Courtyard House: After disbanding the Elderly Care Gang, I went to the countryside to cultivate immo

After the educated youth took away today's harvest, Hu Laopao directed the young people in the village to start their work.

Everyone moved the big pig and the yellow-haired boy to the entrance of the brigade headquarters, and a few young men ran to the brigade warehouse to carry the big iron pot used to slaughter the pig every year.

Several boys were sent to fetch water from the well, while the women went home to get basins, buckets, and fire-starting utensils. He himself took a leather scroll from his waist, unfolded it, and inside were knives of various sizes and shapes, gleaming coldly in the setting sun.

Soon, a temporary earthen stove was dug next to the village committee, and a large iron pot used for removing pig hair was placed on it. Several buckets of water were poured into the pot, and dry firewood was stuffed under the stove. The roaring flames licked the bottom of the pot, and the water gradually steamed.

On the other side, Hu Laopao had already led his men to deal with the wild boars.

Bleeding, pouring hot water, removing hair, gutting... his techniques were skillful and fluid, like art.

A large basin of pig's blood was collected, mixed with salt, and prepared to coagulate into blood tofu.

The pig's bladder was taken by the children, who blew it up into balloons to play with.

The wild boar was also lifted onto the chopping board, and Hu Laopao personally took action.

The heavy cleaver seemed light as a feather in his hands, and he quickly dissected the whole pig, sorting and arranging the parts neatly. The internal organs and offal were placed separately in several large wooden basins.

The educated youth and Shuanzi had already carried their little yellow-haired boy back to their lodgings and settled him in, and then came back to help.

But cleaning the drains, a delicate task requiring experience and patience, was beyond their capabilities. Several smiling aunties and grandmas shooed them aside: "Go away, young men, take a break. We'll do this dirty work!"

The accountant brought out a large scale, and in the presence of Hu Guangming and several elderly farmers, the cut-up pork was weighed one by one.

Hu Guangming, the accountant, and Hu Laopao squatted together and discussed the matter. They quickly came up with a plan: the meat would be distributed according to the number of people in the village's current households, including adults and children, with each person receiving about two ounces of meat. Although it wasn't much, in a rural area where meat was a rare treat, this was already a great joy.

The atmosphere in front of the village committee became even more enthusiastic after the news of the meat distribution was announced.

Every household sent people to line up, carrying basins and baskets, their faces beaming with joy.

Old Hu was in charge of cutting the meat, the accountant was in charge of weighing it, and Hu Guangming was supervising; the meat distribution proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

When they arrived at the meat vendor's house, they carefully wrapped up the piece of wild boar meat with its perfect balance of fat and lean meat. Some children couldn't wait to poke the deep red meat with their fingers, only to be laughed at and slapped away by the adults.

Meanwhile, the water in the large iron pot in the village canteen had already boiled.

The thoroughly cleaned pig's head, trotters, heart, liver, lungs, intestines, and other offal are cut into large pieces and poured into the pot.

Two women, widely regarded as the best cooks, wore aprons and held long-handled iron spoons as they began to season the food.

The children circled the stove like little gluttons, constantly sniffing and swallowing their saliva.

The men gathered together, smoking and chatting, their conversation naturally revolving around the thrilling hunt they had experienced during the day.

Li Kuiyong, Jiang Yuanchao, and Wei Jun were surrounded by enthusiastic villagers as they recounted their encounter with the wild boar in the forest.

When Lin Shengli delivered his astonishing stab, the audience couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!" and "Oh my god!"

The description of their disheveled appearance while chasing the piglets triggered another round of good-natured laughter.

Shuanzi became the center of attention, surrounded by a group of boys of similar age. He puffed out his little chest and gestured excitedly: "That piglet was so strong! It dragged me along, and I held on to its leg tightly, thinking I couldn't let go, or it would get away!"

Lin Shengli didn't participate in the excitement. He leaned against the old locust tree by the field, quietly watching everything unfold before him.

The last rays of the setting sun had faded, and the sky had turned a deep blue, with a few bright stars twinkling on the horizon.

The streetlights in front of the village committee were also lit, their soft yellow light illuminating every simple and joyful face.

After finishing the task of dividing the meat, Hu Laopao wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up his pipe, and strolled over to Lin Shengli.

He filled a pot with tobacco leaves, lit a match, took a deep drag, and exhaled thick smoke.

"Are you tired?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over the lively crowd.

Lin Shengli shook his head: "It's alright, it's Old Cannon Uncle who has had a hard time."

Old Hu turned his head and, by the light of the campfire, carefully examined the young man beside him.

"After today's performance, you've truly established yourself in our village." Old Hu lowered his voice, speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear. "People are all made of flesh and blood. If you bring real benefits to everyone, they'll remember your kindness. However, I also have to give you a heads-up."

He paused, took a drag of his cigarette, and said, "The things in the mountains are a gift from God, and they are unclaimed. If you have the ability to hunt them, that's your skill. But in the future, if you hunt any big livestock and want to eat them or sell them for money, then when you go down the mountain, be careful to avoid people and bring them back quietly. There are hundreds of people, all kinds of people, and not everyone is kind. As time goes on, there will always be people who are envious, and gossip is inevitable."

Lin Shengli sensed the concern and experience in the voice, and nodded earnestly: "Thank you, Uncle Laopao, I'll remember that."

Looking at his calm and composed demeanor, Hu Laopao grew to like the boy even more.

He tapped his cigarette ash, his tone becoming more enthusiastic: "When winter comes and the mountains are sealed off by heavy snow, that's the real time for hunting. Roe deer, stags, and wild deer will all be out looking for food, and their tracks will be easy to spot. At that time, I'll take you deep into the old forest to set some traps and learn about animal trails. With your skills and courage, plus some experience, the two of us working together will definitely be able to get even better catches!" His eyes shone with the unique love for the mountains and forests and hunting that comes with being an old hunter.

Lin Shengli's heart stirred slightly; this was exactly what he wanted. He nodded happily, "Okay, I'll learn from Uncle Laopao then."

As the two were talking, a loud voice rang out from the center of the room: "The pot's ready! The pork stew is ready! Everyone grab your bowls and get some!"

The stewed pork stew, which had been simmering for several hours, was now at the perfect doneness.

As the pot lid was lifted, a cloud of steam billowed into the sky, followed by an even more intense and irresistible aroma of meat, mixed with the scents of pickled cabbage and spices, making one's mouth water.

The villagers had already prepared their own bowls and basins and lined up with smiles.

The aunties in charge of cooking worked quickly and efficiently, ladling a full spoonful of soup and meat into each person's bowl: trembling fatty intestines, smooth blood tofu, soft and tender pig's head meat, chewy tendons, and pickled cabbage and dried mushrooms soaked in the broth.

Lin Shengli also took a bowl and got a serving.

He deliberately scooped a few extra pieces of pig's head meat into his bowl, took a bite, and found the meat to be firm and chewy, rich in collagen, stewed to perfection, savory and flavorful, with the unique mellow aroma of wild game.

The village auntie's cooking skills were indeed simple and authentic.

Li Kuiyong, holding a bowl, approached him and nudged him with his elbow. His face was filled with barely suppressed excitement and gratitude. He lowered his voice and said, "Shengli, I really don't know how to thank you today. If it weren't for you, let alone hunting wild boars, we might not even have escaped unscathed. Now, we've even gotten two piglets! If we're careful with our food, we can last a long time. Hehe, this winter, our educated youth settlement is going to have a pretty good time!"

Lin Shengli smiled and lowered his voice, "No need to thank me. We're brothers, and we were just lucky today. Wild boars exist in the mountains, but it's rare to encounter such a small group like today, especially with the terrain so favorable to us. You, Yuanchao, and Junzi must remember that wild animals in the mountains, especially large ones like these, are very ferocious. Today we had the advantage of being able to hunt first and the terrain. In the future, we can't be careless just because things went smoothly today, thinking that hunting is easy. If we really encounter a large herd of boars in the mountains, it's ten times more dangerous than today."

Li Kuiyong's smile faded, and he nodded seriously, "I understand. I'll definitely have a good talk with them later." He took a bite of meat and couldn't help but sigh, "But this meat is really delicious! It's been so long since I've eaten meat so heartily..."

Night fell completely, and the sky was filled with stars. The bonfire on the threshing ground blazed even brighter. People squatted, stood, or sat on the small stools they had brought, holding steaming bowls, eating the fragrant pork stew with gusto, and talking and laughing loudly.

Children chased and played among the crowd, their laughter ringing out.