Chapter 5, Pig Offal

Faced with such a bustling scene all at once, Douzi and the other children were also flustered. However, they quickly discovered a problem: the bowls they brought were insufficient. Li Zhang's family was too poor, having only a few bowls. In the end, even with the broken bowls of over a dozen orphans begging for food, there were only a little over a dozen, which was far from enough. They ultimately had to wait for the people in front to finish eating before collecting the bowls back.

People have a tendency to conform, and the stewed vegetables smell so good, at least much better than the pickled vegetable soup that the laborers often drink. Moreover, seeing Niu Da happily eating from a large bowl with a loud "slurp" makes others crave it even more, leading to a rush as they compete to pay for it.

By the way, brother, today I heard others talking about that divine bird again at the dock! Just then, a boy next to Douzi, who was missing a front tooth, suddenly slapped his thigh and said, this boy's surname is Zhou. Because his front tooth was knocked out, people in Kaifeng refer to someone missing a tooth as "Huozi," so this boy is called Zhou Huozi

The leftover food from restaurants, made into a folded basket, had almost become extinct during the era in which Li Zhang lived. It is estimated that, apart from a very small number of people, the majority would not consider consuming such items, as leftover food from others is generally perceived as unclean by most.

However, the activities of the beans are not extensive; they have never ventured beyond Bianhe Town. Most of what they hear is related to this town, such as the fact that the wealthy Ma family on East Street has taken in a new concubine, or that two groups of ruffians on West Street have fought over territory, resulting in injuries. These matters hold little significance, at most providing Li Zhang with a better understanding of the surrounding environment

"Useless, from now on I will ensure that you have meat to eat every day, until you feel like vomiting!" Li Zhang couldn't help but laugh and scold upon hearing Douzi's words, while also weighing the copper coins in his hand. After deducting the fifteen wen spent on buying pancakes earlier, he still had forty-nine wen left. This was their first income and also his capital for making a living in the Northern Song Dynasty.

"Divine Bird!" Upon hearing Huozi's words, Li Zhang couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, and immediately pressed on with urgency, "Quickly tell me if there is any new information!"

"Cut some meat, today we feast!" After several days of gnawing on flatbreads, Li Zhang felt as if his mouth was about to taste like a bird, although the flatbreads from Liu's shop were chewy and delicious. However, just gnawing on steamed buns was not a solution, and now that the livelihood issue had been resolved, Li Zhang felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart, naturally prompting a celebration.

After dinner, the sky was already darkening. The girls, including Chou Niang and Li Er, were busy washing pots and dishes, while Li Zhang and Dou Zi gathered together to chat. The conversation mainly revolved around stories that Dou Zi and the others had heard on the street. After all, Li Zhang had limited mobility; apart from the first day when he personally went out to sell the bamboo baskets, he had stayed at home during the other times. Therefore, he relied on Dou Zi and the others to gather some information from the outside world

Looking at the proud appearance of the beans, Li Zhang couldn't help but smile wryly. However, cooking them is also a good option; as long as one knows how to prepare them, even the innards can be turned into a delicacy. Coincidentally, during his many years of being single in his previous life, he had developed excellent culinary skills.

"Give me a scoop!" Niu Da took out a copper coin and placed it in Douzi's hand, who joyfully exclaimed, "Alright!" He then personally served Niu Da a scoop, and since he was their first customer, he even added an extra half scoop at the end.

As soon as Douzi's words fell, a wave of cheers and excitement immediately erupted in the courtyard, which brought a rare smile to Li Zhang's face outside the courtyard. After the pancakes were distributed, Li Zhang took a deep breath of the grain aroma emanating from the pancakes. It was the first time he realized that the smell of flour could be so sweet and fragrant. Then he opened his mouth and took a bite, his mind filled with two words: "So delicious"

Seeing the joyful expressions of the children, Li Zhang couldn't help but reveal a warm smile. He then called over a few more children and instructed them to go buy oil, salt, vinegar, and other seasonings, as there was nothing at home; after all, one cannot simply boil meat in plain water.

Niu Da is not foolish; with both vegetables and meat available at such a low price, anyone with a bit of sense would understand the origin of these ingredients upon hearing the other person's words. However, for someone like him, who comes from a poor background, there are not many concerns about such matters. When he was young and his family faced famine, he had to beg for food alongside his parents and even fought with wild dogs for scraps to eat. Therefore, in his mind, as long as it is edible, there is no distinction between clean and dirty.

"It's cheap, pork is more than twice as expensive as offal, and isn't offal also meat?" At this moment, Douzi said proudly, although he couldn't count, he could still figure out that with the same amount of money, he could buy more meat.

There were too many people, and Li Zhang did not prepare any particularly complicated dishes. He sliced the pig's heart and lungs to make a pot of pig offal soup. There was quite a bit of large intestine, which certainly could not be finished in one meal. Li Zhang was concerned it would spoil, so he braised all of it in one pot. This way, even if it could not be finished, it could be preserved for a few days

"It smells so good, is this really just one cent per scoop?" Niu Da, sniffing the enticing aroma wafting from the pot, was the first to run over and ask. He was a big eater, with a hearty appetite, but usually too poor to afford meat more than a few times a year. Now, with the smell of meat from the pot and at such a low price, he naturally couldn't resist.

People in the Northern Song Dynasty were far less wasteful than those in later generations, especially regarding food. Therefore, there was generally not much leftover food in restaurants. The better leftovers were consumed by the staff, while inedible scraps were discarded into the slop bucket. No one ever thought of selling these leftovers. Now that some are willing to pay for them, various restaurants naturally find it hard to come by.

Li Zhang was not eating slowly either. The braised large intestine was sliced and stuffed into a steamed bun. The fragrant and smooth large intestine paired with the soft yet chewy bun, and with a sip of the fresh and aromatic pork offal soup, Li Zhang felt as if he could almost fly. After all, as someone who could not live without meat, going several days without even a hint of meat was more unbearable than death. Now, he finally satisfied his cravings.

However, although the basket is dirty, one cannot deny that it contains vegetables and meat. Moreover, when various leftover dishes are reheated, their flavors blend together to create a peculiar aroma that is even more enticing than the original dishes. Additionally, Li Zhang specifically chose a location at the upwind side to set up his stall, which allowed the fragrance to waft throughout the entire dock.

Brother, we have earned so much money all at once, we will never have to worry about going hungry again!" As Douzi pushed the cart, he did not forget to tear off a piece from the pancake and stuffed it into his mouth, speaking indistinctly.

A large pot of folded pancakes was sold out in just half an hour. Some of the laborers who did not manage to buy any clung on and refused to leave. In the end, Li Zhang promised that he would return tomorrow, which finally allowed him to shake off these people. Meanwhile, the group of boys had already excitedly spent their freshly earned money to buy thirty large pancakes, and after tidying up their things, they pushed Li Zhang and ran home.

With the increase in the sources of bamboo baskets, Li Zhang and his companions' income has also risen. In just five days, Li Zhang managed to save enough money for a single tael, which finally relieved him. With this tael, he now has a bit of capital; even if he does not engage in the bamboo basket business, he can rely on this capital to start other ventures. At the very least, he can support the children, including Li Er.

In a short while, the beans returned excitedly with a few children. However, Li Zhang looked at the colorful items in the bag and couldn't help but feel frustrated, saying: "Did I not ask you to buy meat? Why did you buy so many offal instead?"

At this moment, Li Zhang was counting money. Douzi and the others did not know how to count; they only knew that they had earned a lot of copper coins, but they did not know how many. After he finished counting, he was also beaming with joy and said: "We earned sixty-four wen this morning, which amounts to over one thousand nine hundred wen in a month, nearly two guan in income"

"Alright then, big brother, just watch me. I will spend the least amount of money to buy the most meat!" Douzi immediately agreed and then grabbed two handfuls of copper coins and ran out. A few other little followers also cheered and followed him to buy meat. The remaining Li Er and others also looked very cheerful, as they rarely had the chance to eat meat, except for the leftovers from the last time.

At present, Li Zhang praised Douzi for a few moments, and then began directing Chou Niang and others to handle these pig offal. Douzi had almost bought an entire set of pig offal. The other parts were relatively easy to deal with, but the intestines were more troublesome. Some people like them, while others do not even want to smell them. Li Zhang belonged to the former group, but they must be cleaned thoroughly; otherwise, the smell would be too strong.

The car returned to the ancestral hall, and before Li Zhang could get out, Douzi rushed into the courtyard holding a steamed bun, shouting: "Li'er, Chou Niang, come quickly, we have steamed buns to eat!"

"There is no deception here, this is indeed the craftsmanship of the Yuelong Building on West Street. Although it is leftover food, it is affordable, and it includes both meat and vegetables. If you miss this opportunity, you won't find this place again!" Douzi, with a sharp tongue, began to enthusiastically introduce it as soon as he saw someone interested, and he directly pointed out that this is the leftover food from the restaurant. This was also Li Zhang's idea, to avoid any disputes that might arise from the other party's ignorance.

Originally, Li Zhang had prepared water to wash the dishes, but he did not expect that those people did not care at all and directly took the used bowls from others to continue using them. However, upon reflection, it is not surprising; after all, who would care about this when they are willing to eat from a discount basket?

The meal is ready, with each person receiving a bowl of pork offal soup, a piece of braised large intestine, and additionally, a large steamed bun. Before Li Zhang could say anything, the children, like hungry wolves, eagerly grabbed their big bowls and began to eat voraciously. A few of them ate too quickly and ended up choking, rolling their eyes in distress. In the end, it was Li Zhang who hurriedly handed them water, preventing these hungry wolves from choking to death.

"Two strings! How many pancakes do we need to buy? Wouldn't that mean we can eat pancakes every day from now on?" Upon hearing Li Zhang's words, Douzi also displayed an ecstatic expression once again, and the other children joyfully shouted, feeling that even the pace of pushing the cart had become much lighter.

In the coming days, Li Zhang will divide the orphans, Douzi and Chou Niang, into two groups. Chou Niang will take several children to work at the tavern, while Douzi will lead a few children to get up early every day to sell bamboo baskets. Moreover, Li Zhang has instructed Douzi to interact with the managers and staff of other taverns to collect leftover food at a very low price, as relying solely on one tavern cannot possibly meet the demands at the dock.