The Song Shuisheng family living next door to Song Jinzhao stared dumbfounded as a black bear and a roe deer were carried into the neighboring courtyard, with a couple of drops of blood left at the entrance.
Song Shuisheng's father, Song Datian, said, "They must have gone hunting in the mountains."
In winter, villagers didn't dare go near the foot of the mountains, yet Song Jinzhao actually dared to go up. This was a black bear, worth nearly a hundred taels of silver.
When Old Man Song heard the news and rushed over, Song Shixue had just finished bathing. Her padded clothes had blood on them, and her inner clothes were soaked with sweat; she would have disliked it herself if she hadn't washed.
"Where are your brother and sister?" Not seeing them, Old Man Song felt uneasy, worried they were injured.
Why was the black bear out before spring had even begun? Testing one's skills wasn't done like this.
Song Jinzhao walked out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of steaming hot brown sugar ginger tea, handing one to Song Shixue. "Drink it while it's hot."
She hadn't shed a single drop of sweat, only her hands were stained with blood, so a simple hand wash was enough.
Song Shixue drank while answering Old Man Song's question. "Brother is bathing."
Seeing that the two sisters were unharmed, Old Man Song's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled.
Looking at the prey in the yard, Song Shixue asked uncertainly, "Elder Sister, we can't finish all this meat. Should we take it to sell at a restaurant in town?"
Song Jinzhao shook her head. "Skin them, keep two roe deer, and sell the rest to the villagers."
They would be going up the mountain every day from now on. They definitely couldn't finish all the meat, so selling it was necessary.
It was the first day, the snow was falling heavier, and it was getting late. Selling to the villagers to earn some goodwill was a good idea.
The villagers watching the commotion outside the courtyard heard this and joyfully rushed in. "Jinzhao, how much are you planning to sell the meat for per jin?"
Pork was too expensive. Villagers usually couldn't bring themselves to buy it, only getting a couple of liang or half a jin for a taste during holidays. Now there was fresh meat available, and from a fellow villager, the price was sure to be cheaper than in town.
Song Jinzhao said, "Fox meat is fifteen wen per jin, roe deer meat is twenty-five wen per jin, black bear meat is thirty-five wen per jin."
Fox meat not only had a strong gamey smell but also poor texture. Without the fur, just selling the meat, even restaurants wouldn't take it, so the price was much cheaper relatively.
Although roe deer meat tasted better than black bear meat, it was common.
Black bear was considered a high-end item on the dining tables of wealthy families, so the price was much higher.
However, for the villagers, cheap was the real deal. The fifteen-wen-per-jin fox meat was their first choice.
Pork sold for thirty wen per jin, so this price was a real bargain.
After chopping off the four bear paws, Song Jinzhao began teaching her younger brother and sister how to skin the fox, roe deer, and black bear completely.
"Shixue, keep the bear gallbladder for medicine."
Song Shixue nodded, neatly cutting out the bear gallbladder alone and placing it in a basket.
The news that the third branch of the Song family was selling meat quickly spread throughout the entire village.
After clarifying the prices, every household grabbed their money and rushed towards Song Jinzhao's house, afraid they would miss out if they were late.
The skinned fox only had ten jin of meat and sold out first, followed by the roe deer meat. Most families chose to buy half a jin or a jin to save for the New Year.
Song Gaoli stood in the crowd and said to his father, "Dad, I've never eaten bear meat in all my years. Let's buy a jin."
In the prefectural city, Song Gaoli couldn't afford bear meat, and it was scarce even at a price. Now he could buy a jin for thirty-five wen, an opportunity not to be missed.
The villagers chattered noisily, the shouts and cries making one's ears ache.
Old Mrs. Song, who had hurried over, along with Oldest Song, his wife, and the second son Song Erlang and his wife, couldn't even squeeze their way in.
Besides, there were enough people; they weren't needed to help.
Being held, Song Anhao saw his older brother and sister and wanted to get down from Elder Aunt Song's arms, but she held him tight, not letting him move.
"They're busy right now. Wait until they finish selling before you go over."
Old Man Song and Song Qiming used knives to cut the meat, while Song Jinzhao and Song Shixue calculated the bills and collected money beside them.
Song Daniu pointed at the piece of roe deer meat with the most fat, his eyes gleaming.
"Qiming, cut this piece for me, with more fat."
Song Shixue, who was collecting money, looked up. "No picking. If you pick, it's five wen more per jin."
Meeting Song Shixue's clear, bright eyes, and remembering how he had once wanted her to marry his son for a "fortunate match" to cure his illness, Song Daniu quickly lowered his head and averted his gaze, his voice weakening.
"Then just cut any piece, two jin will do."
The copper coins in the earthenware basin piled higher and higher. Standing not far away, Song Erlang saw the meat on the ground dwindling and anxiously paced on the spot.
"It's almost all sold out. Will there be any left for us?"
Second Aunt Song stopped him and whispered, "Jinzhao kept two roe deer. She'll definitely give some to Father, but whether she gives us any is unknown."
Song Erlang frowned in annoyance. "We should have run faster. If we had helped, she would have been too embarrassed not to give us any."
After all the villagers had left, there were still over ten jin of black bear meat left on the ground.
Song Jinzhao told Song Qiming to cut half and give it to Old Man Song to take back.
Old Man Song repeatedly refused, trying to return the meat to her.
"It's too much. Just cut a jin or two."
Song Qiming lowered his hands and didn't take it back.
"Grandpa, our family can't finish this much meat either. Take it back and eat well these next few days."
Song Shixue, holding the earthenware basin filled with copper coins, nodded.
"Yes, eat more meat to nourish yourselves. You and Grandma look a whole lot thinner than when we left in the summer."
The elderly couple's hearts clenched, feeling heavy.
That their own sons weren't as concerned about them as their grandchildren was truly saddening.
A slightly bittersweet smile appeared on Old Mrs. Song's face.
"We know you're filial. I never thought your grandpa and I would get to eat black bear meat in our old age. This life can be considered worthwhile."
Seeing Song Qiming about to take the remaining meat back into the courtyard, Song Erlang, empty-handed, began to panic.
He was just about to speak when a fierce glare from Old Man Song scared him into silence.
Full of grievances he couldn't voice, he was on the verge of tears.
What was wrong with giving him a little of all that meat? They couldn't finish it anyway.
Seeing this, Second Aunt Song pulled Song Erlang along to follow the two elders and the eldest branch.
If they couldn't ask Jinzhao for it, Father had so much. Surely, a few soft words would get them a share.
In the kitchen, Song Jinzhao was using fire to singe the fur off the bear paws. Song Shixue grabbed her younger brother's hand, not letting him go over.
"Be careful not to burn your clothes."
Song Anhao was wearing rabbit fur. If it caught even a single spark, the fur would catch fire.
After burning the bear hair clean, Song Jinzhao poured a little wine into some rice-washing water, mixed it well by hand, and soaked the bear paws in it.
"Alright, soak them overnight to draw out the blood and any off-flavors. We can cook them tomorrow at noon."
"Ah, I thought we could eat them tonight." Song Qiming, who had been eagerly waiting, really wanted to know what steamed bear paw tasted like.
Song Jinzhao said, "No, making them now wouldn't be perfect. Tomorrow morning, just the steaming will take one or two hours."
"Tonight, we'll eat roasted roe deer meat. Tomorrow, when it's done, we'll take some to the graves first to let Father and Mother have a taste. This is a bear you two hunted with your own hands."
The siblings immediately perked up.
"Yes, we must tell Father and Mother, let them have some too." Let them know how capable we are.
The second branch managed to take a jin of black bear meat from the old house. Back home, Second Aunt Song fixed her dark, gleaming eyes on Song Laidi and Song Pandi.
"If the third branch goes hunting again tomorrow, both of you go over to help."
Song Laidi bit her lip, unwilling to go.
This wasn't about them going to help; it was about them going to ask for meat.
After a long internal struggle, Song Laidi mustered her courage and spoke up loudly, "Pandi and I have to wash clothes and cook, we don't have time. We could send our brother instead."
Aunt Song (the second wife) immediately snapped, "No! Yaozhu needs to focus on his studies without any distractions."
"If you don't have time, just get up earlier and do it. They won't be back from hunting until the afternoon. You two should finish all the chores in the morning, that's all there is to it."
Song Laidi clenched her fists, lowered her head, and said nothing.
Fine, I'll just finish the work and run off. Forget the meat. I'll just endure a few scoldings anyway.
The second branch of the family had thought too wishfully, for the next day, Song Jinzhao and the others did not go up the mountain to hunt.
Oldest Song's second son lurked outside the courtyard for half an hour, finally returning home with a disappointed and sullen face.
The bear's paw, soaked overnight, had only a trace of its gamey odor left. After washing it clean, it was placed in a deep dish, topped with ham, shiitake mushrooms, and winter bamboo shoots. A little broth was poured over it, along with various seasonings, and then it was steamed for four hours.
The siblings had trained all morning, and their stomachs were already growling with hunger.
Despite this, the three of them first took the wine and meat, along with Song Anhao, to the graves at the foot of the mountain.
It was said to be for Song Sanlang and his wife to have a taste, but it really just meant kowtowing a few times before the tombstone and burning some paper offerings. Except for the wine which was poured out, the offered food would be brought back after being presented.
Song Jinzhao dipped her chopsticks into the soft, sauced meat and let Song Anhao have a taste. Unexpectedly, the little boy loved it. Having one bite wasn't enough; he wanted to take a spoon and dig in himself.
"No, you can't have too much of this. You won't digest it well and will get diarrhea. Just one bite."
Song Anhao knelt and lay across Song Jinzhao's lap, shaking his head. "Big sister~ I'm hungry. Let me have one more bite—just one more bite will be enough."
"Your food is here. Your elder sister went to the river early this morning specifically to catch this fish for you." Song Qiming came over from the kitchen carrying a bowl of fish-paste porridge.
Song Anhao stared at the pale-colored fish porridge, his chubby little mouth pouting sadly as he shook his head.
"When I grow up, I'm going to eat all the delicious food from every corner of the land."
Song Jinzhao smiled and tucked the spoon into his hand. "Let's talk about that when you're grown up and can travel to every corner of the land."
Here, there were no high-speed trains or railways. To travel across the land would take at least several years.
Anyang Prefecture, Sweet Snow Pavilion.
Li Zien sipped the warm milk tea from his cup, his eyes fixed unmoving on the flyer in his hand.
"Are you sure this was handed out by servants of the Song family?"
In winter, every family's dinner table was dominated by cabbage, radish, and some rehydrated dried goods. Yet this flyer was printed with the names and pictures of over twenty types of vegetables: chives, spinach, chili peppers, pea shoots, fava beans, and more.
It even specially emphasized in bold that all vegetables were picked that very day and absolutely fresh. Wasn't this just deceitful?
The servant nodded vigorously. "I saw with my own eyes. The person in charge was called Chunxing, she's a clerk at the Song family's food shop."
"They said sales start tomorrow morning. The shop is right next to the food shop."
Li Zien bit down on a tapioca pearl, tasting no sweetness.
He put down his cup and said discontentedly, "Who made today's milk tea? They didn't add any sugar."
The servant glanced at the remaining milk tea in the cup. He's drunk half of it before saying there's no sugar?
He pretended to be angry and accused, "It must be that the clerk was too busy and forgot. I'll go have them remake it right away."
Li Zien irritably furrowed his brows, took two deep breaths, and stood up.
"No need. Let's go take a look at the Song family's shop."
The servant put down the teacup and quickly picked up an umbrella to follow Li Zien.
Arriving at the door, the shop next to the Song family food shop was open.
On the walls to the left and right of the main door hung plaques with the five large characters 'Song Family Vegetable Shop'. Inside were two rows of empty wooden shelves, looking ready for business.
The servant stopped Qingshuang, who was coming out of the food shop. "Excuse me, may I ask what time the vegetable shop next door opens tomorrow morning?"
Qingshuang's gaze shifted from the servant's face to Li Zien.
Young Master Li. He seems to have some issues with the young mistress.
"It opens officially at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. We close when sold out. You'll have to get up early, sir."
Li Zien's face was dark as water as he voiced his skepticism. "Your flyer says the vegetables are fresh, picked that day. They're not from an ice cellar, are they?"
Qingshuang retorted, "What leafy green vegetable can stay perfectly fresh in an ice cellar for several months?"
She took out a flyer and pointed at the words on it. "See here? 'Counterfeit items compensated tenfold.' If it says picked that day, it's picked that day. Absolutely fresh."
Li Zien: "In such cold weather, even weeds don't grow. You say they're fresh. How were they grown?"
Qingshuang pressed her lips together speechlessly, feeling this person had ill intentions.
"That's our family's trade secret. Young Master Li, would you tell others yours?"
Li Zien gritted his teeth and frowned. Sure enough, a servant taught by Song Jinzhao, as bold as her master.
Even a servant spoke so impolitely.
Staring at the plaque of the Song Family Vegetable Shop, Li Zien took a deep breath and said, "Take two people with you tomorrow morning and queue up early. If it's real, buy out the entire shop for me."
The servant hurriedly nodded. If they could grow vegetables in such cold weather, they definitely had to buy a lot.
The Li family's restaurant alone would need a large batch of goods.
The next day, just as the hour of Yin (3-5 a.m.) arrived, the greenhouses at the Song family's estate outside the city lit up.
Dozens of bright lanterns were lit, illuminating the surroundings clearly.
Twenty people, holding shovels or scissors, began to work busily.
Outside the greenhouses, three ox-carts stood ready, waiting only to be loaded before setting off.
Fushun's excitement was indescribable. After all, they had been waiting for this day. Their Song family was bound to astonish everyone in Anyang Prefecture.
The first hint of morning light emerged from beneath the distant mountain range. Everyone covered the carts with straw to prevent the vegetables from freezing.
By the time they arrived at the shop entrance, many commoners holding flyers had already gathered outside.
Fushun and the others removed the straw, revealing the lush green assortment of vegetables beneath.
Gasps of surprise arose. They really were fresh vegetables!
They looked absolutely freshly picked, some roots still caked with mud.
Lanxi and the others quickly carried thirty bamboo baskets filled with vegetables into the shop. Before they could even place them on the shelves, customers had already rushed in and started grabbing.
Chunxing raised her voice and shouted, "The bundled vegetables can't be taken apart! They're only sold in bundles! The prices are posted on the wall, everyone take a look!"
An auntie who was reaching for fava beans looked up, drew a sharp breath, and immediately stopped her movement.
She blurted out, "Why is it so expensive!"
It was nearly three times the usual price for vegetables. The fava beans were almost as expensive as meat.
A female clerk standing in the aisle keeping watch explained with a smile, "Our proprietor went to great lengths to grow these vegetables in winter. Not only are the costs high, but the quantity is also limited."
"To let everyone have a taste of fresh vegetables, we're already selling at a loss."
