It was just noon when the horse cart reached County Town, so Li Long said to Tao Daqiang:
"Let's get something to eat first, then come back. The Supply and Marketing Cooperative should be on its lunch break right now."
The two went to the Big Meat Canteen. With the horse cart outside, it wasn't convenient to go inside to eat, so they bought a few pork buns and ate outside again.
The middle-aged man inside the canteen recognized Li Long and asked with a smile:
"How much are you selling that mutton for?"
"One yuan a kilogram retail," Li Long said as he ate his bun. "But this is wholesale. The Supply and Marketing Cooperative ordered these ten sheep."
"One yuan, no meat ration coupons?"
"Of course not."
"Not bad. The meat looks good. Slaughtered not long ago, right?" The middle-aged man knew his trade and could tell at a glance.
"Yes, we just brought it down from the mountains."
"You can get fresh grass-fattened sheep from the mountains?" The middle-aged man's eyes lit up. "Can you get any more? If you can, how about bringing a couple to our canteen?"
"Sure." Naturally, Li Long was willing to take business that came his way. He also asked, "Do you want the offal?"
"Yes, as long as it's cleaned." Seeing that Li Long had finished his bun, the middle-aged man offered him a cigarette. "Most people here eat meat, but offal makes good dishes too. If someone orders it, of course we'll cook it, but the butcher's shop doesn't have much."
"It keeps well in the dead of winter. I can get quite a lot; it just depends how much you want." Thinking of the sheep offal at Harimu's, Li Long lit his cigarette and took a puff as he