Infinite Professions

Chapter 331 - 175: The Grand Sacrifice

Time rushed by busily, and soon the autumn harvest came to an end.

After the autumn harvest, farmers ushered in a rare period of leisure during the year.

Since ancient times, autumn harvest was the time to raise armies for a reason: there was ample supply of fodder, surplus manpower available, allowing the launch of a war; even if defeated, one could make a comeback.

Spring and summer warfare were different, as fields would be neglected, food yields reduced; winning could support war through plunder, losing would mean having nothing, never to recover.

Thus, farming is the foundation of the world, neglecting agricultural affairs is self-destruction.

The leisure after the harvest was originally only for a few days; after all, even without wars, the Government Office also had numerous corvée obligations, making it impossible for commoners to have much leisure.

Fortunately, Little Huang Village was rebuilding, all aspects in need of revival, impossible to spare resources; thus Song Wen pulled some strings, and the Government Office went along with it, exempting Little Huang Village from this year’s corvée.

Though corvée was exempted, the people of Little Huang Village remained busy, building cattle and pig pens, repairing chicken coops and duck enclosures, and still needing extra manpower to dig several ponds outside the village, dredging waterways, and releasing fish fry.

There was an unending list of tasks to tackle.

Even at night, they could not rest, and had to strive for childbirth because Village Leader Song Wen, speaking on behalf of the Land God, declared that Little Huang Village should recuperate and thrive, increasing family descendants; regardless of who has children, the village would provide subsidies; the more born, the more subsidies given.

In this way, days passed, finally reaching the time of temple sacrifices.

Everyone remained busy, yet amidst laughter and cheer, a festive atmosphere permeated the village.

On the threshing floor, before the Land God Temple, it was even more lively, villagers gathering; men slaughtering pigs and sheep, women washing bowls and preparing cutlery, children playing and frolicking in groups, a scene of idyllic countryside, full of vitality.

"One, two, three—pull!"

Several sturdy men pulled ropes, bringing a fat pig down to the ground, after which the butcher stepped forward with hammer and knife to slaughter it.

Song Wen stood by, strictly supervising: "Be careful, don’t damage the pig’s head, that’s the offering for the Earth God!"

To worship the Divine Beings, offerings are necessary, primarily consisting of three creatures, divided into large three creatures and small three creatures.

The large three creatures are cattle, sheep, and pigs; the small three creatures are pigs, fish, and chickens.

Although this is a grand sacrifice for Little Huang Village, but as the village land is only a twelfth class small deity, according to ritual law, large three creatures cannot be used for sacrifices, only small three creatures may be offered.

Otherwise, Song Wen truly intended to buy two cattle and sheep for slaughtering.

Though cattle and sheep weren’t bought, a fat pig was; even though Little Huang Village engaged in animal husbandry, but given the short few months, the piglets in the pen were not ready for market, so another village was approached to buy one.

Several strong men brought the fat pig down, skillfully cut its throat for bloodletting, deboning and cutting meat; the pig head was particularly cleaned thoroughly, clean and plump.

"Hmm!"

Song Wen nodded with satisfaction, looking elsewhere, where several men acting as impromptu cooks and women were also slaughtering chickens and ducks, scaling fish.

These chickens, ducks, and fish were not bought.

During this period, aside from field cultivation, the main work of villagers was livestock husbandry; although cattle and pigs weren’t big enough for market, chickens and ducks were ready for slaughter, and there was also a batch of mature fish from the ponds.

"These chickens are really fat!

"Grown so big in just a few months?"

"Could it be a matter of the breed?"

"What breed grows so fast—besides, we only have one kind of chicken here?"

"It’s the Land God’s blessing!"

"With the protection of our village’s Land God, not only is the land fertile and fields bountiful, but the livestock are also healthy and disease-free, growing incredibly fast; see, in just months this batch of chickens and ducks are ready."

"And the fish in the ponds, didn’t we just open the pond not so long ago, and they’ve grown this big already."

"Land God’s blessing, Land God’s blessing!"

"We’ll have a good year this time!"

Several women, while scrubbing dishes and picking vegetables, were whispering amongst themselves, faces full of unconcealable joy and satisfaction.

Song Wen, hands behind his back, came to inspect the kitchen conditions, his gaze fell upon a woman, immediately frowning: "Aren’t you Zhang Wu’s wife? Your belly is already so big, why are you still doing this work, go find a place to sit, don’t cause any incidents."

"V-Village Leader!"

The Zhang Family woman stood up in panic, her belly visibly swollen now, facing Song Wen with a bit of uncertainty.

Nearby women saw this, quickly spoke up in her defense: "Village Leader, don’t worry, it is just five or six months, a bit of work won’t matter, back in Song Family Village, we managed like this too..."

"Then was then, now is now!"

Song Wen replied coldly: "Pregnant women must rest peacefully to nurture the fetus, so they can add to the population of my Little Huang Village, this is according to the Land God’s decree and our village’s rule, don’t bring the practices from Song Family Village or Zhang Family Village to my Little Huang Village, otherwise consider my warning..."

After a stern reprimand, everyone looked worried, nodding repeatedly, assisting the pregnant woman to rest aside.

But Song Wen was still dissatisfied; leaving the kitchen, he found his second brother Song Cai: "The Zhang Family wife’s belly is already showing, many women in the village are also pregnant, quickly follow father... the Land God’s instructions, set up a clinic in the village, find a few experienced women, the Land God will enter their dreams to impart medical knowledge, henceforth all pregnant women must be sent to the clinic for delivery, cannot persist at home, and tell those unruly ones, anyone who lets a heavily pregnant woman work, this Village Leader representing the Land God will beat him to death!"

Song Cai nodded: "Understood, big brother!"

"Hmm!"

Only then did Song Wen nod with satisfaction, turning and leaving.

Childbirth has always been a dangerous threshold, and a slight mishap could lead to mother-child demise.