Li Xiulan worried until work was over and saw that the person was alright, then she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Everyone pay attention! Tonight at six o’clock, bring your tools to the brigade headquarters to collect wild boar meat. Spread the word if anyone hasn’t heard. Everyone pay attention…”
The seldom-used loudspeaker in the brigade suddenly rang out during dinner. Those who were eating halfway through and feared missing out on good meat or a good spot immediately dropped their chopsticks and rushed to the brigade headquarters to stake their claim.
“I say this pork shouldn’t have been handed over. Third sister-in-law, you’re usually so shrewd, how could you do something so foolish?” Liu Yuemin felt a pang of heartache upon hearing the announcement.
That was over two hundred catties of wild boar! If it were sold, it would fetch nearly two hundred yuan. Even if it wasn’t sold, if it were divided among the families, each family would get dozens of catties of meat.
“Second sister-in-law, do you think no one knows about our family’s quiet actions for so long? Even as a repayment to everyone, this wild boar should be distributed today.” Chen Lishu said.
If nothing else, the fact that their family’s pig wasn’t sold to the purchasing station before the Lunar New Year but to the city was due to everyone’s silence.
“The third daughter-in-law sees things clearly. What they did today was right, we shouldn’t lose the bigger picture for a minor gain.” Gu Shoufu glanced at Chen Lishu and nodded in approval. A good daughter-in-law benefits three generations; choosing this daughter-in-law was truly the right decision.
After dinner, everyone took their bowls and basins and gathered in the brigade headquarters’ courtyard. A chopping board had already been set up in front of the brigade headquarters, with the prepared pork displayed on it.
The wild boar Gu Xingdong hunted this time weighed over two hundred and sixty catties. After removing bones, internal organs, etc., there was about a hundred and fifty catties of meat, with each family receiving less than two catties.
Although wild boar meat was not as fatty as domestic pork, it was still meat, and every villager had a smile of contentment on their faces.
“Before we distribute the meat, I want to say something to everyone. The pig was hunted by Gu family’s third son. Although he hasn’t said anything, I, as the Party Branch Secretary, must remember it. Although it can’t be calculated at the purchasing station’s price, we should still credit him with some work points. What do you all think?”
“We have no objections.” So much meat was rare, and crediting some work points was nothing.
“Isn’t this wild boar from the mountains? Everything from the mountains belongs to the collective. Why should their family be credited with work points separately?” Chen Baozhu interjected discontentedly.
Although a long time had passed, he still remembered how that cunning Chen Lishu had sent him to the detention center. Not only that, but because his wife was giving birth and he wasn’t there, he was severely beaten by his several brothers-in-law after he was released.
Zhang Changhe squinted at Chen Baozhu and said, “That might be so, but someone has to go hunt it. Baozhu, if you disagree, you don’t have to have your work points deducted at the end of the year. I suggest you don’t eat this meat today either. If you want to eat it, go hunt it yourself on the mountain.”
Chen Baozhu choked. If he had the ability, he wouldn’t have been beaten by his brothers-in-law. Seeing everyone looking at him with displeasure, he could only shut his mouth sullenly.
“Here are five catties of meat, and two large bones. The head, trotters, and offal are also for you. What do you think, my dear niece?”
After everyone had their share, Chen Lishu stepped forward, and Zhang Changhe gestured to the basin on the ground.
“Thank you, Uncle Changhe.”
Chen Lishu said with a smile and left for home with Gu Xingdong, carrying the meat.
“Xingdong, do you prefer braised preserved meat or stewed meat? Which one do you like, and I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”
Looking at the meat in her hands, Chen Lishu tilted her head and asked with a smile.
The red clouds in the sky illuminated her smiling face, as if casting a light pink glow all around her. Gu Xingdong’s gaze deepened, and he asked a question unrelated to the topic, “When are you coming to join the army?”
Once she joined the army, he could see his wife every day, and naturally, he could eat her cooking every day.
The smile on Chen Lishu’s face paused. Gu Xingdong had mentioned this question once in a letter, and after she had evaded it, he hadn’t brought it up again. She hadn’t expected him to ask in person now, it seemed he was indeed a bit anxious.
“I’ll come to you at the end of the year.” The national college entrance examination would resume at the end of the year, and she would go after taking the exam.
Seeing that she had finally given a clear answer, Gu Xingdong nodded and didn’t press further.
This man was always cold on the surface but meticulous in his thoughts. Being with him never made her feel tense. Chen Lishu felt that she had truly struck gold in this life and her resolve grew even stronger. Whether she passed the exam this time or not, she would go and be by his side.
The two carried the meat home. Chen Lishu and Li Xiulan tidied up the head, trotters, and offal in the fading light.
“Mom, I want to make stewed meat. Do you want to join?” Making a batch of stewing liquid wasn’t easy and required many seasonings. That’s why Chen Lishu wanted to ask if everyone wanted to join.
“Third sister-in-law, can you make it well? If it’s not done right, all the good pork will be wasted,” Liu Yuemin couldn’t help but ask.
No one’s family was well-off, especially the Chen family in the past, who could rarely afford meat. She truly doubted Chen Lishu’s culinary skills.
“I think third sister-in-law’s cooking is quite good. I’ll eat anything, so count me in if third sister-in-law makes it.” With the weather getting hotter, the meat wouldn’t keep, and making it into stewed meat would allow it to last a few more days.
Li Xiulan also trusted Chen Lishu’s cooking skills and handed over all the meat she received for her to handle.
Seeing everyone confidently hand over their meat, Liu Yuemin hesitated before taking hers out, but not forgetting to add, “Third sister-in-law, you have to make it well. Your family has a lot of meat, don’t waste it.”
It was only because the third brother doted on her that she could mess around with so much meat.
After placing the cleaned meat into basins for later use, Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong specially rode their bicycles to town the next day to buy many seasonings.
At noon, Chen Lishu began to make the stewed meat.
She first boiled ten eggs, set them aside, then added water to the pot, and placed the cut meat chunks into the pot to heat. She then put the seasonings into a sewn gauze bag for easy removal of the spices when eating.
When the meat and spices were put into the pot to boil, Chen Lishu went to buy two catties of dried tofu from the village tofu maker.
After returning, she first put the boiled eggs into the pot to cook with the meat, and incidentally poked several holes in the meat chunks with chopsticks to help them absorb the flavor.
After it had cooked and absorbed the flavor, Chen Lishu put in the dried tofu she had bought. About ten minutes later, she took out all the meat, eggs, and dried tofu.
Gu Xingdong had already come over, drawn by the aroma.
“Try it and see how it tastes?” Chen Lishu picked up a chopstick and fed him. Gu Xingdong chewed a few times and immediately felt a rich meaty aroma fill his mouth. He nodded in approval, “Delicious.”