June arrived, bringing scorching weather, little rain, and a sharp rise in temperature.
At the morning market, after a busy stretch, Kang He had been cutting meat for nearly two hours, sweat dripping from his forehead and the tip of his nose.
Fan Jing found some free time, went inside to wash his hands, and took a nearly clean cloth to replace the one hanging around Kang He’s neck.
The cloth on his neck was already damp with sweat.
Once the morning market rush settled, business slowed down considerably.
Kang He washed his greasy hands with fragrant soap, took a sip of cold tea, then carefully wiped the sweat from his face and neck.
He asked Fan Jing, “Why does today’s business seem worse than the past few days?”
Usually, after the morning market, over fifty jin of pork would have sold. Today, however, only around thirty-something jin had been sold.
And the number of people cutting meat seemed noticeably fewer.
Fan Jing peeled an orange, split it in half, and shared it with Kang He, saying, “I just saw some butcher apprentices carrying already cut meat walking by.”
He glanced around and saw that both the Mei family’s pork stall and the Hao family’s pork stall had started hiring apprentices to cut meat as well.
“Hao family’s also started?”
Kang He snorted, “Well, it’s one thing for Mei family, but Master Hao was the first to loudly say he’d rather close up than stoop to hiring apprentices to cut meat. Now, how come he’s willing to humble himself and do it?”
“The weather’s hot, and the meat can’t be kept for long. If there’s a way to sell it faster, why would anyone let it go to waste?”
Kang He understood this well. Apprentices cutting meat wasn’t some secret technique; anyone with skill could learn it. When stall owners saw that this kind of meat sold better, even a fool would know to follow suit. It didn’t matter whose apprentice it was, no one would follow someone just for money.
Earlier, when the weather was milder, apprentices disliked the hassle and weren’t willing to do it. Now that the temperature had risen, meat had to be sold quickly. The trouble of cutting meat was much less than having smelly meat lingering on one’s hands.
Kang He was also annoyed by the summer heat. After slaughtering a pig, it took two days to sell all the meat, and by the third day, the stall was already set up again.
If they had an ice cellar for cold storage, three days wouldn’t be a big deal, but outside, ice sold cheaper than pork itself, so who could afford to use ice to store meat?
The well at home was cool, but it couldn’t hold dozens or hundreds of jin of pork.
In the long run, the best method was to bring less meat to the stall each time. If two families could share the cost of slaughtering one pig, that would be just right.
A fat pig weighed over two hundred jin; split between two butchers, each would have about a hundred jin. With lean pigs, it was even easier—two butchers would still have about a hundred jin total, making sales over one or two days much more manageable.
Earlier, Kang He had gotten some ideas and inquired around to see if anyone was interested in partnering.
He wasn’t the only one thinking this way; long-time butchers had thought of it too.
Splitting a pig’s meat between two butchers was doable without cheating anyone out of their share. But when it came to things like hearts and lungs, which only came in single units and were priced the same, how to divide them fairly?
You’d say, “This time you take the heart, next time I’ll take something else,” but the weights of two pigs weren’t always the same, and the hearts and lungs varied in size too.
Though it was just a matter of a few copper coins, people’s thoughts were unpredictable. Slightly unfavorable outcomes between two butchers often led to disputes.
Except for cases like master and apprentice or close brothers, cooperation was rarely smooth.
Hu Dasan had once bought a pig in partnership with Kang He. They were on good terms initially, but before the summer was even over, they quarreled and completely cut off ties.
Few butchers trusted superstition, so they wanted to partner up to buy and sell pigs, thinking it would reduce disputes if each gave way a little.
But when actually doing it, they realized the real complications.
Rarely did partnerships in buying and selling pigs go smoothly. Eventually, everyone went back to working on their own, which was less troublesome.
Kang He had to learn from other butchers’ mistakes, stubbornly continuing his own way.
Besides, Fan Jing had no close butcher friends, making this even harder.
After much consideration, the partnership plan fell through.
In the summer months, there was no choice but to pick lean pigs when buying.
If some pork was left unsold, it would be taken home, salted, and smoked into cured meat.
Fortunately, they had a shop, and they sold dry goods as well, so properly smoked cured meat could also be sold, providing more options than just the pork stall.
But all butchers wanted to pick lean pigs, and farmers sold lean pigs at lower prices. Lean pigs were hard to find in summer.
Customers buying meat at the market were not as eager as in other seasons.
In winter, they would buy three or five jin at a time; in this season, it was usually half a jin or so—just enough to eat fresh, not for storage.
Summer business was harder than off-season, but good business had to be done.
Kang He took the orange Fan Jing had peeled and tossed the two halves into his mouth, wincing slightly.
His face scrunched up, “Why are these oranges so sour?”
Fan Jing said, “It rained a few days ago. Didn’t you buy five for three copper coins?”
Kang He swallowed the sour orange segment, “I thought I got a bargain, but ended up wasting a few copper coins.”
“Don’t bother eating the rest.”
Fan Jing took the rest and popped it into his mouth anyway. Even if sour, it wasn’t spoiled.
“It’s not that sour.”
At that moment, He Xiaoqiu, dressed in a green skirt, had changed her headscarf to a lighter, thinner one.
Kang He called her into the shop, brought over a stool, and poured some tea.
Kang He went into the back and returned with a bundle of prepared medicine, handing it to He Xiaoqiu.
“It’s the same as before. Doctor Zhu said to keep taking the medicine according to the original prescription.”
Whenever Doctor Zhu prescribed medicine, Kang He brought it to the city for He Xiaoqiu, so she could take it home easily from the shop, sparing her the trouble of running all the way to their village.
He Xiaoqiu gratefully accepted the medicine, hugging it to her chest. Kang He let them chat a while and said, “Go to the street corner and get two bowls of taro paste with bean water.”
“Don’t want to trouble you.”
He Xiaoqiu quickly protested.
Kang He said, “The sweet water shop just made some fresh, and Ah Jing likes it too. Let’s try some together.”
Saying that, he hurried off.
He Xiaoqiu rose from the stool, wanting to call him back but felt too shy to shout.
Fan Jing sat nearby, swatting flies with a bamboo flyswatter.
Seeing He Xiaoqiu hesitate, he teased, “You just want it for yourself.”
He Xiaoqiu laughed and sat back down, reaching into her basket to take out a tightly wrapped half salted goose, handing it to Fan Jing.
She also packed her father’s medicine back into the basket.
Fan Jing smelled a faint aroma through the paper and recognized what it was.
The package felt heavy, easily over two jin.
The He family’s medicine always passed through their hands; one round of medicine cost one to two silver taels.
Earlier, Fan Jing and Kang He had calculated it—it cost about five hundred qian per month for Old Master He’s medicine.
Doctor Zhu wasn’t one to profit exorbitantly; medicine was expensive, but Old Master He was taking costly medicine to maintain his health, with no other choice.
If they switched to city doctors, it would be even more expensive.
Fan Jing said, “Don’t bring it next time.”
He Xiaoqiu’s face fell slightly hearing that, asking, “Have you grown tired of the salted goose? You don’t want it anymore?”
“You rarely come to the city, and I often think of you at home. It’s not easy to come by, so if you’re in a hurry, then don’t come anymore.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Fan Jing frowned, denying it quickly. “The goose is just troublesome.”
“It’s hardly any trouble. I’m used to making this goose; it’s not much work.”
He Xiaoqiu asked, “Is the goose tasty?”
Fan Jing nodded and replied yes.
She brightened up again.
Fan Jing stood, picked up a slab of nearly three jin of pork belly from the stall, then took a piece of pig liver.
Old Master He’s liver wasn’t in good shape; he often ate pig liver to nourish his body.
Fan Jing wrapped it carefully in lotus leaf.
Seeing this, He Xiaoqiu hurried to stop him, “You’re doing business, don’t give me pork again!”
“If it’s unsold, it’d go to waste.”
He Xiaoqiu said, “If it’s unsold, we’ll talk then. This is fresh pork.”
She reached into her purse, “If you give me some, I’ll pay you.”
Fan Jing wasn’t about to take her money.
When Kang He returned with the sweet water, he saw the two of them still debating at the door about whether to take money.
“If you take it, then I’ll want your things next time.”
He Xiaoqiu said, “This is too much. Running a business isn’t easy, and with the rent, how can you afford to give so much away?”
“Usually, Da Jing only gives you pork like this. If you accept it, and give him money, he’d be mad.”
Fan Jing went inside with Kang He, carrying two bowls of sweet water on a tray, calling to He Xiaoqiu, “Come eat.”
He Xiaoqiu held her purse, feeling a bit warm inside but also shy.
Kang He coaxed her inside to eat.
After a while, when the ice in the sweet water began to melt, He Xiaoqiu finally put her purse back into her pocket.
Fan Jing and He Xiaoqiu sat side by side at the window-facing long table, scooping the icy taro balls to eat, while Kang He stood by the counter.
The chilled taro balls were sweet, with green beans stewed soft inside, plus some crushed ice.
With one bite, a cool sensation spread immediately.
The three of them tasted it and all agreed it was delicious.
“How has Old Master He’s health been lately?”
He Xiaoqiu sat close to Fan Jing and answered Kang He, “Dad’s been taking Doctor Zhu’s prescription and the medicine you brought. This month, he could get out of bed and walk around by himself.”
Hearing that Old Master He was better, Kang He was genuinely happy for them.
“Is he able to go out? Can he still come to the city for business?”
He Xiaoqiu shook her head, “He’s been overworked for so long. The village isn’t easy to leave, let alone going to the street to sell like before.”
Fan Jing spoke directly, “In that case, is the family’s money enough?”
He Xiaoqiu didn’t answer, taking another spoonful of crushed ice.
The He family wasn’t wealthy.
In past years, when Fan’s father was healthy, they had earned a bit of capital from selling salted goose.
But after the troubles with He Xiaoqiu’s husband, Fan’s father fell ill, and the family hadn’t done business for a long time.
Everyday medicine expenses meant they had no savings, only money going out and no income.
He Xiaoqiu worried but saw no solution.
In restless nights, she even considered selling the salted goose recipe.
But her heart couldn’t bear it, and the family wouldn’t agree.
It wasn’t yet desperate, so she decided to tighten their belts and keep going for now.
As He Xiaoqiu spoke, Fan Jing’s eyes flickered, “You said the wrong thing.”
Kang He chuckled.
He Xiaoqiu smiled too and teased Fan Jing, “Life isn’t as easy as when you were doing business. Now it’s more tight.”
Kang He asked, “Have you thought about starting new business?”
He Xiaoqiu shook her head, “The family’s current situation makes that difficult. Relatives… aren’t reliable.”
She trusted Fan Jing, so she said this.
If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t admit that relatives were unreliable, not wanting others to think they were easy to take advantage of.
Seeing this, Kang He didn’t say more.
Fan Jing said, “If anyone tries to cheat you, just come find me.”
He Xiaoqiu smiled and nodded.
Just as they spoke, a loud voice came from outside the shop.
“Brother Kang San, Fan Jing, are you in the shop or not!”
The speaker was Zhang Shifu, who hadn’t come to the shop for some time.
He looked unkempt—his beard scraggly, wearing his hunting clothes, hair uncombed, looking like a wild man.
He Xiaoqiu glanced at him and immediately shrank back, putting down her bowl and quietly said, “I’m going home first.”
Without taking her basket, she hurried out.
Fan Jing grabbed the basket and chased after her.
Once on the street, she realized she’d forgotten the basket but dared not go back.
She anxiously stood under a roof nearby.
Soon, Fan Jing returned with her basket, and she finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
Fan Jing didn’t rush to hand her basket back but instead took her all the way to the main street.
“What happened?”
Zhang Shifu stared wide-eyed at the young lady running off like a mouse seeing a cat.
Kang He teased, “What else could it be? You scared her off.”
“Me? Scared her?”
“Go look in the mirror.”
Kang He said as he pulled out a stool and poured some cold tea.
“Going to the city and street, you should wash your face and look respectable.”
“I’m a rough old man; why waste effort on that?”
Zhang Shifu plopped onto the stool, knowing that Kang He and Fan Jing had opened the pork shop in the city.
Whenever they came down the mountain, they’d hang out here.
He drank his tea in two big gulps, then poured another cup.
He said, “Later I’ll go to the Tao family eatery and order a big basin of mutton for the three of us to enjoy.”
Kang He saw how hot Zhang Shifu was and fetched some cold water for him to wash his face and hands.
“Listen to your cravings, but mutton is expensive. Buying a portion at the pork shop costs fifty qian. Ordering a basin at the eatery with at least half a jin of meat is even pricier.”
“Brother, money’s a bit tight. Once in a while a feast is fine, but you still have to save. What if something comes up? You can’t be in trouble.”
Zhang Shifu liked hearing this and glared at Kang He.
“Only you say that. When it comes to eating and drinking, you’re the only one who lectures me.”
He laughed and added, “If it were anyone else, they’d just empty my pockets and fill their mouths. I listen to you and keep some money in hand.”
“Next time when you sell livestock, just keep half with me.”
Kang He said, “This isn’t a bank to keep your money. If you want someone to hold your money, better find a steward; that’s more reliable.”
“Who would want me looking like this? Who would look after me?”
“You don’t want it. You’re a strong, upright man. If you got a matchmaker to keep an eye out, I’m sure you’d find a good one.”
Zhang Shifu waved his hand, and Kang He didn’t push further.
He took out the paper-wrapped parcel on the table and said, “You came at the right time. Good fortune. This tastes better than the stewed mutton at the Tao family eatery.”
Hearing talk of food, Zhang Shifu brightened.
“You’ve got some good stuff again to treat me?”
Kang He said no and first ordered a basin of rice, two side dishes, and some wine.
When Fan Jing came back, they set the table and unwrapped the paper package.
Zhang Shifu’s mouth watered as he saw half a plump salted goose inside.
In summer, the oil congealed, and the goose was oily and tender, the skin braised to a dark color, making one’s mouth water.
He chopped into it and tore off meat with his hands, juices flowing out, whetting his appetite.
Kang He and Fan Jing had eaten this many times but still found it as delicious as the first time.
“You’re lying. This really tastes better than mutton. Where’d you get this? You should’ve brought it earlier.”
Zhang Shifu praised without stopping.
“I want to buy two whole ones to take back up the mountain.”
“If you want to buy, you can’t. No one in this city makes this good. It’s private craftsmanship.”
Zhang Shifu was surprised, “Such fine craftsmanship—why not turn it into a business?
In summer, salted food tastes best. Hot dishes and rice warm the soul in winter, but in summer they burn the mouth. Only cold salted meats and pickles suit the season.”
Kang He agreed, “When it’s hot, everyone likes something cool. That’s normal.”
Zhang Shifu added, “Haven’t you noticed how many salted food vendors are on Xiaohuai Street? Their business is booming.
Usually, fresh pig head meat, pig feet, pig intestines aren’t much liked, but once dipped in brine, people fight over them in this heat.”
Since their own pork was sold out, Kang He rarely bought other meat.
Hearing Zhang Shifu’s words, a new business idea suddenly sparked in his mind.
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