"These potato noodles come in three flavors: original broth, golden broth with sour and spicy, and red oil with numbing and spicy. Whichever flavor you prefer."
The man looked troubled. "Why are there so many flavors? I don't know which one tastes good."
Aunt Feng'e said, "Every flavor here is delicious. Can you usually eat spicy food?"
"Yes, I love spicy food the most!"
"Why don't you try the spicy red oil flavor? It's our shop's signature flavor. It has our own secret recipe for chili oil. The taste is so good, I guarantee you'll love it at first bite."
After hearing Aunt Feng'e's description, the man's appetite was whetted. "Alright, then I'll have a bowl of spicy potato noodles."
Seeing the guest nod, Aunt Feng'e called out loudly inside, "Suyun, bring me a bowl of spicy red oil flavor."
After saying that, he quickly turned around and went to greet other customers with a smile.
The freshly cooked potato noodles were served, steaming hot. Aunt Suyun reminded her, "These potato noodles are still hot from the pot. Please wait a moment before eating. There are some homemade side dishes on the shelf next to you. You can try them."
The shelf that originally held skewers has been cleared out to hold some side dishes that Meng Zhao has pickled. Today's dishes include pickled green beans, spicy shredded radish, cold lotus root salad, and sweet and sour garlic.
The ingredients were all relatively inexpensive. Meng Zhao also asked a carpenter in the village to order a batch of small plates for her, which were only about three fingers wide and could only hold a little bit at a time. This way, even if someone wanted to take more, they wouldn't have the chance.
The diner first picked up two side dishes and then poured a cup of warm water, allowing the steam from the potato noodles to slowly dissipate.
I saw a large bowl, almost bigger than my face, about seven or eight tenths full, with various ingredients neatly arranged inside.
On the far right are several side dishes: fried peanuts, shredded bean curd sheets, shredded wood ear mushrooms, dried tofu, a handful of greens, and two round little meatballs.
These foods are all soaked in chili oil, making them look even more tempting. Some of the translucent potato noodles, cooked until they are almost transparent, are also faintly visible, covered with a lot of chili oil, making one's mouth water just looking at them.
He first stirred the ingredients in the bowl with his chopsticks, then picked up a mouthful of potato noodles and ate it eagerly.
By this time, the potato noodles had absorbed all the broth, becoming soft, tender, and bouncy. The moment they entered his mouth, he couldn't help but slurp them up.
Along with the potato noodles, he also tasted the rich, hot flavor. The noodles were still quite hot, which made his tongue sting slightly, and he instinctively hissed.
Aunt Suyun quickly said with concern, "Is it too spicy? How about I add a spoonful of soup for you? That might make it a little better."
The diner, still enjoying the unique pleasure brought by the spiciness, quickly waved his hand, saying, "No, no, I love this flavor. It's so satisfying to eat."
The spiciness stimulated him to break out in a slight sweat, and his body, which had been feeling a bit chilly, warmed up considerably, making him feel extremely comfortable. So he picked up the spoon again, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and put it in his mouth.
It was a flavor he had never tasted before, rich and fragrant with a touch of spiciness, unforgettable after just one taste.
The diner couldn't help but marvel inwardly. This shop looked unremarkable, but the food they made was surprisingly amazing. Not to mention anything else, even the side dishes were so refreshing and refreshing.
In no time, the shop was full of people eating potato noodles, and there weren't even any seats left for those who came later.
Aunt Feng'e no longer bothered to solicit customers, because the aroma of the potato noodles filled the air as soon as they came out of the pot, and people came as soon as they smelled it, so there was no need for her to greet them.
So they helped tidy up the tables so that they could quickly make room for the new customers. Aunt Suyun and Aunt Shuhua were also very busy. The two of them stayed in front of the stove and couldn't rest for a moment.
Li, the owner of a nearby bookstore, had already caught wind of the business, but there wasn't even a place to sit in Meng Zhao's shop, so he could only anxiously say, "Boss Meng, your business is too good! This shop is full, I can't even step inside."
Seeing this, Meng Zhao smiled apologetically and said, "We just launched a new dish, and many of our regular customers have come to support us. Manager Li, I know where your shop is. If you would like some, I can make it and have it delivered to you, okay?"
"Great, that's wonderful!" Manager Li's face lit up with joy upon hearing this.
Meng Zhao then introduced the flavors of the potato noodles. The shopkeeper and his wife were old and couldn't handle spicy food, so they ordered a bowl of original thick soup and a bowl of golden hot and sour soup. After paying, they slowly left the shop with their hands behind their backs.
Everyone in the shop has a job. Gu is busy washing and preparing vegetables and soup base at home, while Shen Yun runs back and forth between the shop and the courtyard, replenishing vegetables and taking the tableware used by customers back to the courtyard to wash. With so many people, there are always a few dishes to wash, so they have to be brought over immediately after washing.
So the delivery job was handed over to the siblings Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu. Fortunately, Meng Zhao had made preparations in advance. The shop had prepared two food boxes with grooves at the bottom, which were just right to fit her bowls.
It also has a lid, so it won't easily spill unless you throw it directly on the ground.
"You two know where Manager Li's bookstore is, right? It's not far, just around the corner. Remember to come back quickly after you deliver the items. Don't wander off. Be careful on the road. It's better to go slowly than to rush ahead, understand?"
Meng Zhao was still somewhat worried about her two children, so she could only try her best to give them more instructions.
The two nodded, very happy to be able to help their sister-in-law, and carefully each carried a food box out the door.
Usually, they would be busy until late afternoon, at which point the number of people would gradually decrease, allowing them to sit down and rest. But today they were busy until almost late afternoon, well past lunchtime, before the shop finally started to have empty seats.
Even so, people still come into the shop from time to time and ask, "Is this the potato noodle you sell? Give me a bowl."
The two children were also very busy. They had just run back with the food box when they packed two more bowls and went out again. Fortunately, most of the customers who were being delivered were from the surrounding area, or Meng Zhao would not have dared to let them deliver.
Just as the midday rush was over, and the group didn't even have a seat, dinner time arrived. After Meng Zhao sold all the braised meat she had prepared for the day, she started helping to make potato noodles.
Later, unable to hold on any longer, Meng Zhao simply hung a sign at the shop entrance saying that the potato noodles were sold out and to come back tomorrow.
However, many diners were illiterate and still came into the store to ask. Meng Zhao could only apologize and say, "I'm sorry, sir, we don't have enough ingredients. How about you come back in a couple of days? We will definitely prepare more for you then."
Seeing the man leave disappointed, Meng Zhao continued, "I'm really sorry, next time we'll prepare more in advance."
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