C3 Exceeding the Blue and Surpassing the Blue

Upon hearing this, Xu Jialong's two brothers exhaled in relief.

Slaughtering a pig was no easy task, and the risk of failure was high.

"Hua, we'll pin down the pig later. You just need to make the cut. Aim carefully, okay?"

"Yeah, Hua, let's make it quick for the pig. We've raised it for quite some time now."

Several uncles teased him with their advice.

"Elders, rest assured, Hua promises to get it right with one strike!"

Xu Jialong then set up a three-meter-long bench, with a table and a basin of saltwater ready at the side.

A group of adults herded a three-hundred-pound pig out of the pen. Seizing the moment of distraction, they lunged at it with ferocity, grabbing tails and legs.

After a struggle, they managed to hoist the hefty pig onto the table, holding it down with all their might as it let out pitiful squeals.

The commotion drew a crowd of villagers, eager to watch.

"Uncle, could you place this basin under the pig's neck? We can't let the blood go to waste."

Following Faang Hua's instructions, he gripped the pig's head with one hand and the knife with the other, attempting to quiet its cries. After adjusting the position, he plunged the knife in.

The blade pierced the pig's main artery, and blood gushed into the basin, nearly overflowing.

"Great knife work!"

Some villagers applauded. It had been a while since they'd witnessed such expert pig slaughtering.

The pig's cries grew fainter until it passed away peacefully.

Faang Hua wiped the sweat from his face, relieved at the smooth start.

Next, they scalded the pig with boiling water before scraping off the hair with a razor.

Once the pig was hairless, Faang Hua got to work gutting it and processing the organs.

In no time, the three-hundred-pound pig was expertly butchered by Faang Hua.

The organs, like the liver, were meticulously sorted and collected.

They even managed to set aside a hefty pig's head, weighing between twenty to thirty kilograms.

Back in the day, in the countryside, to have someone slaughter a pig, you'd need to offer a hefty pig leg, a cigarette, and the pig's offal as payment.

"It's truly a case of the student surpassing the master. Hua, your butchery skills are every bit as good as your grandfather's!"

"I doubt there's a butcher as adept as you in the surrounding counties!"

"Outstanding! Truly outstanding!"

Some of the local villagers showered Faang Hua with praise while offering him cigarettes, but Faang Hua gracefully bowed and declined their kind gestures.

"Thank you, but I don't smoke. I'm grateful for all the support from my uncles."

"Speaking of which, who's cooking lunch? We're clueless about preparing the pig's intestines."

The question arose as lunchtime neared following the morning's pig slaughter.

"No need to worry, Hua will be taking care of the lunch after the slaughter."

Xu Jialong gestured towards Faang Hua, though he left unsaid that Faang Hua would be the chef for the funeral, ensuring they both had an escape plan if needed.

"Absolutely, Hua's cooking is top-notch. I've had the pleasure of tasting his dishes."

"He is, after all, the esteemed disciple of Old Master Fang. I can hardly wait to savor the lunch he prepares."

Relieved, the crowd broke into smiles and chatter.

"Hua, even as the head chef, you'll need a hand. The aunties here will be perfect to assist you."