Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 28 Part 2

Thinking about going to the county town the next day to sell braised meat, the two turned in early.

The next morning, they woke up refreshed. After washing up, Guan Yuan took some braised meat out of the space and had Zhao Shenggu carry it. The two set off for the county town.

After looking around the town, they went back to the same spot where they used to sell fish. There were some wooden boards nearby. Zhao Shenggu washed them clean and put together a simple table for their stall.

Guan Yuan's space had everything they needed, and he no longer had to hide it from Zhao Shenggu. They had a scale, a knife, and a cutting board—all fully prepared. Not long after they set up, Xiao Zhang came running over, out of breath. "Huff... huff... I finally found you! I've been waiting here every day. Little ancestors, where have you been all this time?"

"Brother Zhang, we had some things to take care of at home these past few days, so we didn't set up the stall. Would you like to buy some braised meat? Ours is really good."

"Braised meat? What about fish? Where's the fish!" Xiao Zhang scanned the entire stall but didn't see any fish, and he asked urgently.

"There are no more fish in our river—we can't catch any. Would you like to take a look at this braised meat instead?"

"Selling braised meat? Don't you know that Old Master Li has gone half-crazy trying to get fish? Are you really sure you can't catch any more?" Xiao Zhang asked anxiously. 

"Brother Zhang, we really can't catch any more. Otherwise, who wouldn't want to keep doing business with zero cost?" Zhao Shenggu said to Xiao Zhang with a serious face.

Xiao Zhang thought it over and nodded, then scratched his head in frustration. "What are we going to do? Old Master Li is still waiting for his fish!"

Guan Yuan lifted the cloth covering the braised meat, and immediately a meaty aroma unlike anything they'd ever smelled wafted out. The fragrance was rich and thick, but not greasy, with a hint of fresh grass. Xiao Zhang, standing right next to the stall, felt the smell rush straight into his organs, instantly stirring up his cravings. He couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Is this the braised meat you were talking about?" Xiao Zhang asked Zhao Shenggu in surprise.

Zhao Shenggu nodded. "That's right. This is the braised meat we're selling. Let me cut you a piece to try." He took the knife and sliced off a piece of pork head about the size of Guan Yuan's palm, handing it to Xiao Zhang.

Xiao Zhang didn't care about appearances anymore. He stuffed the meat into his mouth. The moment it hit his tongue, he paused—then quickly started chewing faster, and in the blink of an eye, the whole piece was gone. After finishing, he squinted his eyes without saying a word, his face wearing a look of pure bliss.

Zhao Shenggu was confident in the flavor of their braised meat, and seeing Xiao Zhang like this, he knew they had already won over their first customer.

After a while, Xiao Zhang seemed to snap out of the trance the meat had put him in. He smiled and gave Zhao Shenggu a thumbs-up. "Kid, you've got skills. This braised meat is absolutely incredible. How are you selling it? Old Master Li is definitely going to love this."

"This braised meat is meant to be bought as a side dish to go with drinks or meals. We can't sell it like regular pork—it's way too labor-intensive to make, and it uses up a lot of spices and effort. We're pricing it at one mao per liang (50 grams). Brother Zhang, how much would you like?"

Guan Yuan watched Zhao Shenggu speak with such confidence and felt a deep sense of pride. He was determined to help Zhao Shenggu rise above others and never again endure the hardships he had faced in his previous life.

They had discussed the price the night before. At first, Zhao Shenggu thought it was too high, but Guan Yuan disagreed. After all, the spiritual spring water was a priceless treasure. At this price, poorer families probably wouldn't buy it, so they were aiming for quality over quantity. Zhao Shenggu eventually saw the reasoning and agreed on the price.

Xiao Zhang looked at Zhao Shenggu in surprise. "Shenggu, isn't that a bit steep? Will anyone actually buy it at that price?" Xiao Zhang didn't have to worry about money when buying for Old Master Li, but he thought these two kids were being way too ambitious. The average monthly salary was only about 20 yuan—people pinched every penny—so who would spend one yuan per jin (0.5 kg) on braised meat?

Zhao Shenggu knew Xiao Zhang was worried about them and gave an easy smile. "Those who like it will buy it. Brother Zhang, are you getting some?"

Xiao Zhang snapped back to attention. "Of course I'm buying! Get two jin for Old Master Li." He paused, then winced as if in pain. "And one jin for myself—I'll take it home for my dad to try."

"Sure," Zhao Shenggu said, quickly weighing out the meat for Xiao Zhang.

After Xiao Zhang left, a few people did gather around, drawn by the smell. But when they heard the price, they stepped back in shock and walked away shaking their heads. Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan weren't worried—every business has a rough start. They'd take it slow.

Before long, a young woman walked over, holding the hand of a little boy about three or four years old. They were dressed well, so they must have come from a comfortable family.

The boy sniffed the air, let go of his mother's hand, and followed the smell straight to the stall. Guan Yuan almost laughed at how much he looked like a little puppy.

"What's this?" the boy asked in a babyish voice.

But Zhao Shenggu didn't answer. Instead, he turned and stared fixedly at Guan Yuan. Guan Yuan had no idea what had gotten into his brother, but he wasn't about to let a customer slip away.

"This is braised meat."

"Braised meat?" The boy sucked his finger. "It smells so good. Can I have a little taste?"

Guan Yuan chuckled. This kid had good manners. "Of course you can." He sliced off a small strip of pork head and handed it to the boy. The boy sucked in his drool and popped the meat into his mouth.

"Is it good?" Guan Yuan asked with a smile.

"Good," the boy said, licking his lips and wanting more.

"If you want more, you have to pay for it," Guan Yuan said, feeling like the big bad wolf coaxing a child.

"Li Xin! How did you run off in the blink of an eye? Why are you so disobedient?" The young woman had only looked away for a second, and when she turned back, her son was gone. She searched everywhere in a panic before finally spotting the little guy stopped in front of a small stall.

"Mommy, buy me some meat, please! This is delicious," the boy said, pointing at the braised meat on the counter with longing in his eyes.

The young woman noticed some meat juice still at the corners of the boy's mouth, so she knew he'd already had a taste. She saw that Guan Yuan had a fair and clean appearance and took a liking to him. Next to him stood a teenage boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes—also good-looking. She felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm so sorry. This child is just too impulsive. How much is this braised meat? I'll buy some."

Zhao Shenggu snapped out of his daze. "One mao per liang."

Hearing the price, the woman furrowed her brow slightly but kept her composure. "Then give me one jin."

Zhao Shenggu weighed out a jin and handed it to her.

Even as they walked away, they could still hear the little boy pestering his mother for more meat.

Guan Yuan tugged at Zhao Shenggu. "Brother, what was that about just now?"

Zhao Shenggu looked at Guan Yuan. "Xiao Yuan, you've suffered."

Guan Yuan stared at him, confused. "Why are you saying that?"

"Look at that kid—he's dressed so well. I've never even seen that fabric before. And look at you—your clothes are still patched up."

Guan Yuan finally realized that Zhao Shenggu had been eyeing the boy's outfit with envy. He burst out laughing. "Brother, I'm already grown up. Why would I care about things like that?"

Zhao Shenggu patted Guan Yuan's head. "No matter how old you are, I still want to give you the best."

"Then let's work hard together. In the future, we'll have everything we want—we're definitely going to live a good life!" Guan Yuan clenched his little fist at Zhao Shenggu. Zhao Shenggu laughed and tapped him lightly on the nose.

More people gathered around later. This time, Zhao Shenggu had learned his lesson: he didn't mention the price at first, just let people try a little. After they heard the price, even though most still thought it was expensive, about eight out of ten ended up buying.

They sold 30 jin of meat and had a little left by the afternoon. When they counted the money back home, the net profit came to a full 11 yuan. If every day was like today, they'd be making nearly 400 yuan a month.

The two of them scurried around like hamsters, thrilled with what they'd earned.

Zhao Shenggu excitedly pulled Guan Yuan into a hug. "Xiao Yuan, we're rich!" Guan Yuan was just as happy. "And this is just one day! Once we build a name for ourselves, we'll earn even more."

Zhao Shenggu thought about the future and beamed with excitement. "Next year, I'll send you to school. And once we leave the Guan family, we'll build a big house."

"Brother, why build a house here? When we have money, we can buy a house in the city—whatever kind we want. And you have to come to school with me, or I won't go alone."

Zhao Shenggu nodded. "I'll go to school with you, of course. Otherwise, who'll protect you if someone bullies you? And about the house—yes, we'll buy one in the city, but this village is still our home. Building a house here keeps our roots."

Guan Yuan rolled his eyes. "Brother, I'm actually older than you in terms of my real age. Who would dare to bully me?"

Zhao Shenggu chuckled. "No matter how old you are, you're still only as tall as my thigh. Just be my little brother—little ones need protecting."

Guan Yuan lunged at Zhao Shenggu like a playful puppy, and the two rolled around laughing on the kang bed.

On the other side of the wall, Yang Feifang felt restless, like weeds were growing in her heart. Next to her, Guan Mancang was snoring loudly. She jabbed him with her elbow in annoyance, then tossed and turned, listening to the laughter of Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu. She wondered if those two brats had actually made any money. They probably had—otherwise, why would they be laughing so happily? She made a mental note to secretly find out what was going on.

The next day, they were more efficient and finished preparing all the meat in just half a day. "From now on, we can buy the meat on our way back from selling, then braise it at night. Now that we have the spice mix ready, it won't take much extra work," Zhao Shenggu said, looking at the braised meat and planning ahead.

"Won't that be too tiring for you?" Aside from tending the fire, Zhao Shenggu did everything else. Guan Yuan worried he might overwork himself.

Zhao Shenggu smiled calmly. "I feel like I have endless energy these days. A little work like this won't wear me out."

Guan Yuan knew that after being improved by the spiritual spring water, Zhao Shenggu could handle this much easily, but he still couldn't help worrying.