Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Eat mutton head in winter.
Yesterday, Ji Xu took down the sheep's head hanging on the door before going to bed and hung it in the west room because it was robbed. Now that the weather is cool, the smell will not go bad, so it is a perfect time to cook it.
The sheep was bought with its wool removed and its horns sawed off. It cost ten coins per catty, which, according to the Western Han Dynasty's weights and measures, weighed eight catties.
After untying the rope, I found some fine hairs, so I lit a fire to clean them, chopped them up with a sharp hatchet, and took out the sheep's brain and mouth first.
Scrape and clean the fishy nose, and when it is about 70% to 80% cooked in the pot, don't forget to take out the mouth and remove the old skin wrapped around it.
Add ginger, pepper and green onion, then simmer in the pot over low heat.
This clay pot is cheap for making soups and dishes, but it is not hot enough for stir-frying. When I have more money in the future, I will slowly buy some iron items.
"We've never had mutton at home. It looks really good. Sister, how long does it take to cook it?"
Ji Feng was extremely greedy. It was the first time in his life that he smelled the mutton from his own home. In the past, he had only seen the Feng family eating it, or had seen it from afar on the incense table during sacrifices in the village.
"It will take an hour or so." Ji Xu said.
The soup became whiter and whiter as it was boiled, and a radish was cut into it halfway through.
These radishes were given to me by Wang Dianji. I haven’t eaten them for two days, and there are still a lot left.
After stewing for an hour, add the sheep brain that was taken out earlier. This is the essence and cannot be put in too early to avoid being overcooked.
The sheep's head was already soft and boneless, and it smelled of frankincense.
Ji Feng was so greedy that she swallowed her saliva and said, "It tastes like goat's milk! Sister, is it ready to eat?"
"One more step." Ji Xu said with a smile.
She was not afraid of the heat. She took out the sheep's head. The skin was sticky and the meat was rotten. In the hot air, she easily removed the bones and sliced the meat into slices and put them in a bowl.
Chop the green onions, sprinkle with salt and vinegar, grind some pepper powder, pick up three or five radishes, and pour a spoonful of milky mutton soup on it, and this bowl of mutton and radish soup is ready.
Ji Feng, who was so excited, had already swallowed half of his saliva. He moved the food table early and placed it next to the stove.
As the weather turned colder, the three sisters had mutton and radish soup in the kitchen for breakfast, using the residual heat from the stove to keep themselves warm.
"Sister, this mutton soup is delicious. I want another bowl." Ji Feng said with a good appetite.
Jizhu also drank two bowls, and her stomach was bloated.
How could they not be happy since it was the first time for the family to eat mutton? Ji Xu was also full and went to Shengchangli to sell steamed buns again. Her younger sisters were busy washing the dishes at home, so she didn't have to worry about it.
What she is thinking about now is saving money. Once the house is built, if she has money, she can slowly add to her belongings.
There were two food tables in the kitchen, which were sent by Chen Dazuo. They were more than a foot high and were used for kneeling and sitting to eat. There should have been a mat for the floor, but the family only had one reed mat for sleeping, and there was no extra mat to spread on the ground.
There was no room for floor tiles in the house, and there was no couch to sit on. Although the mud floor was solid and slippery, kneeling on it would inevitably dirty the pants. Summer clothes were light and easy to wash, but it was not convenient in winter. It was a good thing for one person to make a set of thick cotton clothes, so how could they be changed frequently?
Ji Xu thought, mat, not to mention the expensive bamboo mat, at least he should buy a reed mat to use as a dining table, which would be cheaper.
Besides, the house didn't have iron cauldrons, kitchen knives, wooden chopping boards, plates and bowls, chests and boxes, needlework tools, or a stove for heating in winter.
However, the most important thing right now is to buy an iron lock first. It was all the concerns caused by the thief. The newly built kitchen is eye-catching after all, and there are a lot of household belongings in it. Whether going out or sleeping at night, it is safer to lock it.
Another important thing is winter clothes and bedding to keep warm.
After thinking so much, there is only one word: money.
Fortunately, the business of meat-filled steamed buns is still going on. As for the preserved eggs, Wang Dianji still owes him the supply for thirteen days, so there is no income for the time being.
So this time, there were still steamed buns in the basket.
Remembering the kindness of Cai Gaohuan who had bargained for her to buy a chicken that day, he gave her two steamed buns when he went to Shengchangli that day. After some quarreling, Cai Gaohuan finally accepted them.
Sun Linlang, standing aside, rolled up his sleeves and glanced at them sideways. He rolled his eyes where they couldn't see and muttered:
"When did these two become so good at wearing the same pants?"
He now put more mutton in the Hu pancake, about the amount of two fingernails, but business was still slow. Cai Gaohuan's customers were coming and going, which made his teeth chatter.
After leaving the market, Ji Xu went to the kiln first to deliver the fifty preserved eggs to Wang Dianji.
She also took out a bamboo tube from the basket and poured out a bowl of hot mutton and radish soup, which was the leftover from breakfast. She thought it was not right to take a basket of vegetables for free.
Ji Xuyin said, "I heard from Che'er that Wang Dianji likes to eat stewed radish until it's soft. It's almost the beginning of winter, so here's the radish and mutton soup I made. Mutton is the best food in winter. If Wang Dianji doesn't mind, please try it."
Che'er didn't say such things for no reason. Ji Xu was building a house at home these two days and had no time to see Che'er. He never said it. In fact, he saw Wang Dianji specially took out two radishes and kept them for himself that day. He had bad teeth, so he guessed it.
Hearing this, Wang Dianji's hard heart softened a little, and he muttered, "The car is so meticulous, but it's even harder for you to be so kind..."
I picked up a piece and put it in my mouth. It was just soft and tender, with juice mixed with the aroma of mutton. I smacked my lips and it tasted so good.
Later, when she was selling steamed cakes, Wang Dianji came running over with a servant, panting, and said:
"Ji Zhengbing! Come with me quickly and make breakfast for the princess."
Ji Xu accepted Wang Dianji's favor and was willing to help, but she also had to finish her own business, as she had not sold all the steamed buns yet.
Wang Dianji said anxiously, "We can't wait any longer. The princess caught a cold yesterday and has lost her appetite. Isn't this your chance?"
In fact, it was Wang Dianji's opportunity. He couldn't miss such a chance to show off his merits. As soon as the servant who brought the news arrived, he went to find Ji Xu.
He waved his hand and said, "I'll buy all the steamed buns you have left."
"No, many of these were reserved two days ago."
Ji Xu suggested, "Why don't you ask the accountant to deliver it to me? I'll take care of the rest of the accountant's business and go make breakfast for Princess Gan."
"Sure, sure."
Wang Dianji took the basket from her and handed it to the servant beside her. "This is Tong'er. He serves in the outer courtyard of our family and often helps run errands. Tell him the address and amount, and he will take care of it and deliver it to you."
Tong Er greeted Ji Xu lively, took note of everything, and ran away. Wang Dianji shook his head regretfully.
Tong'er had his eyes burned by his previous master, and there was a big hideous scar on his left cheek, which really disfigured him. As a Dianji, he had to socialize with people. If it weren't for his face, Wang Dianji would have accepted Tong'er as his apprentice long ago.
Ji Xu and Wang Dianji had just returned to the back room of the kiln when the servant who was responsible for delivering breakfast to Wang Dianji came back with a sad face and said with a pout:
"Wang Dianji wants raw venison, rabbit meat, and live chickens. I don't have the guts to ask for them. Chef Niu scolded me.
They said that the best meat should be reserved for the master, and that a half-buried pawnshop owner wouldn't be so lucky... so they only gave me this."
He was holding half a chicken skeleton in his hand. There was not much meat left, but there were a few pieces of fat.
That was something that the east kitchen at the other end of the family had no use for. The servant stuffed the thing into Wang Dianji's hand and ran away in annoyance.
Wang Dianji was immediately furious. "How many years have I, Wang Dianji, been in the Gan family? Madam has promised me the same meals as the master. I can cook a few kinds of meat myself. Why not?"
That Niu Chef is just relying on his nephew being a pawnbroker, so he dares to ignore me, forgetting the time when he used to be my lackey! None of these outside hires are good..."
Wang Dianji was fuming with anger, ready to go to his family and curse at the chef Niu.
Ji Xu stopped him in time and said, "If the clerk goes there, it will take too long. Even if we can get all kinds of meat back, we will miss the time for Princess Gan to have breakfast.
I think it would be fine to use this chicken skeleton to make chicken porridge, which is warm and appetizing. It shouldn't be a problem."
Wang Dianji came to his senses and realized that the cow chef must have guessed that he wanted to make food to flatter his wife and deliberately threw him a piece of chicken skeleton.
If he started making a fuss, not only would it waste time, but his wife would also think he was taking advantage of his age and would no longer rely on the young Niu Dianji.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but stop, but his heart was still hanging, so he asked:
"How can this be done?"
"I have a way." Ji Xu said.
Wang Dianji was half-believing and half-doubting, but time was running out and he had no choice but to let Ji Xu do it.
I saw her skillfully using the iron knife to turn the chicken skeleton over several times, pick out half a piece of chicken breast meat and some meat slices and shreds, and then finely scrape the bones into the pot to make soup. She then added rice to the thick soup to cook porridge.
Ji Xu said, "I saw Gan Jiantu, the gatekeeper at the kiln, drying some fragrant mushrooms on the roof of his shed. Wang Dianji, go buy a handful."
The kiln is next to the Gan family's mountain. After the rain, fragrant mushrooms will emerge from the ground on the mountain. The boys in the kiln will pick them and cook them to eat fresh.
Gan Jiantu couldn't leave his post, but in order to make it easier for everyone to come and go, they would share some food with him, and the food he couldn't finish would be dried on the roof.
"Bastard brother, what good thing is there in the soup?"
Wang Dianji was lying outside the window, looking inside with a grin.
I saw Gan Jiantu had started a fire inside and was roasting sparrows. Next to him was a wooden bow. Usually, he would shoot down the birds nearby and roast them.
"Give me some of yours."
Wang Dianji pointed at a sack on the table beside his bed. The torn edges revealed some dry brown mushrooms.
Gan Jiantu pointed up with his finger and said, "One penny per head."
"How stingy! It's useless to be so big..."
Wang Dianji reluctantly paid ten coins, and left with five dried mushrooms and a handful of dried bamboo shoots, still complaining back.
Gan Jiantu ignored him, took the money, and ate the roasted sparrow by himself.
“And dried bamboo shoots?”
Yu Jixu was pleasantly surprised. It must have been dried in the spring. Just add some hot water and it will swell up quickly, then be cut into small pieces.
The porridge was already popping with rice flowers. With the addition of chicken, bamboo shoots and mushrooms, the soup became thicker and more fragrant. Finally, Ji Xu fried the two pieces of yellow chicken fat into hot oil and poured it into the porridge. The sizzling aroma filled the air. Finally, he sprinkled some chopped green onions on it, which added a touch of green and enriched the aroma.
Wang Dianji was secretly drooling beside him, and Ji Xu first poured out a bowl for him.
"Wang Dianji is used to eating good food. Let me try it first. Is it to your liking?"
Wang Dianji has not had breakfast yet and is waiting.
The first bite was so thick, soft and fragrant that before I knew it, the bowl was empty. I smacked my lips and nodded, saying:
"It tastes good. Serve it in a red pottery bowl and I'll send it to my family."
He went to his room and brought out the lacquered wooden food box and red pottery bowl. Ji Xu filled them up and handed them to him. Wang Dianji, who had previously had a bowl of mutton and radish and now a bowl of chicken porridge, was so kind and asked:
"If Madam has a reward, what do you want? I'll get it for you."
Ji Xu thought for a moment and said, "We have built a new house and we are short of an iron lock."
Nowadays, the salt and iron industry is state-run. As for edible salt, some small and medium-sized merchants can still sell it at the market every day, carrying it on carts or carrying it on their shoulders, under the premise of paying heavy taxes.
Iron products were particularly demanding. For example, if one wanted to save up money to buy an iron lock, one had to go to the county iron shop, which was a special place in the county and was staffed by government officials. Not only was the price high, but it was also inconvenient. The county town was thirty miles away from Benguli, and the family didn't have a car. Going there to buy a lock would take a day off from selling steamed cakes.
Wang Dianji was well aware of the inconvenience of going to the county town. The Gan family had a lot of such iron tools in their warehouse, so he nodded and went back to his home.
He bumped into Chef Niu in the inner courtyard and immediately snorted coldly. Chef Niu glanced at the food box in his hand and said with a smile:
"What did Wang Dianji ask your disciple to do again?
Wang Dianji is relatively free, while my nephew is already busy with the accounting of the forests and fields, so how could he have the time to make a living by scheming for food?
Chef Niu gradually realized that Wang Dianji had actually interfered in his east kitchen, preparing water chestnuts and melons, eggplants and preserved eggs, and even giving many preserved eggs to his wife as gifts. It seemed as if the people in their east kitchen were not doing their job well and needed a Dianji to take care of the food.
Wang Dianji said as he looked inside:
"How much trouble would it take me to settle the accounts? Those novices are certainly no match for me. I can figure out the accounts at a glance, but those outsiders will have to spend the whole night to settle the accounts."
Chef Niu spat inwardly, recalling how he had been careless and had mistakenly sent Wang Dianji's meal to Princess Gan, which had led to the aftermath. He couldn't help but grit his teeth, but he still smiled.
"I'm afraid Wang Dianji has wasted his time. Madam just woke up early and asked the maid to come to the east kitchen and ask me to make a bowl of rabbit meat and taro soup for the young lady as breakfast. It has already been sent there, and I just came out."
Before he could finish his words, the door creaked open and a maid came out carrying a bowl of rabbit meat and taro soup. She saw Wang Dianji with a sad face and immediately called out,
"What food did Wang Dianji bring? Miss, you have no appetite, and the mistress is looking for you."
The two of them talked and went inside.
Soon, Wang Dianji came out with a happy look on his face. The maid opened the storeroom with the key and took out an iron spring lock and gave it to him.
This iron spring lock uses three copper plates as switches inside. The keyhole has a complex shape, which can prevent thieves from breaking the lock. The lock body is square column-shaped and the workmanship is solid and exquisite. It is indeed a high-quality product and is worth at least three hundred coins.
It is better than the one Wang Dianji used. He couldn't let it go all the way back. He thought, wouldn't it be great if he could take off the ordinary old iron lock on his door and give it to Ji Zhengbing, and keep this iron spring lock for his own use?
Ji Xu, who had been selling steamed cakes for two days, was unaware of what was happening on the other side. He hadn't noticed yesterday that Wang Dianji had bought all the cakes, but today he realized that the business was not as hot as before. After all, eating steamed cakes for several days would eventually make one tired of it.
Besides, Shengchangli is not that big, with more than a hundred households. Now everyone has passed the excitement of the past, and the number of breakfast reservations is not as much as before.
At the beginning, I could sell about a hundred, but now I can sell about fifty. Adding the money earned by Zhuang Hui Niang, if I deduct the cost of buying duck eggs and pork for stuffing every day, I can only save about fifty coins.
She had asked Zhuang Huiniang about it, and she found out that the cheapest iron lock in the county iron shop was 150 coins each.
As for the three sisters wanting to make winter clothes, nowadays most people stuff their winter clothes with cotton wool, such as willow or reed wool; the rich wear fur coats, the expensive ones include fox fur, leopard fur, and sable fur, and even the relatively common sheep fur and deer fur, ordinary people can own one, and it can be passed down for several generations.
There is also cotton, which is silk cotton sold by silkworm farmers. One pound of it costs a hundred coins, and only the rich families in the village can afford it.
Nowadays, there is no cotton to make cotton wool. Kapok is only grown in the Western Regions. Cotton cloth is still rare, and cotton wool is not popular yet.
For a grown woman like her, a winter jacket would require three catties of cotton, and a pair of trousers with a crotch would require two catties.
To make a set of clothes for maids and non-maids like my sisters, they each need about two and a half pounds of cotton.
After all, cotton-padded clothes are warm, so Ji Xu still wanted to make cotton-padded clothes for them. To do this, he would need about ten pounds of cotton, plus the money for buying a piece of cloth, which would cost over a thousand coins.
After Ji Xu calculated the account, he couldn't help but think about other business.
Ji Zhi, who was selling preserved naan fruit nearby, saw that Ji Xu had not returned home yet. He took another look and saw that there were some unsold steamed buns in his basket. He felt better and took the initiative to walk side by side with Ji Xu and asked:
"Cousin, are the steamed buns still sold out?"
Although she had not sold all the preserved fruits in her basket, she met a wealthy old woman and sold more than before. She earned about ten cents today. She planned to keep three for herself and give seven to Jin.
"Can you give me some of the ones that haven't been sold?" Ji Zhi said.
They hadn't sold out yet, so Ji Xu took one out of the basket and handed it to her, "Take it, sister."
He had been hawking from dawn to noon. Ji Zhi was so hungry that he asked this question. He took the food and ate it, then shook his head and said:
"It tastes better when it's hot."
Of course, it tastes better when it's hot, but it's also okay if it's cold. Ji Xu was also eating to satisfy his hunger. The two of them were walking down the road when they suddenly heard someone calling from behind:
"Sister Xu!"
Chen Che'er, who was working in the kiln and had just come out, was still covered in dust. He had a smile on his face and opened his palm.
"This is what Wang Dianji asked me to give to Sister Xu."
It was an iron spring lock with a thick and smooth forging process without any lead mixed in. Chen Che'er could still recall Wang Dianji's look of wanting to give it but feeling a bit of a toothache.
"Look at this lock! This is the first time I've seen such solid workmanship in this area! I'm afraid the Gan family hired a blacksmith to make it."
Ji Zhi tightened the handle of the basket and couldn't help but ask, "Why would Wang Dianji give such a good thing to my cousin for no reason?"
"Wang Dianji said that Sister Xu helped him, and this is a thank you gift."
Chen Che'er said that he didn't know what specific help he was given. He only knew that Wang Dianji was very happy today and smiled at him. He also praised him for his attentive observation of people.
Ji Xu took the iron spring lock home and hung it on the door of the main room. There were two iron keys, and this one was hers.
There was also a piece of straw rope strung together and hung around Ji Feng's neck. Ji Feng was as happy as if she had won a piece of jewelry. Looking at the brand new big iron lock, she said happily:
"I was just talking about buying a lock the other day, and it's a coincidence that I got it today. After all, my sister has connections. I'll use this old one to lock the kitchen. Let's see what thieves can steal next time!"
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