Chapter 40: What? One Is Missing?

Xia Yan sat in the courtyard, scratching her head in frustration, utterly at a loss.

"Sis, what should we do with these piglets?"

At this moment, Ruan Xiaotian came over, carrying a piglet.

Looking at the little pig, which had grown noticeably since they first bought it, Xia Yan hesitated. But since it was already dead, she thought it would be a waste to throw it away. "How about roasting it for a meal?"

"You've got quite the heart. Ten piglets are gone, and you can still think about roasting them," Ruan Xiaotian said, momentarily stunned, then laughed.

"Yes, it is a bit cruel, but at least they can serve a final purpose... Let's roast two, and cure the rest."

Wang Guilan, who was just stepping out of the house, overheard Xia Yan and was startled. "No, Xia, you can't eat these pigs. They were struck down by the mountain god. Eating them will bring bad luck."

"Aunt Wang, Brother Ruan already said it was man-made, not the mountain god," Xia Yan replied, amused by Wang Guilan's stubbornness.

"What does he know? I thought the same as you once, not wanting to waste them. But do you know what happened afterwards?"

Xia Yan shook her head, feigning fear to match Wang Guilan's alarm. "What happened?"

"I'd just finished dealing with the piglets when I noticed the pig intestines I'd set aside had turned black. It frightened me so much I hurried to bury the rest."

"Turned black? Maybe it was just the blood coagulating after a while," Xia Yan mused, thinking perhaps it was just time causing the blood to darken.

"No, no, no, it wasn't the color of blood. It was pitch black," Wang Guilan insisted, waving her hand. "I can tell the difference."

"Pitch black?"

Xia Yan repeated the words, then seemed to remember something. "Brother Ruan, do you think these piglets could have been poisoned?"

Ruan Xiaotian pondered for a moment. "Poisoned? But I didn't see anything strange in the pigsty."

As he spoke, he lifted the piglet and examined it more closely. Sure enough, there was a tiny red dot on its neck...

"Sis, look at this!"

He quickly pointed it out to Xia Yan.

"This is... a needle mark?!"

Staring at the little red dot, Xia Yan instantly recognized it. She'd always been afraid of injections and would stare at the red mark left behind for a long time after each shot.

A chill ran through her. She was glad Wang Guilan had warned her; otherwise, if she'd gone ahead and cooked the pigs, the consequences could have been dire. Whatever could kill a piglet so quickly must be extremely toxic—how vicious could someone be?

"Brother Ruan... let's check the other piglets for needle marks."

When Ruan Xiaotian reached the backyard, his expression suddenly changed. "This is bad—one piglet is missing!"

"What?! Missing?"

Xia Yan ran over and counted. Sure enough, there were only eight piglets left. What was this—had one come back to life and walked off?

"I put them all here just now," Ruan Xiaotian insisted, pointing to the pile.

"Um... Brother Ruan, could one have run off on its own?"

Ruan Xiaotian was speechless. Wasn't she the one who didn't believe in ghosts and spirits? Why bring up such things now?

"I wish it did run off. If someone stole it to eat, that's going to be a real problem."

Ruan Xiaotian began to worry.

Xia Yan's face mirrored his concern. If someone really ate the piglet and something happened… the consequences would be unimaginable.

The cause of death no longer mattered. Hearing the bugle sound in the distance, Xia Yan suddenly thought of something. "Brother Ruan, is there a broadcast station at the camp?"

"There is."

Ruan Xiaotian immediately grasped her intent and hurried with her to the station.

After explaining the situation, the staff consulted with their superior and soon began the broadcast.

"Attention, comrades in the camp: one of Company Commander Lin's piglets is missing. That piglet is dangerous—if anyone has taken it, dispose of it immediately. Do not eat it under any circumstances!"

The message repeated several times before the broadcast stopped.

At that very moment, in one of the family quarters at the back of the compound, a woman crouched, cleaning a piglet. "Dangerous? Nonsense. You dared to lecture me earlier—I'll just eat your pig and see what happens."

"Ma, what's for dinner today?"

"Today, I'll make braised pork for you!"

"Great, we're having braised pork!"

The woman was Liu Xiuying. Still bitter about Xia Yan's earlier words, she had returned, noticed the unattended piglets, and, seeing no one around, had taken one for herself.

An hour later, Xia Yan returned home. "Aunt Wang, has anyone brought back the missing piglet?"

"No..."

"Who could be causing trouble at a time like this?" Xia Yan was anxious, praying that perhaps a dog had carried the piglet off and eaten it.

A dog?

A sudden thought struck her. She turned to Aunt Wang. "Do you remember the pig farm owner telling me I should keep a dog?"

"I remember. Why?" Aunt Wang nodded, not understanding Xia Yan's point.

"He must have known something would happen to the piglets. That means he must know who did it!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Why didn't I think of that? No wonder he looked that way at the time. He must know. Let's go find him now!"

Enlightened, Aunt Wang nodded vigorously.

"Brother Ruan, please keep an eye on the house for me. I'm going down the mountain to see him."

"Now? The team might not have a vehicle available, and if you walk down and back, it'll be dark before you return. What if something happens on the road? No way!"

Ruan Xiaotian immediately stopped her. Lin You had asked him to look after the house before he left—if anything happened to Xia Yan, how could he explain it?

"So what should we do, just sit here and wait?" Xia Yan really wished Lin You were home; then he could go with her, and he surely would have more ideas than she did.

"I'll go check with the team and see if there's a vehicle. If there is, I'll go down the mountain with you."

Half an hour later, he came back, shaking his head from a distance. When he was closer, he said, "All the vehicles are out today. The earliest they'll be back is tomorrow."

Xia Yan sighed. It seemed they'd have to wait until a car was available. "Forget it, let's put this aside for now. Aunt Wang, please keep an eye on Nuannuan for me. I'm going to the infirmary..."