After Mother Zhang finished distributing the meat, she returned to the main room to discuss with her father about how to allocate the wild boar meat for tomorrow excluding the packaged dry goods. She saw him come in and pulled him to sit down.
"Xiao Wu, how are you planning to allocate all this meat? Who do you want to give it to? Tell me. If there’s too much, I’ll make bacon."
Zhang Guoqing looked at his father, seeing he didn’t mind, "Mom, I specifically cut two pig thighs, half a slab of pig meat, and ribs to hang under the eaves to drain. We’ll pack them in the morning, the wrappers are ready. You’ll keep half a slab at home to eat fresh, and also divide some for the eldest sister, second sister, and the two sisters-in-law for their families, there won’t be much left. The rest won’t be sold, just to nourish our own family; the extra ribs should be stewed for us to eat since we have many mouths to feed. The pig head meat that’s already marinated can be left for Dad to enjoy with his drink. Dad, why don’t we invite Uncle and Little Uncle to have a drink tonight?"
"Let’s not tonight, let’s just have a family drink and meal first, and invite your Uncle over to drink tomorrow night. Let your elder brother deliver some meat to the county for your sister tomorrow, let your nephews have a taste of meat. Stew the pig head meat slowly, wild boar meat is tough, it tastes good when simmered for a long time. A little drink with meat before bed, not even trading places with a god for this kind of life." After speaking, Mr. Zhang smacked his lips, not even wanting to smoke.
"Great, I just buried the wild chicken in the stove, it should be ready soon." Zhang Guoqing said, then glanced at his mother, unsurprisingly receiving a dismissive look.
Mr. Zhang watched them exchange looks and laughed, "Before the New Year’s hunt, the captain asked when you’d be back, guessing it would be these days, so you better prepare. This year, we’ll hunt more so your mom can make bacon and wind-dried wild game. We have to fill her little treasure trove so she can wake up smiling in her dreams."
"I planned to go up the mountain more before the heavy snow seals it off. This time I saw quite a few deer tracks, just halfway up the mountain towards the dense forest in the neighboring county. There’s a small stream, and there are footprints all around. There are fewer hunters on our side, and I see quite a few wild rabbits and pheasants. I heard there’s not much big game to hunt in the neighboring county; Uncle Wang’s sons invited me to go deep into the mountains. I declined, too many wolves and it’s dangerous, not to mention it requires several days."
Both Zhang’s parents nodded emphatically, he didn’t lack money, so there was no need to risk his life. Mr. Zhang sniffed the aroma and had Mother Zhang go into the kitchen to check if it was ready.
Mother Zhang came out from the hall into the kitchen, seeing Xi Zi stoking the fire, she praised him quite a bit. Everyone heard it, pretending not to know the boy was waiting for his uncle’s beggar’s chicken.
Mother Zhang selected the fattiest meat, put it in a bamboo basket, and after filling it up, had someone help carry it outside to drain. Then she loaded two pig thighs and rib bones to be carried outside, preparing for packing in the morning.
Besides in Beijing, there are three families along with the in-laws, more is needed for distribution, so even a hundred pounds per family means only twenty pounds per household. She really liked this in-law, straightforward in personality and warm to others, especially as it’s Xiao Wu honoring her, she didn’t hesitate at all.
Mother Zhang returned to the kitchen, seeing only the eldest child there, probably the one from the second family was lazy again. Pointing at the kitchen’s two baskets of meat, ribs, and bones, she said to Huang Cuilan, "These are for us to eat, Xiao Wu said not to sell them. Tomorrow, let the eldest deliver some meat to your mother’s house, take some ribs too, and let him also give his two younger sisters some meat and ribs. When Juhua arrives, have her take the same back."
Huang Cuilan held back her joy, but thought about it and shook her head, "No need to deliver to my mother’s house, it’s all Xiao Wu’s. Upper Forest is quite dangerous, big sister and second sister can listen to mom, we don’t need it."
"No worries, Xiao Wu said to send some over to the sisters-in-law’s families too. Go ahead. Xi Zi and the others have eaten many good things from their grandpa, just two cuts of meat are nothing." Mother Zhang said, thought for a moment, and still decided to go to the next-door warehouse to find bamboo baskets herself. Her family’s bamboo baskets were all woven by her father when he was free, in all sizes. Bamboo baskets are more practical than wrappers.
Mother Zhang brought back four small bamboo baskets, divided up the meat and ribs, and put them outside. Kitchen heating makes things warm, outside in the cold it would stay fresh tomorrow. Everything else was moved with Huang Cuilan to the cellar, seeing there was still a lot of meat, she secretly decided, except for ribs and offal, she’d make it all into bacon when she returned tomorrow. With year-end gifts and returns, nothing would be wasted. Just two pig heads and two elbows would take a long time to consume, these ribs should be stewed with potatoes, they could be eaten until the end of the year.
Seeing there were still four elbows left, she steeled herself, took out three and placed them in the large bamboo basket outside; well, three elbows would be just right to give to Jiao Jiao’s grandpa, uncle’s house, and aunt’s home. As for the second uncle, who lets him be in the Northwest.