Chapter 19: Searching for Mu Xiang

Since they had used up most of the meat bought yesterday, on the way back, Bai Ye handed the wheel over to Jiang Hao and hurriedly called Butcher Zhang.

Butcher Zhang had already agreed with Bai Ye and his father yesterday to save a whole side of pork for him each day. But now Bai Ye realized that even a whole side wasn't enough—an entire pig could be gone in just half a day.

So he quickly called Butcher Zhang to request a whole pig instead.

Fortunately, Butcher Zhang had the foresight to set one aside in advance—and he was right to do so.

Business was business, no matter how good their relationship was. So today's price couldn't be the same as yesterday's.

Bai Ye agreed, but he negotiated a bit: he didn't want the front and back hams.

Those parts were too lean—great for stir-frying, but for making marinated meat, the fatty belly cuts were much better.

After two days of buying pork, they already had a surplus of front and back hams at home—more than they could eat.

Butcher Zhang laughed and agreed. Those parts were easy to sell anyway, and could even fetch a higher price.

With the meat purchased and a few vegetables they'd picked up at the market, they headed straight back to the Bai household.

It was already past lunchtime. Jiang Hao's parents, brother, sister-in-law, and little nephew wouldn't have waited for him to eat, so it made more sense to come home with them.

By the time they got home, it was already 1:00 PM. With two young guys around, there was no need for Bai Ye's father to do anything.

Since their children weren't at home, Bai Ye's parents hadn't eaten yet. When Bai Ye called ahead, Jiang Lan (his mother) whipped up several dishes.

"So many dishes?" Jiang Hao was stunned when he saw the table full of food.

"Haozi, you haven't been to our house in a whole year—we've got to make some good food," Jiang Lan said with a smile.

Jiang Hao and Zhang Shiliang from next door had grown up together and were classmates. Technically, Zhang should've been closer to Bai Ye since they were neighbors, but the Zhang family was two-faced, and Zhang Shiliang was jealous and petty even as a child—Jiang Lan didn't like him.

On the other hand, Jiang Hao was honest and warmhearted. He'd been a chubby little kid growing up. Though his grades weren't great, people around here valued good character more than anything.

The table was full of homemade dishes: shredded pork with mung bean jelly sheets, stir-fried green pepper with dried tofu, minced pork with soft tofu, and classic sweet and sour pork bites.

The shredded pork and pork bites were overflowing with meat—you could hardly see any vegetables in there.

They had too much leftover front and back ham at home—more than fifty or sixty pounds. Plus, there was some tenderloin as well. Jiang Lan figured the father and son had worked hard, so she didn't skimp on the meat.

Jiang Hao was pulled over by Bai Ye's dad to sit on the heated brick bed and, with bowl in hand, started eating happily.

"Mum, can you make sweet and sour pork tomorrow?" Bai An'an asked while eating.

Though sweet and sour pork comes from the same base dish as the pork bites, little girls always prefer the tangy and sweet flavors.

"Sure!" Jiang Lan replied with a smile. "Jiang Hao, you free tomorrow? Come eat with us again."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly…" Jiang Hao scratched his head sheepishly.

"What's there to be shy about? If you feel bad about it, come with me to the stall tomorrow. I'll feed you and pay you," Bai Ye said.

He knew Jiang Hao hadn't made much from working out of town either.

His family was also in a tough spot—he had two older brothers, both married with kids.

When it came time for Jiang Hao to get married, he'd have to rely on himself. His parents had already exhausted themselves marrying off the other two, and the older brothers definitely wouldn't help.

"No need to pay me. Just feeding me is good enough," Jiang Hao grinned.

If it weren't for the New Year, he honestly wouldn't have wanted to come home. The atmosphere at home was tense and awkward. His sisters-in-law didn't get along, his brothers bickered constantly, and even his parents didn't dare say much.

But when it came to him, they were united in their disdain—as if afraid he'd take anything from them.

He was honest, but not dumb.

He hadn't had food like this in years. Even if they made a big meal for the New Year, it wasn't like he'd get to eat much—his nephews, nieces, and sisters-in-law would all dive in first, making the table a chaotic mess that left him with no appetite.

"That won't do," Jiang Lan chimed in. "You two boys can work that out yourselves. Oh right, Bai Ye, I've soaked those chicken frames for you."

The chicken frames were frozen. They got home too late last night, so they only prepared the marinated meat and went straight to bed.

"Got it, Mom."

After the meal, Bai Ye got to work on the marinated meat. His father had cleaned up the south kitchen earlier, and the new soup pot they bought yesterday fit perfectly.

The pork was cleaned and tossed straight into the pot with a fresh batch of seasonings. As for the old broth from yesterday, it was still bubbling away on the stove in the main room—that one was for marinating the chicken frames.

Yesterday, Bai Ye had picked the best ones—chicken frames at 4 yuan a pound, each one with plenty of meat, about half a pound apiece.

Soaked to remove the blood, then blanched, and ready to be marinated. Bai Ye added a handful of chili peppers—spicy chicken frames had soul.

Once the broth boiled, he turned the heat down and left it to simmer. Every now and then he'd check on it. With his parents watching the pots, he took Jiang Hao and Bai An'an straight to the big market in Nanzhuang.

Nanzhuang was near the mountains, and the villagers around there often went up to gather dry branches for firewood.

They parked by the roadside and went up too. Bai Ye and Bai An'an made sure not to wear new clothes—they changed into old ones to avoid tearing them on the branches.

Before coming, Bai Ye had looked up what Mu Xiang looked like. It grew all over the country now, but it was still more common in the south. People in their region didn't really recognize it, especially not in winter when the leaves had all fallen off.

They searched for a long time, until Jiang Hao spotted a pile of uprooted shrubs and called Bai Ye over to take a look.

"Hey, I think this is it."

"Wow, it really is," Bai Ye laughed.

There were a dozen or so plants, big and small, and the three of them started breaking off the roots.

"Next time, you should just buy it online, bro. This isn't worth the trouble," Bai An'an said, stomping her feet against the mountain wind.

"You're probably right," Bai Ye chuckled, and the three of them laughed together.

"If only we'd come back earlier—we could've gone up the mountain to gather pinecones and even brought back some wild pears," Jiang Hao said.

"If I'd known things would turn out like this, I would've come home two months ago—I could've brought back tens of thousands in wages," Bai Ye sighed.

"Don't worry, man," Jiang Hao said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "After the New Year, come work with me. A change of scene could do you good." He'd already learned what had happened to Bai Ye during the morning at the stall.

"We'll see," Bai Ye replied.

In the past, he would've followed Jiang Hao without hesitation. But now, with the system in his life, the future promised something far more exciting. He was actually looking forward to it.

"Let's go—this should be enough for now. I'm freezing."

Just as they got into the car and started it up, Bai Ye's phone suddenly rang.