Chapter 20: Pig Slaughter Feast

The Second Master cursed while waving the fire tongs, making the two Liu brothers howl.

This thing was made of iron; as long as it hit the body, it would leave blue and purple bruises, and hitting the wrong place could easily injure bones.

However, the two Liu brothers had experience being beaten by the Second Master and knew how to dodge the areas prone to injury.

Seeing Aunt Yi cheering on the side without stopping or persuading them, the brothers knew they couldn't escape this beating today and hurriedly knelt on the ground to beg for mercy.

"Dad! Dad! Don't hit us, we were wrong! We won't dare again!"

"Dad! Dad! Please, don't hit us, we won't dare again!"

Aunt Yi added fuel to the fire on the side: "Beat them to death! You two don't learn well, only know how to cause trouble. If it weren't for you two today, could your father have missed out on meat? You deserve this beating!"

The Second Master stopped only when he was tired of beating and scolding. Seeing the two brothers bruised and swollen, he cursed again: "Get out! Get out! Get out! Don't embarrass me in front of me."

Saying this, he took out the wine bottle and glass from the cabinet, poured two liang of loose wine, and drank it in one gulp.

Staring at the direction of the Li family, he said fiercely: "Just you wait!"

Li Xuewu had intended to invite the three masters, Xu Damao, and some other male residents over for a meal once the pork was stewed. Living in the same courtyard, having slaughtered such a large pig, how could he be embarrassed to eat it all alone?

But hearing the words of the Third Master and the Second Master, which were truly unpleasant, he led Seeing Sha Zhu into the house.

Liu Yin was also a bit unhappy. What kind of people were they, taking their anger out on their children because they couldn't eat meat?

The children in the courtyard, seeing that both families' children had been beaten in such a short time, scattered like birds and beasts, afraid that if the city gate caught fire, the fish in the moat would suffer.

"The Controller is Here"

Outside the Li house, it was suddenly quiet.

Seeing Sha Zhu didn't care at all about the attitude of the two masters; he was an old rebel.

He wasn't idle either, taking the ladle from Liu Yin and taking the initiative to help braise the internal organs.

Li Shun, fearing Silly Zhu would be embarrassed, spoke up to ease the situation: "I've tasted Zhuzi's craft; it's no worse than the state banquet level. Liu Yin, you must learn a trick or two from Zhuzi."

Seeing Sha Zhu chuckled and replied: "Uncle Li, you're flattering me. It's nothing, just ordinary craft."

Li Shun laughed: "Zhuzi is not a humble person. Why are you being humble with your uncle? When your father passed away, he invited us, and you were the one cooking. I remember it vividly."

Seeing Sha Zhu tilted his head and smiled: "Hi! That was so many years ago. Thanks to your care, Uncle Li, you never charged me for headaches or fevers. I wouldn't dare act big in front of you."

Li Shun said modestly: "When your father passed away, he entrusted us to take care of you siblings. I only have this little bit of craft; I could only help you that much. It's not worth your gratitude."

Seeing Sha Zhu remembered this, but later, few people helped his siblings, and the gratitude for that meal and his father's kindness had long since dissipated.

When the wild boar was butchered, the first piece of meat had already been cut and put into the pot by Liu Yin and her daughter-in-law, along with a basin of pickled cabbage.

This was the grandmother's request; Northeastern pig slaughter feast was especially fragrant.

Seeing Sha Zhu seasoned the braised dish and covered the pot to simmer on low heat. By now, the large white steamed buns and the pig slaughter feast had already been placed on the eight-immortal table.

At this time, Liu Yin said: "His father, should we invite the masters in the courtyard over to eat?"

Li Shun waved his hand and said: "Forget it, it's this hour, they've all finished eating. Xuecai, go get the wine from the cabinet."

Seeing Li Shun didn't agree, Liu Yin didn't say anything more, tidying up the bowls and chopsticks to place on the table.

Seeing Sha Zhu tilted his head and said: "Aunt Liu, didn't you hear the Second Master and Third Master scolding their children just now? They aren't willing."

Liu Yin said with a smile: "If they aren't willing, so be it. It's not like we're begging them."

Liu Yin wasn't satisfied with the masters in the courtyard who pretended to be big shots; they were nothing more than fence-sitters, and every family had its own little schemes.

This Li family also acted ruthlessly. You hold your meetings, but the Li family only sends Old Lady Li or Li Xuecai every time.

Don't get involved, don't approve, don't oppose, no relationship, doesn't matter, just don't provoke me.

These were all rules set by Old Lady Li. Liu Yin had learned to manage the household from Old Lady Li when she married in, so the family style was established by Old Lady Li.

Li Xuewu invited Silly Zhu to the table, took the wine from Li Xuecai, and poured a glass for Silly Zhu, saying: "Brother Zhuzi, you've worked hard today, thank you for your effort."

After saying this, he started pouring wine for the grandmother, Li Shun, and seeing his eldest brother didn't want any, poured one for himself.

"Brother Zhuzi, I toast you. We brothers haven't seen each other for a long time. Come, let's have one!"

Seeing Sha Zhu was also quite moved, picked up his wine glass, and downed it in one gulp.

After finishing the wine, Seeing Sha Zhu let out a "Sss-ha" and said: "Hey, this wine is really strong. Isn't it the wine from the shop at our entrance?"

Li Xuewu laughed: "This is the wine from my second uncle's distillery. My dad brought it back this summer. It's infused with quite a few medicinal herbs, so it's quite strong."

Seeing Sha Zhu nodded and said: "Hey! Then I must have a good taste."

Liu Yin placed a plate of steamed buns on the table and said: "It's not any fancy wine, just grain-brewed. It's just for freshness. Northeastern grain is fragrant, and the wine tastes good too."

Li Shun saw Seeing Sha Zhu had finished his wine, so he picked up his chopsticks and told Seeing Sha Zhu to eat meat.

"Zhuzi, eat meat. There are many wild boars in the Northeast. I've eaten them before; they taste different from domestic pigs."

According to the etiquette of hosting a meal, the guest drinks the first glass and picks up the first chopstick, even if Li Shun was a generation older than Seeing Sha Zhu. But Seeing Sha Zhu was already an adult and had to be treated as one. Moreover, Seeing Sha Zhu had come to help, so the etiquette had to be in place.

The Li family's old etiquette didn't stop there. Liu Yin placed the dishes and buns on the eight-immortal table and then placed a kang table on the kang, serving dishes and buns there to eat.

This old etiquette dictated: when hosting a meal, the women of the house could not sit at the table and had to eat in the room, not at the same table as the guests.

Therefore, at the eight-immortal table in the middle room, there were only the grandmother, Li Shun, Li Xuewen, Li Xuewu, Li Xuecai, and Seeing Sha Zhu.

Sitting cross-legged by the kang table in the room were Old Lady Li, Liu Yin, Zhao Yafang, and Li Xue.

The table outside was quite lively.

Li Xuewu ate the pork, which wasn't as fragrant as in later generations; it was a bit dry and had a fishy smell, possibly because it was a male pig, or because it was a wild boar, or perhaps because it wasn't bled immediately when hunted.

But Seeing Sha Zhu and the Li family members ate it with great relish.

Seeing Sha Zhu had a mouthful of pickled cabbage and meat, and a mouthful of medicinal wine, his face flushed red.

Li Xuewu also toasted frequently, pouring wine for Seeing Sha Zhu, his father, and the grandmother. The scene was very lively for a while.

The lively sounds from the Li family naturally reached the Third Master's house across the way.

The Third Master gnawed on the corn bun in his hand, along with a slice of pickled vegetables, his anger rising.

Aunt Yi looked out the window and said: "The Li family is truly lively; Seeing Sha Zhu is the loudest."

The Third Master felt uncomfortable, his mouth sour: "The liveliness is theirs; I have nothing."

The Third Master snorted, put down the corn bun, turned his head, and went to bed angrily, covering himself with the quilt.

Aunt Yi looked at the food that hadn't been eaten much.

"You're not eating anymore?"

The Third Master said angrily: "I'm full of anger!"

Aunt Yi curled her lips and muttered: "This old stubborn mule, only knows how to torment me." =====