The sun's final warmth slips below the horizon, and a crisp wind sweeps in, signaling the start of a chilly night.
In the threshing field of the Marching Brigade, however, lights flicked on with electricity, illuminating the crowd as people rushed in, filling the place with noise.
Meanwhile, Captain Shen watched as a whole family of wild boars was brought into the threshing field: two dead adults and three squealing piglets. It was quite the reunion.
Old hunter Qiao approached, leaned in close, and whispered the current state at the old pig pen, gesturing subtly toward the captured boars.
When he heard there was more than a pair of adults, his eyes twitched, thinking even the extended family had shown up.
Then Shen Dashan strolled over with an annoying smile, reporting about the situation in the mountains: a dead boar had been taken back to the old house along with the kidnapped piglet.
Captain Shen, "...."
That little ancestor provoked a whole dang clan of wild boars!
With the children cheering for meat, the brigade members excitedly gathered on their own initiative, abandoning the meals they were in the middle of preparing, all the while the captain was busy nursing his growing headache in the chaos.
But as soon as some young daughters-in-law joined the crowd, their sharp-eyed mothers-in-law shooed them back to their kitchens.
You want to starve the whole family, not on my watch!
The old butcher was from one of the small families with a different surname in the Marching Brigade, and a married-in son-in-law of the Shen family. The villagers call him Butcher Wang.
As the hot water was being boiled, Butcher Wang was hauled over by his eldest son, while his teenage daughter trailed behind carrying his heavy bag of tools.
Once the preparations were done, the old aunties laid the clean boar carcass across a wooden table, setting the stage for the main event.
"Okay! Okay! Young folk gathered around! Gather around! Don't crowd!"
Sharpening his knife, Butcher Wang called out in a booming voice towards the youngsters of the village.
"Boars are tougher, wilder. It runs, fights, digs. The meat's dense. Come on, smell it. That's flavor. Let it talk to you."
The new educated youth who came hearing the excitement: …?
What… What kind of conversations are you having with a dead boar???
Still baffled, these outsiders found themselves swept into Butcher Wang's random class.
"First, open him clean. No hacking. Don't press. Follow the belly seam, let the sharp knife do the work."
"Remember, dull steel's a crime."
Butcher Wang's blade cuts through with slow, precise movements.
"Now, organs! Remove 'em whole if you can. Nick the gut, you'll stink up the whole beast."
He raised his hand, displaying an organ for everyone to examine closely. "This is the liver. Look carefully. Liver tells stories—disease, diet, age. Rich and dark, see? Healthy. This boar ate well."
"Next, break it down. Quarters first. Shoulder and haunch."
"Work the joint, not the bone. Let the knife find the seam." The old butcher demonstrated, slipping the blade between the joints. "No cracking. No waste. Clean work."
"Finally," Old Butcher Wang smiled, eyes bright with youthful joy. "The prize! The loin. Our sweet meat."
Hearing the old man teasing the younger boys and exchanging knowing glances with some uncles, the aunties rolled their eyes.
"Cut clean. Keep it tidy. No ragged edges. This is pride served on a plate."
The men nearby, uneasy at the sight of the butcher gesturing with his sharp knife, instinctively clamped their knees together for assurance.
While Butcher Wang was busy finishing, the old accountant came to help distribute the meat.
The butcher's daughter wielded a heavy bone knife to chop the pork into pieces for easier distribution while the old accountant weighed the meat on the side.
Once his first demonstration ended, Butcher Wang quickened his pace, carving through the rest with seasoned hands and the assistance of eager young men.
Elsewhere, Grandma Zhao, the wife of the old accountant, found her youngest daughter kneeling in front of a young man.
The pale boy sat with his head lowered, feet resting on Shen Miaomiao's lap, and fresh bandages wrapped around his ankle.
Captain Shen strode over first, approaching with swift steps, and his eyes narrowed in accusation at Shen Miaomiao, who was busy massaging the leg of the poor boy.
He pinched her ears and charged her with guilt, "How dare you provoke an entire clan of wild boars!"Then he turned to the innocent-looking Shen Xingshen, "Are you alright, boy?"
Shen Xingshen opened his mouth to respond politely, but Shen Miaomiao was already jumping to her feet.
"I didn't!" Shen Miaomiao protested. "Hey, hey, Little Zhu, let go! I'm still holding your grandpa—be gentle! He can't stand another bump! Show some respect here!"
Captain Shen's headache pounded harder.
Aren't you the one that caused it?!
Who takes their potential partner to poke a nest of wild beasts and end up being chased down the mountain?!
"Did you take little Shen Zhiqing to hunt?" Grandma Zhao asked worriedly, looking at the boy's thin arms as he raised his innocent eyes and greeted her with a shy smile.
"Mom! I really didn't! Innocent until proven guilty!"
If she had done it, she'd bang the gongs and parade through the whole village and let them thank her for the free delivery of meat!
"I'd rather kill a hundred than allow you to escape." Captain Shen snorted.
Shen Miaomiao, "...."
No. That's not how you say it.