mtl008 Chapter 81 The Hunter's Daughter in a Fictional World (Part 6)
Chapter 81 The Hunter's Daughter in a Fictional World (Part 6)
Since all of Liu Yuxi's uncles had been drinking today, he didn't mention the braised meat. After resting for a while, he took Liu Yu'an home.
The little one ate a snack today and then steamed egg custard for dinner. After we got home, Liu Yuxi cleaned him up, played with him for a while, and when she saw he was a bit sleepy, she fed him some milk and then coaxed him to sleep.
Liu Yuxi put the remaining 100 taels of silver notes into a small box and the 18 taels of silver into a wooden chest. She planned to bring more silver when she went to retrieve the throwing knife next week. She intended to visit a bookstore and also bring some medicinal herbs to sell at a pharmacy. She wouldn't go hunting in the deep mountains this week; instead, she would gather some herbs and prepare some insect repellent, sleeping potion, and hemostatic medicine. These were all things she would need for going up the mountain, so she prepared extra and stored them in her spatial storage.
The next morning, after taking Liu Yu'an to her maternal grandmother's house, Liu Yuxi carried a basket on her back and went up the mountain. Once inside, she changed her route, no longer going directly into the deep mountains vertically, but exploring horizontally. She activated her spiritual power and collected medicinal herbs into her space as she walked.
Liu Yuxi only stayed on the mountain for half a day before descending and returning home. She took the medicinal herbs out of her spatial storage, ate a meal, and then began processing and drying them as needed. She didn't stop until she ran out of sieves and mats.
When they arrived at Grandma's house, Grandma was making clothes in the yard with several of her aunts, while her eldest sister-in-law was watching Wang Xin and Liu Yu'an play. The mother-in-law and daughters-in-law chatted as they worked. When Liu Yuxi entered the yard, her grandmother called out to her, "Come here quickly. You silly girl, you bought all these dirt-resistant fabrics. Even if you're in mourning, you can't wear only these colors! Come and see if the clothes your aunt made for you fit."
She knew that her grandmother was just nagging. As a peasant family, what other colors would you wear if not these few? Even families with better conditions would only make a couple of bright clothes for their children when they were young, or for their daughters when they were about to get married. For everyday work clothes, these few colors were still the most dirt-resistant.
Without arguing, she went over and tried on the clothes according to her aunt's measurements. It fit perfectly; these days, housewives have eyes as sharp as rulers. After thanking her aunt, she started helping out. The original owner knew basic needlework, but because she practiced martial arts and hunting, her hands couldn't embroider.
As the light dimmed, her aunts packed up their tools and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She and her grandmother took the two younger children to wash their hands and faces; they had played all afternoon and needed a wash. When her grandfather and uncles returned with the cow, the family ate dinner and chatted in the yard. She then mentioned her idea of selling braised dishes to them. She gave them the braising spice recipe, and later ground all the seasonings into powder, then packed it in a cloth bag so that others wouldn't easily discover the secret recipe.
During the off-season, they can braise pork at home and transport it to the county town by oxcart to sell. They've tasted the braised food themselves, so they're never worried about selling it. Aside from the higher cost of the seasonings, the price of pork offal isn't high; it's just a bit troublesome to clean. As for the labor involved, don't be ridiculous—in the eyes of farming families, labor is the least valuable thing.
Grandpa and Uncle discussed it and decided the business was viable. It was June now, the winter wheat harvest was over, and the fields were currently intercropped with corn and soybeans. All they needed to do was weed and water in the morning and evening. Although the weather was hot, they could start with a small batch and sell it all the next day. They would take 20% of the profits as a share of Liu Yuxi's recipe, a split that Liu Yuxi insisted on. Originally, Grandpa and Uncle had planned to split it 50/50.
Having made the decision, Wang Dahe took Liu Yuxi to the county town early the next morning. They bought seasonings and three sets of pig offal, and then returned to Liu Yuxi's house. Her maternal grandfather's stove was always occupied with cooking, so there wasn't enough space for cooking. There were only two people in Liu Yuxi's family, and they basically only made breakfast. Moreover, Liu Yuxi's house was at the foot of the mountain, which was further away from the villagers.
Several aunts were already waiting. They took the pig offal and started cleaning it. After all, it was going to be sold for money, so the aunts cleaned it even more carefully. Liu Yuxi was at home preparing the spice packet. She had bought a small millstone from the county town today, which could be used to grind other things in addition to seasonings.
First, take out the seasonings we need for today, wrap them in a clean, boiled white cotton cloth, and tie the opening. We'll make do with this for today; later we'll sew small bags to store them. When my aunts come back, since Liu Yuxi has already braised them once, she made them again with her three aunts. After that, the three aunts will take turns making them.
When it was almost done braising, I added some potato slices and boiled eggs. Some families are still reluctant to spend money on meat, so buying some vegetables allows them to taste the flavors. When guests come over for holidays, who doesn't prepare some good dishes for their guests? Aren't these all customers? Doing business is all about taking it slow and building a long-term business.
Once everything is ready, it's soaked in the braising liquid in the pot. The braising liquid must be soaked until it's fully flavorful to taste good. I also asked my aunt to fry some chili oil. If there are customers who like spicy food, we can add some chili oil. We have to cater to customers with all kinds of tastes!
The next day, Wang Dahe took Liu Yuxi to the county town in an oxcart. There were three wooden buckets on the oxcart, containing brine and braised dishes, two buckets of pig offal, and one bucket of eggs and potato slices. Liu Yuxi specially prepared a portion in a wooden basin. Both the buckets and the basin were covered with clean white cloths.
The wooden basin contains food intended for the Qian family steward. Hopefully, if he finds it good, he'll recommend it to Master Qian. If the Qian family approves, a stable supply can be secured. The other items are also intended for restaurants. Braised dishes are a delicious accompaniment to alcohol, and if restaurants demand them, Liu Yuxi's family will have a stable, long-term customer base. This way, they can keep track of how much to produce each day, making more for individual sales during quieter times and only supplying a few restaurants during busy periods.
The two delivered the goods to the Qian residence and then visited several restaurants. They left some for their employer to try, and took the rest to the East Street market. They rented a temporary stall, took out the pre-prepared packing paper, and cut some samples to display. Basically, everyone who tried the samples bought some, and before lunch, all the braised dishes they had prepared were sold out.
While Liu Yuxi was looking after the stall, Wang Dahe went to the market and bought ten more sets of pig offal. This was the amount ordered by some restaurants, and both restaurants' pots would be occupied this time. They would also have to set up two more stoves at Liu Yuxi's house later, and they would have to hire someone to clean the pig offal. Otherwise, they would be too busy to rely on their own family members. After packing up the stall, the two of them took the money box and a cart of pig offal and went home.