Chapter 20: Promotion
It was nearly October. The early morning air of Yuhuai Village was crisp and cool, as if coated in a thin layer of frost. The sky was a deep, inky blue, with a few stars twinkling faintly, as if in a standoff with the darkness.
“Achoo!” Tangtang was pulling on an outer shirt when her nose tickled, and she couldn’t help but sneeze. She glanced over at the kang and saw that Su Huimin and the others hadn’t been woken. Relieved, she looked down and continued pulling on her socks and shoes.
When she stepped out of the south room, she saw that the courtyard gate was open. Yu Juanfang was pushing the bicycle onto the road, a basket full of braised meat tied to the back.
“Mom, I’ll go with you.”
Her voice startled Yu Juanfang, who hadn’t intended to wake her. “Alright, you can come with me. It’ll put my mind at ease.”
Hearing this, Tangtang couldn’t help but smile, a shallow dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth. Her heart felt as sweet as honey. So I am important after all.
…
As before, Tangtang sat on the front crossbar while her mother pedaled. They arrived at the black market at six o’clock sharp. They found a suitable corner, and Tangtang stacked a few bricks to make a simple stand for the cutting board and knife. They had also brought the small scale from their tofu-selling days.
The night before, Yu Juanfang had already prepared the dressing for the meat, which was stored in a large plastic jar. Minced garlic, ginger, and celery were neatly arranged beside it.
The market began to fill with people, most of whom had a good ten or eight yuan in their pockets. Tangtang looked around. “Mom, you should cut up some of our meat.”
Yu Juanfang understood immediately. She took a small piece from the basin, sliced it thinly, sprinkled it with the minced aromatics, and tossed it with a spoonful of the dressing. A gust of wind carried the savory aroma down the entire street.
The smell was truly enticing, and someone soon came over to ask.
Having sold tofu for several months, Yu Juanfang was now a seasoned vendor. She smiled. “Braised pork belly is two yuan a catty. Braised chicken, duck, and offal are one yuan and eighty cents. Braised pork head meat is one yuan and fifty cents. If you buy a lot, I can throw in some duck gizzards and intestines!”
The raw meat had weighed over sixteen catties, but after braising, it had shrunk to about fourteen.
Yu Juanfang had decided to set the price high and lower it later if needed. It was much harder to raise a low price than to lower a high one.
Noticing the large man’s hesitation, Tangtang took the initiative and held out the bowl of dressed meat. “Uncle, you can have a taste! My mom’s braised meat is definitely worth the price!”
The man looked at the bowl. The meat was beautifully colored and fragrant, each thin slice evenly coated in sauce and minced garlic. The smell of the garlic was enough to make his mouth water. He swallowed, picked up a piece with a bamboo skewer, and popped it into his mouth. The moment it touched his tongue, his eyes lit up.
He felt a jolt run through his body. The rich, meaty flavor, combined with the unique depth of the spices, was a powerful blow to his taste buds. The numbing sensation of the Sichuan peppercorns, the heat of the chilies, and the fragrance of the spices exploded on his tongue. The meat was tender yet chewy, and the flavor grew more intense the more he chewed. It was an aggressive, addictive taste.
He couldn’t resist trying a piece of duck gizzard next. It was just as delicious—savory, spicy, and refreshing, with a satisfyingly crisp texture and a long-lasting aftertaste.
He swallowed the meat, so overwhelmed by the deliciousness that he felt tears welling up in his eyes. “Your skill is incredible! This meat is braised to perfection. I’ve traveled all over the country and tasted all sorts of good food, but I’ve never had braised meat this amazing!”
Hearing this, Yu Juanfang knew the sale was made. “So, would you like to buy some?”
“Of course! Give me one catty of the pork head meat and half a catty of the pork belly!”
“You got it!” Yu Juanfang replied cheerfully. While Tangtang handled the money, she weighed out the meat, dressed it, wrapped it in a dry lotus leaf, and tied it with a grass string.
Since he was the first customer, she also added a portion of duck gizzards. “A little extra for you. Here you go!”
“Great! You’re a straightforward woman, sister!” The man accepted it happily.
Seeing how satisfied he was, the onlookers quickly crowded around. “Let me have a taste too!”
“Me too! I’ll try a piece of the pork belly!”
Tangtang’s idea of offering samples was brilliant. A bite or two was not enough to satisfy; it only served to whet their appetite. Nearly everyone who tried a sample, despite the pain of spending the money, would buy at least half a catty to take home. They hadn’t made a large batch, and in less than half an hour, they were sold out. The few remaining bits of offal, too small to weigh, were given away as extras.
…
They packed up their stall and found a stream to wash the grease off the cutting board and knife. After drying them, they put everything back in the basket. The smell of braised meat clung to their clothes and hair, but the wind on the ride home blew most of it away.
They arrived home just after seven. The boys had already cooked a hot porridge and swept the courtyard. A warm bowl of corn-grit porridge later, the adults went to work and the children went to school.
That evening, Yu Juanfang finally had time to count their earnings.
Their total revenue was twenty-five yuan and sixty-five cents. After subtracting the sixteen-yuan cost, their net profit was nine yuan and sixty-five cents!
Yu Juanfang was stunned. When she had sold tofu, the two of them would make forty catties at a time, and a full day’s work would earn them just over a yuan. It had taken them nearly three months to pay back the thirty yuan debt.
But with the braised meat, they had earned over nine yuan in a single day. And this was just the first day, when they had made a small batch and given away a lot of extras to build goodwill.
Her heart pounded in her chest. At this rate, they might be able to save a hundred yuan a month!
There were still over two months until December. If they could save a hundred yuan before the snows blocked the mountain paths, they could not only have a warm and happy New Year, but they also wouldn’t have to worry about the children’s school fees and other expenses next spring!
The next day, she again found a way to acquire more meat coupons, but this time, she didn’t dare to buy so much at once. She took all three of her sons with her, gave them each a few coupons, and had them line up separately to buy the meat.
Every night, after the other families had gone to bed, they would wash and braise the meat. At five the next morning, they would set off for the black market. Yu Juanfang’s braised meat was delicious, and it almost always sold out within half an hour.
By the end of October, she had indeed saved up over a hundred yuan.
She had thought this was already a great blessing from heaven, but in mid-November, another piece of great news arrived.
…
After the autumn semester began, Tangtang was in the third grade. Her father had been suspended from his job for over half a year. After he left, the commune had assigned a new teacher to the school.
His leg had healed much better than expected, and he could now walk without a cane. He had planned to return to the fields, but Yu Juanfang insisted that he rest for the full hundred days to allow the bone to heal properly. So, he stayed at home, handling what chores he could and weaving baskets from willow branches he cut from the mountain.
In short, everything was moving in a positive direction.
…
After school, before Tangtang and Su Juesheng even reached home, they saw a car parked at their gate, surrounded by a crowd of curious neighbors. The two of them were suddenly reminded of the scene from half a year ago when their father was arrested. Their faces went pale, and they ran towards the house.
“I heard the investigation into the poems is over! Turns out someone else hid them in the textbook, and it just happened to be passed on through his hands last. The truth is finally out!”
Grandma Zhang, leaning on her cane, sighed. “That family has really had it rough these past few months. First, he was locked up for half a month, then he broke his leg right after he got back, and the family split. His wife had it the hardest, managing everything by herself. She’s gotten so thin!”
“So, will he get his teaching job back? Didn’t the school already hire a new teacher?” a villager asked.
“The school is fully staffed now, so he won’t be going back. I heard they’ve arranged a new position for him. He’s going to be the Education Officer at our Red Flag Commune!”
“My goodness! He went from being a teacher to being the one who manages the teachers? That’s a promotion!”
“You bet! Before, he got grain rations from our production team. Now he’s a full-time cadre. He’ll be getting commercial grain rations!”
“What?” Zhang Guixiang’s eyes went wide.
The people around her laughed. “The Su family really split up too soon. Turns out the good fortune was yet to come!”
Everyone had seen how eagerly the other branches had cast off their “burden” when Su Huimin was in trouble. They had all cursed them behind their backs. And now, with the family split, they wouldn’t get to share in any of this glory.
Hearing this, Tangtang and Su Juesheng finally felt their hearts settle. Before they could even step into the yard, they saw their father walking out of the house with a refined-looking middle-aged man.
“Regarding this incident, we have carefully reviewed your work history. You have been on the front lines of education for many years, and your teaching results are there for all to see. The commune’s education work now needs an experienced, dedicated, and hardworking person like you.”
Su Huimin nodded humbly. “You flatter me, Director. It is merely my duty.”
After seeing Director Xu off, Tangtang and Su Juesheng finally pushed their way into the yard. “Dad!”
“Is what the neighbors are saying true? Is the investigation over? Are you really going back to work?”
The gloom that had hung over Su Huimin for the past six months was finally swept away. He looked at his two clever, well-behaved children and smiled with relief. “It’s true!”