Chapter 25

When they returned, the three of them immediately started working.

Shen Lin and Shen Mo were in charge of cleaning the intestines, emptying and washing them thoroughly. They would either blow air or pour water into them to check if there were any leaks.

Meanwhile, Zhou Jing took the meat they had bought and chopped it finely, keeping a ratio of seventy percent lean to thirty percent fat, and mixed it evenly.

After that, they used cooking wine, salt, and some seasonings to marinate the meat—it would take about half an hour for the marination process.

The marinated minced meat was stuffed into the intestines, and they tied them off section by section with string, squeezing them into segments. They then hung the sausages in a well-ventilated area outside, allowing them to air-dry naturally. However, they didn’t need to be dried completely—just slightly dried would be enough.

In this season, it would take about four to five days of drying in the wind.

After they were done with everything, it was time to cook the sausages.

This was another one of Zhou Jing’s secrets—his broth.

He prepared three types of broth: one was a spicy broth made with dogwood, another was a plain broth, and the last one was a five-spice flavored broth.

Even the plain broth wasn’t just water; it was specially made with many unique seasonings added to it.

Considering the shelf life of the sausages and raw meat, they couldn’t prepare all the sausages needed for several days’ sales in just one day.

Instead, they had to go to the town every day to purchase fresh pork.

After returning, they would make the sausages, ensuring that they could sell a fresh batch each day without running out of stock.

Since they were just starting, Zhou Jing was worried that Shen Mo might not select the right meat, so he followed along, teaching him step by step.

After six busy days at home, the first batch of sausages was finally ready.

“Xiao Mo, Xiao Di, come over and have a taste,” Zhou Jing called out.

Shen Mo, like Zhou Jing, loved spicy food, so the first one he tasted was the spicy-flavored sausage.

“Ah, it’s so spicy!” Shen Mo exclaimed, sticking out his tongue and hissing from the heat.

Zhou Jing had already prepared two bowls of sugared water. He picked up one of them and brought it to Shen Mo’s mouth.

Shen Mo wanted to drink it himself, but Zhou Jing wouldn’t allow it and insisted on feeding him.

On the side, Shen Lin, who didn’t like spicy food, noticed this and stuffed a few more pieces of the plain sausage into his mouth.

Zhou Jing said: “This might be spicy, but it really stimulates the appetite. Anyone who loves spicy food won’t be able to stop after the first bite.”

“Mm,” Shen Mo mumbled, too busy to respond properly.

After taking a sip of the sugared water, he couldn’t wait to go for a second bite, his eagerness proving Zhou Jing’s point perfectly.

By the time Shen Mo had finished one sausage, Shen Lin had already eaten two. Zhou Jing looked at the two of them helplessly.

“You two have eaten so many sausages so early in the morning. Will you still be able to eat lunch later?”

“I can! Give me two more pounds of sausage, and I’ll still be able to eat,” Shen Lin immediately responded.

“Alright then, go borrow the mule cart from Uncle Wang’s house. Your brother and I will pack up the things. If we move quickly, we can still make it to the morning market.” Zhou Jing instructed.

Since they had been going to the town every day and constantly borrowing Wang Gui’s mule cart, they discussed a deal with him.

They agreed to rent the mule cart for 30 copper coinsa day for a month, during which time Wang Gui wouldn’t use the cart himself. They would pick it up in the morning and return it in the evening.

When they arrived at the town, it was just in time for the morning market.

Zhou Jing lifted the customized stall down from the mule cart, while Shen Lin placed the oiled paper packages and the oiled paper printed with “Zhou Ji Sausage” into the counter’s drawer.

Shen Mo arranged the three flavors of sausages on the counter, using a piece of pure white gauze to cover half while leaving the other half exposed, so that passersby could see what they were selling.

Since they arrived late, all the good spots had been taken, and they could only set up their stall at the back.

Next to them was an old man selling vegetables, whose surname was Chen.

When he saw them selling such finely made food in this area, he was taken aback.

“Young man, your food is quite refined and looks expensive; it might not sell well in this place.” Uncle Chen said straightforwardly, a typical honest man.

Zhou Jing replied gently, “This is all the skill I have. I don’t have much money, so I can’t afford to rent a shop. I just want to try selling it here for now.”

Uncle Chen didn’t say anything more, but Shen Mo and Shen Lin both showed worried expressions.

Shen Mo said: “Brother Jing, I’ve looked around, and most of the people nearby are farmers selling vegetables from their own yards. Do you think our products won’t sell well because it’s a bit more expensive? One pound of our sausages might not compare well to ten pounds of theirs.”

Zhou Jing said: “It’s fine. The people who come here to buy things are all from the town. Although they are certainly not wealthy, there must be quite a few families with some spare money. As long as our products are tasty and cheaper than what’s sold in the shops, we will definitely be able to sell them.”

Shen Mo thought for a moment and felt that Zhou Jing’s words made sense.

Moreover, the sausages Zhou Jing made were truly delicious. At the very least, just looking at the full counter of sausages made him unable to resist wanting to eat another one.

This was a fixed vegetable market where many people usually came to buy groceries.

The morning market had just started, and not everyone had arrived yet, so it wasn’t very crowded.

Shen Mo and Shen Lin were busy at the counter, while Zhou Jing looked around, thinking that those small vendors must have been here for a long time and were familiar with their neighbor vendors.

Since it wasn’t busy at the moment, they were casually chatting while selling their goods.

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Jing took out a small knife he carried with him, wiped it clean, and sliced a few thin pieces of sausage for Shen Lin and Shen Mo to give to some nearby vendors to try.

Shen Lin felt a bit reluctant and said, “Brother, these things are all made of meat and quite expensive. If we just give them away like this before we even open, it’s too wasteful.”

Without needing Zhou Jing to explain, Shen Mo replied, “Xiao Di, since we are new here and unfamiliar with the place, making some connections could help us out in the future.”

“Exactly, that’s the point.” Zhou Jing said with a smile.

Shen Mo added, “Besides, Brother Jing cut these so thinly that they look like a lot, but in reality, there isn’t much.”

Only then did Shen Lin follow Shen Mo and start distributing the sausages to a few nearby vendors for them to taste.

“These are homemade, everyone gives them a try,” Shen Mo said with a smile.

When they reached Uncle Chen, he refused to accept them, he insisted: “No, this is too expensive.”

“It’s not a big deal, Uncle Chen. Just taste it and let us know how it is; it would be helpful for us to get some feedback from other people.” Shen Mo urged.

“Then I won’t be polite.”

However, with such a small amount, he couldn’t bring himself to take a big bite and only nibbled a little. “Delicious! Little brother, I’m not just flattering you; this is really good, even better than what’s made at Yun Ji in town!” Then Uncle Chen gave them a thumbs-up.

However, Uncle Chen was reluctant to eat the remaining large half., He wanted to save it for his little grandson.

But with Shen Mo and Shen Lin watching nearby, he felt embarrassed to keep it, so he could only finish it bit by bit.

After a while, more people gradually arrived.

The spot where Zhou Jing and the others were located wasn’t very good, and it didn’t attract much of a crowd.

Occasionally, a few people came over to inquire, but upon hearing that the sausages were priced at 25 copper coins per pound, they immediately lost interest and walked away without even looking.

No matter how eloquently Zhou Jing spoke, it was useless in this situation.

Thus, the entire morning passed by without anyone noticing, but the Zhou family’s sausage business showed no signs of activity.

Shen Lin anxiously glanced over at the neighboring stalls to see how much they had sold.

He secretly calculated their earnings but did not dare to speak up.

After all, the food was so expensive, and with so much stockpiled at home, it had almost drained most of their savings.

If they really couldn’t sell it, his big brother would likely fall ill from the anxiety.

Although he couldn’t sell the sausages, at the very least, he couldn’t add any more pressure to his brother.

Zhou Jing looked at the sky and said, “It’s almost noon. The crowd buying lunch will be coming soon. Let’s eat first. If we fill our stomachs, we’ll have the strength to work. I steamed some buns, and they’ll go perfectly with the sausages.”

Shen Mo had no appetite at all; he was worried sick that they couldn’t sell anything.

However, since this business idea had been proposed by Zhou Jing, he didn’t want to show too much concern, fearing it would only add to Zhou Jing’s stress.

Shen Mo smiled and took the bun.

Shen Mo thought he was disguising his feelings well. Although he didn’t show any signs of anxiety, having only eaten half a bun and not touching the sausages he usually loved quietly revealed his worries.

Even Shen Lin, who was usually carefree, quietly sat on the mule cart and ate a bun but refused to eat anymore, not even touching the sausages.

Zhou Jing watched the two of them and understood that they were feeling stressed.

At this rate, it seemed unlikely they would be able to start their business today.

He felt a bit anxious himself.

Uncle Chen also brought some flatbreads, but they were made from coarse grains, not the fine steamed buns that Zhou Jing had prepared.

Watching these young boys, without any elder from home to guide them, he thought they probably didn’t know much about managing their lives.

It was one thing to sell sausages, which required a significant investment, but it was another to waste food when they didn’t even know if they could sell anything.

It was clear they were still young and inexperienced in managing their resources.

Uncle Chen couldn’t help but feel concerned, but since they weren’t his own children, he didn’t want to lecture them.

Instead, he spoke gently, “It’s alright. When I first started, business wasn’t good either; sometimes I would only make a few cents in a day. But as time went on, I gained some regular customers, and business improved. Like now, I’ve sold over ten cents in the morning, and I can sell another ten in the afternoon. That makes about thirty cents in a day, and if things go well in a month, I could earn one or two silver coins.”

“One or two silver coins?” Shen Lin exclaimed. “If you can earn one or two in a month, that’s twelve in a year! That’s comparable to farming, and farming has costs for seeds and labor. This is pure profit!”

Uncle Chen said with a hint of pride, “Of course. I have land at home, and I also farm. Combining the money from selling vegetables and farming, I can earn thirty silver coins in a year, which is double what others make. I’m not just boasting; even selling vegetables, not many can earn as much as I do. You see, the house I live in now is a large brick and tile building, with three rooms, newly built last year. I’d guess there aren’t many like it in your village, right?”

Although Shen Lin was young, he was quite perceptive. He wasn’t one to brag; in fact, due to people like Wang Chunhua, he was particularly good at downplaying his own financial situation.

“Mm-hmm, a large brick and tile house really is impressive!” Shen Lin said sincerely, which made Uncle Chen very pleased.

Shen Mo asked, “I wonder if Uncle Chen has any business tips he could share with us younger folks. You see, the food and materials we have are expensive, and it has exhausted all our savings. We can’t even hope to make much profit; we’d be satisfied just not to lose money.”

Uncle Chen replied, “The secret is actually quite simple. As long as your products are of good quality, it’s all about time. Over time, once people have tried what you sell and know it’s good, they will naturally come back. That way, word will spread, and you’ll have returning customers, which will lead to profit.”

Upon hearing Uncle Chen’s words, Shen Mo and Shen Lin felt their hearts sink instead of lightening.

The sausages they made were most vulnerable to time; with the weather gradually warming up, they knew the sausages couldn’t be kept for long.

“So, I say, you can’t be so careless in the future. Living life isn’t like playing house. Without elders around to watch over you, you have to be careful on your own. Don’t be greedy and eat whatever you want; that’s not how life is lived.”

The Shen brothers felt their faces flush as they listened to the reprimand. Thinking about how they hadn’t sold anything all morning yet had still indulged in fine white buns made them feel utterly wasteful.

They realized they were the very definition of “wasteful sons” in the eyes of the villagers!