Chapter 205: Slaughtering The New Year Pig
As the saying goes, even the most patient person would go crazy taking care of a child.
Especially with several such “sleeping dragons and phoenixes” around.
Jiaojiao held the Cat Leader, and quietly moved a little further away.
Shen Yunlian scanned the surroundings, and as Yun Xiao Wu and the others approached, she suddenly broke off a twig.
Although Yun Xiao Wu wasn’t as sharp, he saw his mother’s action and his legs reacted faster than his brain; he immediately took off running.
“Mom, what are you doing? You’re hitting me when I’m already hurt, am I not your biological son!”
The other brothers also screamed and ran away.
Shen Yunlian chased after them with the twig.
“I told you to slow down, slow down, and not run! Your clothes are already hard to wash in this weather, and you went rolling around in the mud. I tried talking to you nicely but you wouldn’t listen, so I have to take action and teach you a lesson!”
Yun Xiao Qi ran haphazardly: “No, Auntie, it’s not us, we were tripped by Brother Wu!”
Yun Xiao Ba nodded frantically: “That’s right, Auntie, it’s not us!!!”
Yun Xiao Jiu: “Sister, save me! Mom, don’t hit me, it’s all Brother Wu’s fault!”
Yun Xiao Wu turned to his disloyal brothers and ranted: “Are we even brothers anymore? Brothers share fortune and bear hardships together.”
Yun Xiao Jiu frantically shook his little head: “No, no, I want the fortune, Brother Wu can bear the hardship himself.”
Yun Xiao Wu was so angry he rolled his eyes.
Distracted, his foot slipped again and he fell.
After being caught, he let out a pig-like scream.
“Jiaojiao, help!”
Jiaojiao held the Cat Leader, covering her face, only occasionally peeking out a small portion of her head to look over there.
Huh… so miserable.
Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to help, it’s just that… I don’t want to get beaten either.
Mom is very angry right now.
After getting a beating, the little cubs finally behaved, walking obediently with dejected faces, not running, jumping, or roughhousing and chatting anymore.
However, as soon as Jiaojiao went over, they started crying and wanted to hug her.
Shen Yunlian shot them a glare, and they immediately shrunk back their dirty, muddy hands.
Shen Yunlian looked at her sons and nephews; they were so dirty it was unbearable.
It wasn’t just from falling in the mud just now, these guys were already filthy before that.
No one knew where they had been rolling, their bodies were covered in a layer of dirt.
The mud they had fallen into earlier had only added a bit of color to them.
When asked, they said it was from cleaning at school.
Under Shen Yunlian’s threat with the twig, Yun Xiao Liu timidly told the truth.
It turned out they weren’t cleaning properly; they were roughhousing and rolling on the ground, and playing with glass marbles and picture cards while lying on the ground.
Shen Yunlian: Blood pressure soaring!
As expected, they were disciplined again.
Yun Xiao Wu touched his bruised buttock, heh, he was wearing thick clothes so it didn’t hurt.
The pride in his eyes was almost leaping out.
Jiaojiao gave her fifth brother a sympathetic look.
You’re in trouble!
As expected, Shen Yunlian became even angrier, but she suppressed her rage and only exploded after they returned home.
She and Wang Mei, along with the little cubs whose clothes were removed, disciplined them again.
This time, they were completely subdued.
Yun Xiao Wu covered his buttock, baring his teeth, this time it really hurt.
“Hiss… My dear mother, you hit too hard.”
Jiaojiao gave him a piece of spicy chip.
“Brother, eat this, it won’t hurt after eating.”
Yun Xiao Liu covered his buttock, teary-eyed, but was quickly comforted by Jiaojiao’s spicy chip.
Yun Xiao Jiu was the youngest and received the least punishment.
He was still energetic now.
The children gathered together, seeing the gifts Jiaojiao bought for them, they were all very happy and immediately forgot the pain of being beaten earlier.
“Sister, your brothers really like you. You don’t know how many classmates envy me. Of course, some don’t believe I have such a beautiful and good sister. When the weather warms up, I’ll take you to school.”
Jiaojiao nodded obediently: “Okay.”
Except for the small episode of the brothers getting beaten, the family ate dinner harmoniously and joyfully.
In the days that followed, Jiaojiao was busy studying traditional ancient characters.
The days passed in this slightly boring manner, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of Xiao Nian (Minor New Year).
On the day of Xiao Nian, their family went to their aunt’s maternal home before dawn to bring back the New Year pig to be slaughtered.
They borrowed the village chief’s tractor.
Slaughtering the New Year pig was a major event for rural people during the New Year.
Whichever family slaughtered a New Year pig, all the villagers who heard the news, regardless of gender or age, would definitely go to join the fun.
Even if they couldn’t get a pig-slaughtering feast, they would at least get some pork cracklings.
Pig-slaughtering feasts were only for those with a good relationship and close to the family slaughtering the New Year pig.
Otherwise, even the wealthiest family couldn’t afford to feed the entire village.
Jiaojiao’s family brought back a large fat pig weighing over two hundred pounds, which was quite attention-grabbing at this time.
Those who saw it with their own eyes and those who got the news rushed to their home.
They weren’t afraid of the cold, standing in the biting wind and watching the young and strong adults pull the fat pig’s ears to get it off the tractor.
The pig’s screams were so loud.
Jiaojiao stood with her brothers, her big eyes curious, and was infected by the joy of the surrounding people as she watched.
The discussions around them also entered her sharp ears.
“This Yun Mu family has really prospered, actually buying a New Year pig to slaughter.”
“Their family has acquired quite a lot of good goods this year, they must have sold a lot of money.”
“How much money would such a big fat pig cost?”
Many of the comments were tinged with jealousy.
But no matter what others said, their family still had to slaughter the New Year pig; they couldn’t let these comments ruin their New Year celebration.
During the pig slaughtering, Jiaojiao’s eyes were covered, not allowed to watch, supposedly to avoid scaring her.
Jiaojiao: ???
Scare who?
She was not convinced and wanted to watch.
Shen Yunlian carried her into the house: “Jiaojiao, be good, you can watch later when you come out.”
Jiaojiao pouted and hummed twice: “I’m not afraid.”
Shen Yunlian said in a coaxing tone: “Yes, yes, you’re not afraid, but it’s too dirty over there, and later they’ll have to remove the pig intestines and clean the pig manure, the smell is unpleasant.”
Jiaojiao thought about it; pig manure was indeed very smelly.
Then maybe she shouldn’t go out.
She went to find her grandmother.
Grandmother was heating a large pot of water at the stove.
This water was for scalding the pig’s bristles.
She sat on a small stool, the fire in the stove illuminating her fair, tender face with an orange-red glow.
It was very warm here.
Granny Yun was talking to someone, and as the saying goes, a happy occasion makes one feel spirited; at this moment, Granny Yun’s smile was exceptionally brilliant.
These people were relatives, helping with the pig slaughter and preparing the feast.
The men were responsible for slaughtering the pig and processing the meat, while the women were responsible for cooking and preparing the dishes, with clear division of labor.
Shen Yunlian and Wang Mei, along with the women who came to help, were busy moving back and forth in the kitchen.
The pig’s screams had long stopped, and outside, the cheers of children and the laughter of fellow villagers could be heard, creating a lively scene.
This was the human worldliness that Jiaojiao, as a merfolk, had never experienced.
