Chapter 143
Frank Harris lounged in his new house, legs crossed and a grin stretching ear to ear. The place was finally his! Sneaking two ten-dollar bills from Jack White’s drawer when no one was looking, he whistled a tune as he sauntered toward the gambling den. The wedding arrangements could be left to his family—he couldn’t be bothered.
Meanwhile, Luna White was busy packing. She’d be leaving for school in a week, with only ten days left to spend with her sister. But just as dawn broke, Ethan Jackson burst into the room in a panic. "Mom! Aunt Luna! The pigs—something’s wrong with the pigs!"
Luna Whitaker barely had time to slip on her cloth shoes before rushing to the pigpen, Luna White close behind.
The sight that greeted them was devastating. Five piglets lay sprawled on the ground, their weak whimpers barely audible. Luna’s legs nearly gave out—these were the family’s prized possessions, bought after half a year of scrimping and saving.
"Luna, what do we do...?" Luna Whitaker’s voice trembled. If they lost this hundred-dollar investment, how would they survive?
Luna pressed her lips together. She could easily use her supernatural ability to save the pigs, but she couldn’t be her sister’s free veterinarian forever. Raising livestock came with risks, and Luna Whitaker needed to face them herself.
"Sis, go get Ryan Wallace!" Luna said decisively.
Luna Whitaker snapped out of her daze and sprinted toward the Wallace household. Luna sighed as she watched her sister’s retreating figure. Livestock farming was no easy task. As the saying went, "Even a fortune can vanish with livestock." One misstep could mean total loss. But right now, her sister wouldn’t hear any of it.
Ryan arrived quickly. The moment he stepped into the pigpen, his brow furrowed. He crouched, checking the piglets’ eyes and prying open their mouths.
"Let’s try some medicine first," he said, pulling a paper packet from his pocket. "If they recover by morning, they’ll make it." His gaze swept the barren pen. "I told you to keep straw bedding in here."
Luna Whitaker’s tears spilled over. "It’s my fault... I thought it was dirty, so I cleared it all out..."
Ryan shook his head. This wasn’t work meant for women. Before he could speak, Ethan stepped forward. "Uncle, teach me!" The sixteen-year-old stood tall.
"Nonsense!" Luna Whitaker wiped her tears. "I’ll do it!"
With a sigh, Ryan rolled up his sleeves and demonstrated how to pry open a piglet’s mouth to administer medicine. Luna Whitaker paid close attention, but her fingers still got nicked by the pigs’ teeth.
After Ryan left, the family was subdued. Luna Whitaker kept checking the pigpen, her heart heavy as she watched the listless piglets. Just days ago, she’d been brimming with ambition—now, the future seemed bleak.
At dusk, Ryan returned. This time, he guided Luna Whitaker’s hands, teaching her how to dose the pigs properly. By the time they finished, both were drenched in sweat.
That night, Luna Whitaker tossed and turned. At first light, she raced to the pigpen—only to find the five piglets scrambling for food, lively as ever. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, laughing through her tears.
They’d made it over the first hurdle.