Chapter 335: Chapter 322: Hot and Sour Rice Noodles

Translator: 549690339 |

Probably because they had been carefully selected for Zhuang Qingning, these sweet potatoes were large, uniformly shaped, and unblemished. They were impeccably clean after a simple rinse with water.

Next, they were grated.

A metal board with numerous holes drilled into it was used to grate the sweet potatoes. Then, the sweet potato was strained through a piece of cloth used for filtering tofu. This process was repeated several times until all of the starch in the sweet potato chunks had dissolved in the water. Left to settle for a day or two, the water above the settled starch was drained off, fresh water added, and the settling process repeated.

After doing this several times, all the water was cleared away, leaving the leftover starch that had settled at the bottom. This soft white starch was then dried under the sun until completely dry, then ground into a fine powder. This is what is now known as sweet potato starch.

Made into dough with an appropriate amount of water, the dough was beaten in a large colander with holes in it. As the dough fell through the holes, it formed elongated strips resembling noodles. These were then boiled in boiling water. Once cooked, they were cooled in cold water, then sun-dried on a rack, thereby becoming the bundles of glass noodles common in modern society. This process was more labor-intensive and time-consuming than making tofu. It took Zhuang Qingning three whole days to finish drying the glass noodles on the rack.

Luckily, with the sunny weather all day, the noodles were almost dry. Zhuang Qingning then began to prepare the chickens she had purchased from town.

Two chicken legs were made into mouth-watering chicken, the chicken breast was made into cat food for Snow Globe, and the rest was made into chicken soup.

In the delicious chicken soup, a chunk of cooked glass noodles was added, along with seasonings, peanuts, pickles, and the like, to make a clear soup noodle.

Zhuang Qingning invited Zhuang Yonghe’s family over for dinner that night. When the delicate and delicious dishes were served, she brought out these glass noodles last.

“Give it a try,” Zhuang Qingning said with a smile.

Zhuang Yonghe, Mrs. He, and others all tried a mouthful and couldn’t help but praise.

“Delicious,” Mrs. He nodded nonstop. “The soup is fresh, and the noodles are chewy. I’m telling you, Qingning, one bowl is not enough, I’ll need two.” “It’s a good thing Mingliang isn’t here. If he were, he’d need three bowls,” Zhuang Yonghe joked. Then he added, “But, delicious as it is, could it be a little too bland…?”

Zhuang Yonghe has always loved flavorful food. When they were poor and there was nothing good to eat, he would eat steamed cornbread with just a green onion and a green chili. Now that life is better, his home is always stocked with chili oil and the like. He always adds a spoonful of chili oil to dishes others find perfectly seasoned.

Having grown used to eating flavorful food, suddenly eating this clear soup, while delicious, made him feel like something was missing.

“Here, Uncle Yonghe, try this,” Zhuang Qingning brought another bowl of glass noodles from the kitchen.

This bowl of noodles, unlike the previous clear soup noodles, was just as fragrant but in a richer, heartier way, mixed with spicy and sour flavors. Its bright red color was mouthwatering.

Zhuang Yonghe’s eyes lit up at the sight. “Let me try this one.”

As he spoke, he took the bowl and started eating the glass noodles.

Before he even swallowed, he was already mumbling, “This is really good. I’ve never eaten anything so delicious. It’s sour and spicy, really satisfying!

Indeed, at the end of summer when the weather is still hot, having a bowl of these sour and spicy glass noodles is intensely flavorful. Eating a bowl makes you sweat, giving you an invigorating feeling and making you feel refreshed.

“This is how hot and sour glass noodles should taste,” Zhuang Qingning laughed. “Originally, I wanted to pair it with some kimchi. After eating the hot and sour noodles, having some refreshing kimchi would be a great palate cleanser, making the hot and sour glass noodles even more delicious.” “What we have is already incredibly delicious,” Zhuang Yonghe, who was constantly stuffing his mouth with hot and sour noodles, mumbled unintelligibly.

“In my opinion, if we sell these, I’m sure people will buy them like crazy. They’re incredibly delicious,” Zhuang Yonghe added.

“Do you think everyone else loves spicy food as much as you do? And besides, Qingning is already so busy, if she were to sell these, she’d be worn out,” Mrs. He rolled her eyes at her husband, who was only interested in making money. She picked up a piece of mouth-watering chicken and put it in Zhuang Qingning’s bowl. “You’re too thin. Eat more.”

“Remember to make the fish I brought you earlier. It’s great for soup. Paired with tofu, it’s incredibly fresh. If you don’t have time, I can make it for you.” But anything she could cook wouldn’t compare to the delicious dishes Zhuang Qingning made.

“Actually, I think Uncle Yonghe has a point. If it’s delicious, then we should sell it. Otherwise, it’s a waste,” Zhuang Qingning chuckled.

“I was just saying that offhand, don’t actually go making arrangements. As your aunt said, you’re already so busy, you might not be able to handle it,” Zhuang Yonghe advised.

In his daily life, he, a strong and robust man, often felt tired when he had more physical work to do. If he had more to worry about, he felt mentally tired. Zhuang Qingning had so many things to juggle and it was truly tough on her.

Zhuang Qingning knew of Zhuang Yonghe and Mrs. He’s concerns and laughed, “Don’t worry, Aunt and Uncle. Arranging to do this doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be the one doing it.”

“I’ve already thought about who to let operate this business.

Decided on someone?

Zhuang Yonghe and Mrs. He looked at each other.

No matter who it was, as long as they could help share some of Zhuang Qingning’s burdens, that would be good.

“Qingning, do you mean you want to sell this in the shop from now on? Mrs. Cao asked as she enjoyed the delicious clear soup and hot and sour noodles. “Yes, our shop isn’t big. Right now, everything is deliberately displayed, but it doesn’t occupy the entire shop. Might as well just occupy half, clear out the other half and put these things there.”

“The tables and benches will be outside, only for eating. If it’s cloudy or raining, we’ll move them inside. On bad weather days, there will be fewer people, so it won’t fully occupy the shop,” said Zhuang Qingning.

“Okay, that can be done,” Mrs. Cao nodded. “Those who come to eat noodles, if they prefer a stronger taste, there is this chili oil one, and if they prefer a more bland taste, there is this chicken soup one. Catering to both strong and bland tastes with these sweet potato glass noodles suitable for all ages is sure to be a good business.”

However…

If we add the sale of these hot and sour noodles to the existing tofu business, it will be hard to handle everything with just Zhang Qiuying and herself..