Chapter 236: Lively
“But Grandma, then I won’t be able to take good care of you and Grandpa…”
“We’re not so old that we can’t move around, and besides, there’s Ning Yatou, your Grandpa Liu and the others. Are you still worried that something will really happen to us? Don’t worry, just go with peace of mind!”
Zhao Panpan waved her hand to interrupt the concerns the grandson had on the tip of his tongue.
In the one or so months since coming here to work, although they were a bit tired, with Ningning Yatou secretly feeding them heaps of good things, the two old folks not only didn’t lose weight but actually got much sturdier from the exercise.
Without her, they would probably be like those sent-down old folks, enduring hardship miserably, either until death or until the dawn of better times.
Now, except for their son, daughter-in-law, and eldest grandson not being by their side, nothing else was a problem.
“How about after the New Year, I get my job…”
“Pa~”
Grandma Yan’s loving smack landed on the back of his head, forcing Fu Jiaming to swallow the second half of his sentence.
At that time, because of family troubles, the old man and big brother were both bedridden, so when going to Shanghai City, he had submitted an application to Director Liang for suspension with pay.
First Tang Tian and Qin Jianjun got into trouble, then Su Ning resigned, and then it was him.
Their textile factory Purchasing Department was left with only Hu Yong.
Fortunately, good job positions were never short of people—one radish one pit, plenty of people waiting eagerly. Otherwise, Director Liang would probably go bald from stress.
Originally, he planned to go back to the factory after big brother and the old man’s conditions were completely stable after the New Year. After all, Shuangshuang was still studying in the city, and being in the same place meant they could see each other once a week or so.
But now, his good brother had gone to great lengths and finally managed to get transferred back…
If he stayed, not only could he help take care of Grandpa Yan and Grandma Yan, but also look after things at home to ease Yan Qi’s mind—a win-win with multiple benefits, nothing wrong with that.
“Your grandpa and I don’t need help with that bit of work. We’re used to it after doing it a lot. With you two together, we can rest assured. Be good and listen!”
There were still ten days or so until the New Year. It was good news, no need to make the old folks worry about other things now.
Therefore, Yan Bei and Fu Jiaming both obediently dropped the matter.
“Right, Milk, I heard when I came back that the village is slaughtering a pig and distributing meat at noon, with a pig slaughter feast. Should we buy some meat too?”
“Of course we should buy, buy as much as we can.”
Their identities were inconvenient now, so they could only look to Fu Jiaming.
Fu Jiaming belatedly understood and immediately patted his chest. “Leave this to me, I’ll go right away!”
……
“Oh, oh, slaughtering the New Year pig! Slaughtering the pig!”
Hearing the pigs’ heart-wrenching screams constantly in their ears, the little children weren’t scared at all. Instead, they excitedly clapped their hands and jumped around happily.
It only happened once a year. After the pig was slaughtered and meat distributed, the adults at home would cook some to eat.
Even watching the somewhat scary scene, what they thought of deep down was the big meat about to reach their mouths. Who would care about being afraid when saliva was flowing too fast to wipe?
On the open ground outside the pigsty, there was a long wooden basin half a person’s height, with a fireplace next to it holding a large pot boiling hot water.
The big fat pig with its four limbs bound was lifted onto the wooden rack. As if aware of its impending fate, it let out one wail after another.
The hired butcher picked up the sharpened slaughtering knife and walked to the big fat pig, delivering a fast, accurate, and ruthless stab.
Before the blood could gush out, the two men holding the basin nearby quickly raised it to catch it.
Next came scalding to remove the hair and washing clean, then butchering. Everyone was busy as hot fire.
Once the meat was roughly butchered, the crowd loaded everything onto carts and headed to the gathering point.
The familiar work bell rang, and people who had been waiting at home early grabbed their prepared tools and rushed straight to the threshing ground.
By the time Su Ning followed the sound and arrived, it was already bustling. One person from each family lined up in a long dragon, everyone on site beaming with joy.
“Su Ning, here!”
Fu Jiaming waved vigorously at her. Only when she smilingly walked up did he ask, “Aren’t you pretty close by? How did you arrive later than me?”
“My legs are short and I walk slowly?”
“Pfft~ Alright, alright, alright.”
What a strong reason—he was speechless.
Seeing her glance around him a few times, Fu Jiaming grinned, revealing a mouth of shiny white teeth. “Don’t look. The one from your family isn’t here. He said it’s not convenient yet.”
Indeed, although they themselves knew, until the documents were officially approved, he couldn’t appear openly in front of people.
Su Ning nodded and withdrew her gaze.
Accountant Dong, holding the small notebook, saw her and gave a kind smile, nodded in acknowledgment, then began his work.
While meat was being distributed in line here, the nimble women over there were lighting fires and setting up simple stoves to prepare the pig slaughter feast.
This pig slaughter feast mostly used various innards.
Pig heart, pig lungs, pork stomach, large intestine, small intestine, and such were repeatedly washed clean and cut into roughly equal-sized chunks.
Stir-fried to bring out the aroma, then stewed in boiling water, finally adding potatoes, radishes, vegetables, and other ingredients.
The side dishes soaked in the fully flavored meat broth were also very delicious!
“Smells so good!”
Just smelling the aroma, the kids couldn’t help but whoop and holler.
Those eager little greedy cat faces made the nearby adults chuckle too.
“Don’t say the children can’t hold back—even I can hardly resist! Damn, it smells so good!”
Not seeing meat for months—who wouldn’t crave it?
A year of hard work, all for this day to stuff themselves with big meat!
Those who got their meat happily took it home, then brought their own bowl and chopsticks and sat waiting for the meal.
With meat aroma so thick it made mouths water, who cared about the biting cold? Their hearts were warm.
“About ready. Su Ning, let’s hurry over!”
“Okay.”
The two left the chat circle full of slurping sounds and went to the meat distribution spot.
Seeing her, Accountant Dong smiled before she spoke, hurriedly sat back down, and opened the just-closed small notebook.
“Xiao Su, if you didn’t come soon, I was about to go call you!”
“Ah?”
“Hahaha, you kid, did you think you had no share?”
Although she hadn’t gone to work, it hadn’t been long since she became the barefoot doctor for Team One.
But from the day her household registration was settled, she was a member of their Team One, and from the day the health clinic opened, she had full work points every day.
How could there be no meat for her?
Amused, he pointed to the record of her work points in the notebook, then continued, “Xiao Su has a total of fifty-six work points. All exchanged for meat, or wait a couple days to exchange for money and ration coupons?”
“Uncle Dong, how much meat is that?”
“One jin and four liang.”
“Then all for meat for me.”
“Alright, take this and go exchange over there.”
Taking the small note he handed over, Su Ning thanked him with a smile and went with Fu Jiaming to the meat-cutting wooden table.
The butcher with the knife glanced at the weight on the small note, put the note in the paper box under the table. “Which part?”
The big meat—the fatty cuts—were basically picked clean. What remained were mostly five-flower meat, lean meat, ribs, and such.
“Small ribs then.”
After getting the distributed meat, Su Ning and Fu Jiaming each spent money to buy up almost all the remaining meat bones and such.
It was a pity they were a step late—the pig head, pig tail, and pig trotters had already been taken.
“Ningning.”
“Old man!” “Grandpa Su.”
“Hey, good.”
Su Qingshan saw their hands full and his crow’s feet deepened. “Ningning, didn’t she tell you that the old woman at home took care of all the cured meat? Why buy so much?”
“Hehe, Old man, I just bought some ribs. I like gnawing bones. I heard smoked ribs are delicious too. Tonight I’ll cook some, and smoke the rest to try eating.”
“Hahaha, you ah you—how much meat is even on those bones!”
He smilingly poked at her playfully, but hearing it was what she liked, Su Qingshan didn’t nag more. “Put the stuff behind the table first. I’ll watch it for you. Eat the pig slaughter feast, then take it back.”
Otherwise, going back and forth from the end of the village, the soup would all be gone.
“Got it, good. We know.”
“That’s great, thanks Grandpa Su!”
“But, did you two bring bowl and chopsticks?”
Bowl and chopsticks?
This was a good question.
Only now did the two realize, looking at each other in dismay: Felt like they forgot something!
Turned out it was the eating utensils!
“Hahaha, here, take them.”
Su Qingshan stopped teasing them, brought his hand from behind his back, and handed over the bowl and chopsticks. “Quick, go get the meal while it’s hot.”
