Chapter 438: Braised Pork Stall

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Aunt Yang hadn’t gone far with her cart when a puzzling thought struck her. Wasn’t Ah Zhuang the one who had drugged the water? How had he ended up with an upset stomach?

She deserved it, she concluded. This was likely the handiwork of Gu Zi, her best friend’s clever daughter. She was thankful for Gu Zi’s presence that day; without her, she might have been wrongfully accused and punished.

In the main hall, everyone was discussing Ah Zhuang’s sudden bout of diarrhea. The conversation was diverse, and after a while, someone who had just finished their drink exclaimed, “I heard there’s a braised meat stall at the entrance. The aroma wafted in as I walked in. Shall we go check it out?”

Another person immediately agreed, “We must go! You guys probably don’t know, but the woman selling the braised meat outside is Brother Shen’s mother-in-law. She just finished her morning chores and is taking a break. We should definitely go and show our support!”

Even though Su Shen never demanded such displays of loyalty, everyone felt indebted to him. Especially the employees of the pig farm, whose lives had improved day by day. They felt obliged to patronize the braised meat stall run by Su Shen’s in-laws.

As they discussed in small groups, everyone began to make their way outside.

The braised meat stall outside was already set up. The men hadn’t even approached the stall when they were hit by the rich aroma of the meat. Their mouths watered, and they could hardly wait to reach the stall. On display were plates of beautifully sliced braised meat, golden and glossy. Just looking at it, they could imagine how delicious it would taste.

“Li Hua, what part of the pig is this braised meat from? It’s hard to tell, but it smells wonderful. How much is it? We’d like to buy some to go with our drinks,” one of them asked.

Seeing a large group of customers, Li Hua quickly came over to greet them. She recalled the selling points Gu Zi had taught her and replied, “I was in a hurry yesterday and only managed to braise these. I didn’t have time to braise pork meat. This plate is braised pig heart, this one is braised pig lung, and this one is braised pig liver… I also have braised pig’s feet. The offal is priced at 0.85 yuan per jin, and you can buy them separately or mixed.

“The braised pig’s feet are 1.25 yuan per jin. You can buy just the pig’s feet, or you can buy a bowl of pig’s feet rice for 0.9 yuan. It comes with vegetables, rice, pig’s feet, and a savory braising sauce. It’s very delicious.”

As Li Hua spoke, Mrs. Lin prepared a bowl of pig’s feet rice on the spot. Half of the bowl was filled with sliced pig’s feet, a fried egg in the middle, and a few stalks of green vegetables on the side. The rice, half-soaked in the braising sauce, was plump and glossy. The aroma was incredibly enticing.

With a sigh of relief, Li Hua finished speaking, grateful that she had managed to recite her speech without missing a word. It was evident that her preparation had paid off.

The crowd listened and watched, their mouths watering in anticipation. However, as tantalizing as the aroma was, they couldn’t help but question the value of the product. Pig offal and trotters, which were usually sold cheaply, were now being sold at almost the same price as pork after some processing. It didn’t seem like a good deal to them.

The men in the crowd were too embarrassed to voice their thoughts, but one man’s wife, who had just arrived to deliver some food, spoke up. “Isn’t this price a bit steep, Sister Li Hua?” she asked. “Even in the city, pork only sells for 1.5 yuan per pound. These pig offal and trotters are usually unwanted. You’re charging so much just because you’ve processed them a bit? Lower the price a

bit!”

Li Hua, seeing someone haggling, felt a surge of joy. Gu Zi had told her that those who haggled were likely to be the ones who would buy. This was a good sign, and there was no need to panic.

Wiping her hands, Li Hua responded with a smile, “The process of making braised meat is long and labor-intensive, so we have to charge for the labor. The cost is not just the meat, but also the spices and oils we use, which are of the highest quality. Naturally, it will be a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for.”

Mother Lin chimed in, supporting her daughter-in-law’s argument, “Yes, we’re not forcing anyone to buy. If you’re interested, you can try it first. If you think it’s worth the price, then you can buy it. If you want to buy, come and try it. If you don’t want to buy, you can still come and taste something new. I guarantee our braised meat tastes better than anything you’ll find in the city.”

“In that case, give me two ounces to start with. I’ll buy some to try!” one man called out.

The men, being practical, decided to give it a try. Seeing that Mother Lin and Li Hua had made their case, some men had already taken out their money to buy. After all, they could just buy a little to taste. If it wasn’t good, they wouldn’t buy it again. They felt grateful to Shen Ge. Without him, they wouldn’t have been able to make so much money.

Besides, they were genuinely hungry. It would be a shame not to eat something when it smelled so good.

Some men brought their wives over to try the food. Mother Lin handed each of them a piece of braised pig offal. The woman who had haggled earlier was given a piece of braised pig liver. She looked at it before putting it in her mouth. It smelled wonderful, but she didn’t like pig liver to begin with, so she didn’t have high expectations..