BDSMST -Chapter 46 “Family Joy” in the Pigsty

The smell inside the pigsty was much stronger than outside—but surprisingly, it wasn’t overwhelmingly unpleasant. The ground was covered with thick dry straw and wood shavings, keeping it fairly dry. Rows of pig pens were separated and kept quite clean, clearly the result of careful attention.

The old marquis and his wife paused at the doorway to acclimate before stepping inside.

What they saw made the two of them—well over a hundred years combined—freeze in place.

In the innermost pen, an unusually spacious “birthing room,” a large sow lay on thick straw. Beside her, several pink, wet newborn piglets were squeaking and nudging, searching for their mother.

An experienced old farmer was half-squatting, skillfully handling the newborns.

Next to him, also squatting, was none other than their long-lost eldest grandson, Gu Xuan.

Gu Xuan now looked completely different from the young master of the marquis’ household they knew.

He wore a worn coarse cloth short jacket. For convenience while working, his sleeves were rolled up high, exposing two honey-toned, well-toned forearms. His face had streaks of mud from somewhere, and sweat had plastered strands of hair to his forehead.

He focused entirely on the sow, holding a clean cloth in his hands, his expression a mix of tension, excitement, and concentration.

“Another one! Uncle Zhang, quick! This leg seems stuck!” he shouted, his voice urgent.

“Don’t panic, young master!” the old farmer replied calmly without looking up. “This is normal. Hand me that basin of warm water, and get another clean cloth.”

Gu Xuan immediately moved deftly, picked up the wooden basin nearby, and carefully handed it over. Every movement he made displayed a skill beyond his years.

The old marquis and madam stood a few steps away, watching their precious grandson busy delivering piglets, completely absorbed in the work.

The old madam instinctively covered her mouth, letting out a faint gasp. Thoughts raced through her mind: How is Xuan’er here? Why is he doing labor that servants normally do? Is he getting hurt? This place is so dirty—will he get sick?

The old marquis remained silent, but his hands gripped the top of his cane tightly. His chest churned with complex emotions: anger, incredulity, and a flicker of… surprise he didn’t even want to admit.

The eldest grandson of the Yongning Marquis’ household—the future heir—was here, delivering piglets?

If word of this reached the capital, the entire Yongning Marquisate would become the laughingstock of the city.

At that moment, Gu Xuan seemed to sense something. He instinctively turned his head.

When his gaze met his grandparents standing at the doorway, his expression froze for a moment.

“Gra… Grandfather? Grandmother?” he blinked, seemingly unable to believe his eyes.

Then, the surprise on his face quickly transformed into pure, unrestrained joy, as if presenting a treasure. He didn’t care at all how disheveled he looked or that he was in a pigsty.

He scrambled to his feet using both hands and feet, completely ignoring the need to dry his hands, and ran toward the old marquis and his wife.

“Grandfather! Grandmother! What are you doing here?!” His voice shot up eight notes in excitement, crisp and bright. “You came at just the right time! Look! Look!”

He ran up to them, holding out his hands like presenting a treasure, still smudged with some dirt and amniotic fluid, pointing toward the sow.

“She’s delivered! ‘Hum-Hum II’! She gave birth to eight piglets! We all thought she couldn’t do it this time, but she was amazing!”

The old madam looked at her grandson’s flushed face from excitement, and those startlingly bright eyes, and for a moment, she forgot how to react. Instinctively, she reached out to wipe the smudges from his face.

Gu Xuan didn’t notice her gesture. He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her toward the “birthing pen.”

“Grandmother, come see! The piglets are so interesting! They know how to find milk right after being born!”

His hands, covered with mud and unknown fluids, left clear, earthy handprints on the old madam’s well-kept, smooth, jade-like skin and on her fine silk sleeves.

In the past, if Gu Xuan had done something like this, the old marquis would probably have struck him with his cane.

But today, looking at his grandson’s pure, heartfelt smile, the vitality in his eyes that had never been there before, the old marquis couldn’t bring himself to speak the scolding words that hovered on his lips.

What he saw was not a grandson messing around in a pigsty.

What he saw was a boy filled with respect and curiosity for life. A child who was no longer sullen, no longer irritable, brimming with energy—a real child.

“Ahem.” The old marquis cleared his throat heavily, breaking the strange, almost magical atmosphere. He tried to make his voice sound stern: “Nonsense! Go wash up immediately! Look at you, all dirty—what kind of appearance is this?”

Gu Xuan instinctively shrank his neck at his grandfather’s roar—a reflex he had developed over many years.

But he quickly squared his small chest and defended himself with confidence: “This isn’t nonsense! This is a ‘practical lesson’! Mr. Shen said, ‘Learning from books alone is superficial; true understanding comes from practice!’ We’re learning! And anyway, I’ll wash up right away!”

Only then did he notice that he was still holding his grandmother’s hand—and the dirty handprint on her sleeve. He stuck out his tongue, hurriedly let go, and rubbed it on his equally dirty pants.

“Grandmother, I’m sorry—I forgot,” he said sheepishly.

The old madam looked at him, her eyes misting over. Her shock and fastidiousness had long since vanished. She shook her head, voice choked with emotion: “It’s okay… Xuan’er, are you… are you happy here?”

Gu Xuan nodded vigorously, without a hint of hesitation.

“Happy!” He grinned, flashing a row of white teeth. “This place is way more fun than the capital! Grandfather, Grandmother, are you hungry? I’ll take you to eat! Jiang Suisui’s cooking is amazing! There might even be braised pork for lunch today!”

As he spoke, he naturally walked ahead to lead the way, fully taking ownership of the space as if it were his domain.

The old marquis and marquise followed behind, leaving the pigsty that had shaken their hearts, their emotions a whirlwind of astonishment, pride, and wonder.