With the end of the grain distribution, the enthusiasm of the villagers has not diminished but increased, not only because the New Year is approaching, but also because of the upcoming pig slaughtering.
As staff members of the pig house, Du Jiang and others, led by Aunt Du, drove a row of ten pigs through the winding alleys of all sizes to the square, under the envious gazes of the crowd.
As the only pig butcher in the village, Du Laozhu has already set up a long bench and sharpened his knife, ready to kill the pigs.
As the ten pigs arrived, the square suddenly became lively.
Several young men built a bonfire and started a pot. The gurgling sound of the boiling water was drowned out by the noise, but it was still captured by Du Jiang.
Looking at the pig grunting beside his legs, Du Jiang was full of sympathy. However, when he thought of the pork that was about to be in his hands, Du Jiang's sympathy was greatly reduced. Not only that, he even felt eager to try it.
"This pig is really well-raised. No wonder the village chief insisted that the kids from the city raise it."
"Yeah, yeah, I thought I was just a city kid and didn't know anything. Who knew it was so good? But in the end, it's the village chief who has good vision."
"That's right, otherwise how could I become the village chief? The reason why our village is getting better and better is because of the leadership of the village chief, right?"
"Yes, when we elect the village chief next year, I will still vote for Uncle Du, but I heard someone say last time that Uncle Du is going to be transferred to the town."
"Transferring to the town? That's impossible. Isn't Uncle Du from our village?"
"He's from our village, so he has nothing to do with being transferred to the town. Besides, this is a good thing. It will make things more convenient in the future."
“That’s true.”
Listening to the conversation, Du Jiang looked over and saw two middle-aged men in the crowd discussing enthusiastically. The people around them echoed them from time to time, but from beginning to end, Du Jiang did not hear anyone say a bad word about the village chief. He could not help but have a deeper understanding of Village Chief Du's ruling power.
Although the incident with Daya happened, it did not affect the reputation of the village at all, nor did it affect the image of Village Chief Du as a wise and brave man.
Perhaps Du Jiang was too engrossed in watching, and Yu Chunxiao couldn't help but poke her, "Sister Jiang."
Hearing this, Du Jiang immediately came back to his senses and said, "Thank you, Chunxiao."
"Nothing, Sister Jiang. The village chief just said that we should hand over three pigs and keep seven. Of the remaining pigs, except for three that our village will share, the rest will be sold to the factory." Yu Chunxiao was very excited about the business. "As pig farmers, can we have priority in choosing the meat?"
"That's not necessarily true. After all, we are not from this village," Du Jiang didn't think so. You know, the range of choices for the first choice is wide, and pork lard and the like are even more preferred, which the villagers particularly like.
Yu Chunxiao was not discouraged by Du Jiang's words. "Even if we don't have pork fat, we can still get some spare ribs or something. At worst, bones are worthless, so I guess we can get some less big bones. My dad loves bone soup noodles the most, so I wonder if I can get some."
"I think you can get the bones. After all, there's no meat on them, so not many people in the village like them," Du Jiang said matter-of-factly. "Most people like the fat because it can be grilled to release oil. You can focus on the lean meat, maybe you can get more."
"So, what are you going to order?" Yu Chunxiao was a little curious about Du Jiang's preferences. After all, Du Jiang's reaction was too indifferent, not at all as joyful as slaughtering a pig.
"I, I want some pork ribs for soup, and some meat dumplings. If possible, lungs, liver, and intestines would be fine too," Du Jiang mentioned some worthless parts of the pig, but Yu Chunxiao didn't think much of it. "These are all offal and no one wants them, especially the large intestines. They have a strong smell. If they're not cooked well and stink, I guess few people will want them. After all, making that stuff requires a lot of seasonings. Who in the countryside would be willing to put in the effort?"
"Thanks for your good wishes. I hope it will be my turn soon." Du Jiang narrowed his eyes as he looked at the pig with its limbs tied up and pressed on the bench in the distance. As Du Laozhu stabbed the pig-killing knife, red liquid instantly flowed down the blade. Someone had already placed a large basin below to catch the liquid.
The big pig finally died unwillingly with a grunt. Perhaps because the smell of blood was a little strong in the air, the remaining pigs became restless and uneasy. Village chief Du was quick to call a few strong laborers to drive the pigs to the town.
As the pigs left, the two remaining ones kept spinning like flies, and after a few turns they were trapped by Du Laozhu and his men. There were two more pig souls on the long bench, and two more basins for collecting blood.
Boiling water was poured on the pig to remove the hair and clean it. The bright white flying pig almost blinded everyone's eyes.
Du Jiang was not a person who liked the smell of blood, but the atmosphere around her was so lively that she could hardly move her feet. She could only passively follow Yu Chunxiao and stand in the crowd to watch the pig-slaughtering in the center.
It has to be said that Du Laozhu, as the only pig butcher in the village, is quite skilled. As the pig's blood was drained and the stray hairs on the pig's body were scraped off, the butcher knife came in handy again.
The cold blade cut through the snow-white belly, and the round pig became fan-shaped. The huge pig heads were lined up on the long bench. Du Laozhu skillfully peeled the skin and tendons, and divided the three fat pigs into countless small pieces according to their parts, and then removed the bones and fat.
The winter air was very cold, but no one felt it at this moment. They all stared intently at the people busy on the stage, and in their hearts they were looking forward to the village chief's early return.
By noon, Village Chief Du and his young men finally came back with smiles on their faces. When they saw the stack of money that was taken out and placed on the table, the air became scorching hot.
"Everyone, be quiet." As Village Chief Du raised his hand and lowered it, the square fell silent. "The pigs are owned by everyone in the village. Now the scorekeepers will count and distribute them according to everyone's work performance. Line up now. After you get your money, go to Du Laozhu's end and line up to get your pork."
As soon as he finished speaking, without Village Chief Du saying anything, a long queue formed in front of the scorer in an orderly manner.
For those who are lazy and hate to work, sorry, you can't get any work points if you don't work. If you want to take advantage, fine, let's see who in the village will agree.
The few scoundrels who were looking for trouble were suppressed and could only run to Du Laozhu to beg for some scraps.
Standing in the crowd and watching the exchange of glances between Village Chief Du and Du Laozhu, Du Jiang admired them in his heart. There was no fuss or noise, and the problem was solved with just a few words. It was suppressed without even causing any disturbance. As for the scraps given by Du Laozhu, although they were only the size of a palm, seeing the gratitude in the eyes of those people, Du Jiang's admiration for the village chief increased again. Such a talent was wasted in the village.
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