On the day of the official opening of the noodle shop, Jiang Yanyi once again did some promotion.

When her antique soup shop opened, funds were tight, so she could only hire someone selling candied hawthorn to shout through the streets for publicity.

Now, with the stable income from the antique soup shop, she could afford a lion dance troupe, and “Tian Ji” noodle shop was officially renamed “Jiang Ji.”

It was a rare day without snow, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe the noodle shop as bustling with customers.

The entrance of the noodle shop was decorated with red couplets written by the old scholar, and amidst the sound of drums and gongs from the lion dance, Bing Shao handed a lit incense stick to Jiang Yanyi, saying, “Owner, you light the firecrackers.”

Still in her mourning period, Jiang Yanyi wore simple clothing even on such a day.

She was dressed in a yellow-green front-opening floral jacket with a collar lined with white rabbit fur, which made her complexion look even fairer.

Her originally overly bright appearance had become more delicate.

Jiang Yanyi smiled as she accepted the incense stick, covering her ears with one hand while using the other to ignite the large red firecrackers hanging on the tall bamboo.

Amid the crackling sounds of the firecrackers, the onlookers applauded and cheered.

After lighting the firecrackers, Jiang Yanyi handed the incense stick back to Bing Shao and cheerfully addressed the crowd in front of the noodle shop, “Today, Jiang Ji noodle shop officially opens! Thank you all for your support! Today, it’s buy five, get one free on the noodle pancakes!”

This announcement drew another round of applause.

“Manager Jiang, no need to say more! Everyone is waiting in line to buy!” someone in the crowd shouted.

Jiang Yanyi smiled and agreed.

The buy-five-get-one-free packages were already wrapped in oil paper in advance, with an imprint of a dark ginger flower on the paper, featuring the large characters “Jiang Ji” and a small stamp from Jiang Yanyi’s shop beside it.

Inside, five pancake pieces cost two coins, with an extra pancake for just one more coin.

This novel and attractive packaging fascinated many, and spending one coin to buy a large bag of pancakes could cover two days’ meals.

For most ordinary families, this small amount of money was not a problem, and with the added bonus of an extra pancake, they willingly paid.

Some customers only wanted to buy a piece or two to try, and Jiang Yanyi had them wrapped up in oil paper with a smile, ensuring her service was impeccable.

The demand for instant noodles was high, and the seasoning sauce, which could be used for both instant noodles and stir-frying, was naturally snatched up.

However, since it was made with a lot of oil, the production cost kept the price from being too low.

Jiang Yanyi had set the price at fifteen coins per jar, and after deducting material and labor costs, the profit was around eight coins per jar.

Hearing that Jiang Yanyi’s noodle shop was opening, Chu Shubao came specially to help.

She assisted Jiang Yanyi in collecting money, and although it was all copper coins, she was delighted.

During a rare moment of rest, she smiled widely at Jiang Yanyi and said, “So this is what it feels like to be your own boss and earn money!”

Jiang Yanyi, having stood for a long time, felt her back ache and asked with a smile, “Are you tired?”

Chu Shubao nodded and shook her head, “It’s not very easy, but just thinking that this is money I earned with my own hard work makes me happy, so I don’t feel that tired.”

Excited about making money, her eyebrows rose. “By the way, I spent all my pocket money on buying rouge! I’ve got all the latest styles, so I’m not worried about the girls in Xizhou not buying them.”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “After we finish up here, come to my shop, and we’ll discuss how to display the counter.”

Chu Shubao had been waiting for this invitation and instantly beamed with joy.

After the initial bustling crowd died down, fewer people were buying instant noodles, but Jiang Yanyi was prepared for that.

She took out some pancake pieces and seasoning sauce, making a bowl of instant noodles right on the street.

As she called out that it could be eaten just by soaking it in hot water, she demonstrated live.

Passersby, initially unaware of instant noodles, became curious as they heard about this magical way of eating and smelled the enticing aroma, gathering around to watch.

With a crowd gathered to watch, more pedestrians naturally stopped to see what was happening.

The delicious smell wafting through the air made their stomachs rumble, and their coins began to feel lighter in their pockets.

To Jiang Yanyi’s surprise, Tian Ji’s young master also came to show his support.

After the cause of the gambling house son’s death was clarified, he had been released from the government office.

Seeing the noodle shop bustling with activity, he clasped his hands together towards Jiang Yanyi and couldn’t help but feel a bit wistful. “Congratulations, Manager Jiang! Your noodle shop has truly come back to life in your hands. In my youth, my family was once at its peak, but sadly, our ancestral business ultimately fell apart under my care.”

The injuries on his face from the previous confrontation with the gambling house son hadn’t completely healed, with faint bruises under his eyes and on his jaw.

Even though he wore decent clothes, he still exuded a somewhat downcast demeanor.

Realizing he had said something inappropriate, Tian Ji’s young master awkwardly smiled, “Look at me rambling on! It’s your big opening day, and I’m just babbling…”

Jiang Yanyi reassured him that it was no trouble, and he exchanged a few more auspicious words before buying five pancake pieces and leaving, and this little episode came to an end.

On the first day of business, the income from the noodle shop was quite considerable.

As Jiang Yanyi and Chu Shubao counted the heavy bamboo baskets of copper coins, Jiang nearly strained her eyes; for every thousand coins they counted, they tied them together with string.

By the end of the morning, they had earned over eight strings and three hundred coins.

Chu Shubao weighed the heavy pouch of coins in her hand and sighed, “It looks like there are plenty of customers buying noodles, but when you break it down, each person is only spending a few coins. I think selling cosmetics is more profitable. A small box of the good quality rouge from the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion in the capital can sell for several taels of silver!”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “Only a few young ladies can afford cosmetics, and even fewer can afford high-quality ones, but noodles are something everyone can buy.”

If in the future the country is peaceful and the people prosperous, there will be more families that can afford cosmetics, which would indeed create a huge market.

However, right now, many people are still struggling to make ends meet, and with limited money, they naturally prioritize basic needs.

Most of the copper coins earned this morning came from the local citizens, and if everyone in the city ate noodles, the business would be even more impressive.

Moreover, food is consumed in one meal and gone by the next, making it something that must be bought daily, unlike clothes and jewelry, which can be used for a long time after purchase.

Chu Shubao nodded, somewhat understanding.

**

The staff at the noodle shop usually cooked their meals after work, but since Jiang Yanyi was here today, she decided to help them prepare a meal as a way to celebrate the opening of the shop.

Upon entering the small kitchen meant for cooking, she discovered there weren’t many ingredients, and the seasonings weren’t as complete as those at her antique soup shop.

The cook, who had never met a master willing to help with the cooking, became awkward and didn’t know where to put his hands when Jiang Yanyi entered the kitchen.

He hesitantly said, “Master, we’re just a bunch of rough folks; let’s just make something simple. Everyone said they would just boil some water and have instant noodles, which taste good!”

Jiang Yanyi didn’t expect that even in ancient times, instant noodles had their charm.

When she first ate instant noodles in her youth, she thought it was a delicacy.

However, after eating it frequently for a while, she began to feel sick at the smell.

But after not having it for a long time, she would crave it again.

Looking at the ingredients in the kitchen, Jiang Yanyi thought for a moment and said, “How about we make a spicy hot pot?”

As a dish from Sichuan cuisine, spicy hot pot is not much different from traditional hot pot and is even referred to as “individual hot pot.”

The cook had never heard of “spicy hot pot” but assumed it was just his lack of knowledge and did not ask any further questions.

Seeing that there were fresh potatoes and lotus roots in the kitchen, Jiang Yanyi instructed the cook to go out and buy some meat and other vegetables.

As Jiang Yanyi handled the ingredients, Chu Shubao volunteered to assist her.

Chu Shubao had little interest in cooking but enjoyed discussing topics related to cosmetics and makeup with Jiang Yanyi.

In the Da Xuan Dynasty, thinness was considered beautiful; the more delicate and fragile a person looked, the more people felt pity for them.

Therefore, most women would emphasize a frail appearance in both their physique and makeup.

However, both she and Jiang Yanyi had striking features, and their tall stature meant that unless they deliberately dressed down, they were far from looking frail.

Chu Shubao shared her experiences in the capital: “You wouldn’t believe it; the girls in the capital eat from such small bowls…”

She gestured with her hands to show Jiang Yanyi, looking speechless, and continued, “I feel like my tea cup is bigger than their rice bowl, and they can only fill their bowls halfway. It’s fine at home, but if you go to a banquet, getting a second serving will earn you laughter. I never dared to eat more at banquets, always filling my stomach at home later because of this; my mother scolded me a lot.”

Jiang Yanyi had washed and peeled the lotus root and cut it into thin slices.

Upon hearing Chu Shubao’s words, she couldn’t help but say, “At your age, you should be eating plenty; how can you hold back?”

Chu Shubao seemed to have found an ally and replied angrily, “My mother says if I gain weight, I won’t be able to marry, so she doesn’t let me eat meat. Well, I don’t want to get married anyway!”

Jiang Yanyi chuckled at her, saying, “You’re not fat at all; you’re too thin, which can easily lead to illness. You’re just right the way you are.”

Seeing that Jiang Yanyi had finished with the lotus root, Chu Shubao picked up a potato and handed it to her. “You know my mother’s temperament. If I ate half a bowl more of rice in the capital, she would lecture me for half a day. Fortunately, there aren’t such rules here in Xizhou.

During my time here, I’ve noticed that the girls here are full of spirit, unlike in the capital, where you look around and see sickly beauties everywhere.

Whenever I attended a banquet, I felt like they might faint at any moment. Thankfully, my grandmother dotes on me and Huibao, so we’re never restricted when it comes to food.

I still prefer the atmosphere in Xizhou; the young ladies here don’t have to paint their faces to look like they’re on the brink of death.”