Zhan Zhumen

Chapter 15 Bald Butter

The next morning, Yang Shi and Huo Erhuai got up early, packed up two to four taels of crabs, tied them one by one, and carefully placed them in baskets, so that the two children would sell them in the city later.

Huo Xi wanted to keep it for a couple of days before selling it, but the family ran out of money, so he had to sell it for cash in order to receive the goods.

After breakfast, Huo Xi and Yang Fu carried more crabs into the city than yesterday.

The direction to go today is Nancheng.

Just like yesterday, it went well.It was sold out in just one noon.And got a lot of rewards.

Yang Fu was very happy, and took Huo Xi to go to the outer city wharf to earn another copper coin.During this period of time, Huo Xi enlightened her money-making skills, her heart grew wildly, and her eyes were full of Brother Kong Fang.

Huo Xi pulled him back: "We won't go today."

"Not going? Xi'er, do you have a better place to make money?" Yang Fu's eyes lit up.

"Have."

"Then let's go!" Xide rubbed his hands together.

"I can't make money today. We have to prepare some things and sell them in a few days before we can make money."

what?
Yang Fu didn't understand why, seeing that Huo Xi didn't speak, he had no choice but to hold back his temper.

Along the way, Huo Xi bought a lot of things, including onion, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, star anise pepper, and bought two jars of rice wine at the wine shop.That's not enough, I went to Gao Butcher to cut several catties of white pork suet.

With Yang Futi in his hand, he glanced at her from time to time, and then again, but Huo Xi refused to explain.It just made him scratch his heart and liver in a hurry.

Before it was over, Huo Xi led him to the grocery store and bought a dozen thin white porcelain jars.I went to the blacksmith shop and bought tweezers, scissors, and a small hammer.

The two of them carried and carried it, and walked towards the ferry with a full load.

Passing by the shantytowns in the outer city, Huo Xi begged for another piece of bamboo.

"Xi'er, you want to make up a basket?"

"no."

"Then why are you begging for bamboo?"

"You'll find out when you get back."

Don't say it again.Yang Fu was depressed.After thinking about it all the way, I couldn't figure out what she was going to do.

Back on the boat, Yang Shi and Huo Erhuai were both dumbfounded by the pile of things Huo Xi bought.

Only then did Huo Xi explain: "Father, those little crabs under two taels were collected by us with money, so we can't keep them in our hands."

Well, that is.A lot has been collected in the past two days.I caught some more today.

But this...

"Xi'er, are you going to sell pickled drunk crabs?" Huo Erhuai saw that there were porcelain jars, star anise peppers, and those two jars of rice wine in this pile of things, so they couldn't be bought for him to drink.

"Ah? Xi'er, you want to sell drunk crabs?" Yang Fu was stunned for a moment, then recovered, and said, "I'll help you!"

Huo Xi smiled: "If there is no yellow, make drunk crab, if there is crab yellow, make bald butter."

"Bald Butter?"

Huo Xi nodded.Bald butter is made from crab paste, crab roe and crab meat, boiled with fat oil, and can be served with rice, noodles, or as a dish.

There are many dishes made of bald butter in Huaiyang cuisine, which are delicious and mouth-watering.I don't know if the famous Suzhou dish snowflake crab bucket is sold in the capital at this time, and if there is a chance to eat it again.

Listening to Huo Xi's explanation, Yang and the three of them salivated in unison.

"Then we'll boil bald butter. We'll definitely be able to sell it, but if we can't, we can keep it for ourselves." Yang Fu swallowed hard.

"If you let you eat such a precious thing, why not go to heaven!" Yang Shi glared at him.

Yang Fu was used to being beaten by his sister, so he didn't care about it at all.Pulling Huo Xi and asking how to do it.

"Xi'er, how do you know if there is crab roe in the crab?"

Huo Xi took a look at him: "You have been floating on the water for ten years, you ask me?"

"Hey, there's no half meat in that thing, and I don't bother to fish it when I see it. Only the elite in the city like to eat that thing."

Yang also said: "Usually we don't eat much. Put it together with fish and shrimp, and I can't see it for a while. The fish and shrimp are bitten all over. I don't pay attention to how to distinguish whether it is yellow or not."

"Look at the belly button, pinch it, or take a light to illuminate it, the opaque ones are usually yellow." Huo Xi said.

Yang Fu was in a hurry, so he quickly picked up a crab pot and began to choose.

Huo Xi and Yang picked up a basket and steamed it in a pot.Yang Fu cut the bamboo slices again as he said.

After steaming, Mrs. Yang would cook the pork suet while tearing apart the crab meat with them.Huo Erhuai rowed the boat to an open water area, stopped the boat to help.

The oily aroma of pork suet, mixed with the fresh aroma of crab, lasts for a long time.

Everyone on board, including Huo Nian, had their noses twitching.This taste is really tormenting.

Fortunately, there were no ships nearby, so no one was attracted.Taking a boat as your home is not as safe as living on the shore, but it also has the advantage that no one is watching, and it is very convenient to do something behind people's backs.

Pork suet was boiled to a full earthen pot, and the meat dregs filled a large bowl.

For the first time, Huo Xi didn't dare to remove too many crabs. There were about [-] crabs in a cage, and his fingers were stiff, so he got a bowl of crab roe and crab meat.

Add lard, stir-fry ginger and garlic, add crab roe and cook slowly, add rice wine and other condiments, add crab meat, and cook slowly...

Chandler!
Huo Nian drooled, pointing with his little finger, oh yes, I can't even coax him.

Taking advantage of the daylight, the family steamed crabs, removed crabs, boiled suet and boiled butter, and even forgot to cook for dinner, which made them feel hungry.

With this scent, I feel more and more hungry, with my chest sticking to my back.

After it was boiled, it was put into a thin white porcelain jar filled with half a catty to cool down, and there was still a shallow layer on the bottom of the bowl. Yang Fu kept licking his lips against it.

"These twenty or so crabs only got half a catty of bald butter." Yang sighed with emotion, how much money it would have to sell to get back the cost.

"I can't sell less!" Yang Fu stared at the porcelain jar, the crab meat was not worth anything, the main reason was labor.

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Huo Xi made some calculations in her heart, and said, "Why don't you sell it for two taels of silver for half a catty?"

hiss……

"What's the matter, is it cheaper?"

"No, Xi'er, these twenty or so crabs cost less than a hundred cents, and you sell them for two taels of silver?" Did his heart darken a little.Yang Fu wanted to make money, but he was too embarrassed to ask such a high price.

Huo Xi rolled his eyes at him: "You're only counting the cost of the crabs. There are pork suet, rice wine, and those seasonings here, all of which are not money? There are four of us laboring. This is a meticulous job, and it won't cost much in a day. Can. Too much time wasted."

Huo Xi looked at her fingers that were still stiff and hadn't recovered, her heart ached.These little meaty hands, this will be the same as Shuang's beating.

It's cheap, but she doesn't like it.

Yang Shi and Huo Erhuai looked at each other, who wouldn't be happy to sell more money?Then he said: "Then let Xi'er sell it and see if it can't be sold, it's not too late to adjust the price."

Yang Fu hurriedly said: "Then I'll follow suit! Such a fragrant thing must be known by someone."

Another thought, what if it can’t be sold?
"Xi'er, how long can this be stored?" Others bought it back, and they couldn't finish it all at once, right?
"Don't worry, this is made of lard. After cooling, the surface will solidify, which can isolate the outside atmosphere and keep it fresh and antiseptic. It's not a problem to store it for a month or two in this weather, and it can be stored longer if there is an ice cellar."

Yang Shi and Huo Erhuai breathed a sigh of relief.One or two months is plenty of time for yelling.

Yang Fu was even more relieved.If it really sells for two taels of silver per can, the family can save a lot of money.Just think about it and be happy.

"Brother-in-law, hurry up and sail, let's collect some crabs along the way!"

Huo Erhuai nodded: "Okay. Let's put a few crab cages in the dense water and grass later, and collect them early in the morning."

"Okay, then I'll prepare the crab pots." Yang Fu turned upside down.

When the crab cage is ready, dinner is also available.The extra steamed buns made at noon were steaming hot. The family took pickles, rolled a chopstick of butter into the steamed buns, and took a bite...

Niangle, fresh and fragrant!There was still oil dripping from the corner of his mouth, and he rolled his tongue, not wanting to waste any of it.

Really fragrant!

It will definitely sell!
If he can't sell it, he will keep it for himself, and he is happy with steamed buns, porridge, and butter every day.Thinking about it, Yang Fu sneaked a look at his sister, so confused, his sister kept her eyes on the bald butter and didn't look at him at all, otherwise it's time to beat him up again.

(End of this chapter)