“The flavor of this meat isn’t right!”…
The sun hung high in the sky. Shen Zhihe, having left the government office, stood by the street holding Shen Zhian’s hand, sighing with a sense of loss. She reckoned it was because she was still too insignificant now, which was why even the government clerks looked down on her. She lifted her head and sighed, glanced back at the plaque above the government office, then slowly led Shen Zhian away from the entrance of the Fu Ya.
It was already noon, and the number of pedestrians on the street gradually dwindled. Gathering her emotions, Shen Zhihe began to plan: today, she might as well make braised pork belly with potatoes to nourish herself and Shen Zhian. Though she had plenty of ginger and garlic at home, she estimated the pork’s gamey smell would be particularly strong. Relying solely on scallions and ginger might not completely remove the odor. Moreover, the seasonings available now were not as abundant as in her previous life. Without spices like Guipi and Huixiang, the braised meat would likely lack depth in flavor.
At this thought, Shen Zhihe immediately took Shen Zhian’s hand and headed toward the Ji Shi. Along the way, she noticed many shops selling spices, but she didn’t seem to spot the Guipi or Huixiang she was looking for. Just as she was feeling disappointed, her eyes suddenly lit up as they fell upon a stall not far away.
She looked closely and felt a surge of joy. She saw many yellow, lantern-shaped chilies—key ingredients for making Suantang Feichang. Shen Zhihe hurried toward the stall, picked up one of the chilies, and examined it carefully. It was indeed as she had guessed. The stall also had many other varieties of chilies.
Shen Zhihe pondered for a moment. Since the seasonings here were not as varied as in her previous life, why not make some chili sauce herself? She could bring it to her stall tomorrow and test how well the locals handled spiciness. If they could tolerate heat, she could recreate the Suantang Feichang from her past life. After all, in the days she had been here, she had never seen anyone eating pork offal. If she prepared it properly, it could become a delicious dish.
The stall owner, noticing that Shen Zhihe had been standing in front of the stall for a long time without speaking, promptly called out, “Miss, are you interested in buying this Fan Jiao?”
“Fan Jiao? Where did you get this? I’ve been to this market before but never seen it,” Shen Zhihe said, placing the yellow lantern chili back on the stall and picking up a green one that resembled the pickled chilies from her past life.
“This was brought back from Saiwai by my brother-in-law. It’s quite rare. If you like it, I can sell it to you at a lower price,” the stall owner said with a smile, noticing Shen Zhihe’s keen interest.
Hearing this, Shen Zhihe thought for a moment and then pointed to the chilies on the table. “Then, please pack some of each variety for me.”
Delighted, the stall owner swiftly wrapped up the chilies for her. Shen Zhihe took the package and paused briefly before asking, “Might I ask if there are any shops nearby that sell Guipi and Huixiang?”
“You’ve asked the right person! My husband works at the largest spice shop in town. Wait a moment, let me pack up the stall, and I’ll take you there,” the stall owner said, beaming. She quickly tidied up the remaining chilies, slung the bundle over her shoulder, and led Shen Zhihe toward the largest shop in town.
Before long, the three arrived in front of the shop. Shen Zhihe looked up and saw two men wearing black short Jia’ao standing before the two-story building. One of them flashed a trace of impatience in his eyes when he spotted the stall owner, but it vanished instantly.
“Boss, this young lady wishes to purchase some spices, so I brought her here,” the stall owner said hurriedly upon seeing the man, leading Shen Zhihe forward.
Suddenly, a derisive snort came from the side. The other man glanced sideways at Shen Zhihe and her younger brother. “Brother Wu, I never imagined your wife cares for you so deeply. She brings anyone who asks about buying spices directly to you.”
Hearing his colleague’s teasing, the man felt his pride wounded. He immediately pulled the stall owner aside. “Do you know how precious the spices in our shop are? Look at how shabby these siblings appear—do they seem like they can afford such goods?”
The man didn’t lower his voice as he spoke, glancing at Shen Zhihe several times. He assumed she had thin skin and would likely leave on her own after hearing his words.
To his surprise, Shen Zhihe remained standing at the entrance with a gentle smile, unfazed by his indirect insults. As more pedestrians gathered at the doorway, the man gritted his teeth and shot a resentful glare at the stall owner before forcing a smile and approaching Shen Zhihe.
“Young lady, why not come inside with me to see what spices we have?” Enduring his colleague’s mocking grin, the man led Shen Zhihe into the shop.
“Not much—just two liang each of Guipi, Huixiang, and Caoguo.” Spices were precious, and since they were dried and stored, they weren’t heavy. Two liang would suffice for her needs for quite some time.
“Then please follow me, young lady.” Upon hearing her request, the man surnamed Wu immediately changed his expression. He had initially assumed she was just there to look around and never expected her to actually buy spices. Now that she had ordered these expensive items, his smile became more genuine.
After purchasing the spices and stepping out of the shop, Shen Zhihe let out a long sigh. The urgency to earn money weighed heavily on her. Not only was she often looked down upon due to her shabby clothing, but now these few liang of spices had completely depleted the silver she had earned from selling tofu brain that day.
“Elder sister, when I grow up, I’ll earn money to support you,” Shen Zhian said, his small warm hand grasping Shen Zhihe’s hanging one. Though only five years old, he had endured the scorn of their aunt’s family alongside Shen Zhihe since their parents’ passing, making him more mature than most children his age.
“Alright, I’ll wait for Zhian to grow up and support me,” the young girl’s clear voice carried a hint of laughter through the air.
When the two returned to their morning stall, Granny beamed at the sight of them from afar. As they approached, she looked at Shen Zhihe as if seeing a rare treasure. “This old woman was blind earlier—I never imagined your skills would be so exceptional.”
Granny then took some Sa Zi from the wooden box in front of her and stuffed them into Shen Zhian’s arms, adding with a smile, “Today, I benefited from your luck and sold much more Sa Zi than usual. Don’t refuse, young lady—these twists aren’t worth much. This old woman can see the child is probably hungry. Please accept them.”
“Then thank you, Granny.”
Shen Zhihe had Shen Zhian sit on the cart as she pushed it homeward, thinking to herself that today was a good start. She would first prepare the chili paste, and after a few days when the customer base stabilized, she would bring it out. Releasing a new product all at once would quickly make customers lose their sense of novelty.
Before long, the siblings arrived home and happened to meet Wang Niangzi stepping out. Squinting her eyes, Wang Niangzi glanced at the wooden barrels on Shen Zhihe’s cart and immediately approached with a smile. “Young lady, why so formal? Why push such heavy barrels alone? Next time you need to go out, just call from the courtyard gate, and I’ll have my eldest son come help.”
As she spoke, Wang Niangzi reached out to lift the lid of the barrels on the cart. Seeing this, Shen Zhihe sidestepped to avoid her hand and offered an apologetic smile. “My apologies, madam. Zhian and I haven’t eaten since morning. I can manage, but Zhian is young and can’t bear hunger. I must excuse myself.”
With that, Shen Zhihe gave a slight bow and pushed the cart toward her home. Left behind, Wang Niangzi’s eyes flashed with sharpness—it seemed this young lady had found a way to make money. She would need to tell her son to act quickly.
Unaware of this, Shen Zhihe returned home and took out the spices she had bought that day, storing them in several empty earthen jars. Fortunately, the Northern Border’s dry climate, unlike the damp Xi City where she had lived in her previous life, meant the spices wouldn’t risk moisture in the jars.
Outside, cooking smoke curled upward, and the cold wind carried the faint scent of meals. Shen Zhian sniffed lightly, and then his stomach rumbled loudly. His cheeks flushed instantly, and he looked up at Shen Zhihe in embarrassment.
Noticing his dust-smudged face like a little kitten’s, Shen Zhihe couldn’t help but chuckle. She straightened up, took a cloth from nearby, dipped it in warm water, and wiped the grime from his face.
“You’ve worked hard today, Zhian. Your sister will make meat for you.” Shen Zhihe took her brother’s hand and led him to the kitchen. She took down the meat hanging on the rack, guessing that butchers here likely hadn’t yet adopted the practice of castrating pigs, so the pork available probably still had a distinct odor.
Despite this thought, her hands moved swiftly. She deftly cut a palm-sized piece of pork belly into small chunks and tossed them into a pot of cold water. Then she sliced some old ginger and scallions, adding them to the pot. Out of habit, she reached for cooking wine before realizing she was in the Northern Border—where would she find any? She had forgotten to buy some Shao Daozi today.
Shen Zhihe pondered for a moment. The pork here couldn’t compare to what she had eaten in her past life; ginger and scallions alone might not fully remove the smell. She picked up a jar of vinegar nearby and, under Shen Zhian’s astonished gaze, scooped a spoonful into the pot.
Soon, the aroma of meat began to waft out. Shen Zhian kept sniffing eagerly. Since their parents passed away, neither he nor his sister had tasted meat—not even a proper meal had been guaranteed.
“Zhian, you’re drooling.” Shen Zhihe fished the meat out of the pot and was about to ladle out the water when her eyes fell on Shen Zhian’s face, and she smiled teasingly.
Hearing this, Shen Zhian’s little face flushed red. He quickly raised his hand to touch the corner of his mouth, only to find it completely dry. Realizing he had been tricked by Shen Zhihe, he shot her an annoyed glare before stomping his foot. “Sister is bad! You lied to me!”
Seeing his childish reaction, Shen Zhihe felt immensely amused. She transferred the blanched pork belly into cold water, then placed it in a bamboo sieve to drain. When the wok was hot, she directly added the pork belly and quickly stir-fried it. Within moments, the surface of the pork turned slightly crispy, releasing an aromatic scent that wafted straight into Shen Zhian’s nose. He unconsciously rubbed his nose and couldn’t help sneezing.
He dragged over a small stool, stood on it, and leaned against the kitchen counter to watch the pork belly gradually turn golden in the oily wok. His sister’s method of cooking pork belly seemed different from their father’s. In the past, their father would simply rub coarse salt on the meat, steam it in the wok, slice it, and serve it with soy sauce and mashed garlic—the taste wasn’t particularly remarkable.
Shen Zhihe poked the meat with a spatula and, seeing it was ready, scooped it out of the wok. She then grabbed the sugar jar, scooped a spoonful of white sugar, and sprinkled it into the wok. After caramelizing the sugar, she swiftly added the pork belly back in. Once the meat was evenly coated with the caramel, she poured two bowls of water into the wok and tossed in a small amount of Huixiang and Guipi from the spice jar.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhihe also prepared the tofu brain for the next day. She had initially planned to make chili oil but found she was missing some ingredients, so she had to abandon the idea.
She fashioned a charcoal pencil and searched the house until she found a yellowed piece of paper. Holding Shen Zhian, she carefully calculated the day’s earnings. Having been too distracted to keep accounts during the day, she now estimated they had sold about forty bowls of tofu brain, completely selling out. They could prepare more for the next day. The Sweet Potato Meatballs also seemed quite popular and could be made in larger quantities.
Since the ingredients were leftovers from their parents’ supplies, there were no additional costs. Today, they had netted a profit of two hundred copper coins. However, relying solely on the novelty of tofu brain wouldn’t sustain their business—they would need to regularly introduce new items to keep customers interested.
As she pondered, the simmering meat in the wok released waves of fragrance. Shen Zhian, nestled in Shen Zhihe’s arms, sniffled and struggled to break free. Amused by his eagerness, Shen Zhihe released him, letting him tumble off the chair and scramble toward the kitchen counter on his short legs.
Shen Zhian looked around but couldn’t find the small stool he had used during the day. Anxiously, he circled the kitchen counter before turning to Shen Zhihe and exclaiming, “Sister, meat meat!”
Perhaps it was because they had returned to the old house and only the two siblings remained, but Shen Zhian no longer seemed as wary as a little animal. Instead, he displayed a childish innocence befitting his age. Shen Zhihe smiled warmly, walked quickly to his side, crouched down, and patted his head. “Don’t be impatient, Zhian. Sister hasn’t added the sweet potatoes yet.”
With that, she lifted the lid of the wok. The aroma of the meat materialized, tantalizing their taste buds. Both siblings involuntarily swallowed. Shen Zhihe couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Since arriving here, she hadn’t tasted any meat. Although she had satisfied her cravings with lard these past few days, it was no match for real pork. Moreover, her current body was only fourteen or fifteen years old—a time when she should be growing.
“Sister, meat meat.” Shen Zhian tugged at Shen Zhihe’s clothes, looking up with a trail of glistening drool at the corner of his mouth, making her both amused and exasperated.
She reached out and tapped Shen Zhian’s forehead. “Little greedy cat, don’t be impatient. When it’s ready to eat, you’ll get your share.”
Shen Zhihe took the prepared sweet potatoes from the side and added them to the pot. After about fifteen minutes, the rich aroma of meat blended with the fragrance of sweet potatoes wafted from the pot, enticing Shen Zhian to circle the stove incessantly. Being too short to see inside the pot, he only knew the scent was unlike anything he had ever smelled before.
Sensing Shen Zhian’s eagerness, she quickly ladled the braised pork out of the pot. The meat and potatoes were coated in a glossy, enticing sauce. She picked up a piece and brought it to Shen Zhian’s mouth, only for him to bite into it immediately, heedless of the heat.
The braised pork was stewed until tender, with the layer of fat melting in his mouth. Shen Zhian’s eyes widened in delight, his adorable expression making Shen Zhihe laugh.
“Ooh, hot! So good! Sister, the meat is delicious.”
“Eat slowly, there’s plenty more.” Shen Zhihe found his urgency both amusing and heartaching—he was so young yet had already endured much hardship.
Soon, the entire pot of braised pork with sweet potatoes was finished between the two siblings. Leaning back in their chairs with full, round bellies, Shen Zhihe reflected on the pork. Though she had added ginger and scallions, the faint gaminess remained noticeable. Tomorrow, she would try adding some wine to mask it. If even wine couldn’t cover the taste, she would have to address the issue at its source.
Time flew by quickly. Shen Zhihe had been selling tofu brain on the street for five days now, selling out completely every day. The stock of soybeans at home was nearly depleted, and she began considering when to purchase more.
Her stall’s popularity, drawing crowds of customers daily, left the neighboring porridge and noodle vendors with few patrons, sparking their envy.
This morning, as usual, Shen Zhihe brought Shen Zhian to set up their street stall. Just after selling two bowls, an elderly woman suddenly rushed to her stall, wailing, “This young lady has such a vicious heart!”