Chapter 387: Chapter 200 Killing the New Year Pig_2
Lady Gu added the firewood a bit too hastily, and upon hearing Lady Zhou’s scolding, twisted her body wanting to retort, but in the end, felt too timid and held back her words, lifting her hand to pull out two sticks of firewood from under the stove.
"My words don’t enter your ears anymore, are you cross with me? The fire is already lit, yet you’re still taking it out. Are you trying to set the house on fire?" Lady Zhou scolded again.
Lian Manman hurriedly withdrew. If Lady Zhou took a disliking to you, no matter what you did, she would find fault with it. Such situations were common in the Lian Family, only today, it was Lady Gu who replaced Lady Zhang and Lady Zhao to become the unfortunate daughter-in-law.
At this time, Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and Lady Zhao had all returned.
"Let’s catch the pigs first," Old Master Lian commanded, waving his hand as he saw that his sons and grandsons had all arrived.
Butcher Zhang, Lian Shouyi, Lian Shouli, Lian Shouxin, Erlang, and Sanlang all jumped into the pigpen, and when Lian Manman and the others wanted to take a look, they were stopped by Lady Zhang.
Pigs, sensing they were about to be killed for their meat, would also desperately resist. Lady Zhang feared that if the pigs ran out of the pen, they might hurt the children.
Lian Manman and the others had no choice but to stand in the middle of the courtyard, watching from a distance.
Soon, cries of the pigs echoed from the pigpen, and in no time, the Lian Family’s men had tied up the pigs’ four hooves and carried them out on a thick wooden pole.
"Uncle Lian, with so many children and grandchildren, you all have the strength. You are truly blessed," Butcher Zhang said. With many children of the right age, there was no need to ask outsiders for help with the physically demanding task of catching pigs.
This was another comment Old Master Lian loved to hear. He looked at his sons working with sheer joy in his heart, then turned his head and saw Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu. The pair hadn’t joined the others in the pigpen. A fleeting shadow of disappointment passed through Old Master Lian’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a radiant expression. He walked ahead as if leading an army returning triumphant from battle, although what followed him were merely his sons and grandsons, carrying two home-raised pigs.
A pig was hung upside down on a frame, and Butcher Zhang picked up his bundle from the nearby table, taking out a pig-killing knife and a sharpening stone. The knife had been sharpened earlier, but he still symbolically ground the pig-killing knife on the sharpening stone a couple of times, then moved to the side of the frame, sizing up the pig.
This was about choosing where to make the cut, and everyone watched with great interest.
Lian Manman felt she couldn’t quite stomach the bloody scene and turned back to the house. By the time she sat on the kang, the last cries of the pig had faded.
Butcher Zhang was indeed quick.
Now, Lian Manman wanted to watch again. So she turned back outside.
"Why do you keep running back and forth? Stand to the side and don’t touch anything," Lady Zhang chided her daughter with a smile, her tone full of affection and indulgence.
Lian Manman knew that Lady Zhang was happy. Killing a pig at home made everyone glad, and even Lady Zhou’s face seldom showed a hint of a smile.
Two large wooden tubs, each filled with half a basin of steaming pig’s blood, were being attended to by Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli, who were inserting some stalks while swiftly stirring and adding salt. Lady Zhang carried a basin of water over, diluted the pig’s blood with it, and Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli continued to stir without pause.
Lady Zhang explained to Lian Manman at the side that only by preventing the pig’s blood from coagulating in this way could they ensure the steamed blood pudding would turn out tender, smooth, and even.
Erlang and Sanlang each took a large wooden bucket and carried the boiling water from the Upper Room, pouring it over the now-dead pig. After scalding the pig sufficiently, Butcher Zhang switched to a scraper in his hand and began to shave the hair off the steaming pig.
Afterward, they removed the entire set of organs from the pig, and then they took the cleanly shaved pig down from the rack, placing it on the adjacent table. Butcher Zhang took out a cleaver from his bag and began to butcher the pig into parts.
With one pig, Butcher Zhang’s job was done at this point, and Lian Shouyi, along with Lian Shouli, Erlang, and Sanlang, hoisted another pig onto the wooden rack, while Butcher Zhang once again replaced it with the pig-slaughtering knife in his hand.
Dealing with the pig’s blood and organs, all the miscellaneous tasks, was now the responsibility of the Lian Family themselves.
For two pigs, after processing, a total of four large wooden basins of pig’s blood, Lady Zhou then took smaller basins to distribute the pig’s blood among close neighbors and relatives in the same village.
"This basin goes to your great-aunt’s house; that one to the Lizheng’s home..." Lady Zhou delegated one by one.
The processing of the pig’s organs was simple, except for the large intestines. The large intestines were filthy and quite bothersome to clean. Lady Zhou’s gaze swept over the daughters-in-law.
"I’ll deliver the pig’s blood to Chunzhu Family," Lady Zhang declared as she picked up a basin of pig’s blood and quickly walked out.
Lian Manman turned her head and snickered. Lady Zhang worked hard and never shirked her duties, always taking on any task. However, she just couldn’t deal with the large intestines, not only refusing to touch or eat them herself but also forbidding Lian Shouxin and the children from eating them.
In past years, when slaughtering the New Year’s pig, cleaning the large intestines was always assigned to the daughter-in-law Lady Zhou was most "concerned" about.
Lady He and Lady Zhao had both done it before, and if it was given to Lady Zhang, it was Lian Shouxin who, under Lady Zhou’s pressure, would complete the task for her.
This year, since Lady Zhang had moved out and gained some confidence, she slipped away first. So, to whom would the task fall now?
After the pigs were slaughtered, it was time for meat, and Lady He, fearing she would miss something, was not planning on leaving the house all day. Lady Zhao was obedient, doing whatever Lady Zhou ordered, as for Lady Gu...
Lady Zhou turned her head to look at Lady Gu, who was still tending the fire outside.
"Old Three’s wife, go take over the fire for Old One’s wife," instructed Lady Zhou, "Old One’s wife, come out and clean these intestines properly."
Lady Zhao obediently went inside to tend the fire, and Lady Gu came out smiling, but upon seeing the intestines stacked in the basins, she instantly turned pale. She craned her neck forward and started to gag.
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Recommended completed book by Ruoyan: "The Brocade Screen Chronicles," a light house fight farmland tale, featuring family short and long within a large house, and intertwining grudges and grievances.
Book number:1771214
The link is below; click to go directly there.
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First update sent, seeking your love. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)
