Li Ziqi bought half a pig from relatives and went to work.
In this video she made smoked sausage with fresh pine tree leaves, grapefruit peels, orange peels and rice.
After about four days, smoked sausage are ready. They can be added to steamed rice – looks delicious!
Another dish is a whole chicken stuffed inside intestines and then she made spicy chicken soup.
Salted egg yolk stuffed inside pork liver, also smoked. Can be served as a cold dish with crushed pepper.
My Take on the Asian Polite Fight Culture
After she bought the pork from her aunt, Li Ziqi gave her a red packet with money in it. You can see a “polite fight” where the aunt refused to take it but Li Ziqi insisted. After a “struggle” her aunt finally accepted it and called Li Ziqi a naughty little girl.
It may seem a bit funny or even comical to many western people, but in China this is universal. It’s widely accepted everywhere, especially in northern China. For example, when friends go to a restaurant, they’re supposed to “fight” to pay the bill. Moreover, you’re supposed to be sincere and not just pretend. What happens if you always win? Don’t worry, it goes around. Friends who end up getting a free meal will likely pick up the bill next time.
The same is true in many other Asian countries, and from the comments, Russians do the same as well.
There is also a subtle order here. If you’re visiting me from another city, I should definitely pay since I’m the host. People who are older usually treat the younger folks, unless they’re elderly and then it’s the opposite. A person who’s wealthier than the rest tends to pick up the bill more often. And so on.
You might wonder if this has something to do with the Chinese “saving face” culture. It could, but for the most part polite fight is genuine. Not too long ago China was still poor. Everybody was poor back then. So when someone offered you a gift, you know they just took something out of their necessity. They could’ve used it on something much more important, like foods or education. Polite fights back then were not about saving face, but rather sincere appreciation that warranted a struggle to refuse it. Nowadays it’s more customary, but as long as people don’t overly dramatize it, polite fight is still cute, fun and heart warming.
