Just as Fang Yan once again refused the uncle, she offered him a pound of pork from the remaining three portions of braised meat she had ordered.
The loyal fan who had pre-ordered five catties of braised pork arrived just then to pick it up.
The middle-aged man glanced at his loyal fan discreetly and pleaded, "Ma'am, could you please spare a pound of braised meat from your pre-order for me?"
“I wanted to come and order in advance, but the construction site boss only paid me today. As soon as I got the money, I rushed here to buy meat. I went to all the markets in the whole county, and this boss was the only one who had braised meat.”
The uncle repeated his story to the loyal fan, adding at the end, "The boss is a person of her word. I've been begging her for ages, but she insists that this meat was reserved by someone else. No matter how much I plead, she just won't give me a single pound."
"Sister, could you please spare me a pound? Last month, around the Ghost Festival (July 15th of the lunar calendar), the construction site boss didn't pay our wages, and we haven't been able to buy meat. My family, especially the elderly and children, hasn't had meat for a month or two. Today is a festival, so I'm begging you to have pity on my family and spare some for me."
The Ghost Festival (July 15th) is also a major festival in the area, where people worship gods and ancestors.
It seems this uncle is determined to buy his braised meat today.
But why is that?
She tried to signal to her die-hard fan not to agree.
Fang Yan's intuition told her that something was amiss.
No matter what kind of trouble the uncle might cause, as long as he can't buy the braised meat he produces, that's fine.
Unfortunately, although the eldest sister was very supportive of Fang Yan, there was still a lack of understanding between them.
Fang Yan secretly gave her so many winks.
Sister Qian didn't understand a single word. "Xiao Fang, did you stay up late cooking braised meat last night? Your eyes are bothering you today."
Fang Yan: ...
What could she do?
I could only smile and reply, "Yes, I didn't go to bed until after midnight last night, and I got up early this morning. My eyes are a bit dry and uncomfortable."
All her belongings were here, and she couldn't bear to leave them behind, so she called her staunch fan sister aside to talk.
"After you go back, pick some mulberry leaves, add some black beans, boil them together in water and drink it for two or three days, and you'll feel better."
The kind-hearted older sister, a die-hard fan, immediately offered Fang Yan "advice," then pointed to the uncle next to her, "Help this one..."
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't yet discussed with the uncle how much she could give him.
The older sister, a die-hard fan, turned to the older man and said, "Brother, my family is large, and these five pounds of braised meat aren't enough for us. If you want a pound, I might not be able to spare any. But seeing how pitiful you sound, I'll reluctantly spare half a pound for you. Do you want it?"
Don't give up.
I had to reluctantly part with just half a pound of it.
The uncle hurriedly and gratefully agreed, "Yes, yes, thank you so much, ma'am! You're clearly a kind and conscientious person!"
Fang Yan was a little unwilling. Since her attempt to wink at the woman had failed, she could only gently remind the staunch supporter, "Sister, didn't you say that you have many ancestral tablets to worship at home? Is this half-pound enough to worship the gods?"
The people in this area of the county town all believe in gods and Buddhas, and they hold countless major and minor festivals and offer countless prayers every year.
They also have great reverence for the gods.
If there aren't enough people to eat, it's fine; just stuff a few more sweet potatoes and you'll be full.
But if there aren't enough people to worship the gods, then it'll be troublesome.
The loyal fan was also a little troubled, but she waved her hand and said nonchalantly, "It's okay, I'll think of something when I get back. I'll put some vegetables on the bottom and then put a layer of braised meat on top, and that will be a big meat dish."
I did a good deed by giving the meat to others; the gods will understand.
Fang Yan: ...
You're so generous I don't even know what to say.
Fang Yan was reluctant to sell, but her die-hard fan insisted on giving half a pound to the uncle.
She could only spare half a pound from the five pounds of braised meat ordered by her loyal fan sister and hand it to the uncle.
"Ma'am, you paid a deposit before, right? To avoid any problems between you and the boss, I'll give you the money back. You can calculate how much it is."
The uncle, his honest and weathered face beaming with gratitude, looked at the devoted fan and said...
Fang Yan glanced at him again in surprise. He had never bought meat before, but he knew that she had received a deposit in advance for the braised meat for this Mid-Autumn Festival.
I really don't know if I'm just overthinking it?
Fang Yan increasingly felt that this seemingly honest and kind uncle was very suspicious.
Things had come to this point, and there was no going back. Fang Yan could only keep a close eye on things, just in case something happened tomorrow, so she could handle it.
"Big sister, I've slightly adjusted the braising sauce for this batch of braised meat. Try some and see if you like the taste of this modified recipe."
She cut two or three pieces of braised pork from the portion ordered by her loyal fan, drizzled it with the braising sauce, and handed it to her, saying, "This meat will be weighed later. Take it and taste it; it's on me."
Just then, the owner of the pickled food stall next door finished his work and came over to pick up the pound of meat she had ordered. Fang Yan handed her a piece as well, saying, "Aunt Zhu, you should try a piece too."
Fang Yan cut a few more pieces and let the uncle, Xiao Yuzai, and even Qibei and herself taste them on the spot.
"Qibei, every time you eat meat, it's like a cow chewing on a peony—you always swallow it in one gulp," Fang Yan teased Qibei.
Little Fish, his little mouth munching on the greasy food, said in his childish voice on behalf of Qibei, "Because Mommy's cooking is the best!"
"Little Fish is right. The meat that Xiao Fang braised is fatty but not greasy, and it's very chewy. It smells amazing. No matter how I braise it myself, I can't get the same flavor," Aunt Zhu, the owner of the pickled products shop, praised with a smile.
The loyal fan smiled with great satisfaction, "Is there a secret recipe for this meat? Anyway, I'm a rough person and can't taste these subtle changes, but it's just so fragrant. Xiao Fang, could you weigh it again to see how much it weighs?"
The uncle also felt that the braised meat in his mouth was the most delicious meat he had ever eaten. As he chewed, he lowered his head a little embarrassed, not daring to look at Fang Yan anymore.
There was nothing he could do; it wasn't that he missed her, but rather that she had offended someone.
Not far away, Fang Yaojin, who was hiding in the shadows, saw Fang Yan take some meat from the portion that her loyal fan had ordered and give it to everyone to try on the spot.
He immediately frowned. "This bitch is clever."
But what's the use of being smart?
I've spent a lot of money on things for tomorrow, even bribing the right connections.
Tomorrow you'll only have the option of going in.
Fang Yan re-weighed the braised meat for the loyal fan, calculated the price, and then deducted the deposit and the uncle's half-pound.
The loyal fan couldn't read, so Fang Yan calculated everything for her clearly and precisely, one by one.
Then they settled the bill, gave the meat, and went their separate ways...
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