Seeing that no one had any objections, Qin Sang began distributing the pork:
"Now that we are in the wilderness, we must all unite and work together to survive, helping each other without distinction.
Especially since we will be in the mountains from now on, we will need the hunting team to go into the hills to hunt for food. Therefore, my idea is:
From now on, one-third of the prey caught by the hunting team will be distributed by the team leader, Hunter Xu.
The remaining two-thirds will be distributed by the village chief based on labor contribution.
By 'distribution based on labor,' I mean according to the work and contributions each person makes to the group.
The hunting team's shelters at the settlement need to be arranged and maintained by someone.
The elderly, weak, women, and children in the village need help and care.
Ditches need to be dug at the settlement, and there must be day and night patrols for vigilance, and so on...
Distribution based on labor will prevent some people from freeloading and lacking motivation. What does everyone think?"
This time, someone raised an objection:
"Does that mean those who don't work get no meat? We're in the mountains now; there can't be that much work, can there?" The speaker was Old Sixth Tian, the village's seasoned slacker.
Qin Sang laughed and said:
"If you don't work but still want a share of the meat, even if I have no objection, the hunting team certainly will. How can you enjoy the fruits of others' labor without doing anything? That's not fair.
Besides, the hunting team's harvest could very well belong to them alone. What right do others have to take it?
For those truly unable to work, there is still a way to get meat: trade with your own belongings. If you're unwilling to even trade your own things, how can you expect others to give you meat for free?"
Qin Sang was quite blunt. The reason for distribution based on labor was that after arriving at the settlement, ditches needed to be dug. Without pork as an incentive, many might slack off or be lazy. With pork as a reward, they would likely be much more diligent.
After these words, everyone found them reasonable.
Especially those honest and conscientious people who felt guilty about receiving pork for nothing fully agreed with the method of distribution based on labor.
The quick-witted ones immediately raised their hands:
"Then I'll help slaughter the pig and distribute the pork."
"I'll sharpen the knives."
"I'll fetch basins to collect the pig's blood."
For a moment, everyone began competing for tasks. It took the village chief a good deal of arranging to proceed with the pork distribution; otherwise, four or five people might have ended up carrying a single basin together.
In the heat of summer, meat is actually hard to preserve. Fortunately, Qin Sang had previously rewarded each household with salt, so the distributed pork could be salted and then partially dried over fire to preserve it longer.
Hunter Xu took all the pig offal, saying it could be used for traps. Everyone was reluctant, but there was no choice—without water to wash it, if not used for traps, it would only be buried.
The pig heart was a good cut of meat. Qin Sang sliced it thinly, salted it, skewered it on bamboo sticks, and grilled it. Along with the pork belly she received, Qin Sang enjoyed a solid meal of barbecue at noon, having not eaten pork for a long time. Eldest Girl ate until her mouth was smeared black, still exclaiming how delicious it was.
They couldn't eat too much, though; in this weather, overeating could cause internal heat and discomfort.
Qin Sang exchanged a waterskin of Red-Canned Herbal Tea and shared it with everyone. They all drank it as if it were ambrosia, feeling thoroughly satisfied.
Heizi and the others specifically came to learn from her. Qin Sang gave them some seasonings and, considering they might not have enough water, let them fill a waterskin.
Qin Sang would have liked to give more, but with so many people watching, being too obvious would cause complaints. If everyone came asking for water, it would never end, and that would be a big problem.
Carpenter Zhao's family also received some meat. Reluctant to eat it all, they rendered the fat for oil and made all the lean meat into smoked meat.
Each household received two bones from the large fat pig. Without water to make soup, they could only roast them. After roasting, they smashed the bones with an axe and chewed on them, finding them quite flavorful.
All the bones Qin Sang's family received were given to Da Huang. This guy must have had a genetic awakening; later, when Qin Sang tried to feed him dog food again, Da Huang was indifferent.
Once the pig blood coagulated into blocks, it was stewed in an earthen pot with some water and then distributed to the elderly and young children of each family.
Widow Xia's family exchanged some fat meat with the village chief using the oranges they had gathered. Other families who had gathered oranges also came to exchange, reasoning that oranges might still be found in the mountains, but pork might not come by again.
The village chief, having collected so many oranges, began to worry. Qin Sang reminded him that he could distribute some to the hunting team, as the prey originally belonged to them. Any extras could be kept as rewards for villagers or subsidies for the elderly, young, orphans, and widows. The village chief then beamed with joy.
In the end, because the pig was so large, even after everyone had exchanged for pork, a small portion remained.
Families who received a lot of pork began rendering the fat. For a while, the forest was filled with the fragrant smell of rendering oil, and everyone kept praising:
"This pig is really fat, much fatter than a wild boar. Look at this lard—it looks impressive."
"The meat is tender too, with no gaminess at all. I've never eaten such delicious pork."
"Back in the village, we might not even get a bite of meat during festivals. Who would have thought we'd eat meat after entering the mountains?"
Hearing this, Qin Sang couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. Taking advantage of the rest time, she went to check on Zhou Lin, who was being carried.
Zhou Lin was being fed pig blood by his wife. Meanwhile, the men from the other two families, because they carried the stretcher, each received a piece of pork. This made others start scheming, saying they would take turns carrying Zhou Lin into the mountains when they set off again.
The two families, however, refused, saying they would share hardships with Zhou Lin's family and that their men could handle it without needing others. This angered the rest, who then turned their attention to the Second Son of the Xia Family.
Seeing Qin Sang approach, Zhou Lin struggled to sit up:
"Da Zhuang's Mother, the medicine you gave is miraculous. Less than half an hour after taking it, I already feel no pain."
Qin Sang quickly pressed him down. Modern painkillers would have an even better effect on these ancients who had never experienced Western medicine:
"But don't get up just because it doesn't hurt, understand? Your ribs are broken. 'A hundred days to mend bones and tendons.' Here are a few patches of Bone-Setting Ointment. Have your wife apply one patch a day on the most painful spot.
This bottle is for external wounds. Keep the wound clean and avoid inflammatory foods."
Seeing that the three families all had injuries to varying degrees, Qin Sang took out some bottles and jars from her bundle and distributed them:
"Those with external wounds, apply this three times a day. It will help you recover faster."
The three families of Zhou Lin were immensely grateful to Qin Sang.
The village chief intended to rest here for three hours and resume the journey when it was less hot. After rendering the oil, everyone rested for a while and then started looking for things to do.
The men gathered wood to whittle and sharpen, making wooden arrows and spears.
Carpenter Zhao's family was busy reinforcing the carts for everyone.
Qin Sang taught everyone how to make hammocks and straw sandals.
Qin Sang had prepared many pairs of shoes, but many other villagers were traveling barefoot because mountain paths wear out shoes quickly. A single day on mountain roads could poke two holes in new shoes, and everyone was reluctant to use them.
Many girls gathered around her, while the boys followed Da Zhuang and San Gui to learn archery.
They held bows and arrows they had made from bamboo, which were almost like toys with little killing power.
Qin Sang thought they could learn to use slingshots—just a forked branch would do. With enough force, they could hunt birds or pheasants.
She began teaching them how to make slingshots, naturally providing the rubber bands. Soon, many children were seen picking up stones on the hillside, having a great time.
The happy time came to an abrupt end as Xu Hu rushed back in a panic:
"Village Chief, people are coming."
The village chief also knew the situation was serious:
"Are the Rebel Soldiers coming? How could they be so fast?"
Xu Hu was panting heavily, only able to shake his head. After catching his breath, he finally said:
"It's... it's people from another village fleeing into the mountains."