Cao the Butcher is a meat seller in Pig Slaughter Alley in Northern Song Dongjing. He is a rough‑talking tradesman who complains about the flood affecting his business. When Wu Ming purchases pork from him, Cao is surprised because most restaurants prefer mutton due to the Song dynasty’s preference for mutton over pork. He uses a cleaver and speaks in a cursing manner. He represents the meat supply chain and the economic hardships caused by the natural disaster. His character also illustrates the low status of pork in Song society, which Wu Ming hopes to change.
