In rural areas during the 1970s, the scene of people queuing up to receive pork was like a historical painting full of life.
"Line up, everyone. Now you can get your pork. Each family should send a representative to line up and get your pork. After you get your pork, please sign your name here with the accountant."
After the brigade leader finished speaking, the villagers quickly formed a long queue, eagerly waiting to receive their pork. Soon, a long, winding line stretched out in front of the distribution point.
Although it was a bit hot on the drying ground, people's enthusiasm remained undiminished.
The women gathered in twos and threes, whispering about how they would cook the pork they took home—whether they would stew a pot of fragrant pork and radish soup or make a delicious meal of dumplings.
The children weaved and played in the line, occasionally being scolded by the adults, but their eyes never left the direction where the pork was about to appear.
The elderly people stood calmly, reminiscing about the days when pork was a rare treat.
The young man's face showed both excitement and a sense of responsibility towards his family, thinking that taking the pork home would allow him to improve his family's meals.
As the procession moved slowly forward, the villagers' heartbeats gradually quickened.
When the villagers finally saw the fresh pieces of wild boar meat laid out on the cutting board, their eyes shone with joy.
The young man in charge of distributing the pork carefully cut and weighed it to ensure fairness and impartiality.
Those who received their pork carefully carried it with straw ropes, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world. Their faces were full of satisfied smiles, and they walked briskly home, ready to bring a rare feast to their families.
"Hey, folks, quiet down. When you take the pork home, remember to bring your bowls and chopsticks to the drying ground for a big pot stew."
"Whatever vegetables you have at home, you can bring them to the drying ground and stew them together," the team leader said cheerfully.
"Wow, Su Tian, is this big pot of stew delicious?" Ma Chunling asked excitedly.
"Ha, I don't know either. We can ask the villagers."
"How many kilograms of pork do you think we can get?"
“You should receive the same amount as the villagers, about five or six jin each.”
"Five or six pounds? That's so much! That's great!"
Each household in the village received five catties of pork. You could only take whichever piece of pork was assigned to you; you couldn't pick and choose. It had to be fair and just.
As the queue dwindled, the amount of pork on the cutting board also decreased.
The educated youth settlement sent Zhou Dajun to collect it. He brought back five jin of pork belly. When the educated youths knew that they had received pork belly, they all smiled happily.
"Brother Jun, you're so lucky! You got some pork belly." Qi Jianming said happily.
"Yes, we can finally have braised pork tonight! We can finally eat meat!" Liu Jianfeng said, tears of excitement streaming down his face.
“We can eat it soon, there’s a big pot of stew too, right?” Zheng Yuanyuan said immediately.
"Yes, today is a really good day, haha..." Zhao Liguo said with a laugh.
Finally, it was the turn of the able-bodied young men who had hunted wild boar together to receive their share. Each of them could receive ten jin (5 kg), and Su Tian, who had hunted more, could receive twenty jin (10 kg).
Su Tian realized she couldn't finish all that wild boar meat, and besides, she didn't really like eating wild boar.
She thought for a moment, then went up to the team leader and said that there was no need to give her an extra ten pounds; she could just take ten pounds as well, and the other ten pounds could be cooked and eaten together.
Upon hearing this, the brigade leader praised Su Tian loudly, feeling extremely gratified that their village had such a wonderful educated youth.
"Fellow villagers, Su, the educated youth, said that she would receive ten catties of meat, just like the young and strong men who hunted wild boars. She said the other ten catties would be used to stew in a big pot."
She did the most work and hunted the most wild boars, yet she only received ten jin (5 kg) of reward. Shouldn't we praise her for such noble character?
"The brigade leader is right!" the villagers echoed loudly. Immediately, a burst of enthusiastic applause rang out in the threshing ground.
Su Tian waved her hand happily: "Thank you, thank you everyone."
On the other side of the drying ground, the village aunties were also working enthusiastically:
Several large pots were set up on the drying ground, firewood crackling and burning, and the water in the pots gradually boiled. Wisps of white smoke rose as they quickly processed the fresh pork and offal.
Everyone was busy but organized, the sounds of chopping meat and stir-frying mingling together.
Large chunks of pork and offal are added to the pot along with various seasonings and simmered over low heat.
Once the meat was almost tender, the aunties threw in chopped white radishes, winter melon, green beans, eggplant, potatoes, corn, shiitake mushrooms, or other fresh mushrooms and green vegetables.
After simmering for half an hour, the aroma instantly filled the air.
The villagers gathered around, their faces beaming with joy. The men sat to one side, talking about this year's harvest and interesting things that happened in the village, occasionally bursting into hearty laughter.
The women were busy setting out the bowls and chopsticks, and telling the children not to run around.
The children excitedly weaved through the crowd, eager to taste the delicious stew, while the impatient villagers had already prepared their bowls and chopsticks and waited nearby.
When a large pot of steaming stew was served, everyone picked up their chopsticks.
"Ah...it's delicious."
The pork is fatty but not greasy, and there is no gamey smell from the wild boar. The pig intestines are tender and smooth. These side dishes are stewed with wild boar meat, making it refreshing and flavorful.
Su Tian watched them eat with relish, making satisfied "smacking" sounds. The elderly people squinted their eyes, savoring the familiar taste, as if they had returned to their youth.
Just then, a child ran up to Su Tian, looked up at her, and said, "Sister Su, this big pot of stew is so delicious, I want to eat more."
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