Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The driver and Tang Yi walked to a very ordinary Chevrolet Cruze, surprisingly opened the car door, and got in, then drove out of the parking lot. Liu Gang immediately followed in his car.
"They must be up to something shady, even changing cars. Quite cautious," Liu Gang remarked.
The Cruze drove out of the Shanzhou Urban Area and arrived at the South Suburb, stopping in front of a house with a yard by the roadside. The road was a narrow asphalt one, lined with tall poplar trees. The autumn breeze rustled through the leaves, and there were a few scattered houses along the way, with vast fields of wheat in the distance, filling the air with a fresh earthy scent.
"Wow, are we going to experience rural life?" Zhang Yang chuckled. Liu Gang parked the car between two poplar trees. Seeing Tang Yi and the driver enter the yard, they finally got out of the car.
Once Tang Yi entered the farmhouse, the yard gate closed behind him. Liu Gang took a look around; the house faced south with its back to the north, and there were some corn cobs hanging on the west side wall of the yard, next to a small grove of trees. "Let's climb over the wall; the corn cobs will block our view and we won't be discovered," Liu Gang said as he moved ahead.
The two reached the base of the west wall and found a few large stones at its foot. "Damn, they even prepared stepping stones," Zhang Yang exclaimed as he jumped onto one of the stones. Upon seeing what was inside the yard, he was taken aback.
The yard had a typical farmhouse structure with four main rooms in the center and a small side room on the east side that looked like a toilet. There was also a well on one side of the yard with a pulley and bucket above it. In the center of the yard stood a sturdy wooden frame with a large fat pig tied to it!
Tang Yi looked at the squealing pig, squinted his eyes for a closer inspection, and said, "This pig is not bad; it must have good meat!"
"Of course, Director Tang; this is free-range pork," said a Black Fat Man nearby, who was nodding eagerly. Alongside him were two men dressed like local officials. Including Tang Yi and his driver, there were five people in total in the yard.
Tang Yi took off his suit and changed into clothes resembling workshop overalls, then put on a long apron. At that moment, the Black Fat Man handed him a slaughtering knife.
"Slaughtering pigs?" Liu Gang was completely stunned. It was shocking yet intriguing; if this pork were made into crispy stir-fried slices, it would surely have that texture.
Tang Yi picked up the slaughtering knife and felt around the pig's throat with his hand. The pig stared at Tang Yi and let out cries of distress.
"This guy is quite professional," Zhang Yang whispered to Liu Gang.
"You've done this before?" Liu Gang struggled to hold back his laughter.
"When I was three or four years old, I was timid, and my grandmother often took me to watch pigs being slaughtered to supposedly toughen me up," Zhang Yang explained. "That scene has always stuck with me; this guy's movements are just like those of a professional butcher—first feeling for the throat to find the right spot."
As they spoke, Tang Yi suddenly thrust forward with the knife, piercing near the pig's throat. Holding the knife in his right hand, he slightly twisted it before smoothly pulling it out and quickly stepping aside with clean and swift movements. A stream of fresh blood gushed out and fell into a large iron basin that had been prepared on the ground below.
Before long, a considerable amount of pig's blood had collected in the iron basin. Gradually, the pig stopped struggling and lay still.
"Director Tang, you have great skills! Our town's professional butcher can't compare to you!" the Black Fat Man clapped.
"Summer is too hot for this kind of work; I haven't had the chance to enjoy it for a long time," Tang Yi said as he walked over to the nearby basin to wash his hands. "Thanks to Li Town Head for giving me the opportunity to showcase my skills."
"Director Tang, you flatter me. You must come often to check on the work," Black Fatty Li Tao, the deputy town head in charge of land resources, replied. "Director Tang, I'll find someone to clean up right away. Let's have lunch here; the freshly slaughtered pig means fresh meat. We can have four main dishes: Stir-fried Liver Slices, Nine-Turned Intestines, Crispy Fried Pork Tenderloin, and Braised Pork Knuckle, all prepared by a master chef."
"Hahaha, Li Town Head, you are truly a foodie," Tang Yi said as he took off his apron and work clothes and changed into a suit.
"I can't compare to you; I'm just here to learn about tasting dishes," Li Tao complimented while secretly cursing in his heart: "All high in fat and cholesterol, and he calls himself a foodie. Nowadays, those with money and power only eat wild vegetables. It's rare to find someone who loves pork and offal; well, at least it's cost-effective."
"Now that's an eye-opener; turns out he's a pig-slaughtering director," Liu Gang remarked. "I've witnessed yet another corrupt official's peculiar tastes."
"The Mingxi Emperor Zhu Youjiao was also a carpenter emperor; it seems strange at first glance, but ultimately it's just about satisfying one's inner desires," Zhang Yang jumped down from a stone. "Let's go eat; we can continue in the afternoon."
"I see a farmhouse restaurant over there that looks good; they seem to specialize in grilled fish. Let's give it a try," Liu Gang suggested.
The two went to the farmhouse restaurant and chose not to reserve a private room but instead sat at a square table by the side in the main hall. The restaurant's grilled fish was made from live fish cooked on-site; after grilling, it was placed in an iron tray with old broth and simmered over an alcohol lamp. The flavor was quite good, and the business was thriving; by the time they sat down, only one or two tables were left empty.
"I heard that this afternoon there will be some big shots coming; let's run a couple of laps," Zhang Yang overheard a Skinny Yellow Man say to a Short Fat Man at the next table.
The Short Fat Man quickly exchanged glances and then looked around before lowering his voice to say, "Let's go; I've got all the money ready."
"Last time I put in over two thousand; this time I need to recoup my losses," the Skinny Yellow Man replied quietly.
Zhang Yang signaled Liu Gang with his eyes and then said loudly, "They say this place is fun; besides eating farmhouse meals, what else is there to do? You're just trying to fool me."
Liu Gang chimed in, "I've heard of quite a few fun things. After we finish eating, let's inquire about them."
The Skinny Yellow Man and Short Fat Man glanced at them but remained silent as they continued drinking and eating. Zhang Yang took a look at their table; they had peanuts, cucumber salad, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes—clearly lacking any substantial dishes—so he stood up and walked out of the hall.
Before long, a waiter brought a large plate of grilled fish to the table of the Skinny Yellow Man and the Short Fat Man.
"Hey, waiter, we didn't order this dish!" the Skinny Yellow Man shouted.
"I ordered it, so you two don't be polite," Zhang Yang said with a smile as he walked over.
"We don't even know you. Why are you ordering food for us?" the Short Fat Man rolled his eyes.
Zhang Yang chuckled and sat down next to them, pulling out a pack of Soft Zhonghua cigarettes. He handed one to each of them, making the soft-pack Hongta Mountain on their table look quite glaring. Seeing that they accepted the cigarettes, Zhang Yang continued, "From your accents, you must be locals. I'm from Shanzhou Urban Area. After eating, there's not much fun to be had. Are there any interesting places nearby?"
Upon hearing this, the Skinny Yellow Man seemed somewhat relieved. He lit a cigarette and asked, "What do you want to do? Something risqué or something colorful?"
"During the day, what kind of risqué things can we do? I’m not familiar with this town, and I wouldn’t dare to engage in anything colorful either. Can I get in and out safely?" Zhang Yang thought to himself. The risqué activities naturally referred to seeking women, while the colorful ones referred to gambling. His aim was to find out if there were any shady dealings involving the Li Town Head that could help him investigate Tang Yi, so he initially dismissed both options.
However, it was clear that the Skinny Yellow Man and the Short Fat Man were discussing colorful matters earlier.
"Our colorful activities here are quite unique and thrilling," the Skinny Yellow Man said with a proud smile as he exhaled smoke.
Comment 0 Comment Count