Lin Yao looked up and saw the tall, sturdy scholar who had bought pancakes from her last time.
The scholar was haggling with the shopkeeper, following him step by step in a rather comical manner. Eventually, the shopkeeper grew so exasperated that he knocked ten copper coins off the price. Only then did the scholar seem satisfied, paying and leaving.
After exiting the noodle shop, Lin Yao and her two companions entered the blacksmith's workshop.
The air inside was thick with the mingled scents of charcoal and metal. The furnace roared, casting a warm glow throughout the room.
Lin Yao's eyes scanned the shop before settling on a stack of iron plates in the corner. She wanted to commission a teppanyaki-style griddle, but such pans didn't exist in this era. She could only describe the modern iron plate's construction to the blacksmith: "Master, I'd like an iron plate this big and this shallow," she said, gesturing with her hands. "The edges need to be slightly raised, and the plate should be evenly forged with a smooth, flat surface."
The blacksmith paused his work, studying Lin Yao with puzzled eyes. "Young lady, what would you use such a shallow pan for? Ordinary households don't cook with this kind of implement."
Lin Yao vaguely replied, "Master, my family is large. Using a regular pan for making pancakes is too troublesome. This would be more convenient."
Though perplexed—who would commission a special pan just to make pancakes faster?—the blacksmith recognized a straightforward transaction when he saw one. As long as he was paid, it was fine. He agreed readily: "Alright. Come back in two days to collect it. The total is two hundred eighty copper coins. Pay eighty in advance as deposit."
Watching her elder brother take out his coin purse, Lin Yao noticed his fingers trembling slightly. Her own heart ached with sympathy—iron was truly expensive in ancient times.
But then she reconsidered: this iron plate wouldn't just be for pancakes. She could also use it for teppanyaki tofu, fried noodles, fried rice… Business would surely boom, making the expense worthwhile.
Lin Cheng handed the deposit to the apprentice standing nearby. Though he didn't understand why his sister wanted such a strangely shaped iron plate, ever since she'd received divine guidance, her behavior had changed dramatically. Novel ideas kept coming one after another—she must have her reasons.
Leaving the blacksmith's, the three headed toward Butcher Chen's stall. At the front of his stand, Lin Yao expertly sifted through the cuts on the block, selecting a large piece of snowy white pork back fat with rich lard. Then, noticing a well-marbled slab of pork belly on the table, she thought of her family's malnourished state and said to Butcher Chen, "Please cut me one jin of this pork belly as well."
Holding the meat, Lin Yao silently celebrated that castration techniques existed in this era, removing the gamey taste from pork. Braised pork made with this would surely be soft, sticky, and sweet—utterly mouthwatering.
Just as she was about to leave, a lone large bone in the corner caught Lin Yao's eye. This would be perfect for stewing soup or congee! The marrow, soaked in broth, would be incredibly flavorful!
"Uncle Chen, how much for this marrow bone?" Lin Yao asked.
"Two coppers each," Butcher Chen replied.
"Please wrap it up for me," Lin Yao said.
"Right away!" Butcher Chen responded.
As she prepared to pay, Lin Yao spotted a large bucket of pig offal set aside by Butcher Chen.
Her eyes immediately lit up. "Boss, I'll take all of this pig offal."
Hearing this, Lin Cheng immediately grabbed her arm, his face full of concern as he tried to dissuade her. "A Yao, if you want meat, I'll buy it for you. This offal is dirty and smelly, and it's such a hassle to clean."
Although pig offal was foul-smelling, in ancient times when resources were scarce, people still bought it to supplement their fat intake, so the price wasn't particularly cheap. Families with even a little extra money wouldn't choose pig offal.
But at this moment, Lin Yao's mind was filled only with braised pork intestines, braised pork lungs…
Though she had only been in this world for a few days, she felt as if she had been separated from these delicacies for a long time. Just thinking about them made her mouth water. She was determined to buy these pig offal today: "Brother, I can definitely clean them up properly. The dishes made from them will be delicious."
Lin Cheng couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he sighed and took out the money.
Braising sauce couldn't be made without various spices. Lin Yao took her eldest brother and younger brother into the spice shop and herbal medicine store.
Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves… Lin Yao went to several places before she gathered all the ingredients. After settling the bill, she counted the money in her purse—the six hundred and eighty wen she had earned from selling cassia twigs that day was now reduced to just one hundred and twelve wen.
Lin Yao silently chanted to herself: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Money come, money come, money come from all directions!"
The three of them headed home carrying large and small packages. Lin Song walked ahead, holding his unfinished sugar figurine, occasionally giving it a lick.
As they passed the old locust tree at the village entrance, several aunties were chatting. When they saw the trio carrying so many packages, their eyes immediately fixed on them, and they warmly greeted: "Cheng-ge, Yao-girl, buying so many things?"
Just as Lin Cheng was about to speak, Lin Yao stepped forward with a smile and replied: "Aunties, our rice jar is almost empty, so we went to stock up. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to cook."
Hearing this, the aunties didn't ask further. After casually chatting for a few more sentences, they turned back to discussing their own affairs. Lin Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief—people's hearts are separated by layers of flesh, and it was wiser not to flaunt one's wealth.
Once they entered home, Lin Yao unloaded all the packages onto the ground and immediately got to work.
She first moved the pig offal to a corner of the yard, fetched a full basin of well water, and submerged the offal in it, planning to give them a preliminary wash. Then she added flour to further clean the pig offal.
After putting away the other items, Lin Cheng watched as the white flour was used to wash the pig offal and couldn't help but gasp. He leaned over and said, "A Yao, can this stuff really be made into something delicious?"
While scrubbing the pig offal, Lin Yao confidently replied, "Brother, just wait and see. Once I've cleaned them up, I guarantee they'll be so fragrant your mouth will water."
Lin Song squatted nearby, wide-eyed and curious, occasionally poking the slippery large intestine in the basin: "Second sister, it looks so strange, and smelly."
"Will you eat it later then?" Lin Yao, amused by the little one's expression, decided to tease him.
Lin Song thought about the meals his second sister had recently cooked—they were quite delicious. His big eyes blinked, "Yes!"
Seeing how readily Lin Song agreed, Lin Yao couldn't help but chuckle, and her hands moved more deftly as she scrubbed the pig offal.
She evenly coated the pork intestines, stomach, and other parts with flour, rubbing them repeatedly. The flour became sticky when wet, trapping the slime and impurities from the offal. Soon, the water in the basin turned murky. ①
Lin Yao poured out the dirty water, fetched several more basins of clean water, and rinsed everything carefully until the runoff was clear, revealing the natural color of the ingredients. The pig offal had also lost their original pungent smell.
Next came the most crucial step—preparing the braising sauce.
Lin Yao cut the cleaned Lu Zhu Xia Shui into evenly sized pieces, arranging them one by one in a large earthen basin for later use. She then went inside and selected star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, and Sichuan peppercorns from the newly purchased spice packet, taking a small handful of each. Adding sliced ginger and scallion segments, she tossed them all into the pot.
The fire in the stove was already blazing. Lin Yao poured a sufficient amount of water into the pot, watching as it slowly came to a boil. The rich aroma of the spices rose with the steam, permeating the entire small courtyard.
Once the water was boiling, she added an appropriate amount of salt, stirring evenly with chopsticks until the broth took on a beautiful soy-colored hue. Then, she added the prepared Lu Zhu Xia Shui.
The Lu Zhu Xia Shui was instantly submerged in the bubbling broth. Lin Yao covered the pot, leaving only a small gap for ventilation, allowing the steady flames to lick the bottom of the pot. She stayed by the stove, occasionally turning the pieces with chopsticks to ensure each one absorbed the fragrance of the braising sauce.
Lin Cheng helped by adding firewood nearby. Watching the braising sauce bubble and smelling the increasingly rich aroma in the air, his initial doubts gradually faded, replaced by a faint sense of anticipation.
Lin Song couldn’t sit still either, trailing behind Lin Yao like a little shadow. He stood on tiptoe to peek into the pot one moment and sniffed the air the next.
After about an hour, Lin Yao picked up a piece of pork intestine with her chopsticks and gently poked it. The intestinal wall gave slightly but quickly sprang back—a sign that it was almost done.
She told Lin Cheng to stop adding firewood, keeping the heat low to let the Lu Zhu Xia Shui simmer in the braising sauce for a while longer, allowing the flavors to penetrate more deeply.
After simmering for another hour, Lin Yao ladled the Lu Zhu Xia Shui into a clean ceramic bowl, filling it to the brim. She sprinkled some chopped cilantro on top, and the steam carried the fresh, savory aroma right to their faces.
“Brother, Song’er, come and try it!” Lin Yao called out cheerfully, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
The braised intestines, glistening with a dark red sheen from the sauce, coiled enticingly in the dish, their oily gloss alone enough to make one’s mouth water.
Lin Cheng reached for a piece of braised intestine with his chopsticks, gently picking up a small section. It felt soft yet springy to the touch. Slowly bringing it to his mouth, his teeth met just the right amount of chewiness from the casing, slightly resilient. Then, the soft, rich fat and meaty flavor inside burst forth, followed by the robust, mellow taste of the braising sauce—the intensity of star anise, the sweetness of cinnamon, the freshness of bay leaves, all blending seamlessly, each note perfectly complementing the distinctive aroma of the intestines without any sense of abruptness.
Lin Cheng’s eyes widened instantly, filled with surprise and disbelief. His initially slow chewing unconsciously quickened, and the more he chewed, the more he found the flavor endlessly enjoyable.
“A Yao,” Lin Cheng swallowed the delicious morsel, his voice tinged with eagerness and excitement, “this braised intestine is truly a delicacy! In all my life, I’ve never tasted anything this good!” With that, he quickly picked up another large piece and popped it into his mouth, wholly immersed in this unexpectedly delightful flavor. For once, Lin Yao caught a glimpse of childlike delight in Lin Cheng.
Beside him, Lin Song had long been unable to hold back. Seeing his older brother eating with such rapture, he eagerly reached for his chopsticks. He aimed for a piece of braised pork lung and, ignoring how hot it was, stuffed it directly into his mouth.
The moment he bit into it, a sharp "Hiss—" escaped as the heat made him immediately open his mouth. Yet even then, he couldn't bear to spit it out. Puffing hurriedly with his mouth wide open, he swallowed it almost whole. The way he wolfed it down seemed as if he feared someone might snatch it away, his cheeks bulging as he mumbled indistinctly between chews, "Second Sister, it's so delicious!"
Watching the two of them eat with such relish, Lin Yao also picked up a piece of Lu Zhu Xia Shui. The moment it entered her mouth, the familiar flavor burst on her tongue. The casing had just the right amount of chewiness, and with a gentle bite, the soft, glutinous interior released a rich, savory juice. The aromas of the brine, fat, and spices intertwined, sliding warmly down her throat. She couldn't help but squint her eyes, savoring this long-missed delicacy.
"Brother, Song'er, let's set some aside for dinner," Lin Yao said, taking a large bowl and filling it to the brim with Lu Zhu Xia Shui. The steaming dish was placed on the table.
The family gathered around, and even the usually plain coarse grain rice tasted delightful paired with the freshly made Lu Zhu Xia Shui.
After dinner, Lin Yao carefully stored the remaining Lu Zhu Xia Shui in a clean earthen jar and sealed it tightly.
Turning to look at Lin Cheng, who was busy tying things to a carrying pole, she said, "Brother, I plan to sell these Lu Zhu Xia Shui at the stall tomorrow."
Lin Cheng secured a wooden bucket to one end of the pole. "Let's do as you say."
Moonlight streamed down like water, bathing the small courtyard and the three little thatched huts. Lin Yao suddenly felt that such an ordinary, bustling life was rather nice.