Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 14 The Little Things About Pig Farming
Of course, although there are many customers waiting for him to place orders, Chen Fan also understands the principle that haste makes waste.

With my current physique, if I go out and say I want to help someone, people will think I'm just trying to freeload.

It's good enough that you didn't chase him out with a broom, why would you help him? You're overthinking it.

Therefore, based on considerations of sustainable development, Chen Fan felt that he should first understand the basic situation of the production team, which family was more in difficulty and needed more help, and which family's difficulties were more basic and feasible.

Then create a table, prioritize tasks based on the actual situation, and proceed step by step.

As for now?

He thought of what Captain Yang had just mentioned about slaughtering the New Year's pig, and that it was his family's New Year's pig that was being slaughtered.

Aren't production teams supposed to be public property? How come they have privately owned pigs?

With some confusion, he walked to Jiang Lili's room. Before he could speak, Jiang Lili came out. "Captain Yang came by earlier. Was there something you needed?"

Chen Fan stood at the door and said with a smile, "Oh, Captain Yang said his family is slaughtering a pig for the New Year the day after tomorrow morning, and he wants us to go to his house to help."

"what?"

Jiang Lili looked suspicious. "You asked me to go too?"

Chen Fan was slightly taken aback. "Ah, that's what he said."

Seeing that Jiang Lili's expression seemed off, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Lili lowered her head. "I've been here for three years, and he's never called me. He only calls me when the team slaughters a pig for the New Year, but even then, everyone goes."

Chen Fan's eyes darted around slightly. "But that's exactly what he said just now."

Is it just a polite remark?

Jiang Lili was also a little confused. What did the captain mean?

Chen Fan thought for a moment, "Anyway, he really said that, otherwise I wouldn't dare to say it to you like this. In any case, you should come with me to take a look the day after tomorrow. If there really is a mission for you, but you don't go, that would be inappropriate, right?"

Jiang Lili thought about it carefully and felt that Chen Fan's words made sense, so she nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll go with you the day after tomorrow morning. If everything is alright, I'll come back."

Chen Fan smiled and asked, "Hey, I just heard you mention that the team slaughters pigs for the New Year. Are the pig-raising teams and private individuals separate?"

Jiang Lili gently shook her head and said, "It's not that we're completely separated; we're still somewhat related. The country called on production teams across the country to raise more pigs and raise them well, and allowed commune members to raise some chickens, ducks, and pigs at home. Any leftovers could be sold to food stations. So, in addition to a pig farm with more than a dozen pigs, the production team also proposed that each household raise two pigs."

Each year, the production team would only keep two or three of the smallest pigs, slaughter them, and distribute the meat to all the team members. The amount of meat was also calculated according to the work points earned; whoever earned more work points would receive more meat, while those with fewer work points might only receive a little pig's head meat or even pig offal.

Of the two pigs owned by a commune member, the larger one had to be sold to the commune's food station. However, the food station only accepted pigs weighing over 120 jin (60 catties); pigs under 120 jin were not accepted. The smaller pig could be kept for personal consumption.

Chen Fan crossed one arm over his chest and pinched his chin with the other, leaning against the door frame, and said thoughtfully, "That's not bad. In addition to work points, villagers can also raise chickens and pigs themselves, and they can get a lot of meat at the end of the year."

When I read period novels in the past, they always said that rural production teams could only eat meat once a year on New Year's Day. Now it seems that not all places were poor.

Jiang Lili looked up at him, then lowered her head again and said softly, "No."

"Huh?" Chen Fan looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

Jiang Lili patiently explained, "Raising chickens, ducks, and pigs all require feed. Chickens and ducks can dig up some insects in the fields to eat, and with some bran and grass, they can survive. Raising pigs is much more tiring. Every day, you have to go and gather pig feed, and you have to do it early, otherwise you won't be able to go to work with the team. If you miss work, you will not only be criticized, but you will also have your work points deducted."

Pigs that only eat grass are very difficult to raise to adulthood. If they are not strong, they are prone to illness and die before they grow up. Even if they do grow up, they will not reach the required weight of 120 jin (60 catties) by the time the food station collects them before the twelfth lunar month.

Some commune members, in an effort to reach the required 120 jin (60 catties) weight, fed the pigs a large amount of pig feed that morning. However, when the pigs ate too much and were hoisted over, they easily became erratic and developed diarrhea.

Chen Fan watched as Jiang Lili's face turned completely red as she spoke, showing just how easily she gets shy.

He also realized that it was still the 70s, and white-skinned pigs had not been widely promoted; they were only raised on a large scale in a few places. Unlike white-skinned pigs, which had been successfully improved over nearly a century, the local black and spotted pigs were small, slow-growing, and prone to various diseases, resulting in very low breeding efficiency.

Later, those "native pigs" across the country were actually improved after decades of research. Otherwise, a single disease could bankrupt a pig farm. In addition, their size has increased significantly, allowing them to grow much more meat.

Currently, the vast majority of pigs raised nationwide are local breeds that have not been improved, and there are even several different breeds within the same province. As a result, the breeding efficiency is naturally low, and it is not surprising that the pigs often fail to grow large or survive for long periods of time.

Jiang Lili's ears were burning, and she continued with her head down, "Once the pig is carried to the food station and weighed, if it's heavy enough, we can get more than 30 yuan and some coupons. If it's not heavy enough, we'll have to carry it back."

Pigs that don't meet the required weight can't be sold casually. If the meat isn't for personal consumption, it can only be sold to the production team. The production team will calculate work points for its members based on the amount of meat. That meat will either be handed over to the production team to make up for its deficit, or it will be included in the profit sharing among the members along with other goods.

After she finished speaking, Chen Fan understood, "So, not all members who raise pigs make a profit? And not all members are willing to raise them?"

Jiang Lili nodded, then shook her head. "If conditions allow, the commune members would really like to raise pigs, because if they only rely on work points, they might not be able to afford meat all year round. If they raise pigs, they can exchange one pig for more than 30 yuan and some coupons at the end of the year, which can subsidize a large part of their household expenses, and their families can also eat meat a few times."

However, raising pigs is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Strong laborers need to earn work points and don't have much time to take care of them, so some families are unwilling to raise pigs, or they only raise one to meet the requirements. If they can raise it to 120 jin (60 catties), they can sell it for money and ration coupons. If they can't raise it to 120 jin, they can still get a little extra income, but they may not have any meat to eat.

Only families with many children would raise two or even three pigs, keeping one for themselves and selling the rest to the food station. The children didn't earn many work points, so they mainly went out to gather pig feed and cook pig fodder. They could also exchange pig manure for work points by handing it over to the team.

Chen Fan initially found it amusing, but later felt only heartache.

Even the labor of children is calculated so clearly; life in the commune was not easy.

After a moment of silence, he shook his head, turned around, and asked, "Don't the educated youth settlement raise chickens and pigs?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lili did not answer immediately, but remained silent for several seconds.

Chen Fan's eyes darted around, wondering if he had said something wrong.

At this point, Jiang Lili said, "Originally, the educated youth settlement raised a few chickens, but before they went home, they killed them and stewed a big pot of them. Raising pigs is too tiring and has a strong smell, so some people are unwilling to raise them, and even if they do, they are unwilling to take care of them. Over time, the pigsty at the educated youth settlement became empty."

Chen Fan nodded in realization, "So that's how it is."

He paused for a moment, then turned to look at Jiang Lili, remembering what she had just said.

Did you eat before going home?

They didn't leave her a single one?

(End of this chapter)