Early the next morning, just after dawn, the sound of the engine of a pickup truck could be heard outside the courtyard.
I put on my clothes and walked out, just in time to see the pliers jumping out of the old pickup truck.
The black pig weighing more than 200 kilograms was lying in the carriage, leaning against the railing uneasily.
My mother had already gotten up. The big pot in the kitchen was steaming and the water was already boiling.
"You're early enough, Pliers." I walked up to say hello.
"It's easier to work if it's cool in the morning." Putting the pliers on the oil-stained overalls and high-top water shoes, he took out the long, polished butcher's knife from the tool box.
He took out his cell phone and made a call, his brows quickly furrowed.
“Hello? Where are you? What? Can’t get up?” Qiao hung up the phone angrily.
He spat: "This inexperienced guy was paralyzed from drinking last night, so there is no hope."
He looked at the restless pig and felt a little embarrassed: "This thing is very strong, and I don't have a helper to hold it down. I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle."
"I'll do it." I stepped forward.
Pliers was stunned for a moment and looked me up and down: "You? Brother, this is not just about courage. This beast is very powerful."
The black pig seemed to have a premonition of danger and let out a harsh howl. It burst out with brute force and almost shook the body of the car. Seeing this, Pliers quickly stepped forward to help.
The two of us drove the pig to the wooden stool.
"Why don't you call uncle over to help press the pig?" Pliers suggested.
"No need!" I responded calmly.
The next moment, he was stunned.
I held the pig's head with both hands and threw it down. I directly pressed the pig, which weighed more than 200 kilograms, to the wooden bench. I had no skills and relied solely on strength to suppress it.
Pliers widened his eyes and looked at the big pig that was almost suppressed by me with one hand.
半天才蹦出一句：「我操，你这力气，也太吓人了！」
「别愣着了，快动手。」我催促了一声。
When the pliers saw this, they stopped talking and immediately stepped forward to cooperate. The technique was extremely sophisticated. The white knife went in and the red knife came out, bleeding, scalding, and shaving all in one go.
Then, he hung up the cleaned pig, disemboweled it, disassembled and cut it...
While packing up the tools, his father took out two hundred yuan and stuffed it into the pliers: "I have worked hard all morning, take it and buy a pack of cigarettes to smoke."
Pliers waved his hands quickly: "Uncle, you're out of touch! I've been friends with Xiaohao for many years. How can I ask for money for doing this little favor! I can't do it!"
His father couldn't resist him, so he had to ask his mother to tell him to have breakfast quickly.
The pliers were not too polite. He sat down and took a few bites in a hurry, wiped his mouth and stood up: "Uncle, aunt, Xiaohao, you guys take your time, I have to rush to the next house. I have made an appointment, so there is no delay!"
After saying that, he jumped on the pickup truck and drove away from my yard.
When it was getting brighter, Lin Xiaoyu and Su Yan went downstairs one after another.
Su Yan rubbed her eyes and pouted when she saw the pork hanging under the eaves: "Why don't you tell me to get up and watch the pigs?"
Lin Xiaoyu was rolling up her sleeves and getting ready to help. : "Come on, you, you are so brave, you are so scared to hide behind people when you see a bloody scene? How dare you watch a pig being slaughtered?" Su Yan was not convinced: "Who said that! I can't stand farther away to see!"
While joking, the two women were not squeamish at all and naturally blended into the busy atmosphere.
Lin Xiaoyu took the initiative to take the vegetable basket from her mother's hand and started washing it skillfully.
Su Yan curiously walked around the large stove, trying to add firewood to the stove. She choked on the smoke and coughed twice, but she didn't care. Instead, she found it fresh and interesting.
Mother watched the two beautiful girls busy in the yard, smiling broadly, and praised repeatedly: "What two good girls, beautiful and capable!"
I stood aside and listened, my eyes scanning Lin Xiaoyu's neat back and Su Yan's slightly clumsy profile.
An inexplicable thought flashed through my mind, and my mother was probably thinking about it at the moment. It would be great if these two could take home as daughters-in-law.
This thought flashed across my mind, and I felt a little ridiculous.
At noon, relatives came to the door one after another carrying congratulatory gifts, and the small courtyard was quickly filled with people.
On several large round tables set up in the open air, hard dishes were served one after another.
This birthday banquet was extremely lively and successful, with almost constant laughter and chatter.
After a few glasses of wine, the elders at the table naturally turned the topic to me.
San Gu smiled and pointed at me with her chopsticks: "Xiao Hao is really promising. He brought such a handsome girl back and brought two of them with him!" The whole table laughed.
Aunt Six squinted her eyes and glanced back and forth between Lin Xiaoyu and Su Yan: "Both of these girls are good, hard-working and smart. Xiaohao, tell Auntie, which one is the serious one?"
The uncle also took advantage of the drunkenness to join in: "It's just that we are all dazzled, we can't tell the difference, we can't tell the difference! Xiaohao, you are so lucky!"
Lin Xiaoyu just lowered his head to eat, and was generous, neither admitting nor denying.
Su Yanze’s cheeks were slightly red, and she glanced at me with wandering eyes. She simply picked up the wine and started drinking with my elders.
The banquet is over and the guests are enjoying themselves.
My mother smiled and stuffed the already packaged pork into the hands of relatives one by one, and kept saying: "Take it, take it, there is plenty!"
The relatives declined, but in the end they happily dispersed carrying the meat.
Su Yan was obviously infected by the lively atmosphere. She drank a lot of home-brewed rice wine during the dinner. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were blurred, and she was walking a little staggeringly.
I saw that she was holding the door frame unsteadily, so I had to step forward and put my arms around her shoulders: "I can't drink so much."
She leaned against me softly and murmured vaguely: "I'm glad, that wine is sweet..."
I carried her to the guest room on the second floor with half support and half hug. As soon as I put her on the bed, she mumbled a few inaudible words in her sleep.
Then he fell asleep directly. I pulled the quilt to cover her, stood at the door and looked at it before closing the door.
Back in the yard, Lin Xiaoyu was helping her mother clean up the dishes, and I went over to help her.
Mother asked casually: "When are you going back to the city?"
I originally planned to leave tonight, but Su Yan drank too much, so she changed her schedule: "Tomorrow!"
"Oh." Mother simply responded, and I knew she was very reluctant to leave.
But my two daughters and I both have jobs in the city and cannot take time off for too long.
The night gradually fell, and the lights were lit in the yard. Life in the countryside is so simple and wanton.
I originally planned to take Lin Xiaoyu to sit with some elders nearby.
The phone suddenly rang at this moment. When I took it out, I saw it was from pliers.
The loud voice of the pliers was almost yelling, "Where are they? Quick! Come to Xianglong Hotel for a drink! The brothers are all here, waiting for you!"
I subconsciously looked at Lin Xiaoyu beside me, and was about to say no.
The sound of pliers came again: "Don't say you won't come! That's not fun! They are all old acquaintances. You have to come back after a long time!"