What is "equality"? There used to be more cooked meat shops and smoked suitcase stalls than now. Every time I smell cooked meat in the streets, I see cooked meat shops or smoked suitcase stalls. The meat anvil of the shop or stall is abrupt, the blade is shiny, and the chicken and duck meat with thick oil red sauce is listed on one side. The knife master stands like an anvil, echoing in his mouth, busy and agile, and the reception is overwhelmed. Suzhou people are good at eating. Even the pig's head meat can be divided into several categories, with "chin" for cheeks and chin, "downwind" for ears and "door cannon" for tongue, which is more vivid than the name of "mouth strip" in the north. For example, it is also simple and vivid to call the wings, head and feet of birds "flying", "barking" and "jumping" respectively.
However, the more vivid number is "equal". All chicken and duck meat has non-imported parts, which can also be called "leftovers", such as "collar meat", "soft gluten meat" and "breast meat". There are also cakes on the side of the wok, with sauced ducks and sauced meat on them. (Cooking food depends on fire, so it is necessary to seal the pot cover and paste it with bread), which absorbs the umami flavor and fragrance of meat. These food stores sell cheap goods, so when cooked meat shops (stalls) open for business, many people (mostly friends who wear bunts) gather around and stare at the meat anvil and the master's knife one by one, watching the master cut the scraps and dough piece by piece. The cooked meat shops (stalls) in the whole city have reached a tacit understanding. The price of leftovers and dough is uniform, both of which are two copper coins. So this gives great hope to the friends who wear bunts. They all stare at each other like longan, waiting for the master to start, buying the big ones when they see them, shouting. The name "equal in size" is casually called out.
"Equal size" has another name, which seems to be more interesting than "equal size". In the old society, there were many gentry in Suzhou, and there were also "aristocratic men" poor scholars. They are poor and want to try some delicious food, so they quietly rushed to buy some "equal size" to kill their greed, but they proudly bought them while they were in a hurry. My ancestors were officials' families, but the descendants passed down in the family, but my grandmother made a rule not to buy "equal size"; Mr. Ma, a neighbor, is a friend in a gown. He secretly buys "Dayton" from time to time to kill his greed, and my family is not ashamed.
The so-called "bigger" is not as good as "equal in size". To put it bluntly, the leftovers of the banquet in the restaurant were cleaned up by the store, and the cold dishes were also cold dishes, and the hot dishes were also hot. After classification, it is sold to hawkers at low prices, and hawkers carry the burden all over the street. Suzhou people call it "Zhuan Da", which means changing hands. Wuxi people call this "he", which is also very appropriate, meaning that the leftovers are together. The business of "Zhuan Da" is very popular, which meets the consumption demand of the lower class and enjoys the delicious food of famous hotels and restaurants at a very low price. It is said that all kinds of flavors are particularly delicious together. Of course, some people's so-called "being nice to others" will not deal with "getting bigger". When they see that the burden of "getting bigger" is picked, they will say, "Dirty, evil!"
I have seen the scene of buying "the same size", and the big three treasures butcher shop at Qiaotou was often staged in the early days. I was very greedy when I was a child, but I was afraid to go near because of my grandmother's advice. I only smell the fragrance coming from a distance. As for "turning big", when I was sensible, I couldn't see the vendors selling this stuff. After all, peddling along the street is too embarrassing for buyers. I think there are other sales channels.
More than 80 years ago, when my mother was a little girl, the neighbor who lived in grandma's house in Luqiufang Lane caused a fire and caused a sensation in Suzhou. Two children bought Juanda to cook, because myopia accidentally violated Zhu Rong. All nine of them died in the fire. Fire fighter Shi Jinkui took a volunteer dog to put out the fire and was electrocuted. In the early years, there was his solemn grave in front of Tiger Hill, and I have been there more than once.