C45. Killing Pigs (Part 1).

C45. Killing Pigs (Part 1).

The news of Yuan Li's decision to slaughter pigs spread like wildfire and quickly reached the army.

Upon hearing this, the generals shamelessly planned to get involved. Led by Yang Zhongfa, they found Yuan Li and discussed with him the possibility of having soldiers help him slaughter pigs.

The soldiers were willing to help without pay, but if they could receive some pork as a reward after helping, that would be even better.

Yuan Li could see through their intentions and generously agreed, stating, "Two thousand pigs is no small number, and I am grateful that the soldiers are willing to help me slaughter them. Rest assured, there will be no shortage of pork in the army."

The generals were delighted and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yuan Gongzi, you can rest assured. I don't want more, whatever you give is enough. Just the smell of meat would make people happy. Even if you don't give, I am willing to help you out."

Yuan Li couldn't help but smile and said, "You don't have to be so polite with me. After all, it's not easy to slaughter two thousand pigs. But I have to ask, how many of the twenty thousand soldiers stationed in Jixian can slaughter pigs?"

Yang Zhongfa and the others exchanged glances, excused themselves momentarily and hurried off to find people in the army who could slaughter pigs. After searching, they managed to find seventy to eighty soldiers who could do the job, with about a dozen of them having limited experience in pig slaughter.

Feeling embarrassed, Yang Zhongfa said, "I'm sorry, Yuan Gongzi. After searching throughout the army, we only found this many soldiers who can help you slaughter pigs."

If that was the best they could do, even if Yuan Li wanted to reward them with meat, they wouldn't have the face to accept it.

"No problem," Yuan Li replied, anticipating this outcome.

Considering the soldiers' backgrounds and low status, many had never even tasted meat, let alone slaughtered pigs. So, Yuan Li decided to assign them tasks like scalding, skinning, and assisting in the process, to make good use of their manpower.

The generals were pleased with this arrangement, saying, "This is a good plan!"

As long as the soldiers knew they would receive pork after helping slaughter the pigs, they would enthusiastically throw themselves into the work.

In ancient times, even the timing of pig slaughtering had to be chosen carefully. Yuan Li, after consulting the almanac, set the date for pig slaughter five days later.

The generals, after pondering and consulting with Chu Hechao, led the soldiers to gather firewood on the mountain to prepare for scalding and washing the pigs on the day of the slaughter.

The soldiers, filled with excitement at the prospect of helping with the pig slaughter and being rewarded with meat, eagerly awaited the arrival of the designated day. They worked diligently, especially when gathering firewood with the generals on the mountain.

Motivated by the soldiers' enthusiasm, wagons of firewood were transported to the pig farm. Yuan Li also took action, sending people to Jixian to find locals who could help slaughter pigs, offering them wages and pork as compensation.

As the soldiers went door to door seeking help with pig slaughtering, the locals were apprehensive, but eventually pointed them to a man named Hu Die who used to be a butcher and now lived in a dilapidated straw hut.

After the soldiers left, the curious locals asked Hu Die, "Why are you so happy? Why did the soldiers come to find you?"

Hu Die, still excited, joyfully replied, "The officers asked me to slaughter pigs. They will pay me one hundred coins and give me a pound of pork for each pig I kill."

Other locals were amazed and asked, "Do they pay this much for each pig?"

Hu Die couldn't be sure, but he felt that, being poor, he had nothing to lose. He was willing to take the chance, even if it meant working hard.

This news spread quickly, and soon the designated day arrived. Yuan Li, dressed in old armor and with his hair neatly tied up, led his men to the pig farm early in the morning.

By now, a crowd had gathered at the pig farm, including the soldiers, locals, and curious onlookers.

Yuan Li did not chase away the onlookers, but instead opened the enclosure and had a hundred boars brought out for slaughter as a trial.

The sight of a hundred boars, while not a large number individually, was overwhelming when gathered in one place. The onlookers were taken aback by the sheer number of pigs present.

 So many pigs!

The soldiers restrained the pigs while the slaughterers sharpened their knives nearby. Other soldiers started fires to scald and clean the pigs, creating a lively scene of bustling activity.

Not wanting to waste any part of the pig, the blood was collected for consumption, and even the bones, trotters, and offal were set aside for various uses.

The meat was stacked neatly on a cloth-covered surface, while the bones and cleaned pig hair were piled nearby. The slaughterers worked tirelessly, sweating but excited by the process.

Some of the soldiers, eager to learn, tried their hand at slaughtering pigs after watching the experts.

The scene was a hive of activity, with soldiers working diligently and the atmosphere filled with a sense of accomplishment.

As more and more locals gathered to watch, they couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and pleasure at the sight of the meat. Even though they were only spectators, they felt as though they were part of the process.

The pigs from the Zhang, Liu, and Yu families were different from the ones raised by Yuan Li. These pigs had not been castrated, were leaner and had a stronger odor. When the blood was spilled, the place stank of blood and the pungent smell of the pigs.

This was precisely why Yuan Li had decided to slaughter the boars. The uncastrated boars often fought and became agitated when in close proximity.

After spending some time at the slaughterhouse, Yuan Li's senses were dulled by the smell of blood. He inspected the pigs being slaughtered and, feeling intrigued, decided to join in with a stone knife.

Before he could begin, a soldier called out from behind, "General!"

Turning around, Yuan Li saw Yang Zhongfa and He Lang accompanied by Chu Hechao approaching.

Yuan Li raised his hand and waved to him.

Yang Zhongfa brightened up upon seeing Yuan Li and hurried over, saying, "General, Yuan Gongzi asked me to hurry over."

Chu Hechao followed silently behind.

Approaching, Yuanli was seen sharpening his knife and preparing to slaughter the pigs and sheep.

He Lang exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Yuan Gongzi, are you planning to slaughter the pigs yourself?"

"Yes," Yuan Li found the perfect excuse for his actions, stating confidently, "There aren't enough people to slaughter pigs, so I want to give it a try."

Yang Zhongfa, eager to protect Yuan Li like a guardian deity, quickly intervened, "How can we let Yuan Gongzi do this rough work? Let's do it, He Lang, let's act as butchers for a day."

"No need," Yuan Li politely declined, "I've observed enough and know how to slaughter pigs. You two can watch."

With that, Yuan Li carefully approached the pig's neck with the knife. However, as soon as the knife touched the boar, it began to struggle violently, as if sensing what was about to happen.

Swiftly, Yuan Li made the decisive cut, and the soldiers quickly collected the blood in a wooden bucket, and soon the boar ceased to breathe.

After scalding the pig's hair, Yuan Li began cutting the meat. By the time he finished one pig, he was covered in sweat. As the soldiers carried away the meat and brought another pig over, Yuan Li was about to continue when a tall figure suddenly snatched the knife from his hand.

Looking up, Yuan Li saw that Chu Hechao had taken over, ready to slaughter the pig.

Confused, Yuan Li asked, "General?"

"Go stand aside," Chu Hechao replied.

Sweat beaded on Yuan Li's brow, flushing his face a light crimson. He eyed Chu Hechao with suspicion. "General, are you capable of slaughtering a pig?"

Chu Hechao offered no response. He simply stooped, retrieved the rope binding the pig's snout, and meticulously cleaned it with his stone knife. With a firm press of his palm against the pig's head, he silenced its whimpers.

The pig strained against its restraints, but pinned to the ground, it couldn't raise its head. Chu Hechao's muscles rippled beneath his skin as he exerted himself. Slowly, the pig's struggles ceased.

After scalding the pig to remove its hair, Chu Hechao began dissecting its internal organs, mirroring Yuan Li's previous actions. His knife found its mark with precision, replicating each cut Yuan Li had made moments before.

Yet, his movements displayed a practiced ease, the air of a seasoned butcher hardened by countless tasks. Each action flowed seamlessly into the next, a testament to his honed skill.

Yang Zhongfa and He Lang were amazed, exclaiming, "When did the general become so skilled at slaughtering pigs?"

Yuan Li's eyes brightened as he realized that Chu Hechao was not actually skilled in pig slaughter but was simply mimicking Yuan Li's actions. His remarkable memory allowed him to replicate the movements flawlessly after watching just once.

After the pig was taken away, another was brought in. Yuan Li watched Chu Hechao closely, looking to confirm his suspicions. But as their eyes met, Chu Hechao rose to his full height, his brow furrowed, and bloodstains on his face as he glanced at Yuan Li.

"Go stand aside," he repeated firmly.

Determined, Yuan Li refused, asserting, "I'll stay here and watch you."

A spark was lit within him at that moment.

With a deepening frown, Chu Hechao responded sternly, "You're blocking the wind here. Go back, wash your face, and drink some water."

His tone was sharp.

Yuan Li: ...

Feeling the heat rising in his chest, Chu Hechao turned back and continued to slaughter the pigs, muttering to himself, "This child is getting on my nerves."