Pig Killer

The Song family had a good relationship with the people in the brigade. The team leader was a relative of the Song family and an elder in the family tree. Their village was a combination of two villages. The Song surname was the majority, but the village chief was a person from another village. There were many people with the surname Chen in that village, and Chen Jiao's family was there.

The villages are relatively scattered, separated by a bridge. Although they are all called Songjia Village, people on the other side of the bridge still prefer to call themselves Chenjia Village.

The young men who had done business with Song Qiu Sheng before were all from Songjia Village. Even after they came back from work, they still kept in touch with Song Qiu Sheng. They also admired Song Qiu Sheng for having the courage to start a business again, and they never thought that he would succeed.

The aunties from the brigade who came to help were helping to prepare the slaughtered pig in the kitchen. Song Shixia took a walk around the kitchen and found that there was no place for her, so she came back dejectedly to warm herself by the fire.

Song Qiu Sheng buried a few sweet potatoes in the fire pit. From time to time, someone was looking for him outside. Song Shixia whispered in Professor Ji's ear and was caught by his brother on the spot.

"What are you arranging for me?"

Song Shixia's eyes rolled around: "You have dog ears, but you guessed wrong, I was praising you."

Song Qiusheng took a long step and sat on the long bench.

"Tsk, I don't believe you can be so kind."

In the kitchen, Song's mother's face was full of smiles.

"It's not as amazing as you say. Qiu Sheng is just running a small business. Hey, my son Shi Xia will take the college entrance examination in June this year. My son-in-law is a university teacher. He said Xia Xia can get into university."

"The only flaw in your son-in-law is that he has a child. But he's a university professor, and it's hard to find one like him. Shi Xia won't suffer a loss if she marries him."

The smile on Song's mother's face faded a little: "Don't say this in front of the child. My Shi Xia is the child's biological mother."

Everyone agreed: "Yes, these two children look well behaved, they don't quarrel or make a fuss."

The slaughtered pig dishes were served, and two tables were occupied as if for a banquet. One table was for the Song family, and the other table was for the guests who came to help.

Professor Ji looked at the table full of pork offal and picked up his chopsticks, not knowing how to start.

Song Shixia picked up a piece of pickled cabbage for him. This dish was pork, cabbage and vermicelli stew.

"Eat this, it's light."

She then demonstrated how to prepare a few dishes, signaling him to try them all. The way they cook slaughtered pigs here is not very particular, they just eat all the pig's blood, internal organs and other parts while they are still fresh.

Considering the children, Song's mother fried shredded potatoes and pork belly with potato slices.

The two dishes were swept away as soon as they were served at the next table. At the Song family's table, only Song Dongdong and Ergou were eating so hard that they wanted to bury their heads in their bowls. Song's father and mother did not compete with the young people for the food and were eating fried pork liver and braised pork intestines.

The two little guys like to eat potatoes, especially the potato chips with cooked pork, which are fragrant and soft with a little pork fat.

Song's mother said lovingly, "Dabao and Xiaobao are really good at eating, and they are not picky about food."

Ji Weiqing put down his chopsticks and said, "Xia Xia is a good cook. She can even make carrots and yams that they don't like to eat."

Song Dongdong, who was busy eating, raised his head from his bowl and said, "Sister, you beat me when I didn't like eating radishes when I was a kid."

Song's mother pretended to be angry and scolded him: "It was good to have something to eat at that time, but you were still picky about food. Your sister beat you well."

Song Dongdong felt aggrieved.

Song Shixia laughed: "Next time I'll make you yam cake and carrot juice. We can't make it without the ingredients at home."

Song Dongdong's eyes lit up: "It's a deal!"

Ergou swallowed his saliva. Yam cake sounded delicious.

Later in the evening, the family sat in the fire house and warmed themselves by the fire. The whole house was warmer than a room with heating.

Song's mother brought a plate of melon seeds and peanuts, and there was a knock on the door.

"I'll go take a look. Shi Xia, go to the kitchen and help me watch the pot. I'm worried about all the old men in this house."

In the big pot in the kitchen, brined meat was being cooked. Song Shixia picked out a few eggs, washed them and put them in. The brined eggs tasted good.

Her mother was going to salt all the meat for the New Year's Eve dinner tonight, and she and her brother were going to take the extra meat back home.

There were four cleaned chickens and ducks in the basin on the chopping board. Song Shixia lifted the chickens and ducks by their legs and put them into the pot, secretly pouring some spiritual spring water into them.

Song's mother came into the kitchen and said, "Go warm yourself by the fire. I don't understand what they are saying. Your brother told you to go over."

Song Shixia greeted the captain, sat down and held Ji Yuan in his arms.

"Second uncle."

The captain was wearing a Raider cap and was peeling and frying peanuts.

"Come sit by the fire, Qiu Sheng was just praising you."

Song Shixia looked at his brother in surprise.

"My second uncle asked me about my work, and I told him about my plan."

She remembered that her brother had once said that they should let the people in the brigade raise chickens and pigs and farm the land, and he would help them to find markets and sell them.

"Is this possible?"

"Second uncle said that we should report it to the village, and then hold a meeting to vote."

"Okay, but are you going to take such a big step when your business is just starting out?" Song Shixia said this deliberately for his second uncle to hear, so that he would not put all his hopes on his brother.

Song Qiusheng understood his sister's hint immediately, and he smiled carelessly.

"I will be paid the first installment of the project this summer. Our village will plant the land in the spring, so summer will be just right."

Song Shixia made a suggestion: "I think it's better to grow fruits than vegetables. The vegetables grown on the small piece of land in our brigade are not enough for our own consumption. The land at the foot of the mountain can be reclaimed and planted with fruit trees. That piece of land is generally more suitable for growing fruits than growing grains."

"I remember that the persimmons on our mountain in autumn were particularly sweet. We also had wild kiwis and apples. We can definitely expand the range and enrich the fruit categories, such as grapes, apples, cherries, and pears."

Song Shixia cited the example of how inconvenient it was for her to buy fruit in the capital. Her village was neither far nor near from the capital. If the road was repaired, they would probably be able to go back and forth on the same day. But now they don't know the policy, so who knows when the road can be built to the small county town.

She gave another dose of reassurance: "We can think about this slowly. Fruits will take at least two years to bear fruit. If you have an idea, you can reclaim the land first. I think there are so many people in our brigade, and our village is two villages merged together. If other brigades want to get a piece of the pie, it's okay in the short term, but in the long run, they won't be willing to make money with us."

The captain was a little moved after hearing this. At first he thought Qiu Sheng was making excuses. What could a little girl like Song Shixia do when asked such a big thing? He didn't expect that she would become so capable after marrying into the city.

Song Guozhu did not deny it outright: "I heard that you are studying. Studying in a big city will make your brain more useful." Their village must let the young people go out and see the world.

Song Qiusheng didn't expect that his sister was more thoughtful than him. He had never observed that the village could grow fruit before, and he had never thought about growing fruit. Growing crops was the fastest and most cost-effective business in the village, and he knew that other brigades would definitely want to share a piece of the pie.

Song Shixia continued to speak slowly: "There are many people with the surname Song in our team, and they don't recognize it as Songjia Village, but the village chief is surnamed Chen, so we can't avoid them. We made money in the past two years, so everyone must have no other ideas, so I said we should find a way out for our own people."

Ji Weiqing helped, saying, "Xia Xia and I have been to the mountain before. The land at the foot of the mountain is indeed suitable for growing fruit."

The advantage of Songjia Village is that it is closer to the foot of the mountain. Although it is far from the village entrance, it is very convenient to go up the mountain.

With the help of a university teacher, his words would carry more weight, so Song Guozhu began to think seriously about it.

"Okay, I'll go back to the village and discuss it with them. If they don't agree, we can just do it alone."

Chenjia Village is close to the river and there is a very long reservoir, which is good for raising fish and shrimp. However, the transportation cost of aquatic products is high, so Song Shixia did not tell them about this opportunity.

After the captain left, Song Qiu Sheng couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

"How come you have such a brain that you can tell what kind of fruit to plant just by looking at the land?"

Song Shixia smiled mysteriously. Of course, it was because he had learned in high school geography class that the north was suitable for growing drought-resistant fruits.

"Brother, I told you to study more. Didn't you enroll in night school? What did you learn?"

Song Qiusheng made excuses for himself: "Night school doesn't teach knowledge about growing crops. I just don't know how to grow fruit. On the contrary, you know a lot even though you haven't been to the fields much."

Song Shixia threw up his hands: "I can't help it. Who made me so knowledgeable? It's always good to read more books."

Ji Yuan didn't understand, but that didn't stop him from supporting his mother.

“It’s good to read more books!”

On New Year's Eve, Song Chunxia rode her bicycle home with the New Year gifts.

"Today I am going to the mountain to worship my ancestors. I will come back to burn incense and kowtow and then go home."

Song's mother took the food and complained, "Why didn't you come back on the day of the pig slaughter? I sent someone a message in advance for you to come back and eat the meat."

"Mom, you don't know how much we made from the business we did at the train station a few days ago!"

Song Chunxia lowered her voice.

"I made 30 yuan in three days, and 10 yuan in one day!"

Song's mother patted her chest and asked, "Why are there so many people at the train station?"

"I went to ask around, and they said the train station would be closed for the New Year, so people coming back from outside could get off at our county town train station. Unfortunately, it's only during the New Year, and it won't be available after the New Year."

People who just got off the train couldn't help asking when they smelled the aroma of Malatang. When they asked the price, they wanted to try it even more. They could eat meat skewers for 5 cents. And a portion of noodles was 20 cents. They could eat as much as they wanted, and they could also ask the boss to pour spicy hot soup on them.

In such cold weather, there is a stall selling fresh and fragrant hot pot on the roadside. Even the locals can't resist the smell.

Song Chunxia had a good relationship with people when she worked in the supply and marketing cooperative. Customers liked to buy things at her counter. After knowing that she quit her job and set up a stall, they took good care of her business and they were considered one of the first regular customers of the stall.

Hearing that her sister earned a month's salary a few days before the New Year, Song Shixia was sincerely happy for her.

"It's a pity that our county town is too small. If we go to the city, the train station will definitely be more popular."

The passenger flow at the train station cannot be underestimated, especially since meals on the train are very expensive. Many people get off the train with empty stomachs. Who can resist the aroma of spicy hot pot as soon as they get off the train?

Song Chunxia was moved: "What do you think about me and your brother-in-law opening a shop in the city?"

Song Shixia did not agree at first.

"Sister, I think you need to calm down and think about it. The train station has a large passenger flow, so business will definitely be better, but you are unfamiliar with the city, how will Maodan go to school?"

Song Chunxia's enthusiasm was half extinguished.

"You're right. I should think carefully about Maodan's schooling. Mom should have told you about your brother-in-law's uncle. I asked him about it. If we go to court, we won't stand much chance of winning. There's no evidence to prove that he stole the family's money and ran away. So even if we lose the case, we have to give him half of the house. I feel terrible when I see his uncle. Every time he comes to our house, he eats and takes things away like a bandit."

Song Chunxia and her husband set up a stall, and they would prepare a pot of meat every day. Every time the uncle came to their house, he would yell for meat. If they didn't give him meat, he would lie at the door and make a scene. His face was thicker than the corner of the city wall, and in the end, it was their family that was embarrassed.

If it were possible to move, Song Chunxia would like to move out immediately and rent out half of the house to collect some rent.

It’s just that my mother-in-law is reluctant to give up the house, and my husband’s job is still uncertain, and I don’t know if he will be replaced by someone else in the end.

Song Shixia couldn't take care of her sister's family affairs, so she could only think of the safest way.

"Evil men will be punished by their own evil. We should fight him even if we lose the lawsuit. He has not been home for so many years and has not been filial to the old man, nor has he fulfilled his responsibility to support the old man. You can say that the house was given to my brother-in-law and his father before the old man died. Anyway, he did not come back for the old man's funeral. Morally speaking, he is an unfilial son. By the way, collect evidence that he is a live-in son-in-law, proving that he lives not far from home but has never been home to visit his relatives. Also, there must be someone who knows what happened back then, so try to find a witness to help testify. As long as the benefits are in place, no one will be unwilling to help."

In this day and age, there is no shortage of people who like to watch the show. The elderly people living on the same street must know what happened back then. As long as they are given some benefits, they will not be afraid of retaliation.

Song Chunxia suddenly understood and excitedly grabbed her sister's hand.

"Why didn't I think of that? It's wrong for me to give up before the lawsuit even starts. I'll go back and discuss it with your brother-in-law. Let's wait for good news."

Song Shixia patted the back of her sister's hand. Her sister's family suffered from the lack of education, and they wanted to give up after hearing that the success rate of the lawsuit was not high. The other party often came to their house to ask for food and drinks, and they could deal with it as blackmail.

Song's mother packed some salted meat, a few strips of lean meat and an old hen for her daughter.

"You didn't come back to eat the food after killing the pig, so take this meat with you. It's all fresh."

After paying homage to his ancestors, Song Chunxia hurried home, took the New Year gift given by his mother, and left on his bicycle.

Song's mother was confused: "Why did your sister walk so fast?"

Song Shixia smiled and explained: "I gave her an idea, maybe it can solve the problem of my brother-in-law's uncle."

"Don't let it be a bad idea. Will your weird idea work?"

Song Shixia stretched out her arm and put it on her mother's shoulders, and took her into the house.

"Of course I asked my sister to use the weapon of law to deal with him. When dealing with scoundrels, of course you should use the law to protect yourself. It's useless to reason with such people."

Song's mother was full of worries: "Will this work? It will definitely be troublesome to go to court."

For ordinary people, suing is like a fantasy, and they would rather take a loss and settle the matter privately. But according to the eldest sister, the man clearly wanted to take advantage of their family, and if they didn't sue, they would be sucked blood by locusts.

Song Shixia promised her mother: "Mom, don't worry, I promise that the man will go back honestly after the lawsuit."

Song Chunxia went home to discuss it with her husband, and Sun Guoqiang agreed after just a few seconds of consideration.

"Okay, let's sue him. We haven't done anything wrong anyway, so why should we let him off?" If his uncle hadn't done those things, he wouldn't mind living under the same roof and raising him. After all, he was his father's brother. But his uncle almost starved his father and grandfather to death. He didn't take action because he was worried that if he went to jail, his wife, children and mother would be bullied by others.

I remember going to the vegetable market with my family before the Chinese New Year when I was a child. There were so many people, shoulder to shoulder, that my face was squeezed out of shape. If my parents went to the supermarket, I would be responsible for watching the bicycles. Thinking about how young I was at that time, I would just sit on the bicycle in a daze, with my thoughts running wild.

PS: I was born in 1995, not 1980, but our little place may be much more backward than the outside world.