Xu Yufen glanced in that direction coldly: "Want to know? Why don't you go ask them?"
The women exchanged glances: "Hehe, she's an educated person, she's going to university."
"Pshaw, taking the college entrance exam? Is it really that easy to get into university?"
Several women made a few sarcastic remarks, then called out to Lin's mother in the field, "Aunt Lin, the brigade leader and the others are resting, let's rest for a while too!"
Upon hearing the sound, Xu Yufen merely glanced at the women and then picked up her hoe and left.
A bunch of gossipy women who only know how to talk their way out of things. Ji Xia left the countryside long ago and went to the big city.
The half-pot of sweet soup was finished in no time, and Ji Xia and Chen Jing returned to the Chen family home.
Chen's mother was catching chickens in the chicken coop in the backyard when she saw the chickens running around and the dogs jumping. Ji Xia called out, "Mom, catch a tender one, a tender one."
Chen's mother responded and caught a seven- or eight-month-old hen and killed it.
That evening, Ji Xia boiled a large pot of water and cooked the whole chicken until it was nine-tenths cooked, then removed the meat from the chicken.
Chicken head, chicken feet, chicken bones stewed with sand ginseng and Solomon's seal in soup; chicken meat shredded into strips, mixed with peanuts, cilantro and various seasonings in a cold salad.
Knowing that cold noodles were the most popular dish at noon, Ji Xia also made cold noodles at the Chen family's house in the evening. She also made jelly by mixing white jelly powder with boiling water, then cut it into small pieces, added seasonings, and mixed it into a cold dish.
After preparing the main course, she picked some vegetables from the backyard garden and made a refreshing vegetarian dish.
Crisp and tender smashed cucumbers, stir-fried water spinach, stir-fried pickled green beans with minced meat, and bok choy hearts with oyster sauce.
Five dishes and a soup, plus cold noodles and mung bean jelly, were served on the table. Captain Chen returned with his family of four.
The two children's faces were flushed red from the sun. When they saw Ji Xia, Xiao Hua called out shyly, "Second Aunt!"
"You're back. Wash your face and hands, and get ready for dinner."
Ji Xia smiled and placed a large bowl of chicken soup on the stone stool next to the table, setting out the bowls and chopsticks.
She went back to the kitchen and brought out a large plate of sliced watermelon.
After Captain Chen washed his face and hands, he wiped his sweat with a white towel. Ji Xia smiled and handed him a watermelon: "Dad, have a slice of watermelon to cool down. This watermelon has been soaked in cold water for half a day, it's very refreshing."
Captain Chen smiled slightly, and Chen Xiaoxu behind him couldn't help but cheer, "Watermelon? I want one too!"
"You're indispensable, little radish head."
Chen Jing patted his forehead and picked out the biggest piece for him: "Eat the biggest piece."
Chen Xiaoxu held the watermelon and grinned foolishly.
A group of people sat around a table eating watermelon and asking Ji Xia about her exam. Ji Xia spoke casually about the exam.
"This time the questions were relatively easy; I've basically finished them."
"The school also got the test paper and answers. I went back to school to estimate my score, and it should be okay. I'm pretty confident."
Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Chen and Xu Yufen asked, "So, you're going to be able to go to university this time?"
Ji Xia nodded: "It shouldn't be difficult. I'm applying to the Academy of Fine Arts, where the academic score requirement isn't high."
Xu Yufen looked at the two of them suspiciously: "Your academic scores aren't high? Does that mean it's easier to pass the exam?"
Chen Jing scoffed and tossed the watermelon rind into the bamboo basket beside him: "Who said that, sister-in-law? The major she applied for only admits eight people. You have to pass the exam in Beijing and then take it again in your place of residence. If you don't do well on the professional exam, passing the general exam won't help."
"We still have to go to the capital to take the exam!" Xu Yufen thought to herself, shaking her head as she realized they had been in the capital for several months.
Ji Xia explained, "I applied to the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts, so I have to go to Beijing. Actually, there are about ten art academies in China, and there is one in Guangzhou, so I can take the exam nearby."
Chen's mother didn't understand the distinction between professional and academic scores, but she knew that Ji Xia had a good chance of getting accepted, so she couldn't help but ask, "When can we expect to receive the acceptance letter?"
"Who cares when it will arrive? So many people across the country are taking the exam, and there's still the paper grading and university admissions to do. It'll take at least a month. Stop asking so many questions. If you pass the exam, you'll definitely arrive!"
He interrupted his wife's questioning and praised the cold noodles and jelly noodles highly. Hearing that the cold noodles were delicious, the others all went to eat them.
Chen Jing took out a few more bottles of beer from the living room and poured some for Captain Chen and Chen Zhang. The three of them drank and chatted about recent current events.
Xu Yufen stared thoughtfully at the cold noodles and dishes on the table. After eating half of them, she turned around and smiled, "Sister-in-law, did you make these dishes too?"
"Yes, it's hot in the summer, so I wanted something refreshing and made cold noodles and cold dishes."
"It's good, it's appetizing. I saw they were all eating it quite well. Do you think it would be profitable to sell this in the city?"
"You want to start a food business in the city?"
Xu Yufen looked helpless: "I don't know what to do either. The chestnuts are gone now, and there are more people selling roasted melon seeds and roasted peanuts, but business isn't very good. Even clothes, after an afternoon on the market, are far worse than last year."
"I was thinking, how about we make something to eat, like the cold dessert you made this afternoon? Cold noodles and cold dishes would be great in the summer. But, I wanted to ask for the recipe—" She looked a little embarrassed.
Ji Xia didn't pay much attention to the recipe; she just felt that of all the necessities of life—clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—making food was actually the most arduous and troublesome task.
Entering the food industry has a low barrier to entry; it doesn't require a high level of education. As long as you are hardworking and have some culinary skills, you can get in.
But becoming stronger and bigger is not so easy.
When it comes to the food business, you need to find the right niche first. If you're making breakfast, you have to get up at two or three in the morning to prepare. By six in the morning, when most people are still sleeping in, the breakfast shop has already been working for several hours.
We don't sell breakfast anymore. From lunch to late-night snacks, it's okay now. We usually close up shop around 8 or 9 pm. But in two or three years, the late-night snack time will be pushed back much further. If even one customer hasn't left, we can't close up shop until 2 or 3 am.
Working long hours and dealing with oil fumes, washing vegetables and dishes every day is no easy job.
In addition, food establishments also require a food safety license, and there are frequent inspections at the store to check fire safety, hygiene, and various other standards.
The standards may not be as strict now, but in this industry, the requirements are becoming stricter year by year.
However, considering Xu Yufen and Chen Zhang's educational level and personal funds, food, clothing, housing and transportation were the easiest to enter the food industry.
She hesitated for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law, you want recipes? That's easy. I can write down at least a few dozen recipes for you from memory."
"But have you thought it through? What do you plan to do? Where do you plan to do it? Who is your target customer group? How will you do it?"
Xu Yufen stared at her in surprise: "Do you have to think so much? I just wanted to ask for your opinion. Things like cold noodles, cold dishes, and afternoon dessert soup are all pretty good. They should be able to be sold in the city, right?"
"Sister-in-law, how can you do business without considering these things?"
Chen Jing, holding a half-empty glass of beer, turned around and asked, "Then let me ask you, where in the commune do you plan to sell? At the entrance of the middle and primary schools? Or outside the movie theater? Will you sell noodles or sweet soup? And who will you sell to?"
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