As the festival begins, the chosen enter the courtyard.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9k0wPLS8O
Between sorrow and steel, some walk away——others learn to bear it.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5Qy2aigJK
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Time flows quietly, and the festival bell rings once more.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJZeLZtS0r
The prelude sways with the breeze, slowly unfolding.
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Dawn had yet to break; morning mist lingered between the eaves and the muddy ground.
Outside the Braised Hall, dozens of large pigs had already gathered, white puffs of breath interlacing in the cold air.
The scent of grass and a quiet tension filled the space, low murmurs rising and falling.
“You’re Number Five from that year! I loved your rib soup!”
A young pig trotted up, eyes sparkling with admiration.
The pig he spoke to was broad and sturdy. For a moment, he looked surprised—then offered a faint smile.
“Thank you.”
Elsewhere, a similar scene was unfolding.
“My dad loved your braised cheek! I do too!”
“It’s my honor,” the other pig replied, bowing slightly with a warm tone.
Looking closely, every pig being approached wore a wooden tag around their neck, each marked with hoofprints——some with one, some with two.
The wood was coarse-grained, deeply stained with oil, every groove carved with the weight of time.
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As the gathering time arrived, a large pig stepped into the courtyard, a porcelain badge with four interlocked sticks hanging from his chest.
His steps were steady. Though his voice was not loud, it naturally drew the attention of every pig present.
“Congratulations on passing the preliminary selection. I’ll now lead you to the training grounds.”
With that, he turned and led the way.
As the group passed through the side corridor, they came face-to-face with five pigs, each wearing a terracotta badge marked with three interlocked sticks.
“Good morning, senior!”
The five pigs greeted him in unison.
The lead pig gave a slight nod. “Morning.”
One of them twitched his snout, eyeing the group of unfamiliar faces behind the senior with curiosity.
“Are they…?”
“New recruits. I’m taking them to the training room. Don’t be late for your remembrance session with the family.”
“Got it, senior!”
They resumed walking only after the new pigs had gone out of sight.
One of them watched the confident, high-stepping figures disappear around the corner and let out a quiet sigh.
“You were just as excited back then.”
“And you were the one who cried the loudest in the hall master’s arms.”
“I really thought cutting meat just meant cutting meat…”
The three-stick pigs exchanged glances. A flicker of laughter passed between them before they quickly composed themselves and headed toward the records room.
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As the doors to the kitchen hall swung open, the morning sun had just begun to climb over the roof of the Braised Hall.
Warm air filled the space. Long rows of cooking tables stood neatly in place, each prepared with identical ingredients and tools.
At the center of the hall stood a tall, broad-shouldered pig, a heavy stone badge hanging at his side—seven carved marks clearly etched upon it.
He tilted his head slightly and nodded to the pig by the door, the one bearing a four-stick porcelain badge.
“Let them in. One pig per table.”
The contestants entered as instructed, spreading out and taking their places, each standing upright like a post.
Only when everyone was in position did the pig at the center finally speak:
“Before we begin cooking,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yq7h5UkSU
I want to tell you a little story.”
His gaze turned slowly toward the window.
Dew still shimmered along the edges of the courtyard, and the air carried a lingering chill.
“They were a loving pair,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQvDXpSYl5
and met one spring in a field of blooming rapeseed flowers——”
The story wasn’t long,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuai8ZgoMSN
but every line carried the lingering warmth of time gone by.
Finally, he reached the end.
“Though they never had children, the husband once said:13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT58WvBJenU
She made me forget what regret even means.”
He opened the wooden box beside him and carefully took out two earthenware trays, each pressed with a pig’s hoof——one large, one small.
He stood the trays upright on the display table, ensuring every pig in the room could see them.
“This is Record Number Ninety—the story behind the piece of meat you’ve been given.”
He paused, gaze sweeping slowly across the room.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll tell one story each day.”
“The day we reach Number One will mark the end of your training.”
The air seemed to freeze,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLevTQyxTsX
quiet as frost settling gently on a shoulder—utterly soundless.
“If anyone feels they can’t continue,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTDCtNpFLa
you’re welcome to come see me at any time to withdraw.”
“Well then, let’s begin.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnn5y0Dlo89
There are only two rules for cooking: maintain hygiene, and finish by the end of the day.”
With that, he turned and walked away,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINxihgw4yb
his hooves striking a steady rhythm against the stone floor.
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The cooking hall was silent,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmD3XvlHK8
save for the sound of knife handles tapping against cutting boards.
A young pig stood at his station, gaze fixed on the piece of meat before him.
The cut was clean, its marbling precise——clearly a carefully chosen portion.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YtkCD6KZs
But instead of recalling the seasoning steps,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHczV7VLzu
his mind conjured other images:
A pair of pigs smiling at each other in a field of blooming rapeseed.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdGkHP8W9C
A familiar figure turned through the rising steam, just as the boiling water began to hiss. A dining table always spotless, with fresh flowers replaced each day.
Veins bulged faintly along his forelimbs as he gripped the knife——13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7aB6GJ4Iz
tightly, desperately——13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUzLmQ1wcN
yet still, his hooves trembled.
He tried to raise the blade,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1FnqYSQvu
but the closer his hooves inched forward,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1q6fuaBpfw
the stiffer his whole body became.
Finally, his eyes reddened.
“Nngh…”
A soft, choked sound slipped from his throat.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCxFhANstg
He suddenly set the knife down, covered his face with both hooves,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9F8Qdu3NJ
and stumbled toward the door.
The movement was like a signal.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGrYrKcJEF
Seconds later, another pig was seen wiping his eyes and quietly stepping away.
Then a third.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoicVLf4q1
A fourth.
The door in the hallway opened and closed again and again,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDqlAMeo1U
swinging with a rhythm that words could not describe.
Those wearing hoof-marked badges looked up and watched the retreating figures——13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkl5E922SL6
then quietly turned their focus back to the task at hand.
After a few deep breaths, they set down their blades with steady hooves,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUN1wuDxl3
pressed down on the meat——
and made a clean, precise cut.
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Some pigs came and went,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcqx3CuDTQ
trying again and again to gather their emotions.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡez1aq3byhO
Others… never returned to their station at all.
And so, the piece of meat on the table remained,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9a8unMOAX
lying there in silence——13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsspHwSNCt
still waiting for the next cut that might never come.
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The sun had already risen high,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhANhfwFmE
and the shadows along the courtyard edge had shrunk to a single line.
By the flower trellis stood the pig with the seven-stick stone badge,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpp7wVlfv2
sunlight resting quietly on his shoulders.
Soft hoofsteps approached.
A contestant came to a halt in front of him, head bowed low,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvaooYv6BY
his voice squeezed from deep in his throat.
“I… I want to withdraw.”
The seven-stick didn’t answer right away.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CiklEyDjg
He merely lowered his gaze, watching the trembling pig for a few seconds.
Then, slowly, he extended a hoof13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVddqutS5q3
and gently pulled the other into an embrace.
The movement was unhurried,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff01lXluFG
yet carried a tenderness that held nothing back.
“It’s alright,” he whispered,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uDj5hRvsL
his voice nearly brushing the other’s ear.
“The doors of the Braised Hall will always be open to you.”
The rigid body in his arms suddenly gave way,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qXCbzVVEX
collapsing all at once.
A sob burst from deep within his chest.
“I really… thought I could do it…”
The words caught in his throat.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFGwPzAzvX
He couldn’t go on.
All he could do was bury his face into his senior’s chest.
Sunlight fell upon them,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7P9edsT7ih
casting a glow that was soft——yet piercing.
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Night had fallen deep, and the corridor was hushed in silence.
The pig with the seven-stick stone badge stopped in front of a door and knocked three times.
“Senior Sister, it’s me.”
A gentle voice responded from within. “Come in.”
He pushed the wooden door open softly. It creaked faintly as it swung inward.
Warm yellow light filled the room. Along the wall stood a wooden shelf lined with earthenware trays, each marked with the number.
Behind the cooking table, a large pig looked up at him briefly.
“The meat for tomorrow is ready.”
“Got it. Thank you.”
The seven-stick pig walked over, carefully beginning to sort the neatly cut portions of meat, his movements slow and steady.
After a long while,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0CZixJyGV
Senior Sister gazed out the window at the moonlight and remarked, almost offhandedly:
“Time flies... Next year, it'll be our turn to qualify for the festival.”
“It does.”
The reply was quiet, his hoof still smoothing out the cloth beneath the trays.
“You’ve been at seven sticks for quite a few years now.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6vwZG0Ulc
Ever thought about entering?”
He didn’t answer right away.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoV2VTRwe6
His eyes settled on the cuts of meat on the table, lingering in a silent daze.
“I don’t think… I’m ready yet.”
He paused, then glanced at her with a faint smile.
“But you——just one more rank, and you’ll be eligible to carry a bone necklace.”
She looked down at the eight-stick stone badge at her waist,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbrXgeDERi
her eyes curving with a teasing glint.
“I don’t think my neck’s thick enough yet.”
The air paused for a beat.
Then both of them laughed at the same time.
The sound drifted through the room, soft and unhurried, echoing gently in the quiet.
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Every mark carved here is a record of the day a life ceased to be its own——13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZeln3fsQC
and was reshaped for others.
