People from any dynasty have an innate love for delicious food. Everyone had never smelled such an enticing aroma before, and following the scene, they realized it was coming from the tofu stall.
A few people gathered around and asked. “Boss Ji, what smells so good?” Their eyes swept over the small stove, and they exclaimed. “Did your family make this braised meat? It smells amazing! How are you selling it?”
Jiang Jingyi smiled and said, “One hundred wen per catty.”
“That’s expensive.” Several people frowned. “Miss, the Wang family’s decades-old recipe is only ninety wen per catty. Yours at one hundred wen is a bit pricey.”
Of course, it was expensive—how else could they make a profit?
Jiang Jingyi wasn’t upset. Seeing that the man’s gaze kept drifting toward the small stove, she smiled and said. “This braised meat is made with a secret recipe. Just the smell should tell you how delicious it is. I promise your money won’t be wasted.”
With that, she scooped out a piece of meat with a good balance of fat and lean, placed it on a plate, and used her tofu knife to cut it into small pieces. She said to the man, “Look at how tender and well-braised this pork is, it’s full of rice, savory flavors. If you don’t believe me, buy half a catty and take it home to try. If it’s not good, come back and find me. How about that?”
How could it not be good? The aroma alone was enough to make one’s mouth water. Actually tasting it would be even more irresistible, it would practically make one’s tongue melt.
“Your family can afford an extra ten wen, so what’s the problem with buying it?” A chubby, fair-skinned man next to him spoke up.
The man who had spoken first rolled his eyes at the other and said, “Fine, I’ll buy it. Give me two catties.”
Hearing that he wanted two catties, Jiang Jingyi was delighted and quickly took his container to weigh out two catties.
Once someone took the lead, things went smoothly. Many people rushed over to buy the braised meat. There were only three to five catties in the pot, so after selling to four people, it was gone. But fortunately, there was plenty more in stock. Customers could take it home and reheat it themselves, though it was also delicious eaten cold. Soon, a long line formed for the braised meat.
Jiang Jingyi couldn’t manage everything alone, so Mrs. Yun helped out, while Ji Dongyang stayed at the tofu stall.
When things slowed down a bit, Jiang Jingyi quickly added a few more catties to the pot. The fragrance continued to spread, drawing even more people.
The braised meat was expensive, but pig lungs were cheaper. Other cuts, like pig head meat and pig offal, were also sold at the same time price as the meat. Since everything was mixed together, the flavor was excellent.
Jiang Jingyi stretched and was about to weigh out some braised meat for a customer when she felt someone staring at her. Looking up, she saw a well-dressed woman in her forties glaring at her with resentment.
Even when Jiang Jingyi looked back, the woman didn’t avert her gaze. If anything, her hatred deepened. Puzzled, Jiang Jingyi asked Mrs. Yun, “Sister-in-law, do you know that woman?”
Mrs. Yun followed her gaze and said, “Oh, that woman looks like the owner of the braised meat shop in Qingshui County.”
So that was it. Jiang Jingyi couldn’t help but laugh. Apparently, she had stolen their business, but then she found it strange. “Qingshui County isn’t small. Is their family the only one selling braised meat?”
Ji Donyang lowered his voice and said, “Because they have connections. I’ve heard that others tried to open braised meat shops before, but they always got shut down. So, if people if Qingshui County want to buy braised meat, they have to buy from them.”
Jiang Jingyi wasn’t surprised by this. In ancient times, power and statues mattered. Having connections made things easier. The Wang family had a backer, so it was normal for them to dominate the braised meat business In Qingshui County but now, they had a backer too. Ahem!
That woman was Mrs. Miao, the wife of Wang Gui. Wang Gui had heard from his employee that Mrs. Miao had come here and quickly rushed over to pull her away. “The Ji family seems to be related to the He family. Let’s not provoke them.”
Mrs. Miao was immediately displeased. “Why should we be afraid of the Ji family? My uncle works in the county government. Does the He family not rely on the government as well?”
Wang Gui wanted to say her uncle was just a constable, and going up against the He family won’t end well, but knowing his wife’s temper, he quickly tried to placate her. “Maybe they’re only selling this once. It’s not a big deal.”
Mrs. Miao wasn’t sure, but she could only hope so.
Meanwhile, Jiang Jingyi had sold most of the braised meat and was thinking to herself: The profit on braised meat was huge. Maybe she should buy pigs and specialize in this?
Mrs. Yun smiled and said, “There’s still half a block of tofu left. Let’s pull the cart around the alleys and see.”
Fortunately, the braised meat meant for the He family had already been packed into small jars. There wasn’t much left in the clay pot, so Jiang Jingyi simply poured it all into the cauldron, added another piece of firewood, and said with a smile, “Let’s go. Let’s sell the rest.”
There were many alleys in Qingshui County. Ji Dongyang had clearly peddled here before. Soon, someone came out to buy tofu. Smelling the aroma from the cauldron, they asked what it was. Ji Dongyang explained, and the customer said, “Give me a catty to try. My young master hasn’t had much appetite lately.”
Where there was one, there were others. Many people bought meat while getting tofu. The tofu didn’t sell out, but the meat did.
Mrs. Yun couldn’t help but remark, “Life in the county really is better than in the countryside. People here are more generous with meat than with tofu.”
That was certainly true. Farmers scratching a living from the land barely had any money all year and only dared to have meat during festivals. People in the county, whether working as laborers or running small businesses, lived better lives than farmers and weren’t as stingy when it came to food.
Jiang Jingyi took the opportunity to ask them, “Brother, sister-in-law, once I open a shop in the county, will you come and help?”
Ji Dongyang didn’t ask about money. He knew Jiang Jingyi had money. His only concern was, “What about the land at home?”
The Ji family didn’t have much land—just five acres of dry land and one acre of paddy fields. Since Ji Qiuyang’s education expenses were high, Ji Dongyang and his wife had to sell tofu during the off-seasons to supplement the household income. In a few days, it would be time for the wheat harvest, so they definitely wouldn’t be able to make tofu.
But with Jiang Jingyi’s business starting up, there was no reason to stop. Hearing his concern, she said, “We’ll hire people to work the land. We’ll focus on running the shop.”
Ji Dongyang was still hesitant. As a farmer, his land was what he cherished most. Business could bring profits or losses, but farming in their region was reliable. Their prefecture had rarely seen severe floods or droughts in centuries, making it a very good place to rely on the weather for a living. Suddenly giving up farming to go into business in the city was hard for him to accept.
Jiang Jingyi wasn’t surprised. She simply said, “We won’t sell the land, of course. We’ll just hire people to farm it, or we can lease it out.”
Ji Dongyang said, “Let’s wait until Qiuyang comes back. We’ll discuss it with him.”
Jiang Jingyi had no objection. Ji Qiuyang was the only scholar in the family. Ji Dongyang and the others trusted him and discussed everything with him, which was only natural. Although Jiang Jingyi was Ji Qiuyang’s wife, her reputation had been poor in the past. Even though the Ji family treated her like family, it was impossible for them to trust her the way they trusted Ji Qiuyang—at least for now.
“That’s fine,” Jiang Jingyi nodded. “But for the wheat harvest, I want to hire people. Because I plan to buy pigs and make braised meat every day going forward.”
Ji Dongyang and his wife had seen how profitable the braised meat was. After thinking about the cost of hiring labor versus the potential earnings, Ji Dongyang finally nodded. “Alright.”
After selling out the tofu, the three of them returned to the western market. Jiang Jingyi bought various pastries and also went to the Wang family’s shop to buy a catty of braised meat. Mrs. Miao clearly knew who Jiang Jingyi was. When she heard Jiang Jingyi wanted to buy meat, she couldn’t help but say, “Don’t you sell braised meat yourself? Why are you coming to my shop to buy meat?”
Jiang Jingyi wasn’t annoyed. She just smiled and said, “Well, ma’am, are you going to sell it to me or not?”
“Of course, I’ll sell it.” Mrs. Miao glared at Jiang Jingyi as she weighed out a catty of meat, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it over. “Here you go. Ninety wen.”
Jiang Jingyi paid and stepped out. Ji Dongyang and his wife were puzzled. “We have our own. Why are we buying theirs?”
“To taste it,” Jiang Jingyi said, and that was indeed her intention. She needed to know what theirs tasted like, didn’t she?
Making braised meat involved not only the ingredients but also the heat control. Just looking at the Wang family’s braised meat, it was clear the heat wasn’t right.
The three of them got into the cart and headed to the He family’s home. When they arrived at the gate, they saw a horse tied there. A young man in a white robe dismounted in one swift motion, shouting as he ran, “Father, Mother, your boy is back!”
That address…
Jiang Jingyi guessed that this was a rebellious teenager—likely her infamous, good-for-nothing cousin. She had previously thought Li and her uncle were joking, but judging by his words, there was no exaggeration.
Mrs. Yun and Ji Dongyang hadn’t expected the He family’s young master to be like this either, and they couldn’t help but smile.
He Yu ran to the door, suddenly noticed a familiar cart, and turned back. “Is my little cousin inside?”
Jiang Jingyi stepped down and gave him a slight bow. “Cousin, I’m Jiang Jingyi.”
“Oh.” He Yu’s gaze swept over her face, and he said with some confusion, “You’re a bit different from the rumors.”
Jiang Jingyi knew exactly what the rumors said about her, yet she deliberately asked, “What are the rumors? That your cousin is as beautiful as a celestial being and unmatched by anyone?”
He Yu clicked his tongue. “I think it’s ‘unmatched in thick-skinnedness.'”
Jiang Jingyi suddenly felt that once she got inside the He residence, she’d have to let her aunt deal with this brat. He was practically asking for a beating.
Before she could retort, a sharp voice came from inside the gate: “You little brat! I’ll break your dog legs!”
Oh dear, this rascal was about to get it!
**