Qi Jiao stroked the docile hens, planning to give these hard - working hens an extra treat.
After mixing a big basin of rich feed and feeding the hens, Qi Jiao went to the duck shed.
As soon as the ducks saw her, they flocked around, waddling on their webbed feet and quacking loudly.
Qi Jiao squatted down and tapped each of their heads one by one. Their fluffy heads felt extremely nice to the touch.
She walked around the ducks and suddenly found an astonishing number of duck eggs on the ground.
Qi Jiao quickly filled a bamboo basket. Looking up, she was amazed to see that there were still a continuous stream of duck eggs in the straw pile in front—each one was solid and heavy, all freshly laid today.
Qi Jiao couldn't help smiling as she picked them up. The ducks were really giving her face!
She picked out the breeding eggs, and the rest were put into storage to be made into salted duck eggs.
Pei Li and Pei Jin were responsible for their daily tasks: feeding the ducks, cleaning the duck shed, and letting the ducks out for two hours.
While Qi Jiao and the others were busy at the duck farm, Pei Xia and Tang Guiniang quickly sorted out the seafood on the fishing boat. When they found the right price, they sold some of it nearby to the boat captains and passing cargo ships.
For the remaining rare fish and shrimps, Pei Xia asked the Ye brothers who were at home to escort them to the county town with him.
Pei Xia went directly to the wealthy families around Yanyu Bridge to sell them.
Since these families were buying a large amount of New - Year goods at the end of the twelfth lunar month, four red groupers were sold out soon.
A lot of the remaining seafood was also sold.
This time, he happened to meet Ding Zhu, the adopted son of Aunt Mei.
Ding Zhu saw Pei Xia and quickly said, "The oyster sauce and salted duck eggs your Jiao Niang sent last time were very unique in taste. My adoptive mother cooked according to the recipe, and the masters in the mansion loved them very much! Fortunately, you're here. Otherwise, I would have to go to the carriage and horse station to ask Brother Ye Er to send a message. There are many masters and servants in our mansion, and we still need to give gifts during the New - Year. My adoptive mother ordered another fifty gift boxes of the same style.
In addition, we need fifty high - end and medium - end snack boxes respectively."
After Ding Zhu finished speaking, Pei Xia remained calm, but Ye Geng was greatly surprised.
Are rich people so extravagant?
Ye Pa had been traveling outside for many years and was quite experienced. He smiled smoothly, "Sure. We'll go back and tell Jiao Niang right away. Thank you for taking care of our business. Thanks to you and your adoptive mother's insight. Otherwise, how could Jiao Niang get such a big order!"
Ding Zhu looked proud after hearing the flattery. He immediately waved his sleeve and paid a large deposit.
Pei Xia took it, glanced at Ye Pa with a smile, and promised Ding Zhu that he would deliver all the goods before the New - Year.
After that, the three of them left Yanyu Bridge and sold the remaining seafood to Zhenxianlou.
This business trip brought Pei Xia a great harvest.
He put the gold and silver close to his body and also gave Ye Geng and Ye Pa some hard - work money.
How could the Ye brothers accept it?
Pei Xia didn't want to owe others favors, so he invited them to a meal before giving up.
When he got home, Pei Xia first went to the east room to find Tang Guiniang.
"Mother, how much money do we still owe the Ye and Cai families?"
Tang Guiniang remembered very clearly and replied without hesitation, "We still owe the Cai family five taels and the Ye family eight taels."
Before, they had returned every bit of money they could. Since the Ye family was relatively closer, they had paid off the Cai family's debt first.
As she spoke, Tang Guiniang took out the copper key to open the money box and counted out five taels and three qian of silver. "All the money from selling the grain this year is here. I was afraid there would be many expenses during the New - Year, so I've been keeping it untouched."
After a year of hard work and sweating a lot, they only earned a little silver.
So farming really doesn't make much money! Sometimes, in case of floods or other natural disasters, not only would they have no harvest, but their family would also go hungry.
Pei Xia told Tang Guiniang about today's seafood business. "Mother, you can keep the money from selling the grain for your own use. I'll go and pay off the debts."
Tang Guiniang was overjoyed. "That's great, great. Mother will save it all. When there's more, I'll give it to Jiao Niang."
Pei Xia smiled. "Keep it for your own use. I'll save money for Jiao Niang."
After they finished talking, Tang Guiniang and Pei Xia went to the Ye and Cai families together. They paid back the owed silver in full and also brought two jars of pickled fish as a token of gratitude.
Back then, those families had lent them money in an emergency. They should be grateful and pay it back as soon as possible.
"Little kids, don't cry. Once the twelfth lunar month comes, we'll slaughter the pigs. Little kids, don't be greedy. After the twelfth lunar month, it'll be the New - Year."
For rural families, slaughtering the New - Year pigs is a major event of the year.
Taking advantage of the good weather today, Tang Guiniang invited the village pig - slaughterer to kill the New - Year pigs.
A few days ago, Tang Guiniang had appropriately restricted the pigs' diet to gradually clean their internal organs.
Early this morning, after the pig - slaughterer came to the house, the fat pigs were driven out of the pen. Tang Guiniang also lit two orange - red incense candles, seemingly showing repentance and reverence for taking lives.
There were two pigs raised in the family. Both were fat and strong, weighing no less than a few hundred catties.
After all the preparations were done, the pig - slaughterer drank a bowl of wine, rolled up his sleeves, and came on stage with his three apprentices.
After washing them with hot water to remove the hair, several people lifted the pigs onto the prepared table together. The young men held the pigs down tightly. The pig - slaughterer took out a knife as long as a foot and stabbed it straight into the pig's heart through its neck.
With a shrill cry, the pig kicked its legs.
The pig - slaughterer's quick and skillful actions left Qi Jiao stunned.
Although the scene was bloody, it could make the pig suffer less pain.
Pei Xia originally wanted her to go into the house, but Qi Jiao watched with great interest, almost wanting to go up and help.
Pei Xia laughed and pulled Qi Jiao a bit farther away to prevent the blood from splashing on her.
There was a basin under the table to collect the pig's blood, and it was quickly half - filled.
The time for draining the blood had to be estimated accurately. If it was too late, the blood would seep into the meat, affecting the taste.
The pig - slaughterer was an old hand who had been slaughtering pigs for twenty years. He was experienced and skillful.
With him in charge, he not only killed the pigs cleanly and quickly but also didn't waste any useful parts. He sorted out the pig's meat, head, hooves, internal organs, blood, bones and other parts neatly, classifying them for different uses.
In the words of the folks, he could "get five more catties of meat".
Tang Guiniang's eyes were almost narrowed into slits with joy. She prepared a generous red envelope for the pig - slaughterer and his apprentices.
According to the custom, Tang Guiniang also packed some of the pig's head meat and internal organs to give to the pig - slaughterer.
The pig - slaughterer sat on the threshold drinking tea and taking a break. He didn't decline but gladly accepted it.
When inviting someone to slaughter the pigs, the host family naturally had to keep them for a meal.
The custom in Yinwan was to have the New - Year pig meal on the day of slaughtering the New - Year pigs.
While the pigs were being slaughtered and butchered outside, the family was busy preparing the family banquet inside.
Qi Jiao asked Tang Guiniang about the dishes for the New - Year pig meal and then carried all kinds of pork to the kitchen to get busy.
Before long, stir - fried lean pork with pickled vegetables, stir - fried pig blood with chili peppers, twice - cooked pork, bamboo shoots stewed with pork ribs... were all served on the table.
A table of delicious food and a jar of wine made the pig - slaughterer and his apprentices flush with pleasure. They ate until their bellies were bulging before finally leaving contentedly.
After slaughtering the New - Year pigs, the next thing was to smoke the cured meat.
The two pigs in the family were quite heavy.
The whole family was busy all night.
They washed the meat, cut the fresh meat into long pieces, and sprayed them with strong liquor for disinfection.
Then they stir - fried salt with spices. After it was fragrant, they evenly spread it on the pork and marinated it for three to five days until it was cured.
Pei Xia built a small shed in the backyard, set up poles, lit a low - burning fire underneath, and hung the marinated meat above to be smoked.
Qi Jiao also threw some cypress branches and dried tangerine peels into the fire. In this way, the cured meat would have a pleasant fragrance.
The hundreds of catties of marinated meat were quite spectacular, and someone had to keep an eye on it all the time while smoking.
Huanghuang and Dada were extremely greedy. They tried to steal the meat several times but were caught red - handed by Qi Jiao.
Taking this opportunity, Qi Jiao scolded them. The two little puppies lay dejectedly beside the fire.
After Qi Jiao made them some fresh and delicious dog food, the puppies became lively again. Later, they even chased away a tabby cat that climbed over the wall to steal the meat.