On the morning of Little New Year's Eve, the ground cracked with frost, the north wind howled like a knife, and goose feather snow filled the sky.
This winter was so cold, it made people's noses tingle and heads ache, with feet feeling like blocks of ice. Yet that didn't stop the women and children who had received the news in advance.
This was the day for slaughtering the New Year's pig.
Unlike the pork bought with meat coupons from the supplementary food supply. This was the home-raised pigs under their courtyard, and they were two big fat pigs.
Early in the morning, the cooking team started bustling in the open space in front of the canteen. Whether watching or participating, everyone's face was lit with excitement, and the little children, unafraid of the cold wind, eyed the pig to be slaughtered, constantly wiping drool from their mouths.
