The Space-Time Boss: 1970s Revolution

Chapter 102: Cured Meat

Grandfather Fu smiled, "Let's wait until everyone finishes work. This needs the whole family's effort. I wouldn't manage it alone."

He then pointed to the wild chickens and rabbits, "You two should start with these small things."

Fu Yu and Fu Hong began processing the game in the backyard, laying out the rabbit skins to dry for winter gloves or a vest. They threw the chicken feathers into the stove to burn. In the end, they had three wild rabbits and five wild chickens.

They set aside one chicken and one rabbit for lunch and planned to make the rest into cured meat. The pig's intestines would be used for sausages, and the remaining pork would be cured, some of which would be sent to Second Uncle. Fu Xiao had recently received a letter from Fu Sui, expressing a strong desire for Fu Xiao's cooking.

For lunch, they prepared two rich dishes but balanced them with a light loofah soup, as the loofahs in the backyard had ripened and needed to be used.

After the meal, the whole family worked together to process the pig. Li Xiufen lit some mugwort in the yard to mask the smell of blood from the neighbors.

Fu Xiao and Li Xiufen, both new to this task, found it quite novel and surprisingly enjoyable. After removing the pig hair, they filled a large basin with pig blood and set it aside.

Next came cutting the meat. The pig's head was separated, and the rest of the body was cut into small pieces, filling a large basin.

The yard was covered in blood, and Li Xiufen cleaned up with water and swept the area to ensure it was tidy.

In the afternoon, Li Xiufen, who had taken the day off work, busied herself with stuffing sausages. The intestines were cleaned with plant ash and flour and soaked for a long time.

While waiting for the casings to soak, Fu Xiao seasoned several pounds of meat with spices she had brought from the future. Since the pig had been raised on spring water, no additional spring water was added to the seasoning.

Li Xiufen led the sausage stuffing, while Fu Xiao marinated the remaining meat with spices, preparing it for curing.

The sausages were steamed and then set out to dry in the sun. The marinated meat was also placed in the backyard to sun-dry.

Grandfather Fu moved his sunbathing spot to the backyard to keep an eye on the meat and prevent it from being stolen by stray cats.

The meat dried for three days. Although it wasn't fully cured, it was nearly dry.

In the backyard, Fu Xiao pinched the cured meat and asked Grandfather Fu, "Grandfather, the meat has hardened quite a bit. Can we send it now?"

Grandfather Fu, reclining in a chair and fanning himself, replied, "Let it dry for another half month before sending it. Their house in the northwest isn't like ours; they don't have a yard. If we send it too early, they won't have a place to dry it. So, we need to wait a bit longer."

Fu Xiao sat down beside him and asked with a smile, "Grandfather, have you been to the northwest?"

Grandfather Fu lightly tapped her on the head with his fan, "I went with your grandmother when your second aunt gave birth to Fu Sui. In the city, everyone wanted to live in high-rise apartments. But I think, what's so good about those apartments? They're cramped and lack a yard."

"It's like living in a pigeon coop, with neighbors on all sides you don't even know. Your grandmother and I didn't enjoy it at all. Your second aunt finished her confinement and we came back."

"That was over ten years ago. Now, Second Uncle and his family must have been reassigned new housing."

Grandfather Fu snorted, "Even if they moved, it's still just moving from a small cage to a big cage. There's no place like home."