Chapter Thirty-Five: Promotion, Hardcore Pig Division, and the Whole Hog Feast

While Lin Xing and the others were having their meal, the latest episode of “Farming, Celebrities!” had already begun airing. Admittedly, this show was no national phenomenon, and the only real standout among the cast was Lin Xing, so it was impossible for every episode to be a runaway hit. Still, at the very least, this episode was receiving positive reviews.

This finally allowed Feng Gang to set his mind at ease.

He always kept a close eye on real-time feedback for each episode. Ever since Lin Xing’s arrival had caused the show to break out of its niche, Feng Gang’s nerves had been strung tight. Though things had stabilized over the past few episodes, there was always that lingering worry.

In making a show, the greatest fear was monotony. The novelty might draw viewers in the first time—celebrities working in the fields!—but if every episode was the same, the audience would soon tire of it.

That’s why Feng Gang was always brainstorming new ideas. For today’s episode, he’d made a point of having the celebrities plant and fertilize crops. On top of that, they also used a drone for sowing seeds.

That, too, was cutting-edge technology.

“Damn, that drone is so cool.”

“No kidding, but Lin Xing is really something else—driving a tractor to till the fields!”

“Lin Xing sure has a knack for variety shows. Look at how deftly he spreads fertilizer by hand—he’s a total pro.”

“Guan Peng has turned into the comic relief! He refused to lose to Duan Hai in a fertilizer-carrying contest, then threw out his back.”

“Lin Miaoyin really surprised me. Who knew she could lift a sack of fertilizer so easily?”

Reading the live barrage of comments and real-time reviews, Feng Gang finally relaxed.

To him, the person he owed most for the show’s survival was Lin Xing.

He was willing to devote every resource to reward Lin Xing in return.

Such reciprocity was only natural in the entertainment industry—give and take.

“Xing, is there anything that doesn’t sit right with you? As the reputation of ‘Farming, Celebrities!’ grows, we’ll have more opportunities for guests to promote their work…” Feng Gang said with a smile, “Besides, you’ve helped our show so much already. It’s only fair for us to help you now.”

He continued, unconcerned, “What’s more, while I might have some issues with Tansheng Television, I have no quarrel with the drama ‘Just Waiting for You.’ So it’s no problem. Later, during the meat division segment, when everyone’s amazed, just use the moment to plug the drama.”

Lin Xing nodded lightly. “Alright.”

This episode would air at noon on August 11th—just in time to promote “Just Waiting for You,” which would premiere that evening.

Five minutes later, Feng Gang gathered the others, and the recording began in earnest.

“For this half a pig, we’ll first remove the pork back fat, then cut off the belly, followed by the kidneys. Usually, the kidneys are minced for sausages.”

“Next up is the tenderloin. Cut along the spine to the sacrum, then down to the pubic bone. Slice gently along the seam, and the tenderloin comes right off.”

Butchering half a pig was no challenge for Lin Xing—he’d done it countless times over the years.

He knew the post-production would add professional explanations, so he simply narrated the cuts he was making.

Still, even this much was astonishing to the others.

“That’s not just a little skill—there’s real artistry in what Star does.”

“Honestly, this is my first time watching someone butcher a pig.”

“Same here. I never realized there were so many parts.”

Duan Hai, Ding Yi, and the rest watched, wide-eyed. Even Guan Peng was impressed. “In the whole entertainment industry, the only real chef is Ji Mu—he actually quit acting to cook. Everyone else is just putting on a show, but now I think Lin Xing could be the second one.”

Hong Fei chimed in, “True enough. Lin Xing’s cooking is genuinely delicious, especially his big-pot dishes. And the way he butchers meat—he’s as good as any real chef.”

At this point, Lin Xing had divided the half-pig into four parts: shoulder, hind leg, belly, and loin.

He then moved on to the shoulder, which is a treasure trove: neck fillet, front leg, hock, and trotters.

Of course, the belly was prized for its streaky pork.

Half an hour later, Lin Xing had finished cutting the last tenderloin from the loin section.

Done.

He packed everything neatly into bags.

“Perfect—there’s real beauty in that,” Feng Gang said with a smile as he watched from behind the monitors. “We’ll pull this segment out for standalone promos. We can’t air the whole half-hour, but this is perfect for our publicity.”

“Incredible, Teacher Lin, you’re amazing,” Yu Shang came over with a laugh. “You could open a butcher’s stall with those skills.”

Guan Peng added, “Now that we’ve got half a pig, maybe next time someone can get us half a lamb.”

“I think duck would be better—roast duck’s pretty great.”

“Or maybe wild rabbit—rabbit stew is delicious.”

“No worries, soon we’ll be raising sheep and rabbits ourselves. Then we can eat whatever we want!”

Everyone gathered around, discussing what to have for dinner.

They decided on a full pig feast.

Roast pork ribs.

Roast trotters.

Braised pork with preserved greens.

Red-braised pork.

Nine-turn pork intestines.

There was no way Lin Xing could handle all these dishes alone, so he delegated tasks, and the evening felt just like a holiday celebration.

They arranged the tables into a long banquet, borrowed grilling equipment, and told the production crew and the workers remodeling the house to join in.

Everyone ate together.

By six o’clock, everything was ready.

Duan Hai volunteered to handle the roast ribs.

Meanwhile, the other dishes were ready, and Lin Xing had also steamed two fish.

All in all, it truly felt like a festival tonight.

“One beer per person—we have work tomorrow,” Feng Gang called out, while overseeing from the monitors and instructing the crew to bring out two cases of beer.

Feng Gang was very satisfied with this episode.

At the very least, Lin Xing’s butchering and the full pig feast would provide plenty of freshness for the viewers.

If nothing else, that scene of Lin Xing dividing the pig would be a sensation in the domestic entertainment world.

Feng Gang was confident about the next episode.

“Teacher Lin, don’t you have a drama premiering soon?” Yu Shang asked during dinner, grinning.

“Yes, it airs at eight o’clock on August 11th on Tansheng Satellite TV. I hope you all tune in,” Lin Xing replied with a slight nod.

Guan Peng chimed in, “What’s it called?”

“The drama is called ‘Just Waiting for You,’” Lin Xing answered with a smile.

And so the evening went on.