Chapter 316

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Back at the Chai Family Courtyard, Song Qiushui fished out a large basin, and Chai Mi followed in carrying a heavy chicken basket. Ten white-feathered chickens were squeezed inside the basket, their feathers fluffy and clean, clucking restlessly.

"Quick, quick, quick! Which one to slaughter first?" Song Qiushui scooped up the kitchen knife, her eyes shining as she stared at the fattest one.

Chai Mi snatched the kitchen knife away in one move, rolling her eyes at her in annoyance: "What's the rush? You're never this enthusiastic about work, but when it comes to eating you run faster than anyone. Go boil water! A big pot! And bring out two more basins, process them one by one, marinate them so they absorb flavor. We'll stew one tonight for a fresh taste, and marinate all the remaining nine — tomorrow morning we'll fry them to test the flavor!"

Song Qiushui pouted, resignedly going to hug firewood, still muttering: "Fine, fine, you're the boss, you call the shots... but we agreed, the stewed one — you have to save me a big chicken leg!"

The boiling water was on. Chai Mi moved nimbly to start processing. She hoisted a chicken, cleanly slit its throat to bleed it, scalded it, gutted it, cleaned the innards. Her movements flowed like clouds and water; Song Qiushui watched, clicking her tongue: "Your technique is even smoother than Liu Zhangshun's!"

"Less chatter. Mix the hot water with cold, warm water pulls feathers better." Chai Mi didn't even lift her head. Warm water poured over the chicken, the fine down came off easily, revealing tender yellow, firm skin and flesh. Chai Mi deliberately lifted the wings and legs to inspect, then pinched the breast meat, nodding: "This meat is truly tender, and the size is large — much bigger than what we raise ourselves, feels completely different." She efficiently chopped the gutted fat chicken into pieces, threw them into the pot, added scallions, ginger, sun-dried wild mountain mushrooms, and a handful of vermicelli. "This one goes in the stew — extra dish for dinner."

Next she processed the remaining nine. Song Qiushui finished boiling water and squatted watching, occasionally handing a basin, handing the salt jar. Chai Mi chopped the chicken into evenly sized pieces, placed them in a large clay pot. This time she drew on last time's lesson, carefully blending the marinade: scallion segments, smashed ginger slices, plenty of minced garlic, a small amount of salt, a big spoonful of soy sauce, then sprinkled five-spice powder bought from Liu Zhangshun and a bit of MSG for freshness, finally drizzled a few drops of sesame oil. She mixed vigorously with both hands, letting every piece of chicken coat evenly in the sauce.

"Remember," Chai Mi said to Song Qiushui while mixing, "salt must be half of last time, sesame oil just a few drops at the end, too much makes it greasy. Five-spice powder is the soul, use plenty. Mix well, cover it, set it by the stove, borrow a bit of residual heat to marinate overnight, tomorrow morning the flavor will definitely be through."

Song Qiushui wore an attitude of 'you say yours, I'm definitely not working': "Right, right, right, everything you say is right."

Just as the clay pot was covered, Chai Youqing's loud voice came from the courtyard: "Chai Mi! Bricks delivered!"

The two hurried out. A tractor loaded full of red bricks putt-putted to a stop outside the Song Family Courtyard; Song Qingshan was directing several young clansmen to unload, stacking them neatly beside the dug foundation trench.

"Uncle, just pile them by the foundation, convenient!" Chai Mi called back, striding over.

Rolls of oilcloth paper and old doors and windows were also leaned against the wall. Liu Zhijing drove his tractor back too, unloading large goose egg stones he'd collected from the rear bed, thudding them into the foundation trench.

The whole scene was bustling with heat and energy.

"Foundation's about done, stone base padding almost finished too!" Song Qingshan wiped sweat, pointing at the foundation trench. "Tomorrow early we can start laying walls! You bought enough bricks, they'll suffice! The door and window frames look good too, tidy them up and they're usable!"

Chai Mi's heart settled more than half: "Hard work, Uncle and all brothers! Tomorrow early, steamed buns plenty, dishes filling!" She turned to Liu Zhijing: "Da Zhi, tomorrow early still need you to make a trip to town, help me haul some lime back, deliver right here."

"No problem!" Liu Zhijing agreed crisply.

"Dad," Chai Mi called to Chai Youqing who was clumsily helping move stones, "tomorrow early don't delay work, work properly, mix mud and pass bricks carefully, no cutting corners! Noon meal bring the crew to our house to eat."

Chai Youqing "aye aye" responded.

Night deepened; helpers in the Song Family Courtyard finally dispersed.

At dinner, Chai Mi invited everyone to her home.

Directly set out two tables of wine and food; the men drank at the kang table in the East Room, Chai Mi and the others ate in the West Room.

This room's fare had one more chicken than that room; Meng Clan didn't stand on ceremony, directly picked up a piece of chicken leg meat and stuffed it into Song Qiushui's bowl, herself picking a piece with crisp bone, blowing on it and putting it in her mouth. Teeth lightly bit, the meat fell off the bone, tender beyond words.

Meng Clan chewed twice, eyes suddenly brightening, muffledly letting out a satisfied sigh: "Mm... this chicken... so tender! Fragrant!"

Song Qiushui ate even more with head not raised, hugging her bowl, cheeks bulging, hot enough to huff but unwilling to spit it out, praising indistinctly: "Fragrant! Truly fragrant! Beats the roast chicken sold at the market by a hundredfold! Chai Mi, you've got a way! This fried will definitely work!"

Chai Mi tasted too; the chicken meat was indeed tender, juicy, almost no fiber, seasoning just right. Her heart more confident, she shoveled rice in her bowl while her brain rapidly calculated: white-feathered chicken cost lower than free-range, high meat yield, short fry time saves firewood and oil...

Of course, in later times, this white-feathered chicken was raised for shorter and shorter periods, later becoming terribly unpalatable.

But now just arrived in the country, generally still fairly standard farming, not force-feeding white-feathered chickens.

So, current white-feathered chickens grow relatively large.

Actually, many times there's a misconception, saying all farmed chicken meat is bad, free-range free-range chickens are better and healthier.

(Author popularizing for everyone: in later times, actually almost that kind of free-range chicken is nearly extinct, very hard to find authentic free-range chickens, main reason is family yard chickens don't like to grow, a one-year rooster is only one or two catties, three to four years at most just over three catties, exceeding four catties almost impossible. So this directly limits the yard chicken's survival space, it grows too small, however raised it loses money. Losing money selling naturally no one raises them, so the free-range chickens eaten are actually not yard chickens, not the eighties/nineties breed anymore, switched to a breed that can grow large — big clumsy chickens.)

"Qiu Shui," Chai Mi put down her bowl, eyes bright and sparkling as she looked at Song Qiushui still wrestling with chicken bones, "you say, if we take these fried chicken legs, fried chicken wings, sell them separately, what price would be suitable?"

Song Qiushui sucked on a bone, thought: "Wouldn't it have to be more expensive than dumplings? More meat! Vegetarian five yuan, meat eight yuan, fried chicken leg... however you count at least ten yuan a catty? Chicken wings eight yuan?"

Chai Mi shook her head, extended three fingers: "Three yuan each."

"What?!" Song Qiushui nearly choked on a bone; Meng Clan and Song Qingshan also looked over in surprise. Three yuan? That's a huge chunk cheaper than meat dumplings!

"You crazy?" Song Qiushui eyes widened, "This chicken no matter how cheap is still meat! Three yuan? Working for nothing?"

Chai Mi smiled with confidence: "Accounts aren't calculated that way. One whole chicken bought back, I feel it's about twenty-something yuan. We break it down to sell. Chicken legs, wings, frames, breast meat — each has its outlet. Two legs six yuan, this truly doesn't make money; two wings four yuan; chicken frame six yuan each! Chicken heads fifty cents each sold, chicken claws one yuan each, chicken butt fifty cents again. Chicken necks two yuan. This nearly breaks even, after that I feel at least several catties of pure chicken meat left, at minimum can fry over ten chicken fillets, that's at least twenty-one yuan profit. Three yuan a fried chicken leg, looks cheap, thin margin, but it's fast! Students after class have only that little time, dumplings need cooking fresh, crowds queue can't wait. Fried chicken legs? We pre-fry to seven-eight done, someone wants, toss in oil pot re-fry one minute, sprinkle cumin chili powder, grab and go! Fast! Volume!"

Of course, this profit naturally isn't as much as selling dumplings, but it's less hassle than selling dumplings.

Most key is, everyone else is almost all more expensive than this.

As long as price is pushed down, business will be better.

She spoke more and more excitedly: "Think, noon after school, crowds of people, a student buys two dumplings still has to wait, buys a fried chicken leg holds it and walks, gnaws while walking, how convenient? Three yuan, anyone can afford! One noon, if we sell a hundred chicken legs, that's three hundred yuan! Add dumplings and others, turnover goes up! This is called thin margin high volume, using speed to beat slowness!"

Song Qiushui blinked, slowly digesting Chai Mi's words, face from shock to realization, finally slamming the table: "Deal! Chai Mi, how's your brain grown? Three yuan it is! Volume! Do it!" She seemed to already see countless three-yuan tickets flying into her pocket, eyes curved into crescents.

Meng Clan, though still a bit baffled by "three yuan" — in her worldview, three yuan is clearly a lot...

But seeing Chai Mi and Song Qiushui treat it as ordinary, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Times have truly changed.

Three yuan has become the look of small change.

Song Qiushui was dazed by Chai Mi's "three yuan a fried chicken leg" strategy all night, kept mumbling "thin margin high volume", nearly annoying Meng Clan into chasing her out.

Next day.

Sky just faintly bright, Song Qiushui was dragged up from the hot kang by Chai Mi.

"Up! Fire! Marinated chicken pieces need first fry!" Chai Mi said helplessly.

Last night Song Qiushui stayed here, result morning still couldn't get up.

Song Qiushui rubbed sleepy eyes muttering: "Chai Piba... production team's donkey isn't worked this hard..." but body nimbly climbed off the kang, shuffled out in slippers.

Those nine white-feathered chickens after a night's marination, in the clay pot rich spice aroma drilled straight into the nose.

Chai Mi moved lightning fast to separate chicken legs, wings, breast meat by category. Legs and wings are today's main push, the rest not experimenting yet, or time won't suffice.

Still have to call the big fellows to eat in a bit.

Sizzle—!

The first batch of chicken legs was fried until set, the shells golden and crispy, then scooped out to drain oil. Chai Mi strictly controlled the heat and time, ensuring they were cooked through but not overdone. She picked one up, blew on it, and handed it to the eagerly watching Song Qiushui: "Taste it, how done is it? How's the saltiness?"

Song Qiushui bit into it, and with a "crunch" came a crisp sound.

"Mmm! Fragrant! Crispy! Tender! Saltiness just right! Nine-tenths done? Re-fry it once and it's absolutely perfect!" She was blowing on it from the heat but refused to let go, polishing off a whole chicken leg in two or three bites, sucking her fingers with lingering satisfaction, "Three yuan? Too cheap! With this flavor, people would fight over it at five yuan!"

Chai Mi felt assured, the corners of her mouth curving up: "Three yuan! That's exactly what we want—people fighting over it."

Since the experiment was more or less done, just slightly off on the heat, when Chai Mi fried the second one, she let it go a little longer.

Meanwhile, the foundation trench at the Song Family Courtyard had already been dug, large goose egg stones laid at the bottom, then cement slurry poured over.

Chai Mi then had Song Qiushui go greet everyone to eat, while she herself took out two chicken legs and went to call Chai Xiu: "Hey hey hey, get up. Sister's giving you two chicken legs to eat."

Chai Xiu looked completely dazed: "Sister, you didn't poison them, right? Why do I feel like you're acting so strange today?"

Su Wan beside her scolded: "Xiu'er, what are you saying? Your sister gives you chicken legs to eat, and you say your sister poisoned them. What are you thinking……"

Chai Xiu took the chicken legs listlessly, then went out to feed the dogs.

Two dogs shared one chicken leg, started fighting, yelping as they bit.

Fortunately, neither was poisoned to death.

Only then did Chai Xiu eat it herself, muttering as she ate: "Heh. Only my sister would feel miserable all day if she saw me not working. Right now at home I'm the least welcome……"

The actual situation was indeed so.

Recently Chai Youqing worked, so Chai Mi was also polite to him.

As for her mother, Chai Mi had always been very good to her.

Chai Xiu ate one chicken leg, feeling the taste was indeed not bad, but also not particularly delicious.

Mainly Chai Xiu didn't like eating chicken; she preferred mutton.

But only during New Year.

And she ate Chai Mi's cooking every day, her mouth was already tired of it.

So, this kind of quick-fix perfunctory chicken leg, Chai Xiu thought it was just so-so.

Not long after, the people working at the Song Family, after being busy for a while, all came to Chai Mi's home to eat.

Chai Xiu thought for a moment, then suddenly ran to find Chai Mi: "Sister, are you missing something? Where's the wood? You didn't get any wood, how do you do the roof without wood?"

Chai Mi slapped her forehead: Hiss…… forgot.

Cement, sand, bricks, stones, and such, Chai Mi remembered them all, but she happened to forget about the purlins.

"I still have to go out to set up a stall during the day, Xiu'er, you keep watch."

Chai Xiu: "???"

I'll watch who come?

Ten-plus purlins, I'll watch who come? Watch what come? What does "you keep watch" mean?

Eldest Sister, you're messing with me!!!

"Buy or steal?"

"Figure it out yourself." Chai Mi stopped paying attention to Chai Xiu, going into the house to serve rice and such to the big fellows.

Chai Xiu looked completely blank: Damn! The job of handling over ten purlins is handed to me?

I, Chai Xiu…… what virtue or ability do I have!!!

Chai Xiu first felt wronged for a few seconds, then thought of a countermeasure, and went straight to find her father Chai Youqing: "Dad, my sister told you to steal the purlins. Fourteen in total. About four meters six long purlins. Of course, they don't need to be too thick, you go to He Tao and get a few small trees."

Chai Youqing asked: "But that's not our family's, right? How do I do it?"

"Stupid to death. This house was originally built by Song Qiushui, you call up two people, and just go get it openly and aboveboard. And Liu Zhanggui is also there. If someone asks, you just say: Damn it, the Village Chief ordered it!!!"