Bai Fumei in the ’70s Chapter 11
Translated by Serena Love
Proofread by Soupysuspicions
Edited by Ladyhotcomb
Chapter 11
By the time Zhao Lanxiang reached the grocery store, two long queues had already formed in front of it.
The most sought-after meats like pork, chicken, and duck were sold out quickly. When her turn came, only pig offal, trotters, and poultry liver, heads, and claws remained.
While these cuts lacked the oils and sauces that made other meats popular, Zhao Lanxiang didn’t mind. She saw value in them, believing their worth was not less than that of fatty cuts. The issue was that people during this time lacked seasonings like oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar to bring out the delicious flavors.
In the end, Zhao Lanxiang picked up two pounds of lean meat and two pounds of trotters. She also grabbed chicken and duck kidneys, heads, claws, and other scraps as well, placing them all in her bag with a smile. Her black-market meat tickets were quickly running out.
The store clerk eyed the young woman who was buying meat so freely.
Zhao Lanxiang coughed and explained, “I’m the new purchaser for the cafeteria. I’m responsible for buying meat.”
She said this to alleviate the clerk’s suspicions. While city dwellers might indulge in meat occasionally, it was a different story in the countryside. The typical monthly pork ration was only half a pound to a pound per person. Yet here was Zhao Lanxiang, buying what amounted to a year’s worth of pork for one person.
She packed the meat into a bamboo basket and discreetly left the dragon-like long queue. She gave a wink to He Songbai, who was hiding in a nearby alley.
Not wanting to be too eye-catching, Zhao Lanxiang chose not to take a car and instead walked back to the village on foot, taking a secluded mountain road.
In this era, there was no such thing as a free market. Aside from a small amount of produce sold by independent farmers, reselling food or materials was considered “speculation,” a dangerous activity. Depending on the severity of the offense, she could be sent to a labor camp or even imprisoned. She had no intention of risking her life just to make some money.
Zhao Lanxiang walked for ten miles and finally returned to the village before sunset.
He Songbai’s dark, thick brows had been furrowed ever since their time on the black market street, and he still hadn’t let it go.
He followed Zhao Lanxiang, this “extremely audacious” educated young woman, as she carefully navigated the mountain path back to the village. Along the way, she picked several plants, placing them in her basket to give the appearance of “harvesting wild vegetables.” His tense expression finally eased a bit.
He told himself that if she were caught, his family would inevitably be labeled as “accomplices,” which justified his behavior toward her.
Unaware of He Songbai’s complex thoughts, Zhao Lanxiang returned home and immediately busied herself in the kitchen.
She efficiently cleaned the meat, separated the chicken and duck, and sliced some ginger and scallions. She then marinated them with cooking wine and salt. The marination would take until noon the next day to fully penetrate the meat. She found a clay pot for storage and then began preparing another intricate marinade.
The dish she planned to make resembled the cold duck neck and claws that would become popular in later years. The flavor was unique and highly appetizing.
In the past, because she and Sister He were food enthusiasts, her beloved had paid a considerable sum of money for her to be a guest judge on a popular food show. The show’s theme was to discover local cuisines and explore secret or lost recipes. She had followed the series with great excitement and collected many unique recipes along the way.
She had always been fascinated by the unique and delicious dishes found in various regional cuisines. What started as a casual interest during her free time had now turned into a valuable skill for her.
Zhao Lanxiang shook her head, her face betraying her emotions for only a few seconds.
She combined more than 30 kinds of seasonings—such as star anise, galangal, cinnamon, fennel, grass fruit, clove, amomum, pepper, cardamom, Pao grass, and bay leaf—into a pot of marinade. She simmered it until it changed color, then set it aside to cool, planning to soak the seasoned duck meat in it the next day.
By the time she finished, the He family’s kitchen was filled with an incredible aroma, a blend of enticing spices and the sweet scent of meat.
Although the He family’s old house was located in a relatively remote area, it wasn’t as if there were no neighbors. To keep the cooking smells from spreading, Zhao Lanxiang deliberately closed the windows and used a pot of unburned activated charcoal to absorb odors. After finishing the cold duck dish, she stepped outside for some fresh air. The kitchen had become stifling with the windows closed, and her dark hair stuck to her face, making her feel sticky and uncomfortable.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw He Sanya, who was visibly drooling.
Zhao Lanxiang took a piece of caramel from her pocket and smiled, saying, “Eat this.”
She had bought the candy in town. He Sanya loved sweets, but given her upbringing, she rarely had the opportunity to enjoy them.
He Sanya’s eyes lit up as she accepted the candy, but she couldn’t help glancing toward the kitchen. The rundown kitchen of the He family seemed like heaven to her. She inhaled the aroma wafting from the doorway, drooling yet swallowing it back periodically.
Zhao Lanxiang looked at her with a mix of pity and affection, feeling somewhat helpless.
She said, “We’ll have trotters for dinner tonight. Rest assured, you’ll get your share.”
As she spoke, she playfully pinched the child’s nose, her lips curling up almost involuntarily. If the food she made brought joy to others, that was all the validation she needed.
Although this little girl had probably never tasted anything truly delicious, she couldn’t resist even this faint aroma. But that was okay. Zhao Lanxiang planned to use the culinary skills she had acquired in her previous life to nourish this thin, poor child, one step at a time.
Puzzled as to how the kitchen aroma had escaped, Zhao Lanxiang returned inside. She crushed the unburned charcoal into smaller pieces and spread them on the ground. She then tightly sealed the jar of marinated meat. Only after the fragrance had mostly dissipated did she begin to stew the pig’s trotters. Unlike the complex marinade, the five-spice trotters were less of a hassle. She had found many of the missing spices on her recent trip to the black market, so tonight’s trotters promised to be even more delicious!
When He Songbai returned home, he busied himself with chores like chopping firewood and fetching water. Only after completing these tasks did he have time to think about the “unsettling” presence of Zhao Lanxiang in his home.
As he caught a whiff of the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen window and saw He Sanya biting into some meat with a satisfied expression, his eyes darkened with complex emotions.
A whirlwind of thoughts filled his mind, urging him to tell Zhao Lanxiang to be more cautious. His journey back had been fraught with difficulties, but seeing this scene made him waver.
For years, they had been honest farmers, never daring to break the rules or engage in illicit activities. But had fate ever allowed them to live peacefully?
No, for as long as he could remember, he’d been the subject of relentless gossip and rumors that maliciously twisted the narrative of his life, leaving him with a tarnished reputation. While he was thankful that society hadn’t completely cast them aside and had given them a chance to reform, he knew his family could never erase their tails and become humans. They were marked with shame that could never be washed away...
Considering how grim their circumstances already were, what else could possibly go wrong?
***
That night, Sister He herded the brigade’s cattle into the cowshed. As she washed her hands by the well, she smelled the enticing aroma of meat. She assumed that Zhao Lanxiang had bought pork for another special meal. Resolved not to partake this time, Sister He felt ashamed that she had enjoyed so many good meals without being able to pay her back.
However, her resolve was short-lived.
Zhao Lanxiang caught sight of Sister He and eagerly pulled her into the kitchen. Bowls of fluffy white rice were neatly arranged, each topped with a layer of delicious gravy. The stewed trotters, glistening under the kerosene lamp, looked irresistible. Without a word, Zhao Lanxiang placed a tender piece of the trotter into Sister He’s mouth.
“Is it delicious? Sanya already had two bowls of rice with this sauce.”
Caught off guard, Sister He could only savor the rich, complex flavors that filled her mouth. She chewed almost involuntarily, experiencing a kind of joy she had never felt before. The sweet, honey-like juice overwhelmed her senses, and she found herself walking to the table to grab a bowl of rice and happily eat the meat.
After polishing off one bowl and considering a second, Sister He suddenly snapped back to reality, feeling a satisfying fullness in her stomach. It was as if she had just woken up from a wonderful dream…
Please support us by whitelisting this site! Thank you!!