Chapter 39: CH 39

If the chef had really made a mistake today and put too much nitrate, it should be the same for the whole pot. Then why didn’t anyone go to the restaurant to complain? Or was it only the meat they bought that had too much nitrate in it?

“Lu Junming, go to Shunlai Restaurant to buy braised pork like you always do, and don’t say anything.”

Lu Junming went to the restaurant, and Mo Yan got up and went to the Zhou’s braised meat shop. She wanted to see why they were fine when the others weren’t.

They hadn’t sold much today, and it wasn’t enough to pay for the medical expenses of these people. Mo Ling asked Mr. Cao to record the costs for the medical treatment and they’d repay him after they return.

Lu Junming came back very quickly. Mr. Cao saw that the meat he bought was different from the meat that Mo Yan showed him! There wasn’t too much nitrate, unlike Mo Yan’s sample.

Mo Yan went to Zhou’s Braised Meat and saw Zhou Liangsheng feeding his dogs at the door of the shop. He was holding a small bowl of sliced ​​marinated pork.

Even his dogs ate better than most people. Looking at the meat in his bowl, it seems like the meat Mo Ling cut up.

Seeing Mo Yan coming, Zhou Liangsheng hurriedly put the meat bowl behind the door before he said, “Is something the matter?”

Mo Yan asked, “Have you eaten the wraps you bought from us?”

The child subconsciously looked behind the door, then shook his head, “Did something go wrong?”

He seemed to know that something would happen!

“You knew something was going to happen?” Mo Yan asked.

He shook his head, “I wasn’t sure.”

At this time, Shopkeeper Zhou came out, “Why didn’t you come to get meat today? You shouldn’t go to Shunlai Restaurant to get meat!”

They all knew what was going to happen. By this point, Mo Yan was honest to him, “Manager Liang said that you stole his braised pork recipe.”

Shopkeeper Zhou chuckled, “This braised pork recipe was passed down from my family. He was the one who stole it! Some people have done business like yours before, and anyone who sold food near his restaurant left. Do you think he has nothing to do with it?”

Zhou Liangsheng added, “I heard that this was his meat, so I became more careful. When I got home, I let my father check it. He knew something was wrong with it, so I didn’t eat it.”

Thinking about it now, the other stalls only sold small snacks and gadgets. But could such a small stall rob him of any business?

Food sellers are most afraid of losing their reputation. If they have a bad reputation, let alone make money, they will lose everything. Fortunately, those people didn’t make a big deal about this and didn’t slander them.

“Would no one punish him for this?” Mo Yan asked.

“He’s not easy to mess with, and people not from the village don’t want to cause trouble. Besides, even if you want to accuse him, you have no evidence. I advise you to do your business somewhere else!”

That official road wasn’t his home, he can’t prevent anyone from doing business. Additionally, if we accept this, it’ll be difficult to sell other things in the future. Tomorrow is the market day, and I even told someone to deliver duck eggs to us!

Mo Yan repeated to herself again, There is nothing impossible in this world!

Mo Yan walked all the way, thinking about what she should do about this.

If they couldn’t sell wraps anymore, then they’d change to chicken chops, frying them and selling them themselves. If they didn’t go to other people for ingredients, what could he do?

When they got home, Mrs. Liang saw that they had come back so early and asked what had happened. Mo Ling was upset and didn’t want to answer, so she went back to the room, while Mo Yan told her what had happened today.

Today, they didn’t just not make any money, but also had to pay for the medical expenses. When Mrs. Liang heard about this loss, she slapped her thigh, “How can business be so easy to do! Besides, what is wrong with that Manager Liang? We’ve done nothing wrong!”

If they didn’t have the same family, she would’ve torn him a new one.

“Forget it. If we can’t do business, so be it. Go dig for medicinal herbs tomorrow.”

The people who used to do business like them must’ve also thought this when they left. To Manager Liang, this type of work must’ve been a cakewalk!

“Why should we stop? The road isn’t his, we can go whatever we want. In the future, we’ll even buy his restaurant from him!”

“Everyone can brag, but what use is it?”

Mo Yan went back to her room. Mo Ling didn’t even have the energy to embroider her girdle today, she was lying on the kang and sulking.

“Sis, are we still going to the Zhao’s Village family manor in the afternoon?”

“Yes, if we can’t do business, we still have to sell medicinal herbs!”

“Okay, then I’ll ask the governing official uncle Pingshun, what the old storyteller’s name is and where he lives.”

Uncle Pingshun lives in the north end of the village. His wife died of illness two years ago, leaving him two daughters, an eleven-year-old named Xiaoyue and an eight-year-old named Xiaomei. [1] [2]

The two children were very well-behaved. They tidied up the house properly every day, and they also helped with the work in the fields.

When Mo Yan entered the yard, Xiaoyue was cooking in the small kitchen in the yard. When she saw her come in, she asked, “Yan’er, are you looking for my dad?”

Mo Yan nodded, “Yes, I want to ask him something.”

“He’s not here. I don’t know when he’ll be back. What do you want to ask him?”

“It’s about the old storyteller who used to go to the village to tell stories. I want to visit him, but I don’t know his name and address.”

“Are you talking about my uncle? I know that he lives in the east of the Zhao family manor, and his surname is Zhao. You can go there and ask for Doctor Zhao.”

“Doctor Zhao?”

“My cousin, or rather his son, is a doctor, just like Mr. Cao.”

It turned out that his family ran a medical clinic. It seemed like they had to go there, but she didn’t know if they held any grudges, and whether they would not accept their medicinal herbs because of this. They had to try to find out, however.

At this time, Xiaoyue’s younger sister, Xiaomei, ran out of the house, “Sister, I want to eat scrambled duck eggs.”

Xiaoyue smiled and agreed, “Okay, I’ll fry them for you. Help me cut the onions, we can make more for Dad too to accompany his wine.”

An eleven-year-old child had to take on the responsibility of the mother in this family, including being affectionate towards her sister.

Mo Yan left and went home, and told Mo Ling about this. Mo Ling said, “Don’t tell mum about this, or she’d scold you for telling stories without accepting payment again. She’ll also scold you for delaying the sale of medicinal herbs.”

Making money really isn’t easy!

After eating and taking a nap, the two sisters grabbed the medicinal herbs and set off. There was a spare portion of the things they bought for those with diarrhoea in the morning, so they took it with them.

Zhaojiazhuang is not far from Chenzhong Village.

The clinic was very easy to find. The two stood in front of its door, and Mo Ling said, “If you can’t see the old storyteller, just pretend you don’t know they’re a family, and sell the medicinal herbs first.”

They entered, where a gentleman in his forties was sorting out herbs in front of the medicine cabinet. Mo Ling asked, “Sir, do you buy medicinal herbs in this hospital?”

Mr. Zhao turned around and looked at them, “Of course, but only high-quality ones.”

Post-edit notes: Summer vacation! I get to sleep more!

[1] Yes, the governing official of Chenzhong Village has an actual name.

[2] Xiaoyue is literally ‘Small Moon’ and Xiaomei is literally ‘Small Beauty’.