Finally, the pigs are hung and gutted, usually hung upside down on a simple wooden staircase. Once both pigs are slaughtered, the meat is divided. Different parts of the pig's body are divided, such as the blood neck, hard ribs, hind legs, and trotters. However, the butcher is given two pig trotters (each weighing about one pound) and a pig's tail, and each person helping out receives one pig trotter.
The meat was distributed in the village according to the number of people in each household and their work points. The order of distribution was determined by drawing lots. Accountant Li held a small basket filled with mixed paper balls and asked everyone to draw lots.
"Xuemei, you'll represent our family in drawing lots this year. Children will have better luck."
Xuemei walked over to Accountant Li and took out a ball of paper for Liu's mother.
"Mom, what's the number?"
"Number six, you're lucky. Let's go line up."
Accountant Li called out, "Number six."
"Our house is number 6," replied Liu's mother.
"Liu Guangda's family, two pounds of meat."
Two kilograms of meat is not a small amount. In previous years, there was only a little more than one kilogram. Last year, no pigs were slaughtered in the village.
The pigs slaughtered this year were not very fat, so Liu's mother didn't dare to ask for too much fat. She said, "Second brother, please give me one pound of fat and one pound of lean meat."
With two cuts, the second uncle removed a pound of fat and lean meat. When he weighed it on the scale, it was exactly the same.
…
After the villagers had distributed the meat, only a few pig's trotters, some ribs and some bare bones were left on the table.
Liu's mother walked over and asked, "Accountant, how do you sell the remaining ones? My family needs some more."
"Three triangles of pig's trotters are a pound, four corners of pork ribs are a pound, and two cents of bones are a pound."
"Then give me two pig's trotters, five pounds of spare ribs, and five pounds of bones."
After weighing the pig's trotters, ribs, and bones, the second uncle said, "Sister-in-law, accountant, the two pig's trotters are two and a half pounds, the ribs are five pounds, and the bones are difficult to cut, which is five and a half pounds."
"Accountant, the total is three dollars and eighty-six cents. Here you go."
Mother Liu put all the meat she bought into a backpack and came to the stove to find Father Liu, who had just finished washing the intestines.
"Is it finished now?"
"It's done."
"Then take the food back. I'm going to cook here. Remember to save one pound of ribs and salt the rest. You also got a pig's trotter, so salt one more and make bacon with the ribs later."
"Okay, I'll take the kids home first." Father Liu put the pig's trotters he had helped butcher into a backpack and called the children home. Qingya and her two younger brothers refused to go back, saying they wanted to stay and help their mother. So Xuemei went home with Father Liu.
When Xuemei came with two large bowls, Liu's mother was already preparing the last dish.
Soon, the dishes were on the table and everyone started lining up to get their food. There was a large bowl of pork liver and rice noodle soup with pickled beans, pickled radish, and pickled peppers, a small bowl of stir-fried kidney, and two bowls of tofu and pig blood soup.
After dividing the dishes, Liu's mother took Xuemei and her four siblings home with a large bowl of tofu and pig's blood soup, half a bowl of pig liver, rice noodles and pork kidney.
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