After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

When the meat was almost completely cut up, Chen's father cleared his throat and said to the villagers who had helped in the yard and those who had come to watch the commotion, "Fellow villagers, this pig has grown quite well this year. Aside from what we'll keep for ourselves, the rest of the meat will be sold at the market price of fifteen coins per pound. If you're interested, buy it while it's fresh!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone else spoke up: "Uncle Chen, give me two pounds of pork belly! The kind with a good balance of fat and lean meat!"

"I want three pounds of hindquarters meat!"

"Give me some pork belly too, so we can make dumplings when we get home!"

……

The Chen family raised exceptionally well this year; the pigs were plump, meaty, and brightly colored, and the price was fair. In no time, after deducting what they had reserved for themselves, the remaining pork was snapped up. A small portion of the lard was also bought, but most was kept according to Mrs. Chen's wishes. Mr. Chen, while collecting the money, smiled and responded to everyone's congratulations.

The internal organs and bones were carried into the kitchen, where the women began processing them. The pig intestines were turned inside out and carefully scrubbed with salt and wood ash to remove the mucus and odor, in preparation for making blood sausage. The pig liver was placed separately in a basin by Chen's mother, to be reserved for the two pregnant women to nourish their bodies. The pig heart, lungs, stomach, and other organs were also thoroughly cleaned.

As the sun rose higher, the yard was tidied up, the bloodstains cleaned up, and hot water poured out, leaving only a faint lingering smell in the air. Inside the kitchen, however, things were busier than ever. The large bones had been chopped and put into the largest iron pot, along with ginger slices and knotted scallions. It was brought to a boil over high heat, the foam skimmed off, and then simmered over a low flame until the broth gradually turned white.

Chen's mother cut off a good two-pound piece of pork belly from the reserved meat and sliced ​​it into thick pieces. She also cut off a large piece of the heavy, stuffed blood sausage. The village head's daughter-in-law, looking on, exclaimed in amazement, "Sister-in-law Chen, you really spared no expense! So much good stuff!"

As Chen's mother added slices of meat and blood sausage to the bone broth, she laughed and said, "Over the years, we haven't raised pigs at home, but we've eaten plenty of your family's 'pig-killing feasts.' This year, thanks to everyone's good fortune, the pigs are fattened up, so everyone can have a taste—plenty to go around!"

The pot bubbled and steamed, the fat from the pork belly rendering and infusing into the broth, while the blood sausage slowly swelled, turning a deep red. The rich aroma of meat, mingled with the spiciness of scallions and ginger, wafted powerfully from the kitchen, filling the entire courtyard and making everyone's mouths water. Mother Chen then added the pre-cut pickled cabbage shreds and sprinkled in a handful of dried chili peppers, the sour, fragrant, and spicy flavors intensifying the complexity of the taste. Meanwhile, the aunties helping out had already chopped radishes, stewed tofu, and steamed several large steamers full of mixed-flour buns.

While the stew was cooking, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe went back to the new house and brought Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing over. The two sisters were heavily pregnant and had difficulty walking, so the brothers practically carried them, gently settling them on the kang (heated brick bed) in the warmest room of the old house. They gave them a few more careful instructions before going out to help.

As noon approached, everything was ready. Two square tables were set up in the main room, pushed together, one for the men. Father Chen brought out a small jar of his homemade, low-alcohol rice wine and filled everyone's cups. A separate table was set up on the kang (heated brick bed) in the inner room for the women, warmer and quieter.

Mother Chen personally cooked, serving each table a large, steaming bowl of hearty pork stew. The milky white bone broth was filled with slices of fatty and lean pork belly, chunks of dark red blood sausage, and golden pickled cabbage, garnished with a few bright red chilies—the aroma was irresistible. Beside it were stewed radish and tofu, and a large plate of plump white steamed buns.

"Come on, come on, don't be shy, eat it while it's hot!" As the host, Mr. Chen raised his wine bowl first.

The men drank, ate meat, and laughed loudly, their conversation revolving around this year's harvest, firewood for winter, and plans for the coming year—the atmosphere was lively. The women's table in the inner room, however, was much warmer. Mother Chen first placed a piece of stewed blood sausage and a slice of perfectly marbled pork belly on each of her two daughters-in-law's plates: "Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, eat more; this is good for your health."

Su Xiaoyin hurriedly said, "Mom, you should eat too. You've been busy all morning." She took a bite of the blood sausage. It was smooth, tender, and fragrant, without any fishy smell. The pickled cabbage cut through the greasiness of the meat. It really tasted good.

The village head's daughter-in-law, looking at the two sisters' prominent bellies, asked with concern, "Judging by these bellies, it looks like you're due soon, doesn't it?"

Chen's mother beamed with joy, but said, "It'll be in a few days. The doctor said twins are more prone to premature birth, so we have to be careful."

"Oh my, that's wonderful news! Sister Chen, just wait to hold your big, healthy grandson and granddaughter!" Everyone offered their congratulations.

The feast of pork stew was enjoyed by all, both hosts and guests. The men drank slowly and talked a lot, and it took more than an hour for them to gradually disperse. The women ate faster, as Su Xiaoyin and her sister were quite heavy and easily tired. Not long after they finished eating, Chen Dashan came in and carefully escorted them back to their new room to rest.

As the guests were leaving, Chen's mother had already prepared a large bowl of stew for each family, including soup and meat, a truly heartfelt gesture. Besides his wages, Wang the butcher received a separately wrapped bowl of stew and a blood sausage. Unable to refuse, Wang happily accepted, praising the Chen family's generosity and promising to save piglets for them first next year.

After seeing off all the guests, the old house, which had been bustling all morning, finally quieted down. Only family members remained in the courtyard, tired but with a sense of satisfaction on their faces after their busy day.

Mr. Chen asked, "Have you counted all the remaining meat and other items?"

Pointing to the neatly arranged items in the kitchen, Chen's mother counted them off one by one: "We got one and a half taels of silver from selling the meat. The pig's head was bought by the village head's family. What we'll keep for ourselves: four trotters, the whole set of offal, some blood sausage left, so much lard, and all the big bones have been removed. As for the meat, as you said, we'll set aside a large piece of the best tenderloin and hindquarters to freeze for Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing to eat during their postpartum period. We'll also prepare another good piece for the baby's one-month celebration. The remaining pork belly and shoulder will be cut into strips and smoked. We'll also smoke some of the big bones to make soup later. As for the offal, we'll keep the pig liver separately, and I'll braise the rest this afternoon so they can be stored."

Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up as he looked at the small mountain of meat and lard: "Mom, this year's pig slaughter was worthwhile! We made money, and we still have so much good food to keep for ourselves!"

Mother Chen laughed, "Yes, we've been lucky this year; the pigs are growing well. We're feeding them our own bran, wild vegetables, and swill, so we haven't spent any extra money. Next spring, we'll get two more piglets and raise them well!"

Chen Dashan was thinking about his wife at home, and said to his parents, "Dad, Mom, things are almost done here. Xiaohe and I will go back and check on Xiaoyin and the others first. There were so many people today, and I didn't get to see them properly. I feel uneasy about that."

Mrs. Chen quickly waved her hand, "Go quickly! We shouldn't leave someone by our side anyway, but we really had no choice today. Go back and keep a close eye on things; if there's any disturbance, come and call us immediately!"

"Yes!" the two brothers responded, turning and hurrying towards the new house. In the courtyard, Mr. and Mrs. Chen watched their retreating figures, then looked at the bounty filling the house, and smiled at each other. Although tired, they felt a deep sense of peace and anticipation. In the depths of winter, this abundant food and the impending new life were life's greatest gifts.