Entering the City
"Thump—thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The rhythmic, intermittent sound of the wooden clappers striking the ground, one slow and four fast beats, pierced through the thin mist and came from afar.
"Go to bed early and get up early, take care of your health!"
As the night watchman's shouts passed by, the town gradually awoke from the tranquil darkness.
Considering that Mu Chuan would leave sooner or later, Wang Pan'er rented a two-bedroom apartment. Mu Chuan had his own room, while she temporarily shared a bed with Wang Xiaoyao.
Hearing the night watchman's drum, Wang Xiaoyao jumped out of bed, wrapping herself in her coat as she shoved her sister, who was completely unresponsive to the sound: "Sister Pan'er, get up! We have to set up our stall today, or the ashes in the stove will get cold!"
Excited last night, Wang Pan'er kept fantasizing about today's events and barely managed to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning. Now, she was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. She writhed in bed for a while and mumbled, "Let me sleep a little longer..."
Wang Xiaoyao, on the other hand, was full of energy. After getting dressed, he went to add firewood and start heating water.
When Wang Pan'er arrived at the kitchen, still half asleep, Mu Chuan and Wang Xiaoyao were already eagerly waiting.
She patted her face and began mixing herbs and spices.
They didn't dare prepare too much for the first day. Wang Pan'er prepared ten catties of beef, five catties of pork belly, three catties of large intestine, two portions each of pork and beef tripe, thirty eggs, and some dried tofu, lotus root slices, and potatoes. The three of them worked together to carry the large pot onto the small cart and placed a few stones under it to stabilize it. The three kinds of sweet soup were kept warm in earthenware pots placed on a charcoal stove.
After the three of them left together, Mu Chuan belatedly realized that the courtyard Wang Pan'er had chosen was in an excellent location.
The neighbors were mostly ordinary people who made a living in the bustling city. It was market time, and they were carrying their tools for making money out of their courtyards one after another.
Yesterday, many neighbors tried the braised food, and when they saw the three of them, they greeted them warmly: "Young lady, you got up early! I thought you would need a few more days to prepare everything!"
Wang Pan'er replied with a smile: "We hope to set up our stall as soon as possible so that we can have income soon. We've already run out of money."
Aunt Li from next door looked at the huge pot they were pushing and curiously peeked out: "I tried this braised pork last night, and this morning I couldn't even chew properly. It's so tempting. Can you save me two ounces of pork belly? I'll come and get it after the morning market is over."
Wang Pan'er, who was praised for the delicious meat, said enthusiastically, "After I set up my stall, I'll come to buy soy milk from you, auntie. I was so lazy that I took a nap and haven't had breakfast yet."
The old woman thought to herself that this little girl was really good at coaxing people, much better than her own troublesome son. She felt comforted by her coaxing and smiled broadly: "We're so good. I'll leave the soy milk skin for you. It's the most sought-after soy milk skin here!"
Seeing this, the other stall owners also chimed in: "Young lady, take a look at my pies! The crust is crispy and fragrant, and the filling is fresh and juicy. Everyone who tries them says they're delicious."
"My family's knife-cut noodles have a chewy texture, and the chili oil is made by my wife, a secret recipe that we don't share with outsiders."
"And my family's 'Bowl Balm' recipe has been bought by Yu Shi Zhai. You can't miss it, young lady."
Wang Pan'er was surprised by the pleasant atmosphere here, and her mood brightened up as well: "The three of us are all gluttons. We must not only run this medicinal herb stall well, but also try all the delicacies in the market."
The cart was parked at the location registered by the government, and Mu Chuan took down a tripod and placed it in front of the wheels. Wang Xiaoyao set up the name tag, and then placed the cardboard bag containing the package and the bamboo tube for drinking sweet water in front of the food.
Next door to Wang Pan'er's house was a young couple who sold mutton soup.
The couple ran their business for a long time, complete with a stove and benches. The man stirred the mutton soup in the large vat, and various kinds of offal floated to the surface of the thick, white liquid.
Seeing that Wang Pan'er was engrossed in watching, the beautiful woman pointed to her large pot and said to her, "My family sells Huguan mutton soup. It is said that you should taste the whole mutton. In a bowl, there are two or three dumplings, two or three meatballs, a few pieces of stewed meat, and a couple of kinds of offal. How about it, young lady, would you like a bowl?"
It was during a cold snap in early spring, and the women's breath steamed as they spoke. Wang Pan'er turned to Mu Chuan and Wang Xiaoyao and asked, "Lamb has a strong, gamey smell, I don't like it. Do you two want some?"
Wang Xiaoyao's eyes shone brightly, yearning for her; Mu Chuan was much more reserved, sitting obediently on the small stool furthest inside. Although he didn't show it on his face, his constant swallowing had already betrayed him.
The woman laughed and said, "My lamb is not gamey. I'll give you a small half bowl to try."
"Give it a try, life is all about the experience," Wang Pan'er replied. "Then sister, give me two big bowls and one half bowl!"
"Alright!" Seeing Wang Pan'er about to take out her money, the woman stopped what she was doing: "Young lady, don't be shy. We do this kind of business for a lifetime. We naturally have to maintain good relationships with the stalls on both sides. I'm giving you this mutton soup as a way to make a good connection with you."
“Alright then.” Wang Pan’er gave her two children a wink, and the two of them rolled over, took their bowls, and obediently sat down to start drinking.
The woman asked, "Is it good?"
Mu Chuan nodded firmly, and Wang Xiaoyao answered loudly, "It smells good!"
It definitely doesn't have any gamey smell, and the lamb even has a milky aroma; it's incredibly tender.
Wang Pan'er picked up the bamboo tube, filled two bowls with sweet water, and handed them to the woman: "This is my family's sweet water. The bowl on the left is for my sister to drink the Eight-Flavor Beauty Soup, and the bowl on the right is for my brother-in-law the Six-Flavor Vitality Tea. It's a matter of reciprocity, so please have my sister and brother-in-law taste it."
Few young women can resist the allure of beauty. The woman happily accepted the sweet water, swaying her hips as she handed another portion to her husband. Then she sipped it herself, saying, "It's slightly bitter at first, with a faint medicinal aroma. The soup is clear and brightly colored, and the aftertaste is sweet but not cloying. This doesn't seem like our local food. Young lady, are you from out of town?"
Wang Pan'er nodded: "You could say that. My family suffered misfortune, so I had to come out and make a living."
The woman nodded, finished the sweet water, and went back to her work.
After finishing his mutton soup, Wang Xiaoyao handed the bowl back to the woman and then ran out to buy soy milk and fried dough sticks.
People at the morning market don't like to buy half-cooked food. Wang Pan'er didn't get any customers, but she did get the hooligan leader that the wonton shop owner had mentioned.
The gang leader, known as Brother Mang, was originally a beggar who ate around the Bodhisattva Temple. Later, by some unknown coincidence, he started working as a money collector.
With his sharp ears and keen eyesight, Mang Ge spotted the newly arrived cart from afar.
He glanced at a dagger tucked in its sheath at his side, and strode boldly to the herbal medicine stall. His aggressive manner startled Mu Chuan, who quickly stood up and shielded Wang Pan'er behind him.
"What's wrong? Why are you hiding? Do you think I'm going to eat people?" Mang Ge leaned closer to Mu Chuan and patted his face. "This guy is really handsome, with skinny arms and legs, and he's still trying to be a hero in front of his wife."
Although Mu Chuan was lean, not a single muscle on his body was artificially built.
This mangy guy, though seemingly fierce, was only affected by his tall, muscular build and the scar on his left eyebrow. He had a round head, thick eyebrows that lacked any sharpness, a bulbous nose, and even his lips and jaw, hidden beneath his beard, lacked any defined features.
Don't let Mu Chuan's current obedient demeanor fool you. If he really got angry, he would be just like that night when he held a knife to someone's neck—he was much fiercer than Mang Ge.
Wang Pan'er patted Mu Chuan's arm, signaling him to move aside, but Mu Chuan remained unmoved. Helpless, she could only pinch the ticklish spot on his waist.
Mu Chuan jumped up in shame and indignation, glaring at the ground and clutching his waist: "You don't know what's good for you."
“Brother Mang is here to do serious business, don’t cause trouble.” Wang Pan’er took out a string of copper coins from her money bag and handed them to Brother Mang: “I hope Brother Mang will take care of me in the future.”
After receiving the money, Brother Mang said routinely, "I'm in charge of this street. Fighting is not allowed. If there are any conflicts, I will resolve them when I patrol the street every morning. When you close up shop each day, please clean up the filth on your stalls yourself."
No wonder the government turns a blind eye to these hooligans. To put it bluntly, this is called "head money," which in modern terms is just a site management fee—maintaining the cleanliness and order of the entire street without having to hire additional staff.
Wang Pan'er paid readily, and Brother Mang was in a good mood, standing in front of the stall idly looking around: "What are you selling here?"
"Medicinal braising liquid." Wang Pan'er forked out a piece of beef, cut it into several pieces, and put them into a small box that Wang Xiaoyao had folded from reed leaves: "Brother Mang, would you like to try some?"
Mang Ge pulled out a bamboo skewer, casually stabbed several pieces into it, and put them in his mouth to chew. As he chewed, he fell into deep thought. After a while, he waved over a skinny, monkey-like man: "This is delicious. I'm too uncultured to describe it. Why don't you try it?"
Skinny Monkey, with his goatee, chewed on the beef, his beard twitching with each bite. After finishing one slice, he picked up another: "The sauce is rich and flavorful, the meat is tender and juicy, the fat and lean meat are perfectly balanced, and the flavor is rich and mellow. It's a great dish to enjoy with drinks."
Mang Ge nodded in agreement: "What did you use to braise the young lady? This is the first time I've ever had such a flavorful braised dish."
Wang Pan'er scooped up the tied spice packet from the pot, made a small opening to show it to Mang Ge: "These are all medicinal herbs bought from Huirentang. My ancestors were doctors, and all that's left for me are some medicinal diet recipes."
"It's made with herbs!" This was the first time Mang Ge had heard of it, and he became curious: "Since it's made with medicinal herbs, what are the effects of this braising liquid?"
"The ingredients in the seasoning packet are mostly pungent and warm, which can dispel cold and relieve exterior symptoms; because of the addition of chili and ginger, it also has the effect of resolving dampness and stimulating appetite."
"It really whets the appetite! I feel like I could eat a whole cow right now, hahaha!" Mang Ge was extremely unrestrained. He laughed a few times and ordered Skinny Monkey, "Buy some back for the brothers to have with their drinks and have a treat."
"Braised beef is one guan per jin, pork belly is half a guan, beef tripe and large intestine are sixty wen each, and vegetarian braised beef is ten wen. How much do you want, Brother Mang?"
“Not cheap.” Skinny Monkey stroked his beard. “However, about 60% of the pork and beef will be ready for sale after braising. Plus, we’re using medicinal herbs, so it’s fair. We’ll weigh one pound each of beef belly and offal, half a pound each of large intestine and tripe, and we’ll just weigh the vegetarian dishes as we see fit.”
Wang Pan'er wasn't used to the ancient scales, so Wang Xiaoyao forked large pieces of beef and pork belly from the pot, put them on the scale, and then transferred them to the cutting board after weighing.
She had excellent knife skills. She turned the paper bag over, pressed the inside of the bag against the meat, and quickly sliced it into even pieces.
After chopping and packing all the ingredients, Wang Pan'er took out another bamboo tube and asked, "Do Brother Mang and the brothers eat coriander?"
"I'm not picky, I'm not picky."
Wang Pan'er poured some braising liquid into the bamboo tube, then mixed in minced garlic, chopped coriander, chopped chili peppers, and chopped green onions. She then had Wang Xiaoyao carefully seal the tube with leaves before handing it to Mang Ge.
"The stall may be simple, but the food is quite unique, and the way the food is prepared is also exquisite." Mang Ge took the two or three square paper bags and looked at Mu Chuan again. "It's just that the young lady has a bad eye. She chose a frail man who looks like he could be blown away by the wind to be her husband. He's all looks and no substance. When something happens, he can't even protect himself, let alone protect you."
Mu Chuan: "..."
You can't say a man is incapable.
Wang Pan'er, always eager for a good show, turned around and, sure enough, saw that Mu Chuan's face had turned green.
The skinny monkey glanced at Mu Chuan a couple more times and chuckled strangely.
Mu Chuan could no longer hold back and gritted his teeth: "Mind your own business."
Strangely enough, Mu Chuan didn't deny her husband's identity this time, and got completely stuck on the "no way" mentality.
The sun has risen in the west!
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