Chapter 191 Tips for Growing Friendships - Drunken Fragrant Rice Noodles
Yu Anan was the first person to make a living by popcorn machines, but he was not the last. There were far too many people in this world who had nowhere else to turn. Even though Yao Xiaoyu set a threshold, all the popcorn machines were sold out within three days, and a new trade appeared on the streets of Shanghai.
"Popcorn!"
Yao Xiaoyu followed the hawking sounds and saw a vendor doing business with a child. Behind her, there was a popcorn machine and some odds and ends in a basket. A baby was tightly tied in front of her, with only half of the baby's face showing. The baby was not affected by the outside noise and was still sleeping soundly.
How much is this?
Yao Xiaoyu leaned over and asked with great interest. After looking at the first few people who applied for the popcorn machine, she lost interest in scanning them one by one. As long as there were no major problems, she approved them directly. To ensure that Yao Xiaoyu's popcorn machine would not be sold off directly, the employees had to vouch for the people they brought.
"Rice and corn are priced the same, one copper coin per serving."
As the vendor spoke, he pulled out a bamboo tube from somewhere. Before Yao Xiaoyu could react, two popcorn kernels and a dozen or so rice kernels appeared in her hand.
"If you feel it's not sweet enough, you can add sugar, but sugar will cost extra, two copper coins per serving."
This price isn't cheap; it's specifically for generous people who don't want to put in the effort but are willing to spend money. If you want to save on this expense, it's simple: just bring your own sugar. Some people who are very shrewd even bring their own rice and corn, and pay the processing fee with the grain.
"One serving of rice, one serving of corn."
Yao Xiaoyu took out six copper coins and handed them over. While watching the leaping flames, she chatted with the vendor. She originally wanted to confirm the source of the popcorn machine, but ended up listening to his effusive praise for her for the entire popcorn popping time.
"...If it weren't for that kind young woman, I would have already settled down in the mass grave..."
The vendor was telling the truth. When Liu Zhi, the washerwoman, came looking for her, she was so hungry she couldn't get up. If she had been any later, no, even half a day later, she would have had to go see the Earth Goddess.
Even after Liu Zhi fed her and her child rice porridge, saving their lives, the vendor never thought she could survive—a widow and her child, barely any strength left, where could she possibly find a way out? She might as well just die, at least she could die with a full stomach.
The willow branch saved her life temporarily, but the popcorn machine saved her life forever.
...
Leisurely days always pass in the blink of an eye. Yao Xiaoyu retrieved the popcorn machine that the blacksmiths had rushed to finish and distributed it. Then she hurriedly began to work on her manuscript. The time spent wandering around was too wonderful. Before she knew it, the deadline was fast approaching.
Fortunately, Yao Xiaoyu's outline wasn't just for show. Working day and night, she pulled out a lot of hair and her mental state wasn't great, but she still managed to submit the manuscript by the deadline. However, she didn't give Pi Xiukang any time to review it. One second she would hand the manuscript to the editor through the crack in the door, and the next second she would turn around, go upstairs to her room, and fall asleep immediately.
Pi Xiukang, who hadn't even had a chance to say a word: ...
Garlic Bird, as long as you can submit your manuscript on time, that's fine.
Pi Xiukang didn't rush back to the editorial office after receiving the manuscript. Instead, he found a well-lit spot in a nearby teahouse, ordered a pot of tea, and began reading. Back home, the manuscript would have priority access to Editor-in-Chief Bei, and he didn't want to rack his brains trying to guess what would happen next, so he decided to finish reading it first before going back.
Last time, Yao Xiaoyu's ending was stuck on the meeting of the three main characters, leaving Pi Xiukang in a state of agonizing anticipation. This time, the opening is not gentle either. Adhering to the principle that the progress of friendship should involve experiencing some things quickly, Yao Xiaoyu directly presented a crime scene!
A couple eating in a restaurant suddenly died with blood flowing from all seven orifices. Because of their powerful identities, their large bodyguard team used overwhelming force to subdue all suspects, threatening them to either find the real killer or pay with their lives for their employer.
Fang Sanya, who arrived at the restaurant early to serve, Lang Xingqiao, who came to eat early on a whim, who wanted to quickly fill his stomach while there were fewer people, and then go back to read and recharge himself, Feng Xiaoman, who wanted to play the role of Feng Guozhang well, a few international students who really loved learning, and some other miscellaneous people, were all among the first batch of key suspects.
Yao Xiaoyu wasn't worried that her writing would be abrupt; compared to others who would stop at nothing to increase sales, her writing was quite restrained.
Since the rise of newspaper articles, detective novels have remained popular. People may lie, but the flow of money cannot be faked. So now, no matter what story is in a newspaper or magazine, some crime-solving plots will be added. Some well-written stories will even be rewritten as detective novels.
Just as she expected, when Pi Xiukang discovered that the three main characters were caught up in a time-limited situation where they would die if they didn't find out the truth, she was only briefly surprised before smoothly accepting the premise and enthusiastically began to guess who the murderer was based on the clues in the premise.
The woman wearing the jade bracelet seems somewhat suspicious, and the man in the suit is also a possibility. Although the old woman is weaker, she can't be said to be completely without suspicion...
As Pi Xiukang watched the friendship between the three girls progress rapidly in the case, he felt both pleased and increasingly curious about the truth. He turned the pages of the manuscript, the outlines shrouded in mystery becoming clearer. Pi Xiukang's turning speed increased, and finally he saw the line he had been waiting for:
"The truth is already clear, the murderer is—"
That's it?!
Pi Kangxiu blinked, then rubbed her eyes hard to make sure that the area below the dash was indeed blank. Unable to contain herself, she slammed the manuscript onto the table. The person sitting at the next table was startled by the sound and glanced over, but Pi Kangxiu was too preoccupied to notice.
In other words, Yao Xiaoyu is not in front of Pi Kangxiu right now. Otherwise, Pi Kangxiu would really give her a big shake-up like Erkang shook Ziwei, until she agrees to complete the murderer's name.
No wonder the manuscript had to be passed through the crack in the door today!
After drinking half a pot of tea in one go, Pi Kangxiu finally composed himself and left the teahouse with his manuscript. The editors warmly welcomed his return, provided they ignored the fact that their gazes were not focused on the manuscript in Pi Kangxiu's hands.
This wasn't the first time Pi Kangxiu had received such treatment. He calmly ignored the stares surrounding him, handed the manuscript directly into Editor-in-Chief Bei's office, and then silently counted in his mind. When the number jumped to 489, he heard the sound of porcelain being broken in the office.
That feels good.
Pi Kangxiu couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth into a bright smile.
How could anyone else escape the pit he fell into?
...
Yao Xiaoyu was unaware of the little story that had happened in the editorial department. After submitting her manuscript, she slept soundly until the sun set and rose again before finally putting on her slippers to wash up. Then, like a ghost, she sat at the table waiting for offerings—or rather, food.
Aunt Pang had already figured out the two girls' eating habits. She knew that once Yao Xiaoyu fell asleep, she would definitely eat something as soon as she woke up. Therefore, when Yao Xiaoyu was not out or eating, Aunt Pang cooked meat porridge, changed it every four hours, and kept it warm on the coal stove so that Yao Xiaoyu could eat whenever she woke up.
"I made rice noodles today, would you like a bowl, young lady?"
Aunt Pang looked at Yao Xiaoyu, who was drinking porridge, and asked her a question. Yao Xiaoyu put down her spoon, thought for a moment with her still somewhat groggy mind after waking up, nodded, and very naturally made her request:
"Add more meat."
To make the meat porridge easier to digest, it was filled with minced meat, so finely chopped that Yao Xiaoyu couldn't even feel it when she bit down. There was no real chewing sensation. Even though the meat flavor in the porridge was strong, Yao Xiaoyu still craved it more and more and got hungrier the more she ate and drank.
"become."
Auntie Pang went down happily. The cook wasn't afraid of making demands, but she was afraid of being taken for granted. She had done a short-term job before, and the young man there had a very nice way of talking. He said he wasn't picky and just wanted something edible. But he complained that refined rice and flour were too smooth, that corn and sweet potatoes were too rough, that chicken, duck, fish and meat were too oily, and that pastries and snacks were boring. In the end, he ate with a sigh, making Auntie Pang feel aggrieved even when she was paid.
Rice noodles are not difficult to make, but since spring has not yet arrived, the kitchen only has some cabbage and radishes and potatoes as vegetables. So the cook cut some bamboo shoots that she had soaked herself to make do, and asked Hua Qing to peel three cabbages and cut the tenderest hearts into shreds. The remaining cabbage leaves could not be wasted, so she would add a dish of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar to the hired workers in the evening, which would be eaten up in no time.
The slices of meat are layered in the bowl, each one so thin you can see your reflection in it. The bowl, with its high base and deep rim, is a classic blue and white porcelain style, transported by boat from Jingdezhen. Various meats and vegetables, along with rice noodles, fill the bowl to the brim. A spoonful of boiling broth from the pot is poured into the bowl in a circular motion, and all the ingredients are cooked in an instant—this is how Zuixiang does it, unlike Yunnan where oil is used to keep the food warm. It emphasizes cooking it fresh and eating it immediately.
When the rice noodles were served, Yao Xiaoyu's first impression was their tenderness. The bamboo shoots were tender, the bok choy was tender, and the paper-thin slices of meat were even more tender after being scalded in the boiling soup. Her second impression was their smoothness. The handmade rice noodles were neither mushy nor tough in the hot soup, and they were extremely palatable as they slid down her throat, leaving her feeling refreshed and moisturized.
After finishing two bowls of rice noodles, Yao Xiaoyu felt completely refreshed and relaxed, as if she had drunk her fill of water. Her inspiration, which had disappeared due to exhaustion, reappeared, giving her many good ideas for the new article. Although she didn't know how to incorporate them yet, she had already made the most difficult breakthrough from zero to one, and she would find a way later.
Hmm, I'll have some braised beef for dinner; the high protein content is good for thinking.
...
Novel Daily.
Editor-in-Chief Bei and Pi Xiukang looked at the 20,000-word manuscript in their hands and finally decided to bring a small fish back into the public eye.
"We can't be the only ones waiting anxiously!"
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