Chapter 93: So Frustrating!

After draining the boar’s blood, the six of them worked together to carry it over to the large cauldron of boiling water. Hu Zhaodi said, “Uncle, you all handle the butchering for now. Set aside what we’ll keep for ourselves, and the rest we’ll sell. Keep the big bones and the offal for us; we’ll eat those. I need to make a quick trip to the county.”

Uncle Ji looked at her, puzzled. “Going to the county at this hour? By the time you’re back, it’ll be dark. Why not wait until tomorrow morning?”

Hu Zhaodi replied, “I can’t, Uncle. There’s something urgent I need to handle today. Besides, if I ride, I’ll be back faster.”

“If it’s urgent, then go quickly and stay safe.”

“I will. I should be back by dinner. If I’m not, don’t wait up; just eat without me.”

“Alright, off you go, then.”

Hu Zhaodi turned, fetched her horse, saddled it up, and mounted. “Hyah!” she called, squeezing her legs against the horse’s sides, urging it into a trot.

“Be careful, Zhaodi!” Uncle Ji’s voice called after her.

“I know, I will!”

With another nudge, she picked up speed, riding swiftly out of the village.

Third brother Ji watched her confident figure on horseback, murmuring, “Since when did Zhaodi know how to ride a horse?”

Grandpa Ji blinked in surprise. “Come to think of it, I don’t recall ever seeing her ride before. Could she have a natural talent?”

Fifth brother Ji chimed in, “Dad, big brother, let’s not overthink it. Zhaodi has all sorts of hidden skills we don’t know about. We didn’t even know she knew medicine or that she could tame wolves. Ah, if only she were really my sister!”

Uncle Ji chuckled. “Be content! Your mother and I could never have raised such a capable girl. Even if she’s not our kin, she’s as close as it gets. Treat her like a sister, and that’s enough.”

Fifth brother Ji chuckled, “I already think of her as my sister.”

“Alright, let’s get back to work! We need to finish up with this boar, and I’ll head to the pine grove to call everyone for their share.”

With a smile, Uncle Ji left the yard, heading toward the grove.

Meanwhile, once Zhaodi was out of the village, she urged her horse to full speed, racing toward the county town.

She had to buy a batch of iron rods to fence off the boars in her storage space. If they woke up, her precious ginseng plants would be in danger!

What she didn’t realize was that the fencing wasn’t necessary. A mere thought would have allowed her space to contain the boars within any designated area, preventing their escape without her permission.

Upon reaching the county town, she went straight to the blacksmiths, asking around for iron rods. She visited all three of the county’s blacksmiths but couldn’t find anything suitable.

This left her in a state of anxious frustration.

With the boar’s immense strength, wooden fences wouldn’t last a day. Even if the blacksmiths could custom-make the rods, it would take at least a day or two to finish the order. If she opted for a full iron fence, it would take even longer.

Argh!

So frustrating!

Surely, she wouldn’t have to kill all the boars just to save the ginseng, would she?

She couldn’t bear to part with the boars!

Since she couldn’t find what she needed, she decided to head back and think of another solution. If all else failed, she could always sedate the boars again. After all, they were already stored in her space; releasing them back into the mountains wasn’t an option.

With that thought, Hu Zhaodi climbed onto her horse, suppressing any trace of disappointment, and urged it homeward.

At the village entrance, she brushed aside her worries and put on a calm face. By the time she returned to the Ji family, most of the wild boar meat had been sold, and there were no villagers left in the yard.

The meal was ready, but the Ji family hadn’t started eating. They had waited for her.

After tying up her horse at the stable, Hu Zhaodi headed to the courtyard to wash her hands. Upon seeing her, Aunt Ji and Ji Chunhua quickly set the table and served the dishes.

“Uncle, didn’t I tell you all not to wait for me?” Hu Zhaodi asked.

Uncle Ji chuckled. “We didn’t wait on purpose. Your aunt only just finished cooking, so you arrived just in time!”

She saw right through him. “Uncle I know you’re only saying that. I’m not that gullible—I can tell you waited to eat with me.”

Uncle Ji gave a warm smile. “It doesn’t feel quite right without you here, Zhaodi. Now, let’s eat!”

Ji Chunhua chimed in with a smile, “Zhaodi, I’ve already cleaned the offal from the boar, but I’ll leave the cooking to you tomorrow. I’m afraid I might not get it as tasty as you do.”

“No problem! I’ll handle the marinade tomorrow.” Picking up her bowl, Hu Zhaodi asked, “Uncle, nothing unusual happened while selling the meat, right?”

Grandpa Ji shook his head. “No, everything went smoothly. But the boar was big, and there’s still plenty of meat left. We can’t finish it all right away. What do you suggest we do with it?”

After thinking for a moment, she replied, “Let’s cut some of it for sausages later. It’s starting to cool off these days, so it should keep well.”

Uncle Ji frowned slightly. “I’m not so sure. It’s still pretty warm during the day—it might spoil.”

“No worries; I’ll find a way to keep it. Besides, with so many of us, we’ll finish it soon enough.”

“Alright, we’ll do it your way.”

The old scholar chuckled, “Let’s eat! And when we’re done, we can all help with the sausages. I bet they’ll turn out delicious with Zhaodi’s recipe!”

Hu Zhaodi grinned. “I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

Hu Tieniu, who had stayed to join them for dinner, marveled at the rich spread on the table. His eyes lit up—it was a feast that even his family rarely had, even for the New Year. Especially the generous portions of meat; no one else in Dawai Village would dare serve so much.

After dinner, the old scholar and Hu Tieniu stayed behind to help the Ji family with sausage making. Hu Zhaodi began by cutting strips of fatty and lean meat, about the thickness of a finger, and the others followed her lead.

Once all the meat was cut, she added salt, sugar, white wine, and Sichuan peppercorns, mixing everything by hand. She cooked a small piece over the fire to check the seasoning and, satisfied with the taste, started stuffing the sausages.

The casings were made from the boar’s intestines, which they had blanched and cut into lengths about a meter long. She stuffed the meat into the casing, filling the middle first, then working toward the ends. After filling each casing, she tied both ends tightly with string.

Once all the sausages were made, Hu Zhaodi fetched a bamboo pole and hung them up to dry.