60s: I have a store

Chapter 429 Bathing the Pig
Zhou Yimin originally wanted to sleep until he woke up naturally, but a burst of noise went straight into his ears.

I couldn't stand it any longer, so I got up and went out to see what was going on.

Following the source of the sound, I finally arrived at the threshing ground. Looking up, I saw that the threshing ground in the village was crowded and bustling. A group of people were busy surrounding the fat and shiny black pig raised in the village, obviously giving it a bath.

The first to take charge was Zhou Mingcheng, an experienced and respected veteran in the village. Whenever there was anything concerning pigs in the village, he would be asked to take charge.

At this moment, his bony, calloused hands were tightly clenching a thick hemp rope, one end of which was tied tightly around the pig's neck like a fateful shackle.

The pig may have sensed that the "big punishment" was about to come today, and it backed away grunting, digging its four hooves frantically in the dry ground, splashing up a cloud of dust, as if it was raising a flag of protest.

How could Zhou Mingcheng let it run wild like this? He glared at it and shouted loudly: "Hey, you lazy guy, you better wash yourself clean today and don't cause trouble for us."

Veins on his hands bulged and he exerted force suddenly, pulling the pig forward a few steps. The pig's huge body left a shallow mark on the ground.

When several young men nearby saw what was happening, they immediately rushed forward.

There were two strong young men who grabbed the pig's two front legs tightly like an eagle grabbing a chick. The pig's legs were thick and strong, and the young men's hands were red from being strangled, but they did not dare to relax at all.

There was also a sturdy and honest young man who, seeing the right moment, stepped forward, and tightly grasped the pig's belly with his hands like iron clamps, his whole body swaying with the pig's struggle.

The most amazing thing was a half-grown child, who was as agile as a little leopard in the mountains and took advantage of the moment when the pig was restrained by the crowd.

He jumped onto the pig's back, and grabbed the pig's ears with his hands like two small hooks. His face turned red, as he was afraid that the pig would kick and hurt someone. He kept muttering, "Be quiet, don't move!"

The pig was frightened by being handled by so many people and started screaming like a loud bell, echoing throughout the whole village. It also scared the sparrows that were originally leisurely perched on the trees and made them fly around in panic, as if there was a chaotic air raid.

Zhou Yimin was extremely curious and wanted to see what was going on to cause such a commotion. But when he arrived, he realized that something so interesting had happened and he couldn't miss it, so he involuntarily moved forward.

I saw a huge iron pot firmly placed on a makeshift stove made of adobe and stones. The water in the pot was already boiling hot, and white vapor was rising up, as if casting a mysterious veil over the busy scene.

The aunt who was in charge of boiling water had a faded floral headscarf on her head, her cheeks flushed by the fire. She held a large long-handled wooden spoon in her hand and kept stirring the pot with a focused and serious look, ensuring that the water temperature was even.

Every stirring carries a sense of responsibility for this "cleaning undertaking".

There were several worn but fairly clean wooden basins placed nearby, filled with muddy soapberries. The soapberries were of various shapes and emitted a simple fragrance.

"Yimin, you're awake. Are you interested in coming over to help?" When the kind-hearted Grandpa Zhou in the village looked up and saw him, a bright smile immediately broke out on his face. That smile was like the warm sunshine in spring, and he greeted him warmly.

After hearing this, the old branch secretary wanted to stop him: "There are so many people, there is no need to trouble Yimin."

It would be bad if the pig broke free and hurt Zhou Yimin.

Zhou Yimin is the darling of the village, and anything wrong with him would be bad.

Zhou Yimin was slightly stunned, hesitated for a moment, but still moved forward unconsciously, and finally walked to the crowd. After all, such an interesting thing should not be missed, even if it is a little dirty, but it is okay.

When the old branch secretary saw that Zhou Yimin had agreed, there was no need to continue to spoil the fun.

When everyone saw him coming, they tacitly made room for him, and as they exchanged glances, they signaled him to help catch the pig's tail.

When I saw that I was going to grab the pig's tail, I immediately hesitated. However, for the sake of face, I had to bite the bullet, slowly stretched out my hand, and grabbed the wet and slippery pig's tail. The moment I touched it, I felt a cool feeling mixed with a greasy feeling.

He was terrified, and his mind kept popping up the image of the pig suddenly exerting its strength and throwing him all over the place. He didn't want to be laughed at in front of the villagers, so he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Everything was ready. Zhou Mingcheng took the lead and picked up a wooden basin. He walked to the pig with steady steps, bent down slightly, and scooped up half a basin of hot water. His movements were very cautious, as if he was holding a rare treasure in his hands.

Then, he slowly and gently poured the hot water on the pig. The hot water was like a gentle waterfall. As soon as it touched the pig's back, the pig began to twist wildly like a lit firecracker.

The child on the back was completely defenseless and was nearly thrown out. He was so frightened that his face turned pale as paper, his eyes widened, and he shouted, "Oh my god, how can this pig be so strong?"

Everyone hurriedly put more strength in their hands, pressing down the pig's body tightly, and beads of sweat appeared on everyone's forehead.

Zhou Mingcheng explained as he poured hot water on it: "This is the first time. We have to use hot water to soften the dirty mud on it first, so it will be easier to wash later. Otherwise, the mud is as hard as stone and it will be impossible to clean it no matter how hard we try."

After pouring the hot water, he put down the basin, picked up a soapberry, and rubbed it back and forth on the pig with his rough hands. After a while, he rubbed out a pile of grayish-white foam.

The foam was like the first snow in winter, flowing slowly down the pig's body and dripping onto the ground, mixing with the dust and turning black in an instant, like an abstract ink painting.

Just when everyone was busy and sweating profusely, something unexpected happened.

Somehow, the pig seemed to gather all its strength and struggled violently. With a "click", it actually broke the hemp rope.

In an instant, the pig spread its hooves and rushed forward. The child on its back hugged the pig's neck tightly and did not dare to let go. The whole person was carried by the pig and ran wildly, as if riding an out-of-control black beast.

Everyone cried out in surprise, dropped their tools, and started chasing after him. For a moment, the threshing ground was filled with dust, as if a chaotic war had begun.

Zhou Yimin was also stunned for a moment, his brain went blank for a moment, and he subconsciously followed the crowd.

The pig ran around like a madman, leaving a mess wherever it went.

It first rushed into the green vegetable field next to it, and the tender green seedlings fell down one after another under its iron hooves, as if they had been ravaged by a strong wind.

The aunts following behind were so distressed that they waved their hands in the air and shouted: "Oh, my food! What should I do?"

(End of this chapter)