Upon arriving at the village chief’s house, Gu Linchen put down the wild boar and quickly told his mother he will go home. The stench of blood on him was too strong, and he needed to wash up and change clothes before returning.

When Gu Linchen reached home, he saw Xige’er tidying up the stools in the courtyard. As soon as Xige’er noticed him, he ran over excitedly.

“Dad!”

“Stop!” Gu Linchen called out just before his son could jump on him. “Xige’er, Dad’s dirty. Don’t come too close, or you’ll get smelly too!”

Xige’er obediently stopped in his tracks.

“You’re back, Lao Gong. I’ve already prepared hot water,” Feng Ge’er said as he emerged from the kitchen.

“Great,” Gu Linchen replied, feeling a surge of warmth. He had assumed he’d have to bathe in cold water, but Feng Ge’er had prepared hot water for him, not out of fear of the boar’s blood but out of care.

After washing up, Gu Linchen returned to the village chief’s house with Xige’er in his arms. By then, the wild boar had already been butchered. Gu De was cutting meat off the ribs when Gu Linchen quickly stepped forward.

“Uncle De, don’t trim the meat off those bones—I’ll take the ribs as they are.”

Ribs! Steamed ribs, braised ribs, soup… His mind flooded with delicious possibilities.

Seeing how insistent he was, Gu De gave up trimming and set aside the entire rib section, including the backbone.

Next, Gu Linchen eyed the pig’s trotters. Whether braised or slow-cooked, they were a delicacy—he had to have those too. He also claimed the pig’s head and the organs.

Feng Ge’er went back home and returned with a large basket, which they filled entirely with the chosen parts. The boar weighed over 300 jin, and the meat alone accounted for over 200 jin.

The village chief let Gu Linchen decide how to divide the meat since he had killed the boar. Though hesitant at first, Gu Linchen eventually agreed, realizing that since the village chief’s family was involved, a fair distribution was necessary to avoid gossip.

He decided to split it evenly:
– The village chief’s family, having sent two men to help, received 80 jin.
– Gu Shui, He Shu, and the two other helpers each received 40 jin.
– Since Gu Linchen had taken a basket full of organs and bones, he claimed only the remaining 20 jin of meat.

However, the village chief, noticing that Gu Linchen’s share consisted mostly of less valuable parts, added an extra 10 jin from his own portion. Gu Linchen didn’t refuse—he wasn’t one to play the “generous but starving” role.

By the time they left the village chief’s house, it was already dusk. Gu Linchen felt delighted with his haul but remembered that the pig’s head and organs needed thorough cleaning, especially the wild boar’s bristles, which were much tougher than those of domestic pigs.

Suddenly, he had an idea and approached his mother.

“Mom, do Second Uncle and Third Uncle’s families know about the wild boar yet?”

“With all the commotion, they probably know by now,” his mother replied. She figured they hadn’t shown up because they didn’t want to seem like they were trying to take advantage. However, since a portion was intended for them anyway, she added, “Tomorrow, we’ll send them some meat.”

“Mom, why don’t you invite them over for dinner tonight instead? It’ll be livelier that way.”

“But it’s already late. Will they make it in time?”

“We’re still carrying the pork home. If you go invite them now, Second Aunt and Third Aunt won’t mind. Besides, there’s so much to prepare—it’d be good to have extra hands.”

Seeing the logic in his words, his mother went off to invite them.

Back home, Gu Linchen placed the heavy basket in the courtyard and brought about 30 jin of meat into the kitchen with Feng Ge’er to start cooking. Since there would be many guests, they needed to prepare a feast.

As Feng Ge’er poured out half a basin of white rice, his heart ached a little, watching such a large portion being used up all at once.

Gu Linchen noticed Feng Ge’er’s heartache over using so much rice, so he told him to put some back, saving the premium rice for their own meals. He suggested making pancakes instead, which comforted Feng Ge’er a bit as he started washing the rice and setting it on the stove.

Gu Linchen took some pork liver, pork meat, ribs, and large bones for the evening meal. Thinking it would be enough with some side dishes, he looked around the kitchen and only found a cabbage. Turning to Feng Ge’er, he asked, “Do we have any potatoes or radishes?”

Feng Ge’er thought for a moment and replied, “Not at home, but there are some in the field. Do you need them for cooking? I can go get them.”

“Yes, and also bring back some garlic sprouts and green onions.”

Feng Ge’er handed the fire-tending duty to Xige’er and left with a basket to gather the vegetables.

“Xige’er, be careful with the fire. Don’t burn yourself,” Linchen reminded.

“I won’t, Dad,” Xige’er replied seriously.

Linchen chuckled, “Our Xige’er is so capable.”

Watching his son carefully tend the fire like a little adult made Linchen feel both proud and emotional.

He quickly blanched the large bones and ribs in boiling water to remove the blood, then placed the bones in a clay pot for soup while setting the ribs aside. The pork and liver were cut and marinated.

Feng Ge’er returned with the vegetables, followed by Gu Linchen Mother, who had brought along Second Aunt Gu, Gu Tian, Third Aunt Gu, Li Yatou, Yue Yatou, Xiu Ge’er, and her youngest son, Huzi. The courtyard suddenly became lively with people.

Third Aunt Gu peeked into the kitchen and teased, “Oh, Linchen is cooking today! We’re in for a treat tonight.”

Gu Linchen paused his work, wiped his hands, and greeted them warmly. “Second Aunt, Third Aunt, you’re here.” He noticed there weren’t enough stools and quickly brought some for the elders.

“Brother Linchen, is there anything I can help with?” Gu Tian offered.

Linchen had been waiting for this offer and smiled. “There’s not much to do. But if you’re free, could you help me clean the pig intestines? I’ll cook some stir-fried intestines tonight—it’s even better than braised ones.”

Hearing this, Gu Tian eagerly grabbed the pig intestines and left to clean them, recalling how delicious braised pig intestines were.

The rest of the guests also found tasks to do: Gu Linchen’s Mother and the two aunts began preparing the pig’s head, while Li Yatou and Yue Yatou helped Feng Ge’er wash the potatoes and radishes. Only little Huzi was running around the courtyard, with Xiu Ge’er keeping an eye on him to prevent accidents.

Once the potatoes were washed, Gu Linchen cut them into small pieces, planning to braise them with the ribs later. The radish was sliced and added to the clay pot with the bones for soup. Meanwhile, Feng Ge’er was busy kneading dough for the pancakes.

Gu Tian returned after thoroughly cleaning the intestines. Linchen washed them three more times with wood ash, then boiled them briefly with ginger and cooking wine to remove the smell. He set some aside for the evening meal and stored the rest in a large bowl.

Seeing it was almost time to eat, Linchen rolled up his sleeves and began cooking. He started with the braised pork ribs and potatoes, as they required longer cooking. Once the ingredients and seasoning were added to the pot, he could relax a bit.

Feng Ge’er, having finished kneading the dough, took over fire-watching duties from Xige’er and told him to wash up and join his younger uncles in the courtyard.

Xige’er was a bit shy, so he quietly stood next to Gu Linchen’s Mother, watching Huzi run around with a cricket cage made of woven bamboo while Xiu Ge’er followed closely to keep him safe.