Chapter 28 Sweet Potato Noodle Culinary Project Completed +1

Madam Hu immediately put on a beaming smile and said, "I knew it, Ayao is the most sensible. I've watched her grow up..."

Lin Yao interrupted Hu Shi's rambling without any politeness, and said bluntly, "We can do without this money, but my aunt's family must return all of my mother's dowry, as well as the dowry my father originally prepared for me, and the two acres of land that belong to my family!"

Lin Desheng never expected his cousin to be so biased. Not only did he seize other people's land during the family division, but he also took his sister-in-law's and niece's dowries.

Liu Dazhuang had intended to return the bowl containing the braised pig offal to Lin Cheng's family, but as he stepped out of his house, he saw a group of people gathered outside Lin Cheng's house. He hurried over and overheard Lin Yao's words. Surprised, he blurted out, "This isn't a family division, it's practically bandits ransacking the house!"

For farmers, land is their lifeline, and everyone present deeply abhorred the act of seizing land. Liu Dazhuang's words were blunt, and the surrounding neighbors nodded in agreement, sparking another round of discussion.

"That's exactly right! How can you divide a family property and then seize someone else's land and dowry? That's no different from being a bandit!"

"That's right, the eldest branch of the Lin family has gone too far, bullying these children who have no parents. It's truly outrageous."

Lin Demao's face turned bright red. He had never expected Lin Yao to make such a request. He was both angry and annoyed, but for a moment he didn't know how to refute her.

Lin Desheng didn't want to get involved any further, so he said, "Mrs. Hu, just do as Ayao says. You've already gained an advantage this way. Demao, what do you think of this approach?"

Hu wanted to argue a bit more, but Lin Demao didn't want to stay there and be pointed at, so he nodded repeatedly and said, "I'll listen to my cousin!" Since Lin Demao had said so, Hu couldn't insist any further and had to go back to get the dowry and land deeds for Lin Yao and her daughter.

Seeing that the matter had been resolved, everyone dispersed and went home.

Lin Desheng watched Hu Shi and Lin Demao's hurried departure, then looked away and noticed that Lin Cheng and his two siblings had red foreheads. He couldn't help but sigh, "If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just tell me. Although I'm getting old, I can still help you out." He paused, then continued, "Your grandfather is confused, and your grandmother can't make decisions either, but don't blame her. It was she who came to me today that I found out your grandfather was making things difficult for you again."

The three siblings nodded obediently. In Lin Yao's memory, Zhu was a taciturn woman who would often secretly slip them some food. But she hadn't seen her since the family divided their property.

Not long after, Madam Hu returned with two boxes of dowry and land deeds. She felt a pang of heartache; Madam Jia was the only daughter in the family, and her dowry alone included five silver hairpins and a gold longevity lock, not to mention the fabrics, combs, and other items given by her family. Ye Lao Er also doted on his daughter, and since she was still young, he had made her two silver hairpins and a silver bracelet.

Madam Hu had originally planned to use these items to help her son find a wife, but now she hadn't succeeded and was even branded as having stolen her younger brother's and niece's dowry, losing both face and substance. Reluctantly, she returned the items to Lin Cheng's family, saying irritably, "The items are all here; from now on, this debt is considered settled!"

Lin Yao opened the box and checked it over. After confirming that the contents were the same as she remembered, she said, "Of course. From now on, we'll go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other."

After thanking Lin Desheng, she turned and went back into the house with Lin Cheng and Lin Song. "Ayao, are you alright?" Lin Cheng asked with concern as soon as they entered the house.

"It's nothing, just a few kowtows." Lin Yao smiled and patted Lin Song's head. "How is Song'er?"

"Song'er is fine!" Lin Song replied crisply.

Lin Yao knew her brother was puzzled, so she explained before he could speak: "We can't hide our business dealings. The reason I did this today is firstly to let everyone know what the eldest branch of the Lin family and Grandpa have done to us, to let everyone know their true colors. If they try to take advantage of us again in the future, they'll be drowned in spittle."

Lin Yao handed the towel to Lin Song and continued, "Secondly, it will make us appear to be in a vulnerable position. People sympathize with the weak, so in the short term, no one will be envious of the money our food stall makes; they will only think that the three of us siblings are struggling. Thirdly, we can take this opportunity to reclaim what rightfully belongs to us."

She knew all too well how terrible jealousy could be. If everyone was dirt poor, perhaps they could live in peace, but once someone started doing well, there would always be someone envious and jealous. She always assumed the worst about people's hearts, and the human heart is fragile and fickle, unable to withstand the slightest turmoil or test.

Hearing his sister's words, Lin Cheng felt guilty and heartbroken. He said, "Ayao, I've made you suffer by following me."

After tidying up their things, the brother and sister also calmed down. Lin Cheng peeled the konjac and threw it into the stone mill.

Lin Yao led the donkey to the stone mill, blindfolded it, put a rope on it, and said, "From now on, this is your job! 10 am to 5 pm, two-hour lunch break, four days on, three days off, food and lodging included. This is a job that many donkeys would love to do!"

Lin Cheng watched his sister muttering to herself as she followed behind the donkey and couldn't help but find it amusing. He asked, "What are you whispering to the donkey?"

"Make it work hard, and give it extra food if it does a good job!" Lin Yao replied as she went to get the sweet potato flour. She had caused quite a scene today, getting back the original owner's and her mother's dowry, and even reclaiming two acres of land; she deserved a good celebration.

Lin Yao made sweet potato starch not only to replace regular starch, but more importantly, to make hot and sour noodles! Just thinking about the tangy, refreshing, and irresistible taste of hot and sour noodles made Lin Yao's mouth water.

Lin Yao scooped out a large spoonful of sweet potato starch and put it into a clean bowl. Then, she picked up a water ladle and slowly added water to the bowl in small amounts several times, while stirring constantly with her other hand. As water was added, the originally dry starch gradually became moistened and slowly turned into a thick starch paste. Lin Yao scooped up some of the sweet potato starch paste and poured it down. Seeing that the paste flowed naturally without breaking apart, she knew she had succeeded.

Next, simply put the paste into a strainer and let it drip from the small holes into the pot; the sweet potato noodles will then be basically formed. Lin Yao suddenly slapped her forehead—she didn't have a strainer. In that case, she would have to steam the whole block of paste first, then cut it into thin strips. The noodles made this way might not look as good, but the taste probably wouldn't be too different.

After making up her mind, Lin Yao began scooping water into the pot. Just as she saw the water ladle on the water, a sudden inspiration struck her. Since the water ladle was made of gourd, if she drilled some holes in it, wouldn't it be just like a colander?

Without further ado, Lin Yao told Lin Cheng what she wanted and then ran off to boil water. Although Lin Cheng didn't know what his sister was thinking about, the water ladle was made of gourd, and there were plenty of gourds in the mountains; he could always go up the mountain and get a few more.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Cheng had finished making the strainer.

Lin Yao took the strainer, finding it very comfortable to hold. Although it was a modified water ladle, Lin Cheng's skillful hands had polished the edges of the gourd until they were smooth and even, and each hole was of uniform size. It looked very pleasing to the eye, and she couldn't help but praise, "Brother, your craftsmanship is truly excellent!"

She poured the starch paste into a strainer, and the paste fell one after another through the small holes, instantly solidifying in the steaming boiling water, turning into thin, translucent noodles that tumbled and jumped in the pot.

Lin Cheng watched from the side and asked in surprise, "Ayao, did you make vermicelli?"

“Yes! This is called sweet potato starch. After cooking, it can be dried, which makes it easy to store. When you want to eat it, just take it out and cook it, whether you boil it or stir-fry it, it’s especially delicious.” Lin Yao patiently explained to Lin Cheng as she methodically scooped the starch liquid from the strainer and watched it solidify in the pot. “And when you make hot and sour noodles with it, the taste is completely different from the meat-stuffed noodles or topping noodles you get outside!”

Lin Yao set aside a portion of the sweet potato starch she would be eating that day, and soaked the rest in cold water. After cooling, she dried it in the sun. Dried sweet potato starch can be stored for a long time without spoiling.

Over here, Lin Cheng had already chopped the cilantro and wild onions, and crushed the dogwood. Lin Yao took the ingredients and began to prepare the sauce for the hot and sour noodles. She first put the crushed dogwood into a bowl, added an appropriate amount of vinegar and salt, and stirred well. The aroma of dogwood instantly filled the air, perfectly blending with the sourness of the vinegar to create a unique hot and sour fragrance.

Lin Song, who was leaning against the stove, couldn't help but swallow hard.

Lin Yao placed the chopped cilantro and wild scallions into three bowls, then added a large spoonful of dogwood vinegar to Lin Cheng's bowl, and a generous amount to her own as well. Finally, she added a little to Lin Song's bowl to enhance the aroma, and then ladled some broth from the pot. The moment the hot broth touched the ingredients, the aroma of cilantro and wild scallions intertwined with the sour and spicy flavors, greatly stimulating the appetite.

Without Lin Yao's prompting, Lin Cheng and Lin Song took their bowls of noodles and sat down, immediately stirring them. Lin Cheng took a bite first, the sour and spicy flavor instantly stimulating his taste buds. "Yao, will you be selling these noodles at the stall tomorrow?"

While stirring the hot and sour noodles, Lin Yao said, "We sell them, but not at our stall!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Cheng put down his chopsticks. "How is this sold?"

“This time we’re going to be suppliers! I walked around town a few days ago and found there are so many noodle stalls. I was thinking, if we could promote this unique sweet potato flour and get all the noodle stalls in town to use our sweet potato flour, wouldn’t we be rolling in money?” Lin Yao was overjoyed at the thought.

She continued, "But we need to change the name of this noodle. If we just call it sweet potato noodles, the ingredients are obvious, and someone might figure out how to make it. How about... we call it crystal noodles!"

Lin Cheng was stunned. He almost wanted to crack open Lin Yao's head to see why, even though they were born of the same mother, his sister was so intelligent while he only knew how to follow her around busily. But it didn't matter. Although he didn't have his sister's brains, he had plenty of strength. He would just do whatever his sister said.

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Author's Note: Writing takes effort, could you please add this to your favorites? [starry-eyed emoji]