Chapter 71

Chapter 71

The whole family worked for two full days to get the new home into proper shape.

The cleaned yard and rooms felt even more spacious. The beds, tables, stools, and chairs—all the furniture was new, still carrying the scent of fresh wood. At night, lying on the much wider beds, the couples could be more... free and easy in their intimacy, without worrying about rolling off the edge with a simple turn.

People were comfortable, and so was the dog.

Zhao Dashan hadn't just woven bamboo mats; he'd also built a doghouse for Xiao Heizi using leftover wood from the house construction. Like the human dwellings, it was big and spacious. The doghouse was placed right next to the chicken coop. Even though there were no chickens at home yet, and the coop and pigpen stood empty, it didn't stop Xiao Heizi from proudly patrolling them several times a day. Once the family started raising chickens, ducks, and pigs in the future, the task of looking after the poultry would fall entirely to him.

Perhaps because he had been taken to the blessed land by Zhao Xiaobao and touched by its 'immortal aura,' everyone in the family said Xiao Heizi was clever—much smarter than the big yellow dog at Zhao Youcai's house. During those days in the mountains, he had stuck close to the women and children, not sleeping at night but keeping watch with his dog eyes fixed on the depths of the forest, only dozing off on the bamboo mat by daybreak.

That they could live so peacefully in the mountains was largely thanks to Xiao Heizi. Though still young, he had a fierce, intimidating air about him. At night, any noise would prompt a low, rumbling growl from his throat that could startle even Zhu Shi and the others, who declared he was a truly good dog.

Wang Shi especially adored him. When they first brought him home, she fed him leftovers. Now, he ate whatever the family ate. When there was meat, she'd put a couple of pieces in his bowl. Xiao Heizi's status in the household had practically become her sixth grandson, utterly doted upon.

They were having guests over for a meal the next day, so Wang Shi prepared everything the night before. To avoid giving the game away, she had Xiaobao take out the meat from an entire wild boar—the lard, jars of coarse salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and all the kitchen utensils… things they had hurriedly taken into the mountains and later brought to Li Dahe's house, all belonging to their above-board possessions.

Besides the wild boar meat, she also had Xiaobao take out a sack of coarse rice and twenty catties of coarse flour. Cooking some rice and steaming some buns would take care of the staples for tomorrow.

Their vegetable plot had been completely ruined by the refugees along with the house, so on the surface, they couldn't produce any fresh vegetables. Even if there were some in the wooden cabin, Wang Shi didn't let Xiaobao take them out, pretending they had none. However, she did take out half a sack of dried mountain forage—mushrooms, chestnuts, and the like. Mushrooms were delicious whether in soup or stewed with meat.

Chestnuts could serve as snacks, along with the wild fruits Xiaobao grew in the blessed land. You wouldn't believe how well they grew—a world apart from the vegetable plot. The wild fruits, picked clean one day, would be laden again the next, more than they could ever eat.

As for the seedlings in the vegetable plot, they looked the same today as they likely would a year from now. Not even fit for people to eat, even the chicks pecked around for two days and found nothing worth nibbling.

"Mom, Xiaobao wants to go to the blessed land to pick fruits." Knowing many nieces and nephews would be coming over tomorrow, Zhao Xiaobao immediately grew restless. She was their Auntie Xiaobao, and she needed good fruits to treat her guests! She had secretly finished all the ones picked the previous two days and was now eager to go pick fresh ones from the blessed land.

"Did you secretly eat a lot of fruit again?" Wang Shi pinched her little nose, unable to resist admonishing, "No matter what you eat, you mustn't be greedy. You're still small; your tummy can't hold too much. Don't copy how much Xiao Wu and the others eat. Those reckless boys are at an age where they're growing, their mouths are never idle all day, and they can stuff down however much they eat. But Xiaobao can't. If you eat too much, your stomach will hurt, understand?"

She had seen her daughter secretly handing steamed buns and buns to the boys more than once. Eating was fine, but she worried her daughter would mindlessly copy their gluttony.

Zhao Xiaobao pouted and nodded. "Xiaobao understands."

Wang Shi carried her back to her room, then went to the boys' room, grabbing her eldest grandson by the ear and shoving him inside to help his aunt pick fruits.

When she returned to the kitchen, she heard her eldest daughter-in-law, who was handling the wild boar meat, ask, "Mom, why not use the steamed buns we already have?"

Zhu Shi looked at the twenty-some catties of coarse flour. There were plenty of steamed buns and buns stored in the wooden cabin. Tomorrow would likely be very busy, and she thought using the ready-made buns would save a lot of trouble. They were still warm, could be taken out and eaten right away, and outsiders wouldn't notice anything amiss.

"Aunt Feng and the others will probably come over to help before dawn. It would be hard to explain if they asked." There was no reason for them to stay up half the night steaming buns. People might think they were preparing for some grand feast, which really wasn't the case. "These are women who spend their lives around the stove. Their eyes are sharp. They know exactly how many dishes half a ladle of lard can make and can spot even a hint of grease. We'd rather put in a bit more effort than try to cut corners, lest people grow suspicious."

Saving trouble should be done behind others' backs, not right in front of them. Wang Shi didn't dare underestimate anyone, especially women. Some minor detail she might overlook could catch someone else's eye and get them thinking.

The clues others discover are usually ones we carelessly reveal ourselves. She didn't want to make that mistake.

Zhu Shi thought about it and realized it was true. Not to mention others, even she herself could tell at a glance how many meals someone's oil jar could last or how many meals their firewood could cook. Didn't she know her own family's situation? And here she was thinking of taking it easy. She raised her hand and patted her own forehead, unable to resist joking, "Mom thinks of everything. I don't have that kind of mind; I just think about what's convenient. Looks like I still have a lot to learn."

Wang Shi poked her head with a finger and laughed, "Where don't you have that mind? I think you're plenty clever, even know how to butter me up in different ways!"

"Exactly. Eldest Sister-in-law usually seems the most steady, who'd have thought she's sweeter than honey in private, making Mom adore her so much she doesn't know what to do!" Sun Shi put on a show of being mock-jealous. "Blame it on Second Sister-in-law and me for being clumsy with words, only able to watch from the sidelines. Mom, you mustn't favor her because of this!"

Luo Shi, hearing this, nodded happily in agreement. "Mom, Younger Sister-in-law and I are awkward and don't know how to please you, but we're hardworking. We'll definitely get up before dawn tomorrow to steam the buns. You just sleep in a bit longer; you've been working hard these past few days."

"Ah, Second Sister-in-law, you say you don't know how to please Mom, but look at what you just said—every word hits right where it's soft!" Sun Shi pounced to cover Luo Shi's mouth. "So it turns out among us three sisters-in-law, I'm the dumbest one—neither good with words nor hardworking. This is infuriating!"

The mother-in-law and daughters-in-law laughed heartily in the kitchen.

The next day, true enough, before dawn had even broken, Feng Shi arrived at the Zhao house with her two daughters-in-law. Following behind them was Lü Xiuhong. Despite repeated instructions to bring only tables, chairs, and utensils and nothing else, they still carried half a basket of eggs, radishes, and greens, heading straight for the kitchen upon entering.

Wang Shi was both annoyed and anxious. "What is this? I said come empty-handed, why are you bringing things? Quickly take them back."

Gathering half a basket of eggs at a time like this wasn't easy. Even if they had caught chickens and taken them into the mountains when fleeing, suddenly changing environments would scare the hens from laying. And eggs weren't easy to preserve; any they'd saved up earlier couldn't have been brought along. She absolutely couldn't accept them. "Keep them for Dagouzi and Huaihua to eat. The children are still small; having an egg every couple of days is good for their health."

"Oh, my dear sister, things brought through the door aren't taken back! There are more at home; they won't go without!" Feng Shi directly placed the basket on the stove, then nudged Sun Shi, who was sitting by the hearth, aside, cheerfully saying, "This auntie is getting old; let me handle the light work of tending the fire. You nieces can bear a bit more; leave the stove-top tasks to you." She completely ignored her fuming "little sister," clearly not planning to take anything back.

Sun Shi glanced at her mother-in-law, who was so angry she laughed, and promptly gave up her spot. As she stood up, she lifted the pot lid, saw the steamed egg custard was ready, used a cloth to protect her hands as she took it out, added a couple drops of sesame oil, and along with a small half-bowl of rice, carried it to her little sister-in-law's room.

Steamed egg with white rice first thing in the morning—Feng Shi's two daughters-in-law were dumbfounded. Such a meal, not to mention for a daughter, even a grandson might not necessarily get to eat it. They had only heard before that the old Zhao family doted on their late-born daughter, thinking it meant things like an extra piece of meat or an extra boiled egg. They never imagined it was like this.

They were truly seeing something new.

It seemed that during the half-month they stayed at their place, they had held back—neither secretly giving the girl special treats nor mentioning making steamed egg custard for the children, just eating whatever meals were prepared each day. Strangely, Zhao Xiaobao, who was used to being favored at home, never complained about the food being bland either. Really… no wonder her parents adored her; she was truly well-behaved.

But what surprised them even more was yet to come. Once the pot was freed, Wang Shi had her two daughters-in-law carry out the wild boar meat stored in a wooden basin. Removing the winnowing basket covering it, they saw the basin was packed full of meat: a whole half side of ribs, two legs, a head with the tail, and meat from other parts, especially the pork belly, with its alternating layers of fat and lean, looking particularly appetizing.

"Look at this wild boar meat, isn't the texture firmer?" Wang Shi picked up a piece to show them. This thing ran all over the mountains every day, so it had less fat. Even the leg meat was firmer than domestic pork. It looked no different on the outside, but the taste was truly distinct.

Feng Shi had never seen wild boar meat either. Forgetting about tending the fire, she crowded around the basin, marveling. "At my age, I get to enjoy such a blessing. In the past, hearing about wild boars scared me. Never thought I'd get to eat its meat today. I really want to taste how it differs from domestic pork." She chuckled happily.

"Old Sister, just eat to your heart's content today; let's eat our fill." Wang Shi patted the wooden basin with a smile, indicating there was plenty and not to hold back.

Feng Shi's eyes widened. This display, her "little sister" really wasn't holding anything back.

She had originally thought that a "butchering feast" would at most involve taking out a few cuts of meat to stew in a big pot, frying two large plates of eggs, and blanching some wild vegetables—that would be about it. Village butchering feasts were really just for fun; who would really be willing to treat guests with lavish meat and fish? Did they not want to live? After all, spring planting and autumn harvest required great effort, and they relied on these few days to replenish their energy with oily food all year.

But her "sister" directly brought out a basin full of pork, not bothering with any pretenses.

"Make several dishes today. Whatever signature dishes you two nieces are good at, go ahead and make them. Use the meat, vegetables, eggs, and oil in the kitchen freely. There are many people today; make everything in large quantities." Wang Shi picked out the two legs, the head, and the tail—these were to be taken outside to scorch the skin and remove the hair. "As for that half side of ribs, chop them all into small pieces. Set aside some for stewing with radish soup, and make the rest into crispy fried ribs. Later, when the children come, scoop out two bowls first for them to snack on."

As she spoke, people began arriving one after another—women from several families. The kitchen quickly became crowded.

Wang Shi had no time for formal greetings and continued arranging the day's menu. "Stew the pork belly and tail with strong spices for half a day as a drinking snack for the men. Take the meat off the two legs; use the front hocks for braised pork knuckle, and stew the remaining parts for trotters. Also, take two strips of pork belly to make red-braised pork, stir-fry some twice-cooked pork, slice some tenderloin to stir-fry into several plates of shredded pork, and make a dish of plain boiled pork slices…"

She counted on her fingers. The ribs and head meat—one a favorite of the children, the other a drinking snack for the men—took care of the main portions. The remaining braised knuckle, stewed trotters, and red-braised pork were all substantial dishes. Twice-cooked pork and plain boiled pork slices were essential for feasts. Shredded pork was a common home-style stir-fry; having one more or one less dish didn't matter. With this many meat dishes, it was sufficient.

There were also two soup dishes: white radish and rib soup, and vegetable egg drop soup. Those who preferred stronger flavors could also chop some chili peppers for dipping.

Exactly ten dishes, making a complete and well-rounded meal.

After she finished listing the dishes, the group of women was stunned for a good while. Was this a village butchering feast? Even a landlord's family banquet might not be this lavish—every bowl full of meat. Eating this meal could add a whole layer of fat.

Feng Shi hesitantly said, "Little Sister, isn't this too much? Just making a couple of dishes would be enough. We're all family; we don't stand on ceremony." She wanted to say, "Don't be so generous; at least keep some for yourself!" There really were a lot of people today. Her "little sister" was so virtuous, inviting every household, young and old. Families had at least four or five members, some over a dozen. With so many mouths eating freely, how could an ordinary family withstand it?

She couldn't help but feel distressed.

Wang Shi had never planned to be stingy from the moment her husband said they had hunted a wild boar. In this weather, even hanging the meat in a well wouldn't preserve it well, let alone smoking it for bacon—the weather wasn't suitable. Since they were inviting guests and had spoken up, they shouldn't be miserly and petty, lest they put in effort and still not earn any goodwill.

Besides, none of those who came through the door arrived empty-handed. They brought eggs, vegetables, and even Wu Dazhu's wife brought over half a small sack of grain. No wonder their family was known throughout the village as honest folks; their actions were truly impeccable.

Wang Shi was willing and happy for everyone to enjoy themselves together. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "Why say such distant words? It was something gotten for free anyway. Everyone eating together is what makes it joyful. The weather is hot now; even in the mountains, we had to soak the basin in the stream every day to keep the meat from spoiling. This stuff doesn't keep; it's best to eat it all."

Seeing her "old sister" still looking reluctant, Wang Shi was both exasperated and amused. She gave her a pat and urged, "Since you insisted on bringing eggs and didn't come empty-handed, then take more back with you later!"

Seeing they still hadn't moved, Wang Shi felt a toothache. These people, seeing meat and not knowing to eat it, having it practically stuffed into their mouths and still feeling distressed—what a bunch of sincere folks!

"Everyone, get busy quickly! I'm going to the yard to scorch the pig's head; I can't be bothered to say more!" Wang Shi picked up the wooden bucket. Passing by Lü Xiuhong, she still couldn't resist poking her stiff, wooden-like figure, feeling exasperated. "You all fry the ribs first. The children are probably thinking about eating meat at noon and might even skip breakfast. You mothers and grandmothers, don't begrudge this bit; first, have some pity for your own children!"

This provoked loud laughter from everyone.

Since the host had spoken like this, those who came as guests couldn't continue being coy. They were all straightforward women. Immediately, they rolled up their sleeves and started working.