The group waited in town until one in the afternoon when the city finally called back with good news.
Yu Feng said cheerfully, "The city takes this matter very seriously and has immediately arranged for a vehicle to pick up the meteorology expert. They’ll arrive in the county tonight, conduct surveys around the area tomorrow morning, and reach our town by afternoon."
After a moment’s thought, he added, "Since Xiangyang Village raised the issue first, the expert will visit you first. If time permits, they’ll also inspect the surrounding villages. Make sure you’re prepared for the reception."
Feng Wuquan immediately understood. "Yes, Chief. I’ll ensure the meteorology expert is well accommodated. Will you be joining us tomorrow to oversee the work?"
Yu Feng naturally wanted to make an appearance. "I’ll arrive around noon. Given the urgency, let me know if you need anything."
Need anything? Feng Wuquan couldn’t think of anything at first, but Nan Sheng nudged him and whispered, "Meat."
The village chief caught on. "Chief, there is one thing—I figured the expert will need meals, and while we have plenty of vegetables, buying meat requires ration coupons, which is inconvenient."
For the town chief, this was no trouble at all. "Alright, I’ll write you a note. Head straight to the town’s pig farm later—let’s not embarrass our town."
"Yes, I’ll make sure it’s done!"
The other village chiefs watched Feng Wuquan with envy. He was getting all the credit, especially the chief of Wangshan Village, who had also put in effort—why wasn’t the expert visiting him first?
Nan Sheng and the others gathered around Uncle Liu’s ox cart, which also carried the oil jars she had bought. The fatty pork she’d stashed inside was hidden under the lids, completely out of sight.
Luckily, the cart had been parked in the shade, or the meat would have spoiled in the heat.
With the chief’s note in hand, everyone was in high spirits. They exchanged glances. "Why not… buy extra?"
Pork usually cost seventy cents per jin, but buying directly from the farm was cheaper and didn’t require coupons—probably around fifty cents.
Feng Wuquan: "I’ll take five jin!"
Uncle Liu: "Two jin!"
First Team Leader: "Four jin!"
Second Team Leader: "Four jin!"
Zhou Ren: "Four jin!"
Nan Sheng was almost exasperated. "I’ll take thirty jin! Food prices will keep rising, and meat will get even more expensive!"
Feng Wuquan thought she had a point. "Then I’ll take ten jin. Thirty is too much—it might spoil."
Nan Sheng insisted, "It’s for my family, my in-laws, and my parents—three households!"
Calculated that way, it didn’t seem excessive. In the end, they agreed to buy a hundred jin of meat. Nan Sheng also bought extra fatty cuts and trotters.
The pigs were freshly slaughtered, and the remaining meat was sold to the farm’s staff as a benefit.
Back in Xiangyang Village, the ox cart stopped at each household to avoid drawing attention to their secret meat purchase. When they reached Nan Sheng’s home, Feng Wuquan and Zhou Ren helped unload.
"Goodness, these jars are heavy!"
Nan Sheng smiled sheepishly. "I stored grain inside."
The two men, being earnest, advised her to stock up on more grain once the meteorology expert confirmed the situation tomorrow.
Nan Sheng thought to herself: If she didn’t secure grain tomorrow, the black market would catch wind, and prices would skyrocket.
It was already past three in the afternoon, so she quickly scrubbed the pot and rendered the two batches of fat.
While the lard simmered, she washed the meat. She set aside two portions—one around three jin, the other five—then cubed the rest, fried it, and packed it into a new jar with the rendered fat.
The lard filled two jars and half a small basin, and there were too many cracklings to store separately, so she mixed most of them into the lard.
Thinking about the grain delivery that night, Nan Sheng skipped cooking and focused on cleaning the wardrobe in the east room. She wiped it down three times with a damp cloth, then dried it thoroughly.
The wardrobe was two meters long, one and a half meters tall, and nearly a meter deep—enough to hold five or six hundred jin of grain.
The west room had only one wardrobe, filled with the children’s clothes from infancy. She’d need to commission another chest soon, or there’d be no place to store everything.
When Sizhe returned, the smell of meat greeted him. Peeking into his room, he nearly thought they’d been robbed—until he saw his stepmother.
Wiping sweat from her face, Nan Sheng said, "Sizhe, there are two pieces of meat in the kitchen. Take the smaller one to Grandma and say it’s from your father’s earnings."
The wardrobe was clean and drying, ready for the grain that night.
"I bought grain on the black market—it’s going in here. Don’t tidy up yet; we’ll organize everything after it’s delivered."
Sizhe nodded, curious. "How much did we buy?"
"A mix of different kinds—around fourteen or fifteen hundred jin in total. Enough to last our family of four."
Hearing this, Sizhe felt a weight lift from his chest. He glanced at his stepmother, surprised that he now found her… reliable.
"I’ll deliver the meat to Grandma."
As soon as he left, the system notified Nan Sheng: his favorability had surged by an astonishing 30 points!
Humming to herself, she started cooking. Today was a good day—everything was falling into place!
After the grain delivery tonight, she’d draw two surprise prizes. She could hardly wait!
Sizhe returned with Siqi in tow. The little girl pouted. "Mama, you promised to pick me up!"
Nan Sheng froze. She’d been so busy, she’d forgotten about the little one.
Kneeling, she coaxed, "Is Siqi mad at me?"
The child pursed her lips, wanting to say yes—but instead muttered, "Only a little."
Nan Sheng quickly fetched her tiny stool. "Then keep Mama company while she cooks, okay? We’re having meat tonight. You can tend the fire."
"Okay!"
Instantly forgetting her grievance, Siqi happily fed kindling into the stove.
Dinner was much later than usual. Sizhe had cleaned the trotters without complaint—meat was worth the effort.
Though pork trotters didn’t pair perfectly with corn porridge, the family devoured them eagerly. Between the braised trotters and a cold vegetable dish, several pieces of meat remained uneaten.
Nan Sheng lightly salted the portion meant for her parents to keep it fresh. Her father and brother would collect it when they came by late that night.
The east room wardrobe dried quickly. After securing the lid, she sorted clothes—half the space held bedding, the other half garments.
She tucked away the remaining sugar, brown sugar, and milk candies, covering them with clothes. The wardrobes, both lockable, were her pride—no outsider could guess their contents.
At Father Lin and Mother Lin’s home, the gifted meat brought joy. They cooked half to share with their eldest son’s family—one perk of living with elders was always tasting the best treats.
"Boss, the weather expert is coming tomorrow. As soon as it's confirmed there'll be a drought, you must take leave and go to town to buy grain. Don’t worry about the cost—money can’t compare to life."
"Understood, Dad!"
The family had over two hundred in savings, originally meant for their son’s wedding. Now, they had no choice but to use it for the emergency.
