TTTQF Chapter 6

Carnivore

To make tofu-based buns, you need thin, slightly chewy tofu for the best texture and flavor. Fortunately, the tofu from Old Ding’s son-in-law’s place is just right.

The soy-sauce-colored tofu, about the size of a palm, is stacked in thin and translucent layers. A piece tastes savory with a hint of spices, delicious even without further processing.

As soon as Old Man Ding takes out the three pounds of tofu, Jiang Miao immediately decides to have him bring five pounds daily from then on.

After the morning market wraps up, Jiang Miao returns home with his load and takes a short break. He then cleans the tofu, placing it on a large cutting board to slice into half-centimeter-wide strips, then further into small cubes. Although three pounds of tofu doesn’t seem like much, it makes a decent-sized pile.

For delicious tofu buns, the filling must be prepared well. Unlike the raw radish filling, the tofu needs to be stir-fried first to absorb the seasonings properly, ensuring the steamed buns are flavorful.

Jiang Miao lights the stove and adds some oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, he adds the pre-prepared spices. The dry powders hitting the hot oil release a rich aroma, making Jiang Miao’s stomach growl. Even though he has eaten two buns for breakfast, the strong scent makes him feel hungry again.

In the morning, he actually eats two buns. Since he started his business, his breakfast has almost never changed. For lunch, he usually makes a simple cabbage soup with rice to fill his stomach before starting work. Dinner is either leftover soup with rice or buns. After smelling such a rich aroma now, Jiang Miao suddenly feels like he has been neglecting himself lately. Not to mention anything else, although he can’t afford to buy a car or a house in modern times, he frequently visits restaurants and night stalls, and he eats meat dishes every day.

Thinking about this, he makes up his mind: today, he absolutely has to go and get some meat! Fat is something that can be a curse in excess, but going without it is simply not an option.

With an inexplicable sense of excitement, Jiang Miao pours the small bowl of diced dried tofu into the pot, quickly stirring it with the seasonings in the pot so that each piece can get coated with the flavor. After stir-frying for about two minutes, Jiang Miao scoops the tofu out of the pot and dumps it back into the small bowl. That should be just about right. If he stir-fries it any longer, the tofu would become tough, and the texture wouldn’t be good when eaten.

He covers the tofu and sets it aside to cool, then grabs his basket and hurries towards the meat shop. When he arrives at the meat shop, most of the pork on the cutting board has already been sold, leaving only a piece with more lean than fat, which does not fit the current popular preference at all.

Jiang Miao feels it has been a long time since he has eaten meat. He actually wants to buy some meat with a good mix of fat and lean meat to make braised pork. Braised pork comes out glossy and red, the meat jiggles when you pick it up, and with one bite, it’s full of juicy fat, filling your mouth with a rich meaty aroma—how delicious that would be!

Jiang Miao swallows a mouthful of saliva and points to the piece of meat, saying, “Shopkeeper, how much for this meat?”

The butcher, who isn’t particularly tall but looks quite sturdy, glances at Jiang Miao and says, “This meat is 25 wen per jin. How much do you want?”

“This meat barely has any fat, and it still costs that much?” Jiang Miao feigns surprise.

“What do you mean it has no fat? Look, isn’t this all fat?” The butcher points to the fatty parts.

“That’s too little. I can’t render any oil from it, and lean meat is tough to eat. How about you give me a discount, and I’ll buy this whole piece? It’ll save you from having to cut it up,” Jiang Miao suggests.

The butcher frowns. Customers who haggle are usually a hassle.

“One wen less.”

“One wen?” Jiang Miao questions. “I’m buying a lot here! If I buy it all at once, you won’t need to stay here any longer today. Think about how much time that saves you—maybe you could go home and help with some chores.”

“Three wen off, take it or leave it!” The butcher, somewhat persuaded, grumbles. His wife isn’t in good health, so getting home earlier would be nice. Plus, the last bits of meat are always hard to sell; people prefer to pick out the best pieces. But lowering the price is still a bit unpleasant, so he speaks harshly.

“Alright, brother, please weigh it for me.” Jiang Miao doesn’t mind his tone and even smiles at him. A discount of three wen is like getting a pound of dried tofu for free.

Seeing Jiang Miao smile, the butcher feels a bit embarrassed. He silently weighs the meat and even throws in a small piece of bone he has chopped off from the side.

Jiang Miao is even happier, and while handing over the calculated copper coins, he doesn’t forget to say a few nice words.

He carries the meat home, puts the washed rice into the pot to steam, and then starts preparing the meat. Since it isn’t very fatty, braising isn’t an option, so he decides to stir-fry it.

He cuts half of the meat into thin slices, covers the other half, and sets it aside. After seasoning it, he adds some flour and kneads it into the meat. This is to make the meat more tender. Ideally, he should use starch, but since he doesn’t have any, a bit of flour will have to do.

After processing the meat, he peels a few cloves of garlic, washes them, cuts them into sections, and sets them aside for later use.

The aroma of rice starts wafting from the pot. Jiang Miao lifts the lid and sees the perfect crispy rice crust at the bottom—a thin layer of golden-brown deliciousness.

He scoops out the rice, cleans the pot, adds oil, and when the oil is hot, he adds the chopped garlic. After a few stirs, he pushes the garlic to one side of the pot, then pours the cut meat along the side of the pot.

The moment the meat hits the pot, a fragrant smell of caramelization fills the air, driving Jiang Miao, who hasn’t eaten meat in a while, almost crazy. His stomach twists in hunger.

He swallows, continues to stir-fry, and when the meat changes color, he mixes in the garlic. As it is almost done, he adds some salt, gives it a few more stirs, and it is ready to be served.

Jiang Miao picks up a piece of meat and puts it in his mouth, instantly feeling so happy he could cry. He reaffirms that he is definitely a carnivore!

Next, he wolfs down the meat and rice. Fortunately, no one else is around, or they might think they are witnessing a refugee who escaped from a famine. Jiang Miao wants to control his eating, but the delicious taste makes it impossible to stop.

After the meal, Jiang Miao leans back in his chair and burps. He decides that no matter how busy he gets, he can’t skimp on his meals anymore! In one’s lifetime, satisfying basic needs like eating and drinking comes first before pursuing spiritual pleasures.

…

Three jin of dried tofu make about thirty buns. These buns are slightly smaller than the ones filled with radish. But Jiang Miao decides to sell them for two wen each. After all, there is a significant difference in the cost of raw materials; a jin of dried tofu is three times the price of a jin of radish.

The next morning, Jiang Miao sets up his stall again.

As soon as he places his load down, he sees Manager Wang walking towards him.

Jiang Miao greets him warmly, “Manager Wang, today I have buns with a different filling. Would you like to try one?”

Manager Wang doesn’t respond. Instead, he looks at Jiang Miao with a somewhat strange expression, his gaze fixed on him as if contemplating something.

Jiang Miao doesn’t understand why Manager Wang is looking at him strangely. Could it be that he didn’t wear his clothes properly today or didn’t comb his hair neatly?

He reaches up to touch his face and suddenly realizes something is wrong—he has forgotten to cover his face!

“You… are the young man who was selling buns here before?” Manager Wang asks, somewhat uncertainly.

Jiang Miao smiles awkwardly.

But Manager Wang is even more embarrassed. He has a habit of being outspoken, and in the past few days, he never held back in comparing Jiang Miao with the previous bun seller, often with a hint of ridicule in his tone.

But now, it turns out they are the same person?!

Realizing that he has been talking trash about Jiang Miao in front of him these past few days, Manager Wang feels extremely uncomfortable.

Jiang Miao can see what is on his mind. Afraid that he would be overly concerned and not patronize his business in the future, he speaks up, “Manager Wang, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to hide anything. I just recovered from an illness a few days ago and was afraid of catching a cold, so I wore a mask. As for everyone’s feedback on the buns I made before, I must thank you all! If it weren’t for your frequent suggestions, I wouldn’t be able to make such delicious buns now.”

When Manager Wang hears what he says, he finds Jiang Miao’s attitude quite sincere, which relieves him of much of his embarrassment. Not only does this young man not mind, but he also thanks him, making Manager Wang feel that this young man is indeed generous.

“Brother Jiang, don’t take offense. We’re just a bit outspoken, but there’s really no ill intent. You mentioned you wrapped some new fillings, right? Give me four.”

Jiang Miao smiles and agrees, handing over four buns. Manager Wang takes a bite, his eyes immediately lighting up, “These buns are delicious too. I can taste some bean flavor. Did you put tofu in them?”

“Yes, indeed. These are my newly released tofu buns! You’re really amazing, figuring it out with just one bite! No wonder you’re the famous gourmet on our street!”

Manager Wang is very happy to be coaxed by him. He has always been proud of his appetite. Immediately, he stands by the stall and starts eating while inviting his acquaintances to come over and try the new steamed buns.

Onlookers are intrigued and come to buy, and soon all thirty buns are sold out. Those who don’t get any are even more curious. What could these tofu buns taste like? Unfortunately, such buns are scarce, and unless they arrive early, they can’t buy any at all.

In the following days, Jiang Miao’s tofu buns always sell faster than the ones filled with radish.

…

On this day, Aunt Liu sends her grandson to the private school. When she returns, she sighs heavily.

Jiang Miao is chopping stuffing outside. When he sees her, he asks what is wrong.

Aunt Liu frowns, “Isn’t it time for another payment again? Every month, we have to spend a huge amount. Five hundred wen, that’s enough to last a few months in the village.”

“Keeping the money in the village won’t raise scholars,” Jiang Miao says with a grin. “Everyone knows your grandson is talented. I heard he was praised by the teacher a few days ago and even received a brush as a gift. Once he achieves success, you’ll be like an old feudal lord. Why care about this little money?”

Speaking of this, Aunt Liu’s face brightens, and she no longer frets over the five hundred wen.

“Thanks for your auspicious words, but don’t mention it. My grandson does indeed excel in his studies compared to others. He’s been in school for a year and has never been punished by the teacher,” she lowers her voice, “but just yesterday, Bai Jia’s second son, Jingyu, failed to recite his lesson and came home crying.”

Not wanting to discuss the shortcomings of his neighbors, Jiang Miao changes the subject. Aunt Liu is well-informed, and soon Jiang Miao hears something new from her.

It is said that the seventeenth of this month marks the birthday of the Buddhist Amitabha Buddha. Pu Ling Temple in the north of the city is going to hold a Buddhist assembly, and all the temple gates will be open for devout men and women to come in and offer incense to worship the Buddha. Many people in Liangguo believe in Buddhism, so there will surely be a large crowd attending the event, making it a grand occasion.

But for Jiang Miao, what does a large crowd mean? It means an opportunity for wealth! With such a big event, setting up a stall to sell things would surely be profitable!

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