The butcher’s attention was fixed on Lin Sanshui. When he heard Gu Nian, he turned his head and saw the little girl staring at his pork with sparkling eyes, as if she wanted to take a bite.
Children, especially the cute ones, naturally make people feel happy, so the butcher laughed heartily, "This fatty meat is sixteen wen per pound, lean meat is twelve wen. Since the little girl is so cute, if you buy more than two pounds, I’ll give you a bone for free. How about it?"
"Alright, since the boss said so, I have no choice but to agree!" Lin Sanshui grinned, pointing to a particularly fatty piece of meat, "Cut me a pound of this, and then give me another pound of lard."
Gu Nian’s face fell at this sight.
How could one eat such fatty meat?
Gu Nian tugged on Lin Sanshui’s fingers, and with her other small hand, pointed at the pork belly with both fat and lean meat, "Dad, let’s get this one."
Lin Sanshui glanced at it and shook his head, "It’s all lean meat at the bottom, it won’t render any lard, and your mom will complain if we bring it back."
But Gu Nian was craving it badly, "Dad, buy this piece, and I’ll make braised pork for you. It’s really tasty, let’s just get this one..."
Lin Sanshui cleared his throat, bolstered by the money in his hand. He made a decision with determination, "Alright, boss, if you give me another bone, I’ll buy one more pound."
The butcher was straightforward too, "Since you’ve said so, seeing your daughter is so lovely, I’ll be generous today."
Saying this, the butcher efficiently started cutting the meat.
When it came to chopping pork, the butcher’s hands were as precise as a scale, each piece perfectly measured.
As they were leaving, Gu Nian noticed a set of pig intestines placed by the rack. Her eyes brightened, "Boss, how much for this pig offal?"
It truly tested one’s culinary skills; done right, it’s more delicious than meat, but poorly done, it’s inedible. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt
However, for Gu Nian, who inherited her family’s culinary skills, it was no big deal.
Just after Gu Nian asked, Lin Sanshui said, "Sweetheart, we’ve bought enough meat today. If we buy too much, we won’t finish it, and it’d go bad, so let’s not get this offal!"
Pig offal, only poor people would eat it. The rich would feel insulted just looking at it, so it often wouldn’t sell. Either they’d eat it themselves or throw it away, or include it as a gift with meat purchases.
Poor families weren’t that particular; after all, getting enough to eat was always a struggle.
Seeing Lin Sanshui’s disdainful look, the butcher sighed and said, "Five wen, take it all if you want."
The butcher, having encountered it often, knew that if handled well, it could taste good, but it’s tricky to clean, and most people don’t manage it well.
Gu Nian looked at the full bucket, which not only had pig intestines but also pig heart and pig lungs, all for just five wen, such a deal!
"Dad, only five wen..."
Seeing the sparkle in Gu Nian’s eyes, Lin Sanshui understood her meaning.
With a helpless glance at the bucket of pig offal, Lin Sanshui said, "Boss, I need to borrow this bucket to take it back, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to carry it. I’ll return it next time I come to town."
Seeing the peaches in Gu Nian’s hands, the butcher said, "Buddy, I often see you selling baskets of straw shoes on this street, even if we’re not acquainted, we at least recognize each other. How about this, you have two peaches left unsold, just trade them for this bucket. My kid can have a taste too."