lambs? As Pets?

When Lin Ning returned, Gu Rou was already up. Sitting at the table, she immediately stood up when she saw her enter: “Sister, did you go to the cowshed?”

Lin Ning nodded. “Sent some breakfast.” She walked to the table and sat down, noticing the breakfast on the table hadn’t been touched. She looked up and asked, “Why aren’t you eating? You don’t have to wait for me.”

“I just wanted to wait for Sister so we could eat together.” Gu Rou picked up her chopsticks and asked, “Why didn’t you call me when you went to the cowshed!”

Lin Ning tapped an egg against the table to peel it. “I went before dawn while Mom and Dad were still asleep. You wouldn’t have been able to talk to them even if you went.”

Gu Rou gave an “oh.” Then she asked, “Are we sending lunch later? I want to go with you.”

Lin Ning shook her head. “Not at noon. I sent plenty this morning. Besides, there are too many eyes during the day. We’ll go back at night.”

“Will you take me then?” Gu Rou’s eyes were full of expectation.

This time, Lin Ning nodded: “I’ll take you.” Then her tone shifted, “But this afternoon, you have to work with me!”

Gu Rou paused. “Didn’t you say we didn’t have to work for a while? And the other Educated Youths haven’t arrived yet!” She wasn’t quite prepared.

Lin Ning: “No, I’m going to buy some lambs. You’re going to help!”

Gu Rou blurted out: “Why buy lambs? As pets?”

Lin Ning: “To eat once they’re grown!”

Gu Rou: “…!”

Lin Ning glanced at her and continued calmly: “Lamb skewers, mutton hotpot, whole roasted lamb…”

Gu Rou swallowed hard, her eyes overflowing with longing: “When are we going?”

Lin Ning smiled. “After we finish cleaning out the pigsty in the back.”

Gu Rou looked bewildered. “Pigsty? What pigsty?”

Lin Ning raised her eyes and signaled to the pancake in the girl’s hand. “Eat first.”

Gu Rou began taking much larger bites. After breakfast, Lin Ning instructed her to scrub the pots and wash the dishes, telling her: “I made breakfast. To be fair, you do the washing.”

Gu Rou rolled up her sleeves and worked with gusto. Her lack of “spoiled princess” behavior satisfied Lin Ning.

But that satisfaction lasted only until the cleaning began.

While cleaning the pigsty, Gu Rou threw up. Lin Ning looked at the yellow and white vomit and was very displeased. Just because the pigsty was a bit dirty and smelly, she wasted food?

“Urgh! Sister, pork tastes so good, why is the place they live so stinking?” Gu Rou had never been so thoroughly revolted; she was on the verge of a breakdown.

Lin Ning looked at her and really wanted to ask: How could you throw up food that was so hard to get into your stomach?

Gu Rou didn’t catch the implication immediately. “It’s just too smelly, I couldn’t help it!”

Lin Ning: “Your father and mother are living in a cowshed; it’s not much better than a pigsty.”

Gu Rou froze instantly, as if her controls had been hard-locked. “I’m sorry.” She hung her head, seemingly realizing her mistake.

Lin Ning didn’t lecture further, simply saying: “Get to work.”

Gu Rou picked up the broom and silently swept away the trash in the pigsty. Although her face was a bit pale, she didn’t vomit again, working diligently and honestly. Once the entire pigsty was cleaned and the nauseating stench was gone, Gu Rou looked at Lin Ning: “Sister, is it okay to keep lambs in a pigsty? Why don’t we raise pigs?”

Lin Ning: “I have my own plans.”

Gu Rou looked at her, her expression hesitant—was she sure it wasn’t just because of the lamb skewers, mutton hotpot, and roasted lamb?

“Let’s go, we’re going to ‘carry’ the lambs.” Lin Ning turned to leave the pigsty.

Gu Rou followed at a jog. “Sister, where are we going to buy them?”

Lin Ning: “Just follow me.”

Gu Rou followed closely as they quickly left the village. “Sister, is it far? Should we take the bicycle?”

Lin Ning kept walking without stopping. “You can’t ride a bike there.”

Gu Rou became even more curious: “Where exactly is it?”

Lin Ning didn’t answer and kept walking. It wasn’t actually that far. About half an hour later, in the middle of the deserted wilderness, they saw a shed. Before they even got close, they could smell the scent of sheep and hear the “baaing.”

Gu Rou’s eyes lit up, and she turned to look at Lin Ning with immense admiration: “Sister, how did you know there were sheep here?”

Lin Ning lied: “The Village Chief told me.”

Gu Rou didn’t have the slightest doubt.

As they approached, Lin Ning stood outside. A man wearing a sheepskin vest walked out and froze upon seeing them. “Who are you?”

Lin Ning: “Hello, we are new Educated Youths, surname Lin. We heard we can ‘carry’ (adopt/buy) lambs here; we’d like to take two.”

The man understood, but Gu Rou was confused. She turned to her: “Sister, aren’t we here to buy them? If we just ‘carry’ them, will he let us?”

Lin Ning glanced at her, speechless. “‘Carrying’ means buying.”

Gu Rou immediately lowered her head with a soft “oh.”

“Alright, come in!” The sheep uncle smiled and beckoned them. “All the ones in this pen are lambs. Pick them out, and I’ll catch them for you.”

Lin Ning and Gu Rou followed him around to the back of the shed. After passing several pens, they stood before one. Looking at the bleating lambs inside, Gu Rou was thrilled, her eyes darting everywhere. Finally, she exclaimed, “These lambs are so cute!”

Lin Ning: “Cute or not, we can only pick two.”

Gu Rou couldn’t look away. “I know.” She began picking seriously. “I want this one, and that one.” She looked at her sister: “Is that okay?”

Lin Ning looked at the sheep uncle: “Are these two male or female?”

Sheep Uncle: “One male, one female. But the ram is much more expensive than the ewe.”

Lin Ning: “Then we’ll take those two.”

“Right then! I’ll catch them for you.” The sheep uncle hopped into the pen and expertly snatched up the two lambs. “Here, this one’s the male.” He handed it to Lin Ning. “This one’s the female.” He handed it to Gu Rou.

Each of them held a lamb. The little creatures tilted their heads and bleated at them.

Lin Ning nodded. “How much?”

Sheep Uncle: “Eight yuan for the ewe, twelve for the ram. Twenty yuan total.”

Lin Ning nodded and pulled out two prepared “Great Unity” bills. “Thank you, Uncle.”

The man took the money, smiling widely. “Sure thing. Come back to me next time you want sheep.”

Lin Ning nodded, and holding the lamb, led Gu Rou away. Along the way, Gu Rou’s eyes were fixed on the lamb, and the lamb looked back, bleating occasionally. The sound made Gu Rou swallow her saliva repeatedly.

“Sister, when we go to the cowshed tonight, can we bring the lambs?” She finally looked away from the sheep, but her question was quite unexpected.

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