“Is this pig intestine? Doesn’t it smell?”

“Not at all! It only has a rich marinated aroma. One bite is both numbing and spicy, crisp and chewy.” The young man from the Shen family had already eaten three skewers and a thin layer of sweat was forming on his forehead: “Delicious! This marinated pig intestine is way more to my taste than braised pork or marinated trotters.” He wiped his sweat, took a breath, and said, “Give me ten more skewers to take back for my brothers.”

“Another ten skewers?”

“Yes, it’s just too good! How did you figure this out? The smelly pig intestine can taste this amazing, it’s truly a miracle.”

Chen Yuping kindly reminded him, “Take it easy, watch out for heatiness.” You don’t want to suffer later.

“It’s that spicy?” the man shook his head. “Just give me two marinated trotters and two shrimp paste buns.”

The marinated trotters were also on bamboo skewers, which were larger. The braised pork was too soft for skewers, so it was specially packed in oil paper.

“One wen per skewer, seems like a good deal. It’s enough for several bites. Let me try one.”

“Is it really that spicy? The smell is so tempting, but I’m afraid it’ll be too spicy and unpleasant. Is it really spicy? You all seem to be enjoying it, and I want to try a skewer, but I’m worried it’ll be too much.”

“It’s okay, not overly spicy. It’s both numbing and spicy, really interesting.” The man quickly finished a skewer, slurping air. “Give me… two more, no, three skewers. This is tasty and has a kick.”

“Just one skewer and you’re already flushed. Still eating?”

“That’s just how I am, a bit of stimulation makes me blush. No big deal.”

Seeing his state, the crowd exchanged glances.

“Is it really that good? He’s flushed all over and still digging into his wallet.”

“Maybe it’s really exceptional. I can’t imagine, every pig intestine I’ve had always had an indescribable smell.” Saying that, he added, “Let me try a skewer.”

“Are you buying or not? I’m buying! I want braised pork, give me five pieces.” An old man squeezed in. “Hey, young man, can you make more braised pork at home? I bought it once and barely tasted it. It’s frustrating!”

“Are there any marinated intestines left? I want twenty skewers!”

His hurried footsteps and voice instantly drew the attention of those nearby.

What is marinated pig intestine? Can you even eat pig intestine? Just the smell is unbearable, yet he wants to buy twenty skewers in one go, has he lost his mind?

“Chen’s third son, I want twenty skewers. Here’s the money, take it.”

Twenty skewers! The onlookers were shocked by this big spender. He really spent twenty wen on twenty skewers of pig intestine. Twenty skewers probably aren’t even enough for a whole set, a set only costs three wen. Crazy!

“I want three skewers.”

“I want two skewers.”

“Hey, I want five skewers, give me five.”

“Don’t crowd, why are you pushing? I want five skewers too.”

The crowd around the stall was stimulated by the twenty skewers, fearing they’d miss out. Who cares if it smells or if it’s spicy? No need to hesitate, buy first and worry later since it’s only one wen per skewer.

The marinated pig intestines sold like hotcakes. Luckily, there were two people at the stall, so Dad Chen and Chen Yuping held steady.

“Don’t rush, one at a time, please line up.”

“Here, your three skewers. Please take them.”

“Five skewers, yours are right here.” Chen Yuping held up the marinated pig intestines.

“What’s being sold here? Is it marinated snacks?” This scene was so bustling that they couldn’t even see what was being sold.

“Just marinated snacks, it tastes great. It’s so packed that we can hardly get in.”

“What’s so good about pig intestine? It’s one wen per skewer, and in town, three wen can buy a whole set, enough for a big bowl.” It was hard to believe how popular pig intestines had become.

“You need the skill for it, without Chen’s third son’s skill, even at one wen a set, nobody would want to buy it.”

Dad Chen and Chen Yuping were too busy to pay attention to the chatter nearby. The father and son were focused, not daring to be distracted, this business had to be done right.

In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, all five sets of marinated pig intestines were sold out.

The marinated trotters were also selling out quickly, there was still some braised pork left, and the shrimp paste buns had the most remaining. Dad Chen had made five hundred that morning.

“No more marinated pig intestines.”

“No more? It hasn’t even been half an hour since we opened. Why didn’t you prepare more?” Those who hadn’t bought looked disappointed.

Chen Yuping smiled and replied warmly, “We still have marinated trotters and braised pork, the shrimp paste buns are also good.”

“Let’s buy a few shrimp paste buns, and I’ll take a piece of braised pork. Make sure to prepare more for the seventh of next month.” At one wen per skewer, the marinated pig intestines were a much better deal than the marinated trotters and braised pork. Even without the shrimp paste buns, the homemade buns were satisfying enough.

“Okay, I’ll prepare more next time. Big brother, come earlier next time, if you’re late, you might miss out.”

The marinated trotters and braised pork sold out too, only a few dozen shrimp paste buns remained, and finally, there weren’t many people crowding around the stall.

Dad Chen and Chen Yuping could finally relax, sit down, and have a drink.

“You guys sell so quickly,” a nearby aunt said, enviously. “If I had even half of Ping Ger’s skill, I’d be smiling in my dreams.”

The stall to the right chimed in, “I reckon I’ll be able to close up by noon, it’s great.”

“With Ping Ger’s skill, you guys can relax a bit.”

“Shuang Cheng’s pastry skills are also outstanding, it won’t be long before he can close up too. Who knows, we might all head back to the village together.” Dad Chen chatted happily with the villagers.

Chen Yuping wasn’t familiar with them, just listening nearby. When someone looked over, he smiled faintly, appearing quite obedient and honest.

“Why does Ping Ger look even better this year? Nineteen now, right? He’s still growing, he’s getting more well-rounded.”

“Ping Ger has been smiling more, he used to smile a lot as a child. When Father Chen took him visiting, I loved teasing him to make him laugh, he’d always smile. Speaking of which, Ru Dong’s clever girl reminds me of Ping Ger, both with chubby white faces that are really cute when they smile.”

Among the four children, it was true that the third son was the most attractive as a child, with rosy lips and white teeth. Dad Chen felt soft-hearted just thinking about it.

Seeing his dad and the villagers chatting so warmly, Chen Yuping silently resumed managing the stall.

Only the shrimp paste buns remained, so things were simple.

In the time they chatted, Dad Chen turned to look at the stall, surprised to find the shrimp paste buns had sold out.

“Sold out already?”

“Yeah, just sold out, someone bought all the leftovers.” Chen Yuping laughed as he tossed a handful of coins into the money box.

“Let’s wait for your brother Shuang Cheng, he should be closing up soon.”

By the time they got home, it was just before noon, with still some time left.

They finished early today, but it was quite tiring.

“Dad, don’t rush to do the household chores, take a moment to relax and count how much we made.”

Dad Chen smiled, his eyes squinting with amusement: “Let’s wait for your father to come back before we count. Last time, we didn’t wait for him, he didn’t say anything, but at night, he mumbled about it in bed. This old man loves face, even with me he’s reluctant to bring it up. He’s always been this stubborn.”

“That happened?” Chen Yuping laughed upon hearing this.

With only the two of them at home and nothing to do, Dad Chen began recounting stories from their youth.

When Liu Guixiang arrived, she heard bursts of laughter even before entering: “Dad, Ping Ger, you’re back! It seems you’re earlier than last time.”

“Yes, even though there weren’t many buyers for the marinated pig intestines, it sold like crazy and were the first to sell out,” Dad Chen said, taking his granddaughter from his second daughter-in-law and playfully teasing her.