Chapter Fourteen Setting up a Stall

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, at the west market entrance of Anping Town, the morning wind was chilly.

Zhang Liuyi's heart was like a ceramic pot placed on a charcoal fire, calm on the outside but boiling with anxiety and anticipation inside.

She stood guard over the rough earthenware jar beside her, its mouth tightly covered with thick cotton cloth, only a faint aroma of rich braising emanating from it.

It was the culmination of half a month of her hard work.

Inside the jar were appropriately sized pieces of braised pig heart, intestines, and liver, their dark brown color and rich gravy soaking in a thick braising liquid. They had long since cooled, but this only enhanced their concentrated flavor.

Beside her, Zhang Liuji was diligently helping her arrange the tools she had brought.

A thick wooden board to be used as a cutting board, a few clean bamboo skewers, and an old wooden box for holding copper coins.

His face showed a hint of nervousness, and he would occasionally glance at his sister, then at the market-goers who passed by but rarely stopped.

"Yi-jie...is this...really going to work?"

Zhang Liuji rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

He had personally watched his sister spend half the Lunar New Year working in their kitchen, transforming the fishy-smelling offal into the fragrant dish it is today.

My second uncle, father, mother, wife, and even Xiao Nan'er all tried it and said it was delicious, very fragrant, and went well with rice.

But this is, after all, pig offal, something the townspeople look down upon.

Zhang Yi didn't turn around, but simply responded softly, "Give it a try."

She took a deep breath of the cool air, which carried the aroma of braised spices; that aroma was her only source of confidence at that moment.

She was going all out! She suddenly ripped off the thick cotton cloth covering the earthenware jar!

In an instant, an even more pleasant aroma, with the unique blend of spices of cold braised meat, wafted into people's noses, even overpowering the smell of the freshly baked hot buns next to them!

Zhang Yili's voice finally rose, carrying a reckless clarity that pierced through the noise of the market.

That shout, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, finally stirred up some ripples.

Many people were drawn to the aroma and turned their attention over.

But when their gaze fell upon the dark brown, distinctly textured objects in the earthenware jar, and they recognized them as cut-up pig offal, the curiosity on their faces was instantly replaced by disdain and disgust.

"Oh dear! What bad luck! Selling pig offal this early in the morning!"

A woman dressed in a decent silk dress immediately covered her mouth and nose tightly with a handkerchief, as if she had inhaled some foul air. She pulled her companion away quickly, her eyes full of disgust.

"Exactly! Braised pork offal? It smells delicious, but just thinking about how that filthy stuff is made, who could eat it!"

A man carrying a load on a shoulder pole shook his head and chuckled, his feet never stopping.

"Why can't a young girl like you sell decent things? Why do you have to sell these shady things..."

Several elderly women carrying vegetable baskets pointed from afar, shaking their heads and sighing.

She looked at the food she had carefully braised in the earthenware jar, which she thought was of good quality and taste, but in other people's eyes it was so unappetizing.

She bit her lower lip hard, forcibly suppressing the pent-up frustration, and simply wrapped the cotton cloth around the earthenware jar even tighter.

When he spoke again, his shouts sounded somewhat dry.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak again.

Her response was met with a cacophony of footsteps and elderly people clearly taking a detour.

Zhang Liuji watched anxiously and angrily, sweat beading on his forehead. He wanted to chime in, to say, "It's really clean! It's really delicious!"

But he stammered and couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Just then, a familiar, tall figure parted the crowd and walked straight to the stall.

It's Xiong Zixiang.

He was wearing a constable's uniform and had a long knife at his waist, clearly having just passed by on patrol.

His gaze swept over the tightly sealed pottery jar, then landed on Zhang Liuyi's forced composure, though he was pressing his lips together tightly.

Finally, we passed by the few directions they were still pointing at.

Upon seeing that it was Constable Xiong, the women immediately fell silent and put on ingratiating smiles.

Xiong Zixiang, however, acted as if he hadn't seen it, and walked straight to the pottery jar, his voice instantly drowning out the surrounding noise:

"Boss, how much is this braised pork offal?"

Zhang Liuxin's heart skipped a beat, as if something had gripped it tightly.

She looked up and met Xiong Zixiang's deep, calm eyes, which held a hint of encouragement, and for a moment she forgot to breathe.

Her panicked thoughts strangely calmed down.

The frustration I felt earlier was somewhat suppressed under this gaze.

Without waiting for her reply, Xiong Zixiang's gaze fell on the pottery jar, and he even leaned down slightly to get closer.

His actions instantly filled the surrounding gazes, which had been filled with disdain, with astonishment and suspicion. Why was Chief Constable Xiong interested in this filthy pig offal?

"By weight..."

Zhang Liuyi finally found her voice and tried to steady it.

"Fifteen coins a pound... We have pig heart, pig intestines, and pig liver... How much do you want?"

As she spoke, she subconsciously picked up a clean bamboo clamp from the side, preparing to lift the cotton cloth.

"Can I try some?" Xiong Zixiang asked.

“Of course,” Zhang Yili replied immediately.

She deftly lifted the cotton cloth, and with bamboo tongs, she steadily picked up a thick, dark brown braised pig heart, a piece of glossy, tender pig intestine, and a slice of clearly textured braised pig liver. She placed each of them into a clean, rough earthenware dish and handed it over.

The thick braising sauce clung to the meat chunks, glistening enticingly in the morning light.

Xiong Zixiang took the ceramic bowl with one hand, asked for a pair of chopsticks, picked up a thick piece of braised pig's heart, brought it to his mouth, and took a big bite.

A little bit of the dark brown braising sauce stained his fingertips, but he didn't care, focusing only on chewing.

Then, he picked up another piece of pig intestine and put it into his mouth as well.

Xiong Zixiang chewed a few times, his Adam's apple bobbing, and swallowed.

His face remained expressionless, but he nodded.

"Mmm. It's thoroughly braised and flavorful. The heart is thick and chewy, while the intestines are soft, tender, and not greasy. It tastes even better when eaten cold, and it's a great accompaniment to drinks."

He pointed to the jar, his voice still steady: "Half a pound each of pig heart and pig intestines, packed separately."

"Okay! Good! Good!"

Zhang Yili quickly responded, the heavy emotions in his heart dissipating.

She deftly lifted the cotton cloth and carefully used bamboo tongs to pick up the glossy, dark brown pieces of pork heart and the soft, chewy pieces of pork intestine, placing them into two clean, coarse earthenware bowls. The portions were clearly generous.

Xiong Zixiang took out fifteen copper coins and placed them steadily in the old wooden box next to Zhang Liuji.

"The money is here." He picked up the two earthenware bowls, turned around and walked away with steady steps, picking up a piece of pig intestine and putting it into his mouth as he went.

"Captain Xiong said it's delicious? And that it's a good accompaniment to alcohol?"

"Really? Pork offal can taste good?"

"Officer Xiong works in the government office; he's traveled all over the country and seen it all. If he says it's good, then it must be good!"

"It smells delicious... Cold braised dishes? This is novel... Why don't we buy some and try it?"

The wind shifted instantly, and the previous disdain and disgust were replaced by intense curiosity and a desire to test the waters.

Officer Xiong tasted the meat in public, praised it personally, and even paid for it. His comment, in particular, touched the hearts of many people in the town who enjoyed a drink but couldn't bear to buy expensive meat.

The woman in the silk dress who had been covering her nose and complaining about bad luck was the first to squeeze forward, with a slightly embarrassed yet eager smile on her face.

"Girl, give me a piece of pig's heart to try!"

"Mmm, delicious!"

"Give me half a pound of pig's heart!"

"I want pig intestines! Half a pound! Hurry! Don't let anyone else take them!"

"Young lady, how do you preserve this chilled marinade? How long can it last?"

"Weigh me a pound! A little of everything! To go with some drinks!"

The pottery jar, which had been ignored just moments before, was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of people.

Zhang Liuji busied himself collecting money and giving change.

Zhang Yili's heart pounded wildly. The immense surprise and relief made her fingertips go numb, but her hands didn't slow down. She picked up the meat, weighed it, called out the number, and collected the money, all in one smooth motion.

A genuine smile finally appeared on his face.

"Alright! Half a pound of pig's heart, seven and a half coins! Here you go!"

"One pound of pig intestines, fifteen coins! Watch out, the bowl might cut you!"

"This braising liquid is rich; it won't spoil for two or three days if you leave it in a cool, dark place! Thank you for your patronage!"

The shouts rang out again, this time filled with genuine confidence.

The chilled brine in that rough earthenware jar became the most sought-after rare commodity in the West Market.

As the sun gradually set in the west, it cast long shadows of people at the west market entrance.

The bustling market, which had been noisy all day, gradually quieted down.

Zhang carefully wiped the inside of the rough pottery jar.

The jar was completely empty; even the last bit of thick, oily braising liquid had been bought by several discerning gourmets using their own small earthenware jars.

"Girl, this braising sauce is a treasure! It's absolutely delicious with noodles or steamed buns! It's even more fragrant than the sauce from those sauce shops!"

An elderly man in a worn-out long gown held the jar with satisfaction, praising it repeatedly before leaving.

"I'm glad you like it. Come again next time!"

Zhang Liuyi smiled and replied, watching him leave.

Zhang Liuji was carefully holding the old wooden box. The heavy, clanging sound of the copper coins inside sounded like heavenly music to him.

He was so excited that his face was flushed, and he walked with a brisk pace, as if he were about to float away. He would look down at the box in his arms from time to time, as if afraid that it would fly away.

"Sister Yi! It's done! It really is done!"

Zhang Liuji's voice was more than eight octaves higher than usual, filled with barely suppressed excitement, as he moved closer to Zhang Liuyi.

"Look at this! A whole box full! It's all sold out! Not even a scrap of soup is left!"

He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his honest face radiating pure joy.

Zhang carefully placed the cleaned pottery jar back onto the wheelbarrow, a genuine smile on his face, but his eyes held a calm, calculating look.

She nodded: "Yes, it's done. Brother, hold the box tight so it doesn't fall."

"Hey! Don't worry! I'm holding you really tight!"

Zhang Liuji immediately hugged the wooden box even tighter, as if he were holding a golden baby.

While tidying up the cutting board, bamboo clips, and other odds and ends, Zhang Liuyi was rapidly calculating the numbers on the abacus in his mind.

The pig offal was practically free; the spices and firewood cost less than twenty coins in total…

After deducting these, we made a net profit of over 180 coins!

This is much better than selling raw meat piecemeal in the village!

Cold braised food keeps well; it can last for two or three days in cold weather without spoiling, making it ideal for small businesses like hers with limited capital and manpower.

Moreover, today's success has established a reputation and attracted repeat customers, so things will only get better in the future.

"Captain Xiong is truly... truly our benefactor!" Zhang Liuji couldn't help but sigh as he watched his sister's composed movements.

If it weren't for him…

Zhang Xiaoli didn't stop working. He folded the last rag, looked up, met his cousin's gaze, and nodded frankly and solemnly. His voice was clear and strong: "Yes, brother is right. The fact that our pig offal business was able to open and sell is all thanks to Brother Xiong for tasting it in public and speaking up for us."

She knew in her heart that Xiong Zixiang's actions, using his credibility and status, were a way to quietly break the ice for her.

She silently kept this kindness in her heart.

"Let's go home!"

Zhang Liuyi patted the dust off his hands, a relaxed yet energetic smile on his face.

"Let's come again tomorrow! Bring extra ingredients!"

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the brother and sister, making them feel warm and cozy.