Chapter 40: No meat for the squad! Lu brother, you

In the big courtyard of the village office, it is a hundred times louder than the New Year celebrations right now!

The Wild Boar King, weighing over three hundred jin, lies like a little mountain of meat, heavy and spanning the makeshift rough wooden cutting board.

Beneath its oily black bristles is skin and flesh astonishingly thick.

A large pot of boiling water simmers on a stand in the open space, and Zhao Dazhi wields the knife himself, his gleaming butcher's blade cutting with fierce vigor.

Beside them, the two best butchers in the village sweat profusely as they begin the work.

The butcher's knife slices skin and flesh with a crisp "shua shua" sound, a rhythm that makes one's heart tremble.

The snow‑white fat layer is exposed, about three fingers thick!

It shines so brightly it could dazzle the eyes!

Below lies fresh‑red, firm lean meat, its grain clearly visible.

The big axe's "dong dong" thudding as it cleaves bone sounds like heavy hammers striking the onlookers' hearts.

It sparks wave after wave of uncontrollable, excited shivers.

The air is thick with a pungent, sharp scent of blood.

Yet within that blood scent, a strange, intoxicating aroma of heated fat mingles, almost maddening.

As if one could already smell the sizzle of pork cracklings and the steaming aroma of fatty meat stewed with potatoes!

"My dear mother! Look at that fat! Snow‑white, snow‑white! So thick!"

Someone hoarsely yells, his voice off‑key, saliva nearly spilling out.

"Fat! It must be fat! The lard rendered from this fat is so fragrant it could melt your tongue! Dipping it into bean buns for the New Year—perfect!"

"Look at those three‑layered pork belly! So tidy! Captain Zhao, set aside a piece for my family; my kid craves meat so much he cries every day!"

"Go, go, go! No crowding! Divide by head, every household gets some! No one is left out!"

Zhao Dazhi shouts to keep order, his throat nearly hoarse, his face full of uncontrollable laughter.

Shanwan Village has over forty households; roughly each can receive seven or eight jin of meat and offal!

And big bones still bearing plenty of meat!

In previous years, this was a blessing one wouldn't even dare dream of!

The villagers stretch their necks, eyes wide and round, staring fixedly at the enticing pork—alternating fat and lean—sliced on the board.

Each weather‑worn face radiates almost fanatical joy.

This year, thanks to Lu Qingshan's blessing, we can truly have a greasy, prosperous year!

At the edge of the crowd, Qian Guapu stares intently at the dazzling fat meat.

She also watches Lu Qingshan, surrounded by Zhao Yongnian and others, his complexion shifting between pale and ashen, ever‑changing.

She hears the surrounding gratitude and praise for Lu Qingshan, and feels those words like hot needles stabbing her heart.

Angry, she trembles all over, her nails digging deep into her palm, almost drawing blood.

Yet she dares not utter a single word of objection.

Zhao Dazhi, sweating like rain as he cuts, feels his admiration for Lu Qingshan deepen further.

That kid isn't just a fierce hunter.

In conduct and deeds, he's so upright it leaves no room for comment!

With just that move, he captures the hearts of every villager, young and old!

Sharp‑eyed villagers quickly notice that Lu Qingshan, Zhao Tiezhu, and Liu Fugui stand apart, not crowding with the others awaiting their turn.

The three quietly stand beneath a large tree nearby, watching the bustle, murmuring among themselves, appearing unusually calm.

"Hey? Why don't Lu Qingshan and his two brothers line up for meat?" someone asks curiously.

Someone nearby immediately replies with thick envy and a hint of entitlement: "Are you stupid? They hunted six! Three more are still lying in their own yard! How could they give us less?"

The sourness and admiration in that remark are very complex.

Zhao Dazhi also sees it.

He wipes the hot sweat from his forehead, and over the crowd shouts, "Lu Qingshan! Zhao Tiezhu! Monkey! You three come get a share too!"

"This is for the squad! Everyone gets a portion! We can't leave out you hunting heroes!"

Lu Qingshan hears it, smiles and waves his hand.

His voice, calm yet clear, cuts through the clamor: "Uncle Zhao, we really don't need it!"

"This pig was meant for the squad's villagers, so we won't take advantage of the big share."

"We still have enough at home."

Zhao Tiezhu rubs the back of his head earnestly, chuckles, and agrees with Brother Lu's words.

Liu Fugui nods vigorously.

Even though his Adam's apple bobbles uncontrollably, his eyes are glued to the dazzling pork, unable to look away.

But since Brother Lu said no, he steadfastly does not move a inch.

The moment those words leave his mouth, the villagers' gazes toward Lu Qingshan become even more complicated.

There is respect.

There is gratitude.

And even a faint, heartfelt shame.

They risked their lives to bring back the game, gave their all, yet they won't even take a morsel of the communal meat.

Such magnanimity, such poise… not something ordinary people possess!

I was truly blind before, misjudging him.

Zhao Dazhi feels a flood of emotions.

Lu Qingshan has truly been reborn!

It becomes something worthy of admiration, making people submit wholeheartedly!

He pondered for a moment, then lowly instructed a robust man beside him who was helping clear the drainage.

Not long after, that man hurried forward, carrying a huge Wild Boar hide that was fairly clean and still coated with a thin layer of suet, and placed it before Lu Qingshan.

"Brother Qing Shan," the man grinned, showing two rows of plain white teeth, his smile simple, "the team leader said the meat is divided among the team; if you don't want it, we won't force you."

"But this boar hide is top‑grade!"

"Thick and warm; once processed it can become a leather jacket, and as padding on the kang it's soft and moisture‑proof—far better than a dog‑skin mat!"

"You killed the boar, so this hide rightfully belongs to you!"

The Wild Boar hide was indeed a fine thing.

Sturdy and thick, the snow‑white suet on its surface gleamed oily in the cold wind, and it was heavy.

It was an invaluable treasure for this era.

Lu Qingshan looked at the nearly half‑kang‑sized whole hide.

He then glanced at the kindly, approving gaze Zhao Dazhi cast from afar, and this time he did not decline.

He nodded briskly: "Alright! I'll take this hide."

"Please thank Uncle Zhao for me, and thank all the villagers!"

He called Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui over, and together they lifted the heavy, precious Wild Boar hide into the courtyard and set it against the wall for now.

Processing this thing will take a lot of work; they'll deal with it once they're completely free.

Outside the courtyard, the clamor of meat‑splitting kept boiling, like water at a rolling boil, and the scent of meat and laughter carried far.

But inside the Lu Family courtyard, it grew relatively quiet.

In the corner, the three equally massive Wild Boars, exuding a cold, primal wildness, lay still.

They seemed like three silent little hills piled with wealth.

Lu Qingshan stared at these three genuine "private property" of his, quickly tallying in his mind.

"Tiezhu, Monkey," he called in a deep voice, summoning the two.

Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui immediately came over.

Excitement and anticipation flashed in both pairs of eyes as they stared intently at the three boars.

Lu Qingshan did not beat around the bush; he got straight to the point: "These three, we have to split them as well."

"The one we brought back the day before yesterday is mine; the two from yesterday, we'll divide according to the old rule."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two.

"Hunting isn't a one‑person job; the amount of effort and the risk each bears must be considered."

"Tiezhu, you're strong; you always take the lead, we can't manage without you."

"Monkey, you're clever, scouting and keeping watch; we'll still rely on you."

Pointing at the slightly larger one, his eyes steady, he said unequivocally: "This one we split three ways. Based on a full share, Tiezhu gets 30%, Monkey gets 25%, the rest is mine."

He pointed to another of similar size: "This one follows the same ratio."

"By the way, the two rabbits, each of you take one; I have a little left, I'll forgo it."

"By this calculation, roughly, Tiezhu will get about two hundred jin of meat, and Monkey about one hundred and eighty jin."

"Do you think there's any problem with that?"

This division, on the surface, seemed to give Lu Qingshan the larger piece.

But both Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui had minds as clear as mirrors.

Without Lu Qingshan, they wouldn't even get a sip of soup, let alone meat.

It was Lu Qingshan who led them to the prey, who commanded the hunt.

He also directed them to avoid countless risks.

This allocation was already very fair; one could even say Lu Qingshan gave them a discount, that he was looking after them, giving them a great benefit!

Zhao Tiezhu, tongue‑tied, flushed a deep red, so excited his hands didn't know where to go.

He just kept nodding vigorously, his throat feeling like packed cotton, his voice hoarse as he said: "I… I'll follow Brother Qing Shan!"

"No, no problem!"

"Without Brother Qing Shan, I can't even have a mouthful of hot meat broth!"

Inside him, it felt like a pot of boiling water, hot and about to overflow from his chest.

Two hundred jin of meat!

That's a solid two hundred jin of meat!

My medicine money for next year, my family's whole year's chewing supplies, all settled in one go!

Life really has hope now!

This gratitude is heavier than a mountain! I, Zhao Tiezhu, must remember it for a lifetime!

Liu Fugui was even more excited, trembling slightly all over, his thin frame seeming to straighten a few inches.

His usually timid eyes now shone astonishingly.

His mental abacus spun so fast it almost smoked.

One hundred and eighty jin of meat!

Add yesterday's smaller boar, and he could get over two hundred jin of meat!

Over two hundred jin!

Enough for his two skinny siblings who are always pale, whose eyes light up green at the sight of grain, to fill their bellies until next spring!

They'll never starve again!

His nose suddenly burned, his eyes reddened instantly, and he quickly lowered his head, inhaled sharply, and nodded forcefully: "I… I'll follow Brother Qing Shan! Absolutely no problem!"

"Thank you... thank you, Qing Shan Ge!"

Lu Qingshan looked at the two of them, their excited and immensely grateful expressions, and felt his heart finally settle.

He reached out and gave both of them a heavy pat on the shoulder.

"My brothers, from now on don't keep asking whether to thank or not."

"This meat is what the three of us earned together, trading our lives in the old forest, and it's what we deserve."

He exhaled a long breath of white vapor, which condensed into a cloud of mist in the cold air.

His gaze fell again on the three heavy "meat mountains" in the corner of the courtyard, and his brows twitched slightly.

"However," he said in a deep voice, "these over six hundred jin of meat—how to dispose of them quickly, we still need to plan carefully."

"Leaving them too long won't do."

"Even if the sky gets colder, this bloody smell will easily attract the Yellow Immortal, and if it spoils, it'll be wasted."

This is the most urgent and also the most tricky problem right now.