Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 853 Going to School

Xiao Wei said, "It's done. After pickling, cut it out and put it in bags. One bag is just enough for one stir-fry. There's no worry about sales. It's different in the city than in the countryside. There's no place to pickle in the city, and fewer people pickle in the countryside. Also, many restaurants and such buy it from outside."

Fourth Uncle said, "That's great. Next year I'll have to find a place to grow more Chinese cabbages. I'll also have to build a factory. That thing takes up a lot of space; we'll need to put a lot of big vats in there."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, you do it. Just call if you run out of money."

The old man said, "There's really nowhere to get it. I see people around here buying it from the market, but it's not very good, and the taste isn't right."

Xiao Wei said, "They didn't pickle them using the normal method. They added something to make them sour faster, but they don't taste good."

The old man said, "So this factory will operate only during the winter and dry season? What about in the summer?"

Xiao Wei said, "We also pickle cabbage in the summer, and there's no shortage of production. People still buy it in the summer, but it's hard to solve the cabbage problem in the summer. I don't know if 'Geda Bai' will work." Northeastern Chinese cabbage is only produced in the autumn, not in the summer. In the summer, there is only cabbage, which is called "Geda Bai" in the local dialect.

The old man said, "It'll work, it'll taste the same, just a little different from regular cabbage. I've made it before."

Fourth Uncle said, "That thing isn't as watery as a cabbage, and its stem is thick, but otherwise it's fine. I've made it at home before, and it turns sour much faster."

The old man said, "When you're working on the lump, you have to press it down firmly. If it's hollow, it's easy for the core to rot."

Xiao Wei's dad asked, "You went to see Xiao Fu? How was it?"

Xiao Wei said, "What can happen if I go? Detention isn't a prison sentence. I'll just stay inside and sit there. You guys are worrying unnecessarily. By the way, I ran into my Uncle Li there, Li Zhongguo. He said my son, Le Ge, is coming back." (This sentence is important; you might need it for your CET-6 exam, haha.)

The old man said, "It wasn't a big deal to begin with. I just wanted to scare him a little so he'd remember. Otherwise, sigh, he'll end up in jail sooner or later anyway. What a tragedy. Xiaowei, I'm entrusting Xiaofu to you. You have to take care of him and discipline him as needed. I can't manage him anymore; I can't even catch up with him when he runs away."

Xiao Wei said, "That's definitely possible, but you and Auntie shouldn't feel bad about it. I'm just worried that Auntie won't be happy about it."

The old man said, "It probably won't happen again. She was frightened this time and cried twice. I'll talk to her again, it's okay. In the end, she just wanted the child to be well, but her methods were wrong."

Fourth Uncle said, "It's only because we've moved to the city and Xiaowei is here that we're able to. Otherwise, who knows what the future would be like? Do we country folk still spoil our kids like this? Doesn't that mean we don't want the family fortune anymore? When we old people die, will he still be alive? I just can't say these things, and I have no way of saying them."

Xiaowei's father said, "That's right. If this had happened in the past, someone like Xiaofu would have starved to death sooner or later. Spoiling a child is harming them; this principle is always true."

Fourth Uncle said, "Back then, my eldest brother only liked my sister-in-law because she was pretty. He knew exactly what kind of person she was, a lazy good-for-nothing. How could he possibly persuade her to stay? I knew that was the case back then. What problems does a child have? They learn from their parents."

The old man said, "So what? Am I worse off than you?"

Fourth Uncle said, "You're lucky. Now your back is ruined, isn't it? If it weren't for Xiaowei, how would you manage to live? You've raised a bunch of lazybones."

As soon as the horn sounded, a Daihatsu pulled up. Xiaowei's mom said, "It's back! Go get help! Let's all work together and have a good time today."

Xiao Wei asked, "What?"

Xiaowei's mother said, "The pig is being sold today. This is the first one. Xiao Hongliang dragged it back. I'm inviting everyone to come to the yard for a meal. We'll have a pig-killing feast to celebrate."

Xiao Wei was stunned for a moment: "You brought back the whole pig?"

Xiaowei's mother walked over to the car: "You brought them all back. You don't even have time to count how many families and people there are. It's already a miracle that you managed to get them all back. Come and help."

Everyone got up and started working. In no time, the oil drum and stove were set up, the big pot was set up to boil water, and the tables, basins, pots and bowls were set up. Some people were making blood sausage, some were chopping ribs, some were simmering soup, and some were cutting vegetables. The yard became lively.

This pig weighs over 300 jin (150 kg), with fat more than three fingers thick. Wiping it with your hand leaves it oily; it's truly high-quality meat.

The pig farm has already dismembered most of the pigs, separating claws and elbows, and cleaned up the offal, which has saved a lot of trouble.

Pig's head, trotters, and hocks are stewed, and pork belly is cut into large chunks and boiled as well. The lean meat is chopped, minced, and mixed into fillings. The fatty meat is sliced ​​and rendered into oil. Meat that is neither too lean nor too fatty is sliced ​​and stir-fried. Meat that is both lean and fatty is cut into long strips and simmered in water over low heat. Braised pork, poached pork belly, and steamed pork belly all come from this.

Thinly slice the pickled cabbage and shred it finely. Sauté it in lard until glossy, then add scallions, ginger, star anise, and bone broth. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat. This is the base of the "pig-killing stew," which is simmered continuously from now until the mealtime, with added ingredients as needed. The longer it simmers, the more fragrant it becomes.

There wasn't enough time for lunch. From the start of preparing the pork stew to the moment it was eaten, it would take at least three or four hours. So, we just grabbed a quick lunch from the canteen. But even though it was just a quick meal, the chefs there had actually prepared several tables of food with great care. The chefs were all recruited from state-run restaurants, and their skills were quite good.

The canteen also has new pork, so everyone has an extra meal in the evening. This pork can't be supplied to the canteen every day; it's not cost-effective. We only get one a week to supplement our meals.

After eating, Xiaowei rinsed his mouth and asked Xiaobing to drive him to school.

Xiaobing changed into a long-sleeved shirt. His arms were still raw from being whipped with willow branches by Xiaowei's mother, who was ashamed. Sitting in the passenger seat, he sighed, "My mom's getting worse and worse. She starts beating me without even knowing why. I'm so disappointed in life. When will this ever end?"

Xiao Wei said, "You still feel like time is passing slowly? These few years have gone by in the blink of an eye. You'll realize how good it is to go to school when you graduate."

The young soldier asked, "Brother, can I drive to school now that I'm in high school?"

Xiao Wei said, "No, don't even think about it. Get into a good university first, then we can discuss this."

The soldier said, "I was worried about you guys having several idle cars. I was just trying to help you out. You always misunderstand me."

Xiao Wei was delighted.

They turned a corner and arrived at the school. After parking the car at the school gate, Xiaowei and Xiaobing went into the school together.

In those days, school gates were not strictly managed. The gatekeepers were just going through the motions and didn't really care. The gates were rarely closed, and no one cared about students coming and going. Unlike later times when the gates were closed until after school and became a closed system.

In those days, the only schools with closed gates were work-study schools, which were essentially juvenile detention centers. The Fengtian Work-Study School was still located in Bajiazi at that time.

After entering the building, I found Teacher Xiaobing's office.

Xiao Wei reached out and shook hands with the teacher: "Hello, Teacher Song, I'm Zhang Bing's second brother. This kid is a bit naughty and has caused you trouble."

Teacher Song visited my home and we know each other. Teachers these days are still quite conscientious and responsible. Most of them.

(End of this chapter)