Chapter 22: Peaches for a Bucket

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The meat stall owner’s attention had been on Lin Sanshui the entire time. When he heard Gu Nian’s words, he turned around and saw the young girl staring at his pork with sparkling eyes. She looked as if she wanted to take a bite of it.

Children, especially adorable children, would inevitably make people like them. The meat stall owner laughed heartily and said, “This fatty meat is 16 cents per catty, and the lean meat is 12 cents per catty. Your little girl is so cute. If you buy more than two catties, I will give you a tube-shaped bone. What do you think?”

“Alright, since you say so, we have to buy it!” Lin Sanshui grinned and pointed at a piece of fatty meat. “Cut one catty of this piece for me, and then give me one catty of lard.”

Gu Nian’s face fell when she saw that.

How could they eat such fat meat?

Gu Nian pulled Lin Sanshui’s finger up and pointed at the streaky pork with her other pinky finger. “Father, we want the one here.”

Lin Sanshui took a look and shook her head. “That one only has lean meat here. You can’t even get the oil from it. If you buy it, your mother will nag you again.”

“Father, buy this piece. I’ll make you some braised pork. It’s delicious. Let’s buy this piece, please.” Gu Nian did not want to give up.

Lin Sanshui cleared his throat. With the money in his hands, he was emboldened. He clenched his teeth and stomped his feet, making a decision. “Alright. Give me one more bone, and I’ll buy one more catty.”

The owner of the meat stall was also straightforward. “Since you’ve said so, I’ll be generous for once since your daughter is so pretty.”

As the meat stall owner said that, he cut the meat deftly.

When it came to chopping pork, the meat stall owner’s hands were more accurate than a scale. He quickly cut the meat, and every piece was the same size.

Before they left, Gu Nian’s eyes lit up when she saw a pork’s large intestine on the shelf. “Boss, how much does this pig intestine cost?”

This thing was a test of culinary skills. If the pig intestine was cooked well, it would be much more fragrant than meat. If it wasn’t cooked well, it would too be nasty to swallow.

However, it was a piece of cake for Gu Nian, who had inherited her family’s cooking skills.

As soon as Gu Nian finished asking, Lin Sanshui said, “Dear, we’ve bought enough meat today. It’s bad if we can’t finish it. Don’t get the pig intestine!”

Only the poor would eat the pig’s offal. The rich would feel that it was an insult just by looking at it, so it was often not sold. The meat sellers would either eat it themselves or throw it away. Sometimes, they would pair it with meat and give it to customers who wanted to buy meat.

The poor people would not mind it. After all, it was hard to fill their stomachs.

Seeing Lin Sanshui’s disdainful look, the meat stall owner sighed and said, “Five cents. If you want it, you can take it all.”

The owner of the meat stall knew every part of the pig. He knew that if the pig’s intestine were processed well, it would taste good. However, it was troublesome to wash, and ordinary people would not do it.

Gu Nian looked at the bucket that was filled to the brim. Not only were the large intestines, but there were also pig hearts and lungs in it. It was only five cents. It was worth it!

“Father, it’s only five cents.”

Lin Sanshui immediately understood what Gu Nian meant when she saw the sparkle in her eyes.

Lin Sanshui looked helplessly at the bucket of pigs and said, “Boss, you have to lend me your bucket. I’ll return it to you the next time I come to town. Otherwise, I can’t take it with me.”

The owner of the meat stall looked at the peach in Gu Nian’s hand and said, “Big brother, I often see you selling straw sandals on this street. Even if we don’t know each other, we’re familiar with each other. How about this, don’t you still have two peaches? You can exchange them for my bucket. It’s just nice for my child to try the peaches.”