Rumors of Ten-Li Slope

Hibiscus City could not compare to the modernity and prosperity of Sudong City, but it was far ahead of Zhang Household Village.

It was a city built of bluestone and massive timbers. Even most of the houses were built this way, making them look exceptionally sturdy.

The Rong Household's residence was not luxurious, but for a family of butchers, this was about as much as the Rong Household could manage.

There were regulations governing buildings. Any building that exceeded the prescribed limits would inevitably bring trouble pouring in without end.

In other words, no matter how long the Rong Household's pork business continued or how much it accumulated, the Rong Household's standing could rise no higher than this. It could only live in a residence like this one. If the Rong Household made a grand display of wealth or did anything of the sort, it would inevitably draw the attention of those with designs on it, bringing risks it would struggle to withstand.

These were the experiences and lessons passed down through the generations by the Rong Household's old butcher, Old Master Rong, who had already passed away.

Rong Li obeyed these rules, but their restrictions made Rong Tianding unwilling to live in Hibiscus City as his predecessors had.

To escape those restrictions and leave it all behind to move up in the world, Rong Tianding needed to find another way to make a living.

But Rong Tianding's painting skills really were nothing to speak of. After Rong Tianding enthusiastically dragged him over to admire a painting titled "A Herd of Pigs Feeding," Zhang Xuezhou thought Rong Tianding might be better off slaughtering pigs.

It had no substance, none of the artistic spirit of painting from life. What was more, Rong Tianding's pigs were painted in an exceedingly rough style. They looked somewhat fierce and ugly, with little of the simple, placid charm of domestic pigs.

"Cousin, let me tell you, I entered this beautiful painting in a competition in Hibiscus City a while back. Guess what place I took?" Rong Tianding said proudly.

"First?" Zhang Xuezhou ventured.

"Not quite." Rong Tianding's proud expression turned slightly awkward. "I've only studied painting for eight years, cousin. I haven't reached the point where I can outshine everyone else."

"Then what was it?"

"Third. My 'Herd of Pigs Feeding' came in just behind Rong Decai's 'Eagle Spreading Its Wings' and Guo Kunpeng's 'Fish Playing in the Water.'"

"You're amazing, cousin!"

Zhang Xuezhou gave him a thumbs-up.

Zhang Xuezhou's own grounding in painting was poor, but he had seen many famous paintings online.

By comparison, Rong Tianding's painting was entirely at the level of an elementary school art class.

But then he suddenly remembered how backward this dream world was in most respects, and he understood.

It was not that Rong Tianding lacked ability. It was the limitations of the age and the slow spread of knowledge. Many schools of painting had not even taken shape and spread far and wide.

Perhaps within the tiny patch of Hibiscus City, Rong Tianding's painting really was quite good.

Whether anyone else would appreciate it was another matter.

At the very least, Rong Tianding's painting talent had yet to earn him any income, so he had no choice but to accompany them to the West Market to slaughter pigs the next day.

The pork stall sold ten pigs a day. The work involved the pig buyers Li Erlang and Wang Jiadi, who went from door to door buying pigs; Mao Renfeng, who delivered butchered pork to their regular customers; Rong Li, who did the slaughtering and cutting; and Zhu Dan, a hired hand who assisted them.

Zhang Xuezhou did not know what Zhang Zhong and Lady Yourong had discussed in private the previous night. In any case, he was left to his own devices the next day, working alongside everyone else slaughtering pigs and beginning to become part of the group.

Rong Li pinned down a local pig weighing over three hundred jin. One stroke of her knife sent blood spraying, and the pig breathed its last quickly and cleanly.

After that, she blew air into the carcass, scraped off the hair, removed the organs, and cut up the pork in one smooth sequence.

If Rong Tianding's painting was hard to look at, Rong Li's pig-slaughtering technique was a pleasure to watch. Her skill even far surpassed that of the many hunters in Zhang Household Village.

Zhang Xuezhou could see no sign of fatigue in Rong Li.

That had to do with Rong Li's strong physique, but even more with the way her consummate skill conserved her strength.

If he had to find a phrase to praise her, Zhang Xuezhou thought it would have to be "Cook Ding dismembering an ox."

"I've demonstrated it for you slowly once. Now it's your turn. Will Ding'er go first, or Zhou'er?"

After slaughtering and cutting up one pig, Rong Li handed over the butcher's knife.

Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding stared at each other, their eyes wide.

"Cousin, an older brother should always give way to his younger brother. You first!" Rong Tianding offered.

"Cousin, I'm good at weighing things. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you slaughtered the pigs and I sold the meat from now on?" Zhang Xuezhou replied with a smile.

"I don't want to slaughter pigs!"

Rong Tianding replied with a long face. Only after Rong Li scolded him did he trot over to take the knife.

"It's not nearly as cute as the pigs in my painting..."

Rong Tianding muttered, but his hands and feet moved quickly enough.

As a painter of pigs, Rong Tianding might not paint very well, but he did know pigs exceptionally well.

The butcher's knife looked clumsy in Rong Tianding's hands, but he was quick to slaughter the pig.

"Cousin, your turn!"

"All right!"

Zhang Xuezhou agreed.

He had plenty of theory on his lips, but Zhang Xuezhou had never butchered any of the game they caught before.

In the past, his body had been too weak, and other people had done many things for him.

Only now was Zhang Xuezhou butchering an animal for the first time.

"Keep the knife steady, swift, accurate, and ruthless. Leave no room for error with that one stroke. That way it dies more quickly, and the pork we get won't smell gamey. Those wealthy households don't like eating pork to begin with. If the pork smells any stronger, they won't want it!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuezhou's movements were not very deft, Rong Li offered him some pointers, even guiding his hands to teach him how to hold the knife and apply force.

He plunged the knife in. Zhang Xuezhou felt a gush of warm pig's blood spray out, soaking one of his sleeves.

The stink of blood rushed into his nose, and Zhang Xuezhou's hand trembled a little.

Zhang Xuezhou ate meat, but this was the first time he had taken a life in the true sense.

Zhang Xuezhou felt as though his vision had turned slightly red, and a faint dizziness came over him.

But at the same time, an inexplicable excitement welled up inside him.

"There's no harm in seeing a little blood. Once you've slaughtered enough pigs, no demons or monsters will dare come near us!"

Seeing the reddish flush in Zhang Xuezhou's eyes, Rong Li, who had been through it herself, immediately understood his condition.

He had not fainted at the sight of blood, felt no nausea or revulsion, and could calmly face the death of a living creature. Zhang Xuezhou had good potential to become a butcher.

Compared with Rong Tianding's first time slaughtering a pig, Zhang Xuezhou had done far better.

"You're cut out to slaughter pigs. You'll definitely be a top-notch butcher someday," Rong Li praised.

"Cousin can slaughter pigs. Does that mean I can go back to painting?" Rong Tianding asked quietly.

"When you can make a living selling paintings, you won't have to slaughter pigs anymore," Rong Li said seriously.

"I even won a prize in a painting competition. I'm cut out to be a painter. I'll definitely become a top-notch artist who can come and go from the imperial palace someday!"

"Those sour scholars only wanted to buy some cheap meat from us, so they deliberately flattered you and gave you third place," Rong Li said impatiently. "Besides, there were only four paintings in the whole competition. Is coming third something to be proud of?"

"..."

As Zhang Xuezhou slaughtered the pig and drained its blood, he heard Rong Li expose the truth and felt that his cousin would have a hard time continuing to paint.

Never mind becoming a top-notch painter, Rong Tianding at least had to be able to support his family, or he would have no way to make a living if he lost the pork stall's business.

As for the uncle who liked reading and doing needlework, he was better left unmentioned.

But Zhang Xuezhou felt it would be difficult to get that uncle to teach him while also getting out of slaughtering pigs.

As he mulled over a few little ideas, he heard the pig buyer Li Erlang asking for some pig's blood.

"Things haven't been peaceful outside lately. There are rumors of a hundred ghosts roaming at night over at Ten-Li Slope. I need some pig's blood to smear on myself and ward off evil, so I don't lose my life when I go out buying pigs!"

When Rong Li asked him about it, Li Erlang honestly explained why.

"Wherever those ghosts pass, the livestock vanish without a sound. I had to travel more than ten extra li to buy pigs yesterday," Li Erlang said. "The villages over by Ten-Li Slope have hired people to perform exorcism rites now, but who knows if they'll be able to keep the ghosts in check!"

"Carrying a butcher's knife works better than anything. Whatever ghosts or spirits there are, they'll all scatter," Rong Li said.

"It only works when you carry the knife. It won't work for us!"

When Rong Li held a butcher's knife and glared in anger, even grown men trembled.

Li Erlang thought that only a fierce woman like Rong Li would be unafraid of ghosts. Pig buyers like them, who went from door to door, needed the protection of some pig's blood.

"Can pig's blood really ward off evil?"

Zhang Xuezhou had listened for quite a while before asking curiously.

"Pig's blood, chicken blood, and dog's blood can all ward off evil," Li Erlang said. "Those things are filthy, and ghosts don't want to get them on themselves!"

"Filthy things can ward off evil?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

"That's right." Li Erlang nodded repeatedly. "That's what everyone says."

"Then you might as well scoop up a ladleful of pig dung and pour it over your head," Rong Tianding interjected. "That's filthier and works even better. Even ghosts would be scared of you!"

"Young master, how am I supposed to buy pigs after pouring a ladleful of pig dung over myself? Wouldn't everyone run away when they saw me?"

Li Erlang and Rong Tianding chattered back and forth, which set Zhang Xuezhou thinking of a few small plans.

If the hauntings outside were bad enough, Rong Tianding really could sell some paintings.

As long as people were superstitious about ghosts and gods, there would be no shortage of buyers for Rong Tianding's paintings.

If things went smoothly, he could not only get out of slaughtering pigs, but also exchange that for free lessons from his uncle in the culture of the city.