Starting a new chapter in life

“Last time, Sister Gao also said that we could price it at five cents a pound. She’s a local, so she knows better than us what price range we can accept,” Jing Yan said with a smile.

A short while later, seven or eight middle-aged women carrying baskets arrived furtively at Jingyan's front gate. Aunt Qi looked on with disbelief, but once inside the courtyard, the women finally returned to normal.

Aunt Qi complained, "Don't act like you're underground secrets meeting. Are you really afraid people won't know we've been up to no good? Just knock on the door and come in openly. It's a normal neighborly interaction. Who can say anything? Hurry up, we need to go home after we finish shopping. If we keep dragging this out, it'll be dark by the time we get there."

The older women thought about it and realized it made sense, so they stopped thinking about it and focused their attention on the cart. The people that Aunt Qi had found were all generous and didn't rummage around or haggle over the price. After all, things are valued for their scarcity. After seeing the older women off, the cart was already empty of two large sacks. He Chunni thanked Jing Yan, and the couple pushed the cart to find Gao Mei.

Jingyan locked the gate, went to the backyard storeroom and took out two large baskets. She emptied half of the wild vegetables from the burlap sack, which was indeed very clean. There were two kinds of vegetables in the burlap sack: shepherd's purse and dandelion. She put the two kinds separately into the two baskets, which would make them much easier to eat and also let them air out.

After sorting the chickens, I casually grabbed a few dandelions and tossed them into the chicken coop. Hmm, a little treat for them.

June is the Dragon Boat Festival, and normally people eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). However, Jingyan doesn't know how to make zongzi, and the ingredients aren't easy to find these days. Nevertheless, she got up early in the morning to pick some mugwort outside the city and put it on the front door. She also went to the neighborhood office to collect her grain rations and steamed some bean rice to serve as zongzi.

The next day, Thursday, she went to the meat processing plant early in the morning to order meat from Zhou Xuyang. She ordered two large bones, fifty or sixty catties of spare ribs, and fifteen catties of pork belly. Of course, if she couldn't get enough, she would give him whatever she had. Zhou Xuyang knew that her first sale was good when he heard that her order had increased. "Except for the pork belly, I'm not sure if I can get that much, the others are not a big problem."

Jingyan nodded, left a deposit of thirty yuan as per the rules, took the receipt and left. She took a detour to the supply and marketing cooperative, where she bought two stacks of kraft paper. After returning home, she slowly cut the paper, this time much more leisurely.

On Friday morning, she pushed her cart to pick up meat. This time she got up early and arrived at the meat processing plant gate at 6:30. She handed a small basket of dandelions to the gatekeeper: "Uncle, these are dandelions that I just picked a few days ago. I dried them slightly. You can wash them later and use them to make soup or dip in sauce."

The old man chuckled and accepted it, saying, "Then I won't be polite." He dumped the vegetables in the corner of the room, handed the basket back, and also handed her the account book to look at, saying, "This is the account for this batch."

Jingyan took the money. Four catties of large bones, sixty catties of spare ribs, and fifteen catties of pork belly were all given, totaling eighty-one yuan and twenty cents. Jingyan handed fifty-one yuan and twenty cents and the deposit slip to the old man, signed her name at the end of the line, and then went into the house to move the meat. The old man put away the ledger, the money and the receipt together, and then got up to help Jingyan carry the spare ribs out. Jingyan looked a little worried, afraid that the old man would strain his back. Fortunately, although it looked risky, he was still strong and healthy.

After thanking her, Jingyan pushed the cart straight home. Was she trying to add some excitement to her otherwise mundane life by strutting around with all that meat? No, she was timid and didn't have that kind of hobby. She took the most secluded route, hurriedly pushed the cart into her house, locked the door, and only then could she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

There are so many household items at home now, so we started soaking and cleaning them, using both buckets and basins. We cooked some porridge, ate a quick bite, and then started stewing meat. We still used the same steamer. Last time He Zhijun came back, he only brought back two iron buckets, not a pot. It seems that it will be difficult to get a pot, but it's okay to make a few more. At least with buckets and basins, there will be enough to hold everything.

Thinking that she would try making some braised eggs this time, Jingyan boiled thirty eggs. After boiling, she rinsed them with cold water to make them easier to peel. The white, tender, and smooth eggs were soft and bouncy. She put them into the braising pot with the meat and braised them. After braising, she put the eggs in a small bowl and soaked them in the braising liquid to let them absorb the flavor.

For most of the day, the aroma of meat wafted through Jingyan's yard. During the day, it was fine, as most people were at work or school, and few were home. But after four o'clock in the afternoon, everyone gradually returned, and anyone passing by couldn't help but sniff the meaty aroma.

Aunt Qi smelled it when she got off work. Her already restless heart made up her mind when she saw Chen Xinyue knocking on the door. She also went to Jing Yan's door to wait together. When Jing Yan heard the bell, she took the last pot of braised meat off the fire and came out to open the door.

Seeing the two people at the door, Jingyan was also surprised: "Sister Chen, Aunt Qi, is there something you need? Sister He didn't come today."

Chen Xinyue smiled and said, "I need to talk to you. Let's go inside the courtyard."

Jingyan then realized what was happening and invited the two inside. The door closed again. Chen Xinyue glanced at Aunt Qi, and seeing that she didn't intend to speak, she had to speak up herself: "Jingyan, I remember you used to sell braised meat at the market. Tomorrow is market day again. The aroma of meat in your yard is very strong today. Have you already made the braised meat?"

Jing Yan nodded: "I just finished the last batch."

"How much did you make? How many pots did you divide it into?" Aunt Qi asked curiously.

Jing Yan smiled and said, "Since we're already here, let's go into the kitchen and see how much there is."

Aunt Qi was somewhat tempted, but even more conflicted: "Restaurants usually avoid outsiders going into the kitchen. It's your own kitchen, so it's not appropriate for us to go in. If it's inconvenient to say, I won't ask."

Jingyan wasn't afraid of being seen. The spices were already prepared in advance, and she would just throw one spice packet into each pot when using them. The remaining spice packets were put away long ago, so she wasn't afraid of being seen. But Aunt Qi's tact and understanding made her feel comfortable around her. Her tone was also very gentle: "It's not that I'm refusing, it's just that I think I braised five pots today. You'll have a better idea of ​​how many there are when you see them."

Aunt Qi was relieved after hearing this: "In that case, shall we go in and take a look?" She was asking Chen Xinyue, knowing that Chen Xinyue was closer to Jing Yan, and that following Teacher Chen would be the right thing to do.

Chen Xinyue was also curious and nodded. The two went into the kitchen. Oh, the aroma was even stronger. When they saw the two buckets on the floor and the three basins on the counter, all filled with soup and meat, their eyes widened. "This, you made all of this today? When did you start making this?" Aunt Qi exclaimed in surprise, then shook her head and said, "Indeed, no money is earned without hard work. Fortunately, the market is only once a month, otherwise, doing this every day would really exhaust a person."

Jing Yan smiled but didn't reply. She used a spoon to scoop a bone from a bucket and placed it on the cutting board. She then chopped two pieces of bone and handed them to the two of them: "Try it."

Chen Xinyue reached out and took it, eating it directly. Aunt Qi took it after seeing her take it, tasted it, and said, "Mmm, it's really delicious. It's salty and fragrant. It's perfect as a snack with drinks. It'll still taste good even when it's cold."

Jing Yan nodded: "This is for making cold dishes, so it won't get cold."

Aunt Qi licked her lips: "How much is this? Does it come with a ration coupon?"

Jing Yan nodded: "Braised pork ribs are three yuan per jin, and pork belly is three yuan and fifty cents per jin."

"This price isn't cheap," Aunt Qi said, feeling a pang of pain at the cost.

Jingyan had been told that the price was high ever since she started selling braised meat, so she explained it very calmly: "Aunt Qi, you should know that I can get so much meat that this is not the kind of cheap meat that requires coupons from the supply and marketing cooperative. After all, my family can't get that many meat coupons."

Seeing Aunt Qi nod, she continued, "Since it's obtained through other channels, it's naturally high-priced meat. Is a cost price of 1.5 yuan per pound of pork belly reasonable? 1.2 yuan for ribs is also normal. A pound of meat can only yield a maximum of six to seven ounces of braised meat. The cost of the meat alone is 2 to 2.5 yuan. Add to that the spices and time I spend, which also adds up. In the end, I can only earn a few cents for my labor per pound of meat. This doesn't even include other losses. So, do you think it's expensive?"

Aunt Qi thought about it and realized it made sense. She took out her money, counted it, and found she only had five yuan. She handed it all to Jingyan and said, "Buy as much as you can."

Jingyan did the math: "We're neighbors, and Aunt Qi is a straightforward person. Here's what we'll do: I'll give you three yuan for everything. I'll give you seven ounces of pork belly and a pound of ribs. How about that?"

Aunt Qi nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, you even gave me a discount."

Jingyan smiled and weighed it for her, wrapped it in brown paper, and then scooped out a braised egg for her. "This is the first time I've made it today. I'm planning to sell them for 15 cents each tomorrow. I'll give you one to take home and try."

Aunt Qi's smile was genuine; after thanking her repeatedly, she took the money and left.

Chen Xinyue smiled and said, "How about three yuan? One pound of pork belly and three pounds of spare ribs."

She brought her own enamel basin, and Jingyan weighed the meat and put it into the basin for her, added some braising liquid, and casually scooped in three braised eggs, then handed it to her: "Chenghui, twelve yuan."

"I got more than 50 cents off here, plus three braised eggs, that's great, a good deal." Chen Xinyue joked, handed the money to Jing Yan, and went out with her enamel basin. She ran into He Zhijun, who was returning home, just as she reached the gate. She greeted He Zhijun, "You're back? That's perfect for helping your wife. She must have been busy braising meat all day. Look, I was drawn here by the aroma."

He Zhijun also greeted her, saying, "Thank you for supporting my wife. I'm back. I'll accompany Jingyan to the market to set up a stall tomorrow."

Chen Xinyue smiled and nodded, then went out to go home. He Zhijun locked the door behind him and went inside to see that Jing Yan had already washed the small cutting board and hung it on the wall to dry. She had also taken the noodles out of the cupboard.

"Are you cooking noodles?" He Zhijun approached her, casually washing his hands in the basin of water by the door. "Meat soup noodles or braised noodles?"

"I'd like a meat soup, I'd like to have some soup."

“Okay, you’ve had a long day. Go sit down for a bit, I’ll cook some noodles.” He Zhijun took the cabbage from her hand.

Jingyan let go, but didn't rest. She washed some dandelions. There was no soybean paste at home, but there was soy sauce. She added some chili oil to the soy sauce and mixed it up as a dipping sauce. She took two braised pork bones out of the pot and put them on a plate, then took two braised eggs in. She carried these to the dining table in the living room, went back to the kitchen to get two large bowls and chopsticks. Just as she put them down, He Zhijun came in with a bowl of noodles.

The two sat down and started eating. "Later, could you help me chop the ribs into pieces? I only chopped them into pieces that could fit in the pot, not too small, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it," Jingyan said as she ate.

“Okay, I’ll do it.” He Zhijun agreed readily.

After dinner, Jingyan stopped him from clearing the dishes and told him to do the physical work, saying she would take care of the rest. He Zhijun didn't say anything more. A little while later, they heard loud banging noises coming from the kitchen. Jingyan thought mischievously, "Luckily, it's a single-story house. If it were an apartment building, wouldn't the downstairs neighbors come up and complain about the disturbance?"

The next morning, the process was the same as before. This time, having learned from experience, she left home a little earlier and secured a spot near the center of the market. This time, He Zhijun didn't pay the stall fee herself; she paid directly after the administrator received her. Thanks to the good reputation from last time, several groups of people came to buy meat from her this time.

This time, there were 15 or 16 more pounds than last time, and there were still some left even at 4 o'clock. The braised eggs sold well, mainly because there were parents with children. They couldn't afford to buy expensive meat, but they were willing to buy eggs for their children. As a result, the braised eggs were the first to sell out. Jingyan looked at the two pounds of ribs that were left and divided them into two bags: "Let's pack up and go."

He Zhijun looked at the ribs she had packed up and said, "You're not taking these home to eat yourself, are you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have needed to pack them up."

Jingyan nodded: "We'll go around the meat processing plant and get the meat from them. Even though it's a cash transaction, we still have to do the proper favor. This is perfect, it'll count as doing the favor." She raised the meat in her hand and smiled at him.

He Zhijun smiled and nodded, then packed up the buckets and basins. He Zhijun pushed the cart, and the two left the market. On the way back, Jingyan reviewed the day's business, "Now that it's getting hotter and hotter, our braised meat can't be kept for too long. From next month until September, we'll halve our quantity at each market. We'll sell out and leave. We'd rather not sell enough than have leftovers. These are all quite expensive items. Each time, the big bones are enough for the two of us to satisfy our cravings. We can't keep any more leftovers."

He Zhijun nodded: "Okay, you're in charge. You're better than me at this."

When the two arrived at the entrance of the meat processing plant, the old man's rocking chair was placed in the shade under the window. He lay on the rocking chair with his eyes closed, holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand and slowly fanning himself every now and then, listening to the melodious Peking Opera singing on the radio, looking quite content.