Let Us Feast on Lamb and Slaughter Oxen (Part 2)

Honestly.

Before Wang Weimin made his first cut, some of the workers at the slaughter site had already grown a little impatient.

It was like watching a play.

If a character onstage just kept circling around without saying anything, what kind of act was that?

But after Wang Weimin showed off his superb skinning skills,

the slight impatience at the site vanished at once. The atmosphere grew lively, and excited chatter filled the air.

At that moment,

despite the noisy scene, Wang Weimin remained calm—or, more accurately, forced himself to stay calm.

His gaze swept back and forth over the skinned ox as he worked out the next steps in his head.

Where should he make the cut?

How should he divide the carcass?

Which part would be best to cut first?

A little under half a minute passed.

Wang Weimin took a deep breath. A decisive glint flashed in his eyes as he cut a palm-width opening into one side of the ox's neck, then reached in with his left hand and grabbed its head.

Then he started cutting from the wound where its throat had been cut. After a bit of work, he finally removed the head.

Anyone who had ever slaughtered an ox knew the drill.

Once the animal had been bled, skinned, and had its head and hooves removed, all that remained was to take out the organs and butcher the meat.

At this stage,

the specific way of handling the carcass required increasing care.

After all, unlike in other cultural spheres, Chinese people had an almost fervent fondness for animal offal.

Ox stomach, for instance, was a premium ingredient for hot pot.

Ox heart could be used to make soup.

Ox liver could be stir-fried, and as for the other offal, there was even more