After delivering the meat, Zhang's mother had just returned to the main hall to discuss with his father how to distribute the wild boar meat in addition to the packed dry goods tomorrow. When she saw him come in, she pulled him to sit down.
"Xiaowu, you're so old, how are you going to arrange the meat? Who are you going to give it to? Tell me. If there's too much, I'll make bacon."
Zhang Guoqing looked at his father and saw that he had no objection. "Mom, I specially chopped two pig thighs, half a pig leg, and ribs. Hang them under the eaves to drain. I'll pack them tomorrow morning. The wrapping is ready. You can keep half of the remaining pig leg for our family to eat fresh. I'll also share some with my eldest and second sisters and my two sisters-in-law's families. There won't be much left. I won't sell the rest. I'll use it to supplement my family. I'll stew the extra ribs for my family to eat, so that everyone at home can eat more. The braised pig head meat is for my dad to eat with wine. Dad, why don't you go have a drink with my uncle and the younger uncle tonight?"
"Forget about tonight, let's eat and drink at home first, and then go drink with your uncle and others tomorrow night. Tomorrow, ask your eldest brother to send some meat to the county town for your sister. Let your nephews taste the meat. The pig's head is stewed slowly, and the wild boar meat is rough, and it tastes better when stewed for a long time. Have a little wine with the meat before going to bed, I wouldn't trade this life for anything even if I were a god." After saying that, Father Zhang smacked his lips and didn't even want to smoke his pipe.
"Okay, I just buried a pheasant in the stove, it will be just right for eating later." After Zhang Guoqing said this, he looked at his mother and, as expected, got a roll of the eyes from his mother.
Father Zhang watched them bickering and smiled. "We went hunting before the New Year. Yesterday, the captain asked when you'd be back. We figured it would be in the next few days, so get ready. We'll be doing more this year to make bacon and dried game for your mother. We'll definitely fill her little treasure chest. Make her laugh in her dreams."
"I had planned to go up the mountain a few more times before the snow closed it off. This time I saw quite a few deer footprints. They were halfway up the mountain, toward the dense forest in Lin County. There's a stream there, and the footprints were all over the side. There aren't many hunters here, but I saw a lot of hares and pheasants. I heard there aren't many big game animals to hunt in Lin County. Uncle Wang's sons even asked me to go deep into the mountains, but I turned them back. There are too many wolves there, and it's too dangerous. It'll take several days."
Zhang's father and mother nodded after hearing this. He didn't need money and there was no need to risk his life. Zhang's father smelled the fragrance and asked Zhang's mother to go into the kitchen to see if it was ready.
Zhang's mother came out of the main room and into the kitchen. Seeing Xizi making a fire, she praised him profusely. Everyone heard it, but they didn't realize that the boy was waiting for his uncle's beggar's chicken.
Zhang's mother sorted out the fattiest meat and placed it in a bamboo basket. When the basket was full, she asked someone to help carry it outside and drain it. Then she loaded the basket with two pig thighs and fan ribs, and carried them outside as well, to be packed away tomorrow morning.
Besides her mother-in-law, there were three other families in the capital, so there was more to share. One hundred kilograms meant each family would have 20 kilograms of food. She liked her mother-in-law very much. She had a straightforward personality and was warm and welcoming. Besides, this was Xiaowu's filial gift to her, so she didn't feel sorry at all.
Zhang's mother returned to the kitchen and saw that only the eldest daughter was there. The second daughter was probably slacking off again. Pointing to the two baskets of meat, ribs, and bones in the kitchen, she said to Huang Cuilan, "We're eating all this ourselves. Xiaowu said he won't sell it. Tomorrow, have the eldest daughter send two chops of meat and some of the ribs to your parents' house. And have her send two chops of meat and ribs to his two younger sisters as well. When Juhua comes, have her send the same back."
Huang Cuilan suppressed her surprise, thought for a moment and then shook her head: "No need to send them to my mother's house, they are all Xiaowu's. It's dangerous to go to the forest, the eldest and second sisters will listen to mother. We don't need to go."
"It's okay. Xiaowu said the two sisters-in-law's families should send some over too. Let's go with it. Xizi and the others have eaten so many good things from their grandfather, and two cuts of meat are nothing." After saying this, Zhang's mother thought for a moment and went to the warehouse next door to find a bamboo basket. The bamboo baskets in their house were all woven by his father when he had free time, and they came in all sizes. Bamboo baskets were more practical than wrapping paper.
Zhang's mother returned with four small bamboo baskets, divided the meat and ribs, and put them outside. The heat from cooking in the kitchen was intense, so leaving them outside in the cold weather would still be fresh tomorrow. Huang Cuilan and she moved the rest of the meat into the cellar. Seeing there was still plenty of meat, they secretly decided to make bacon out of it all, except for the ribs and offal, when they got home tomorrow. It was the end of the year, so giving and receiving gifts wouldn't be wasted. The two pig heads and pork elbows alone would last a long time, and these ribs, stewed with potatoes, would last until the end of the year.
Seeing that there were still four pork elbows left, he hardened his heart and took out three more and put them in the big bamboo basket outside. Forget it, the three pork elbows were just enough for Jiaojiao's grandfather, uncle, and aunt. As for the second uncle, it was his job to live in the northwest.
Mother Zhang couldn't bear to watch any longer. Although there was a lot of food, if she divided it up the way Xiaowu had, she wouldn't be able to make bacon. Next spring, with the busy farming season, there would be a shortage of meat. Now was the perfect time to prepare so that the bacon could be stored in the small warehouse when it was ready.
Xizi called Zhang Guoqing over. Zhang Guoqing saw that it was almost time, so he ran to the kitchen and used tongs to pick up a lump of mud. He saw that it was really cracked.
He smiled at Xizi and said, "You little guys are really familiar with each other. I have a task for you. Now! Immediately! Serve wine to your grandfather, your father, your second uncle and the others! Then come back quickly."
Xizi saluted him cheerfully: "Yes, Chief. Please wait a moment. I'll be back soon." He took the three bowls and ran to the main room and set them on the table.
Father Zhang saw him running over and said, "What are you doing? Don't be in a hurry. Be careful not to fall."
"My uncle has given me a task, bring me some wine. I'll go call my father, my second uncle."
Xizi ran around and returned to the kitchen. Zhang Guoqing had already knocked open the crack in the mud to reveal the chicken wrapped in a lotus leaf. It smelled delicious. The pheasant's belly was stuffed with mushrooms and bacon. Four plates were left there without cutting. He cut one plate and handed it to his sister-in-law, asking her to take it to the main room with the pig tails.
"Xizi, I'll cut this dish up for you guys to share with your brothers and sisters. Take it to the main room and call them over. When your uncle finishes cutting it up, I'll soak it in malted milk and give it to you guys to eat with the pheasant. How about that? Isn't that a great life?"
Xizi gave a thumbs up and said, "Great, so great."
Zhang Guoqing watched him pick it up and run away, and hurriedly called out to him, "Tell your grandmother and your mother to come over."
Zhang's mother heard his shouting from a distance and went back to the kitchen with Huang Cuilan.
Zhang Guoqing saw that his mother and eldest sister-in-law had returned, and he picked up two plates of chicken. "Mom, eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, all of you go to the small living room in my west wing and have a drink with my mother-in-law. And take a walk. Remember to bring your bowls and chopsticks."
Zhang's mother and her two sisters-in-law laughed heartily. "Okay, you go first. We'll prepare some meat for you."
Zhang Guoqing quickly ran into the room carrying two plates of chicken. After a moment's thought, he placed them on the table in the inner room. He took out the red wine he had asked Jiaojiao to bring out earlier, opened it, and placed it on the table. He then took out a bottle of white wine and said to the mother and daughter who were looking at him curiously, "We're having a good time today. The men will drink in the main room, and Mom, my mother, and my sister-in-law will drink here. Have fun, you guys. Jiaojiao, I'll make you a cup of malted milk. Drink it as you like. This is beggar's chicken. I've cut it up."
He quickly pulled out an opened can of malted milk from the cupboard, looked at the few more cans inside, pointed at them, and laughed, "Life is good. Since Mom came, the inventory has been growing, and the supplies are becoming more and more abundant."
He made a cup of hot malted milk and walked away. "I want to make some malted milk for the little ones too, so they can drink it with their beggar's chicken. My mother and the others are here." Seeing them smiling and coming over with plates, bowls, and chopsticks, he said, "Mom and sisters-in-law, come in quickly. The table is in the back room, you can play by yourselves. I'm leaving first."
Zhang Guoqing looked at Jiaojiao, who was looking at the meat on the table with a pitiful look in her eyes. "Jiaojiao, drink the malted milk and eat the pheasant."
After saying that, he hurried out. He was afraid that he would be soft-hearted. It wasn't that he wouldn't give her the food, but the meat was too salty. He took the malted milk, took the bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen, and hurried to the main room. The children saw that his uncle had really brought malted milk, and they shouted with joy. He was also happy to hear it. "Hey little ones, wait a minute, it will be ready soon. How about you drink the malted milk with the chicken?"
Zhang Dad and the others watched him play with the children, and they all watched with joy.
"It's ready. One cup for each person. Don't drink too much, otherwise you'll wet the bed and make a fool of yourself. Let your eldest brother Xizi take care of this bottle of malted milk. You can ask him for more in the future. Xizi, take it back to the room after you're done drinking it. They can drink one cup a day if they want. Pay attention, you have to find an adult when you're brewing. The boiling water is very hot. This is a task!" After the brewing was done, Zhang Guoqing was still worried and gave Xizi special instructions.
Xizi immediately stood up and saluted him, "Yes, Commander, I will complete the task."
Zhang Guoqing also solemnly handed the jar to him, and the two of them played the game in the same way, which made Zhang's father and the others laugh out loud.
When Zhang's father saw that they had calmed down, Zhang Guoqing also sat down, took a sip of his wine, and said with a smile: "Are your mother and the others drinking too? You won't let them drink baijiu. It will be fun when they get drunk later."
Zhang Guoqing picked up the wine and clinked it with his eldest and second brothers. "I put red wine and white wine in the room and let them choose. Haha, I'll tell you a secret, if you drink the two bottles together, you will definitely get drunk."
"You naughty boy, what red wine? I thought you prepared fruit wine?" The eldest brother Zhang Guofu asked curiously. He didn't ask where the wine came from, he thought it was brought by his mother-in-law.
Zhang Guoqing said, "Red wine is just a name. It's the kind of wine foreign women drink. You can buy it at the Friendship Mall in the provincial capital. But it's not as good as fruit wine. If they can't get used to it, they'll definitely ask for fruit wine."
Zhang Guofu nodded. "The candy Xizi brought back last time was called something called Kerry. I tasted it. It was good candy, but the foreigners made it taste bitter and weird. Foreigners' things are always messy."
The second oldest, Zhang Guoqiang, shook his head and smiled as he said, "Brother, you forgot, it's called chocolate. And that bread, it's nice and long. I've eaten it, but it's not as good as white flour steamed buns. I heard from Xizi that it's a kind of bread eaten in foreign countries, called a baguette. Why does this good bread have to be so long?"
It was already past 8 o'clock when we finished drinking. Everyone had a great time and went back to their rooms to rest.
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