Chapter 180 - 180 Barbequed Lamb Skewers
180 Barbequed Lamb Skewers
Madam Liu was a slow worker. Still, she hurriedly moved the table to the ground and emptied the brick bed so everyone could sit and talk.
Su Fengzhi and his family knew Su Binglan was someone who always had good money-making ideas. They looked at Su Binglan, ready to listen to her.
Su Binglan said, “Uncle Fengzhi, I noticed you have more than ten sheep at home, so you can use them to make barbeque lamb skewers.”
Su Fengzhi looked puzzled. He had worked in several places, cooked, and ate many dishes but had never heard of barbeque lamb skewers.
“Binglan, I’ve never heard of that before, nor has anyone made such a thing. Do you pierce the lamb with a stick?” Su Fengzhi looked at his niece with a humbled expression.
He knew his niece was a competent person, and even though he was her elder, Su Fengzhi resembled a student in front of Su Binglan.
Su Wenchi also had no clue what a lamb skewer was. After some thought, he said, “Everyone thinks lamb tastes too gamey. In addition, lamb is more expensive than pork, so very few buy lamb.
“At most, those who live in better conditions will buy one or two pounds of lamb during the New Year to cook at home. Besides making soup, most don’t enjoy the taste of lamb since it’s very gamy.”
Su Binglan explained, “Indeed, the lamb will taste gamey if one uses it as a pork alternative. Most don’t enjoy the taste, so they only make lamb stew. Still, there aren’t many who eat lamb stew.
“However, if you guys make barbeque lamb skewers, many will want to eat it. More specifically, I’m talking about the lamb liver. Cut them into small pieces and skewer them with iron stakes.
“Then you can grill and sprinkle some seasoning mix to make them more fragrant and delicious. Each skewer will be affordable, so everyone can afford a skewer or two if they’re curious. Suppose the villagers will buy more if they enjoy the lamb skewers.
“That way, Uncle Fengzhi can process his lamb to make money. Moreover, lamb skewers don’t take up much space, so a stall should suffice. It’s also not a hassle to make, and Uncle Fengzhi won’t need to cook outside. You can prepare the skewers, or your two sons can help you.”
The seasoning was the key to a good lamb skewer, and Su Binglan had the one she had prepared. Su Fengzhi could use it for barbecuing, and there was also a special chili seasoning. These two seasonings would make the barbeque lamb skewers taste even better.
Su Fengzhi realized something after listening to his niece’s words. “I never thought you could use lamb to make something like that.”
Su Wenchi understood his cousin’s words. He said excitedly, “If that’s the case, we can use all of our sheep to make skewers. Then we won’t have to worry about not selling enough sheep to get by.”
Su Binglan knew most people in that era had narrow mindsets because they usually stewed their meats. No one ever thought of roasting or barbecuing. Moreover, the people of that era feared burning their meat when barbequing it, resulting in waste.
Madam Liu said smilingly, “Binglan always has a way.”
She knew Su Binglan’s business ideas would always make money. Su Fengzhi was full of energy at that moment as he could not wait to learn more. “Binglan, how exactly do I barbeque the lamb skewers? Won’t I need to build a fireplace?”
Some who set up stalls in town used pots and pans to cook, after all. Su Fengzhi was thinking about a more convenient way to barbeque his lamb skewers if he set up a stall.
Although he did not know what the lamb skewers would look like, Su Fengzhi’s first thought was how to barbeque them. After his incident overseas, he did not want to work too far from his family.
He felt out of place overseas. Not only did he miss home but also his family. He also could not sleep well at night. He only thought of earning as much as possible to bring it home to his family. He felt it would be worth it, but it was not the case.
It was best for his family and him to be close to home, even if it were a small business. According to Su Binglan’s words, lamb skewers would undoubtedly become popular.
Su Fengmao’s business idea was also something Su Binglan had thought of, and their days improved exponentially. Su Fengzhi saw the potential in his niece’s idea. Of course, he was not envious of his second brother’s life. Instead, he was thrilled that Su Fengmao was living well.
However, Su Fengzhi was envious his second brother had such a caring daughter like Su Binglan.
If Su Binglan’s new business proposal did not work out, Su Fengzhi planned to make noodles to earn some money for his family so they could improve their living conditions.
Madam Liu was also conflicted in the past. She wanted her husband to get better to pull himself together, but she was worried Su Fengzhi would go overseas again.
But now, it seemed Su Fengzhi would not have to do that anymore because he wanted his family to stay together, so Madam Liu revealed a gentle smile.
Su Binglan gestured and said, “Uncle Fengzhi, let’s make a shelf like this out of iron so we can put charcoal inside to barbeque the lamb. We won’t use firewood because it’s too heavy and inconvenient to bring to town.
“You can also put your things in my shop’s backyard when we go to town, so you can take whatever you need whenever you need them. It’ll be more convenient that way.”
Su Fengmao listened attentively on the sidelines and became anxious. “B-But charcoal is expensive, Binglan. How much should we charge the customers for the lamb skewers to cover our costs?”
After some pondering, Su Binglan said smilingly, “I forgot about that.”
Charcoal was costly in that era, so using it to barbeque their lamb was not ideal. However, firewood was heavier and would cook the lamb slower.
Su Fengzhi said, “It’s alright to tell my father about these things, Binglan. My father is already thrilled to have his sense of taste and smell back. If this business idea doesn’t work, I can sell noodles to earn money. Moreover, I can stay home and do that.”
Su Fengmao hurriedly said, “Fengzhi is right. It’s too risky to do business in town, so staying home is better. If anything, we brothers can help each other improve our lives. I’m just worried about my two sons. Qiuhua and I don’t know how they’re doing out there. We can barely sleep thinking about them.
“Our parents and your wife were also worried about you when you went overseas. We only discovered you were fine when we received your letter.”
Su Fengzhi was unaware of these things. He only thought of making money for his family to live better lives. He never expected them to be so concerned for him. He simply looked at his wife at this moment.
Madam Liu sighed and said, “Since we’re a family, we will get better if we work hard. We’d feel uneasy spending the money you brought back from overseas.”
Su Fengzhi felt guilty. “I won’t go overseas in the future. We’ll just stay together as a family.”
Su Fengmao said, “With Binglan around, you can earn plenty of money and lead a good life.”
Su Fengzhi was at a loss for words.