Chapter 61: Chapter 36: Finalizing the Supplier (2)

Madam Yang asked them how much these things cost. The two men exchanged a troubled glance. This stuff usually didn’t fetch much of a price; sometimes they even gave it away for free. With Madam Yang here to make a proper purchase, they really didn’t know what to charge.

Butcher Zhang, keeping a close eye on Madam Yang’s expression, suggested cautiously, “How about this? Ten cents for a pig head, four cents for the four trotters, and I’ll throw in the pig tail for free. No charge.”

Laixi leaped to his feet and yelled, “Hey! Aren’t you generous, throwing in a pig tail? It’s not like we’re preparing ritual sacrifices for the holidays, so why does a pig head still cost ten cents? And those trotters have no meat on them, just skin and bones. When we cook them up to sell, I’m afraid no one will even buy a scoop for one cent. We’ll probably have to sell two scoops for one cent. How are we supposed to make any money?”

Madam Yang also spoke to the two men earnestly. “This stuff is a real pain to prepare. The pig head alone is covered in wrinkles, and who would dare eat it if the hairs aren’t removed properly? If you price it too high, I can’t buy it. I can’t afford to run a business at a loss!”

Qian Dazui then said, “Alright then, eight cents for a pig head, two cents for the four trotters. The pig tail is still free.”

Madam Yang pretended to calculate in her head for a moment before agreeing.

She said to the two men, “Then we have a deal. Don’t go selling these to anyone else, or I won’t be happy.”

Butcher Zhang hurriedly replied, “We won’t, we won’t! When we come to the market each day, we’ll just drop this stuff off directly at the Fuxi Grocery Store.”

Only then did Madam Yang nod in satisfaction. She had the two men tie up the day’s pig offal, heads, tails, and trotters with straw rope and put them in her bamboo basket.

Four sets of pig offal, twelve cents; two pig heads, sixteen cents; sixteen pig trotters, eight cents; four pig tails, no charge. The total came to thirty-six cents.

Madam Yang paid the money, and Laixi shouldered the carrying pole and left the small food market.

Butcher Zhang and Qian Dazui exchanged a glance, both secretly pleased. They had sold two pig heads that morning for seven cents apiece. While one extra cent wasn’t a big deal, from now on they wouldn’t have to worry about selling these leftover bits. It would save them so much trouble!

As they walked, Laixi, shouldering the heavy pole, said to Madam Yang, “Auntie, this load is pretty heavy. Why don’t I bring it over for you this evening?”

Madam Yang chided him, “I need to get this back and start washing it right away. If I wait for you to bring it over tonight, what will I have to sell tomorrow?”

Laixi chuckled. “I forgot!”

******

By the time Madam Yang rushed home, carrying a load that weighed dozens of pounds, she was drenched in sweat.

Juhua hurriedly poured her a cup of warm water and went to peek into the baskets. When she saw the pig heads and trotters, she rejoiced. ’It’s just as I expected,’ she thought. ’No one wants this stuff either.’

’Once the pig’s head is braised, the meat picked from the bone will be incredibly fragrant. The cheek meat is especially delicious, and the ears are so crisp. And pig trotters are even better—they’re a delicacy, great for the skin!’

These two items, much like the offal, were just a lot of work to clean up; cooking them wasn’t hard at all. Juhua had actually grown to love using the large wok over their earthen stove for these dishes. When simmered slowly over a gentle, wood-fueled fire, the flavor became exceptionally fragrant.

Nearby, Madam Yang and Zheng Changhe were counting the day’s earnings. The sight of their eyes shining with excitement made Juhua’s heart ache a little.

Madam Yang then recounted in detail her negotiations with the two butchers, explaining how they had agreed to deliver the offal directly to Juhua’s maternal uncle’s grocery store every morning and not sell it to anyone else.

’That’s what they say,’ Juhua thought, ’but who can predict the future? We’ll just have to see how it goes.’

The mother and daughter quickly made and ate lunch. Then, Madam Yang asked Juhua, “Hua, how do we prepare these pig heads and trotters?”

Juhua said, “First, have Dad use tweezers to pluck all the hair off the heads and trotters. Then they need to be blanched before we can put them in the pot to braise.”

Madam Yang said, “Alright, you stay here and blanch the heads, and have your father help with the plucking. I’ll go wash the large intestines and stomachs. I’ve watched you do it, so I know how now. From now on, I’ll do all this washing. You’re a young girl; you shouldn’t have your hands in cold water so much.”

’My daughter’s complexion is already looking poor,’ she thought. ’If her hands get as rough as old tree bark, how will she ever look like a young lady?’ So Madam Yang resolved not to let her daughter do this kind of work anymore.

Zheng Changhe, who was nearby, quickly asked, “What do I need to do? Tell me. My hands are getting restless with nothing to do!”

Juhua said, “I’ll show you in a minute, Dad.”

She called out to Qingmu, who hadn’t left yet, “Brother, come help me make something.”

It was rare for his sister to ask for his help, so Qingmu hurried into the kitchen. “Make what?”

Juhua gestured as she explained, “We’ll need to pull the fine hairs from the pig heads and trotters, so we’ll need something like a small pair of tweezers. I was thinking we could make them from bamboo. We can sharpen both ends of a strip like blades, heat the middle over the fire, and then bend it. When you squeeze it together, you can pull the hairs right out.”

Qingmu pondered for a moment, then silently ran outside and whittled a piece of bamboo. He sharpened both ends into fine edges, then pulled a piece of burning firewood from the stove. He held the middle of the bamboo strip over the flame, heating it steadily. When he felt it was ready, he gripped both ends and carefully bent it. A tweezer-like tool emerged.

Juhua said delightedly, “That’s exactly it! Can you make a few more, Brother?”

Seeing his sister’s happy expression, Qingmu smiled too. He made three more before heading off to his classes at the schoolhouse.

Juhua then took the bamboo tweezers, put the basket of pig trotters on a stool, and moved it to Zheng Changhe’s bedside. “Look, Dad, this is how you do it,” she said, picking up a trotter and beginning to pluck it as a demonstration.

Zheng Changhe said admiringly, “What an ingenious little tool. Did your brother make it?”

Juhua smiled. “Yes, he made four of them in just a few minutes! You can start now, Dad. If you find any hairs that are too stubborn, just scrape them off with scissors. I’m going to go pickle the spicy cabbage. I’ll be back when I’m finished.”

Zheng Changhe readily agreed.

Juhua then brought over a sieve and placed it in front of him, lining it with a piece of old cloth to catch the hairs and bits of skin and keep the bed from getting dirty. Once everything was arranged just right, she finally went to the kitchen to pickle the spicy cabbage.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep