Gu went to deliver food to Shen Qinghe. When she arrived at the stall, the lunch market had just opened and there weren't many people yet.
"Young lady, what do you recommend today?"
"You can try this potato and eggplant stew. Although it's all vegetarian, it's stewed for a long time, so it's very soft and tender. It goes really well with rice."
"And this shredded pork with garlic sauce is fresh, spicy, salty, and fragrant. One bite and the rich sauce will make you love it."
"Okay, just give me whatever you think is good. Anyway, there's nothing on your stall that I don't like."
"Okay, it's all served to you. Here you go." Meng Zhao didn't skimp on the portions; each boxed meal was filled to the brim, making them look very appealing.
After Madam Gu arrived, the group took turns eating when they weren't busy.
Place the chopped cold noodles, gluten, and cucumber strips in a bowl, pour over the garlic water sauce and the secret-recipe chili oil, and finally add a small handful of peanuts, and you're all done.
Give Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu a pair of chopsticks each and let them mix it themselves. The translucent dough is covered with sauce and exudes a rich aroma.
Because the ingredients had been soaked in cold water, the bowl still felt slightly cool to the touch.
The two of them couldn't wait any longer, so they picked up a big mouthful and put it in their mouths.
My first impression after importing it was how smooth it was. It had a completely different texture from noodles, being slippery and chewy.
Pick up another piece of gluten, and before you even bite into it, just a gentle sip and the sauce bursts in your mouth—refreshing and not greasy at all.
"Sister-in-law, this cold skin noodles are so delicious, and this gluten is especially good too."
"Sister-in-law, I just had a sip of soup, it's so cool and refreshing."
The two children ate a little too quickly, and their mouths got a ring of red oil on them. Meng Zhao found it amusing and picked up a handkerchief to wipe their mouths.
"Even if it's delicious, you have to eat slowly. Look at you two, you're practically covered in graffiti."
Some familiar diners nearby were curious when they saw this, "Boss Meng, what are you eating? Why is it still cold?"
"This is a new dish I developed called Liangpi (cold skin noodles). It's a type of noodle dish, but it's more refreshing and perfect for summer."
Seeing the two little kids eating so heartily, a customer next to them swallowed hard and asked, "Boss Meng, do you sell this cold noodle dish?"
Meng Zhao was taken aback. She hadn't prepared for this. Their daily workload was already heavy enough. If they added food to the meal, they would be even busier.
Moreover, making liangpi (cold skin noodles) is quite complicated and requires a lot of manpower; it's not something you can just do on a whim.
Seeing Meng Zhao hesitate, the person next to him quickly said, "Please sit down, Mr. Meng. It would be fine if you ate at home, but we saw it and couldn't eat it. How can we be satisfied with that?"
"It's Mr. Meng. You said that cold noodles are best eaten in summer. Isn't this the perfect time?"
Meng Zhao has been running this stall for over two months. Some of her regular customers have become familiar with her and are now offering her advice.
After thinking for a while, Meng Zhao still felt that this was feasible, but more preparations were needed. "Okay, let's do it, but we need to prepare first. It may be a couple of days before we can start selling."
"Great! I'll be waiting to eat Boss Meng's cold noodles."
"Me too, me too. It's made by Boss Meng, so it must taste amazing."
On the way back after packing up, Meng Zhao thought about it carefully again. Although this was feasible, it would be too tiring for just her and Gu Shi to do it. The best solution was to hire another person.
The first person she thought of was Aunt Feng'e. In the past, whenever she was unable to set up her stall due to something, she would ask Aunt Feng'e for help.
Moreover, these days, because I often borrow her stone mill and also buy vegetables from her, the relationship between the two families has become much closer.
After having the idea, she told Madam Gu about it, and Madam Gu agreed.
“Sister-in-law Feng’e is a good person. We used to work together a lot when we were working together. She is quick and efficient and has a kind heart. It would be best if she could come.”
When they returned to the village in the afternoon, Aunt Feng'e happened to come over to deliver eggs, so Meng Zhao asked her to stay.
"Auntie, we're planning to add a new food item to our stall these next few days, but my mother and I might not be able to handle it all by ourselves. So we were wondering if you would be willing to work at our stall?"
Aunt Feng'e looked surprised. "Really, Zhao Zhao? Of course I'd love to. It would be wonderful if I could come here with you."
Since being fired from the tailor shop, Aunt Feng'e has not been able to find a long-term job and has been doing odd jobs here and there. But this is not a long-term solution. Her family is short of money and her two sons cannot find wives. She is worried all the time. If she could come to Meng Zhao's place, that would be the best thing.
Meng Zhao figured that Aunt Feng'e wouldn't refuse, so he told her about the salary and benefits.
"Auntie, for your first month here, I'll pay you 50 coins a day. From the second month onwards, it will be 60 coins a day. You'll have three days off each month, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. Since you'll be resting early in the afternoon, I won't be providing dinner."
"Oh my Zhaozhao, I'm not worth that much money."
Zhao Zhao had delivered food to their family several times because she needed to use the stone mill, and she knew Zhao Zhao was a generous person.
She had only asked her for help before, and she had given her thirty coins for pulling the cart to the county to get a meal. But she felt sorry for her family, who worked so hard to earn money, and couldn't just spend it like that.
“Aunt Feng’e, I believe that you will repay me for whatever I put in. As long as you work hard in the future, I will give you a raise.”
Meng Zhao had worked as a laborer and knew the hardships of laborers. Even after becoming a small business owner, he never exploited his employees.
Besides, how much a person is paid depends on how much value they can create for her. She felt that selling cold noodles had a good future, and hiring someone would allow her to earn more money, which was worthwhile. But what seemed like an ordinary thing to her made Aunt Feng'e very excited.
"Don't worry, Zhao Zhao, I will definitely do my best for you."
Meng Zhao gave her a detailed reminder of the precautions, and Aunt Feng'e readily agreed. The two agreed to start working tomorrow, and Aunt Feng'e left happily.
Even Meng Zhao herself didn't expect that she would be so decisive. The decision she made at noon will be implemented tomorrow. Recalling the days when she was known as the "King of Procrastination," she realized that her phone had really ruined her life.
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