Chapter 94: Buying Mutton

Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Buying Mutton

Leaving the grocery store, Yun Zhen headed straight for the meat stalls in the farmers’ market.

"Excuse me, how much is the lean meat? What about the pork belly?"

"Premium lean meat is fifteen yuan a pound, and pork belly is nine yuan a pound," the vendor replied. "How many pounds do you want, young lady?"

Yun Zhen jumped in surprise. Although she was getting used to the reversed prices between the two worlds, she was still shocked to hear that lean meat with absolutely no fat was more expensive than thick, fatty pork belly.

"I’ll just look around for now," she said, in no rush to buy.

Yun Zhen walked over to a beef and mutton stall, pointing at the whole sheep and beef carcasses hanging behind the counter. "How much is the mutton? And the beef?"

"It depends on the cut you want, and whether it’s bone-in or boneless," the vendor replied. "Bone-in mutton is twenty-eight yuan a pound, boneless is thirty-four. Beef, bone-in or boneless, is thirty yuan a pound. My prices are all very fair."

It wasn’t cheap at all. Seeing her conflicted expression, torn between wanting to buy and holding back, the vendor offered, "If you think it’s too expensive, I have two frozen sheep I can sell you on the cheap. Twenty-five yuan a pound. They were just slaughtered two days ago, so I guarantee they’re fresh. One whole sheep is about one thousand seven hundred to under two thousand yuan. I’ll even throw in the limbs and head. Let me tell you, these two are premium Tan sheep—mild in gaminess and thick in meat."

Yun Zhen did some quick mental math. She still had two thousand four hundred and seventy-four yuan left. "I’ll take one. Please help me deliver it to the alley up ahead; I’ll have my family come pick it up."

"You got it!" The vendor pulled a rock-hard, frozen whole sheep from the freezer. "Miss, do you need it chopped into small pieces? Or are you taking it back to roast whole?"

Yun Zhen hadn’t expected that he could chop it up for her. She nodded. "I want to make mutton soup. Please cut it into relatively uniform pieces—about the size of braised pork chunks, not too big and not too small."

"Can do!"

The vendor took out a cleaver and skillfully split the frozen meat apart. A faint gamy scent wafted through the air. Once he finished chopping, he packed the meat into an extra-large plastic bag. The limbs had been cut into smaller pieces as well, and he threw the sheep’s head in with the rest.

"That’s seventy-six pounds in total. At twenty-five yuan a pound, it comes out to exactly one thousand nine hundred yuan."

Yun Zhen counted out the cash and handed it to him. The vendor held the bills up to the light to check their authenticity, then counted them again. He chuckled, "Miss, I didn’t expect anyone to still pay with cash these days."

"The money is all good. I’ll have my brother deliver the mutton for you." He stuffed the cash into a large bag he carried with him.

Yun Zhen had five hundred and seventy-four yuan left. She went on to buy a packet of spices for the mutton soup, along with some scallions, ginger, and garlic to remove the gaminess, which cost her twenty yuan. She remembered that there were a few misshapen radishes among the vegetable leaves she had gathered that afternoon; Sister-in-law Liu had discarded them because they were ugly. They would be perfect to boil in the soup with the mutton once she took them home. She had heard that mutton was extremely nourishing and could warm the body when eaten in winter.

Looking up, she spotted some purplish-red pork liver. She walked over to the pork stall and asked, "How much for the pork liver?"

The pork vendor raised his hand, making a gesture. "Fresh pork liver is six yuan a pound."

The doctor had said that pork liver could replenish qi and blood. She could take it back and boil it for her mother; with a pinch of salt, it would taste no different from regular meat. "I’ll take ten pounds of pork liver."

The vendor weighed it out. "Sixty yuan."

Seeing the pure lean meat, Yun Zhen mustered her courage and asked, "Since I’m buying so much meat, could you sell me some pure lean meat at a discount?"

The vendor was generous. "Pure lean meat is normally fifteen yuan a pound. If you want some, I’ll give it to you for thirteen yuan a pound."

Yun Zhen smiled and nodded. "I’ll take ten pounds."

Another one hundred and thirty yuan gone.

"Wholesale glass noodles! The perfect companion for stewed meat! Sweet potato noodles for three yuan a pound, potato noodles for four yuan a pound! All at wholesale prices! You can’t go wrong, you can’t be fooled! Made from fresh agricultural products with absolutely zero additives!"

Hearing the shout, Yun Zhen thought of the potato noodles she had eaten in the cafeteria. They had been smooth and chewy, no less delicious than fine wheat noodles. Stir-fried with meat slices, they were absolutely to die for. "I’ll take fifty pounds of potato noodles," she told the vendor.

They should also be delicious boiled with the mutton. She even made sure to ask how to prepare them. The vendor patiently explained that she just needed to soak them in water first until soft, and they would be perfect whether stir-fried, tossed in a dry sauce, or stewed with meat.

The vendor quickly bagged the noodles, costing her another two hundred yuan.

Yun Zhen carried the pork liver and lean meat in her left hand and the bag of noodles in her right. Good thing she was strong. She only had a little over a hundred yuan left on her. She had started with over three thousand, and now she was down to this. Spending money was truly like pouring water!

She didn’t plan on keeping the last hundred-odd yuan, either. She noticed a cabinet at the entrance of a chicken shop on the street. It was similar to the mutton vendor’s freezer—colder on the inside than the outside, turning whatever was placed inside into ice blocks. It was probably used for keeping food fresh.

"Excuse me, how much are the chickens in this cabinet?"

"Frozen chickens are twenty yuan each. How many do you need, miss?" the shop owner asked, looking over with a bright smile.

"I’ll take five!" Yun Zhen planned to take them back to stew in the soup with the mutton.

"Need them chopped up?" the owner asked.

"Yes, cut them into small chunks, like the size of braised pork," Yun Zhen replied.

The owner took a knife, chopped the five chickens into pieces, and placed them in a plastic bag. "Miss, is your car parked up ahead? Let me help you carry this over." Seeing that both her hands were full, he knew she wouldn’t be able to carry the chicken bag.

"Then please help me carry it to the adjacent alley," Yun Zhen said, thanking the owner for his kindness.

Passing by a shop selling hot steamed buns, Yun Zhen saw the steaming treats and thought about the villagers. They had finished a hard day’s work, and two meals definitely wouldn’t be enough to keep them full all day. She decided to buy some steamed buns to distribute among them so they could eat if they got hungry at night.

"Excuse me, I’d like to buy one hundred and thirty hot steamed buns," Yun Zhen said, stepping up to the counter.

"One hundred and thirty?" the vendor asked to confirm.

Yun Zhen nodded. "Yes, I want one hundred and thirty. Do you offer any discounts?"

"For one hundred and thirty buns... seeing as you’re buying so many, I’ll give them to you for thirty cents each," the vendor said straightforwardly.

"Thank you!" It was about the same price as the ones she had bought before. That cost her thirty-nine yuan.

"Miss, do you want any mixed pickled mustard stems? They’re delicious with steamed buns or rice. They’re marinated with several types of mushrooms and have a spicy and savory flavor." The vendor brought out a large bag of the pickled vegetables. Inside the transparent bag, chili oil and chili flakes coated every piece of mushroom, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Yun Zhen took a look. "Pickles?"

"Pickled mustard stems have a richer flavor profile than regular pickles," the vendor explained.

"How much is it?" Yun Zhen only had twenty-five yuan left.

"Twenty-five yuan for a big bag. There’s twenty pounds in here."

Without a second thought, Yun Zhen bought the large bag. She couldn’t take her eyes off it—it looked too tempting. She couldn’t wait to go back and taste exactly what it was like.

"Miss, I’ll carry these for you," the chicken shop owner said, reaching out to take the pickled vegetables and steamed buns from the bun vendor.

"Thank you."

Once everything was set down at the entrance to the alley, Yun Zhen dismissed the watcher she had hired from the milk shop and the chicken shop owner, letting them head back.

She muttered softly in her heart, "Return!"

WHOOSH! A holy white light flashed. She felt a pulling sensation, and all the goods she had bought followed her to the other world.

THUD CLATTER!

Yun Zhen landed on the open, snow-covered ground just as she always did. The villagers had been keeping track of the time, waiting to welcome her.

"The Goddess has returned!"

Seeing her, the villagers were visibly thrilled. Every time the Goddess returned to the village, she brought them divine artifacts from the Immortal Realm, opening their eyes to wonders beyond their imagination.