Chapter 54 Molly, come join the army, come help me.

The brigade handed over the task pigs, calculated the work points, and distributed the money and grain.

The whole team was in high spirits.

Molly told Moan to line up first to receive food and money, and she would come over later.

"Brother Xiaoyong, I heard you're going on a blind date the day after tomorrow?" Mo An asked curiously. He only found out a couple of days ago that Brother Xiaoyong was actually more than a year older than his second sister. His second sister was only eighteen, while Brother Xiaoyong was already twenty.

A blush rose to Zhao Xiaoyong's face, and his expression became somewhat unnatural. "Who told anyone?"

"Then it's true?" Mo An asked curiously. "Can I come with you?"

“Who would bring their younger brother along when they go to meet someone for a blind date!” Zhao Xiaoyong refused outright.

Mo An was a little disappointed. "But Stick Brother and Pillar Brother said they want to go with you. You're going to town to play, right?"

The first meeting was in town, and if they hit it off, they would meet at home.

Zhao Xiaoyong frowned. "You're just a kid, it's not appropriate for you to go. You can play with my son after he's born."

Mo An's eyes widened. "Brother Xiao Yong, what do you mean by that? You're not taking me with you when you go out to play anymore?"

Zhao Xiaoyong didn't see anything wrong with it. "Of course, I'm an adult after I get married. I need to be more mature, take care of my family, and look after my wife and children. Of course, I can't be out all day like before. You can go play with your classmates. When my son is born, you can play with him too."

Mo An: "......."

When Molly arrived, she saw Mo An with a droopy face. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"

When Mo An saw her sister, she felt even more like crying. She told her that Zhao Xiaoyong was going on a blind date and that she would no longer include him in her social circle.

Molly stroked her chin. "He's thinking quite far ahead, even wanting you to help him take care of his son. But he's too late. If you're going to take care of the child, you'll probably have to take care of your older sister first."

"Big sister is pregnant!" Mo An was shocked.

"Yes, it's only been two months. We're family, so let's keep it to ourselves." Molly had only just found out herself. Zhao Shangxun had just visited her and said that her older sister wanted to eat the chili sauce she made, as well as the potatoes and sweet potatoes she grew. She had been worried that something had happened to her older sister, but it turned out she was pregnant.

Her older sister had been in poor health for several years, so she was happy for her sister that she was able to get pregnant.

Mo An was also happy, grinning foolishly. He was going to be an uncle.

After distributing the grain, money, and coupons, Molly told Mo An to deliver all the meat coupons to Mo He. Mo An took the coupons and ran off happily.

Molly received seventy-one yuan, and the total weight of the grains, both refined and coarse, was over two hundred jin (approximately 100 kg). The money was for the whole year, but the grains were only for this autumn and winter. Although sweet potatoes and potatoes made up the majority, who would complain about that?

Molly became the envy of everyone, but no one was jealous because they also received money. Those families with seven or eight or even a dozen able-bodied members received more than one or two hundred yuan.

Most of the money came from selling pigs; they wouldn't have received this much in previous years. It's all thanks to Molly.

After distributing the grain and money, the pig was to be slaughtered the next day.

Molly didn't have to get up early to feed the pigs today and slept until dawn. However, she didn't get up early; Mo An, on the other hand, got up very early to watch the brigade slaughter pigs with the other children from the team.

Molly fed the pigs, chickens, and rabbits at home, watered the vegetables, and prepared breakfast before Mo An used a straw rope to carry the meat back.

"The four pigs weighed over a thousand jin, and after slaughtering, there were still over eight hundred jin of meat left. There are now seventy-one households in the brigade, and many households received more than ten jin of meat, with the largest receiving thirty jin. Our family received eight jin, half from the foreleg and half from the belly, hehe." Mo An grinned foolishly. Other families would get some bones, hind leg meat, or rump meat, but his family's meat was the best.

Molly couldn't help but laugh when she saw him grinning foolishly. "I'll make you braised pork for dinner tonight."

"We'll have braised pork tomorrow." Mo An put down the meat and hurriedly went to wash his hands. "The brigade leader said that we'll be eating lunch and dinner in the canteen today, it's a pig-killing feast. Chef Tao has already started stewing the bones. Oh, right, after breakfast I'm going to dig up sweet potatoes and pick pumpkins, the ones my sister planted in the pigsty. The brigade leader said to dig them all up and pick them, and then take them to the canteen to cook in a bit."

Mo An rushed out after quickly finishing his breakfast.

Molly chuckled; it seemed her brother was becoming more and more comfortable with life in Xiaonan Village.

At noon, Mo An ran home and called Molly to have a pig-killing feast. The two siblings set off for the canteen with a basin and a pair of chopsticks.

Before even getting close to the kitchen, Molly could smell the rich aroma. No wonder it was Chef Tao; he not only knew how to butcher pigs, but he was also a master cook.

“Molly, the pumpkins and sweet potatoes you planted are really big! They’re this big—” Aunt Guihua gestured with her hands.

"Not only are they big, but they smell amazing too." The auntie in charge of cooking took two deep sniffs. "The aroma has a hint of sweetness. Look at these little ones, they're all holding their bowls, drooling over them."

"Why don't we serve them rice first? By the time we get the rice, the dishes should be almost ready too," another aunt suggested.

"I think it's a good idea," Aunt Guihua agreed.

No one else had any objections.

"Then let's line up. Get your rice first, then you can line up at the food section."

The rice was a mixed grain rice, with sorghum, crushed corn kernels, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin, as well as some rice bran, with sweet potatoes and pumpkin making up the majority.

As soon as the children received their food, they eagerly picked up a bite and put it in their mouths, exclaiming as they breathed on it to warm it up, "So sweet!"

"Mmm, it's so sweet, just like sugar."

"It smells so good, it smells wonderful."

"These sweet potatoes and pumpkins taste better than the ones at my house."

Then, an interesting scene unfolded: the children took their rice but didn't take any side dishes; they started eating right there. Even after they finished their rice, they still wanted more and asked the cook if they could have another bowl.

"No, that won't work. Each person can only have one bowl."

"Could you cook a little more tonight?"

"That's all. Everyone has divided it equally between two meals. Okay, stop standing around here and go eat your vegetables and meat."

The meat smelled delicious, and the whole brigade gathered around with their bowls, making it even more lively than during the Spring Festival.

At the end of the lunar year, many people in the brigade slaughtered pigs, and Molly also wanted to slaughter pigs, specifically the two sows.

The two sows had grown to a frightening weight of 300 jin (150 kg).

Wild boar meat isn't that tasty, especially wild sow meat. But that doesn't include the wild sows Molly has been raising for over a year. Her two wild sows are glossy and smooth, with delicate skin, and even their fur has become much softer.

The fourteen piglets now weigh around fifty pounds each, and the pigpen is so cramped that she has no choice but to target the two sows.

"Go tell your older sister to stop slaughtering the pig; we can do it here. Have her sell the pig to the commune and keep some money and ration coupons for herself," Molly instructed Mo An.

When Mo An heard that his family was going to slaughter a pig, he was overjoyed. "I'll go right now, Second Sister. This time you have to wait for me to come back. I want to watch you slaughter the pig."

Mo An ran away in a flash.

Molly, who had originally planned to act stealthily, was speechless.

Before Moan returned, Molly tied the limbs of the two sows and dragged them into the yard. Basins and buckets were already prepared, and the knife was sharpened to a gleaming edge. As soon as Moan entered, Molly told him to take a basin so he could collect the pig's blood.

The knife goes in white and comes out red, the pig's squeals can deafen a person. Many families have been slaughtering pigs these past few days, and the village is used to it. Molly isn't worried that her pig's squeals will attract people.

Some people actually wanted to come and join in the fun, but considering that Molly didn't like people coming to her house, no one came.

Mo An got to participate in the pig slaughtering process as she wished. Like a busy bee, she ran around the whole time, panting from exhaustion, but still had a smile on her face.

When everything was almost ready, Molly began to butcher and marinate the pork. She found a basket, put in ten pounds of pork belly, a pig's foreleg, a pig's head, and a set of offal, and asked Mo An to deliver it to her eldest sister.

"I'll be right back. I need to start making blood sausage now."

“Okay, I’ll go for a run,” Mo An said.

“It weighs sixty or seventy pounds, you can’t run on it, be careful not to fall,” Molly reminded him.

"I'll be careful." Mo An strode out of the vegetable garden in no time.

Molly took out the soaked rice, drained the water, added pig's blood and chopped ginger, stirred, and then put it in a pot to steam.

When Mo An arrived at the Zhao family home, only her sister was there. Zhao Shangxun and Li Xiaoju had taken the pig to the town commune to sell.

"Why didn't you borrow an oxcart?" Mo An asked, puzzled. It wouldn't be easy for his brother-in-law to walk to town.

Mo He sighed, "I also advised them to borrow an oxcart, but they said it would cost two cents to borrow one, and they wanted to save the money for having a baby."

Li Xiaoju is stingy and reluctant to spend money, which is one thing. But now Zhao Shangxun is also reluctant to spend money, saying he wants to save everything for the children. She knows that Zhao Shangxun is under a lot of pressure because of his disability, so she doesn't argue with him. Oh well, she's not the one suffering anyway.

"My second sister also said that there will be many expenses after having a baby." Mo An didn't know how much they would need. Should he also advise his second sister to save some money, sell some meat, and not eat so much?

"Why did you bring so much meat?" Mo He asked in surprise. Just one leg weighed over ten pounds. If she were to slaughter a pig herself, her family wouldn't have enough meat to spare.

“Not many.” Mo An leaned close to Mo He’s ear. “A sow weighs three hundred jin, it’s huge. Look at that piece of meat, it’s so thick, you can tell how strong that pig is. Second Sister said you need to eat more, you’re too thin.”

Mo He rubbed Mo An's head and said, "You're very obedient to her now. I feel at ease with you following her."

"I don't listen to everything." Mo An chuckled. "I'm going back first. My second sister is making blood sausage, and I need to go back and help. I'll bring some over to you, eldest sister, when it's done."

"I don't have much of an appetite right now. Could you bring me some vegetables from your garden? Your second sister's vegetables are delicious, I want to eat those." Mo He has been experiencing morning sickness lately, vomiting everything she eats, but she can only stop vomiting when she eats vegetables grown by her second sister.

"Besides the greens, I'll get you some yams too. Yams don't have a strong flavor and they're quite nourishing." Mo An didn't ask his second sister, but he knew she would definitely agree.

Mo He nodded, "I want a pumpkin too, I want to drink pumpkin porridge. The pumpkins your second sister grows are delicious, the whole brigade knows that."

Mo An's expression was serious. "Then I have to keep an eye on the pumpkins in front of and behind our house. We can't let anyone pick them."

Both sows were made into smoked bacon. Molly sent a whole sow to the farm, gave Xu Xia'an a whole cured hind leg and two pieces of bacon, and Sister Sun and the others each received two pieces of bacon.

The gifts given before the Lunar New Year are all given out.

The Ji family was waiting for Molly, but all they got were two sacks of meat, a sack of yams, and a sack of grain.

"Molly said she's raising fourteen piglets now and can't leave." Mrs. Ji looked at the number on the letter and read it over and over again before she dared to confirm it.

Fourteen pigs! What does that even mean? How much would they eat in a day?

The Ji family couldn't imagine it.

"She also said that the meat in those two sacks was from a sow weighing 300 jin (150 kg)," Mrs. Ji added.

Ji Liangyou asked doubtfully, "Can a sow's piglets grow that big before giving birth?"

Mrs. Ji glared at him. "If Molly says it's true, then it is."

My aunt took the meat out of the sack. First was a big pig's head, followed by four pig legs. "I think it weighs about 300 jin. The head is so big, and so are the legs. I can't imagine how big a live pig must be. I've heard of people raising pigs that weigh 500 jin before, but I've never seen it with my own eyes, so I don't know if it's true."

"Let's have pig's ears tonight. These ears are thick and plump; they'll definitely taste good." A hint of nostalgia suddenly appeared in Old Master Ji's eyes. "It would be even better if we had some wine."

"It would be best to bring some peanuts as well," Ji Liangyou added with a smile. Things that used to be commonplace are now just a dream.

Grandma Ji rolled her eyes. "You're lucky to have meat to eat. Don't be so greedy."

Grandpa Ji smiled apologetically, "Yes, yes, it's all thanks to Molly, otherwise we wouldn't be living such a comfortable life. We eat meat every day, something even city workers can't dream of. Liangyou, why don't you send Uncle Wu and the others a leg and some cured meat, so they can also have a good New Year?"

Ji Liangyou nodded, "I'll send it over right away."

Molly was very busy, and didn't even get a proper rest during the Lunar New Year. She spent the first month of the lunar year in a flurry of activity. Every few days, she would go into the mountains to dig for yams, kudzu roots, wild vegetables, chestnuts, wild fruits, and pig feed, since there were fourteen mouths to feed at home.

Molly returned home in the dark that day. As soon as she put her things down, she saw Mo An with a sullen face, holding a piece of white paper with a few words on it.

"What's wrong?" Molly couldn't guess what had happened to make Mo An look like that.

Mo An pursed his lips and handed the white paper to Molly, on which were printed the words: Molly, come to the army and help me.

Molly frowned. "A telegram from your second brother-in-law?"

Mo An nodded.

There was only one simple sentence, without explaining what happened.

Molly washed her hands. "I'm going to Aunt Guihua's house to see if they have the phone number for the military camp. I'll call and ask tomorrow."

Before Molly could even leave, Mo An called her back. In the dim light, Molly saw the fear and unease on his face. Molly felt a pang of heartache and turned to hug him. "Wherever I go, I'll take you with me."

Mo An's nose tingled, and she hummed in agreement, "Then, does sister want to go?"

“Does it make any difference where it is?” Molly countered.

“But I think Xiaonan Village is great, and the people here are nice too.” Mo An felt insecure and didn’t want to leave this place that made him feel safe.

“Just because the people here are nice doesn’t mean other places are bad. You’ll be going to middle school, high school, and even university eventually, and you’ll eventually leave here.” Molly wiped away Mo An’s tears. “No matter what, it won’t be worse than in the Mo family brigade.”

"Sister, you're trying to persuade me. You've already decided to go with the army, right?" Mo An felt like crying even more.

Molly answered irrelevantly, "Back then, I was kicked out of the Zhao family. Everyone called me a burden—thin, weak, and disabled. Ji Hefeng, on the other hand, was the most sought-after man in the village. He had just bought this big house, and many people wanted to marry him. But he didn't agree to any of them, yet he agreed to marry me, and he also accepted you. He was worried that you and I wouldn't be able to live together. Even though he was under so much pressure, he still sent us money and ration coupons every month. Even if he hadn't taken me in, I could have survived, but he did. Xiao An, I've rarely felt such kindness."

Molly paused, then continued, "Now that he's begging me, I'm afraid I can't just stand by and do nothing."