Chapter 8 Shopping Street
Lin Yao looked up and saw the tall, strong scholar who had bought the cakes last time.
The scholar followed the shopkeeper around, haggling over the price. It was quite comical. Finally, the shopkeeper got fed up and gave him a ten-coin discount. Only then was the scholar satisfied and left after paying.
After leaving the noodle shop, Lin Yao and her two companions went into the blacksmith shop.
The blacksmith's shop was filled with the mixed smell of charcoal and metal, and the roaring fire made the whole room warm and cozy.
Lin Yao's gaze swept around the shop, finally settling on a pile of iron plates in the corner. She wanted to order a teppanyaki plate, but there weren't any pots of that style available yet. Lin Yao could only describe the structure of a modern iron plate to the blacksmith: "Master, I want an iron plate this big and this shallow." As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, "The edges should be slightly higher, the iron plate should be evenly forged, and the surface should be smooth and flat."
The blacksmith stopped his work, looked up at Lin Yao with a puzzled expression, and said, "Young lady, why are you making such a shallow pot? Ordinary people don't use this kind of tool for cooking."
Lin Yao mumbled, "Master, my family is large, and it's too much trouble to make pancakes in a regular pan. This is more convenient."
Although the blacksmith was puzzled—who would make a special pot just to make pancakes faster?—it was just a transaction where money was exchanged for goods. As long as he could make money, he readily agreed: “Alright, come back in two days to pick it up. It will cost 280 coins in total. I’ll pay an 80-coin deposit first.”
When Lin Yao watched her older brother take out his money pouch, her fingers trembled involuntarily. Her heart was bleeding, and she felt a pang of pain. Iron was truly expensive in ancient times.
But then I thought, this griddle isn't just for making pancakes, it can also be used for griddle tofu, griddle fried noodles, griddle fried rice... business will definitely be booming then, and I feel that the money was well spent.
Lin Cheng gave the deposit to the apprentice standing to the side. Although he didn't understand what his sister wanted for this strange-looking iron plate, ever since his sister received guidance from the immortal, her style of doing things had changed drastically, and she had one novel idea after another. There must be a reason for what she did.
After leaving the blacksmith's shop, the three headed towards Butcher Chen's stall. At Butcher Chen's stall, Lin Yao skillfully rummaged through the chopping board and picked out a large piece of pork fat that was white, glossy, and rich in fat. Then, seeing the well-balanced pork belly on the chopping board, and thinking of her family's malnutrition, Lin Yao said to Butcher Chen, "Could you please cut another pound of this pork belly?"
Lin Yao picked up the meat, secretly rejoicing that the era had introduced the method of catching pork, which eliminated the gamey smell of pork. When making braised pork, it would surely be tender, sweet, and tempting.
Just as she was about to leave, a lone, large bone in the corner caught Lin Yao's eye. This was perfect for making soup or porridge! The marrow, soaked in broth, was incredibly delicious!
"Uncle Chen, how much is this pork bone?" Lin Yao asked.
"Two coins for one," Butcher Chen replied.
"Uncle Chen, please take this for me." Lin Yao said.
"Alright!" said Butcher Chen.
When Lin Yao was about to pay, she noticed a large bucket of pig offal that Butcher Chen had placed to the side.
Her eyes lit up immediately, and she said, "Boss, I'll take all of these pig offal."
Upon hearing this, Lin Cheng immediately reached out and grabbed her, pleading with a pained expression, "Ayao, if you want meat, I'll buy it for you. The offal is dirty and smelly, and it's a lot of trouble to clean it."
Although pig offal smells bad, in ancient times when resources were scarce, some people would still buy it to supplement their diet, so the price was not particularly cheap, and families with a little extra money would not choose pig offal.
But at that moment, all Lin Yao could think about were braised pork intestines and braised pig lungs...
Although she had only been in this world for a few days, she felt as if she had been away from these delicacies for a long time. Just thinking about them made her mouth water. She was determined to buy these offal today: "Brother, I'm sure I can clean them up and make delicious dishes."
Lin Cheng couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he sighed and took out the money.
The braising liquid cannot be made without various spices, so Lin Yao led her older brother and younger brother into the spice shop and the herbal medicine shop.
Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves... Lin Yao ran to several places before she could buy everything. After settling the bill, Lin Yao counted her money. Of the 680 coins she earned from selling cinnamon branches today, she now only had 112 coins left.
Lin Yao silently recited in her heart: "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub; money comes, money comes from all directions!"
The three of them, carrying large and small bags, walked home. Lin Song walked in front, holding up the unfinished sugar figurine in his hand, licking it every now and then.
As they passed the old locust tree at the village entrance, several aunties were chatting. When they saw the group carrying large and small bags, their eyes immediately fell on them, and they greeted them warmly: "Cheng-ge'er, Yao-yatou, did you buy so many things?"
Just as Lin Cheng was about to speak, Lin Yao interrupted with a smile, "Auntie, the rice jar at home is almost empty, so we'll go and refill it, otherwise we won't have anything to eat."
Upon hearing this, the aunties didn't ask any more questions. They chatted casually for a few minutes before turning back to their own family matters. Lin Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. You can't judge a book by its cover; keeping your wealth hidden is the safest approach.
Once inside the house, Lin Yao dumped all her things on the ground and got to work.
She first moved the pig offal to a corner of the yard, filled a basin with well water, and soaked the pig offal in it all at once, preparing to give it a preliminary cleaning before adding flour to further clean it.
After Lin Cheng finished arranging the other things, he saw the white flour being used to wash the pig offal and gasped in shock. He leaned over and said, "Ayao, can this stuff really make something delicious?"
While rubbing the pig offal, Lin Yao said confidently, "Brother, just you wait and see. Once I've cleaned it up, I guarantee it will smell so good it will make your mouth water."
Lin Song squatted to the side, staring wide-eyed at the food with curiosity, occasionally poking at the slippery pig intestines in the basin: "Second sister, it looks so strange, and it smells bad."
"Will you eat later?" Lin Yao asked, looking at the little guy, and decided to tease him.
Lin Song thought about the delicious meals his second sister had been cooking lately, blinked his big eyes, and said, "Eat!"
Seeing Lin Song's quick agreement, Lin Yao couldn't help but chuckle, and her movements as she kneaded the pig offal became even more efficient.
She evenly coated the pig intestines and stomach with flour, kneading it repeatedly. The flour became sticky when it came into contact with water, carrying with it the mucus and impurities from the organs. Soon, the water in the basin became murky. ①
Lin Yao poured out the dirty water, then fetched several basins of clean water and carefully rinsed the ingredients until the water was crystal clear, revealing their original color. The pork offal also lost its pungent smell.
Next comes the most crucial step – preparing the braising liquid.
Lin Yao cut the washed pork offal into evenly sized pieces and arranged them in a large earthenware basin for later use. She turned and went into the house, picked out star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, and Sichuan peppercorns from the spice bag she had just bought, grabbed a small handful of each, added ginger slices and scallion segments, and put them all into the pot.
The fire in the stove was already burning brightly. Lin Yao poured enough water into the pot and watched as the water slowly boiled. The rich aroma of spices rose with the steam, filling the entire courtyard.
After the water boils, she adds an appropriate amount of salt, stirs it evenly with chopsticks to give the broth a beautiful dark brown color, and then adds the prepared pork offal.
The pork offal was thrown into the pot and instantly submerged in the boiling broth. Lin Yao covered the pot with the lid, leaving only a small gap for ventilation, letting the fire steadily lick the bottom of the pot. She stood by the stove, occasionally stirring with chopsticks to ensure that every piece of pork offal was infused with the aroma of the braising liquid.
Lin Cheng helped add firewood, watching the bubbling broth in the pot and smelling the increasingly rich aroma in the air. His doubts gradually dissipated, replaced by a faint sense of anticipation.
Lin Song couldn't sit still any longer. He followed Lin Yao like a little tail, sometimes tiptoeing to peek into the pot, sometimes sniffing.
About half an hour later, Lin Yao picked up a piece of pig intestine, gently poked it with her chopsticks, and the intestinal wall slightly dented and quickly bounced back, indicating that it was almost cooked.
She told Lin Cheng not to add any more firewood, but to keep the fire low and let the offal simmer in the braising liquid for a while so that the flavors could penetrate more thoroughly.
After simmering for half an hour, Lin Yao scooped the braised pork offal into a clean earthenware pot, filling it to the brim, and sprinkled some chopped cilantro on top. The steam carrying the aroma of freshness wafted over.
"Brother, Song'er, come and have a taste!" Lin Yao greeted with a beaming smile, her eyes full of anticipation.
The large intestines, stained a glossy blackish-red by the braising sauce, are coiled on the plate, gleaming with an enticing sheen of oil. Just looking at them makes one's mouth water.
Lin Cheng reached for the braised pork intestines with his chopsticks, gently picking up a small piece. It was soft and chewy to the touch. He slowly put it in his mouth, and the moment his teeth bit down, he felt the perfect chewiness of the casing, a slight springiness. Then, the soft, fragrant oil and meaty aroma inside exploded, followed by a surge of rich, mellow braising sauce—the intensity of star anise, the sweetness of cinnamon, the freshness of bay leaves—all blended together perfectly, each flavor intricately balanced, seamlessly complementing the natural aroma of the intestines without any jarring contrast.
Lin Cheng's eyes widened instantly, filled with surprise and disbelief. His originally slow chewing speed unconsciously increased, and the more he chewed, the more he felt that the taste was unforgettable.
"Ah Yao," Lin Cheng swallowed the food in his mouth, his voice filled with urgency and excitement, "This braised pork intestine is truly a delicacy! I've never eaten anything so delicious in my life!" As he spoke, he quickly picked up a large piece and put it in his mouth, his heart completely immersed in this unexpected deliciousness. At this moment, Lin Yao saw a rare trace of childishness in Lin Cheng.
Lin Song, who had been unable to contain himself any longer, watched his older brother eating with such relish and eagerly reached out to grab a piece. He set his sights on a piece of braised pig lung, and without caring that it was hot, stuffed it directly into his mouth.
The moment he took a bite, a sharp "hiss!" rang out, burning his mouth. Even so, he couldn't bear to spit it out. He blew on it a few times before swallowing it whole. The way he wolfed it down, as if afraid someone would snatch it away, his cheeks bulging, he mumbled indistinctly as he chewed, "Second Sister, it's so delicious!"
Watching the two enjoying their meal, Lin Yao also picked up a piece of braised pork intestine. The moment it entered her mouth, the familiar flavor burst forth on her tongue. The casing had just the right amount of chewiness; with a gentle bite, the soft, creamy interior released a rich, juicy filling. The aroma of braising, fat, and spices intertwined, sliding warmly down her throat. She couldn't help but squint her eyes, savoring this long-awaited delicacy.
"Brother, Song'er, let's serve some out for dinner." Lin Yao said, taking a large bowl and filling it to the brim with braised pork offal. The steaming hot food was then served.
The family sat together, enjoying the freshly cooked braised dishes, and even the usually bland coarse grain rice tasted delicious.
After dinner, Lin Yao carefully put the remaining braised pork offal into a clean earthenware jar and covered it.
She turned to look at Lin Cheng, who was tying things to a carrying pole, and said, "Brother, I plan to sell these braised dishes at the stall tomorrow."
Lin Cheng secured the wooden bucket to one end of the carrying pole, saying, "I'll do it your way."
The moonlight, as clear as water, spilled over the small courtyard and the three thatched huts. Lin Yao suddenly felt that such ordinary yet busy days were not bad at all.
A note from the author:
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① Cleaning method quoted from Baidu
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