Chapter 254: Fat Pigs Slaughtered
When Tong Huaqiong was hesitating about how to explain to Man'er about the pigs being slaughtered, Man'er took the initiative to tell Tong Huaqiong that the pigs she raised were fat and ready to be slaughtered.
Tong Huaqiong asked curiously: "Who told you that the pigs are going to be slaughtered? Do you know what it means to slaughter pigs?"
Maner said: "Dad said, Dad said that when the pigs are fattened, they should be slaughtered."
Tong Huaqiong: “…”
Gu Dahan, this pure ancient man, had no idea that this would leave a shadow on Maner's childhood.
Tong Huaqiong was worrying too much.
Maner cried when the pigs were sent out of the herd. By the time the pigs were tied up, Maner had already told Tong Huaqiong that she wanted to eat pork vermicelli buns.
Tong Huaqiong: “…”
For rural areas, slaughtering pigs is the highlight of every year for the family, and this highlight usually takes place in the twelfth lunar month.
There are not many people like Tong Huaqiong who kill pigs before Mid-Autumn Festival.
When people learned that Tong Huaqiong was slaughtering pigs for the Mid-Autumn Festival, they sighed. How big are the pigs for the Mid-Autumn Festival?
After everyone gathered around, they discovered that the pigs from Tong Huaqiong's family were fatter than the New Year pigs from other families.
"Tong Da Jiao is so lucky that even her pigs grow faster than other pigs."
"Look at that fat pig, how can it last until the New Year?"
"It's no wonder that Aunt Tong's pigs are fatter than ours. Aunt Tong feeds her pigs corn bran, just like feeding pigs to humans. What do we feed? Grass and grass."
Gu Dahan hired a few strong young men from the fields to take the pigs out of the pen and carry them to his doorstep.
After the pigs were released from the pound, everyone rushed to watch the fun and gathered around the fat pigs, sighing in admiration.
Some people envied and were jealous that Tong Huaqiong's pigs were fatter than other families' pigs. Someone then told Tong Huaqiong the cost of raising pigs, which made everyone smack their lips.
Someone calculated that if Tong Huaqiong fed the nearly twenty pigs raised in the temple with corn bran, how much would it cost?
Most people really can’t afford it.
If we talk about the best pig butcher in the village, it must be Tian Fugui. In view of Chunni's experience, Tong Huaqiong is a little reluctant to hire this seemingly honest domestic violence man.
But Gu Dahan had already made the arrangements with Tian Fugui, and Tong Huaqiong didn't want to offend Gu Dahan, so the job of slaughtering the pigs was given to Tian Fugui.
Gu Jingzhe went home to help during the holiday. He boiled a large pot of hot water in the yard to use for shaving pig hair later.
The killing of pigs has begun.
Tong Huaqiong chased Maner Yaozu and Liu Yanhong into the house. It was better not to let the children witness this horrifying and bloody scene.
Tian Fugui stood in front of the pig holding a shining knife, with no expression on his honest face.
His son Chunwang was poking the pig with a stick, and Tong Huaqiong felt uncomfortable.
This kid is so annoying!
Even though the pig was destined to be slaughtered, Tong Huaqiong was still upset when she saw Chunwang teasing the pig.
"Chunwang, don't tease it, or it will break free from the rope and bite you." Tong Huaqiong grabbed Chunwang and took the stick from his hand.
Chunwang pursed his lips, turned around, took Tian Fugui's hand, and said to the pig provocatively: "Dad, give it a hard blow."
Tong Huaqiong thought that next time she would never give the pig to Tian Fugui to slaughter.
The last time Chunni came back from Tong Huaqiong's house, Tong Huaqiong didn't know whether she was beaten.
She met Chunni on the road, took her hand and asked her, but Chunni hesitated and didn't dare to say anything.
The tied pig was placed on the table.
Tian Fugui drew his knife.
Tong Huaqiong wanted to eat pork that was not smelly, but she couldn't bear to see the pigs being slaughtered, so she retreated to the yard in advance.
Tian Fugui was indeed an expert at killing pigs. He killed the pig very quickly and neatly. Tong Huaqiong only heard the pig's squeal and then no other sound.
Gu Jingzhe brought buckets of boiled hot water to the pig-slaughtering table and poured them into a huge basin.
After Gu Dahan handed the pig blood basin to Gu Jingzhe, he took a few strong young men to lift the pig into the basin filled with boiling water. Tian Fugui took a razor and shaved the piglet carefully.
"Mother Dashu, this pig fat can be sold for at least five taels of silver." Someone said.
Tong Huaqiong smiled and said, "I won't sell this pig. I'll keep it for my family to eat."
Everyone was shocked!
Tong Da Jiao was really generous. She didn't sell such a fat pig but kept it for herself. There was no one in the whole village who was so wasteful.
Even when other families in the village slaughtered pigs for the New Year, no one would keep the whole pig for themselves. Most of it would be sold and only a small portion would be kept for the New Year.
Tong Huaqiong bought a whole pig to keep for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Too arrogant!
Little did people know that Tong Huaqiong was craving for pork so much that she had already planned what delicious food she was going to make.
Not only did she keep the pig for herself, she also planned to give some to Mr. Huang, Gu Baishuang, the village chief, and Liu Yue'e's parents' home, and also keep some to stew for the shop assistants.
She did not intend to keep the pigs for Magistrate Liu and Lu Zhaoyang this time. She would wait until all the pigs were sold at the end of the year and then kill one and give half to each of their families.
"Don't go back at noon, eat the big pot meal at my house." Tong Huaqiong said to the villagers who helped to slaughter the pig.
Everyone happily agreed.
Killing a pig and inviting everyone to a meal is an old tradition in Qinghewan.
Tong Huaqiong called her mother-in-law Zhao and Aunt Qin, who was on good terms with her, to come home to help with cooking.
When Mrs. Hong knew that Tong Huaqiong's family was slaughtering a pig, she also rushed over from the town to help.
The main ingredients of the big pot dish after slaughtering a pig are pig blood and pig offal.
People in the countryside don't feel neglected for eating pig blood and offal, because they all know that it is not easy to raise a pig all year round, and pork ribs are for selling.
Besides, for most people who can hardly eat oily food on a daily basis, being able to eat a bowl of pig blood and pig offal is already very satisfying.
Since Tong Huaqiong did not plan to sell the pig, she specially cut a large piece of hindquarter meat and stewed it with pig blood and offal.
Aunt Qin cooks, while Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Hong are the chefs.
Tong Huaqiong sent Gu Jingzhe to clean the pig offal.
When Gu Jingzhe squatted in the yard washing pig intestines, the aunts and young wives in the village sighed.
Praise Tong Huaqiong for her ability to educate children.
Today, Gu Jingzhe has completely shed his scholarly arrogance and refuses any job, even though he almost retched from washing pig intestines.
When County Magistrate Liu's mother, Han, brought Lu Zhaozhao to Gu's house, she saw Gu Jingzhe's face distorted from washing pig intestines.
"Grandma, why are you here?"
Liu Yanhong was walking around the yard blowing up balloons with a pig bladder. When he saw his grandmother and cousin coming, he shouted excitedly.
Tong Huaqiong was steaming buns in the house with Zhao and Aunt Qin. She was shocked when she heard Liu Yanhong calling her "Grandma".
Oh my God, Magistrate Liu’s mother has come to visit.
Tong Huaqiong had met Han before, and with the soul of a modern person, he quickly calmed down when the mother of the county's top leader came.
Hong, who had seen big scenes, was even calmer.
Aunt Qin and Mrs. Zhao were so nervous that they didn't know where to put their hands and feet.
The county magistrate's mother is the first lady of the county. How can she be treated like a country woman?
Not only Aunt Qin and Mrs. Zhao were nervous, but the villagers who gathered in the yard to help were also very nervous.
Even though they were nervous, it did not stop everyone from looking at Han curiously.
Everyone came to the conclusion that the county magistrate's mother was no different. Her dress was not as elegant as the wife of the former village chief Xu Yong. Her whole person looked like a simple lady in the village.
His expression was a little serious.
Tong Huaqiong went out wearing an apron. Before she could say anything, Han spoke first, "It's not even the New Year yet, and you're already slaughtering pigs?"
Tong Huaqiong said: "This pig is too fat to wait until the New Year. As the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, we might as well kill it and eat the meat."
As he spoke, he welcomed Han into the house.