Zhang Fu and the others quickly realized something, staring at her in disbelief.
Was this pig afraid of her?
It deliberately avoided her, clearly not daring to approach her direction. If that wasn’t fear, then what was it?
But what on earth was there to be afraid of?
She looked like a thin and frail young girl, her waist appearing slimmer than one of Zhang Fu’s arms. Coupled with her sallow complexion and emaciated appearance, it was hard to believe she was someone so terrifying that even pigs would tremble at the sight of her.
Clicking his tongue, Zhang Fu asked curiously, “Li Niang, what did you do to make them so afraid of you?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Yu Li replied.
Indeed, she hadn’t done anything. She was simply standing there, doing nothing at all. Everyone could see that clearly. Yet, the three pigs avoided her, and whenever she got closer, they collapsed to the ground in fear.
Zhang Yaoping, who was quick to speak, said incredulously, “You’re just a scrawny girl. What’s there to be afraid of?”
Even people wouldn’t find her intimidating, so how could these pigs be scared?
He’d rather believe the pigs were sick.
Zhang Fu smacked him on the head. “Watch your mouth! No manners!”
This was the lifesaving benefactor of Young Master Xuan. So what if she was a little strange? Throughout history, remarkable individuals had always been extraordinary. Since she was able to save the young general, she must be a capable and extraordinary person.
As for being thin—why couldn’t an extraordinary person have some unique quirks? Maybe this was just how she looked naturally.
Zhang Yaoping had no choice but to shut his mouth, though his eyes still darted back and forth over Yu Li. No matter how he looked at her, she was just a frail little girl. He felt like he could knock her down with one punch—nothing special at all.
At this moment, Tu Laoda spoke up, “Alright, let’s get on with it. The sky will brighten soon.”
Although no one understood why the pigs reacted this way to Yu Li, there were too many strange things in this world. Tu Laoda thought it unnecessary to delve too deeply into it.
Some things didn’t need to be explored too thoroughly. As long as it was confirmed that she was Yu Li of Qingshi Village and not some evildoer, that was enough.
If they really wanted to investigate, even her strength was unusual. But couldn’t it just be natural?
Maybe the pigs’ fear of her was natural too—nothing to be curious about.
Throughout history, there had been countless remarkable individuals, with some tales bordering on the mythical.
People found such extraordinary occurrences intriguing, but they wouldn’t immediately associate them with demons or monsters. They were more inclined to believe the person possessed some unique and extraordinary qualities.
Moreover, with Tu Laoda and Zhang Fu clearly standing by her, neither Uncle Luo nor Zhang Yaoping dared to say much.
Before long, they discovered that the pigs’ fear of Yu Li was actually a good thing.
Before slaughtering a pig, it was necessary to first tie it up tightly with a thick rope and place it on the slaughtering bench to get the job done.
At that moment, the pig seemed to sense its fate and would struggle violently, requiring several grown men to hold it down.
However, this time, with Yu Li present, the pigs lay limp on the ground without resisting, allowing themselves to be tied up effortlessly. Even when the knife pierced their necks, they only let out a single cry before succumbing, unlike before, when the shrill screams of slaughter would echo far and wide, disturbing the neighbors.
“Heh, that was quick this time,” Uncle Luo chuckled, finding it amusing. He thought there’d never been a time when slaughtering pigs was this easy—no effort needed to hold them down at all.
Zhang Yaoping, holding a bucket to collect the pig’s blood, was all smiles. “This time, the blood didn’t splash on me. No need to bother washing clothes.”
The two of them spoke while simultaneously glancing at Yu Li. Suddenly, they felt that the pigs being afraid of her was truly a great thing.
After slaughtering the pig, they began scraping off its bristles, gutting it, and dividing the meat. Zhang Fu, Uncle Luo, Zhang Yaoping, and the others were all busy with the work.
Tu Laoda turned to Yu Li and asked, “Li Niang, would you like to give it a try?”
There were still two pigs left to slaughter.
“Sure!” Yu Li responded and walked toward one of the pigs. As she approached, the pig immediately collapsed to the ground, its legs going limp. Without any effort, she grabbed its two hind legs and hoisted it up.
The three men scraping the pig bristles: “….”
They were dumbfounded, staring at her in shock.
They watched as she lifted the pig with both hands, effortlessly tossing it onto her shoulder and carrying it to the slaughtering bench. Without even tying it up, she grabbed a slaughtering knife and swiftly plunged it into the pig’s neck.
It was a clean, one-stroke kill. The pig didn’t struggle or squeal; the entire process was silent, as if it were some sort of pantomime.
They had never seen anyone slaughter a pig like this before. Just watching her made it seem incredibly simple, giving them the illusion that they could do it too.
Meanwhile, Tu Laoda picked up a bucket to collect the pig’s blood.
Thanks to Yu Li’s swift and precise movements, the pig didn’t experience much pain and died quickly—a merciful end.
It was said that the more peacefully a pig died during slaughter, the tastier its meat would be.
For those less skilled, halfway through slaughtering, the pig might still be alive, blood spraying everywhere. The pigs would let out heart-wrenching screams, and if blood flowed back into their systems, the meat would end up with a fishy, unpleasant taste.
That’s why a one-stroke kill was always preferred. It was considered auspicious, and it ensured the meat was of high quality.
Looking at Yu Li’s calm expression, Zhang Fu and the other men silently swallowed their saliva.
The calmer she looked, the more ruthless she seemed. Watching her slaughter the pig with such efficiency and decisiveness—it felt like something only someone with ten or twenty years of experience could accomplish.
But she was only a teenager, and this was her first time slaughtering a pig. How could she have any experience?
Little did they know that in her past life, Yu Li had killed countless mutants. When she got serious, it was a one-stroke, one-head type of situation.
Compared to mutants, pigs were so adorable. They didn’t attack her, and their meat was so delicious.
Of course, Yu Li wanted to give them a quick death—it was the highest respect she could offer to the meat.
After the blood had been drained, Yu Li carried the pig to the pot where water was boiling. She scooped hot water from the pot and poured it over the pig’s bristles, making it easier to scrape them off.
With a sharp knife and her great strength, she scraped the pig bristles quickly and cleanly. In no time, the pig’s skin was smooth and shiny, completely free of bristles.
The three men were stunned, watching her in awe.
Tu Laoda, having finished storing the pig blood, turned to see them standing there like fools and couldn’t help but laugh.
He reminded them, “Hurry up. We still need to deliver the meat later.”
Hearing this, the three men finally snapped out of their daze and quickly got back to work.
Soon, they realized that the efficiency of the three of them working together couldn’t compare to Yu Li, a young girl, working alone.
She could handle a whole pig by herself, and her processing was both quick and meticulous. After gutting the pig and tossing the entrails into a bucket, she placed the two split halves of the carcass on the table. Following Tu Laoda’s instructions, she skillfully divided each part of the pig.
Tu Laoda didn’t do much work today—he was mainly assisting her and guiding her through the steps, helping her familiarize herself with the process of slaughtering pigs.
“…There are many wealthy families, restaurants, and taverns that order pork from us. Once the pigs are slaughtered, we need to deliver the meat. For instance, this large cut of pork here is ordered by Fulai Restaurant. They order fifty catties of pork from us every day, and we must deliver it to their kitchen by the hour of Chen (7–9 a.m.) for Chef Bao…”
Yu Li listened attentively while working.
At this moment, she heard Tu Laoda continue, “Li Niang, would you like to help with deliveries? Each delivery earns five wen as a runner’s fee…”
Before he could finish, Yu Li immediately said, “Sure!”
After finishing with one pig, Yu Li noticed they still hadn’t finished processing theirs, so she moved on to slaughter another pig.
The same steps, the same swift efficiency.
By now, Zhang Fu and the others were numb to it. Watching the girl work with such speed and precision, they couldn’t help but compare themselves. Normally, they thought they were quite efficient workers, but now they felt like they were dragging their feet.
Watching Yu Li slaughter pigs was like witnessing a display of brutal aesthetics. With her hand pressing down on the pig, it didn’t move at all as she killed it with a single stroke. The pig’s blood poured neatly into the bucket, without splattering everywhere.
Even the ground had only a few scattered drops of blood.
Zhang Fu chuckled and said, “Looks like we won’t need to clean the yard much today.”
“Great!” Zhang Yaoping exclaimed happily. Who wouldn’t be thrilled about having less work to do?
Uncle Luo, however, seemed thoughtful. Turning to Zhang Fu, he said, “Should we start slaughtering more pigs in the future?”
With Yu Li’s help, slaughtering a few more pigs wouldn’t take much extra effort.
The county was large, and the daily demand far exceeded three pigs. Some families with butcher shops didn’t want to slaughter pigs themselves and would come here to order meat or bring their pigs over to be slaughtered.
Although Zhang Fu’s butcher shop didn’t process many pigs daily, there was no shortage of orders. Sometimes, even wealthy households hosting banquets would hire Zhang Fu to slaughter pigs or bring their pigs to him for processing.
This place was essentially a small-scale slaughterhouse.
Since Zhang Fu didn’t want to hire too many people, the number of pigs slaughtered each day was limited.
Zhang Fu nodded and said, “That works. Later, let’s notify those who want to order pork and see how much they need. We can slaughter a few more tomorrow.”
By the time they finished processing all three pigs, the first faint light of dawn was appearing on the horizon.
Everyone was wrapping up, placing the cut pork into separate containers in preparation for delivery.
Once everything was sorted, they all sat down to take a break and have a sip of water.
Looking at the faint light of dawn, Zhang Yaoping suddenly said, “Wow, it’s still pretty early. The sky isn’t even fully bright yet.”
Usually, by the time they finished their work, the sun was already up, and they’d barely have time to take a quick sip of water before diving into the next task. But today, they were able to sit and rest for a moment.
Zhang Fu laughed and said, “Looks like we won’t need to come this early in the future. At this pace, we could arrive half an hour later and still manage.”
Since freshly slaughtered pork was best, they had no choice but to start work at the crack of dawn.
In the past, they adhered to a set schedule for slaughtering pigs at the butcher shop.
This suggestion received everyone’s approval. Zhang Yaoping cheerfully said to Yu Li, “Ah Mei (little sister), I heard you live in the village. In the future, you don’t have to come so early. You can sleep an extra half hour.”
Teenagers tend to love sleeping in, and being able to sleep an extra half hour in the future was thanks to Yu Li. He now felt genuine admiration for her.
“What do you mean ‘Ah Mei’? Li Niang is a year older than you,” Zhang Fu corrected him. “From now on, call her Ah Jie (Elder sister).”
Zhang Yaoping quickly nodded and obediently called out, “Ah Jie.”
He sneaked a glance at Yu Li. She was so thin, with a sallow and emaciated appearance, and looked so young. He never would’ve guessed that she was actually a year older than him.
The group rested for about half an hour before getting back to work.
Old Butcher brought over several bamboo baskets, placing large pieces of pork wrapped in banana leaves into them. They were preparing for deliveries.
To differentiate the meat for each recipient, they made some markings on the packages.
Zhang Fu took out a notebook with the addresses for the meat deliveries written inside.
Wanting to accommodate Yu Li, knowing she was willing to deliver pork, he gave her the addresses of her delivery locations.
The county was quite large, so they had to split up the deliveries to save time.
“Got it memorized?” Zhang Fu asked her.
Yu Li nodded and glanced at the notebook. The handwriting was crooked and uneven, and she pointed out a mistake. “Isn’t this character written wrong?”
Zhang Fu was surprised. “Li Niang, you can read and write?”
Yu Li replied, “Yes, I learned it with Fu—my husband.”
Everyone was taken aback. “Whoa, you’re married? And your husband is a scholar?”
Suddenly, their gazes toward Yu Li changed.
In these times, being literate—regardless of gender—earned people respect. Literate individuals could also take on better-paying and more respectable jobs, and it was rare for them to do physical labor like pig slaughtering.
Zhang Yaoping asked curiously, “Yu Ah Jie, since you can read and write, why are you doing this kind of work? You could find something easier and more dignified.”
But what kind of respectable job could a literate young woman find? A clerk? A manager? He wasn’t sure.
Yu Li simply said, “I’m strong.” For now, she was quite satisfied with the work of slaughtering pigs and had no intention of changing jobs.
The group was left speechless.
Indeed, she was strong. Watching her slaughter pigs with ease, they guessed she could probably handle dozens of pigs in a day without breaking a sweat—unlike other butchers, who would be exhausted after two or three.
Yu Li memorized her delivery locations, picked up a basket of pork from the ground, and set off to make her deliveries.
The county was gradually waking up. Shops along the streets were opening one after another, and early risers were hurrying off to work or buying food along the way.
Carrying a basket of pork on her back, Yu Li arrived at her first stop—Fulai Restaurant.
Fulai Restaurant was one of the larger establishments in the county and consumed a significant amount of meat daily.
She went to the back door and knocked. Shortly after, an older woman came to the door. Upon learning that Yu Li was there to deliver pork from Zhang’s butcher shop, the woman invited her inside.
Yu Li set down the bamboo basket, took out a large piece of meat, and handed it to a chubby head chef.
This chef was none other than Chef Bao of Fulai Restaurant. Seeing a thin young girl carrying such a large basket of meat, he couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times. “Why the change today? Isn’t it usually Old Luo or Old Zhang who delivers the meat?”
“They’re busy. I’ll be handling deliveries from now on,” Yu Li replied.
“Alright,” Chef Bao nodded, studying her for a moment to remember her face. Then he asked her to wait.
He carried the meat into the kitchen and returned shortly to pay her for the pork. As he handed her the payment, he also stuffed a greaseproof paper package into her hands. “This is braised pork I made yesterday. I reheated it—take it back for Old Zhang and the others to try.”
Yu Li could already smell the rich aroma of the braised pork coming from the paper package. She swallowed discreetly and nodded.
Chef Bao added, “Tomorrow, bring over two extra pig heads. Braised pig head tastes really good. Let Old Zhang and the others try it when it’s ready.”
“Got it,” Yu Li said, making a mental note.
After delivering the pork to Fulai Restaurant, she moved on to the next stop.
The next delivery was to a small eatery run by a husband-and-wife team. They didn’t order much, only ten catties of pork. After delivering the meat and collecting the payment, Yu Li continued to her next destination.
She delivered to thirteen establishments in total, gradually emptying the bamboo basket of pork.
By the time the deliveries were complete, the sun was fully up.
Carrying the now-empty bamboo basket on her back, Yu Li walked homeward while mentally calculating her earnings for the day.
From slaughtering two pigs, she had earned 100 wen. Delivering meat to thirteen establishments, with each delivery earning her 5 wen, brought in another 65 wen. In total, she had made 165 wen today.
Slaughtering pigs really was a profitable business.