After boiling, it was simmered over low heat for a full hour. Finally, white sugar was added, and the Laba porridge was so fragrant that it made people want to eat it.

The porridge was ready, and Zhuang Zhimeng and the other two each served themselves a bowl. Zhuang Zhimeng took a bite first and found it delicious, sticky, sweet, and fragrant. She then invited Su Mengmeng and Jiang Yanxia to try some as well.

"Zhimeng, it's really good, especially delicious."

"Boss, it's fantastic, so fragrant and thick!" Su Mengmeng gave a thumbs up.

Zhuang Zhimeng nodded, and everyone slowly savored the porridge, because the freshly cooked porridge was really hot, warming them to their very core.

Eating Laba porridge in the twelfth lunar month is believed to bring a bountiful harvest in the coming year. People drink Laba porridge on Laba Day as a symbol of their aspiration for a better life.

After eating Laba porridge, Zhuang Zhimeng planned to pickle Laba garlic.

When Su Mengmeng and Jiang Yanxia saw her bring over the garlic, they took the initiative to help her peel it.

Put the peeled garlic into a sealed jar, pour in vinegar, seal the jar, and store it in a cool place.

Garlic soaked in vinegar will gradually turn green, becoming a vibrant emerald green, and it tastes especially delicious with dumplings.

Little child, little child, don't cry, we'll slaughter the pig in the twelfth lunar month.

Today is also the day the production team slaughters pigs. After fulfilling their quota this year, there are still two pigs left over. The team leader announced yesterday that they will slaughter the pigs today, and the whole village will have a feast of slaughtered pig dishes.

After finishing preparing the Laba garlic, Su Mengmeng couldn't sit still any longer: "I'm going to watch the pig slaughter, are you guys coming?"

"I haven't seen it before, so let's go take a look."

"I'll go too, but I've never seen it before either."

Zhuang Zhimeng and Jiang Yanxia both expressed their desire to go and see, so the three of them went out of their homes together to watch the pig slaughter.

When we arrived at the slaughtering site, we saw that the pigs' legs were tied up and several people were holding one pig down on a bench. The pigs were screaming loudly because they felt that their time was coming to an end. At this time, the pigs were also very strong and it was almost impossible to hold them down.

Many villagers came to watch the pig slaughter, especially the children, who had been waiting nearby for a long time.

An Qingbai was also there. When he saw Zhuang Zhimeng and the others coming over, he went up to her and said, "Zhizhi, why did you come over? This scene is too bloody. You'd better not watch."

"It's alright, let me see how to slaughter a pig."

Seeing that she was indeed not afraid and seemed quite excited, An Qingbai didn't stop her.

When the pig was tired of squealing and its cries were hoarse, the butcher would quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly stab it in the neck with his butcher's knife.

The pig let out a muffled scream and died with a single blow. Pig blood flowed down the wound into the large basin below. The pig-slaughtering knife was pulled out only after the blood had drained.

Quickly stir with sorghum stalks to remove blood vessels. Add some salt to the blood, and after half an hour, let it cool and crystallize. Then boil it in hot water to make edible pig's blood.

After resting for a while, the butcher cuts a slit in the pig's hind leg, puffs out his cheeks, and blows air into the slit until his face turns red and his neck swells up. He then beats the pig with a stick from time to time until the pig is full of air and looks like a sheepskin raft.

The group worked together to lift the inflated pig to the stove, where they began to scald and scrape off the hair, and then rinsed the pig clean.

The water temperature for scalding pig hair must be appropriate. If the temperature is too high, the pig skin will turn red; if the temperature is too low, the pig hair cannot be removed. Only when the water temperature is right can you get a clean, white pig.

Remove the pig's head and legs, gut it to remove the liver, lungs, large intestine, and other internal organs, rinse it thoroughly with cold water, and cut it in half. Weigh it using a large scale.

Accountant An Limin calculated the number of people in the brigade and the amount each person should receive, and then divided it equally among the people.

The butcher would cut the meat into pieces, number them, and then draw lots to determine which piece you would get based on the number you drew. This was fair to everyone, and no one would have any complaints.

The "Five Guarantees" households don't need to draw lots; the best meat is directly distributed to them.

When the meat was distributed, men, women, and children from the whole village gathered around, forming several layers deep. This year, the pigs were fat, and everyone would receive two jin (1 kg) of meat. The villagers were overjoyed to hear that they would receive two jin, and they were sure to have a prosperous year.

Pig's head is also decided by drawing lots; whoever draws it gets it. Everyone looks at the person who draws it with envy, because everyone knows that pig's head meat is delicious.

Zhuang Zhimeng had a really good run of luck, managing to draw a pig's head. As she opened the slip of paper, she boasted to An Qingbai, "Brother Qingbai, I'm pretty lucky, right? I drew a pig's head!"

"It's really good, my Zhizhi is awesome."

Zhuang Zhimeng was very proud: "It has to be great!"

Seeing that no one had noticed them, An Qingbai put his hand on her head and rubbed it.

After the meat is divided, it's time to eat the "pig-killing feast".

The large pot in the yard had already boiled water, and pork bones, spare ribs, and pork belly were put into the pot to simmer together into a rich broth.

Clean the intestines thoroughly, dilute the pig's blood with a small amount of water, add chopped green onions, soybean oil, salt, Sichuan peppercorn powder and other seasonings, stuff the mixture into the intestines, tie both ends tightly, and put the blood sausage into a pot to cook while the meat is cooked, pricking holes with a needle to prevent the blood sausage from bursting.

Making blood sausage requires skill in both diluting and cooking.