Chapter 621: Tasting

Liu Guifang quickly handed them chopsticks, "Son, why don't you try it and see how it tastes?"

"Old Yang, have a taste."

The father and son first tried the dough, then took a bite of the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger).

Liu Guifang looked at the father and son expectantly, "How does it taste?"

Yang Kai, still eating a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), nodded. "It's delicious."

"Old Yang, what do you think?" Liu Guifang naturally paid more attention to Instructor Yang's opinion.

"The taste is good."

Instructor Yang didn't say much, focusing on eating with his head down.

Soon, the father and son finished their bowls of cold noodles and their roujiamo (Chinese hamburger). As they drank their pumpkin porridge, Liu Guifang asked, "There are still cold noodles left, would you like some more?"

She knew the appetites of the father and son; this bowl probably wasn't enough to fill them up.

Neither of them mentioned wanting another bowl, probably because they assumed the noodles were bought, and naturally, each person only gets one serving of what they bought.

"Mom, is there anything else?" Yang Kai shook his head. "Mom, I'm full. You can have your share. Don't always try to save it for us."

Liu Guifang smiled and said, "I've already eaten. There's plenty more in the kitchen. If you want some, I'll make you another bowl."

"What do you mean? Mix it in a bowl too?"

Liu Guifang explained, "My mom made all the dough and roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) herself. I made a lot of them."

"What? Mom, you made this? How is this possible?"

Could his mother make such delicious glutinous rice noodles?

I remember his mother used to make glutinous rice noodles, but the taste was really not good, so she never made them again.

Upon hearing her words, Instructor Yang also raised his eyes in surprise.

Yang Kai didn't believe it, so he went to the kitchen to take a look. Sure enough, there were still a lot of uncut dough sheets on the plate on the cutting board, and gluten in the aluminum basin next to it.

There's also sauce in the bowl.

"Mom, did you really make this? Then make me another bowl, I want to eat more."

“My dad probably hasn’t had enough yet, so I’ll make him a bowl too.”

Liu Guifang quickly prepared another bowl of noodles for her husband and son, and had Yang Kai take it out.

After the father and son finished eating, they both gave her a thumbs up for her cooking skills.

The meals at home are usually quite monotonous, so this occasional change really whets the appetite.

Although it's not a fancy meal, the refreshing and delicious roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) with its light and refreshing dough has a unique flavor.

"Mom, why are your noodles suddenly so delicious? Did you practice making them all by yourself?" Yang Kai asked with a smile.

"I used to know how to make dough and steam it, but the sauce I made before wasn't very good, which affected the taste. A few days ago, your grandma wrote to me and sent me her sauce recipe."

Upon hearing Liu Guifang's explanation, Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, my grandmother is so generous?"

"Yes, I wrote to her asking for the sauce recipe, and she sent it to me."

Liu Guifang then spoke up, "Old Yang, Xiao Kai, I want to discuss something with you."

They had already eaten the noodles and given them very positive feedback. Liu Guifang had laid the groundwork enough and was ready to talk to them about serious matters.

She said, "I'm thinking of setting up a stall in the county town to sell 'tiao mianpi' (a type of cold noodle dish) and do some small business. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, both father and son looked at her in surprise.

"Set up a stall?"

"Yeah, I'm not working right now and I'm just staying home all day, which is a waste of time. Xiao Kai won't need me to pick him up or drop him off after school starts, so I want to find something to do and earn some money."

Liu Guifang was full of anticipation, but Instructor Yang was displeased, saying, "Just stay at home and don't set up a stall. What kind of military wife sets up a stall?"

His words infuriated Liu Guifang. "Old Yang, what do you mean? Are you looking down on street vendors? Why can't military wives set up stalls? Setting up a stall isn't illegal."

"Are you saying that all military spouses should have respectable jobs? Does that mean I, who am unemployed and stay at home, am inferior? How can you, as an instructor, say such a thing? Do you look down on working people like that?"

Instructor Yang scolded, "What do you mean by looking down on the working people? Don't misunderstand me."

“I don’t misunderstand you. I know you think that setting up a street stall is not a proper way of making a living. Only a stable job is respectable.”

Instructor Yang coughed lightly and explained, "I just think you've never done business before, and setting up a stall isn't that easy. You shouldn't bother with it."

"What's so difficult about that? I make all the dough at home, take it to the market to sell, and come back home when I'm done. It doesn't cost much. At worst, I'll earn a little less, but it can't possibly lose money."

It's just a bit tiring, but she was mentally prepared for that.

Making money is never easy.

Instructor Yang still did not support her setting up a stall, saying, "If you're really bored staying at home, go out and see if there's any suitable job you can find."

Liu Guifang sighed, "I've already looked for a job, but none of them are suitable for me. The supply and marketing cooperative I used to work for is basically gone now, and all my former colleagues are unemployed. You can't arrange a job for me, and after looking around, the most reliable thing for me is to start my own small business."

The only thing she can be proud of right now is her cooking skills.

If I don't make full use of my abilities, I'm afraid I'll really be a housewife for the rest of my life.

"Xiao Kai, you don't think I'm ashamed if I set up a stall outside, do you?" Liu Guifang felt a pang of sadness when she saw that her son also opposed her setting up a stall.

My son wouldn't... really feel ashamed, would he?

Meeting Liu Guifang's gaze, Yang Kai rolled his eyes. "Mom, what kind of talk is that? What's shameful about setting up a stall? I'm just worried you'll work too hard. You make it at home and then sell it at a stall. It sounds easy, but it takes a lot of physical strength. Your health isn't good, can you handle it? What if you can't keep going after two days and ruin your health?"

Instructor Yang spoke hesitantly, "My son is right. I share the same concerns as him. I didn't express myself clearly just now. Please don't misunderstand me."

"You'll support me as long as I can persevere?"

Liu Guifang looked at Lao Yang and patiently tried to persuade him, "How about this, I'll try it first. I'll make a little less each day and try selling it outside. After all, the flavor of this noodle roll is from my hometown. If it doesn't suit the taste of the people here, then I'll give up. If business is good, I'll continue making it."

"Our kitchen is so small, it's too much trouble for you to steam and roll out the dough. You shouldn't bother."

Liu Guifang could tell that Lao Yang's attitude seemed to be softening, so she quickly said, "Don't worry, I have a way, you don't need to worry about that."

Although we can't use the big iron pots like those back home, the key to steaming dough lies in the steaming process.

She can buy one of those small steamers, similar to those for steaming buns.

The kind with several floors.

If all else fails, she'll rent a small kitchen outside and make this exclusively.

Liu Guifang had made up her mind, and Instructor Yang was too lazy to interfere any further. He said, "Alright, you can do whatever you want. I still have a lot of work to do. I'm going to the army tonight to work overtime and won't be coming back."

Old Yang was about to leave when Liu Guifang caught up with him and asked, "By the way, when are Lu Ye and the others coming back? Xiao Bai and Yu Mei look visibly haggard these past few days; those two young wives are worried sick about them."

"Don't ask about work-related matters."

After finishing his speech, Instructor Yang returned to his unit.