Chen Lan did not let Uncle De keep the other pig offal because wild boars have very strong stomachs and eat anything, so their offal is too杂 to be safe for everyone to eat. She had Uncle De arrange for it to be buried far away.
The fourth dish was "Stewed Pig Trotters." As the name suggests, the pig trotters were cleaned and stewed along with the meat. After cooking, the more robust way to eat them was to hold a trotter directly and dip it in the sauce, while the more refined method was to chop it into bite-sized pieces, plate it, and eat it with chopsticks.
The fifth dish was "Braised Sauerkraut."
This involved chopping the cleaned sauerkraut and stewing it directly in the pot with the meat, without any seasoning. Once cooked, a pinch of salt was added, and it was ready to eat! This method made the sauerkraut refreshing and cut through the richness, making it a great dish to accompany wine or rice.
In the valley, everyone was busily engaged in slaughtering the pig, skinning it, cutting the meat, and preparing the celebratory meal.
Not far from the valley, on a forest path, three people in military uniforms were walking towards the valley.
One of them, a tall and lean young man with a spirited look, was the original Chen Lan's husband, the eldest son of the mother-in-law, and the one the whole family had been missing for over a year – Xu Mingxuan.
Another, older man, was the captain who had checked their vehicles and identification when Chen Lan and her group had emerged from seclusion. He was now the border defense battalion commander, Zheng Sanpao.
The third person was Xiao Li, Li Daqiang, who had helped move grain last time and had been paying close attention to the situation in the valley.
As Xu Mingxuan walked ahead, he expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Commander Zheng, and thank you too, Xiao Li. If you two hadn't helped guide me, this place would have been truly difficult to find. Look at this barren, uninhabited land, surrounded only by mountains and trees.
I've troubled you both greatly today. Thank you for specially escorting me here. Otherwise, I would have been completely lost in these mountains alone."
Zheng Sanpao quickly replied, "We're comrades, what's with the formalities? To be honest, I wasn't specifically here just to escort you today.
After this winter, around April or May when the Changbai Mountains begin to thaw, my childhood friend will help bring my wife, children, and mother-in-law here to settle down.
So, I wasn't specifically here to escort you, so don't be so polite! I just wanted to see the place myself. Xiao Li here is always telling me how wonderful it is! So, today, I came along with you to see if it's really as good as he says?"
Li Daqiang chimed in, "Commander, you mustn't disbelieve me. Whether it's true or not, you'll know when you see the valley. I guarantee you'll be astonished."
As the three walked and talked, they soon reached the mountain ridge overlooking the valley. Standing at a high vantage point, they gazed down to see five beautiful, grand houses nestled by a clearing in the valley. From a distance, their ochre walls and dark blue roofs created a striking visual contrast, yet seemed perfectly coordinated, neither ostentatious nor vulgar. The Sudan Novel Network
A group of people were gathered together, busily working. Their laughter could be heard from afar.
Xu Mingxuan's mood suddenly became complex, a feeling of "near home, yet more timid." For over a year, nearly two years, they had had no news of each other. He wondered how his elderly mother was doing, if his wife still had that lovely, charming look, and if his young son was still as lively and cute. He wondered if his younger sister, Mingwei, had grown into a young lady. His thoughts surged, and a mixed bag of emotions welled up within him.
As Xu Mingxuan was lost in thought, Li Daqiang, who had run ahead, suddenly exclaimed, "What a fragrant meat smell!"
He took a deep breath and continued, "That's right, it's the smell of stewed meat."
Commander Zheng Sanpao chuckled, "You rascal, you're craving meat again! Didn't we just have a better meal not long ago? What, craving meat again?"
Li Daqiang replied, "Commander, it's not that I'm craving meat. If you don't believe me, take a deep breath and smell it properly?"
Just then, a gust of mountain wind blew towards them, and indeed, the wind carried a hint of meat aroma.
Commander Zheng burst into laughter, "That's right, it's the smell of meat! You're not just sharp-eyed, you have a keen nose too, as expected of a scout."
The three men were all accustomed to marching and fighting, so they walked with great speed and soon descended into the valley.
The people who were busy skinning and cutting meat saw three figures in military uniforms approaching and stopped their work to greet them.
Suddenly, Xiang Dong, Xiang Xi, Er Hu, and Xiao Shuan ran towards the three. The four of them ran forward together, and Er Hu was the first to embrace Xu Mingxuan, his voice choked with emotion as he said, "You're alive! You're alive! It's so good that you're alive and back! So good!"
By then, Xiao Shuan and Xiang Xi had already burst into tears. Xiang Dong's eyes also turned red and welled up.
The people busy in the large kitchen heard the commotion outside and ran out.
The mother-in-law also came running out. Seeing the scene before her, the spatula in her hand clattered to the ground. She rushed forward, pulled Er Hu away, and hugged Xu Mingxuan tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.
As she cried, she chided him, "You unfilial boy, why didn't you send any news home when you were alive? Do you know I thought you had abandoned us, your widowed mother and children, just like your late father? Didn't you think about how we, the old and the young, would survive!"
While crying and scolding, she patted Xu Mingxuan's back.
Xu Mingxuan's eyes also couldn't help but water. He quickly comforted her, "Mother, please don't cry. Aren't I alive and well? And please stop patting me; you're hitting my wound." He then coughed twice.
The mother-in-law immediately let go of him and asked with concern, "Ah! You're injured? Is it serious? Let me see." She reached out to pull open his clothes to examine him.
Xu Mingxuan quickly stopped her, "Mother, it's not serious, it's almost healed. Besides, it's not convenient out here. We'll look when we get back, we'll look when we get back."
The mother-in-law said, "Good, as long as it's not serious! Good! We'll look when we get back."
Suddenly, she remembered that Chen Lan hadn't been seen for a while and called out, "Xiao Lan, where is Xiao Lan? Where did Xiao Lan go!"
Uncle De's eyes also turned red. He squeezed forward to Xu Mingxuan, who was surrounded by everyone, and said, "Mingxuan, you're back! It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!"
He steadied his emotions and continued, "Xiao Lan went up to that mountain over there to gather firewood." He pointed to a forest not far away.
Xu Mingxuan gave Uncle De a big hug. He then saw Uncle Fu and Xiang Dong approaching and gave them each a big hug as well.