Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 192

The outcome of Lin Sisi's case was quickly determined. Due to the severity of the situation, she was ordered to pay back the 3,000 yuan stolen from the victim's family, an additional 200 yuan in compensation, and was sentenced to one year in prison.

Si Nian received the news promptly. The compensation amount and the 200 yuan were soon delivered to her by the police.

Si Nian was also informed about Lin Sisi's imprisonment. Although it was only a year, in this era, it was a significant setback. This meant that even if Lin Sisi managed to get into university later, she would not have the opportunity to take a civil service exam, and her actions would also disqualify her descendants for three generations.

It was uncertain whether the Fu family could still accept her as a daughter-in-law. In any case, Lin Sisi would have a multitude of issues to deal with once she was released from prison, and for now, she was unlikely to cause any trouble for Si Nian.

As for the possibility of future retaliation, Si Nian was indifferent.

After all, Si Nian didn't think Lin Sisi was clever enough to be beyond her handling. At least the 3,000 yuan was finally recovered.

In good spirits, Si Nian spent the whole night with Lin's mother preparing the braising sauce. Since Lin Feng needed to deliver goods early the next morning around four or five, they had to start braising the night before. This way, by the morning, the meat would be perfectly flavored and at its best taste.

---

Early in the morning, villagers rushed to the pig farm to grab meat. Since Zhou Yue Shen wouldn't leave much, as unsold meat wouldn't be fresh the next day, it was a race to arrive early. Usually, once pig slaughtering began, people would start lining up.

As soon as they entered the pig farm, the strong aroma of meat filled the air, and a group of early-arriving aunties straightened up.

"Wow! Where's that delicious smell coming from?"

"It smells amazing. What is it?"

"I've smelled this before when I passed by Director Zhou's house. It's some kind of braised meat aroma, very enticing. Every time I pass by, my husband lingers for a while!"

"Braised meat? Isn't that what Comrade Si Nian mentioned she'd be teaching her mother to make and sell a while ago?"

As everyone snapped back to reality, they hurried towards the source of the delicious aroma and indeed saw Lin's mother and Zhou Sui Sui. They were cutting meat for the factory workers to taste. The aroma was irresistible, and just the smell made mouths water. It was so enticing!

Where did Director Zhou's wife learn this technique? The envy was almost palpable.

"Miss, is this the braised meat you're selling? How much is it per pound? Can we sample it?"

Lin's mother quickly responded, "Of course, you can taste it first. If you like it, you can buy some."

"Pig feet are 1.3 yuan per pound, and other parts are 1 yuan per pound."

The braised meat was limited, mostly consisting of pork offal, ears, and trotters. Meat is expensive, with good pork in the city selling for up to 1.5 yuan per pound. So, she braised mostly trotters and shanks.

"What? This is just offal and pig ears, pig trotters with little meat. Why is it 1.3 yuan? Aren't you just grabbing money?"

The prices here were much cheaper than in the city, where good pork cost 1.5 yuan per pound, while here it was only 1.2 yuan. Even for fatty meat, the prices were lower.

However, even for offal, Lin's mother was asking 1 yuan per pound, which seemed quite high.

Lin's mother, who had gained some experience in business, was no longer as flustered and defensive as she had been initially. She calmly explained, "Spices are expensive too. If you think it's worth it, you can buy. Otherwise, it's fine."

Her daughter had advised her not to lower the price just because some people thought it was too expensive, as that would make others think she was easily taken advantage of. Moreover, they were honest people, just like when they sold pastries before. The spices used were all high-quality.

It took a lot of spices to braise this amount of meat, and it was time-consuming and labor-intensive. The money earned was definitely worth it.

Hearing this, people couldn't really argue. Some were reluctant, but with their stomachs growling from hunger in the morning and the irresistible aroma, they couldn't help but ask, "Well, let me try a sample. If it's good, I'll buy some."

Lin's mother didn't say much, just cut some pieces for them to taste. Initially, they were skeptical, thinking it was just the spices making it smell good.

As soon as they tasted it, their eyes widened in surprise. The pig intestines, which looked unremarkable, turned out to be incredibly flavorful. There was no unpleasant odor or greasy taste; instead, it was fragrant and savory, with each bite becoming more delicious. Even after swallowing, the taste lingered pleasantly in their mouths.

The pork itself was tender and melted in their mouths, soft without being greasy. It was far better than the usual stir-fried meat they were accustomed to!

People exchanged glances, amazed by the taste. "This is really delicious! How did you make it? It's so flavorful!"

They swallowed their saliva, wanting more but feeling embarrassed to ask for seconds in front of so many people.

Lin's mother explained, "It's not difficult, but it involves a lot of spices and is a bit cumbersome to make."

Hearing this, people didn't press further. They knew only a little about spices and wouldn't be able to replicate the recipe themselves.

While they hesitated over the price, Lin's mother wasn't concerned whether they bought it or not. The workers at the pig farm, however, were eager to keep some for themselves to enjoy with drinks. Her son-in-law had already arranged a sales channel for these meats, so whether they sold out in the village or not, it didn't matter much.

So Lin Mama didn't want to haggle over a few cents with these people. She weighed out some meat for the factory workers, and once the pork was packed up, she started getting ready to head to town. Of course, Lin Mama and Zhou Suisui were going to sell pastries.

In addition to making braised meat, they also had pastries to sell. With so many children at home and the pressure of supporting them, it was crucial to make as much money as possible while they had the chance.

As people saw them preparing to leave, they became anxious and rushed over, saying, "Wait a minute, little sister, let me have some!" "Yes, yes, I'll take some too. I want to bring it back for my husband to enjoy with his drink."

Lin's business was booming. After the braised meat started selling, people from ten miles around came rushing in. Initially, many people were skeptical, but in the end, everyone found it irresistible.

Lin Mama couldn't keep up with the demand each day. Eventually, Zhou Suisui focused on making pastries while Lin Mama handled the braised meat. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law split the work, so they didn't have to worry about being overwhelmed.

Although Lin Papa had trouble with his legs, he helped with cleaning and other small tasks.

The family was still able to help out. Everyone was busy, but they were happily exhausted. If things continued like this, even if the harvest was poor this year, they would still have a good year.

...

This winter came a bit late, but the weather had turned cold. After dinner, Zhou Zehan approached Si Nian and asked, "Mom, the teacher said tomorrow is New Year's Day, and we get a day off."

Si Nian raised an eyebrow and said, "New Year's Day, huh? Then tomorrow we'll have dumplings."

"Dumplings? The round ones?" Zhou Zehan's eyes lit up.

"Goofball, that's tangyuan," Si Nian replied.