Chapter 4 First Time Setting Up a Stall
There are five children in the family. Qiao Jiawang is twenty-two years old this year. He usually helps Qiao Mancang slaughter pigs. The girl he was betrothed to is from the Hu family. She is the one who shares a pig with Qiao Mancang.
Qiao Jiaxing was just twenty years old, which was the age for marriage, but the family was short of housing and Lin Shi and Qiao Mancang did not have enough money. They could only wait until Qiao Jiawang got married before helping him find a wife.
The third daughter, Lin Wangchun, is nineteen years old. Last year, she married a hunter from Linjia Village. The matchmaking was facilitated by the Lin family elders.
Now that it's Lin Xiahe's turn, Lin Shi secretly puts extra effort into it. Qiao Jiaxing and Zhang Shi are also thinking about her, but Lin Xiahe is her daughter with her ex-husband. Although her in-laws appear to be the same on the surface, Lin Shi knows in her heart that people are biased. For example, Qiao Mianmian has snacks in Zhang Shi's room, but Lin Xiahe and her sister don't.
“My mother said he was a constable in the yamen. He was engaged before, but his parents passed away one after another. He didn’t want to be a burden to the girl, so he broke off the engagement. He’s twenty-four this year.”
Hearing the terms, Lin Xiahe was quite satisfied. Being a constable meant she would be skilled and wouldn't be bullied in the future, and she could also earn a government salary.
Qiao Mianmian, however, felt the age difference was too great, "Isn't that older than my older brother?"
"He's only two years older than my older brother. If it weren't for family matters, he would have been married long ago. Mother just mentioned it briefly; we'll have to meet him to know if it's a good match."
Lin Xiahe lay down and patted her sister's arm. "You're really bold today. Your mother is usually so stingy. She's patched up her cloth shoes again and again, and the soles are almost worn through, but she still refuses to replace them."
Speaking of this, she felt a little envious of her younger sister, who was doted on by everyone in the family. But despite her envy, she knew she and her sister were different. Her grandparents had never mistreated her or her older sister, and her stepfather had never abused or beaten them simply because they weren't his biological children. When her older sister got married, the family provided two loads of dowry, which was considered quite a lot in the alley.
Qiao Mianmian said she wanted to make money.
"Tell your sister the truth, were you hurt by that Xu Tongsheng?" There are some things that can't be said to others, but they are sisters, and now that they are sleeping together, it's the perfect time to have a private conversation.
Qiao Mianmian said no, "My eldest brother is getting married next year, and we're still living in a tight spot. You know how frugal our parents are to buy a house. Fourth sister, I feel like I'm old enough to help ease the burden on the family."
"You're still young." Lin Xiahe sighed, still feeling that her younger sister couldn't let go of Xu Tongsheng.
If her family were wealthier, the Xu family might accept her younger sister. With that thought in mind, Lin Xiahe silently made a wish, hoping that the pork offal would sell better tomorrow and she could earn some money.
The room was pitch black, and Qiao Mianmian yawned and gradually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Qiao Mianmian was afraid that Lin would go to sell goods without calling her, so she got up before dawn and said, "Mother, I'll make breakfast."
"No need, you sit down." Madam Lin pulled her daughter to sit down.
Qiao Mianmian added charcoal to the stove. In the morning, her family usually ate sweet potato porridge, sometimes just sweet potatoes, rarely with any side dishes. She glanced at the pot, which only contained boiled sweet potatoes, and thinking that it didn't require any special skills, she went to heat up the pork offal.
While cleaning, Lin asked, "Why are you setting up a stove? Charcoal costs money, and in this heat, does anyone expect to buy hot food?"
She usually puts the charcoal embers from cooking rice in an earthenware pot to keep warm, so she can use them to stew some dishes later.
"Mom, look at this cold pork offal. Do you have an appetite?" Qiao Mianmian put some pork offal on the stove to cook. As the broth boiled, it bubbled and emitted a fragrant aroma. "When we go to the market, we are attracted to things that look good or smell delicious, don't you think?"
"That makes sense." Madam Lin was heartbroken over the charcoal, her brows furrowed tightly. She hadn't sold a single coin, yet so much had been used up.
As dawn broke, the Qiao family members gradually got up, each taking a sweet potato to eat.
Lin carried the stove and braised pork offal, while Qiao Mianmian carried a bamboo basket. As soon as the mother and daughter stepped out, a neighbor asked them where they were going.
“Mianmian made braised pork offal yesterday, and our whole family thought it was delicious. We were thinking of going to the market to sell it and make some money,” Lin said as she walked.
Everyone was surprised to hear that Qiao Mianmian was making braised pork offal. People living in the alley all knew about Qiao Jiachong's little daughter and usually didn't want her to do anything.
Aunt Wu, who lived next door to the Qiao family, sniffed the air. The rich aroma of the braised meat made her stomach rumble. She chased after them in disbelief, "Mianmian's mother, wait a minute, is what you're selling really braised pork offal? It smells so good!"
When Qiao Mianmian saw someone asking, she told Lin to stop. She opened the lid of the earthenware jar, and a delicious aroma wafted out. She picked up a small piece of pig's stomach and said, "Grandma Wu, this is really braised pig offal. Would you like to try some?"
Mrs. Lin wanted to stop her daughter, feeling distressed. The family had painstakingly prepared braised pork offal, which they intended to sell. If they couldn't sell it, they could share it with the neighbors. But since her daughter had already done it, she could only curse her inwardly for being such a spendthrift, planning to talk to her younger daughter later—how could she be so extravagant?
Aunt Wu hesitated for a moment, glancing at the pig's stomach. Usually, this stuff was not only flavorful but also tough to chew, but the pig's stomach in front of her smelled so good that she went over to eat it anyway. She was instantly amazed. The pig's stomach was tender yet chewy, and the rich braised flavor tantalized every taste bud on her tongue.
She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Mianmian, did you really make this?"
At this moment, other people gathered around. Qiao Mianmian said that she learned how to make it when she went back to her maternal grandparents' house. "Everyone can try it. Today is the first time we're selling it. We're all neighbors. We sell it to others for fifteen coins a bowl, but we'll only charge you ten coins!"
When Lin heard Qiao Mianmian say it was fifteen coins, she almost couldn't help but think, "Who would spend money to buy this? Fifteen coins can buy two dou of rice."
As a result, several neighbors tried it and all wanted a bowl, saying they had never eaten such delicious pork offal.
“Mianmian’s mother, you’re in luck from now on. Mianmian’s cooking skills are even better than Fuxinglou’s braised dishes.”
"Aunt Wu, have you ever eaten at Fuxinglou?"
"Zhao Weizi, get out of my way! Do I need to tell you whether I've eaten it or not?"
"Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore. Sister-in-law Qiao, give me a bowl too, my family hasn't had any meat in a long time."
A pound of meat costs forty coins, but now a bowl of braised pork offal costs only ten coins, and they've all tried it and it really tastes good.
Several neighbors surrounded the Lin mother and daughter, and quickly bought all the pork offal from the earthenware pot.
Qiao Mianmian weighed the money in her hand and gave it all to her mother. "Count it, there are ninety coins in total. That should help you earn back the money for the spices, right?"
Lin looked at the money in her hand in disbelief, feeling it was unreal. "Don't be too happy yet. We're neighbors, so I thought I'd do this as a favor. It might not sell so well in the market."
Despite saying that, she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. Before even reaching the market, she had already sold them for ninety coins. Normally, these offal pieces would only fetch twenty or thirty coins if taken to a small tavern.
Lin was carrying her load on a shoulder pole, and she was walking with much more energy. As she passed the Xu family's house, Xu Mingxuan opened the door and came out. She deliberately raised her head and snorted.
"What a petty act!" Yunzhu muttered disdainfully, but when she looked at her young master again, her face instantly lit up with a smile. "I brought you fried eggs today. Try them and see if they're good. I'll make you something else tomorrow."
Xu Mingxuan took the lunchbox. Since moving to Lin'an, his family's living conditions had plummeted. Actually, Yunzhu's cooking was just so-so, but he didn't have the right to be picky about food now.
"Remember to watch over Mother as she takes her medicine, and tell her not to worry. There will always be a way to contact Father." He had to hurry to the academy, or they wouldn't let him in if he was late.
Xu Mingxuan jogged to the academy, while Qiao Mianmian and her daughter arrived at the market. They set up their stove next to Qiao Mancang's pork stall.
Qiao Mianmian opened the earthenware pot, added new braising liquid and pork offal, and soon the aroma filled the air.
Qiao Mancang didn't have any offal today; instead, it was his turn to sell pig heads.
For two consecutive days, it's been even harder to sell meat than yesterday.
Just as Qiao Mianmian set up her stall, the tax collector arrived. He glanced at Qiao Mianmian's stove and said, "You'll have to pay two more coins."
"Why?" Lin protested. "We're just selling one more item, and we're still using one stall. We haven't exceeded the permitted area."
"You unreasonable woman! I said I wanted two more coins, and that's what I meant. If you keep arguing with me, I'll take you to the yamen to fight it out!" The official said sternly. Lin was reluctant to part with the two coins, but Qiao Mancang came out and gave her the money, and only then did the official leave with a snort.
"Don't bother with this kind of person. He's just looking for an excuse to get some benefits. If we really take this to the government office, no matter if it's our fault or not, we'll get ten lashes first." Qiao Mancang said helplessly. He had been in the pork business for over twenty years and knew these kinds of people's thoughts like the back of his hand.
Lin sat down, holding her breath. Thinking about how her husband might be mistreated on a daily basis, she felt sorry for him and said, "Did they also try to get money from you in various ways before?"
"They don't dare to be too arrogant. If they anger the whole street and everyone starts making a scene, they're afraid. They just come here occasionally for a snack." Qiao Mancang noticed there wasn't enough pork offal and changed the subject, "Didn't you bring all the pork offal?"
Qiao Mianmian chimed in, "We sold some along the way, Dad, we've already broken even."
"Our Mianmian is amazing! Who would believe this is your first time cooking?" Qiao Mancang laughed and patted his wife's back, signaling her not to be angry.
Lin took a deep breath. They were just ordinary people; they couldn't fight against the officials. She couldn't help but think of the constable she'd introduced to Xia He. If she had a constable as a son-in-law, who would dare bully their family!
Just then, someone came over to inquire, drawn by the aroma. Upon learning it was braised pork offal, they initially showed a look of disgust, but the smell was so enticing that they hesitated whether to ask the price.
"Brother, why don't you try it? It doesn't matter if you buy it or not, it won't cost you anything to try it." Qiao Mianmian noticed the other party's hesitation, and just like before, she picked up a piece of pig intestine and handed it over.
Seeing that there was free food, the man stopped hesitating. He took just one bite and exclaimed how delicious it was. "Young lady, this is the first time I've ever had such flavorful braised pork offal. How much is it?"
"On our first day of business, a bowl costs fifteen coins, and there's a discount for two bowls, so it's only twenty-five coins. This price will be the same for the first three days of business, and then the discount will be gone." As Qiao Mianmian spoke, the candy vendor next door also came over, and she let someone else try some.
The man heard that a bowl cost fifteen coins, which wasn't expensive, so he immediately ordered two bowls to take home. His young master was very picky, and if his master liked them, he would definitely give him a reward.
As soon as one person bought, others came to inquire about the price. Qiao Mianmian handled it with ease, greeting each person with a smile. Even if they didn't buy, it was fine; they might come back to buy later.
There wasn't much pork offal prepared today, and it was all sold out in about half an hour. Throughout the whole process, Lin Shi couldn't even get a word in edgewise; Qiao Mianmian collected the money and gave it to her. By the time she saw the earthenware jar was empty, the money in her sleeve pocket felt heavy.
"Mom, why are you stunned?" Qiao Mianmian patted her mother's arm. "I asked you how much money you have in total?"
"ah?"
Lin Shi then came to her senses, looked around, and turned her back to the street to count the money. Qiao Mancang also looked over curiously. Lin Shi counted it twice; there were two hundred coins in total. "My goodness!" she exclaimed. "That's almost as much as your father's daily profit from selling meat!"
Qiao Mancang could earn four or five hundred coins a day selling meat, which amounted to about five taels of silver a month. He had to support his large family by feeding and drinking them, and also save money to buy a house.
Housing prices in Lin'an are high; even their small house cost six hundred taels of silver. Back then, it took all of Lin's money, along with the support of Zhang and his wife, and a loan from her family, to buy it. Now, only five years later, after paying off the debts, Lin only has a little over one hundred taels of silver left, making buying a new house a distant dream.
Qiao Mianmian: "Actually, it's not much. Think about it, the fact that we sold out so early shows that braised pork offal is popular. If we sell more pork offal, we can earn even more money. Think about it, if we can sell one or two taels of silver every day, that's thirty taels a month, and three hundred and sixty taels a year. Wouldn't that solve the problem of the house for my brother's wedding?"
"But...but will anyone still buy it tomorrow?" Just as Lin finished speaking, the first man who bought braised pork offal rushed over.
"Young lady, do you still have any pork offal? I'd like to buy ten portions!" The man stopped, wiped his sweat, and saw that the earthenware jar was empty. He was very disappointed. "Really sold out?"
Qiao Mianmian said, "We really don't have any today, but we'll have some tomorrow. Where do you live, big brother? Since you bought so much, we can deliver it to your door."
"I'm the steward of the Luo family in Tongluo Lane. My young master said it was delicious, and since my aunt is visiting, she asked me to buy some more." Luo Da took out some silver coins. "This is the deposit. I'll trouble you to make the trip tomorrow."
Qiao Mianmian accepted the money, then said with a smile, "Look, a repeat customer has arrived. Think about it, you only earn about twenty coins a day sewing clothes for people. Now that you have such good business, how can you sleep at night?"
"Do!"
Lin made up her mind. "Husband, go to the other stalls and buy all the pork offal. Mianmian is right. If we don't do this, how will we find wives for Jiawang and Jiaxing? And what about Xiahe and Mianmian's dowries? We still don't have a place to settle them!"
She was now full of energy, thinking about the 360 taels of silver her youngest daughter had mentioned for the year.
Qiao Mancang saw with his own eyes that braised pig offal was selling well, so he immediately took money to buy pig offal.
Having made some money, Qiao Mianmian wanted to treat herself better. "Mom, since we made some money today, let's take the big bone home and eat it. It won't fetch much money anyway, okay?"
Seeing Lin hesitate, Qiao Mianmian hugged her and said coquettishly, "Oh, Mother, we haven't eaten meat for half a month. You and Father are so tired, shouldn't you have some to eat?"
"Should we make it a little better, or are you just craving something?" Madam Lin smiled and tapped her daughter's forehead. Thinking that the family hadn't eaten meat in a long time, she decided to splurge today and picked out two large pork bones.
When Qiao Mancang returned, he heard his youngest daughter say that she was going to make bone broth, and told them to take the remaining two mushrooms back with them. "Mianmian is right, our whole family should have some nourishment. These are mushrooms that Lao Hu gave us; his son picked them in the mountains. Mianmian, you watch the stall here for a while, and I'll help your mother carry the stuff back."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
