Of the three jin of pork belly they had bought, Lu Yan cut out two jin and chopped it all into cubes about the size of a baby’s fist.
She fried the pieces in a wok until all four sides were golden brown, rendering out an entire bowl of lard.
Then she made caramel for coloring the meat. She added a large spoonful of the newly purchased white sugar and let it bubble away. The sugar slowly darkened from white to a deep amber-brown.
Once the caramel was ready, she returned the pork to the wok.
The meat sizzled loudly, immediately becoming coated in the glossy brown syrup and changing color. She added soy sauce for seasoning, poured in water, covered the pot, and let everything simmer together.
While the pork was stewing, Lu Yan peeled seven or eight sweet potatoes.
The family had a small stone mill that had never even been used for grinding soy milk, yet now it was being used to grind sweet potatoes instead.
She chopped the sweet potatoes into pieces, mixed them with water, and ground them into a slurry, filling an entire basin.
Next, she took another basin and spread cheesecloth over it. She strained the sweet potato pulp through the cloth, then repeatedly washed and kneaded the remaining pulp until no more starch could be extracted.
In the end, she obtained a basin full of starchy water.
She set it aside in the courtyard to settle and fed the leftover sweet potato pulp to the donkey.
The starch water was settling.
The pork was simmering.
The dough was rising.
With all her work done, Lu Yan finally sat down in the courtyard.
She made herself a cup of hawthorn tea, added two pieces of rock sugar, and after taking a few sips couldn’t help sighing in contentment.
When Old Lu came home, she’d ask him to build her a reclining chair for the courtyard. Then whenever she got tired from work, she could come outside and lie down.
The aroma of the braised pork gradually became richer and richer, so fragrant that even the lid couldn’t keep it from escaping.
When the time was right, Lu Yan extinguished the fire.
Ordinarily, braised pork would be cooked until the sauce reduced completely, but she still needed the broth, so she had added extra water.
She removed the pork pieces and ended up with an entire basin of rich meat broth.
It still wasn’t time for dinner, but the aroma had already lured Lu Sheng back into the kitchen.
He stood there, staring at the basin of braised pork and swallowing repeatedly.
Lu Yan: “…”
What happened to those two huge bowls of noodles from lunch? Had he digested them already?
Seeing the way he looked at the meat, she knew there was no chance he’d concentrate on studying unless he got a taste.
So she fished out a piece and placed it in a bowl for him.
The square chunk of pork had become incredibly tender from stewing, wobbling softly.
Its appearance was irresistible.
The fatty portions had turned almost translucent, while the lean parts had become a deep reddish color.
Lu Sheng couldn’t help imagining how delicious it would taste.
Reality proved even better than his imagination.
The meat melted in his mouth with the slightest touch of his tongue.
It was filled with rich, savory flavor, without even a hint of the usual porky smell.
There was a touch of sweetness, but not enough to be cloying—just enough to make the meat taste even more fragrant.
It was unbelievably delicious.
Lu Sheng had never eaten pork this good in his life.
If this was what meat was supposed to taste like, then he had no idea what he’d been eating during New Year’s feasts all these years.
After finishing the piece, he was promptly chased back to his room by Lu Yan and ordered to continue studying.
When it was nearly time for Old Lu to come home, Lu Yan put the steamed buns on.
By the time Old Lu arrived, the buns were ready.
Since they had bought vegetables that day, she quickly stir-fried two more dishes: vinegar-fried cabbage and hot-and-sour shredded potatoes, perfect for cutting through the richness of the braised pork.
When Lu Yan finally carried the braised pork to the table, Old Lu’s eyes practically popped out.
Forget his son—even he had rarely seen this much meat in his entire life.
Lu Yan filled a bowl with half a serving of shredded potatoes and cabbage, added two large pieces of pork and a steamed bun, and took it to Madam Xu.
“You’ve been resting in bed and haven’t been moving around,” she explained. “You shouldn’t eat too much meat, or you’ll have trouble digesting it.”
The sight of such a wonderful meal nearly brought tears to Madam Xu’s eyes again.
Too much meat?
Even during New Year’s celebrations she had never eaten two whole pieces of pork at once.
She felt both touched and heartbroken.
The aroma of the meat tempted her terribly, yet she couldn’t help feeling it was extravagant.
Caught between conflicting emotions, she simply lowered her head and started eating.
When Lu Yan returned to the main room, the three of them finally sat down for dinner.
The braised pork was richly colored and glistening with sauce, cooked until it was so tender that it fell apart the moment it entered the mouth.
No one could bear to swallow the delicious juices too quickly.
The shredded potatoes and vinegar-fried cabbage were equally wonderful.
The humble cabbage, quickly stir-fried with vinegar, was crisp, refreshing, and appetizing.
The potato shreds were crunchy, sour, and spicy, completely different from the usual steamed or boiled potatoes.
The three of them devoured all three dishes like a whirlwind.
Old Lu was extremely satisfied after the meal, though a little distressed at the extravagance.
But then he reminded himself that they wouldn’t eat like this every day and ultimately said nothing.
Noticing his hesitation, Lu Yan thought for a moment and said,
“Father, Brother Sheng and I looked around town today. I was thinking of selling some food to help support the family. What do you think?”
Old Lu was slightly startled.
“With your cooking skills, that’s certainly not a problem. What sort of food do you want to sell?”
“If other people are already selling it, we won’t bother. I want to make something nobody else has. Tomorrow I’ll make some for you to taste first.”
Then she added,
“But, Father, if I make it at home and carry it to town, I’ll need something to keep it warm. Something like those hand warmers or foot warmers people use in winter, only bigger. Can you make one for me?”
Old Lu waved his hand.
“That’s easy. I’ll make one for you tomorrow and see how it turns out.”
Lu Yan beamed.
“Thank you, Father.”
After everyone cleaned up the dishes and returned to their rooms, Lu Yan wandered outside to check on her sweet potato starch.
The starchy water had been left to settle for four hours, and the starch had already sunk to the bottom.
She poured off the water, leaving behind a thick layer of starch.
After stirring it with a spoon, she divided it into two basins and left them in the courtyard to dry.
The northern climate was dry, and she estimated that by morning all the moisture would have evaporated.
Everyone went to bed early, but Lu Yan couldn’t stop thinking about her starch and woke up at dawn.
Sure enough, most of the water had evaporated.
She stirred it again with a spoon and transferred it into a jar, ending up with nearly half a jar of smooth, fine sweet potato starch.
She was delighted.
If the menzi sold well, she’d definitely have to buy sweet potatoes in bulk in the future.
Then she’d make Lu Sheng help process the starch—good exercise for him and a way to build some strength.
For breakfast, Lu Yan reheated yesterday’s buns and decided to improve the family’s pickles.
Their original pickles were preserved mustard root.
She generously used oil and added two chilies, stir-frying the pickles until they became glossy, savory, and faintly spicy.
They were delicious—nothing like the old version that had tasted of nothing but salt.
She also made an egg-drop soup.
This time, she stirred a little starch slurry into the soup before adding the eggs.
The egg ribbons spread into soft, floating wisps that looked beautiful.
The soup itself was also thicker and silkier than ordinary egg soup.
Just two eggs made an entire pot.
Everyone ate to their heart’s content.
After breakfast, Old Lu went to work and Lu Sheng returned to his room to study.
The starch was ready.
Yesterday’s meat broth had been saved in a large basin.
At long last, it was time to make the menzi.