| TBBOTOF | 185
Regarding the business of wind-dried and marinated duck, there isn't much difference for him.
There are quite a few ducks raised in the village, but they are all mature, and frankly, bringing back too many ducks isn't practical since there’s no place to store them.
The next morning, Tang Xu asked Wei Dong to explain in detail the method for making wind-dried and marinated duck to his aunt and the others.
When they heard the price of the finished ducks, they waved their hands, saying that anyone could make wind-dried ones.
Tang Xu agreed and also told them the price for the finished ducks.
Because wind-drying takes time, it can't be rushed. It depends on the weather. If you hang out too many ducks at once, it will be troublesome, so the price is higher.
"80 wen?" Luo Pingping widened her eyes, unable to believe her ears. "Really 80 wen?"
Tang Xu nodded and, seeing that she was too surprised, smiled and explained, "Since it's your first time working with us, we'll give you some benefits. Also, getting the materials from me costs money; it's not free. Besides, if the taste isn't right, I won’t buy it."
They both nodded. Having cooperated a few times before, they knew that Tang Xu had high standards for taste.
"Moreover, making so many wind-dried and marinated ducks requires frequent turning and repositioning. Otherwise, they might develop mold or be nibbled by rats, which would be unacceptable. If we are selling them, we need to ensure they are of good quality, which requires a lot of time and attention, and there will definitely be some loss," Tang Xu said, looking at them. "So, will you do it?"
“Do it! How could we not? It’s a good way to make money!” Luo Pingping’s eyes lit up, and Wei Zhonghong looked similarly enthusiastic.
Anyway, they had a lot of ducks at home, and it wouldn’t be too much trouble to turn them occasionally.
Tang Xu then said, “Let’s start with fifty ducks each from one family. We’ll check the quality and taste of the wind-dried ducks and see if the customers in the town like them when we sell them there.”
Both women nodded.
Tang Xu taught them the amounts of seasoning to use, the marinating time, and the wind-drying method.
“You can’t blow air continuously; if the meat dries out completely, the texture will be poor. It needs to be slightly air-dried. However, be careful because air-drying can cause mold to grow. Also, use more salt than usual. Higher salt content helps with preservation, but it shouldn’t be too salty.”
Both women nodded seriously.
“I trust your skills. You can adjust the amount of salt as needed,” Tang Xu said, handing them two small baskets with pre-packaged seasoning, twenty-five packs in each.
“Use one seasoning pack for two ducks, and stick to the original price. Start with the spicy flavor and we’ll talk about the five-spice flavor later.” He handed the baskets to them. “If you’re worried about the marinade, try cooking a couple of ducks first to test the flavor.”
“Got it. We’ll try it when we get back.” They both had saved up some money, so they had the opportunity to experiment without rushing. They were calm about it.
Luo Pingping took the basket and asked with a smile, “How long do you think we need to wind-dry the marinated duck?”
“If the weather is good, about a month and a half should be enough. If it’s snowing every day, it might take two to three months. It all depends on the weather,” Tang Xu said.
He wasn’t sure exactly how long it would take. When he made sausages recently, it took about a month, while fish dried in just a few days.
“This is our first time doing this, so we’ll have to figure it out ourselves. Even Xu Ge’er doesn’t know,” Wei Zhonghong said, patting Luo Pingping’s hand.
“Let’s go see the kids. When we get back, I’ll marinate a couple of chickens. We’ve been eating marinated offal at home, but we haven’t tried marinated chicken yet.”
“I’ve marinated chicken before. It’s delicious!” Luo Pingping swallowed unconsciously and asked Tang Xu, “Is this seasoning pack the same as the one for marinating offal?”
“No, they’re different. Offal has a stronger flavor, so the seasoning pack has more spices,” Tang Xu explained with a smile. His seasoning packs were all ground into powder. Even the two elderly experts wouldn’t be able to identify all the spices used.
Tang Xu and Wei Dong had developed this spice blend together, so even Tang Li and the others didn’t know all the details.
It could indeed be called a secret recipe.
Luo Pingping didn’t press further. She sniffed the seasoning pack and couldn’t help but comment, “It really smells quite different from the other one.”
Wei Zhonghong also took a sniff of the pack and agreed, “It’s not as pungent.”
The two women put the baskets aside and went to check on the three children.
Tang Xu went to the small storeroom to tidy things up. Xu Ze ran over cautiously and asked, “Brother Xu, can I also help with making the wind-dried marinated duck?”
“Really? Are you looking to save up some money for yourself?”
Xu Ze was about to turn nine years old this upcoming New Year. He had grown quite a bit recently, though he still had a bit of baby fat on his face, making him look quite endearing.
Xu Ze blushed a little, fidgeting with his fingers and shaking his head slightly. “I don’t want any money. I just don’t want to keep eating and drinking at home without helping out. I don’t want any payment.”
Tang Xu was somewhat surprised. He pulled Xu Ze’s hand and had him sit on a small stool beside him.
He spoke gently, “Why do you think that? You’ve already helped us a lot at home. If you want to learn how to make the wind-dried marinated duck, I can teach you. You’ll earn a penny for each duck you help with.”
Although a penny didn’t sound like much, considering the quantity of ducks Tang Xu planned to produce, Xu Ze could save up quite a bit of money if he helped consistently.
Tang Xu patted Xu Ze’s head lightly and smiled, “By the time you’re ready to find a suitable partner, you’ll have a solid foundation, right?”
Xu Ze’s face turned red, “I’m still young.”
“That's true, you are still young. It will be another seven or eight years before you’re old enough to talk about marriage.” Tang Xu stopped teasing him, knowing the boy was quite shy and blushed easily.
After Wei Zhonghong and Luo Pingping left with the seasoning, Wang Cuicui handed the three children over to Xu Ze to watch and went to the kitchen to help Tang Xu with dinner.
Seeing her happy expression, Tang Xu raised an eyebrow and asked, “Auntie, did something good happen? Did my father come to apologize to you?”
Wang Cuicui gave Tang Xu a playful look as she peeled cabbage and said, “Just now, your father came by to see the children. He apologized to me, saying his attitude was poor and that he wanted me to come back.”
Tang Xu raised an eyebrow, “What did you say?”
“I told him you’ve been busy these past few days, so I’d help take care of the children and suggested he stay with me for a few days. I also invited Ah Li and Ah Yao to come over.”
Although the children were already betrothed, she was still uneasy about leaving them alone at home.
Tang Xu agreed, of course. With extra help around, they could take care of the children and get more work done. It would also free up his time for making the wind-dried marinated duck.
Since they were going to make a lot of marinated duck, Tang Xu had Wei Dong set up a large stove in the backyard and had a blacksmith make a big iron pot.
This way, they could cook the marinated duck outside, saving space in the kitchen and avoiding the strong smell that would linger indoors.
When Tang Li heard that Tang Xu was starting to make marinated duck, she eagerly volunteered to take on the task.
“I make this every day. Don’t you trust me?” Tang Li said, placing the cleaned ducks into the pot.
She turned to Liu Yao, who was butchering the ducks, and added, “Save the duck blood for blood tofu.”
Liu Yao nodded, “Save it all. I’ve had enough of it. I’m tired of eating it.”
“Just because you’re tired of it doesn’t mean others are. Tomorrow, let’s set up a small food stall and sell duck blood soup. I’m sure many people will come to buy. We can add some of the fried tofu puffs and potato shreds that Brother Xu taught us. It will smell amazing!” Tang Li couldn’t help but salivate as she spoke, and Liu Yao was also tempted.
He turned to Tang Xu, who was in the yard with Xiao Bao, and said, “Brother! Can we make some duck blood soup? I’m craving it!”
Tang Xu looked at him with amusement and gave a hand gesture, indicating okay.
Duck blood vermicelli soup with pancakes was settled for dinner.
Tang Xu called the three children away from the slaughter area. Wei Dong came over, each in one hand, and brought the two misbehaving boys who were trying to sneak a peek back to the front yard.
He scolded them sternly and gave them a good talking-to.
The two boys, standing side by side, poked each other and bumped into each other, clearly not taking their father’s words seriously.
Wei Dong, now angry, took a firm approach and spanked each of them.
They quieted down quickly.
Tang Xu looked at his sons, who were tearfully calling out and wailing, and felt no sympathy for them.
Instead, Wang Cuicui was heartbroken and anxiously kept saying, “They’re still young. You should talk to them properly and not hit them.”
Wei Dong didn’t listen to anyone trying to stop him. He was determined to discipline the boys and gave each of them ten hard spanks.
Er Bao cried until his voice was hoarse, shouting out that his father was bad while he cried.
The chubby son was a bit smarter. He knew that arguing with his father at this moment would result in a harsher punishment, so he covered his mouth, silently shedding tears, too scared to cry out loud.
Xiao Bao let go of Tang Xu’s hand, ran over, and hugged Wei Dong’s leg. With red eyes and a trembling voice, he said, “Father, it hurts~”
Wei Dong gave the last spank, then lifted the chubby son from his leg and set him aside. He bent down and picked up Xiao Bao, asking, “Who’s hurting?”
Xiao Bao pointed at the crying Er Bao and then at the silently crying Da Bao, saying, “They’re hurting.”
“That’s right, pain is a lesson,” Wei Dong said with a stern face, looking at his two tear-streaked sons. “Your dad called out several times to stop you from going over there, but neither of you listened. What’s wrong? Is your dad’s word no longer effective?”
Tang Xu, rarely seeing Wei Dong so worked up, couldn’t help but chuckle. He walked over and patted Wei Dong’s back, saying, “It’s okay, you’ve taught them well for me.”
“If you pretend not to listen again, I’ll hang you up and give you a good beating!” Wei Dong glared fiercely at the boys.
The two little chubby boys quickly lowered their heads, clearly frightened.
This was the first time Wei Dong had physically disciplined them, and it was because they had ignored Tang Xu’s repeated calls and pretended not to hear him when he shouted several times.
This had made Wei Dong extremely angry.
His husband took care of them so hard every day, but they didn't listen to him, which made Wei Dong feel unacceptable.
Tang Xu patted Wei Dong on the shoulder and said, “Alright, let them wash their faces. We’ll take Xiao Bao inside and change his clothes.”
Xiao Bao, however, reached out to Wang Cuicui and said, “Grandma, hold me!”
Wang Cuicui picked him up, asking, “Why aren’t you going with your father to change clothes?”
Xiao Bao pointed back at his two brothers and said, “Want.”
Ah, understood. He wanted to stay with his brothers.
Tang Xu led Wei Dong back inside, kissed him several times, and spoke softly, “Don’t be angry. It’s your responsibility to discipline them when they misbehave. Just try to be a bit gentler next time; their butt’s are probably sore now, and you’ll end up feeling sorry for them by then.”
Wei Dong huffed with a cold expression but he was still a little worried after his anger subsided.
He took out the medicine from the drawer, cleared his throat, and said, “I’ll go check on them.”
1 Comments
thank you for the update.. ❤️🐾
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