The final conclusion was: "In short, this is a tabby cat with a real personality. It only wants Jiaojiao to be the one to feed it, refuses to be raised by anyone else, and is only close to her."
Yun Xiaojiu said proudly, "Our Jiaojiao is different. It’s not just people who adore her, animals do too."
To this, the entire family agreed.
"That’s true. Our Jiaojiao is pretty, cute, has a good personality, and is very capable. Who wouldn’t like her? Anyone who doesn’t must be blind."
Even though they were family, they seemed to have endless things to say when talking about Yun Jiao. The whole family was completely smitten with her.
Yun Jiao: ’I’m used to it, I’m used to it.’
Shyness was a foreign concept to her; she readily accepted her family’s praise and compliments.
’That’s right. I’m just that amazing and popular of a Little Mermaid.’
Back then, there were few ways to preserve meat. One was sun-drying, though that worked better for fish, which could last a long time once dried.
The other was smoking it.
Smoked meat wasn’t fresh, of course, but its unique flavor was very popular.
Today, the men of the family went out to work, while the women stayed behind to process the pork.
The meat was cut into palm-wide strips and hung with long, slender palm leaves after being lightly marinated with local spices.
Grandpa Yun took Yun Xiaowu and Yun Xiao Liu into the mountains to find cypress trees, as the branches were what everyone around here used for smoking meat.
Fresh cypress branches produced thick smoke and a distinctive aroma when burned.
The thick smoke from their meat-smoking couldn’t be hidden. In no time, nearby neighbors ambled over.
"What are you all up to?"
Granny Yun smiled and said, "Oh, you know the children went to my eldest daughter-in-law’s family home to help with the corn harvest, right? Well, their village ran into a few wild boars, and my in-laws got lucky and brought one down. They sent some of the meat back with them, but it’s too much to eat at once, so we’re making it into smoked meat. We had some fish too, so we decided to just smoke that along with it."
She didn’t say that Yun Jiao had hunted the boar. For one, people might not believe it, and for another, it would be a huge hassle to have them pestering her granddaughter with all sorts of questions.
"Wild boar, huh."
The neighbor’s eyes and tone of voice were instantly filled with envy.
’To hear they have leftovers... just how much did they bring back?’
A peek into the courtyard revealed—good heavens—several large strips of meat hanging on the racks.
They became even more envious.
Soon, a crowd had gathered outside their gate, and Granny Yun tirelessly explained the situation to them.
"Your in-laws are so good to you. How come I never got such generous in-laws?"
"Wild boar meat... I’ve never even tried it before."
"Are you selling any of this boar meat?"
Granny Yun quickly waved her hands. "Not for sale, not for sale. We have so many mouths to feed in our family. You’re from the same village, you know that. How long do you think this little bit of meat will last us?"
"Well, it’s not like you can eat meat every day..."
People living in a fishing village desperately craved pork.
Unfortunately, no matter what they said, Granny Yun refused to sell.
Yun Linhe and his wife, Wang Mei, didn’t get back with their children until the afternoon.
As soon as they returned, they saw the thick white smoke rising from their home.
And the people sitting at their gate, chatting and mending nets.
’What’s going on? Why did the neighborhood chat move to our front gate?’
’And what’s with all that white smoke?’
"Lin He, you’re back! Your family is smoking meat."
"What did you bring back? Don’t tell me you brought back wild boar meat, too."
After the wild boar meat Yun Linhai brought back, they were now extremely curious about what was in Yun Linhe and Wang Mei’s baskets.
Before Yun Linhe could react, someone suddenly darted behind him and lifted the cover on his basket.
Yun Linhe and his wife’s faces instantly darkened.
’It’s you again, Cai Jinhua!’
Wang Mei shoved her away. "What do you think you’re doing?"
Cai Jinhua yelped, "Ouch! I was just taking a look at what you brought back. So stingy."
"This is pathetic. All you brought back is cheap stuff. Your older brother’s family brought back all that wild boar meat."
Although Yun Linhe and Wang Mei didn’t quite understand what was going on, they were thoroughly disgusted by Cai Jinhua.
Wang Mei put her hands on her hips. "It’s none of your business what we bring back. At least my parents gave us something. Unlike you, who comes back from her parents’ house with nothing."
Cai Jinhua craned her neck. "That’s because my mother gave me money! She wouldn’t give me cheap stuff like this."
Wang Mei rolled her eyes and ignored her, not wanting to waste any more time.
They hurried back into the house.
Seeing the strips of meat being smoked in the courtyard, they were dumbfounded.
"Mom, what’s all this?"
Granny Yun was busy at work. Seeing them, she just gave a calm greeting.
"You’re back."
"Go on about your business."
There were too many people around, so it wasn’t a good time to talk.
Yun Jiao came out, followed by a tabby cat and her flock of chicks and ducklings.
"Grandma, our chicks have hatched!"
She saw a mother hen in the coop, leading around tiny yellow fluffballs.
There were also a few chicks with dark brown stripes; those must be the pheasants.
"Uncle, Auntie, you’re back!~"
Yun Linhe immediately swept her up into his arms.
"I missed you so much."
Yun Jiao hugged them. "I missed you and Auntie too."
Yun Chen Nan walked over, his eyes half-closed.
"Jiaojiao, look what Third Brother brought for you."
He had a few pieces of candy in his hand.
Yun Jiao’s eyes crinkled into crescents. "Thank you, Third Brother."
After hugging her uncle’s family, whom she hadn’t seen for a few days, Yun Jiao went back to asking Granny Yun about the chicks.
"Yes, the first chicks started breaking out of their shells the day before yesterday. They’re almost all out today."
"They’re so tiny."
’Especially compared to the ones I’m raising myself.’
Her chickens, ducks, and geese were all raised together, but Yun Jiao was good at it, and they had all grown big.
Some of them were already molting.
"Grandma, I’m taking them out to find food."
’There’s nothing to do at home anyway.’
Yun Jiao left the house with the tabby cat and her flock of chicks.
It was no exaggeration to say that when she walked out the main gate, the eyes of everyone standing there fell on her.
Yun Jiao was confident and poised. She held her head high. ’Let them look,’ she thought. ’I have nothing to hide.’
"Jiaojiao is taking her chicks out to find food again."
Yun Jiao nodded. "Yep, they have to eat well to grow big."
"Ah, what a good girl."
Cai Jinhua sidled up to her. "Yun Jiao, dear, this auntie will give you ten cents. How about you ask your grandma to sell me a strip of pork?"
Yun Jiao shot her a disdainful glance.
’Ten cents is nothing. I have lots of money!’
’I forgot to give Grandpa and Grandma their share of the money.’
She counted on her fingers. After everyone got their share, it seemed she wouldn’t have much left.
’Oh well, I can always save up more money in the future!’
"Jiaojiao, wait for me! I’ll go with you."
Yun Xiaojiu ran out.
The two siblings walked ahead hand in hand, the tabby cat trotting calmly beside them, followed by a trailing string of little tails.
Yun Xiaowu watched them with a resentful look in his eyes. ’Why do I have to stay here and guard the meat? I want to go with Jiaojiao too. These last couple of days, I haven’t been the brother she’s closest with.’