Is there more beef than you can eat?

The killing of cattle and sheep in Water Margin was invented by Shi Naian, the author of the novel, to show their opposition to the imperial court. At that time, in the Song Dynasty, cattle were used as livestock and cultivated land, and farming was extensive. Ordinary people have no right to kill cattle. If Liangshan heroes have beef to eat every day after Juyi, it is likely to come from looting.

Beef and mutton are becoming more and more a part of our diet. For example, our favorite buns, Lamian Noodles and hot pot are all inseparable from the participation of beef and mutton.

Reading the water margin, we can see a detail, that is, heroes like to buy bowls of good wine and order a few pounds of beef to eat. At that time, Song Wu passed by Jingyanggang and ordered this. When Yang Zhi was eating, there was beef in his meal.

Readers may think that beef has become the staple food of meat on the table in the Song Dynasty, but it is not.

In the dynasty at that time, cattle was one of the most important farm animals, and it was very important for people to use it to farm and transport food in the fields. It is also based on this that the imperial court is very strict in the management of cattle slaughter.

Only official families have the right to kill cattle and eat meat, and ordinary people can only be used as labor tools. If it is illegal to kill cattle without permission, they will face jail. Instead, it is generally pork, chicken and so on.

These are the background of the creation of Water Margin. In the process of writing, the author emphasizes that heroes eat beef every day to show their rebellious spirit of ignoring the majesty of the court and the law. Liangshan Juyi has arrived, and another possibility is that their cattle and beef were stolen from the people.