In the courtyard, flames danced and smoke curled through the air, yet it was filled with the reassuring air of busy abundance.
The enormous wild boar had already been completely butchered.
The four finest hind legs had been carefully rubbed with coarse salt and hung beneath the eaves where the air could circulate, ready to be cured into ham for the New Year.
Large slabs of ribs and pork belly were rubbed with salt and simple spices, then hung on a hastily built smoking rack.
Below, pine branches mixed with fruitwood shavings smoldered slowly, giving off an enticing smoky fragrance. This was how they made preserved meat that could be stored for a long time.
Liu Wanwan had rolled up her sleeves, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow as she watched over a large pot. Thick slabs of pork fat were being rendered inside.
The clear fat sizzled, and its rich fragrance drifted through the courtyard. It would be an important source of cooking oil and energy against the bitter winter over the coming months.
Little Bean Sprout sat obediently on a small stool nearby, watching her sister-in-law work while hugging a small basket lined with dry straw.
The Purple Sable sleeping inside showed no sign of waking.
The courtyard was piled high with processed cuts of meat, fat, and hides. This unprecedentedly bountiful haul made the dilapidated little courtyard seem crowded, yet full.
Fang Yuan did not idle about. As he helped deal with the last of the offal, his mind raced through calculations.
This meat would be enough to ensure that his family would neither starve nor freeze to death this winter. They could live more securely than ever before.
But that very security only strengthened his determination to leave.
Fang Family Village was too small,