At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight shone on the earth, Mo Qianshang picked up her shopping basket and prepared to go out to buy groceries. She planned to give the children a good boost in the next two days, and it would be more convenient to stay in the county town, where many vendors were hawking their wares as soon as she stepped out.
Mo Qianshang bought a lot of fresh vegetables. If they couldn't finish them, they could take them home to Xiao Yaoshi in the afternoon, or to cook for Zhao Niangzi and the workers. If all else failed, they could store them in the system, where they wouldn't spoil and could be taken out whenever they wanted to eat them.
Mo Qianshang planned to buy some pork ribs this time, but she didn't know if she could find cheap and fresh meat so she could buy more, since the children are growing.
I walked for a long time but didn't see any. Most of the meat vendors had meat that had been stored for several days and didn't look very fresh. Finding freshly slaughtered meat really depended on luck.
Just as Mo Qianshang was about to head home, she saw a stall surrounded by a crowd. She glanced at it curiously, and just as she was dozing off, someone offered her a pillow. And here she was, having run into them.
The boss was sharpening his knife, and his men had already carried out the pig. The pig was tied up and kept grunting, occasionally letting out a scream.
Mo Qianshang's eyes lit up. This pig is quite fat. I wonder how much it's being sold. If the price is reasonable, I'll buy more.
Following the principle that action speaks louder than words, Mo Qianshang asked, "Boss, how much is the pork?"
When someone asked a question, the boss neither spoke nor looked up, and just kept sharpening his knife.
The waiter next to her smiled and said, "Madam, please don't be offended. That's just how our boss is. The pork is two taels of silver per catty, and it's all freshly slaughtered and sold. You can rest assured, it's absolutely fresh. Please stand back a bit so you don't get it on your clothes. It'll be fine soon."
Mo Qianshang took a few steps back. The price was still acceptable; other vendors were selling stale pork for only slightly less.
"Boss, do you include delivery? I'm buying a lot, so some of it might be a bit hard to carry. It's just ahead, not far away." Mo Qianshang was determined to buy more, since money was the last thing she needed right now.
"This... Boss, what do you think?" The waiter couldn't make up his mind. Ultimately, it was up to the boss to decide; he, as a waiter, had no say.
When wealthy families went out to buy things, their own servants would carry the goods back themselves, and they couldn't buy much at once, usually around ten catties at most.
The boss then looked up and took a proper look at Mo Qianshang. Seeing that she was dressed elegantly and that the fabric she wore was of good quality, he didn't think she would order much, maybe five pounds at most, which was a moderate order.
"Yes, of course, if you buy a lot, Madam."
Since their boss had spoken, the employees naturally listened, thinking it probably wouldn't cost much.
Mo Qianshang thought for a moment and said, "I want ten catties of pork ribs, ten catties of pork belly, and two chopped trotters."
The boss was overjoyed. This wasn't just a small order; it was a huge one! He wondered whose wife was out shopping, buying so much at once.
"Are you sure, Madam? If you're sure you want it, I'll get it for you first."
Mo Qianshang nodded again, "Boss, don't worry about it, we still have the money."
Many people around recognized Mo Qianshang and greeted her, "Madam Mo, out buying groceries so early?"
Mo Qianshang smiled and nodded to the women who greeted her, "Yes, I'm planning to buy some meat to nourish my child."
Those around her still felt that Mo Qianshang was being somewhat subtle; this wasn't just buying some meat, it was clearly a large-scale procurement trip.
Upon hearing that this was the famous "Mo Niangzi," the boss was no longer worried. Mo Niangzi was cooperating with the government, and it was said that the government treated her like a goddess of wealth. How could she not have money?
The boss was quick and efficient, and soon he had cut up what Mo Qianshang wanted. The waiter then showed Mo Qianshang the weighing scale.
"Madam, you can check our scale. It's genuine. Anyone who has bought meat from us knows we're an honest business."
Mo Qianshang could tell there was nothing wrong with the scale, so she told the waiter to hurry up and get it ready so she could go home and cook.
After weighing the meat, the waiter began to calculate the bill for Mo Qianshang. "Madam, the ribs have more bones than meat and cost one tael of silver per catty. The pork belly costs two taels of silver per catty, and the trotters also cost one tael of silver per catty. The total is forty taels of silver."
Mo Qianshang paid the bill readily and saw that the owner was going to throw away all the internal organs. She thought that pig liver and other organs were very nutritious, and that people nowadays didn't know that they were edible, so it would be a waste to throw them away.
"Boss, you're going to throw these away anyway, so why don't you give them all to me?" Mo Qianshang wasn't embarrassed at all. She had bought so many things, and since they were all going to be thrown away anyway, it was perfect to give them to her.
"Are you sure you want these? These things are inedible. Take them if you want. Not many people would want these things. But what does Madam want these things for?" The shopkeeper readily had his assistant pack them up for Mo Qianshang and casually asked.
Mo Qianshang didn't hide anything. "To be honest, I don't have any big hobbies. I just like to tinker with food. I want to see if I can take these things back and make them into food."
The boss shook his head. He had asked his family to try before, but they were at a loss. Since Mo Niangzi was willing to tinker with it, he wouldn't try to dissuade her. What if she actually succeeded?
Although it may seem like a pipe dream, what if it works? After all, Lady Mo is different from these roughnecks.
The two workers carried the pork back to Mo Qianshang's home and left. Luckily, Qin Baiyi didn't come out, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to put it away.
Mo Qianshang kept two jin of spare ribs and put away the rest of the spare ribs and pork.
I got back a little late yesterday, and Qin Yuya was already asleep when I got back. I didn't take her out to play yesterday, so I'll cook some more delicious food for her today.
It's just in time for Heming and the others to start making soup now, since they'll be heading to the academy soon after they finish eating.
Mo Qianshang stewed the ribs and soaked them in water, thinking that cooking wine was better than rice wine, since the children still had to go to school and it wouldn't be good if they got drunk.
Seeing that Mo Qianchang had bought some cooking wine and ginger from the system, she realized that these items wouldn't cost much money.
After starting the fire, Mo Qianshang began to stir-fry the ribs with cooking wine and ginger slices until they turned golden brown. Then she poured in the pre-boiled hot water, skimmed off the foam after it boiled, and covered the pot to simmer.
As soon as she finished cooking, Xiao Yao came in. Seeing the pot simmering with what looked like fragrant meat soup, and smelling the aroma, she felt her mouth water and swallowed several times.
"It smells so good, Qianqian! What delicious food did you make? Is there anything I can help you with?"
When Xiao Yao volunteered, Mo Qianshang naturally wouldn't refuse her kindness.
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