Chapter 261

In the village, slaughtering a pig is a significant event, especially for Shuiqing’s family.

Last year, they exchanged rice for mushrooms, but this year, due to the flooding, rice was not available, so they switched to exchanging mushrooms for pork.

Three to four pounds of mushrooms for a pound of pork, or they could exchange for eggs. Most of their chickens were exchanged for rabbits, but they kept a few to hatch chicks at home. Now, after half a year, the spring-hatched chicks are laying eggs one after another.

So, although they exchanged for eggs, it was limited, and they kept track of the mushroom quantities to exchange for pork!

Pork is a meat dish, rich in fat and the most flavorful!

A few pieces of fatty meat mixed in stir-fry, with oil glistening on the vegetables and broth, eating oily food gives strength.

When Jiang, He, and Hu ran to the village to announce that they would be slaughtering a pig the next day and invited everyone to come and exchange for pork, the whole village was buzzing!

Not only were the children cheering, but the adults were also delighted.

Especially the women responsible for cooking at home. Digging soil is exhausting work, and they were wondering how to nourish the entire family. Shuiqing’s family’s decision to slaughter a pig was definitely considerate of them.

Today, while digging soil on the mountain, they heard from Danni, Erni, and five others that Fan Jin went to the city to buy a donkey cart and pork lard to replenish their energy. Even the servants were given pork lard to supplement their diet. How could the main family lack meat?

Every household in the village thought the same way.

Early the next morning,

The old village chief’s tired eyes scanned the children who were still sore from the previous day’s work. Seeing their joy over having meat to eat, he sighed, “Thank goodness for the Jin family, otherwise, we wouldn’t know how difficult this year would have been.”

Without mentioning other families in the village, they benefited the most.

Following the Jin family, they planted potatoes instead of rice, so they don’t have to worry about food during floods.

The children are diligent and honest. Shuiqing sent a basin of mutton to the eldest, allowing them to have a nourishing meal after working in the rain, making the family eat better during the heaviest rain days than on holidays.

How to repay this kindness…

Wang Guifen also thought about their well-being, smiling, “Indeed! Not to mention, we’ve eaten more meat this year than in previous years!”

Despite facing a flood this year. They couldn’t even eat their fill outside, yet they managed to have meat, though not often, which was truly a rare treat!

“Sister-in-law, how much meat are you planning to exchange this time?” Zhao Lan approached curiously.

The kitchen affairs are usually decided by the sister-in-law, who cooks better than her. She just waits to eat.

Everyone’s gaze turned to Wang Guifen.

Wang Guifen hesitated and looked at the patriarch.

During mushroom picking, even the children in their family were involved, and they still had a good amount saved. As long as it rains, they can continue picking to exchange, but deciding on the quantity of fat vs. lean meat was crucial. She alone didn’t want to make the decision.

“The matter of food is up to you three sisters-in-law.” The old village chief didn’t object.

Wang Guifen looked at the two sisters-in-law, who had a trusting look that said, “You decide!”

Without a mother-in-law and without any food allocation system, everything is shared in the family. Except for Changlin, who eats slightly better in the academy, everyone else eats the same regardless of the quality.

With the trust of the whole family, Wang Guifen went to Shuiqing’s house.

As before, there was a line in front of the pork chopping board.

Butcher Hu got up early to slaughter the pig, but the village women, thinking of going to dig soil, came early to exchange for pork to cook and eat by noon without disrupting their work. That’s why they arrived early.

Wang Guifen thought she was early, but she didn’t even qualify as being among the earliest.

She first went to the nearby table and asked Yan Qiu to help her check how many mushrooms she had saved, then calculated how many pounds of pork to exchange this time.

Standing on the side, Shuiqing, contrary to her previous low-key demeanor, spoke loudly enough for everyone present to hear: “We don’t need to exchange too much this time. After digging soil, we need to plow the land and then plant potatoes. The busy farming season will last at least until mid-September. We have decided to slaughter a pig in ten days or half a month, and we will also slaughter a sheep in between. It’s better to eat fresh meat.”

Upon hearing that there was more to come in the next two weeks, the crowd became even more excited.

They knew that Shuiqing’s father and brother had returned from Niutou Town with many sows and piglets. The sows had given birth to several litters of piglets one after another, in addition to the previous ones, there were several big fat pigs ready for sale.

However, they didn’t expect Shuiqing to choose to slaughter them all at this time.

Shuiqing knew what they were thinking and cheerfully said, “No worries, when the next busy farming season comes, the piglets we had before will be ready for sale.” To raise pigs, she intentionally bought books on “High-yield Sow Breeding Techniques,” “Pig Breeder Training Materials,” and “Postpartum Care for Old Sows” to study and became quite proficient.

An old sow can give birth to two to three litters of piglets a year, with each litter containing twelve to fourteen piglets. With several sows in her family, having just finished the first round of farrowing, they already had dozens of piglets.

And in four to six months, the second round would begin, with the numbers increasing. If they didn’t slaughter them soon, they might not have enough space for all the pigs!

Choosing to slaughter the pig at this time wasn’t just about quantity; the main purpose was to add fuel to the fire.

The night is long with many dreams, and only when the dust settles can they truly relax.

Upon hearing Shuiqing’s words, Wang Guifen thought about it. If they also raised pigs, they could slaughter one for smoking during the Chinese New Year. Then during the busy harvest season, they would have pork to eat.

In the past, they were reluctant to buy piglets, fearing they might die and cause losses. Their house was already too crowded, and adding pigs would only intensify the unpleasant smell. However, seeing how Shuiqing raised pigs, they could easily allocate a piece of land at the edge of the village, build a dedicated pigsty, and drain the pig manure outside the wall for composting.

They could buy piglets from Shuiqing, allowing the village to collectively raise pigs, creating a new source of income.

The more Wang Guifen thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She quickly shared her idea with Shuiqing.

Shuiqing, unexpectedly finding a new way to make money with her original intention, opened up a new avenue: selling piglets.

This was great – they could keep what they needed for themselves and sell the rest. And once other families in the village started raising pigs, they would have to slaughter them when they were ready, right? In the future, they wouldn’t have to go to the city or Niutou Town under the guise of buying meat!

They could enjoy local farm-raised pork right in the village, truly gaining pork freedom!

Seeing Shuiqing agree to sell piglets at the standard market price, Wang Guifen quickly exchanged for the pork and practically ran home to tell her family about the idea.

Other women who had exchanged for pork also happily headed back to the village in groups, discussing animatedly.

Fan’s mother wasn’t worried about not having meat to eat, as she knew she would be taken care of by her thoughtful son.

Sun Jinhua, overhearing the discussion, couldn’t help but feel hungry and swallowed her saliva.

Her gaze fell on her daughter, who was standing on tiptoes, struggling to dry her wet clothes.