CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 161: PROFESSIONAL FAKE SMILE

When the braised meat came out of the pot, although it couldn’t be smelled from ten miles away, it certainly could be from two.

Sun Fengshou carried out a large basin of braised meat, and Yu Xiaolian started shouting.

Why was it Yu Xiaolian who was shouting?

Because the others hadn’t done business before, they were shy and embarrassed.

Yu Xiaolian took the lead, raising her voice, "Freshly cooked braised meat, fragrant braised meat, still hot, come and buy it."

Yu Changhe stood beside her with the scale, and Zhao Erya held the oiled paper, both waiting for the first customer to arrive.

This large basin of braised meat was placed at the shop’s entrance, with a ruddy color and an intoxicating aroma making passers-by swallow their saliva involuntarily.

The meat itself was delicious, and after being braised with spices, how could it not be aromatic?

"How much is the braised meat per jin?"

The braised meat shop welcomed its first customer, an old lady with a basket, who seemed to be a purchaser for a large household kitchen.

"Braised meat is forty copper coins per jin, and braised ribs are forty-five copper coins per jin. Madam, what would you like?"

Yu Xiaolian wore a professional smile. Her family owned a supermarket, so she was experienced in customer service.

Seeing the old lady hesitating over the price, Yu Xiaolian immediately sliced a piece of fatty and lean braised meat and handed it over, "Madam, have a taste. Our braised meat is made with a unique secret recipe, different from others. I’m sure you’ll want more after trying it this time."

The woman, after hearing the price, was about to back away. Pork was only eighteen copper coins per jin, and ribs were just twelve copper coins. She found it not worthwhile. But just as she was about to leave, Yu Xiaolian handed her a piece of meat. Thinking it was free, she took it.

After tasting it, she was surprised. The meat was savory with a hint of spiciness and sweetness, really delicious.

"Did you use cornelian cherries in this meat?"

Yu Xiaolian shook her head with a smile, "No, cornelian cherries taste spicy and bitter. Did this meat taste bitter to you?"

The woman shook her head. She had cooked with cornelian cherries before, and they were spicy; this was aromatic and spicy, different.

"The flavor is nice, but it’s just too expensive. And the ribs don’t have much meat; how come they’re more expensive than the meat?"

Modern ribs are generally more expensive than meat, with premium ribs even higher. Besides, Yu Xiaolian thought ribs tasted better, so she priced them five copper coins higher than the meat. "My ribs have more meat and are more flavorful and delicious. Why don’t you buy both to try?"

The woman shook her head. Ribs had bones, weighed more, and were expensive and not worthwhile, "Just give me two jin of braised meat!"

Yu Xiaolian asked which part the woman wanted, the fatty one or the meaty one?

The woman pointed to a piece with both fat and lean parts, "I’ll take this piece!"

Zhao Erya went up to wrap the meat in oiled paper, tied it with straw rope, and placed it on Yu Changhe’s scale.

"Two jin and eight liang, a total of one hundred copper coins. I’ll give you two pieces of ribs to try. If you like it, come back again!" Yu Xiaolian swiftly wrapped two pieces of ribs for the woman and tucked them into her basket along with the braised meat.

Seeing Yu Xiaolian give her two pieces of ribs, the woman immediately praised her business skills and said she would return next time.

With the first customer comes the second, but everyone bought braised meat, no one bought ribs, which actually puzzled Yu Xiaolian.

Ribs are so delicious, she’d rather spend five extra copper coins, she has to eat ribs.

It’s fine if they don’t sell; she’ll keep them for her family dinner.

When a pot of braised meat sold out, people attracted by the aroma came to buy meat but found no braised meat left. Unwilling to leave empty-handed, they bought ribs instead.

After Xiaohu finished his homework, he came out to find both braised meat and ribs gone, his shoulders drooping at once.

Oh no, the fragrant meat, he didn’t get to eat any.

"Sold out, if you want some, come earlier tomorrow."

Yu Changhe started to move back the racks and wooden basins, closing up shop.

Once the family went inside, Yu Xiaolian dumped the small basket of copper coins onto the table and began to count the money.

The little ones craned their necks over to help count, ten by ten, and then strung them onto the cord Sun was holding.

"In total, it’s two taels and three hundred twenty copper coins. After deducting the cost, it’s one tael and twenty copper coins. We made one tael and three hundred copper coins from one pot of meat.

And we kept some for ourselves too."

Sun Fengshou said, "I didn’t expect the braised meat to sell so well, let’s braise more pots tomorrow to make a bit more."

Yu Xiaolian looked at Sun Fengshou, "Uncle, could you go to the market to buy more meat and some pig intestines later, cook them before bed tonight, so they simmer overnight for flavor, and we can sell them tomorrow morning. Let’s just sell two or three pots a day; don’t tire ourselves out."

Sun Fengshou waved it off, saying it wasn’t tiring compared to plowing fields, it’s not even real work.

He told Yu Xiaolian to focus on the grocery store, leaving the braised meat shop to him.

Hearing that there was leftover braised meat in the kitchen, Xiaohu pulled Sanya and Su Jingyue and ran towards the backyard. In the backyard, Grandma Sun was steaming buns. Seeing her grandkids running over, she asked if Xiaohu finished his homework and if he understood the lessons.

Xiaohu nodded, saying he understood and can write and recite them.

Grandma Sun, seeing the children eyeing the braised meat bowl on the stove, laughed and gave each of them a piece of pig rib.

The three little ones, upon receiving the ribs, didn’t eat them immediately but compared sizes first. They each thought theirs was the best piece before taking a big bite.

"This pig bone is so delicious," Xiaohu said with satisfaction.

"So fragrant..."

Su Jingyue, who had always eaten well, could have pork and lamb whenever he wanted, but even he found the braised ribs incredibly tasty, better than any lamb ribs he had before.

"I’ve never had such delicious pig bones." Compared to the two boys, Sanya ate more quietly, taking small bites.

After gnawing the meat off the ribs, the kids even sucked the bones until no juice was left before tossing them away.

Xiaohu licked his lips, savoring the taste of braised ribs, thinking that since the family would be selling braised meat daily, wouldn’t that mean he could eat it every day too?

Xiaohu thought it was great to have a braised meat shop at home, making money for the family and satisfying his cravings.

He decided to tell his friends at the academy how delicious his family’s braised meat was, so their parents would bring them over to buy some.

Yu Xiaolian, setting aside some braised meat and ribs in advance, wrapped them in three portions with oiled paper and personally delivered them to the neighbors.

Since their family would be living in Luocheng long-term, maintaining good neighborly relations was necessary.

The braised meat shop next to them was a grain store, owned by an old man named Sheng, who was around sixty years old.

Shopkeeper Sheng, with a kindly face, had not remarried after losing his wife early on. He gratefully accepted the braised meat from Yu Xiaolian with a smile.

Next to the grocery store was a pewterware shop, run by a man in his thirties named Zhang Zhihe.

Yu Xiaolian had ordered a batch of bottles and jars from a ceramic kiln in the East Suburb a few days ago, the location of which she had inquired about through Zhang Zhihe.

Besides the various ceramic bottles and jars, Yu Xiaolian had also ordered some pewterware from Zhang Zhihe’s shop.

Pewterware is praised for its ability to keep contents smooth and sweet, enhance the aroma of stored wine, keep tea’s color unchanged, and display flowers artistically for a long time.

Yu Xiaolian had some wine sets and tea tins customized at the pewterware shop.