Zhang Hongmei went to the township government and found Li Juying.

"Hongmei, what brings you here?"

"Aunt Li, come out for a moment, I need to talk to you." There are several people in the office today.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"No, I just wanted to ask if you're buying pork? There's a pig slaughtering in our village today. I brought over 60 jin (30 kg), and the teachers at the school divided it all up. I wanted to save some for you, but it wasn't enough."

"Of course we want it! Our village doesn't have any pigs to slaughter for the New Year this year."

"Two yuan and fifty cents a pound."

"It's not expensive. If you have any more, give me ten pounds. Any cut of meat is fine."

Which one do you want most?

"If you can choose, give me five pounds of fatty meat, and anything else is fine."

"Alright, I'll come again on the 25th. There will be a pig slaughtering that day."

"Thank you, Hongmei, for still thinking of me."

“There aren’t enough to go around in our village, but it wouldn’t be right to sell them to villagers for too much money, so we thought of selling them to other places.”

"I know I won't tell anyone. I won't cause any trouble for your village, don't worry."

Upon returning to the village, he went straight to Liu Maocai's house and said, "Third Aunt, I'm here."

"Come in quickly, I've got your food. Today it's sorghum rice stewed with fish."

"I'm really hungry."

"You're just in a hurry. Couldn't you wait until you've finished eating before going?"

"Hehe, I forgot, here's 162.5 yuan. You count it, I'm going to eat now."

After finishing her meal, Zhang Hongmei sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and said, "Third Aunt, I didn't even go to the county. I went to the school, but there weren't enough to go around. I don't know who slaughtered a pig on the 25th, but even the principal didn't get much. The township helped me find Aunt Li from the school's Women's Federation, and she still wants more."

"My older brother's family is slaughtering a pig on the 25th. I'll go ask them for you now."

"That's great, it's two yuan and fifty cents."

Sanya sat with Zhang Hongmei on the kang (a heated brick bed), waiting for Li Cuihua to return.

A short while later, Li Cuihua and her older brother returned together.

"Uncle, could you spare some meat? I promised someone I would, so I can't help it."

How many do you want?

"More would be fine too? A hundred pounds would be ideal."

"We don't have 100 jin. 80 jin is fine."

"Okay, I'll send it to them the day after tomorrow. They're all waiting."

"Is this what you're looking for?"

"Hehe, I want ten pounds too."

"Ten pounds for one piece."

"That's great, I'll be waiting for that."

"In the middle, it's just a matter of one point, just like Maocai and the others."

As soon as I got home, Er Lengzi came over. "You're such a worrywart. Where did all that meat you asked for go?"

"Hehe, I went to school today and I didn't have enough points. The principal and teachers are so good to me, how could I not think of them when something good happens? And Aunt Li from the Women's Federation too."

"Do you still want the rest?"

"Yes, I'll keep it for myself and eat it slowly."

"I've ordered twenty jin for each of the remaining stores."

"That's great! Now I won't be worried about running out of food after delivering all the New Year's gifts. Hey, Er Lengzi, do you have time this afternoon to kill the rabbit for me?"

"They're all dead?"

"No, just kill two. You can choose."

"Is this also a trip to deliver New Year's gifts?"

"yes."

"Okay, kill him now. Go boil some water, I'll go home and get the knife."

Er Ya came over a little while later. Knowing that Zhang Hongmei was tired today, she took over all the work and didn't let Zhang Hongmei lift a finger.

On the 25th, Zhang Hongmei carried the meat back to her home first, put the spare ribs she had kept into her spatial storage, and then divided all the meat out in her spatial storage.

Li Juying gave her five jin of fatty meat and five jin of pork shoulder. The principal gave her ten jin of pork hindquarters. The post office received ten jin of pork shoulder.

They also gave Li Juying two jin of hind legs, a rabbit, and half a bag of dried pumpkin as a New Year's gift.

I gave the principal five jin of pork ribs, a rabbit, half a bag of 75% gluten powder brought back from the city, and half a bag of dried pumpkin as a New Year's gift.

Everything was divided up, and the remaining forty-three pounds of meat was stored in my spatial storage. I set off carrying several bags.

I went to the school first. I gave the meat and the New Year's gifts to the principal. After receiving twenty-five yuan, I hurriedly went to the township government.

They called Li Juying out and gave her the New Year's gifts along with the gifts. She declined for a long time before finally accepting them. Now that they've separated their households, even if they receive more, it will still go to them.

After receiving the money, he rode his bicycle to the county.

When Zhang Hongmei arrived at the post office, she was exhausted and hungry. She called out the same clerk from last time, charged him twenty-five yuan, and rode home after he thanked her profusely.

All the New Year's gifts have been given out, except for the old ladies in the village. They had already prepared their own gifts and weren't in a hurry.

When I got home, I hurriedly fed the baby and then took the bowl to the brigade.

"Hongmei, I've saved some meat for you. I'll bring it to you after you finish eating."

"Thanks, Brother Er Lengzi. You still have two pigs to slaughter tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow it'll be one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I'll save twenty pounds of ribs for you at each one."

"It can be ribs? That's great! Hey, if anyone's selling ribs, buy me some!"

"Okay, I'll ask tomorrow. There's not much meat on the ribs."

"I just want to gnaw on a bone."

Zhang Hongmei took 190 yuan to Zhuzi's house, and the transaction was completed.

The next morning, I bought 20 jin of spare ribs and 5 jin of pork ribs. The total cost was 23 yuan.

The same thing happened in the afternoon, it cost twenty-three.

On the 27th, I also bought 40 jin of spare ribs and 20 jin of pork ribs.

The same thing happened on the 28th; I bought 15 jin of pork ribs.

The same applies to the 29th; Zhang Hongmei currently has 123 jin of meat and 60 jin of ribs.

That really made up a lot. Everyone in the village had a smile on their face.

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, and we'll be eating dumplings at home on New Year's Eve.

"Hey, Er Lengzi, come over to my house for dumplings tonight."

"Okay, or I'll come find you too."

"Then I'll go back and stew the meat."

“Let’s go, I’ll go back with you. I’ll ride my bike to the village to wait for Jianguo.”

Zhang Hongmei stewed meat in two pots at the same time: one pot of braised pork ribs and the other pot of braised pork belly.

Twenty catties of pork ribs were stewed, and forty catties of braised pork were stewed.

First, cut the meat into rectangular pieces about the size of a bowl and blanch them in boiling water. Once you can easily pierce them with chopsticks, take them out. Then blanch the ribs as well.

While the ribs were blanched, I cut the large pieces of meat into smaller pieces. I wanted to eat a whole piece of meat, so I left five large pieces.

Remove the ribs from the water and place them in a bowl. Clean the pan and caramelize the sugar.

Pull the fire out and put it into another stove, using the bottom heat to caramelize the sugar.

Boil a large spoonful of water, add three large spoonfuls of brown sugar, and stir constantly until the color turns black and large bubbles appear. Then scoop out a small portion and put it in a bowl to use for stewing the ribs later.

Add enough firewood, put the chopped ribs into the pot, and stir constantly until all the pieces of meat are coated with caramelized sugar. Then add the seasonings and stir-fry continuously until the oil is rendered. Add soy sauce and continue stir-frying. Finally, add boiling water from another pot and cover the pot.