Chapter Thirty-Two: Braised Lamb

Chapter 32 Braised Lamb

Lin Qiuran was no stranger to price increases. Every winter, the cost of various greens would soar, some even surpassing meat prices, yet people still bought them. Here, without greenhouses, such price hikes only came sooner.

Lin Qiuran accepted this; after all, scarcity drives up value. With fewer greens available in autumn and winter, prices naturally rose. However, in the past, it was merely about price increases. In this era, in a few more days, some vegetables would disappear entirely.

With rising vegetable prices and colder weather making outdoor business harder, it was reasonable that her family’s stall should also increase its prices.

At times like these, other small businesses, such as those selling noodles, steamed buns, or flatbreads, didn't face the same problems. As long as it wasn’t a famine year, grain prices remained relatively stable. Lin Qiuran had no comparable reference.

Lin Qiuran sighed. She had never run such a small business before, and if she were to adjust prices, she wasn’t sure how to strike the right balance.

She recalled that in her previous life, restaurant dish prices didn’t fluctuate with seasonal vegetable costs. Instead, they calculated an average cost for vegetables across spring, summer, autumn, and winter, setting a reasonable price that remained unchanged unless overall prices significantly increased.

Of course, some unscrupulous businesses still raised prices and never lowered them again.

Lin Qiuran remembered that local taverns already set high prices—a plate of assorted vegetables cost twenty *wen*. With such pricing, they were likely unaffected by vegetable costs, having already factored such considerations into their initial pricing.

Lin Qiuran felt a headache coming on. What should she do? The Xiao family’s stall had set low prices from the start, relying on good taste and affordability to attract customers. They had only been selling for a month, or just twenty days counting the rainy ones, and now vegetables were becoming scarce.

When chili peppers were four *wen* per *jin*, stuffed chili peppers sold for twenty *wen* per *jin*. After all, the dish was mostly meat. Now that chili peppers had increased by two *wen*, to maintain the same profit margin, the price would need to rise by one or two *wen*. For vegetable dishes, an increase of three to four *wen* would be necessary.

Originally, vegetable dishes sold for six *wen* per *jin*. Adding three to four *wen* would make them expensive—even Lin Qiuran had to admit. That amount could already buy a *jin* of meat. No matter how delicious the vegetable dishes were, most people would still prefer meat.

Customers would definitely object. Moreover, the Xiao family faced another issue: although vegetable prices were high at the beginning of the month, they could still be purchased. In half a month, however, they might not be available at all.

Chili peppers were difficult to preserve, so hoarding them was out of the question for Lin Qiuran.

Changing the menu was inevitable. Lin Qiuran was hesitating whether to raise prices now or simply change the dishes. Stuffed chili peppers had always sold well, and switching abruptly meant she wouldn’t know how well the new dishes would sell.

Alternatively, she could stop selling vegetable dishes and only offer stuffed chili peppers. But what about the chili peppers used in the vegetable dishes paired with braised fish? Would they only sell tofu? That might work, and it would be easier to manage than stuffed chili peppers.

Mother Sun was surprised. "Husband, how did the price increase so much in just one day?"

Xiao Dashi replied, "It’s getting colder, so prices naturally rise."

Lin Qiuran asked, "Besides chili peppers, what about other vegetables?"

Xiao Dashi said, "All greens have gone up in price, including cowpeas."

The cowpeas bought today had been ordered yesterday, so the price hadn’t changed. If they were to buy them today, the price would have increased too.

Lin Qiuran nodded. Thankfully, they had dried cowpeas prepared earlier. Some were bought at two *wen* per *jin*, others at three *wen* per *jin*. With plenty of dried cowpeas at home, the braised pork dish would be largely unaffected. But what about the stuffed chili peppers and braised fish?

Although chili peppers had become more expensive, tofu prices remained unchanged.

Mother Sun sighed. "Ah, why have prices risen so much? Vegetables are almost as expensive as meat."

When they lived in Xiao Village, they ate cabbage, radishes, and potatoes in winter, and pickled mustard greens to make sour cabbage, ensuring they never lacked vegetables throughout the season.

Now, they had to buy vegetables, and prices were high.

Mother Sun, who often sold vegetables, knew that higher costs meant lower profits. Doing the same work but earning only three to four hundred *wen* a day instead of five hundred *wen* was not very appealing.

Lin Qiuran looked at Mother Sun and Father Xiao and said, "Father, Mother, let’s stop making stuffed chili peppers for now and switch to selling lamb."

Eating lamb in autumn and winter warmed the body. Since changing the menu was inevitable, why raise prices and struggle for another half month, only to make customers think the Xiao family’s dishes had become expensive?

If prices started high, customers might still buy for the taste. But if prices increased later, they'd probably stop coming.

Some customers wouldn’t care about rising vegetable prices—they would only think the stall was charging more. In other words, higher dish prices were the stall’s problem, not theirs.

"For side dishes, let’s use radishes and carrots. Their prices haven’t increased, right?"

Xiao Dashi shook his head. "No, they’re still quite cheap."

White radishes cost two *wen* per *jin*, carrots three *wen*.

Lin Qiuran said, "For braised pork, we can replace cowpeas with the dried cowpeas we prepared. We bought them cheaply, and although they weigh less after drying and stewing, it shouldn’t be a big issue."

Lin Qiuran decided to change the menu directly. In her previous life, when she ate out, she only cared whether prices had increased. If they had, she was reluctant to go back and even complained about some private kitchens factoring in labor, utilities, and even future school district housing costs for their children.

A business's success depended on whether customers were willing to pay. Lacking experience, she resolved to consider all these factors when she eventually opened a shop.

For braised fish, they could use tofu for now or think of other vegetables to add in the coming days.

The colder weather brought big changes. Although it wasn’t yet winter, fewer people ventured out, as households busied themselves preparing for the cold season—planting mustard greens, pickling vegetables, and making preserved meats.

Lin Qiuran had a feeling that meat prices would likely rise in winter.

Neighbors Aunt Xu and Aunt Chen came to ask Lin Qiuran if she wanted to make preserved meats together. Lin Qiuran went to take a look.

Both households had tilled their yards and sown vegetable seeds. Lin Qiuran thought that although Yu’an cooled quickly, compared to the northern regions of her previous life, the climate here was milder. The location was southward but not truly southern, as the mustard greens grown here were the precursor to the pickled cabbage used in fish with pickled cabbage.

Lin Qiuran bought some seeds to plant in her own yard.

Mother Sun and Xiao Dashi did the planting. Xiao Dashi, having planted a full yard, still felt unsatisfied and asked, "Should we go back to our hometown to plant some? Would it be useful for selling vegetables later?"

Lin Qiuran thought it would be better to buy what they needed rather than grow it themselves, as long as it was available. Planting enough in their yard for personal consumption was sufficient.

Lin Qiuran felt a bit brighter. She said, "If we really need it, we can buy it. Otherwise, going back to our hometown would mean asking Aunt Yu to keep an eye on things."

Mother Sun said, "Then forget it. Aunt Yu also wants to try her luck in the county town."

Lin Qiuran nodded, adding that Aunt Yu would surely not refuse, but coming to the county town to do business while also worrying about the vegetables at home would be too much trouble. Moreover, although Lin Qiuran had thought of fish with pickled cabbage, she felt the dish wouldn’t sell well now.

First, making fish with pickled cabbage had the same issue as preparing chicken or duck—the fish was sliced, and variations in cut size or bone content could easily dissatisfy customers. Second, sliced fish tended to fall apart during cooking and break during transport. It worked in a restaurant where dishes were served directly, but for a stall, whole fish looked more appealing.

This was a drawback. With no clear timeline for opening a shop, and every household growing their own mustard greens, there was no need for large quantities. They might as well focus on growing enough for themselves.

Mother Sun nodded. "Let’s just plant some in the yard."

Lin Qiuran said, "Mother, let’s also buy some fish and meat to preserve. Prices should still be reasonable now. Did meat prices rise much in previous years?"

She wanted to continue doing business but also had to prepare for days when the cold weather kept them indoors.

Mother Sun said, "I’m not too sure. In previous years, we didn’t buy much meat."

Lin Qiuran understood. With Xiao Xun hunting, they had enough meat to eat and sell extra. Price increases in the county town didn’t affect the village much. She nodded and didn’t ask further.

The next day, Mother Sun and Xiao Dashi noticed business had improved significantly. With vegetable prices rising but their stall’s prices unchanged, their dishes seemed like better value.

Meat sold well, and vegetable dishes sold even better. As they sold, Mother Sun and Xiao Dashi informed customers that new dishes would be available the next day. Some customers who hadn’t bought anything came to ask, "Will you still have stuffed chili peppers tomorrow?"

With chili peppers suddenly two *wen* more expensive, it made more sense to buy from the stall than to cook at home, especially since the stall’s food tasted better.

Mother Sun smiled and said, "We won’t be selling stuffed chili peppers tomorrow. We’re changing the menu to offer new flavors. Besides, chili peppers are expensive now, and my daughter-in-law works hard. We don’t want to raise prices and profit at your expense, so we hope you’ll understand. Eating lamb is good for cold weather—come try my daughter-in-law’s lamb dish tomorrow. It’s very tasty."

"What about braised pork and braised fish?"

Sun Shi said, "We'll still make these two for now, but as vegetable prices have risen, some side dishes will be changed."

While saying this, Sun Shi felt a bit uneasy, worried that customers might not come back later. However, most understood—since the dishes were expensive, they simply weren’t being made anymore, but the prices hadn’t increased. As long as the taste was good and the prices reasonable, they could buy something else.

A few felt that the stall’s offerings weren’t cheap to begin with, and with the change in dishes, it was unclear how things would turn out. They decided they wouldn’t come back to buy here in the future.

Seeing that business was quite good today, selling out half an hour earlier than usual, the two of them didn’t head straight home. Instead, they stayed for a while to explain to customers that they’d have new dishes the next day.

If business could stay this good, that would be ideal.

They stayed until noon before returning home for lunch. In the afternoon, Xiao Dashi went to buy radishes and carrots, forty *jin* each. He also placed an order with the meat vendor for lamb the next day, arranging to pick it up first thing in the morning—forty *jin* in total, from the belly and hind leg.

Lamb was expensive; just buying the meat would cost a string of cash.

Xiao Dashi’s heart ached at the cost. If this didn’t sell, they’d be stuck with it—a string of cash! Especially since they’d been spending a lot lately, like the eight *diao* spent on cowpeas.

The braised pork sold well, but it was hard to say how the lamb would fare. If it didn’t sell, the loss would be significant because, besides the lamb, there were other ingredients—tomatoes and several spices—which also cost money.

Lin Qiuran wasn’t sure either how well it would sell. If priced at fifty *wen* per *jin*, buying one *jin* of braised lamb could get you five *jin* of pork to cook at home.

They say lamb warms you up and fends off the cold, but how many folks actually eat lamb to keep warm? Most depended on heating and clothing.

Whether it would work or not, they had to try it tomorrow.

Early the next morning, while the alley was still dark, Xiao Dashi brought the lamb back.

Sun Shi was already up, first boiling two pots of hot water, then washing and chopping the lamb and vegetables. This work was laborious—the water was cold, so they had to mix in warm water. The radishes still had mud and needed to be washed once, peeled, and washed twice more.

Stooping over for so long made their backs and waists ache. They weren’t young anymore, and this work wasn’t easy, though they usually didn’t mention it to Lin Qiuran.

After finishing these tasks and preparing breakfast, Sun Shi woke Lin Qiuran up.

It seemed particularly cold today; the wind howled overnight. Since the weather turned cold, getting out of bed had become harder because it was cold outside but warm under the covers. Also, with her belly grown larger, Lin Qiuran wasn’t sleeping comfortably, worried about squishing her belly. Sometimes she woke up in the middle of the night.

Sun Shi felt for her. "I’ll mind the fire in a little while. You can go back to sleep for a while…"

After a moment, Lin Qiuran felt less drowsy. "It’s fine, I’m just sleepy. Since everything’s been bought, I’ll go cook."

Sun Shi nodded. "Everything’s already washed and cut."

Lin Qiuran pulled on some clothes and went outside to check. The lamb was parboiling in the pot, and it was still dark outside, but the kitchen stove’s fire cast a warm glow.

Ginger slices and scallion bundles were in the pot, and the other ingredients were neatly arranged.

Lin Qiuran smiled at Sun Shi. "Ma, go rest inside. I can handle this."

Sun Shi had been up since early morning and busy for quite a while. Lin Qiuran could manage what she could on her own.

Sun Shi said, "I’ll tend the fire here. It’s warm, and we can chat."

She could also watch and learn. Even if she couldn’t cook for others, she could make dishes for Lin Qiuran when her belly grew larger or during her confinement month.

Lin Qiuran nodded. That would be even better.

There was a lot of lamb, and making pot-roasted lamb would be troublesome since they didn’t have enough pots. Lin Qiuran combined braising and pot-roasting methods, using the pot like one big crock to simmer the meat.

Now they had rice wine, which added a fermented flavor. Tomatoes were also used for seasoning, helping to cut the gaminess of the lamb.

Tomatoes could somewhat work like fruit, making the lamb more tender and flavorful. The remaining broth was used to cook carrots and radishes, both cut into large chunks. Simmered long enough, they absorbed the richness of the lamb. The radishes softened into the soup, and with one bite, it was hard to tell if it was the radish’s own moisture or the lamb broth—it all flowed into the mouth.

The carrots tasted good too. Lin Qiuran planned to sell the vegetables at six *wen* per *jin*, as before. Compared to the meat dishes, more vegetables were prepared. Customers often bought half a *jin* of meat with one *jin* of vegetables.

If it sold, the lamb would be more profitable since it was sold at twice the cost. Lamb was harder to handle, had a gamy smell, and cost more, so doubling the price wasn’t unreasonable.

Making braised pork could earn over five hundred *wen* a day. Lin Qiuran calculated that selling all the lamb today could bring in around eight hundred *wen*, and with the vegetables, they could make one *tael* of silver.

But they had to sell it all; otherwise, they’d lose money.

Outside, cold wind was blowing, but the kitchen fire kept them warm.

Lin Qiuran glanced outside—it was truly cold today, though it might get a little warmer during the day. The lid stayed on the pot, serving to braise the meat, but the steam rising from the edges made it seem almost magical. Just being here felt warm.

In weather like this, Lin Qiuran would rather have soy milk than steamed buns.

In the cold, warmth was the biggest attraction. There were people in the county willing to spend on food; they just had to make them want to shell out the money willingly.

Eating lamb warmed the body, and so did drinking alcohol, but Lin Qiuran felt something was missing.

Lin Qiuran said, "Mother, how about I steam some buns too?"

Until now, their stall had only sold dishes, not staple foods. The street had vendors selling steamed buns, and you could get baked flatbreads too.

Customers coming to the street either went to restaurants or bought a bit here and there to take home.

Lin Qiuran got up to check the wooden bucket of rice wine. It was brewed with her own yeast, stronger in alcohol and sweeter. Nobody eats lamb without bread! If it were convenient to bring the pot along, they could heat it while selling, but that wasn’t feasible—the food would cool over time. If they made some buns to place nearby and wrapped them in a quilt, they might stay warm longer.

It would be like adding a new dish. Lifting the lid would release steam, making it look appealing.

Lin Qiuran thought that if she were walking down the street and saw something steaming, she’d want to eat it. Rice wine steamed buns had a slight wine flavor and tasted good. A bite of lamb, a bite of bun, and a sip of wine—what a great combination.

Sun Shi nodded. If Lin Qiuran said to steam buns, she’d go find the starter dough. Sun Shi was better at making dough rise than Lin Qiuran. Lin Qiuran measured out the ingredients and added the fermented rice.

The rice wine was useful, but they had too much fermented rice to finish at home. Sun Shi didn’t say anything; she’d tasted the rice wine, and the fermented rice was sweet—it would surely taste good in buns. When she couldn’t knead any longer, Lin Qiuran took over. Kneading several times made the buns smoother.

The buns were about the same size as those sold in bun shops—well-risen and petite. One *jin* of flour, costing five or six *wen*, could make ten buns. Sold at one *wen* each, they wouldn’t make much profit, but they were mainly for selling with the lamb.

Sun Shi usually steamed the buns right after fermenting, but Lin Qiuran preferred to let it rise again, making them larger. By the time the lamb was braised and the radishes cooked, the buns were ready.

When the lid was lifted, the kitchen filled with steam. Xiao Dashi and Sun Shi loaded up the cart, and Lin Qiuran covered the buns with a quilt—her quilt from her dowry, never used before, clean and tidy.

Sun Shi thought it was a pity. Once they made money, they’d make a new one for Lin Qiuran.

Though daylight was just breaking, the two prepared to leave. Lin Qiuran couldn’t help but advise, "Mother, if it doesn’t sell well, come on back. Stand by the pot; it’s warm. You can offer samples of the buns and the radishes."

They hadn’t made many buns—enough for ten *jin* of flour. Lin Qiuran was tired today. Usually, when cooking, she just waited by the pot and tended the fire, but today she and Sun Shi had also kneaded buns.

She could see Sun Shi was tired too and planned to rest awhile before taking over.

Sun Shi said, "Don’t worry, go back inside."

With that, the two pushed the cart away.

The weather was indeed cold today as they pushed the cart out. It wasn’t fully light yet, around 7:45 in the morning.

Most people on the street were there for breakfast, going to work, doing odd jobs, or checking on shops early. Everyone was in a hurry.

Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi went to their usual spot. The lady who sold steamed buns next to them only sold buns and benefited from setting up next to the Xiao family—business was better than before.

After buying dishes from the Xiao family, most people would see her steaming buns and buy one or two. The Xiao family sold dishes; hers was meals—a perfect match.

They could chat while setting up their stalls together; occasionally, when there were just a few vegetables left, Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi would share them with the neighbors. Being older, those around them with more strength would help them move things. The cart carried wooden buckets for vegetables and a small table. Upon arrival, they’d park the cart, first unload the table, then place the two large buckets on it to avoid getting them dirty.

Every day, a young man selling baked sesame buns would lend a hand, with others occasionally pitching in.

Sun Shi felt a bit guilty and used her chopsticks to pick out a fermented rice steamed bun for him. "Have one, thanks a lot."

The young man initially refused, but seeing the plump, round bun, he couldn’t help but accept it. Aunt Zhao, selling buns nearby, was taken aback. "Your family makes steamed buns now?"

Sun Shi smiled and said, "Just making some to sell. Would you like to try one?"

Aunt Zhao waved her hand. "No need, I make buns myself—of course I've had steamed buns."

Aunt Zhao’s tone wasn’t very friendly, but Sun Shi didn’t dwell on it. If they were selling buns today, it might not be appropriate to set up here, but since they were only selling steamed buns and Aunt Zhao didn’t sell those, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Sun Shi set up her stall, while the young man selling baked sesame buns roasted his flatbreads and took a bite of the bun. After one taste, he couldn’t help but exclaim, "Auntie! Your steamed bun is really delicious. How come it has a bit of a rice wine flavor and is also sweet?"

Everyone knew sugar was expensive, so sweet buns were definitely tastier than plain ones. Though the bun wasn’t very large, it was soft, and it carried a sweet aroma of fermented rice.

The young man’s surprised reaction caught the attention of passersby.

Sun Shi smiled and quickly uncovered the two buckets, holding up the buns for everyone to see.

A basket of plump, slightly yellowish steamed buns, still steaming hot, clearly freshly made. Two buckets of vegetable dishes, along with the aroma—today was windy, and the scent of the braised lamb carried far.

Sun Shi called out, "These are homemade fermented rice steamed buns, come take a look! Today we also have a new dish—red-braised lamb. Eating lamb in cold weather is good for your health!"

As Sun Shi hawked their goods, Xiao Dashi joined in. The young man selling baked sesame buns quickly finished his bun and, seeing the lamb simmering in rich red broth, wanted to buy some. He asked, "Auntie, how much is everything?"

Sun Shi replied, "The steamed buns are one *wen* each, the lamb is fifty *wen* per *jin*. Lamb is expensive today—twenty-five *wen* per *jin* raw, and it loses weight when cooked, but it tastes really good. The vegetable dishes are cheaper, six *wen* per *jin*."

After hearing this, the young man said, "...Auntie, I’ll take five steamed buns and one *jin* of vegetables."

Sun Shi gave an apologetic smile. "Young man, each person can only buy two steamed buns maximum, otherwise others might not get any."

They had prepared nearly thirty-plus *jin* of meat and over seventy *jin* of vegetables, but only a hundred steamed buns in total—not enough to meet demand.

"Then two steamed buns and one *jin* of vegetables. These buns are really delicious, and I haven’t had breakfast yet." When going out, people usually brought their own bowls. A bowl of radish with a hint of meat felt like a stroke of luck.

Passersby, drawn by the commotion, came over to ask about the prices.

The higher price for lamb was understandable. Someone tasted the vegetable dish and said, "The lamb flavor is really strong. I’ll take one *jin* of lamb, two *jin* of vegetables, and four steamed buns—is that okay?"

Sun Shi nodded. For larger orders, they didn’t strictly enforce the two-bun limit. After packing everything, a single customer paid sixty-six *wen*.

The Xiao family’s stall was doing a brisk business. It was especially cold today, and everyone said eating lamb in cold weather was ideal. For many, their first lamb meal of the year came from the Xiao family’s stall.

Even though it was expensive, the taste was undeniably good. Some couldn’t resist trying a piece right after buying—tender, not gamey, and incredibly fragrant. "Your daughter-in-law has great skill!"

Sun Shi smiled. "Come back often!"

The steamed buns sold out the fastest. Today, with the Xiao family selling steamed buns, fewer people went to the neighboring bun stall to buy buns.

Aunt Zhao grew anxious and couldn’t help saying, "Sister Sun, with you selling steamed buns, fewer people are coming to my stall for buns!"