Chapter 172

"Are the Second Uncle and Third Uncle's families planning to slaughter their New Year pigs? My procurement quota is quite heavy this year," Zhang Ping'an could only use this method to reduce his family's losses.

"Hmm~ if they want to slaughter them, they can. Let's ask when we go back to slaughter our own New Year pig."

"Deal."

As for the chickens, ducks, and geese at home, he would bring back whatever he could this time, then purchase another batch in the village to minimize everyone's losses as much as possible; if they insisted on holding onto them and not selling, there was nothing he could do.

Moreover, there were already signs of exaggeration, and it was estimated that it would escalate across the board by next year.

Early the next morning, Zhang Laohan took Dong Dani and Zhang Ping'an's grandparents into the courtyard to practice Tai Chi.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Zhang Ping'an and Wang Xiaoling were doing Body Refining stretches; Wang Xiaoling had now fully mastered the Eighty-one Forms, but she still couldn't complete them in one go.

According to Zhang Ping'an's estimation, with Wang Xiaoling's current physical fitness allowing her to reach the seventy-fifth form in one breath, she would complete her physical transformation in a month at the latest, and both of them were looking forward to it.

Time slipped through one's fingers without notice, and this freezing winter made the difficulty of going out for procurement increase significantly.

However, this had little impact on Zhang Ping'an; he still went out every morning and returned in the afternoon to hand in the game and sign off.

On an evening at the end of December, Zhang Ping'an had already boiled a large wooden barrel of bathwater and sprinkled in some flower petals and cleansing medicinal herbs.

Wang Xiaoling had a sudden flash of insight; after eating dinner, she began her Body Refining stretches, completing the Eighty-one Forms after more than half an hour, while her stomach also rumbled loudly.

Wang Xiaoling's face flushed slightly; she grabbed some toilet paper and headed straight for the toilet, coming out ten minutes later to find her body feeling sticky.

"It's ready, the bathwater is all boiled for you, go wash up quickly."

Having experienced it once, Zhang Ping'an naturally knew how to handle it; back then, he had even resolved it inside the space.

"Mm," Wang Xiaoling in the darkness thought Zhang Ping'an couldn't see her flushed little face.

Half an hour later, Wang Xiaoling finally finished washing, only to discover she hadn't brought any clothes into the bathroom.

"Brother Ping'an, get my clothes for me."

"Oh, okay."

After entering the bathroom, Zhang Ping'an froze; at this moment, Wang Xiaoling's skin was white with a rosy tint, and the skin exposed on her whole body seemed to have tiny specks of starlight.

"Brother Ping'an," seemingly sensing Zhang Ping'an's burning gaze, Wang Xiaoling was too shy to lift her head, while Zhang Ping'an was the exact opposite—he lifted his head.

"Cough, put your clothes on first, don't catch a cold," Zhang Ping'an's old face turned red; it was the first time he had been so uncomposed.

"Mm."

Wang Xiaoling put on her clothes and came out of the bathroom, taking out a mirror to look at herself; her skin was rosy and lustrous, so tender it seemed like it could drip water.

"Brother Ping'an, my change is too big."

"Is it good? Maybe you'll stay like this for the next twenty or thirty years."

Thinking about being fifty years old in the future but still looking twenty, Wang Xiaoling's eyes filled with stars, and the look she gave Zhang Ping'an was full of love.

The two looked at each other, everything understood without words; smelling the body fragrance radiating from Wang Xiaoling, Zhang Ping'an could no longer suppress his impulses and lunged at her. After a long while, the battle finally ceased, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next day, the two rarely stayed in bed, sleeping until past seven before getting up when Dong Dani came to call them.

The persistence and tense nerves of this year had finally not been in vain; the two lying on the bed looked at each other and smiled.

"Ping'an, Xiao Ling, now that Weidong and Weijun are over two years old, you two should have children too. Look, Dongxu and Huairu's second child has already been born."

"Mm, Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, we were planning to have one after the New Year anyway."

"Good, good, good."

Every day after that, the two returned to their usual Body Refining stretches, only without the original sense of urgency.

"Let's go, we're going home to slaughter the pig today; your Second Uncle has been feeding it for over a month."

"Deal."

Zhang Ping'an brought his two knives, the Bone-Cleaving Knife and the Butcher Knife, which also came from the hands of the Level Five—oh, no, now it should be called the Six-Grade Forger Liu Dapang; they were super fast and super easy to use.

In this year's grade assessment, San Jie Fu, Lao Jia, and Liu Dapang all successfully passed as Level Six Workers; Lao Wu in the Back Courtyard was unlucky, drawing a high-difficulty Level Six workpiece and failing narrowly.

Yi Zhonghai didn't take the test because he knew he couldn't pass; with another year of practice, he might be able to push for Level Seven.

Zhang Ping'an and his father each took a tricycle and headed straight for Zhang Family Village; his family had two pigs, one big and one small, the big one weighing about two hundred and ten jin, and the small one only fifty or sixty jin.

An hour later, the father and son arrived home; they didn't intend to disturb anyone else. Zhang Laohan boiled water, while Zhang Ping'an took the wine and tea leaves to visit the Second Uncle and Third Uncle's houses, striving to haul everything back to the city before the New Year.

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt."

"Is that Ping'an? Why are you back?"

"My dad and I came back to slaughter the pig. The factory's procurement quota is heavy this year; are you slaughtering your fat pig this year?"

"Deal, I was planning to slaughter it in these two days anyway."

"Good, then Second Uncle, I'll come back in two days."

"Fine."

Zhang Ping'an put down the tea leaves and Medicinal Wine, then went to the Third Uncle's house with the same pitch; the Third Uncle also agreed very readily.

"Head of the house, weren't we planning to slaughter our pig when we cut the wheat?"

"As an uncle, I have to support my nephew's work, and I always feel like Ping'an has something more to say. Never mind, he wouldn't harm us anyway. Find me my apron, I'm going to help at Big Brother's place; you cook more food at home, I estimate we'll be busy until noon."

"Mm, okay."

Zhang Ping'an thought for a moment and went to the village head's house; Zhang Laiyou would likely be the Brigade Leader next year, so he should grease the wheels in advance.

"Uncle Laiyou."

"Is that Ping'an? Why are you back? Didn't your big brother, sister-in-law, and uncle and aunt all go to the city?"

"Have a smoke. It's like this: the factory's procurement quota is heavy, and since I'm a Cadre now, I have to take the lead. So, I want to ask you to help announce over the loudspeaker that whoever has a fat pig to slaughter this year, I'll buy it at two cents higher."

"Hiss~ puff~ China cigarettes still taste the best. Deal, I'll help you shout it out. My family is planning to slaughter our New Year pig in these three to five days anyway; come back and take a look then."

"Good, thank you, Uncle Laiyou, I'll be heading back first." Zhang Ping'an didn't take back the pack of China cigarettes he had just opened and left on the table.

"Hehehe, deal."

By the time Zhang Ping'an returned home, the three Zhang brothers had already slaughtered the pig and were scraping the hair.

"Ping'an, this Butcher Knife of yours is easy to use; leave it for me to use in a couple of days."

"Done, if you like it, in a couple of days I'll get one for you and one for Third Uncle; these were forged by a master in our courtyard."

Liu Dapang was the easiest to coax; say a few nice words to make him feel flattered, then give him a few eggs, and he would surely get things done for you perfectly—though, of course, the materials were at one's own expense.

"That would be great."

Without knives, Zhang Ping'an could only splash a bit of hot water from the side from time to time; the three brothers were all quick with their hands and feet, and they finished cleaning the fat pig just as it was approaching twelve noon.

"Let's go, Big Brother, Lao San, and Ping'an, come to my place to eat; I've already had my family prepare the meal."

"Done."

Zhang Ping'an packed the butchered fat pig into burlap sacks, placed them in the tricycle, locked the door, and went to Second Uncle's house to eat.

"Second Aunt knew you were coming, so she prepared sausages for you."

"Hehe, thank you, Second Aunt." Zhang Ping'an really did have a fondness for this treat.

After finishing the meal and agreeing with Second Uncle and Third Uncle to come back in five days, the father and son hurried back to the city.

"Dad, you go back first; I'll deliver the pork to the factory and then head back."

"Done."