Ying came back quickly and said that the butchers in the slaughterhouse would be finishing work in the evening and going on holiday to celebrate the New Year.
"Aqi! Ayi! Quick! Let's drive the big white pig over here right away! I've already given a dollar to a few of the masters and paid them first. They have to wait for us!"
Gu Qi and Gu Yi hurried to the backyard to drive the pigs away.
Ying ran behind with two large iron buckets in her hands, shouting excitedly, "Ah Miao! Quick! Tell the neighbor in the front yard that our pig weighs at least 300 kilograms! If you want to buy one, go to the slaughterhouse as soon as possible!"
"Mom!" Gu Yi grabbed his mother's arm and reminded her, "Don't shout too loudly. It won't be good if people you don't know hear you."
Ying shrank her head and whispered, "It's just our neighbor... I didn't sell it too expensively, it's about the same price as in the vegetable market. In the whole street, only our family and the old Lin family at the end of the street raise pigs. Their pigs were killed a few days ago and most of them were sold."
Gu Miao chuckled: "Second brother, the inspections during the New Year were not so strict, so don't be afraid."
"Okay, okay." Gu Yi lowered his voice: "But don't be too ostentatious, just tell the neighbors nearby, don't let too many people know. It doesn't matter if we can't sell it, we can keep it and dry it to eat slowly."
"How can I do that!" Ying grumbled in dissatisfaction, "I have to sell it for some money! This is the only pig my family can save up in a year, and I'm counting on it to save some money."
She had never had a good idea of spending money. She would spend more if she had more, and be forced to save if she had less. Fortunately, Aqi would send her salary on time every month, otherwise the family would definitely be short of money.
Gu Qi said calmly: "It's not a big deal for the meat, just sell it to a familiar neighbor for half the price, don't make it public to avoid trouble."
"That won't do!" Ying was very troubled and whispered, "Our pigs are big and fat, so it's fine if they are the same price as the ones in the vegetable market, there's no need to sell them at half the price. Besides, we don't buy anything from them, so why should we sell them at half the price?"
She was extremely envious of the country fisherwoman who made so much money in one go in the morning!
Dried fish and shrimps are cheap and can be sold at any price, but she has raised the big white pig for a whole year!
Chen Xingling, who was cleaning the backyard, couldn't stand it anymore and said, "A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. It's good to help each other watch the door and take care of each other occasionally. Sometimes don't be too serious, you may gain more."
Ordinary people can only buy a piece of meat during the Spring Festival. If it is too expensive, people with ulterior motives may expose it.
Gu Qi nodded in agreement.
"That's what I meant, sister-in-law!" Gu Yi laughed heartily, "That's what I meant. We're the only family around here that raises pigs, and our neighbors know that we have a big yard and plenty of space, so they didn't expose us for raising big pigs. We haven't slaughtered pigs for a long time, and we can't eat that many at once, so it's good to sell half of them and give them away half of them. As the saying goes - you have to be able to afford small losses so that you won't suffer big losses in the future."
"Bang, bang, bang!" Ying laughed and scolded, "What big loss or small loss! You're talking nonsense! Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, you better keep your mouths shut and don't say a single unlucky word!"
Gu Qi instructed his younger sister, "Knock on the door and whisper, just say you'll come to our backyard later to see the pork, the neighbors will understand."
Gu Miao responded, "Okay!" and jumped up excitedly.
"You're not selling it at the slaughterhouse?" Ying frowned and explained, "The backyard is a bit messy here, so don't get the pork dirty."
Gu Qi shook his head: "It's too ostentatious to ask all the neighbors to go to the slaughterhouse to buy pork. It's better to do it in your own backyard. If it's dirty, just wash it. Anyway, meat should be washed before eating, right?"
"How about..." Chen Xingling suggested: "I'll sweep twice more first, then take out the newspapers that Aqi brought and spread them on the floor, so that it won't be too dirty. What do you think?"
Gu Qi nodded.
Gu Yi gave a thumbs up: "Usually it's my sister-in-law who does the work at home. Only the workers can come up with a solution at the critical moment!"
"That's enough!" Ying said angrily, "Hurry up! If you keep talking, it will be dark soon!"
The Gu Qi brothers drove the pig out of the house through the back door.
The big white pig was a little scared, and started running around recklessly, making sharp and piercing squeals from its big mouth.
Gu Yi rushed forward bravely and ran side by side with it. He quickly grasped the rhythm and pressed the back of its neck to slow down its running speed.
"Brother! Bring me the stick!"
Gu Qi was not good at these and could only help by holding a stick.
Seeing that the big white pig had already left the door, Ying turned around and shouted, "Ah Xuan! You can help too! We'll fetch the pig offal back from the water later!"
Gu Xuan didn't know whether he heard it or not, and didn't respond at all.
Chen Xingling watched the big white pig he had raised for more than a year walking away with its dirty butt wagging its tail, and he felt reluctant to let it go.
Little Tiger came running over and asked, "Grandma, where does Piglet want to go?"
"Kill it and eat it!" Ying shouted, "Ah Xuan! Come out quickly!"
When little Tiger heard this, he was so scared that his eyes widened and he shrank behind his mother.
Chen Xingling quickly squatted down, hugged him in his arms, and gently stroked his hair.
"Don't be afraid, all pigs have to go to the slaughterhouse after they grow up. It's old now, and all animals die when they get old. The next pig it raises will also die, and it won't last long."
Little Tiger turned his little head and stared blankly at the big white pig in the distance, then nodded as if he understood something.
At this time, Gu Xuan walked out slowly.
Ying was holding two large iron buckets, while Gu Xuan carried a shoulder pole and hurried over.
At this time, some neighbors heard the pig's cry, and opened their doors or windows and looked out to say hello with a smile.
Ying blinked and shouted, "Remember to join in the fun! Come to our backyard later!"
The neighbor who was waiting to buy meat quickly said yes and agreed to come over in a while.
Chen Xingling closed the back door and led his son to the front yard.
More than an hour later, Gu Yi came back hurriedly carrying a big pig's head, while Ying and Gu Xuan carried two large buckets of pig offal.
Chen Xingling didn't want the ignorant little tiger to see such a bloody scene, so he coaxed him back to the room and took out some small toys for him to play with.
After a while, Gu Qi and a master chef pushed back two pieces of pork.
At this time, the backyard was already bustling with activity. Most of the neighbors from the front and back doors had come, each carrying a vegetable basket or holding a winnowing basket.
"We sell dried seafood in the morning and pork in the afternoon! Ah Qi's mother, we are going to celebrate the New Year wrapped in fat!"
Ying waved her hand and said, "Don't talk nonsense! There's no way this could happen!"
Someone praised: "Aqi's mom, your pigs are so fat! You must have wasted a lot of pig food, right? You're raising them really well!"
Ying narrowed her eyes and smiled, and said proudly: "Of course! I usually eat a lot of pig food and rice water. I have never lost weight when raising pigs!"
The neighbors secretly held back their laughter.
If you brag to others about this, most people who are not aware of the situation will believe it.
They have lived together as neighbors for many years, and Chen Xingling is the only one who goes in and out of the Gu family's backyard. She is also the only one who chops pig vegetables, cleans the pig sty, and carries pig manure. How could she possibly believe Chen Xingling's lies!
Then, everyone smiled meaningfully and started talking at once.
"Your two daughters are plump and fair, and have never been thin! Your daughter-in-law is the only skinny one in your family!"
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