Uncle Shu returned on his bicycle. He had bought pork, pig liver, and pig's head meat. The pork and pig liver were raw, but the pig's head meat was cooked. A new braised meat shop had opened in town, specializing in braised pig's head meat, and there was always a queue before mealtimes.
The villagers say they can't afford to eat, yet they are very willing to spend money on food.
When Uncle Shu bought the pig's head, he was thinking that things were really different after the reform and opening up. The villagers were trying to make a living by all means. No matter how respectable it was to be a self-employed individual, as long as they could make money, someone would be willing to do it!
My niece's roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) has both meat and bread, and tastes great. If it can become an instant hit, she won't have to worry about selling it.
Chu Yu personally cooked braised pork, and stir-fried pork liver, eggplant, and water spinach.
In the morning, Shu Hui and Deng Fangping kneaded dough and cooked pork leg meat to practice their skills. They used it as a staple food, and fearing it wouldn't be enough, they also steamed a pot of rice.
This meal had both meat and vegetables; not only could you not find such dishes in Shanguan Village, but even in big cities, few families could afford to eat like this.
"Try my mom and second aunt's cooking, and give me some feedback after you've eaten."
Chu Yu smiled as she placed the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) on the table. These days, people usually bring their own baskets, lunchboxes, or net bags when they buy things because plastic bags are hard to find.
No shopkeeper would provide a plastic bag just for a few cents or a few dimes.
Naturally, there is no special food packaging paper for food products.
Chu Yu observed that most of the food stalls in Deyang City use ordinary paper cut to the appropriate size.
Paper is breathable, so it won't produce moisture that affects the texture of the film, and it can also absorb oil. It cannot be replaced by other materials.
Chu Yu eventually found a type of paper similar to envelope wrapping paper, cut it into the shape of roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) paper, wrapped the roujiamo inside, which was both oil-absorbing and breathable, and wouldn't get your hands dirty.
Dai Donglin picked up a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and took a bite. He travels frequently for work and has been to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other cities. He always tries the local specialties wherever he goes.
He had eaten roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) once in the north, but they used a white dough. The taste wasn't bad, but it didn't leave a special impression on him.
The roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) made by Chu Yu's family caught his eye.
The steamed bun is crispy and delicious, crumbling in your mouth with every bite. The premium pork leg meat is fragrant and tempting. Add some sliced egg and garlic to cut through the richness, and you'll find it incredibly satisfying!
Mi Fei ate like a hamster, "So delicious! My aunt and uncle's cooking is absolutely amazing! It's so delicious I wish I could swallow my tongue!"
Deng Fangping was skeptical, thinking, "Maybe they're just trying to make us happy."
"I swear to God! I'm not kidding you! I've traveled all over the country with Brother Donglin and been to many places. Of all the snacks I've ever eaten, your roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) is definitely one of the best!"
Mi Fei wasn't lying to them. In the 1970s, everyone was mainly focused on filling their stomachs. After entering the 1980s, with reform and opening up, wages rose and land was distributed to individual households. People still looked as frugal as they were in the 1970s, but they had a lot more money in their pockets.
Otherwise, how could their imported home appliances sell so well? Deyang City can't compare to Beijing or Shanghai; it's at most a medium-sized city. The people there seem frugal, yet they can spend two thousand yuan to buy an imported color TV!
Their shipment was sold out before it was even unloaded, and orders are booked until next year. No matter how much they have, it's not enough to go around, which shows that people have money in their pockets.
With the taste of Chu Yu's roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), I'm sure many people would be willing to queue up to buy it!
Dai Donglin also praised, "It's really good. Are you going to set up a stall to sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)?"
Chu Yu didn't deny it. Back in the 1980s, she constantly reminded herself that her career was the most important thing. She could have men, but they could never affect her ability to make money. Dai Donglin saved Xiao Jiang this time, and by some twist of fate, she also got to see the situation at home.
Her parents divorced, and she raised two younger sisters alone. She didn't even have a house and made a living by selling luminous sand and quail eggs. In the future, she plans to set up a stall to sell roujiamo (Chinese hamburger).
She didn't know Dai Donglin's family background, but Chu Yu knew how much a Jeep cost in 1983. He was probably running a business on long-distance routes. He came from a good family and was good at making money, so his wealth was beyond her reach.
When dating, one can disregard the other person's family background, but marriage requires matching social status. Chu Yu's family is not as well-off as Dai Donglin's, and she does not feel inferior to others, but she should still tell the other person the truth about her family situation.
“I want my mom and second aunt to set up a stall in Deyang. If they do well, we can rent a storefront later.”
Dai Donglin could tell that she was a woman with a plan. The newspaper had just reported on the visit of the North Korean head of state to China, and she had already started selling quail eggs. Not only that, she also kept hundreds of quails in her kitchen. In terms of action, Dai Donglin was no match for her.
Although making roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) is a small business, it is very suitable for rural women like Deng Fangping and Shu Hui.
It wasn't that Dai Donglin had a prejudice against rural people; he simply understood the unease and anxiety rural people felt when they first came to the city. Small businesses were easy to start, they received cash every day, and with such delicious food, they had no trouble selling. Starting a business was stress-free, and all that awaited them was prosperity.
"Let me know when you're setting up your stall, I'll come and support you. There are only a few restaurants in Deyang, I'm already tired of them," Dai Donglin said.
Chu Xiang and Yunyun whispered to each other, secretly laughing as they watched Dai Donglin. As soon as Dai Donglin looked up, the two of them fell silent and lowered their heads to eat.
"What's wrong?" Dai Donglin smiled.
Yunyun didn't dare to look up. She nudged Chu Xiang, making Chu Xiang's face turn bright red. Then she nudged Chu Chu, who scratched her head, looking completely bewildered.
Xiao Jiang grinned as he ate a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger): "My second cousin said you're handsome and tall, so my sister said you should be our brother-in-law."
Chu Xiang quickly covered his mouth.
Shu Hui was stunned for a moment, but she hadn't thought of it that way.
Comrade Dai and Chu Yu look like a perfect match, but Comrade Dai drives a car, while they don't even have a home. How could they dare to aspire to such a high status?
Nowadays, there is a large gap between urban and rural household registration. Ordinary urban families look down on people from the countryside, let alone someone like Comrade Dai who comes from a well-off family.
When you're dating, everything is great. But once you get married and have children, the daily grind of life changes everything. It's not as easy as it used to be. Women don't need to find an outstanding family to marry into, but the family must be kind and reasonable. What's the point of marrying into a high-ranking family if you have a troublesome mother-in-law like Jiang Meifeng?
Shu Hui didn't want her daughter to marry into a wealthy family only to be looked down upon by her in-laws and live a seemingly glamorous but actually manipulated life in the city.
“Don’t talk nonsense, your sister didn’t mean that,” Shu Hui said with a smile, afraid that Dai Donglin would overthink it and think that they were after him for his car and city residency. “Kids talk nonsense, don’t take it to heart.”
Dai Donglin suddenly felt that even roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) had lost its flavor.
He wanted to take it to heart, but his mother-in-law wouldn't give him the chance.
"Comrade Dai, Comrade Mi, we don't have much to offer you at home. This is a dish cooked by my niece herself. Please try it and see how it tastes," Shu Aiguo said warmly.
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