Chapter 18, Inn No. 18: Bowl Cake and Cold Noodles
Zhang Lin ate five green rice dumplings in one go until he couldn't eat anymore. He patted his stomach and asked, "Miss Yun, can I eat more tomorrow?"
"These qingtuan are not only soft and chewy, but also very sweet. I remember the last time I ate sweets was when I was a child, and I haven't eaten them since."
"You can eat it whenever you want these next few days," Yunyin said, looking at his still unsatisfied face. "If you want something sweet, you can buy candy tomorrow. I saw someone selling maltose in town, and that's very sweet too."
"Is it okay?" Zhang Lin looked at Yun Yin expectantly.
“Of course you can. Maltose isn’t expensive, so you can buy more,” Yunyin said. “I can use the leftovers to make kimchi.”
After talking with him, Yunyin checked the field where he had already sown seeds and asked, "Have all the seeds been planted?"
Zhang Lin patted his butt and stood up, saying, "I didn't clear enough land, so I planted a little of each kind. After I clear some more land, I can plant the remaining seeds."
Yunyin nodded and said, "Okay, I know. Thank you for your hard work."
She helped Zhang Lin fetch water to water the fields. By the time all the fields were watered, it was already getting dark. Yunyin looked at the fermenting farmyard manure, which would take about half a month to fully decompose. She couldn't fertilize it now and could only wait until half a month later.
Without base fertilizer, the vegetables might not grow as well, but there's nothing that can be done about it. Fortunately, the land Zhang Lin chose is quite fertile, considered top-quality land. Applying fertilizer once in half a month won't be too late.
After packing everything up and having dinner, the day passed by in the midst of their busy schedules.
Yunyin has been very busy these past two days. She not only made mushroom sauce for Luoman, but also made some extra to keep on hand. As for the green rice dumplings she sent to Luoman, she liked them very much and ordered some from her, planning to sell them in the shop.
Yunyin didn't expect to receive an extra order. She heard that Luo Niangzi originally planned to close her shop during the Cold Food Festival. In the past, they would close their shop for the Cold Food Festival because they couldn't cook and everyone would make do with cold noodles at home, so there was no need for them to open their shop.
However, after eating the green rice dumplings that Yunyin gave her, she felt that this snack was very suitable for sale during the Cold Food Festival. Not only did the town plan to sell it, but the county also planned to sell this snack.
Hearing about her plan, Yunyin felt that she definitely couldn't do that much by herself, so she simply brought the finished bowl cakes and cold noodles with her to discuss business.
When we arrived in town, many food stalls had already closed. The day after tomorrow was the Cold Food Festival, and they needed to prepare food for the festival. They wouldn't cook after that until the Cold Food Festival was over.
The Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival are considered quite important festivals in Dazhao. Since the Cold Food Festival is two days before Qingming, the two festivals are celebrated together. In addition to eating cold food, it is also a time for people to sweep tombs, offer sacrifices, and go on spring outings.
When Yunyin arrived at Luo Niangzi's restaurant with her things, she happened to run into Song Shi, who was out for a spring outing. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Young Master Song, are you finally able to leave the city?"
When Song Shi saw Yun Yin, he was also delighted and said, "What a coincidence, Lady Yun! We're on leave, so we came out of the city to play. What brings you here, Lady Yun?"
Yunyin handed him a food box and said, "Since you're here, please have some green rice dumplings."
Looking at its vibrant green color, Song Shi said, "It looks delicious."
He took one and put it in his mouth, his eyes slightly narrowed, and said with delight, "It's really delicious. The outer skin is soft and chewy but not sticky, and you can feel a slight elasticity when you chew it. The red bean filling inside is sweet but not greasy, and the texture is very delicate."
He praised repeatedly, "Miss Yun's cooking skills are excellent. It would be even more delicious with a cup of tea at this time."
When Luo Man arrived, she saw the two talking about food. She laughed and said, "Sister, you're here. I also have something to discuss with you. Zhang Lin couldn't explain it clearly when he came before. Now that you're here, we can discuss it too."
She had someone bring out a stove, put the tea on it to boil, and added salt, ginger, and other seasonings. She then invited Yunyin, saying, "Sister, please sit down. Let's have some tea and talk."
The tea in Dazhao is quite different from the tea we drink today. It is more like the way tea was consumed in the Tang Dynasty. As Yunyin drank this tea with added seasonings, she suddenly realized that milk tea might have been very popular in this era as well.
However, she doesn't have the energy to make milk tea right now. Once she saves up ten strings of cash, she can buy that valley and perhaps raise some cows. That way, she can make dairy products with the milk, and she can make milk tea whenever she wants. Even sweets can be made.
As Yunyin pondered this while sipping her tea, she was pulled back to reality by Luo Man's question and replied, "Sister Aman, I was just about to tell you about this. I brought some food with me; you can try it. If you like it, you can sell it during the Cold Food Festival."
Yunyin took out the liangpi (cold skin noodles) and puzi gao (boiled rice cake) from another food box and introduced them to her, saying, "Liangpi and puzi gao can both be eaten cold."
The cold noodles didn't surprise Luo Man, but the crystal-clear bowl cake immediately caught her attention. Luo Man poked one with a bamboo skewer from the plate, and the trembling bowl cake, like amber, revealed the red beans inside.
She put it in her mouth and savored it carefully. The texture was chewy and refreshing, soft and glutinous, and the sweet aroma of red beans filled her mouth. One bite left her with an unforgettable aftertaste.
Luo Man looked at the bowl-shaped rice cakes on the plate and said, "This snack is quite unique."
Yunyin smiled and said, "I made red bean ones, but I can also make mung bean ones, fruit ones, and flower ones, such as osmanthus and peach blossom ones."
After finishing a piece of bowl-shaped rice cake, Luo Man saw Song Shi enjoying a bowl of cold noodles. As he ate, he praised, "Aman, try this cold noodle. It's very refreshing, the sesame sauce is very rich, and the saltiness is just right. It's delicious."
Luo Man heard his praise and took a bowl to try. She finished the bowl of cold noodles in no time. She wiped her mouth and said, "The taste is indeed good, but I still prefer green rice dumplings and bowl cakes."
Seeing that Luo Man liked it, Yun Yin nodded slightly and said, "I wonder if Madam Luo thinks these kinds of foods are suitable for cooperation with you. I can teach you the methods, and we can split the profits after you sell them."
"How would you like to split the profits, young lady?"
Yunyin said, "What do you think of a 30% profit margin, Sister Aman? Apart from qingtuan, which is seasonal, other dishes like bowl cakes and cold noodles can be sold year-round. They're not just for the Cold Food Festival."
After thinking it over for a while, Luo Man said, "A 30% profit is acceptable. You're a fair person, so I'll agree. Let's settle on this."
Yunyin went to the kitchen with Luoman. She took out the things she had brought and taught Luoman how to make bowl-shaped rice cakes and cold noodles.
The method for making qingtuan is very simple, it only requires adding mugwort leaves, which she brought along as well. The steps for making pu-zai gao (钵仔糕) and liangpi (凉皮) are more complicated, so this time she used wheat starch and glutinous rice flour directly. As for making the wheat starch, she also taught Luo Man to do it, so their shop can make it directly in the future. Their shop has many people, and they can handle the washing of the dough. Yunyin can also buy wheat starch from her, so she doesn't have to bother washing the dough herself.
Looking at the steamed rice cakes in the pot, Yunyin nodded and said, "Madam Luo, we need to have someone make a batch of small bowls for the rice cakes. This big bowl is still too big."
Looking at the freshly baked bowl cakes, Luo Man said, "I know, I'll go and have someone buy some later. Thank you so much, sister. Let's go sign the contract."
Yunyin washed her hands and followed Luoman back to her study. She looked at the contract Luoman had written, confirmed that there were no problems, signed both of their names, and had Song Shi witness the signing. Each of them kept a copy.
After finishing their business, Yunyin brought up the matter of the bandits again. She said to Luo Man, "So that Madam Luo knows, there has been progress in the matter of the bandits, and it should be resolved before the Cold Food Festival."
Upon hearing their conversation, Song Shi quickly said, "Oh dear, I also wanted to tell Lady Luo this news today. County Magistrate Zhou arrested a lot of people and brought them into the city. I heard they were bandits who robbed people on the road earlier. After the Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival, the county government will sentence them. You don't need to worry."
Yunyin was surprised that all the bandits had been captured today; it seemed Zhou Chang and his men had acted quite quickly. Listening to Song Shi recount the capture, she felt a sense of relief; it seemed the bandits were indeed dealt with, otherwise Song Shi wouldn't have been able to leave the city.
Having learned about the bandits and signed the contract with Luo Man, Yun Yin prepared to take her leave. She said to Song Shi, who was still drinking tea and eating snacks and occasionally exchanging a few words with Luo Man, "Young Master Song, please continue eating. I'll be going now."
Song Shi waved his hand and said, "Take care, and don't bother seeing me off. Let's have tea and chat again next time."
Yunyin watched him chase after Luo Man, shook her head, and turned to leave.
With the bandits dealt with by the county magistrate, the area around Long'an County returned to normal safety, and caravans began to travel on the official road again.
Yunyin also reopened her shop, which had been forced to close after only one day of operation. She even put up a sign by the official road that read "Special Offer for Cold Food Festival" and included pictures of qingtuan (green rice dumplings), bowl cakes, and liangpi (cold skin noodles) so that passersby could see it at a glance.
When passing caravans saw the signs on the pipes, some people would be attracted. They saw that the signs said "Bowl Cake" was 1 coin each and "Green Rice Dumpling" was 2 coin each. The prices were very cheap, and the pictures were so lifelike that they made people's mouths water. Many people would send someone to buy a serving to try.
Yunyin and Zhang Lin also got busy. For items that needed to be packed, Yunyin wrapped them in oil paper and asked Zhang Lin to help deliver them. She was responsible for the food that came to the restaurant.
As for the cold noodles, Yunyin needs to mix them herself, as Zhang Lin can't do it yet. After she teaches him for a while, he will be able to take charge of mixing the cold noodles.
With the arrival of the Cold Food Festival, restaurants near Long'an County have closed down, but the special Cold Food Festival foods sold by Yunyin are very popular. Although the price is cheap, the cost is also not high. Apart from the sugar being a bit expensive, the other costs are reasonable. It turns out that they can make a profit of one copper coin for two bowl-shaped cakes.
Each customer buying bowl-shaped rice cakes would buy ten or more at a time, and caravans bought even more. Fortunately, Yunyin had prepared in advance and made plenty. By the time the Cold Food Festival was over, Yunyin's bowl-shaped rice cakes and green rice dumplings were all sold out, and even the cold noodles were completely gone. Many customers said they wanted to be able to eat these foods even after the Cold Food Festival.
Yunyin naturally agreed to their request. Apart from the green rice dumplings, which could be eaten for more than a month, the other food items could be sold for a long time.
After seeing off the last group of guests, Yunyin patted her waist and took out a large pile of copper coins to count.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
