dmims Chapter 422 Northeasterners Raise Pigs in the Arctic...
Chapter 422 Northeasterners Raise Pigs in the Arctic...
Chapter 422 Northeasterners Raise Pigs in the Arctic...
The next morning.
Lin Yu'an was awakened by a rich aroma of coffee and the sizzling sound of oil in the pot.
He opened his eyes and found himself lying on an incredibly warm, water-heated kang bed, covered with a thick down quilt.
Last night, at the family dinner, he and Wang Hu both got a little tipsy, and Wang Hu insisted that they not go home in the wind and snow.
Marina also smiled and said that there was a guest room at home with a heated kang bed and radiators, and that she would stay there at night.
In the end, Lin Yu'an and Nuoya spent one night in this "modern kang" with distinctive Northeastern characteristics.
It must be said that the heat radiating evenly from the bottom up made one's whole body feel relaxed and comfortable, a comfort that no air conditioner or heater could match.
Noah, like a well-behaved kitten, curled up beside him, fast asleep, her long eyelashes trembling slightly in the morning light.
Lin Yu'an got up and went outside, where he saw Wang Hu busy in the kitchen.
"You're awake, bro!"
Wang Hu, wearing a thick sweater, beamed with a hearty smile: "Your sister-in-law got up early and made breakfast for you two. Try it, it's very nourishing!"
On the plate were several pieces of halibut liver, pan-fried until golden brown on both sides, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, accompanied by a few slices of toasted rye bread and a small jar of Marina's homemade blueberry jam.
Lin Yu'an picked up a fork and took a bite. The fish liver was as delicate and smooth as foie gras, melting in his mouth. The rich, oily aroma instantly filled his entire mouth.
"Absolutely amazing!" Lin Yu'an exclaimed sincerely.
He swallowed the fish liver, wiped his mouth, looked at Wang Hu, and gave him a strange expression.
"Brother Tiger, I have a question for you."
"What's wrong? Just say what's on your mind!" Wang Hu was pouring himself coffee.
"Last night, in the middle of the night, I was half asleep, and I think—I heard a pig squealing?" Lin Yu'an said uncertainly. "Where would a pig come from in this freezing weather?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Hu stopped holding his coffee cup. He grinned, revealing an extremely mysterious yet incredibly smug smile.
"Brother, you heard me right."
He gestured with his chin toward the backyard, as if showing off some secret weapon: "Come on, let me show you what real Northeastern farming techniques are like!"
Lin Yu'an put on a thick coat and followed Wang Hu through the kitchen with great curiosity, then pushed open the door leading to the backyard.
A peculiar smell, a mixture of hay, animal odor, and a faint fishy odor, wafted over the crisp air.
In the corner of the backyard, there stood a fully enclosed building, resembling a small shipping container, constructed with thick insulation panels and a steel frame.
"This is my precious darling's constant-temperature sea-view room." Wang Hu proudly patted the outer wall of the shed.
He pulled open a heavy, insulated door, and a wave of heat, mixed with the warmth of the heating system and a peculiar smell, instantly rushed out.
The shed is not large, but it has everything you need.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of dry grass, and several bags that looked like animal feed were piled up in the corner.
A high-powered electric heater was blowing hot air in the corner, maintaining the room temperature at a fairly comfortable level.
Inside the enclosure, two large, plump white pigs with shiny skin were grunting and nudging around the feeding trough.
When they saw someone come in, they curiously raised their heads and made "humming" sounds, appearing quite energetic.
"Holy crap—this guy really is a pig!" Lin Yu'an was completely stunned by the surreal scene before him. "Brother Tiger, did you really move your old home in Northeast China to the Arctic Circle?"
"Absolutely!" Wang Hu said, hands on his hips, looking at his two "masterpieces" with a face full of pride.
Lin Yu'an walked around the small pigsty, his mind filled with questions.
"Tiger, it's common for temperatures to drop to minus 20 or 30 degrees Celsius outside in Greenland during winter. How do you manage to stay warm?"
"With just this electric heater, the electricity bill would be astronomical! I've heard that electricity prices here are sky-high, at least 5000 kronor a month for one household."
"You've hit the nail on the head!" Wang Hu knew immediately that the question had touched on his most prized point.
"Electricity isn't just expensive, it's incredibly expensive! The electricity here is all generated by diesel fuel, and just these two pigs cost several thousand crowns a month in electricity bills!"
"Back in my hometown, this electricity bill would be enough to power an entire village!"
"But!" Wang Hu's tone shifted, a shrewd expression appearing on his face. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who just blindly burns money?"
He led Lin Yu'an to the back of the pigsty.
Behind the shed, there was a huge tank covered with thick insulation material, connected to a complex network of pipes and an electronic control panel.
"What's this? A water storage tank?" Lin Yu'an asked curiously.
"A water storage tank?" Wang Hu laughed heartily. "Brother, this thing is the perfect product of the wisdom passed down from our Chinese ancestors, combined with modern technology!"
"This is a cold-climate intelligent temperature control integrated household biogas system."
"A biogas digester?" Lin Yu'an was stunned. He never expected to see something so characteristic of rural China in the Arctic Circle.
Wang Hu explained smugly, "These two pigs eat, drink, and defecate every day. Their feces, along with the fish entrails and rotten vegetable leaves left in our kitchen, are all thrown into this big jar to ferment."
"The biogas produced during fermentation goes directly through this pipe to the biogas heater in the pigsty!" 24
Heating is available 24/7, so it's basically free!
"This electric heater is just a backup and supplement. The real main source of income is this free biogas!"
'
Lin Yu'an looked at the nameplate on the side of the can, which had a line of familiar square Chinese characters engraved on it: Made in Shandong, China.
"Tiger, did you buy this online?!"
"Absolutely! What era are we living in? We have to believe in the power of 'Made in China'! A quick search on Alibaba International Station revealed that there are indeed cold-climate versions specifically supplied to Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang!"
"The entire jar has a super insulation layer on the outside, and it comes with an electric heater and a smart temperature controller inside. I set it to 30 degrees Celsius, and it ferments on its own."
"They've designed everything for you at the factory; the feeding, discharging, explosion-proof, and desulfurization systems are all modular."
"I just got a few local friends involved, and we spent three days assembling it like building Lego, following the instructions!"
Having solved the insulation problem, Lin Yu'an then thought of the second core issue.
"What about food? The feed can't all be shipped from China by sea, can it?"
"Hahaha, wouldn't that make you a sucker?" Wang Hu was amused. He pointed to a huge iron barrel in the corner of the pigsty, inside which was a pot of porridge emitting a strong fishy smell.
"The fishermen in Greenland only want the fish meat; the leftover fish heads, bones, and entrails are piled up like small mountains. They used to just throw them back into the sea to feed the seagulls."
"In my eyes, that's not trash at all! It's all treasure!"
He said proudly, "Every day I drive my snowmobile to the dock and spend a few dollars to collect hundreds of pounds of scraps."
"I brought it back, cooked it in a big pot, mashed it, and mixed it with some soybean cakes I bought—that's my two precious little darlings' Michelin-starred seafood feast!"
Having solved the two major problems of heat preservation and feed, Lin Yu'an only had one last question.
"Brother Tiger, is doing this allowed under local laws?" He pointed to the huge biogas tank and the pigsty next to it.
"The approval process for these pressurized flammable and explosive facilities is extremely rigorous. I tried to build one in Alaska before, but the environmental assessment was almost always rejected. How did you manage to get it approved?"
"Brother, follow the rules. Going through the main entrance is definitely not an option."
"If you just tell those bureaucrats at the city hall that you want to build a biogas digester, they'll be so scared they'll spit coffee in your face. In their eyes, this thing is no different from a bomb."
"So—you changed the name?" Lin Yu'an instantly grasped the key point.
"Hahaha! Talking to smart people is so easy!" Wang Hu was amused by Lin Yu'an's quick wit and stopped trying to keep him in suspense.
"The project I submitted to them didn't mention the word 'biogas' at all."
"What I applied for is called 'Household Organic Waste High-Temperature Aerobic Composting and Heat Recovery System'!"
Upon hearing this long list of names, Lin Yu'an was first taken aback, then burst out laughing. He understood completely.
"High-temperature aerobic composting — heat recovery —" he muttered to himself, "Brilliant, Tiger! You've broken down one thing into two of the most popular environmental concepts in the West!"
"That's right!" Wang Hu exclaimed, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "I told those officials that this was an environmental project I personally invested in in response to Greenland's call for sustainable development."
"We're treating kitchen waste and livestock manure into organic fertilizer to reduce the burden on municipal garbage trucks. We also applied for a pilot program for family farms with no more than five head of livestock. As soon as we started this program, the way they looked at me changed!"
Lin Yu'an continued his deduction: "I bet you've said more than just that. Having a concept isn't enough; you also need an irresistible theoretical basis and security guarantee, right?"
"You're quick-witted, kid! That's right! There are two more things!" Wang Hu held up two fingers.
"First, they're using a big name as a shield!"
Wang Hu said smugly, "Isn't there a research project in town run by a Danish agricultural expert?"
"I copied a bunch of their publicly published reports on sustainable agriculture in the Arctic, highlighted the key points, and told the city hall that my system was a simplified civilian version of their research project."
"It's contributing to the grand ideal of Arctic ecological agriculture. With this politically correct label attached, who dares to easily oppose it?"
"Secondly, use magic to defeat magic!"
Wang Hu then pointed to the plaque that read "Made in Shandong, China": "Aren't they superstitious about all sorts of certifications and standards?"
"I slapped the EU CE safety certification and ISO quality system certification of the equipment I bought from China on their table."
Tell them this is a mature industrial product that is internationally certified and operates safely in dozens of countries!
'
"After a series of moves, those officials were completely fooled by me, thinking that I was doing good deeds."
"Besides, I have a good relationship with Police Chief Lars and his gang. I occasionally invite them over for a couple of drinks, and that's how the permit came about!"
Wang Hu made a succinct summary: "So, brother, when you're doing business, you can't be too honest, but you also can't mess around."
"You need to learn how to package yourself, to say what you want to do in the way they want to hear. What's that called? It's called wearing a suit with a straw hat—a combination of East and West works wonders!"
After hearing about this whole series of impressive maneuvers, Lin Yu'an's admiration for Wang Hu reached a new level.
This is no longer just cleverness; it's a profound understanding of the rules of different cultures.
He had initially thought Wang Hu was just a generous and forthright Northeastern guy, but now he realized that he was clearly a "civil servant" buried in the Arctic Circle.
Lin Yu'an gave him two thumbs up sincerely, "Brother Tiger, all I can say is, you're amazing."
Wang Hu was overjoyed by the praise and waved his hand dismissively, "That's all trivial! Come on, let's go back inside! After the competition, we'll slaughter the pig!"
The two came out of the backyard and walked into the warm house.
On the way, a thought suddenly popped into Lin Yu'an's mind, and he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Tiger, I remember that people in Greenland can't just slaughter large livestock, right?"
"It must be done by licensed butchers in specialized slaughterhouses, with all this talk of humane slaughter, otherwise animal rights organizations will sue you until you're bankrupt. Is this place—okay?"
Wang Hu didn't answer directly, but instead led Lin Yu'an back to the warm house. Noah and Marina had already prepared dinner and were waiting for them.
Wang Hu walked straight to a wooden frame on the wall that displayed various certificates and photos, and took down a new-looking laminated card from it.
The card features a smiling ID photo of Wang Hu, followed by a string of text in Danish and Greenlandic languages, and an official seal.
"What's this?" Lin Yu'an asked curiously as she took it.
"Greenland family farm owner and primary slaughter permit." Wang Hu read it out word by word, his face beaming with the pride of a top student who had just gotten a perfect score.
"When I applied to the city hall for a family farm pilot program, I took this test at the same time."
"You took the test?" Can an individual take a butcher's license test?
"Absolutely!" Wang Hu explained, "The rule here is that if your livestock is for commercial sale, it must be sent to the slaughterhouse for quarantine and stamping."
"But if you are raising them for personal use by your family, you can apply for this basic slaughtering permit."
"The course isn't difficult; it teaches you how to conduct humane slaughter. The core points are twofold: kill instantly to reduce suffering; and bleed safely to avoid contamination."
He took out a strange-looking tool from the cabinet. It looked like a short-handled pistol without a barrel, and it was heavy and had an industrial feel to it.
"See that? This is the only designated tool for our 'pig slaughtering license'—the impact-type slaughtering gun."
Wang Hu skillfully demonstrated its usage to Lin Yu'an: "This thing doesn't fire bullets; it uses compressed air or specially made gunpowder bullets (blank cartridges)."
"With a 'duang' sound, a steel spike suddenly popped out from this end, about this long," he gestured the length of a chopstick.
"It directly damages the animal's central nervous system. The whole process takes less than 0.1 seconds. The pig doesn't even have a chance to grunt before it's over, without any pain."
Lin Yu'an listened with amazement, thinking that this thing was practically a special device for euthanizing pigs.
"So this thing—was it handed out in class?"
"Send?" Wang Hu curled his lip upon hearing this. "Brother, are these Danish officials really that kind?"
You have to pay to attend classes, and you have to pay to take certification exams.
"After you get certified, you must buy this gun from the only authorized dealer designated by the city hall!"
He held up one hand and made a "five" gesture.
"Five hundred crowns?" Lin Yu'an guessed.
Wang Hu shook his head, turned his hand over, and then over again.
"Five thousand! Danish kroner!" Wang Hu's voice was filled with resentment. "This piece of junk, which can't even fire a bullet, sold to me for five thousand!"
"This piece of junk would cost at most 500 RMB in China! Don't you think they're ripping people off?"
"I strongly suspect that they're issuing these humane slaughter permits purely to generate revenue from selling these things! This collusion between officials and businessmen is the same all over the world!"
This scathing critique made Lin Yu'an burst into laughter.
"Then they hang him upside down to bleed him and treat his internal organs—all the procedures had to be strictly followed according to the hygiene manual they issued."
"The city hall sends people to conduct spot checks every year to see if your work surfaces and tools are clean and if your disinfectant meets the standards. It's even stricter than inspecting a restaurant kitchen!"
Wang Hu hung the precious license back on the wall. "So, brother, when we're on someone else's turf, we have to follow their rules. But rules are rules, people are flexible."
Lin Yu'an bowed respectfully to Wang Hu. "Brother Hu, I've learned a lot."
"Haha, alright, alright, stop with the formalities!" Wang Hu waved his hand. "Hurry up and eat breakfast!"
"Eat your meal, then head back to the field!"
"Once the match is over today, I'll show you just how delicious this 'humanitarian' pork stew really is!"
After breakfast, Lin Yu'an and Nuoya returned to fishing spot A-1 and re-set up the tent, tidying up everything inside.
The most noticeable change is the surrounding atmosphere.
Almost every angler who passed by, whether a local from Denmark or an angler from all over the world, would wave and greet Lin Yu-an with admiration in their eyes.
This is a form of respect for the strong.
"Lin! Good morning!" Chief Referee Ennis greeted him from afar in his patrol car.
He looked exceptionally well today, with a ruddy complexion, as if he were the one who broke the record.
"I sent your things out via Greenland Airlines this morning as an express shipment." Ennis said from his pocket—
He handed Lin Yu'an a stamped receipt.
"I sent it directly to the president of IGFA, who is an old friend of mine. He will personally oversee the testing process, and we should have preliminary results in a week at most."
"Thank you, Ennis." Lin Yu'an took the receipt, feeling much more at ease.
"As for your certificate—" Ennis winked mysteriously and patted Lin Yu'an on the shoulder.
"Don't rush to fill in the mailing address. Lin, keep your phone accessible. Trust me, headquarters is paying close attention to your catch; there might be a big surprise waiting for you."
Lin Yu'an was taken aback: "A surprise? What surprise?"
Ennis simply smiled knowingly, keeping everyone in suspense: "You'll find out then. Alright, good luck today!"
After saying that, he drove off in his patrol car to inspect the other fishing spots, leaving Lin Yu'an standing there somewhat bewildered.
After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Yu'an sat back down at his fishing spot and turned on his live streaming equipment.
The final day of the competition officially began.