After returning home, Mu Yuqing noticed that it was still early before lunchtime. She immediately decided to prepare the crawfish and try selling them at the market before noon.
Since the village market was only about a fifteen-minute walk away, she quickly called the nanny and Qingyun over to help.
Qingyun was put in charge of scrubbing the crawfish shells clean, while the nanny removed the veins and internal organs. Meanwhile, Mu Yuqing prepared the seasonings.
The ingredients available at home were limited, only ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, so she decided to make spicy garlic crawfish.
The three of them worked busily for nearly half an hour before finally finishing all the preparation.
Only then did Mu Yuqing begin cooking.
She poured the remaining half jar of oil into the wok.
For crawfish, flash-frying was extremely important. The quick frying process helped separate the meat from the shell, making the texture much better, though timing had to be precise.
Once the oil was heated properly, Mu Yuqing tossed the crawfish into the wok.
Crackling sounds instantly filled the kitchen.
As soon as the shells turned a vibrant red, she quickly scooped them out to drain the oil.
Leaving only a little oil behind in the wok, she added half of the minced garlic and stir-fried it until the fragrance burst out. Then she returned the crawfish to the pan, seasoning them with salt, soy sauce, and the remaining ingredients before stir-frying everything together.
Soon, the rich aroma of garlic mixed with the fresh scent of seafood spread throughout the courtyard.
Both Qingyun and the nanny swallowed unconsciously from the smell alone.
When the dish was finished, the bright red crawfish were piled high onto several large platters, looking incredibly appetizing.
Seeing that the sun was already high in the sky, Mu Yuqing hurriedly freshened herself up.
Then she and Qingyun borrowed a donkey cart from the villagers, loaded the crawfish onto it, and rushed toward the market.
Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, the busiest hours of the market had already passed, and the crowd had started to thin out.
At first, Mu Yuqing had considered approaching a restaurant directly, but since she was unfamiliar with the area, she decided it was safer to set up a roadside stall instead.
The two of them found a place with decent foot traffic and parked the donkey cart there.
The moment the basins were uncovered, the thick fragrance of garlic drifted through the air.
Many curious aunties and uncles immediately gathered around.
However, after seeing the bright red crawfish inside the basins, quite a few people instantly lost interest.
To them, these were nothing more than strange-looking bugs.
Mu Yuqing ignored the doubtful looks directed at her.
Calmly, she picked up a large crawfish and skillfully peeled off the shell. Then she used scissors to cut the meat into small pieces before handing samples out to the crowd with a warm smile.
“Everyone, don’t underestimate these little crawfish,” Mu Yuqing said enthusiastically. “The meat is fresh, tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. Once you taste it, you’ll never forget it.”
Several bolder customers hesitantly accepted the samples.
The moment they tasted the crawfish, their eyes widened.
Expressions of surprise and delight immediately spread across their faces.
But after hearing the price, twenty wen per jin, many of them hesitated again.
After all, that amount of money could buy a whole jin of fatty pork, which was far more filling.
Still, the unique fragrance lingering in their mouths made it hard to walk away.
Everyone stood there struggling between their craving and their wallets.
Just then, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
“Little lady, give me two jin!”
A burly middle-aged man stepped forward while pulling out a handful of copper coins.
“Coming right away, please wait a moment,” Mu Yuqing replied cheerfully.
She quickly weighed out exactly two jin for him.
Afterward, she deliberately added a few extra small crawfish on top and smiled warmly.
“Thank you for your support. These extra ones are my gift to you.”
Seeing how generous and straightforward she was, the crowd’s trust in her immediately increased.
Soon, more and more people began crowding around the stall.
“I want two jin too!”
“Give me three jin!”
“Save some for me!”
The entire area became noisy and lively in an instant.
Those who had already tasted the crawfish could not stop praising the flavor.
Word spread rapidly throughout the market.
Some people even hurried over from the far side of the marketplace after hearing others rave about it.
The large basins of crawfish emptied at an astonishing speed.
Before long, every single crawfish had been sold out completely.
Looking at the empty basins and the heavy pouch of silver in her hand, Mu Yuqing’s face blossomed into a radiant smile.
The feeling of earning money through her own hard work filled her heart with satisfaction.
After packing up the stall, she and Qingyun headed directly to the pharmacy.
Mu Yuqing knew that ingredients like Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, black cardamom, and star anise could most likely only be found there.
She bought a large assortment of spices, spending a total of one hundred and fifty wen.
Afterward, they visited the butcher shop.
In this era, fatty pork was expensive, costing eighteen wen per jin, while lean meat cost thirteen wen. Bones were only five wen per jin, and pig offal was often given away for free because almost nobody wanted it.
Mu Yuqing bought ten jin of fatty pork for rendering lard, one jin of lean meat, and five jin of pork ribs.
Seeing that she had purchased so much, the butcher generously threw in all the pig intestines and internal organs for free.
It was truly an excellent deal.
Finally, Mu Yuqing visited the grain shop and bought flour along with soybean oil.
She had originally planned to buy rice as well, but after seeing the price, she reluctantly gave up the idea for the time being.
By the time they finally returned home, lunchtime had long since passed.
Even so, the two children were still eagerly waiting for the “deluxe” dough drop soup Mu Yuqing had promised them earlier.
Not wanting to disappoint them, Mu Yuqing dragged her exhausted body back into the kitchen.
She processed the remaining crawfish they had kept at home and added them into the soup, creating a special crawfish dough drop soup.
The moment the siblings tasted it, their eyes lit up brightly.
As they ate, they repeatedly praised their mother, declaring that she was the best mother in the world.
Watching their sincere smiles and happy little faces, Mu Yuqing suddenly felt that all her exhaustion had become completely worthwhile.