Chapter 87 – A Random Bonus Chapter

Chapter 87 - A Random Bonus Chapter

When Wei Dahu returned to Dahhecun, he was carrying half a pig's head and its tail. Zhao Sufen had originally asked him to bring back the other hind leg as well, but Wei Dahu declined. How could he? With a growing son like Mancang, who could easily exhaust his parents' resources, despite his slender frame, he had quite an appetite. During that feast at home, he noticed his wife refill his rice bowl several times, all of which he consumed.

Not to mention Dogzi, who craved meat. Unfortunately, the Zhou family didn't have the necessary spices for braising a pig's head, and his mother-in-law claimed she didn't know how to make it. So, she suggested bringing the head and tail back, explaining that his father enjoyed the savory dish with alcohol. The marinade from the previous wild boar's head was still available, perfect for another round of braising.

Upon arriving in Dahhecun, Wei Dahu spotted Third Uncle Grandfather sitting under a large tree at the village entrance, engaged in a lively conversation with other elders. Before Wei Dahu could call out to him, Third Uncle Grandfather had already noticed his arrival. Without waiting for Wei Dahu to approach, he got up unsteadily and walked over. "I saw Taohua leading a group of men carrying grain bags earlier. I called Sanshi along to your place. Your father mentioned that your father-in-law passed away? Have you and your wife taken care of the funeral arrangements? What's the deal with those men and the grain?" He glanced around before lowering his voice to inquire.

"The funeral was held early this morning, everything was taken care of properly." Wei Dahu also spoke softly, briefly explaining his mother-in-law's situation without wanting the villagers to overhear and gossip. "Qian family has split up, my mother-in-law and Dogzi have separated from them. The grain she received from the division of property is temporarily stored at our place. Since we lacked manpower, I hired some villagers to help with the moving."

Third Uncle Grandfather asked, "And your mother-in-law and Dogzi?"

"They went to Second Brother's place in Zhou Village," replied Wei Dahu.

Third Uncle Grandfather nodded, understanding that the Wei household was too small to accommodate more people. He had a soft spot for Dogzi, who was a sweet-tongued child fond of addressing people. It was only a few days ago that he would joyfully call him Third Uncle Grandfather, but life's unpredictability had brought about a major upheaval in the young boy's life, leaving him fatherless at such a tender age.

With a busy schedule, Wei Dahu bid farewell to Third Uncle Grandfather and carried the pig's head back home.

Before he even reached the entrance, Xiao Hu wagged his tail excitedly, rushing out to greet him. Seeing Wei Dahu holding a bloody pig's head, the dog had already become desensitized to the sight of slaughtered wild boars and showed no fear at all. He jumped around Wei Dahu, even lying on his front paws and growling low in his throat as he attempted to snatch the dangling pig's ear with a leap.

Wei Dahu laughed. "I let my guard down for a moment, and you've already tasted pork before me. Now let go, do you want me to eat what's left in your mouth?" He shook his hand, causing Xiao Hu to sway along, still firmly gripping the pig's ear with his teeth.

Well, Wei Dahu found it amusing, but now he had to lug the extra weight into the house.

White smoke curled up from the chimney of the kitchen, carrying the rich aroma of braised meat into the courtyard. It was overpowering. Wei Dahu sniffed deeply, his stomach rumbling in anticipation. He hadn't eaten much all day – after waking up, he had been busy with the funeral, then dividing the family assets, leaving the Qian residence hastily, making a detour to Zhou Village to fetch water with Mancang, filling up their water jar, and finally bringing home the pig's head given by his mother-in-law.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, he hadn't noticed his weariness. But now, back home and smelling the meat, Wei Dahu felt weak, dropping the pig's head and Xiao Hu onto the ground without a care for the dust it gathered. With a long stride, he entered the kitchen. "Wife, what have you cooked? It smells so delicious!"

She had already heard him coming. Lifting the lid of the pot, she revealed the braised pig's feet simmering inside. "When I returned, I saw Father roasting the pig's feet. He's been eating lightly these days, craving meat. Knowing that we wouldn't stay long at the Qian's after the funeral, he prepared the pig's feet, cleaned them, and waited for me to cook them."

She couldn't help laughing as she recalled the scene. When she came back with Niu'er, she had seen her father washing the pig's feet in the yard, assuming he was preparing them for himself. The thought of his cooking skills made her break out in a sweat. But when she asked, she learned that they were meant for her – he was craving the rich, flavorful braised pig's feet and wanted her to make them when she returned from the Qian residence.

The rice was already cooked, as were the pig's feet; she had timed everything perfectly. "I boiled some hot water in another pot. Bring in a bucket to fetch some, so you can take a bath and change clothes. Afterward, dinner will be ready."

Looking down at himself, Wei Dahu saw blood splattered all over, accompanied by a strong smell of blood. Not only was it unappealing, but it was also quite frightening. He didn't bother with hot water; cold would suffice. He asked his wife to bring him a set of clean clothes while he fetched a bucket of water from the yard to take a bath in the outhouse. Upon reaching the outhouse, he discovered that his father was stacking firewood in the backyard. Perhaps due to boredom these past few days, he had collected quite a pile, enough to last until next spring.

As he washed, Wei Dahu realized that the water was icy cold. Only then did he remember that in just two days, it would be the beginning of winter.

No wonder the weather was getting colder and colder.

When he finished his bath and came out, the pig's head he had left under the eaves had already been taken to the kitchen. Upon seeing him, Old Wei scolded, "You're already grown up, yet you still act like a child, throwing things around? Is the pig's head inedible or what? You just casually toss it on the ground, dirtying it with mud and soil. Only you would do something like that!"

Wei Dahu shrank his neck, not daring to utter a word, letting his father berate him.

The main room had already been set with food. In his large basin, there was a generous serving of fluffy white rice. Seeing his eyes widen, Taohua chuckled and shook her head. When she noticed her father starting to eat, she no longer hesitated and grabbed a piece of tender pork leg with her chopsticks.

Wei Dahu went over, picked up the basin, and dug into the rice. Then, he reached for a pig's trotter, taking a bite... It was indescribable, truly so. Nobody spoke at the table, all too absorbed in their food.

After the initial feast, Old Wei picked up the rice porridge beside him and drank half a bowl before he regained the energy to speak, "Taohua, are you still making wine? I saw those white-fleshed peaches had started to spoil yesterday. If you want to make wine, I'll go to town tomorrow to buy some alcohol. Ask Dahu to pick more from the mountain."

Taohua didn't expect her father to remember about the wine-making. She had almost forgotten about it herself.

Seeing her hesitation, Old Wei smiled and said, "We need to prepare some winter clothing as well. Winter is tough, and you two will be going into the mountains to repair the old house. The deep mountains are even colder than the foot of the mountain. We can't lack wine. Even if you don't want to make fruit wine, I'll still buy a couple of jars to store for the winter."

Only then did Taohua say, "Then, please buy one more jar, Father. I'd like to make a jar of fruit wine." She couldn't touch the men's liquor, and she planned to make stews during the depths of winter. By then, Father and Dahu would have warm wine to drink, but she wouldn't be able to partake. Worried that she might feel envious, she smiled and asked her father to buy an extra jar when he mentioned it.

Old Wei nodded with a smile. He had money on him. Before buying the grain, he had intended to split the errands with Dahu to avoid suspicion. But with Li Chunying's outburst, plans changed, and the need to stockpile food became urgent. They needed enough to last several years. At the time, Dahu hadn't taken his silver, even though he had spent some on an iron pot, alcohol, hemostatic powder, and medicine for headaches and colds. Still, Old Wei had about ten taels left on him.

This trip to the town for wine and winter clothing would be more than sufficient.

Although Father still had some silver, Wei Dahu was mindful that their little savings were running low, with the bulk of it spent on purchasing grain. He planned to venture into the mountains again in a few days, to earn more money when his wife was busy smoking the bacon at home. This would replenish their savings, ensuring they would have a reserve for any unforeseen needs in the future.

As for Mother-in-law's grain, he would move it to the half-way up the mountain cellar, which still had space for their share. It would be perfect for storing her provisions.

Once his wife had started smoking the meat and brewing fruit wine, and the weather turned colder, he would gather his elder and younger brothers to renovate the old house in the mountains.

It was no small undertaking; their family had only two rooms, and the kitchen would need to be demolished and rebuilt. His first uncle's family, second uncle's family, along with his mother-in-law and brother-in-law, would require at least another two rooms. He would need to give it careful thought, ideally finishing the construction before the heavy snows blocked the mountain paths.

This way, one can rest assured and spend the winter at home comfortably.

"Author's Note"

There won't be any update tonight. I'll write more tomorrow. Goodnight.