Before Zheng Hao returned from school, Gu Lin went ahead to the herb shop to buy enough spices for making braised dishes. Afterward, he ran over to the butcher’s shop to collect the pork belly, pork liver, pork intestines, and other offal that he had ordered the day before.
That is right, Gu Lin was not only going to sell braised meat. He was also going to sell braised pork offal. How could a selection of braised food be considered complete without offal?
When Gu Lin returned, Zheng Hao had already finished school and arrived at the cold dish stall. Seeing Gu Lin carrying a basket of things, Zheng Hao stepped forward to take it from him. Gu Lin reached out and patted the boy’s head, saying, “I will make you something delicious when we get back.”
Once the group returned to Xiahe Village, Zheng Hao first went to coordinate with the villagers who had delivered the melons and vegetables. Meanwhile, Gu Lin took the pork to the woodshed. The process of preparing the pork was not overly complicated. Gu Lin simply washed them, cut them into chunks, and set them aside, ready to be tossed into the iron pot once cooking began.
Gu Lin’s gaze then shifted to the pile of pork offal. Parts like the intestines and lungs were a major engineering project to clean. In the past, Gu Lin might have used flour and white vinegar to wash the pork intestines, but right now, he could not bear to waste precious grain flour on cleaning pig guts.
Gu Lin took a basin of plant ash from the stove, fetched a basin of water, and first washed the pork intestines using the plant ash mixed with water. After scrubbing them three times and noticing there were still traces of impurities, Gu Lin poured in the white vinegar he had bought back from the county town. He scrubbed them a total of five or six times until not a single speck of dirt could be seen on the intestines. Only then did he stand up and thump his long-bent, aching lower back.
Carrying the washed intestines and offal to the stove, Gu Lin set up a pot, poured in cold water, brought it to a boil, and successively added star anise, dried tangerine peel, rice wine, and other spices and seasonings. Once the braising liquid reached a rolling boil, Gu Lin dumped the pork and offal into the pot to braise.
The braising liquid in the iron pot bubbled away, and the rich, savory aroma gradually drifted throughout the woodshed. Watching the braising food bubbling in the pot, Gu Lin swallowed hard. Although he had made braised meat early this morning, the limited quantity had been prioritized for customer tasting samples, so he had not even tasted a single piece. Now, smelling the fragrance filling the room, his stomach, which had been empty all morning, began to growl.
However, Gu Lin felt that meat alone was not enough. He turned his head and called out toward the woodshed doorway, “Xiao Hao, bring over some vegetables.”
Zheng Hao was sitting outside the woodshed preparing the vegetables needed for the next day. Hearing Gu Lin’s call, he immediately picked up a vegetable basket and walked inside. “Gu Uncle, what vegetables do you need? These are all prepped by me, and they can be used right after washing.”
“Good lad.”
Gu Lin stepped forward and selected lotus root, white radish, and mushrooms, then looked up at Zheng Hao and said, “Dinner will be ready soon. Go ahead and help me deliver a portion of braised food to Sister-in-law Zhao.”
Zheng Hao put away the remaining melons and vegetables, nodded at Gu Lin, and replied, “Okay.”
Pulling out two large bowls, Gu Lin scooped a portion of each braised item into the bowls and instructed Zheng Hao, “Tell Sister-in-law Zhao to slice the braised food up and warm it through by simmering it before eating.”
Zheng Hao took the large bowls, acknowledged the instruction, and left the woodshed to deliver the food to the Zhao family.
Gu Lin washed the vegetables he had chosen just moments before, cut the white radish, which took longer to cook, into small chunks, and finally tossed the vegetables into the pot to braise alongside the meats.
Because the vegetables were all cut into relatively small pieces, they cooked quickly. Gu Lin poured the braised food from the iron pot into a clay basin he had prepared, then carried it out of the woodshed.
After returning to the woodshed to dish out the rice, Zheng Hao came back from the Zhao family and was washing his hands in the courtyard. Gu Lin poked his head out and said, “Hurry on inside and eat.”
He watched as the boy dried his hands and walked in.
Seeing the clay basin on the table, Zheng Hao paused in surprise, then looked up at Gu Lin sitting before the table. Catching the boy’s gaze, Gu Lin immediately understood his confusion and explained, “Our appetites are big. It is not just this clay basin. I plan to hire someone to custom-make a whole set of bowls and chopsticks for us later.”
Thinking of his own appetite, Zheng Hao said to Gu Lin, “You have worked hard, Gu Uncle.”
Sigh.
Ever since the child started attending the village school, he had grown much better at saying pleasant things. Gu Lin thought to himself that it was fortunate the boy was sensible. Otherwise, he truly would not have been able to resist these sweet words.
Neither Gu Lin nor Zheng Hao were talkative people during meals. Although they occasionally chatted for a couple of sentences, most of the time they concentrated entirely on eating.
With two pairs of chopsticks moving rapidly, the braised food in the clay basin dwindled fast. Gu Lin noticed a hint of something amiss. After swallowing a piece of braised pork intestine, he asked Zheng Hao, “You do not like eating pork intestines?”
Zheng Hao paused for a moment before answering honestly, “Pork intestines have a heavy gamey odor, and I have a bit of trouble accepting it.”
In truth, that was not the real reason. Pig kidneys and pig lungs also had strong odors, yet Zheng Hao ate them. It was simply because he could not accept which part of the pig the intestines came from, but since they were eating, he did not want to bring it up directly for fear of grossing Gu Lin out. Thus, he tactfully claimed he could not stand the smell of the intestines.
“Then I will scoop yours out separately in the future.”
Knowing that Zheng Hao had items he disliked, Gu Lin did not try to persuade him to give it a try or force him to eat it. He had his own aversion to certain foods, and he deeply understood the feeling of nausea and gagging when disliked food entered the throat.
Zheng Hao’s expression softened slightly. “Okay.”
Autumn had arrived.
The weather was slightly cool.
Walking through the county town, passersby could smell the curling wisps of cooking smoke rising from the food stall ahead from far down the street. A slight chill accompanied the breeze blowing past, causing pedestrians to rub their goosebump-ridden arms.
During this, a passerby sat down in front of a noodle stall and ordered a bowl of piping-hot noodle soup to eat.
The noodle stall owner clearly recognized the person and bantered with him, “Not going to buy cold dishes today? If you go any later, there will not be any left.”
The young man pulled his thin outer robe closer around himself and waved his hand dismissively. “It has gotten this cold. I only want something hot to eat. Cold dishes can wait.”
The owner tossed his sweat towel over his shoulder and said, “I heard that cold dish stall actually put out a brand-new food item today. Lots of people have already headed over there.”
“Oh? What new food?” The young man raised his head and arched an eyebrow, his eyes full of skepticism. What kind of new dish could a cold dish stall possibly roll out? It was probably just more ice-cold food like spiced pig ears and shredded chicken.
The noodle stall owner shook his head. “I did not go check, so I do not know what they are selling, but the bamboo tubes held by the people walking back from that direction were actually steaming with heat!”
The young man, who had originally lost interest, instantly perked up. Ever since the weather turned cool, he had not eaten cold dishes for several days and had been craving them terribly. Now, hearing that the cold dish stall was offering hot food, his hands grew itchy with anticipation. He hurriedly finished the noodles in his bowl, tossed down some copper coins, and left.
As soon as he stepped onto the street where the cold dish stall was located, the young man saw the usual bustling sea of people surrounding the stall. It looked nothing like the sluggish business slump he had imagined the cooling weather would bring.
In fact, trying to push his way forward was even more difficult than it used to be.
Suddenly, the young man spotted a young scholar squeezing his way out of the crowd and immediately intercepted him. “Brother Zhao?”
He found it a bit incredible. The young man who usually took pride in meticulous grooming and proper attire now had slightly disheveled temples and creased robes.
The scholar addressed as Brother Zhao raised his head and also spotted the young man. “Brother Wang.”
Noticing the steaming bamboo tube in the scholar’s hand, the young man leaned in closer and asked, “Brother Zhao, what is this?”
Brother Zhao raised the bamboo tube slightly and replied, “This is the new food from the cold dish stall, braised food.”
“Braised food?”
The young man wore a puzzled expression, clearly having never heard of such a dish. Yet, bound by decorum, he could not rudely lean over to peer inside the other man’s tube.
Thus, after bidding farewell, he squeezed into the crowd and finally reached the front of the cold dish stall. He looked at the several clay bowls displayed on the counter, each filled with a different kind of braised delicacy.
At that exact moment, Gu Lin was facing a wave of skepticism from the crowd.
Old Three Li pointed at the pork intestines in the bowl and asked, “Gu Boss, are you certain pork intestines are edible? Pork intestines are the filthiest part of a pig’s body.”
Upon hearing that braised pork intestines were part of the selection, the young man’s eyes widened. Though he had never eaten pork intestines himself, he certainly knew which part of the pig they came from.
He lowered his gaze to inspect the braised items in the clay bowl. The interest he had harbored moments before dissipated significantly, and he felt as though the noodles he had just eaten might come right back up.
Gu Lin was already accustomed to people questioning novel foods and fully understood why they could not accept pork intestines.
Just like people’s attitudes toward live chick embryos, insect eggs, silkworm chrysalises, or century eggs, public sentiment tended to be strictly polarized. Those who liked them adored them, considering them a rare and nourishing delicacy, while those who disliked them felt nauseous and disgusted the moment, they laid eyes on them.
Gu Lin respected and understood these reactions, but since he was running a business to make money, he still needed to guide everyone toward trying and accepting pork intestines.
He explained to the crowd gathered around the stall, “Rest assured, everyone. Every morning when our stall purchases pork intestines, we thoroughly scrub and wash them with plant ash and white vinegar, and then cook them with a specially blended mix of spices. We eat them ourselves too. Braised food served alongside clear noodle soup tastes absolute perfection.”
Gu Lin and Zheng Hao had eaten noodle soup for breakfast this morning. Instead of frying eggs like they usually did, they had sliced up a plate of freshly cooked braised food to accompany their noodles.
Normally, Gu Lin had little appetite early in the morning, and eating steamed buns or mantou for too long inevitably felt dry and choking. Having a bowl of clear noodle soup paired with fragrant braised food for breakfast left Gu Lin feeling warm right down to his stomach.
Mother Sun pushed her way through the front row of people, ignored their glare, placed her hands on her hips, and snapped, “If you lot will not eat it, this old lady will! If you cannot even trust the things Gu Lin sells, no wonder you never get to eat anything fresh and hot around here.”
She turned to Gu Lin and said, “Gu Lin, this old lady trusts you. Your family made those pig ears taste so delicious, so I refuse to believe these pig intestines could possibly taste bad anywhere!”
Faced with Mother Sun’s staunch support, Gu Lin was genuinely touched.
He picked up a piece of pork intestine with a bamboo skewer and handed it to her. Mother Sun took it. Unlike her initial hesitation when trying the spiced pig ears earlier, this time she accepted the piece of intestine and popped it straight into her mouth, chewing away. The surrounding onlookers watched her with racing hearts, backing away in a wide berth, terrified she might vomit right then and there on them.
Mother Sun paid no heed to the crowd’s reactions. She was busy tasting, or rather enjoying, the delicious flavors in her mouth. The pork intestine between her teeth was tender and springy, savory with a mild hint of spice. Every time Mother Sun chewed, she could taste a rich meaty flavor cutting right through the spice blend. But none of that was the most shocking part. What truly amazed Mother Sun was that the pork intestines prepared by Gu Lin didn’t have the slightest hint of gamey or foul odor.
The young man standing nearby saw that Mother Sun remained silent and could not help asking, “Mother Sun, how does the braised food taste?”
He did not dare try the braised pork intestines himself, but seeing Mother Sun looking as though she were thoroughly enjoying it made his ears itch and his heart claw with curiosity.
Swallowing the bite in her mouth, Mother Sun glanced sideways at the young man and said, “You had better buy some while you can. After today, you might not even be able to get any.”
With that, she turned back to Gu Lin and shouted loudly, “Gu Lin, pack up three tubes of braised food for me, one tube of pork intestines, one tube of braised meat, and one tube of mixed offal. Also, give me an extra tube of the braising broth so I can take it back to mix with rice for my little grandson.”
“Coming right up!” Gu Lin’s hands moved deftly, and within a few breaths, he had packed up three tubes of braised food and one tube of braising broth and handed them over to Mother Sun.
Seeing this scene, the minds of the other onlookers surged with temptation, though they still hesitated to buy the pork intestines. Seeing this, Gu Lin chimed in, “Everyone is welcome to try a sample first. Braised food is not just pork intestines. We also have braised meat, braised pig trotters, braised pig liver, and more. Feel free to buy whatever you like best.”
Hearing Gu Lin’s words, the crowd collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Mother Sun had tasted the pork intestines and declared them exceptionally delicious, not everyone could overcome their psychological barrier to eat internal organs. Since there were other options available, they naturally chose those instead.
Consequently, a crowd surged forward to sample the bowl of braised meat. Upon tasting the savory goodness, people began purchasing portions without a moment’s hesitation.
Meanwhile, a smaller group of adventurous food lovers sampled the braised pork intestines, and their eyes lit up instantly, immediately asking Gu Lin to pack tubes of it for them.
Fearing that Gu Lin might think the pork intestines would not sell and stop making them in the future, they urged, “Gu Boss, you cannot stop selling the pork intestines! We all love eating this. From now on, I am going to buy some every single day to go with my wine.”
Seeing customers discover one of the classic ways to enjoy braised food after only a few bites, Gu Lin silently marveled at the wisdom of the ancients before replying, “Rest assured, braised pork intestines are one of the signature specialties of our braised dishes. The stall will definitely keep selling them.”
Today’s cold dishes sold out rapidly, but Gu Lin’s stall remained open. The iron pot bubbling on the stand was active, and the people gathered around were all waiting to purchase braised food.
Noticing the iron pot was running low, Gu Lin turned to Sister-in-law Zhao inside the stall and said, “Sister-in-law, our braised food is almost sold out. Bring out another clay jar.”
Coming to the county town to sell braised food meant Gu Lin could not possibly have prepared only a single pot. He had pre-braised two pots at home, poured them respectively into clay jars, and brought them to the county town so they could be dumped directly into the iron pot and reheated.
“Gu Boss, long time no see.”
Hearing a familiar voice, Gu Lin turned his head. When he saw who had arrived, a flash of surprise crossed his face, and he smiled. “Manager Chen, what brings you here?”
Aside from the first few days when the cold dish stall had just opened, Chen Wu had mostly sent shop assistants or other personnel to make purchases on his behalf. It had been quite some time since the man himself had shown up.
Chen Wu stroked his beard, smiled at Gu Lin, and said, “Gu Boss, your business is thriving more and more day by day, and your food offerings just keep innovating!”
Hearing this, Gu Lin smiled without taking the bait directly. Instead, he replied, “My little stall is just a small venture. How could it ever compare to the rolling wealth pouring into Full House Restaurant?”
A trace of a smile flickered across Chen Wu’s face at those words. “That is all thanks to your blessing, Gu Boss. With the summer heat blazing these past few days, every single diner coming into the restaurant has insisted on ordering a plate of cold dishes. Within just a few days, those cold dishes skyrocketed to become the signature dish of Full House Restaurant.”
Although the man did not specify exact profits, hearing that made it clear Full House Restaurant had made a tidy sum. Gu Lin praised, “Full House Restaurant truly deserves its reputation as the premier restaurant in the county town.”
Chen Wu swept a glance over the braised food in the iron pot, then looked up at Gu Lin with bright, sparkling eyes. “None of this compares to Gu Boss’s brilliant ingenuity. I originally thought cold dishes were your specialty signature, but who would have expected that to merely be casting a brick to attract jade. I could smell this braised food from an entire street away.”
Gu Lin humbly replied, “I merely borrowed the experiences of our predecessors and dabbled a bit on my own. If Manager Chen finds it tasty, I can reserve a portion for you every day.”
“If we could do that, it would naturally be wonderful.” Chen Wu sighed with a mixture of sincerity and theatricality. “However, it is not just me who wants to eat it. The owner and young master of Full House Restaurant would likely fancy this flavor as well. But they reside in the prefecture city, and sending braised food all the way there would likely cause it to spoil.”
Smart people always spoke with veiled hints. Gu Lin could tell that the man’s real intentions lay elsewhere, but he did not feel any aversion, nor did he take the bait immediately. He simply replied, “This matter requires careful consideration over time.”
Seeing that Gu Lin understood his meaning, and while he had not agreed outright, he had not given a flat refusal either, Chen Wu knew there was still room for negotiation. “Easily said, easily said.”
Chen Wu did not want to push too hard. After purchasing his portion of braised food, he took his leave.
Watching the braised food in the iron pot dwindle further until finally, to Gu Lin’s mild surprise, even the pork intestines were completely sold out, he began packing up the remaining bamboo tubes.
As he looked up, he saw Zheng Hao approaching alongside a man.
That man was Instructor Xu of the Wuliu Village School.
Whether constrained by the identity of a student or the status of a guardian, the moment Gu Lin laid eyes on Instructor Xu, his heart involuntarily tightened.