Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder — I Rise to Female Lead Through Hard Work-Chapter 184: Harvest

Amid the farewell howls of the lead wolf and little wolf, Ding Ancheng led Yi Roujing down the mountain.

Animals have a spiritual sense, sometimes understanding gratitude better than humans, because their hearts are purer.

The farm work of the Dingping Production Team came to a halt when the team leader led a group of village strongmen, carrying a gigantic wild boar through the rice paddies.

"Wow, that’s a wild boar."

"This wild boar is so big, really big, must be over two hundred pounds."

"Look at the wild boar’s fur, it must be tough. Where did this wild boar come from?"

"Each household sends one person to the drying yard, and we’ll share this wild boar," Ding Xiaoding happily shouted, "Our Cheng just went up the mountain and found a wild boar that had been bitten to death. That kid has a kind heart, knowing the double harvest is coming and everyone’s working hard, he didn’t keep it to himself and immediately called us over to carry the wild boar."

"But we can’t be ungrateful," Ding Xiaoding said as he walked, "We carried the wild boar back from halfway up the mountain, but Cheng pulled it out from the depths of the woods. His hands are all chafed, and those hands are meant for holding a pen."

"Cheng wanted everyone to have some meat, so we should leave a quarter of this wild boar for Cheng’s family, no objections from folks, right?"

"None!" Who would have any objections to getting some free wild boar meat to improve their family’s meals, especially since it came courtesy of Ding Ancheng, a teacher at County First Middle School and the most learned in the Dingping Production Team? Anyone not wanting to get on good terms with him must be a fool.

Ding Weihuo, working in the field, felt a little tense hearing the team leader’s words, "Team leader, my Cheng and his wife are alright, right? They didn’t get hurt, did they?"

Ding Xiaoding paused for a moment and then smiled as he replied, "They’re fine, really fine. I checked, Cheng just has red marks on his palms, everything else is good, and I didn’t see Cheng’s wife, but Cheng looked calm, so nothing could’ve happened."

Relieved by the words, Ding Weihuo was pushed along with the crowd to the drying yard.

The big wild boar weighed 205 pounds. After removing the fur, intestines, and head, there was still nearly 160 pounds of meat left.

Ding Xiaoding decided that Ding Weihuo’s family would get fifty pounds of meat.

Upon hearing this, Ding Weihuo waved his hand, "Team leader, Cheng wanted everyone to have meat, it’s not right for our family to get so much."

"This was rightfully yours, how could we eat with a clear conscience if you took less?" Ding Xiaoding disagreed.

"Cheng’s wife likes pig’s feet, and my wife can handle the intestines and pig head, so why don’t we take those and leave the meat," proposed Ding Weihuo. With more workers at home now, honestly their meals were better than other households, so there was no need to fight over the meat.

Speaking sincerely, Ding Weihuo’s words touched Ding Xiaoding, "Then all four pig’s feet, intestines, and head will be yours, and the meat will be evenly divided among everyone else by person. Let’s do it that way."

No one around had any objection, teasing aside, pig’s feet, intestines, and pig head couldn’t compare to actual meat because they were mostly bone with little flesh. The crowd praised Ding Weihuo’s action, no wonder he had such an excellent son.

When Ding Weihuo got home with the goods, Ding Ancheng and Yi Roujing were already there.

Ding Ancheng was busy handling the wild pheasant, while Yi Roujing was washing some unknown flowers and grasses, humming a little tune as she picked the flowers, removed the roots and debris, washed them clean, and placed them in the basket.

"Dad, you’re back." Yi Roujing was the first to notice Ding Weihuo, greeted him with a smile, and upon seeing him laden with wild pig’s feet and pig head on his hands and shoulders, she quickly got up to help.

But Ding Ancheng moved faster, "I’ll do it, you continue with yours."

Hearing this, Yi Roujing proceeded with preparing Dendrobium candidum and dendrobium, then after finishing in the courtyard, she carried everything into the kitchen, "Cheng, can you help me with the fire?"

As soon as he heard the nickname "Cheng," Ding Ancheng, having already finished with the wild pheasant, immediately went to the kitchen without delay. Watching the couple’s affectionate interaction, Ding Weihuo couldn’t help but smile broadly and had more vigor in cleaning the wild pig’s head and feet.

The fresh stalks of Dendrobium were cut into sections and stir-fried in the pan, similar to making tea by roasting out the moisture. Yet, as she processed the Dendrobium, Yi Roujing twisted the pieces into spiral shapes while stir-frying.

When Li Hongying came back to cook lunch, Yi Roujing was still in the kitchen frying Dendrobium, while Ding Ancheng kept an eye on the fire temperature, making sure it didn’t get too high. Both had worked up quite a sweat.

After they finished, Yi Roujing set the Dendrobium pieces out to cool before heading to shower.

Though she’d already heard about the wild boar incident from the villagers at work, seeing so much wild boar meat at home thrilled Li Hongying beyond measure.

"We should send some to the in-laws, but the bicycle isn’t here," Li Hongying muttered.

"Mom, I can borrow one from the team leader’s house," Ding Ancheng knew today’s feat with the wild boar would mean anyone in the team with a bike would gladly lend it.

"Right, right, take a pig’s foot, and I’ll cut off an ear," Li Hongying expertly sliced half of the pig head, "Go after lunch."

"I’ll go now, I’m quick, and it’ll get hotter later," Ding Ancheng said as he went out with the pork without having showered yet. He returned about an hour later.

After lunch, Ding Ancheng and Yi Roujing started packing. Li Hongying prepared a jar of pickled vegetables, two fresh pig’s trotters, and boiled offal and pig head meat, which she’d started before lunch. After checking multiple times, they were finally ready to come out of the pot, stored in a wooden basin covered with clean cloth for them to take away.

"Give one pig’s foot to Xiaobao, and also give a dish of boiled offal and pig head to him, with pickled vegetables, too. If he wants more, scoop some extra for him, they probably don’t make much of that sort at home," Li Hongying said, mindful of Huang Xiaobao’s care for their daughter, always keeping it in mind.

"The team leader said there’s a tractor heading to the commune this afternoon, you can catch a ride, and take the wild pheasant with you..."

"Mom, it’s hot now, and the meat spoils easily. We won’t be able to eat all of it, so you keep it. You can make it into preserved or smoked meat; it’ll keep longer," Yi Roujing explained, "During the double harvest, we might not be able to come back, so you and Dad mustn’t miss out on some good food; keep it for yourselves."

"Milk powder and malted milk essence shouldn’t run out. We can afford it; these are for nourishment," Yi Roujing added.

"Before we head back, we should stop by the cowshed to see Mr. Qi and bring him some things," she suggested.

The Dingping Production Team was all in high spirits today, the village filled with the aroma of meat, and many households had already started rendering lard, though the wild boar had little fat.

They received a chunk of wild boar meat weighing about three pounds. Li Hongying cut off a pound, and additionally packed a large plate of boiled offal and pig head, along with the milk powder prepared for Mr. Qi. Yi Roujing and Ding Ancheng left quickly and returned just as fast.

Now more robust than before he arrived at Dingping Production Team, Mr. Qi was in good health, putting Yi Roujing at ease.