Chapter 42 : Jiang Sui’s Thoughts

Jiang Sui had a bold idea in her mind. She realized that there was no sweet potato flour in this era, and the only noodles available in the market were the regular ones.

The cost of rice noodles was too high. People couldn’t even afford rice, so how could they afford to exchange rice for rice noodles?

Sweet potatoes and potatoes were common foods people ate to fill their stomachs. It was said that these had only been discovered about two hundred years ago in this era. People knew that sweet potatoes and potatoes were filling and had high yields, but they hadn’t yet discovered the method for making starch from them.

If the taste was good, Jiang Sui was thinking of setting up a stall in the town to sell hot and sour noodles. This could be a unique business opportunity. As long as the taste was good and the flavor was new, there would be no shortage of customers.

Moreover, the cost of purchasing sweet potatoes in the market was low. One hundred kilograms of sweet potatoes could produce dozens of kilograms of starch, and that much starch could be used to make many bowls of sweet potato flour. It could be said that it was a business sure to make a profit.

Everyone couldn’t wait to grab a bowl and start eating, not forgetting to send a bowl to Mr. Zeng and Su Yanqing.

This sweet potato noodle was the first time everyone had seen and eaten it. It had a chewy and soft texture with a unique flavor. After eating regular noodles all the time, it felt really refreshing to suddenly try something new.

Not to mention, the hot and sour noodles were just as their name suggested sour and spicy. With a base of big bone broth, topped with sauce-flavored minced meat and crispy peanuts, the combination of flavors in the mouth was incredibly appetizing.

Everyone ate one bite after another and couldn’t stop.

Even though the hot and sour noodles were hot, everyone ate with great enjoyment, silently working through their bowls.

Xiao Yi ate very quickly and soon finished his bowl, including the soup. He still felt unsatisfied.

Jiang Sui also ate a bowl. Compared to the many hot and sour noodles she had eaten in modern times, the taste of her noodles was just okay. It lacked some elements, like better minced meat and chili oil. It would taste more fragrant with the addition of pickled radish and beans.

People in Jeju could handle spicy food. After chili peppers were invented, chili sauce and chili powder became common condiments. This was the wisdom of the working people.

Once everything was set up, she just needed to prepare the necessary ingredients and upgrade the hot and sour noodles to make them taste even better.

“Fourth brother’s wife, how did you make this? This is the first time I’ve eaten this kind of noodles. It tastes really good. I want to eat more after finishing it,” Xiao Yi said, patting his belly and sighing as he thought he could easily have another bowl.

“Yes, Fourth Sister-in-law, what kind of brain do you have to even think of something like this?” Xiao Lanlan mumbled, her mouth full as she ate.

She was enjoying the spiciness and fanned her mouth after taking a few bites.

Although Zhou stayed silent, it was clear from her nearly empty bowl that she also enjoyed the spicy and sour noodles.

Goudan and Xiao Hechuan ate without saying anything. Jiang Sui was worried that Goudan might not be able to finish his, so she had cooked a smaller portion for him. However, to her surprise, he finished it and even asked for another bowl.

“Aunt, I want another bowl,” Goudan said in his baby voice.

At that moment, Mr. Zeng also came out with a bowl. His bowl was empty, and he looked at everyone with an embarrassed expression before saying: “Well, what’s this fresh food? It tastes really good. If there’s more, give me another bowl!”

Mr. Zeng had a big appetite, which had been evident to everyone during this period, so it was normal for him to still be hungry after finishing his meal.

By this time, Mother Xiao and Xiao Hechuan had also finished eating, but they were still not full.

“Suisui, why don’t you put in a little more effort and make another bowl for everyone? We’re all enjoying the meal. It tastes so good that no one thinks it’s enough!”

No matter how new the food is, the first time you try it is the most exciting. The more delicious it is, the more you want to eat.

Jiang Sui had initially feared that everyone might not be used to it or that it wouldn’t taste good, so she deliberately cooked a little less. But she didn’t expect that everyone would love it so much and even complain that it wasn’t enough. This was beyond her expectations.

With so much support, Jiang Sui had no reason to refuse.

“Okay then, wait a little longer, I’ll go make it right away, I’ll make sure you’re full!”

She started to stir-fry the vegetables, make spicy oil, and boil the potato skins.

It was also the first time for Su Yanqing to eat such fresh noodles. Since he was a patient, Jiang Sui didn’t add any chili to his noodles, but he still enjoyed it.

Having traveled a lot, Su Yanqing had seen many delicious and fun things, but this hot and sour rice noodle was the first time he had ever heard of it.

That night’s dinner was hot and sour rice noodles. Each of them had two bowls and was very full.

Seeing how positive everyone’s feedback was, Jiang Sui’s desire to set up a stall to sell hot and sour noodles grew stronger and stronger.

Later that night, Jiang Sui called Xiao Lanlan to go to Mother Xiao’s room and told her that she wanted to start a business with a stall.

Mother Xiao and Xiao Lanlan didn’t know what she was planning. When they heard that she wanted to set up a stall, they were both stunned.

“What? You want to set up a stall to do business? Suisui, are you serious?” Mother Xiao was a bit taken aback by the sudden decision.

But Xiao Lanlan’s reaction was different. When she heard that Jiang Sui wanted to start a business, she seemed excited and eager to try.

“Fourth sister-in-law, what kind of business do you want to start? Tell me now!”

When it came to business, Xiao Lanlan was no longer sleepy.

“I’m not kidding, I’m serious. Mom, Lanlan, what do you think of the hot and sour noodles I made tonight? Are they good?”

Jiang Sui looked at the mother and daughter expectantly.

In response, Xiao Lanlan slammed the table, making Mother Xiao jump in surprise.

“Okay, Fourth Sister-in-law, your hot and sour noodles are delicious, much better than those plain noodles in town. Their noodles don’t have any special flavors, they’re just enough to fill your stomach. They’re not as delicious as what we can make at home. I think your hot and sour noodles have great potential. You don’t just want to set up a stall to sell hot and sour noodles, do you?”

Xiao Lanlan said excitedly, her face glowing with enthusiasm.

As soon as she finished speaking, Mother Xiao couldn’t help but hit her shoulder, scolding her.

“You silly girl, you’re so jumpy, are you trying to scare your mother to death?”

Xiao Lanlan, after being hit, gave her mother an innocent, self-blaming smile.

“I’m really excited. No one in our family has ever run a business.”

The Xiao family had been farmers for generations, earning their living from the land. They were all honest people, and she had never heard of any of their ancestors doing business.

“That’s right, I just want to set up a stall to sell hot and sour noodles, so I’m asking for your opinion. You see, hot and sour noodles are not hard to make, and the cost is low. One hundred kilograms of sweet potatoes can make many bowls of sweet potato noodles.”

“According to the market price, a bowl of vegetarian noodles costs five cents, and adding meat costs eight cents. There’s not much meat or oil. Plus, noodles made from flour are more expensive than sweet potatoes, so the cost is relatively high. We can also sell vegetarian noodles, and if we add meat sauce, the price will go up. Not only can we make hot and sour noodles, but also dry mixed potato skins, which are mixed with peanut butter or sesame paste, and they’re really fragrant.” Jiang Sui briefly explained her idea.