"You...you're Jay..." the skinny uncle's voice sounded quite surprised when he saw Jay.
"Hello, Uncle. Long time no see!" Jay greeted him politely and kindly.
"Oh, Jay...how long has it been since I've seen you?!" The uncle replied with a concerned expression.
"How are you? Is everything okay?" the uncle asked in a friendly voice, like an uncle concerned for his nephew.
"Yes, I'm fine, Uncle. Much better now," Jay replied with a smile that seemed much more genuine.
Seeing Jay's expression less depressed and more natural, the uncle sighed with relief and said,
"Thank goodness you're better, Jay. Don't just disappear like that. I thought you'd moved away. If it weren't for the news from some of your neighbors, who are also customers of mine, who told me you were still healthy, I would have thought you'd moved away or been sick," the uncle told Jay of his concern.
And Jay, hearing the explanation from the uncle selling the cut chicken, was deeply moved. He knew that the uncle had no personal gain, just pure concern for an older person.
"Sorry, Uncle, for worrying you, but don't worry anymore. You'll see me often in the future when I shop at the market. I'm fine now, and everything will be much better," Jay replied sincerely.
"Good...young people are like that, but considering your age, you should be starting a family, Jay. Think about finding a wife, maybe you'll be better off," the uncle then tried to offer Jay some advice.
Sighing inwardly, Jay knew that this reunion had to end soon. "Okay...Uncle, I'll think about it. Now, please give me one chicken, and make it into eight pieces." Jay immediately perked up and gave his order.
"Okay, wait a minute," then without further ado, the uncle began to cut the chicken. He started by cutting off the neck and head, then proceeded to cut the chicken in half.
After that, he began to cut off the wings and breast, leaving two chicken feet, each with their claws removed, to be placed in a plastic bag.
"Here... take this," the uncle handed the chicken to Jay.
"So, how many, uncle?" Jay asked, pulling out a $5 bill from his pocket. (As an illustration, a whole chicken over 1 kg is priced at $3.50-$4, depending on its weight and size.)
So, with a chicken weighing over 1 kg, Jay concluded it was worth around $4.
"No need to pay. Just consider it a gift from uncle for you, who's changed. Let's go quickly and come back next time you go to the market." The uncle didn't accept Jay's money and told Jay.
"Ah, okay then, uncle. Thank you very much, and I hope your business sells well." Jay also knew he couldn't refuse, so he simply accepted and wished him well.
After leaving the chicken slaughtering area, Jay then entered the meat section.
He was already thinking about what beef he would buy. Once he had purchased the meat, Jay was looking forward to choosing a good one.
Coming to the beef stall, Jay returned to the familiar stall, and as before, the beef seller was a stocky and strong man. He advised Jay again.
He then asked what he wanted to buy after feeling he had given Jay enough advice.
"Uncle, I'd like 2 kg of beef thigh or back leg, and 1 kg of beef ribs," Jay replied, giving his order.
"Okay, wait a moment," the uncle replied and began cutting the meat according to Jay's order.
The reason Jay chose the front or back leg was because he needed the meat from those parts to make a local specialty.
Because the front and back legs of beef have a dense, fibrous texture, they won't fall apart easily when cooked and will be tender and savory.
As for the ribs, he would, of course, make a rich, spicy soup.
He intended to pay, but once again, Jay refused. "What, you still want to pay? No need, son. Just consider it your uncle's treat, and remember to eat lots of meat to build your body for the future. Okay, now you can go!" The uncle shooed Jay away.
"Thank you, uncle. I won't say much, I'll just pray that "Uncle's goods are selling well," Jay greeted and headed to another area.
This time, Jay then headed to the seafood area, where he would buy several ounces of salted fish and several kilograms of shrimp and clams. As a seafood lover, Jay certainly wouldn't miss out on this seafood.
Buying 3 kg of shrimp at $1.50 per kilogram, Jay added green mussels and blood mussels, which totaled about $10 for his entire seafood purchase.
Jay soon moved on to the spices section, where he purchased a large amount of turmeric, ginger, galangal, pepper, nutmeg, coriander, candlenuts, cinnamon, and other spices.
He also purchased seasonings, salt, sweet soy sauce, hot sauce, and soy sauce.
Next, he went to the grocery store that sold oil and staple foods.
There, Jay bought 10 kg of rice, an additional 2 liters of cooking oil, and several packages of instant noodles, vermicelli noodles, and corn noodles.
Afterward, Jay, carrying a large amount of goods, immediately headed to the parking area.
Jay bought some vegetables like carrots, spinach, corn, long beans, mustard greens, green beans, potatoes, and eggplant as additional ingredients.
Finally, after organizing everything on his motorcycle, Jay hurried back home.
On the way, he saw a small vendor selling snacks and traditional cakes. Feeling hungry, Jay bought some and continued his journey home.
Long story short, Jay arrived home again and afterward, he packed up all his groceries and sorted out what needed to be stored in the refrigerator and what didn't.
"Well, with this, I'm just missing eggs and fruit, some light snacks, and milk..." Seeing the partially stocked refrigerator, Jay felt pleased and then began to calculate his expenses.
"In the end, it all came to $250, after subtracting the chicken and beef given to me by my two kind uncles. Yes, this is enough for the next few days." Jay felt satisfied and then began to think about what to do next.
However, a message on his phone app made Jay a little unhappy.
"Your second aunt and uncle are coming to your house. Are you there, Jay?" It was a familiar message, seemingly read by Jay.
But Jay, seeing the message, knew this was unusual and likely something troublesome he would have to deal with.
"Never mind, let them come. This needs to be made clear anyway. Don't let them think I agree with their idea." In the end, Jay chose to compromise and replied,
"I have time tomorrow, Auntie. Please come over," Jay replied curtly.