Chapter 123 Pig Slaughter Feast

"The blood sausage is ready!"

With a shout, the men outside slowly strolled in.

They chatted as they stood in front of the stove, waiting for Aunt Liu to divide the pig intestines.

Before long, everyone had a piece of pig blood sausage in their hands.

"Delicious, delicious! This blood sausage is so fragrant."

Brother Liu ate one piece and then another, enjoying it immensely.

As Liu Sao began cooking the second pot of pig blood sausage, the women started preparing the dishes.

They cut off a few pieces of meat from the pig and discussed how to cook them.

Once the blood sausage is cooked, add water to the pot and start cooking the dried cabbage.

I'm not good at butchering pigs for a meal, and since we have enough people, I don't need to help. Sitting here would only get in the way. I'll say hello to Aunt Liu and go for a walk.

An unfamiliar man was scrubbing the dirt off the ground. He walked out of the small courtyard of the pig farm and observed the layout of the Baizhen base.

The Baizhen base is like a village that is completely enclosed on the outside and has a compact layout inside.

Several families who got along well decided to live together, forming different small groups.

Besides growing grain, each small group has its own other source of income. For example, Brother Liu's group raises pigs, while the neighboring families raise chickens.

Someone like Taozi, who lives alone, can easily fit into a group by attaching himself to it and helping out with chores.

This base has the inherent advantage of being sparsely populated and located in a remote area. In any densely populated place, it would certainly not be so safe and secure.

"Hey sis, come back for dinner!"

Aunt Liu's voice came from afar. I turned around and saw her standing at her doorway, holding a shovel and looking at me.

This familiar yet strange feeling—the figure of Aunt Liu overlapped with that of her grandmother from the past.

For a moment I was in a daze, but I quickly replied, "Coming!"

As soon as I arrived in the yard, before even entering the house, I could smell the rich aroma of farm-style food.

Lifting the curtain, two large pots were revealed on either side. One pot was filled with radish slices stewed with pork and blood sausage, while the other contained dried cabbage and pork stew.

Tables had already been set up inside the house: two low tables and one kang table. Liu Erge also brought bowls and chopsticks from other households in the courtyard.

The three pigs were slaughtered together by several pig-farming families. Of course, the pig-slaughtering feast was to be eaten together, and since there weren't enough bowls and chopsticks, they were borrowed from each other.

Aunt Liu invited me into the house. I wanted to help serve the dishes, but she said there were enough people and pushed me to sit down at the back of the heated kang next to the dining table.

Looking out the window, I saw Sister Wang coming out from across the hall, carrying two plates of food, which looked freshly cooked.

One dish after another was served. The main dishes were a large bowl of radish slices stewed with blood sausage and dried cabbage stewed with pork, as well as celery stir-fried with meat, stir-fried cabbage and stir-fried potato slices.

People gradually sat down at the table, a total of more than a dozen people.

There were more men, so the tables were a bit crowded, while there were only five of us women, so we had plenty of room to sit.

I thought there would be a lot of people, but it turned out to be mostly acquaintances. Seeing them like that made me feel relaxed and at ease.

"Shall we have everyone try that wine you brought?"

As the last dish was served, Aunt Liu suddenly leaned close to my ear and asked a question.

"If I bring it to you, it's yours. Why did you have to come all the way to ask me? That's too formal."

I replied with a smile.

Although the wine was given to Aunt Liu, subconsciously I felt it should be for everyone to drink.

Although I felt there was no need to ask me, I still felt quite comfortable being asked by Aunt Liu, as if I was being taken care of.

When Aunt Liu heard that I had no objection, she turned around and went to the kitchen.

A moment later, she returned carrying three bottles of wine: "You're in for a treat today! This is wine brought to you by your little sister. It's homemade. Come and try it and see how it tastes."

"Oh my! This is good stuff! I've forgotten how long it's been since I last had a drink!"

Brother Liu slapped his thigh and then smacked his lips, his mouth watering.

"Sister, you should keep it for yourself. We can't possibly drink such good stuff!"

"Alright, alright, stop pretending. You're practically drooling on the table."

Aunt Liu sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) with the last bottle on the table.

The men sitting at the floor table had their eyes fixed on the bottles of liquor, their eyes practically glowing; they probably hadn't had a drink in a long time.

Brother Liu unscrewed the bottle cap and poured a glass for each person.

Mmm, that's delicious!

Brother Liu couldn't wait to take a sip and immediately made a sound of extreme enjoyment.

"Look at you, so pathetic!"

Sister-in-law Liu couldn't stand Brother Liu's behavior, so even though she was far away, she still had to curse him.

"Come on, let's raise a glass together! This is to toast the girl who brought the drink; thanks to you, haha!"

Liu Erge pretended not to hear, raised his wine glass, stood up, and started to liven up the atmosphere.

After taking a sip of wine, everyone began to praise it.

"Girl, you have such great skills! This wine smells amazing, not only has the aroma of alcohol but also a sweet fruity fragrance."

"This wine is extraordinary; it tastes even better than the wine from before the extreme cold."

Brother Wang carefully examined the color of the wine in the glass under the light, praising it generously.

I finally couldn't handle so many compliments and said, "Thank you all for gracing me with your presence and trying my wine. I'll really feel embarrassed if you keep praising me."

"Look how eloquent that girl is; she sounds like a cultured person."

As soon as I finished speaking, Sister-in-law Liu praised my words again.

This isn't a feast for slaughtered pigs, it's a feast for those who praise others.

"Alright, alright, stop being so polite. The food will get cold if you don't eat it soon. Eat! Eat! Everyone, eat more!"

Seeing that I was too shy to start eating, Aunt Liu urged everyone to hurry up and eat.

With everyone's attention finally shifting away from me, I no longer needed to be reserved and picked up my chopsticks to eat.

The radish was soft and flavorful, and the blood sausage absorbed the radish's taste, making it incredibly delicious.

Freshly stewed pork is just different from the frozen meat at home; it has a very rich and mellow meat flavor.

I've never eaten dried cabbage and pork stew before; this is my first time.

Dried cabbage tastes different from regular cabbage, with a unique aroma. The leaves are soaked in meat juices, and although they are soft and tender, they are still quite chewy, which is both contradictory and delicious.

While I was eating what was in my bowl, Aunt Liu would occasionally put some more meat from the plate on my plate, always picking out pieces of pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat. It had been a long time since I had eaten meat so heartily.

One person cooks, one person tastes it.

The cabbage and potato slices that Aunt Liu stir-fried tasted different from what I made; they tasted more like home and the flavors of my childhood.

Not only did I enjoy it, but everyone else in the room also found it delicious.

The pig was slaughtered by everyone, and the ingredients were also shared by everyone, so there was no one who was embarrassed to eat or who was polite. Everyone ate to their heart's content.

Of course, I was the only one eating for free, but no one cared, so I ate my fill.

After the meal, most of the food on the table had been eaten, and the men, their faces flushed from drinking, were chatting loudly.

The volume was indeed quite loud, but I didn't find it noisy at all; listening to them chat was quite interesting.