Chapter 19

Cleaning intestines is quite a skill. In modern times, when food is abundant, people use flour or starch with vinegar and wine to clean the intestines. However, flour, vinegar, and wine are expensive here, and she couldn’t afford to use them for cleaning pig offal. So, she used wood ash, which is also a traditional Chinese medicine with purifying properties and can remove odors. She scrubbed the intestines repeatedly until they were white and clean. She removed some of the fat inside but left most of it, so the braised intestines would be rich and flavorful.

After dinner, Xu Qinyu started braising the offal. While she cooked, the others helped tend the fire and clean the pots and pans.

Madam Wen was washing the wooden basin her daughter-in-law had used in the courtyard while the two children and Pei Weixuan squatted by the stove to keep warm.

It was extremely cold.

Xu Qinyu began by caramelizing sugar. She melted lard in an iron pot, added rock sugar, and slowly stirred it. Once the sugar was caramelized, she added the pre-measured spices, ginger slices, Zanthoxylum, and green onion pieces and stir-fried them. Then she added a large pot of water. She added soy sauce, salt, and the cleansed intestines and pig stomach when the water boiled. She simmered them on low heat for forty-five minutes before turning off the heat. This way, the braised intestines would be just right—not too soft, chewy, fragrant, and not greasy. She also added the large chunks of radish she had cut, covering the pot to let the hot braising liquid soak into the radish.

This way, the radish would be ready and flavorful by the next morning. The cabbage would be stir-fried with Zanthoxylum and vinegar the next day. The fried eggs and flatbreads would also be made the next morning.

People here had breakfast around nine in the morning, so there was no need to get up in the middle of the night to start working.

In modern breakfast shops, customers started eating breakfast around five-thirty or six, and the employees and owners usually got up at three or four to start working, which was very tiring.

As soon as she started cooking, the aroma of the braised intestines filled the house. When the braising was done, the fragrance spread far and wide, and the neighbors could smell it.

“Oh my, what are they making next door? It’s making me crave it every day.”

“It smells so good. I feel like I haven’t eaten dinner at all.”

The neighbors were almost overwhelmed by the aroma.

“Mom, Mom, I want to eat, I want to eat,” some children couldn’t help but cry out when they smelled the fragrance.

“It smells so good. It must be braised meat. Even the braised meat shop’s meat doesn’t smell this good. We can’t afford braised meat. Stop fussing, child.”

“No, no, I want to eat.”

Many children in Osmanthus Alley were so tempted by the aroma that they cried, begging their parents for a taste. Some parents managed to soothe their children with kind words, while others, more impatient, gave their kids a good scolding.

After finishing her tasks, Xu Qinyu boiled water, and the whole family washed up before going to bed.

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At the break of dawn, Xu Qinyu woke up.

In the Pei family, Xu Qinyu and Pei Weixuan were usually the first to rise.

Pei Jianing often had trouble sleeping at night, and Xu Qinyu, even in her half-asleep state, could feel her sister-in-law tossing and turning. So, she always let her sleep a bit longer in the morning.

Every time Xu Qinyu went to the kitchen, her husband would soon follow. He would sit by the stove, tending the fire, while Xu Qinyu used the small stove to cook the day’s porridge. Since they had meat sandwiches today, she made a lighter porridge to complement them. She kneaded the dough and let it rest on the cutting board for a quarter of an hour. She transferred the braised ingredients to the large clay pot she had prepared earlier, cleaned the pot, and began making the flatbreads.

Making flatbreads was simple. She pinched off pieces of dough about the size of half a fist, pressed them into flat discs, and cooked them until they were evenly thick.

The amount of braised intestines and pig stomach she had was enough for about fifty meat sandwiches, so she made fifty-five flatbreads.

The iron pot was large enough to cook several flatbreads at once. Once the flatbreads were done, she fried the eggs. She brushed a thin layer of lard and salt on the bottom of the pot, and the fried eggs came out crispy and fragrant, each one round and plump.

After frying the eggs, she stir-fried a large bowl of vinegar cabbage. She cut the cabbage into strips about two centimeters thick, making them sturdy and perfect for stuffing into the flatbreads. They were also refreshing and appetizing on their own.

The braised intestines on the large stove were boiling again, and the radishes were naturally cooked.

With everything ready, the porridge was also done. Xu Qinyu quickly cut the intestines, pig stomach, and radishes, and made eleven meat sandwiches.

Six were for the Pei family and five for the Xia family. She wanted to share the freshly made food with the Xia family as well.

When Zhu Zi came to pick up the food, he was overjoyed to learn that there were portions for him and his sister Xiao Cui, and he thanked Xu Qinyu profusely.

Each meat sandwich contained five or six large pieces of intestines, a small piece of pig stomach (since there was only one pig stomach, each sandwich had just a small piece), braised radishes, a fried egg, and a strip of vinegar cabbage. The sandwiches were stuffed to the brim. One bite revealed the crispy flatbread, fragrant intestines with just the right amount of fat, and the delightful combination of fried egg, soft radish, and tangy cabbage. The Pei family was momentarily stunned by how delicious it was.

Madam Wen felt reassured. Such flavorful meat sandwiches couldn’t even be found in the capital, let alone in the remote southwest. This business was definitely worth pursuing.

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After breakfast, Xu Qinyu prepared to push the food cart to the dock.

Pei Weixuan helped place the large stove under the cart and set the pot of braised intestines on top. The fire in the stove was reduced to a small flame to keep the clay pot warm.

A basin of flatbreads, fried eggs, and cabbage strips was also placed next to the large stove under the cart, covered with a white cloth. The stove’s heat would keep everything warm until they reached the dock.

Xu Qinyu initially planned to go alone, but her husband insisted on helping her push the cart. She tried pushing it herself and found it quite heavy.

Once they left, Madam Wen cleaned the kitchen thoroughly.

The aroma of Xu Qinyu’s braised intestines was so strong that the scent couldn’t be contained even with the clay pot covered. Some families in Osmanthus Alley were sweeping snow in their courtyards, and children were playing in the alley.

Pei Weixuan pushed the cart, and Xu Qinyu helped. The cart was quite noticeable, with steam rising from the clay pot. Some neighbors, seeing the couple and the strange cart, immediately realized they were the ones who had rented the Xia family’s house. The same enticing aroma that had kept everyone awake the previous night was now wafting through the air again.

Some people couldn’t help but come out and ask, “Young lady, what kind of food are you making? Where are you planning to go?”

Xu Qinyu smiled and replied, “Auntie, I’m making meat sandwiches to sell at the dock.”

The woman couldn’t resist asking, “Meat sandwiches? Pork sandwiches? How much for one?”

Xu Qinyu said, “Eight wen each.”

The cost was too high. If she sold them for the same price as pork sandwiches, five wen each, she wouldn’t make any profit.

Moreover, her meat sandwiches were much larger than pork sandwiches, filled to the brim, and tasted incomparable. If she sold them on East or West Street, they would start at least ten wen each.

The neighbor auntie looked surprised, “Eight wen each? That’s too expensive. Forget it. I don’t want one.” She immediately lost interest in buying one to try. Her child had been fussing a lot the previous day. If it were a pork sandwich for five wen, she could grit her teeth and buy one for the child, but eight wen was too much.

The auntie’s child, only five or six years old, started crying upon hearing they wouldn’t buy one. He insisted on having it.

A bit annoyed, the auntie dragged the child back into the courtyard, “We can’t afford it. If you keep crying, I’ll spank you.”

The child continued to fuss, and the auntie, losing her patience, smacked him on the bottom, making him cry even louder.

Xu Qinyu felt quite uncomfortable watching this. The child was only five or six years old and looked thin, just like the other children playing in the alley. In her time, children had no worries about food and drink. Except for some picky eaters, most children were well-fed and sturdy. Parents were always worried their children weren’t eating well enough, wanting every meal to be a feast. But these children probably only had meat a few times a year. Even ordinary vegetables were boiled in water, with little oil or salt, so they didn’t grow well.

As they left Osmanthus Alley, many people asked about the price. When they heard it was eight wen, no one was willing to buy.

A small pork sandwich, three wen more expensive than usual, seemed not worth it. Eight wen could buy over two liang of meat to taste the flavor.

Fortunately, Xu Qinyu’s target customers weren’t the neighbors in the alley. She continued pushing the cart towards the dock.

Fortunately, Xu Qinyu’s target customers were never the neighbors in the alley. She continued pushing the cart towards the dock. However, she remained mostly silent along the way.

Pei Weixuan glanced at her, noticing her deep concern for the thin and small children.

Soon, they arrived at the dock. Usually, setting up a stall at the dock required a fee, but with the snow, few people were out, and no one was collecting fees.

There were plenty of spots to set up a stall. Xu Qinyu chose a random spot, and the aroma of her braised intestines was so enticing that two crew members, initially heading towards the wonton stall, couldn’t resist coming over.

“Young lady, what are you selling? It smells amazing.”

Xu Qinyu smiled and replied, “I’m selling meat sandwiches with braised intestines, pig stomach, radishes, stir-fried spicy cabbage, and a fried egg. Eight wen each.”

“Intestines? You mean pig offal?” The two men looked disgusted. “That stuff always smells bad when cooked. Who would want to eat it? And other pork sandwiches are only five wen. Made with offal, yours isn’t worth eight wen, even with a fried egg. Young lady, you can’t do business like this. You’re asking too much.”

Xu Qinyu didn’t argue. She uncovered the clay pot, took out a piece of intestine, cut it into two finger-length pieces, and skewered them with a wooden stick. “Try my braised intestines, and you’ll see.”

The two men hesitated but couldn’t resist the stronger aroma. They took the skewers and tasted the intestines, expecting a bad taste. Instead, the intestines were juicy, chewy, and incredibly flavorful, with no unpleasant smell.

Their eyes widened in disbelief. “Young lady, is this really offal? It’s better than any meat we’ve had.”

They had never tasted such delicious offal.

Xu Qinyu smiled. “Would you like to try a meat sandwich? Mine are bigger and more filling than pork sandwiches. One is enough for two, and they’re absolutely delicious.”

The aroma was too tempting, and the men couldn’t resist. “Give us one each.”

Xu Qinyu quickly prepared two meat sandwiches, filling them with braised intestines, pig stomach, radishes, a fried egg, and a strip of spicy cabbage. She drizzled a bit of broth over them and wrapped them in oil paper.

The men eagerly took big bites, savoring the crispy flatbread, fragrant intestines, and the perfect blend of flavors. It was so delicious that they felt a tingling sensation.

It was the best thing they had eaten in years, even better than the dishes they had in the capital’s restaurants.

They quickly finished their sandwiches and, still hungry, asked for more. “Young lady, give me two more!”

“Me too, please.”

“Here, young lady, this is twenty-four wen. Keep the change.”

They handed the coins to the handsome man beside Xu Qinyu, who silently collected the money.

Xu Qinyu swiftly made four more sandwiches and handed them over.

The men ate as they returned to the boat.

Back on the boat, the aroma was unmistakable. Other crew members, preparing to disembark for food, couldn’t help but ask, “What are you eating? It smells incredible.”

“Meat sandwiches,” they mumbled through mouthfuls. “There’s a new breakfast stall by a young lady. You can’t miss it. The sandwiches are filling and delicious, the best we’ve ever had. The intestines are braised to perfection, juicy and flavorful.”

This was a merchant ship, not one of the official coal and iron ore ships.

The others laughed, “You must be desperate to eat offal and call it good.”

The two men scoffed, “Just don’t go buying breakfast from the young lady, then.”

They were only seventeen or eighteen, working on the ship because their family was poor. Bandits plagued the river, and the government had tried countless times to eradicate them without success. Merchant ships hired guards to protect against river pirates.

The two men, from the same village and with some martial skills, joined the ship out of necessity. They usually saved money but couldn’t resist the delicious sandwiches.

The others continued to mock them, “Don’t worry, we won’t eat that stuff.”

But they were already alighted from the ship.