Chapter 41 I came up with an idea
Chapter 41 An idea came to mind
The two of them arrived at a stall selling sesame cakes, pointed at the salty ones and ordered two, then each took one and started eating.
Li Changle took a bite and felt that this was the taste of the fire-baked pancake in his memory, which was incomparable to the feed pork of later generations.
I originally thought that I would be full after eating three, but I couldn’t eat more after two. Li Changle bought one for Zhou Ruonan and the children.
After buying them, I remembered that Xiaoyang and the others were coming back, so I ordered a few more. After packing them, I thought of my second brother's house, and thought that a few small things didn't matter, so I just bought one for each of them.
The baked buns cost eight cents each, and with the food for two people, the total cost was only one dollar and twelve cents.
If you just consider the money, it’s really too cheap. But when I think about the fact that some of the catches are not worth even 80%, I feel sad!
Chen Yongwei, who had been a little hungry for a long time, said happily after he had eaten his fill: "Brother, my grandma likes to eat braised pork, let's go buy some meat."
Li Changle nodded, "My Xiaozhou also said that we would use the money from the sales to buy some meat to eat at home."
"I heard that people living on the street don't buy fatty meat anymore. Lean meat is even more expensive than fatty meat by 10 cents per pound. My grandma said that when buying meat, you should buy meat with fat and thick meat, so that it tastes better."
"Fat meat is too greasy. Braised pork has to be cooked with pork belly to be fragrant. I'll just buy pork belly."
"Listen to you."
The two of them went to the vegetable market excitedly, and heard the hawking of people selling meat, side dishes, and dried preserved vegetables... one after another.
Chen Yongwei pointed at a piece of fat meat at least two fingers thick hanging on a meat stall and said, "Brother, this one is good."
"Ok!"
Li Changle thought the pork this year was really good, with the fat on the fat oozing out. After looking around, he didn't see any pork belly sold separately, and the ones that did have pork belly also came with ribs and spare ribs.
He pointed at the prime rib with streaky pork and asked, "Boss, how much is one pound?"
The chubby boss looked at the two of them and said, "If you want a full pound, it's 9.5 cents a pound, and half a pound is one dollar a pound."
"Of course I'll buy a whole pound!" Li Changle said cheerfully, "Give me four pounds."
"I'll take two kilograms." Chen Yongwei also said.
"okay!"
The boss happily agreed, picked up the meat cleaver and chopped off two ribs, then chopped off a rib, cut it along the seam and put it on the chopping board.
Then he quickly turned sideways and wrapped a piece of bubble meat, tied it with a hemp rope, and hung it on the hook of the scale.
"Slow down!" Li Changle pointed at the meat in his hand, "Untie the hemp rope so I can take a look."
"...Look at me, I've finished cutting it. Don't worry, young man. I promise I'll give you one or two pounds less."
Li Changle curled her lips and said, "Take out the bubble meat stuck in it, otherwise I don't want it."
Chen Yongwei also chimed in, "How can you do this? We bought ribs and you put bubble meat in them for us. Aren't you cheating us? Who will dare to buy meat from you if you do business like this?"
"...You young man have a sharp eye!" The boss took out the bubble meat stuck in the bag with a wry smile, and then took up the hemp rope to tie the meat again. "Watch carefully, I've taken them all out."
Li Changle smiled and said, "My uncle is a butcher and sells pigs. I know all your little tricks. He said this is not good. Only genuine goods at a fair price can keep buyers."
In fact, this boss is quite honest. The bubble meat he puts in the food is at most half a pound. The unscrupulous one puts the cut skin, fascia, and pork meat in the food and serves it to the customers.
"Haha!" The butcher laughed and began to weigh the meat. "Three pounds and seven ounces."
Li Changle took the water in the bucket, paid the money, waited for Awei to pay as well, and then walked towards the road ahead together.
"Brother, how did you know he put the bubble meat in there?" "Your brother has a keen eye, of course he can see it!"
"..." Chen Yongwei rolled his eyes at him.
The sun in June was particularly scorching, and it was burning painful. Li Changle took out the straw hat from the bamboo basket and put it on his head. "After I go back, I'll have dinner and a nap, and then go fishing."
"Brother, shall we go to the mudflats or the puddle this afternoon? Or should we go to the bamboo tubes to catch jumping fish!"
After hearing this, Li Changle suddenly remembered the method he used to catch octopuses. "Are there still big bamboos on the mountain?"
"How can there be none? I still have 70 or 80 at home!" Chen Yongwei looked at him in surprise. "You went with me to dig winter bamboo shoots last winter. Have you forgotten?"
"I haven't forgotten, but I haven't been there for half a year. I thought all the big ones had been cut down."
"Oh! Do you want to go cut bamboo and catch jumping fish?"
"No, I want to go to the mountains to cut bamboo to make bamboo tubes to catch octopuses."
There is a bamboo forest on the west side of Yantou Mountain. Villagers mostly cut the bamboo to make various tools. Some are used to insert into the holes where jumping fish live to lure them in after camouflage. The disadvantage is that it is a bit heavy.
"They all use clay pots and snail shells to hang octopuses. Can bamboo tubes work?"
"Why not? Octopuses love to crawl into any hole."
Chen Yongwei thought about it and said, "Brother, you are right. It is better to use bamboo tubes. There is no need to worry about them breaking."
Octopuses have no spine and their bodies are very soft. Their favorite thing to do is to stuff their bodies into conch or oyster shells, secretly ambush passing fish and shrimps, bite them, inject venom that can paralyze them, and then have a delicious meal.
After discovering this, fishermen often use clay pots, bottles, conch shells, large sea snail shells, etc., tie them into a string with a fishing rope as thick as chopsticks, and place them on the seabed along the coastline or nearby reefs before high tide to lure the octopuses to move in.
The octopus found the clay jar and happily lived in it. When the tide receded and the jar was pulled out of the water, the octopus was captured without even having to look for a cave. It is much cuter than the jumping fish.
After the tide goes out, lift the clay pot and sprinkle some salt inside. The stubborn octopus that is stuck inside will then crawl out obediently.
While they were talking, they reached the side of the road and stood there for about ten minutes, but no minibus came yet.
Li Changle was hot and thirsty. He turned around and saw a small shop nearby. He said hello to Chen Yongwei and went over to buy some popsicles.
He ordered two mung bean popsicles, paid for them, and saw the can of bubble gum on the counter, and an idea flashed through his mind.
"Boss, do you have these empty plastic cans for sale?"
"The scrap collector has taken it away. If you want to buy it, you have to go to the scrap collection station. It's in the alley in front."
“How do they collect it?”
"Five cents a pound."
"Thank you!" Li Changle went out and handed a popsicle to Chen Yongwei, "Let's go buy some plastic jars."
Chen Yongwei looked at him in confusion, "What are you buying plastic cans for?"
"I bought some octopus." Li Changle took a bite of the popsicle. "You see, the plastic bottle that holds bubble gum is bigger and lighter than the bamboo tube, and it's also easier to use. Just take it home and unscrew the cap and you can use it."
Chen Yongwei turned his head and took a look. "It looks nice. Is it a bit expensive?"
(End of this chapter)