Chapter 71

The man slaughtering the pig was middle-aged. Although it was just the beginning of autumn, the evening was quite cool, yet this man was bare-chested, his muscles rippling, giving off a more powerful vibe than the bulging muscles of a gym-goer.

With a shout, two young men tossed the over a hundred-pound live pig onto the wooden platform, and the pig grunted a couple of times.

The middle-aged man grabbed the pig's head, took the sharp knife from the young men, and with one precise stab, hit the vital spot. He pulled the knife out in a blink, and with a spurt, a gush of fresh blood spurted out. The two young men were already prepared with a basin.

The live pig kicked a few times and then lay still, its life extinguished. Li Dong was dumbfounded by the skill of this one cut. Was slaughtering a pig really this simple?

"An expert."

"Of course, he's a master from the county."

No wonder. This kind of pig-slaughtering skill was not something you'd easily find in a small place. The food station had already prepared large water buckets. In no time, the pig was skinned, and the middle-aged man lifted the over a hundred-pound pig and threw it onto the wooden platform.

In a few swift moves, the internal organs, head, and feet were all removed. With the final cut, the pig was split into two halves. Truly impressive, the speed of slaughtering the pig.

"Quick, weigh it."

Although the process was fast, everyone was still a bit anxious, eager to see how much meat the pig would yield.

The farmer selling the pig was even more anxious, staring intently, not daring to relax, for fear that someone might hide his pig's meat.

"Put it on the scale."

Li Dong was extremely curious. As the pig was placed on the scale, many people crowded around to see. At 1.8 meters tall, Li Dong was definitely one of the tallest, so he didn't need to push his way in.

"How much, how much?"

"Those in front, quickly check how much?" Everyone was eager to know.

"Seventy-seven and a half pounds," the man weighing the pig announced loudly.

"How can it be so little?"

The middle-aged farmer was on the verge of tears, all the commotion for nothing.

"Ah."

"This master's eyesight is truly amazing."

"Indeed."

The grade was set at eight, with no issues. The commotion subsided, and everyone sighed. Some of the farmers who had their pigs graded also came over, hoping to get a higher grade, as it meant more money.

Li Dong was impressed. The food station's grading master was truly impressive, only half a pound off. The butcher was also skilled, with one precise cut to end the pig's life.

"All experts."

After the pig was slaughtered and the meat weighed, everything was fine. Li Dong, seeing no more excitement, prepared to leave.

"Uncle Guofu, I'm going back."

Li Dong packed the copper pot into the bag, tied it up, and said goodbye to Han Guofu, preparing to leave.

"Take it easy on the way."

On the way back, he unexpectedly ran into Gao Weimin again. Just as Li Dong was about to ride his bicycle, Gao Weimin threw something over, and Li Dong caught it. "A wild rabbit?"

"Just caught it, take it home and eat it."

Gao Weimin had been waiting for Li Dong, and he decided to give him a rabbit to try.

"You're too kind."

"No need for that. If you have time, we can go into the mountains and get some big game."

"Big game?"

"Wild boars, deer, and even tigers."

Gao Weimin laughed. "If we're lucky, we might even encounter a big cat."

"Big cat?"

Li Dong was puzzled. What was this? After Gao Weimin explained, Li Dong was almost speechless.

"There are tigers in the mountains?"

"Not often seen in recent years, but a few years ago, they were frequently encountered."

Gao Weimin, with his rifle, leaned in and said mysteriously, "This is a good thing. I got a bottle of tiger bone wine from Bijiavillage the day before yesterday, and it's really potent."

Li Dong's eyes widened. "You drank it right after getting married?"

"Bijiavillage has this stuff?"

"A few years ago, an old hunter from Bijiavillage caught a tiger. It was a big one."

Li Dong was stunned. A real tiger was caught, and he was thinking about tiger bone wine and tiger penis wine, which were valuable items.

If he could sell these at the farm, a glass for thirty to fifty yuan wouldn't be too expensive. Although not as valuable as Moutai or Wuliangye, these items could attract customers.

"Was the wine expensive?"

"Not cheap, one yuan and fifty fen per pound."

Gao Weimin secretly observed Li Dong, thinking his eyes were too eager. Was he young and had some unspoken issues, or was there another reason he wasn't returning to the city?

"I'll take you there later."

"Sure."

Li Dong agreed too quickly, making Gao Weimin even more suspicious. It was late, and even with the headlights, Li Dong didn't notice Gao Weimin's strange look at his lower body.

"I'll go back first, I'll find you later."

"Take it easy."

Li Dong thought about the tiger bone wine all the way home. One yuan and fifty fen per pound wasn't cheap. If he could also get the tiger bones and penis, the price would be even higher, probably over a hundred yuan.

"Really troublesome."

All the money was in Xiaojuan's hands, and it wasn't easy to get it out. The city was tense due to the situation in the south, and the speculation business was now on hold to avoid trouble.

Sigh, it's hard to sell the alarm clock. Li Dong muttered, thinking he still had two watches, one for men and one for women. He could try to find out who needed them, but this would take time. Lighters could be sold, though.

Gao Weimin and his friends had some ideas, but it wasn't much money. He couldn't go into the mountains to hunt a tiger himself; it was too dangerous, and the chances of encountering one were slim.

"Go back and think about how to get some money."

Tiger bone and penis wine were valuable items, and he couldn't miss this opportunity. As for tiger skin, forget it; it would cause trouble if brought back to the 21st century.

"Stop thinking, go to bed, I'm so tired."

At home, Xiaojuan wasn't asleep yet. The little girl was a light sleeper, easily startled and prone to nightmares.

"Dada."

"Go to sleep quickly."

Li Dong soaked his feet, washed up, and went to bed, still thinking about how to get some money to buy tiger bone and penis wine for the farm.

Sigh, he sighed and went to sleep. The next morning, while sending Xiaojuan to school, he was still thinking about it.

"Good morning, Teacher Wang."

"Good morning, Xiaojuan."

Wang Jing, a beautiful young teacher in her early twenties, made Li Dong think that the boys in the class were quite fortunate.

"Xiaojuan, I'm going back, study hard."

"Okay."

"Xiaojuan's father, wait a moment."

"Is there something, Teacher Wang?"

Li Dong paused, thinking there might be something wrong with Xiaojuan, but it turned out the county was organizing a joint exam. With the restoration of the college entrance exam, education was now taken seriously, and even primary schools were preparing for joint exams.

"I plan to recommend Xiaojuan for the joint exam."

Wang Jing said, "It might take up some of your time."

"Sure, no problem."

He couldn't find a reason to take leave from work, and this was a good opportunity. "Teacher Wang, you can count on me. I fully support her studies."

"Thank you so much. No wonder Xiaojuan has such a solid foundation. Having a parent like you is truly a blessing."

Wang Jing had discussed this with over ten parents, and less than half agreed to cooperate. Few were as cooperative as Li Dong.

Xiaojuan hadn't mentioned this to him, and he planned to ask her later.

"This is what we should do as parents."

What a great teacher, Li Dong thought. Teachers were like candles, burning themselves to light others, with no selfish motives.

"Another thing, the content of the joint exam might be a bit advanced. I plan to organize extra classes for the children. Xiaojuan might be dismissed a bit later. What do you think?" Extra classes without extra fees, and he was eager to do it. Li Dong thought he hadn't done this many times in his years as a teacher.

"Sure, I have a bicycle and can bring Xiaojuan over anytime. For weekend classes, I'll make sure she brings snacks."

"No need, no need. I'll just cook a bit more."

Wang Jing was truly happy. Where could she find such a cooperative parent? Xiaojuan was a lucky child.

"Xiaojuan's father, thank you so much for your cooperation."

"Of course, of course."

"When is the joint exam?"

"Mid-next month."

Teacher Wang said, "The commune is very serious about this joint exam. If a student ranks in the top hundred in the county, the commune will reward five yuan, and the school will reward two and a half yuan."

Xiaojuan's eyes lit up at the mention of the reward. A quick calculation showed that the top hundred would earn six and a half yuan.

"The reward is quite high."

Wang Jing smiled bitterly. The commune's education had always been lagging, and ranking in the top hundred was not easy.

"What about the top ten?"

Li Dong thought the top hundred was too low. What about the top ten? Wang Jing was taken aback. The commune's goal was to have one student from the primary school rank in the top hundred, a task for all five grades.

The top ten was beyond the commune's expectations, and Wang Jing hadn't even considered it.

"If a student really ranks in the top ten, the county will have additional rewards, and the commune might provide some nutritional supplements and stationery."

"Ah."

Li Dong nodded at Xiaojuan. This was a question Xiaojuan had asked him. The little girl had high goals, worthy of being his daughter.

"Teacher Wang, do you have any recommendations for study guides?"

"No need, no need, I've already bought them."

What a great teacher, Li Dong thought, giving a mental thumbs up.

"Xiaojuan, did you hear that? Study hard."

No need to buy study guides, and there were rewards to be earned. Xiaojuan, who was already more knowledgeable than most of her classmates, now had a goal and would likely perform well.

Li Dong watched Xiaojuan enter the schoolyard. The little girl had done some calculations. Four joint exams per semester, and if she could rank in the top hundred each time, that would be twenty-six yuan per semester, fifty-two yuan per year.

When Xiaojuan did the math, she looked like a little money-grubber, making Li Dong laugh and cry. Her final statement almost made him vomit. In five years, she could earn two hundred and sixty yuan, enough to help Dada marry a beautiful wife.

With Xiaojuan's calculations, the nearly