“It’s meat… that’s the smell of meat! Has Yuelai Restaurant opened this early?”
The companion beside him immediately shook his head and smacked his lips. “No, I’ve eaten Yuelai Restaurant’s braised meat before. It wasn’t nearly this fragrant!”
“Damn it, I came into town to take care of some business today, but just smelling this has already stirred up my craving for a drink.” As he spoke, he craned his neck and looked around. After scanning the street, his gaze finally landed on Xu Mingzhu’s stall.
The braised meat in the wooden basin gleamed with a rich reddish sheen, glossy with oil and wreathed in curling wisps of steam. Just looking at it made one’s mouth water.
“When did a braised meat stall appear on this street?”
“Never seen it before. There wasn’t one when I came into town yesterday.”
After carefully explaining the prices and sales rules, Xu Mingzhu said softly, “Second Brother, do you remember everything?”
“Don’t worry, I do.” Xu Ming’an nodded, though he looked puzzled. “Little Sister, you’ve never done business before. How do you know so much?”
Xu Mingzhu froze for a brief moment before smoothly changing the subject. “Well, I come to town often enough to gamble. I’ve picked things up just from watching.”
“That makes sense.” Without a shred of suspicion, Xu Ming’an strode to the roadside and began shouting his sales pitch. “Freshly made secret-recipe braised meat! Rich and savory, tender without being greasy! Everyone who tries it praises it and keeps coming back for more!”
The enticing aroma had already been drawing attention. With Xu Ming’an’s enthusiastic hawking, more and more passersby gathered around the stall.
Among the crowd, a middle-aged man dressed in a coarse cloth shirt stared curiously at the braised meat in the pot and couldn’t help asking, “It smells delicious enough. How much are you charging?”
A faint smile curved Xu Mingzhu’s lips as she stepped forward. “Uncle, the braised meat is twenty wen per liang, and the pork offal is ten wen per liang.”
As she spoke, she picked up a pair of clean bamboo chopsticks and gently lifted a slice of meat, coating it in the thick braising sauce. “Uncle, you can taste it before buying. If you—”
Before she could finish, the man waved his hand dismissively. “What? That expensive? That’s almost restaurant prices! No, no, I’m not buying.”
After he left, Xu Ming’an leaned closer. “Little Sister, should we lower the price? What if everyone thinks it’s too expensive and nobody buys anything?”
Xu Mingzhu shook her head. “Second Brother, let’s wait a little longer. Sometimes the price determines how people perceive the quality. Our meat is worth this price.”
“That’s true. Meat this delicious? What’s wrong with charging twenty wen per liang?”
Several more people came to ask about the price, but each left shaking their heads after hearing it.
Having listened to Xu Mingzhu’s reasoning, Xu Ming’an no longer felt anxious. After all, the braised meat his little sister made was so delicious that he wasn’t worried it wouldn’t sell.
Xu Mingzhu picked up the plate of sample portions and walked to the roadside. “Xu Family Secret-Recipe Braised Meat! The only one of its kind in the Jin Kingdom! Taste before you buy. If it doesn’t taste good, you pay nothing. Free samples for everyone!”
The moment those words left her mouth, the crowd surged forward once again.
A passing woman, intrigued by the promise of “no charge if it isn’t delicious,” was the first to accept a small piece of braised meat and pop it into her mouth.
The meat was tender and melt-in-your-mouth soft, falling apart with the slightest press of her tongue. The spices blended perfectly with the pork’s natural savoriness, filling her mouth with flavor. Her eyes lit up instantly. “This is so tender and flavorful! The more you chew, the better it tastes. It’s not overly rich at all. I’ve never had braised meat this delicious before!”
With the first customer’s praise, the onlookers’ enthusiasm immediately ignited. “Is it really that good? Give me a slice to try!”
Those who came for the free samples had hoped to satisfy their curiosity and take advantage of a free taste. Yet after one bite, every one of them was left wanting more, their eyes glued to the braised meat on the stall.
Finally, someone gritted his teeth and made up his mind. “Miss, give me one liang of braised meat.”
“Me too! I want two liang of meat and one liang of offal.”
“Get me a portion as well.”
Xu Mingzhu quickly weighed the meat, chopped it into pieces, and drizzled a little of her secret braising sauce over it before handing it to Xu Ming’an to wrap and package.
Xu Ming’an had never dealt with this kind of scene before. He fumbled about in a panic, unsure what to do first. Fortunately, after a few pointers from Xu Mingzhu, he quickly got the hang of things and gradually settled down into the role of helper.
More and more customers gathered in front of the stall. Later arrivals saw the crowd packed so tightly around it that curiosity drew them over. After tasting, they immediately joined the growing queue.
Originally, the siblings had only planned to test the waters that day. Unexpectedly, everything sold out before noon. Both were exhausted, especially Xu Mingzhu, whose hand was sore from collecting payment after payment. How she missed the convenience of QR-code payments from the modern world.
At first, she had worried that the high prices would hurt sales. To her surprise, the townspeople’s spending power proved quite impressive.
“I heard your braised meat is delicious, and that customers can try it first. Give me a sample.”
Xu Mingzhu gently covered the basin with a cloth and replied apologetically, “I’m terribly sorry. This is our first day selling in Qingzhou, so we didn’t dare prepare too much. Everything has already been sold out. Please come a little earlier tomorrow.”
“It’s all sold out already?” The customer sighed regretfully and walked away.
During the lull in business, Xu Ming’an tidied up the stall. Secretly gathering the copper coins in his hands, he counted them quickly. His eyes instantly filled with delight. “Mingzhu… we’ve… we’ve made over a thousand wen this morning alone! That’s more than a tael of silver!”
“Second Brother, the money isn’t going anywhere. We can count it properly when we get home.”
“Right, right. Never flaunt your wealth.” Xu Ming’an instinctively glanced at the passersby around them. He hurriedly tucked the coins into a cloth pouch, looking as vigilant as a child carrying a fortune, afraid someone might steal it.
This successful first attempt proved to Xu Mingzhu that the business could work. At least for now, she could rely on this method to repay the family’s debts and redeem Daya. Even if she eventually left, the Xu family would still have a livelihood to fall back on.
The siblings bought some rice and flour, then went to the lower market and purchased several jin of pork and pork offal.
“Second Brother, tomorrow we’ll need to prepare more…” Xu Mingzhu paused when she realized the person behind her had stopped following. Turning around, she found Xu Ming’an staring at a nearby wonton stand.
Without a word, she walked over and sat down. “Two large bowls of wontons, please.”
“Coming right up! Eight wen a bowl, sixteen wen total.”
Watching her count out the copper coins, Xu Ming’an grew nervous. If their mother found out he had spent his little sister’s money on wontons, she’d probably leave a few fresh handprints on his backside. He quickly grabbed her wrist and turned to the vendor. “No need. I’m not hungry. Let’s go home and eat.”
“You may not be hungry, but I am.” Xu Mingzhu continued instructing the vendor to cook the wontons.
“Then just one bowl. I’ll eat coarse rice at home. A little braising sauce on top and it’ll taste great.”
“Second Brother, did you forget what I told you before? From now on, whatever I eat, you all eat too. We’ve worked hard all morning. We deserve a little reward.” With that, Xu Mingzhu handed over the money and pulled Xu Ming’an into a seat.
“Little Sister, we’ve made some money, but not that much. We still need to be careful. Sixteen wen could buy several jin of coarse rice.”
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” After finishing their wontons, Xu Mingzhu took twenty copper coins from her purse and handed them to Xu Ming’an.
“Second Brother, keep this.”
Having just swallowed his last wonton, Xu Ming’an stared at her blankly. “Little Sister, why are you giving me money? Didn’t we already agree about this?”
“I remember. I’m still holding your wages for you. But you’re a grown man. You can’t go around without a single coin on you.”
Immediately, Xu Ming’an placed the money back in Xu Mingzhu’s hand. “Little Sister, Daya is my niece too. I should do my share. Once we’ve earned enough to redeem her, it’ll be plenty soon enough if you want to pay me then.”
Seeing his determination, Xu Mingzhu could only put the money away again. “Fine. I’ll keep a record of it all. When it’s time for you to marry your future wife, I’ll use it to build up your bride price.”
At that, Xu Ming’an burst into a sheepish grin.
By the time they returned to the village, it was already afternoon. The moment Mother Xu and Madam Zhou saw them, they hurried over.
“You’re back so soon?”
Neither Xu Ming’an nor Xu Mingzhu answered immediately.
Mother Xu and Madam Zhou exchanged a glance before offering their consolation. “It’s normal if nothing sold. If business were really that easy, everyone would be doing it.”