As the festival begins, the chosen enter the courtyard.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAr95xCdVm
Between sorrow and steel, some walk away——others learn to bear it.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Eyl7cvC9T
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Time flows quietly, and the festival bell rings once more.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXqAGzUInt
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,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8cZoawhX2
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,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrqO0aFhW3
and met one spring in a field of blooming rapeseed flowers——”
The story wasn’t long,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtergshg0rd
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:47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4M3VVC2Uw
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,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyOD1QKDUx
quiet as frost settling gently on a shoulder—utterly soundless.
“If anyone feels they can’t continue,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FHYbshlrS
you’re welcome to come see me at any time to withdraw.”
“Well then, let’s begin.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeNQjZOaV2
There are only two rules for cooking: maintain hygiene, and finish by the end of the day.”
With that, he turned and walked away,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl39yZKyw4X
his hooves striking a steady rhythm against the stone floor.
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The cooking hall was silent,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9YbjyT5dL
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9G0LSfoJ4
But instead of recalling the seasoning steps,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzViaUdqoOt
his mind conjured other images:
A pair of pigs smiling at each other in a field of blooming rapeseed.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpjRu39zKY
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——47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6ueglBJUQ
tightly, desperately——47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU76FxFVE8r
yet still, his hooves trembled.
He tried to raise the blade,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhz0uPfDXaQ
but the closer his hooves inched forward,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19jVzUC4Sp
the stiffer his whole body became.
Finally, his eyes reddened.
“Nngh…”
A soft, choked sound slipped from his throat.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboHT16SDZw
He suddenly set the knife down, covered his face with both hooves,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEATiob1P9
and stumbled toward the door.
The movement was like a signal.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2l58wPMpf
Seconds later, another pig was seen wiping his eyes and quietly stepping away.
Then a third.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEH6RCiSe3T
A fourth.
The door in the hallway opened and closed again and again,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvCIykSzF3
swinging with a rhythm that words could not describe.
Those wearing hoof-marked badges looked up and watched the retreating figures——47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC9PIgt4Ud
then quietly turned their focus back to the task at hand.
After a few deep breaths, they set down their blades with steady hooves,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35vrANBoQ0
pressed down on the meat——
and made a clean, precise cut.
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Some pigs came and went,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OJWQvwVoy
trying again and again to gather their emotions.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsZpcLA5aM
Others… never returned to their station at all.
And so, the piece of meat on the table remained,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNooGUA4ted
lying there in silence——47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDeI3PMzfh
still waiting for the next cut that might never come.
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The sun had already risen high,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdLUQsJV7M
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,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ787CpngcLj
sunlight resting quietly on his shoulders.
Soft hoofsteps approached.
A contestant came to a halt in front of him, head bowed low,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVSbSe8Wt4
his voice squeezed from deep in his throat.
“I… I want to withdraw.”
The seven-stick didn’t answer right away.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXX9HzppOY
He merely lowered his gaze, watching the trembling pig for a few seconds.
Then, slowly, he extended a hoof47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaJ7THr8ja
and gently pulled the other into an embrace.
The movement was unhurried,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOj3XUH3vDh
yet carried a tenderness that held nothing back.
“It’s alright,” he whispered,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA5cM6Dzbb
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,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXXi9ycwXc
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YJUOGdxSt
He couldn’t go on.
All he could do was bury his face into his senior’s chest.
Sunlight fell upon them,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLrsXrxTrL
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,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMPa1PKnGP
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAY1zOvfP5n
Ever thought about entering?”
He didn’t answer right away.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55YT4ECvGN
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,47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaWYYztTG2
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——47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6dyPsWUNN
and was reshaped for others.
and then Add to home screen.