Chapter 39

Jiang Zhizhi smirked, confidently stating, “Time is of the essence, we need to get down the mountain quickly.

Otherwise, if someone sees us, they’ll immediately bite and say it’s public property.

They’ll take your pig and divide it up, and then where will you cry?”

Jiang Yuanshan nodded, “Indeed, there’s an unwritten rule in the village.

If you hunt small game on the mountain, it belongs to you.

If you hunt large game, you must take it to the village to be divided, and the village head will distribute it.”

Jiang Yuanfeng shrugged, “Besides, it’s up to them to decide what part of the pig you get.

They might just give you ten or twenty pounds of meat and send you away.

The rest of the pork will be divided according to the number of people. Basically, everyone will get some. There will be some left over, and those who want it can exchange it for work points.”

Everyone hadn’t eaten meat for a long time. No one could stay calm after hearing the words “there’s pork to be divided.”

Why not take advantage when you can?

Jiang Yuanyang, for once, kept up with his brother, second brother, and sister’s rhythm. He was unhappy and said, “I don’t want to! This wild boar was clearly killed by my sister. Why should we divide it?”

Sharing was all nonsense!

They earned the wild boar through their own strength, and no one else was present. Why should they share it with others?

This time, the four siblings decisively kept the wild boar for themselves.

The key was that you don’t find this kind of wild boar often.

They hit the jackpot!

“Let’s go, let’s go home and eat meat!”

Jiang Yuanshan and Jiang Yuanyang, full of strength, carried the tied-up wild boar on a carrying pole. They walked down the mountain with a brisk pace.

Along the way, Jiang Zhizhi made marks on the trees, so they went down the mountain faster than they went up.

Jiang Yuanfeng and Jiang Zhizhi hadn’t forgotten the astragalus hidden behind the big tree. Without a word, they carried the basket containing the astragalus on their backs and followed behind.

Jiang Yuanyang sighed, “Why didn’t we encounter any good things when we went up the mountain before?”

Jiang Yuanfeng chuckled and glanced at Jiang Zhizhi behind them. He replied,

“Because we didn’t bring Zhizhi up the mountain then!”

Encountering good things was not only joyful, but also made you question your life.

A beautiful day for the old Jiang family began. Everyone was in a great mood.

It was a good thing that the old Jiang family lived at the end of the village, and there were no neighbors nearby.

Otherwise, the four siblings, covered in wild boar blood and dust, carrying a four-hundred-pound wild boar back home.

It would be outrageous!

When Ding Xianglan heard the word “wild boar,” her blood ran cold. She shouted at the top of her lungs,

“You little brats, what kind of scary things are you up to? You actually went to kill a wild boar?”

“How dare you?”

“I think you’re getting out of hand. Where’s my stick? Xiangliang, come out and control your precious sons.”

This was nonsense!

They were only a few people. How dare they fight a wild boar? Although they eventually took care of the wild boar.

After scolding her troublesome sons, Ding Xianglan carefully checked to see if Jiang Zhizhi was injured.

Seeing that she was fine, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“You scared me to death, Zhizhi. You know, if the wild boar had been blind and bumped into you, your delicate skin wouldn’t have been able to handle it. The wild boar is so heavy, and it has so much force when it charges. You wouldn’t have died, but you would have been half-disabled!”

“Auntie, I’m scared of dead wild boars.”

“How can you not be scared?”

Jiang Yuanyang secretly laughed. Look at Dad and Mom, they look like they’ve never seen the world!

If you were there and saw my sister’s true strength in wielding a sword to kill a wild boar, wouldn’t you faint?

Jiang Zhizhi “willingly” listened to her aunt’s concerned nagging, nodding her little head from time to time as a response.

Jiang Yuanyang leaned over and whispered, “Zhizhi, Mom is just tough-talking.

Don’t take her words to heart. She actually cares about you very much and cares about you, that’s why she scolds you.”

Jiang Yuanshan and Jiang Yuanfeng instantly became silent as chickens.

They weren’t afraid of live wild boars, why would they be afraid of dead ones?

Jiang Xiangliang had just returned from work not long ago. He was sitting in the living room resting when he heard Ding Xianglan’s voice. He immediately ran out. When he saw the wild boar lying in the yard, his eyes widened!

After a while, he said, “You guys killed this? You guys decide.”

The meaning was very clear. The four siblings cheered. They hadn’t even processed the pig yet, and they were already discussing how to eat it.

Jiang Xiangliang was overjoyed. There was nothing more joyful than his children being successful and capable.

The whole family was happy. This pork was enough for Jiang Xiang Sheng and Lin Ting, and also for Jiang Wang, who was a military officer in H province.

Jiang Xiangliang curiously asked, “It’s true that you get what you wish for. Why don’t you tell us how you killed the wild boar?”

Who doesn’t have a little gossip in their heart?

Even Ding Xianglan pricked up her ears.

Jiang Yuanyang was incredibly proud at this moment. He pointed at Jiang Zhizhi’s innocent little face and chuckled.

The couple was confused. They thought of all the possible scenarios.

They never expected that the master of killing pigs was actually the cute and soft little cotton-padded jacket in front of them?

It was a wild boar!

You said you killed it and you killed it?

Is this world going crazy?

Jiang Yuanfeng strode to the kitchen, sat in front of the stove, and lit a fire. Jiang Yuanyang cleverly poured a bucket of water into the iron pot.

He would boil the water first and then carry it out to kill the pig.

Seeing that the kitchen didn’t need him, Jiang Yuanyang scurried out.

He ran to the yard and then remembered that the astragalus hadn’t been processed yet.

So he ran over, picked up the basket on the ground, walked to the other side of the yard, and skillfully took out the astragalus and placed it on the ground to sun-dry.

After finishing these things, he scurried over to Jiang Zhizhi, eager to get praised.

Jiang Zhizhi gave him plenty of emotional value, praising him, and her mood was great.

On the other side of the yard, Jiang Yuanshan was holding a knife, examining the wild boar, wondering where to start.

Because they didn’t have special tools for killing pigs at home, it would be slower.

Jiang Zhizhi glanced at her brother and walked over with a smile, offering her sword. She said,

“Big Brother, take this knife and use it.

After all, we always go up the mountain. How can we go without a weapon for self-defense?

It’s a good thing I brought the knife with me today. Otherwise, this wild boar wouldn’t have been so easy to deal with.”

This explained why Jiang Zhizhi carried a knife with her when she went up the mountain.

It was for self-defense!

Jiang Yuanshan breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t hesitate to take the knife from her, held it in his hand, and gestured with it a few times, satisfied.

“Good knife, it feels very handy!”

“Yes, it does.”

Jiang Yuanshan skinned the wild boar first.

Because the skin was very tough, it would be difficult to cut the pork if he didn’t skin it.

Ding Xianglan sharpened the knife and sighed, “This wild boar ate well in the deep mountains. It grew to be three or four hundred pounds. This piece of pork fat is perfect for making lard.

But wild boar meat is very different from domestic pig meat. Wild boar meat won’t taste good if you cook it directly.

But we’re satisfied. It’s better than nothing!”

Jiang Zhizhi’s eyes lit up, “Don’t forget about me. I bought a lot of seasonings, casings, and jars in the county.

Since it’s for my brother, why not make bacon, sausage, and dried meat?

If he wants to eat meat, he can just take out the dried meat and eat it. It’s convenient and easy.

If there’s any leftover minced meat, I’ll make some mushroom meat sauce. It’s super delicious with rice, cornbread, pancakes, and buns.”

Autumn wind rises, eat cured meats. Jiang Zhizhi had been craving this for a long time.

Hearing about so many delicious things, everyone in the old Jiang family couldn’t help but swallow. They were full of energy.

They said they would do it, and they did it. Jiang Zhizhi transformed into a hard-working and capable little chef.

She directly prepared the salt, fennel, bay leaves, chili powder, pepper powder, sesame seeds, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and high-proof white wine needed.

Of course, she added some spiritual spring water to supplement the nutrition.

“Big Brother, later you cut the wild boar meat into thin strips. This is for making bacon.

Then choose the leg meat with veins, cut it into thin strips as long as your index finger. I’ll use it for dried meat.”

“Okay, leave it to me.”

Jiang Yuanshan cut the thin strips. Jiang Xiangliang took them to rinse them with water. After rinsing, he put them in a basin and carried them to Jiang Zhizhi.

Jiang Zhizhi then tied a hole at the top of the thin strips, put them on a string, put the wild boar meat back in the basin, then evenly sprinkled the prepared salt on the wild boar meat, added white sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and high-proof white wine in proportion, mixed them well, and the aroma gradually wafted out. She turned it over seven or eight times, marinated it until it was flavorful, and then put it out in the sun to dry.

Jiang Zhizhi marinated the other fifty pounds of thin strips of pork with the prepared spices. This was for making dried meat. She also took it out to air-dry. After air-drying, she would roast it over a fire.

This would test the heat of the roast.

No problem, her brothers were very willing to roast the dried meat.

Hee hee hee, they were so hungry.

Next, she minced the wild boar meat, marinated it with seasonings, and started to stuff sausages. The casings were ready-made. She stuffed a piece of meat and then strung it forward. This would make the meat more compact. Then she tied it in sections and poked small holes with toothpicks.

Jiang Yuanfeng and Jiang Yuanyang ran over to help stuff the sausages, laughing, “More people, more power!”

After stuffing them, they took them out to dry.

For the remaining minced meat, Jiang Zhizhi cut a basin of mushrooms and made mushroom meat sauce.

Because it was for her brother and Lu Xingchen, she deliberately added more cooking oil so it would be easier to preserve. She didn’t need to add it to the one for their own family.

Ding Xianglan sharpened the knife and cut the remaining wild boar meat into small pieces. She simply made a potato and rib stew and steamed some of the leftover meat buns from this morning.

After everyone ate, they continued to work.

Jiang Yuanshan finally finished processing the wild boar. Ding Xianglan took the offal and scrubbed it with wood ash.

The main force of the family had been busy all day and were quite tired.

Jiang Zhizhi cooked dinner herself. She had all the ingredients she needed in her space. She cooked a delicious meal to replenish everyone’s bodies.

Braised pig’s feet, sauerkraut stir-fried intestines, sweet and sour pork, stir-fried greens, cold potato shreds.

American ginseng, dendrobium, and rib soup. This soup nourishes qi and clears the liver, relieves fatigue throughout the body, and can calm the nerves, making it easier to sleep at night.

Jiang Zhizhi smiled, “Uncle and Auntie, you’ve worked hard. This is for you to replenish your bodies.”

Uncle Jiang and Auntie Jiang smiled, their faces full of wrinkles. They couldn’t stop smiling.

Their little cotton-padded jacket knew how to take care of them.

They were happy and incredibly comforted.

Then Jiang Zhizhi served her brothers braised pig’s feet, smiling as she held the bowl steady.

Ding Xianglan picked up the rib soup and took a sip.

It was the best soup she had ever had in her life. She suddenly had a feeling she couldn’t describe.

She didn’t even want to finish the soup in her bowl.

Jiang Xiangliang couldn’t help but sigh. His brother and sister-in-law were so good at having children. Having a daughter was so good.

The three brothers buried their heads in their food. The moment the deliciousness bloomed in their mouths, they couldn’t help but smile happily.

Seeing is believing! So satisfying!

After dinner, everyone couldn’t sleep because they had eaten too much.

They simply found something to do. So everyone put the fabric and yarn that Jiang Zhizhi bought on the kang and started to cut the measurements.

Jiang Zhizhi looked at Jiang Xiang Sheng and Lin Ting’s figures and knew their sizes. So she wrote down her father and mother’s measurements.

She also wrote down the measurements of everyone in the old Jiang family. The fabric she bought was enough to make clothes for several people.

It wasn’t that the old Jiang family was not calm, it was Jiang Zhizhi’s actions that made them unable to stay calm.

“Oh, you child, keep this fabric to make clothes for yourself. We don’t need new clothes.”

Their clothes had been patched and mended for three years. They would inevitably get dirty and torn working all the time.

If they were dirty, they would wash them. If they were torn, they would mend them.

They didn’t have spare money to buy new clothes. They were reluctant to wear new clothes for work!

“Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother went out with me to do business. We need to have decent clothes.”

“As for Uncle and Auntie’s clothes, it’s my gift to you. Would you have the heart to refuse?”

Jiang Zhizhi smiled, “My parents and brother will also get some. But I haven’t seen my brother for a long time. Tomorrow, when it’s time, I’ll go to the village head’s office and call him.”

The little cotton-padded jacket smiled. It felt like the whole world was brighter. Her chubby cheeks puffed up slightly, and her little face was very sweet.

The couple’s eyes were watery. Their hearts felt warm as if they were bathed in a little sun:

“What good fortune did we cultivate to have such a filial little cotton-padded jacket.”

“Good child! Good child!”

“You little brats listen up! From now on, you must treat Zhizhi well. Don’t do anything ungrateful.”

Jiang Yuanyang jumped up excitedly to protest. He wasn’t ungrateful! He was a man of his word!

He would definitely repay his sister well when he had the ability to make money.

But before he finished speaking, he was slapped back by Ding Xianglan.

What was he jumping for? He was blocking her view of Zhizhi.

The family was lively and happy. The uncle and Jiang Zhizhi were sewing quilt covers, and their smiles never faded.

The men of the old Jiang family helped cut the fabric, proudly comparing who cut better.

Jiang Zhizhi decided to knit sweaters after getting the measurements tomorrow. She would send them to her brother and Lu Xingchen before winter.

She was looking forward to calling Jiang Wang tomorrow.