Border Cook

Chapter 39: Wrapped Cold Noodles

When I came, I brought a change of clothes, a wooden pillow, and a small quilt.

The lining and surface of the quilt were washed clean, but judging from its fluffiness, it seemed that there was reed fluff inside.

Reed fluff is not as fluffy and soft as cotton, nor as warm as cotton, but now that the weather is getting warmer and it’s not cold at night, it’s not a big deal.

But Xia Mingyue's eyes were a little swollen when she looked at Jiang Zhuguo.

"Are you okay?" Xia Mingyue asked, "Your eyes are all black."

"It's okay. I found a job and told mom when I got home. Mom was very happy. She pulled me aside and talked to me for a long time, telling me to do my job well." Jiang Zhuguo grinned. "I was happy too. I was so happy that I couldn't sleep last night. I was afraid that I would oversleep and miss work this morning, so I didn't sleep well."

It was somewhat like her first day at work when she successfully applied for her first job in modern society.

Xia Mingyue smiled and told Jiang Zhuguo to try kneading the dough.

Jiang Zhuguo does all the housework, so kneading the dough is naturally no problem for him. The dough he kneads is smooth, round and uniform in size.

Xia Mingyue and Lu were both very satisfied.

Make cakes, set up stalls, and sell wontons.

Business went on as usual, but thanks to the efficient and hardworking Jiang Zhuguo, Xia Mingyue and Mrs. Lu both felt a lot more relaxed and didn't have to work so hard or hurriedly.

Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu went to the county school to deliver cakes as usual around noon.

The number of cakes required by the county school is very fixed, about forty or fifty every day.

In order to give back to such old customers, Xia Mingyue asked Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu to bring a few more cakes when she went to deliver cakes these days.

Red bean filling.

The cooked red beans are mashed into small pieces, but not too small. It is best to have a soft and glutinous texture but with a slightly granular texture. Add some sugar and make it into crispy pancakes, which taste sweet and crispy.

Red bean cakes were once very popular in the county school, and people even asked for more, which could be purchased at market price.

Among the cakes that Xia Mingyue asked Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu to deliver today, there were quite a few red bean cakes. Because they were small, she charged six cents for each.

After delivering the cakes, the two brothers brought back all the money and a message.

"Mr. Zhang said that although all kinds of cakes are delicious, they can't stand eating them every day. They heard that Auntie has been selling wontons recently, so they asked us to come back and ask Auntie if we can send some of the newly made wontons over. They can order dozens of them every day."

"These wontons contain soup. Not to mention it's not easy to deliver them there, even if we can put all of them in a clay pot and deliver them there, and then share them there, I'm afraid they will be soaked a little bit on the way." Xia Mingyue frowned.

Moreover, wontons are best eaten when they are made and eaten right after they are prepared. Even if they are served to others in a tricky way, the taste will be compromised.

As a cook, this is unacceptable.

If you use a small mobile stove to cook there, not to mention that it is quite troublesome to transport these things there, no matter who goes, it will affect the current business of the stall.

Considering the customer stability of the county school, opening a branch is the best option.

However, both the manpower and her current funds are insufficient.

Or, could she change her thinking and solve the problem of single product first?
Xia Mingyue thought about it for a long time. When she closed her stall in the afternoon and went back, she first went to buy some sesame paste, and then bought some early cucumbers, mung bean sprouts, and a handful of fresh coriander from a farmer's vegetable stall.

The coriander in spring grows vigorously and is still fresh and juicy even in the afternoon.

After arriving home, she asked Jiang Zhuguo to do the chores of washing pots and bowls, while Xia Mingyue kneaded a piece of dough and then washed it in water. This action startled Jiang Zhuguo so much that she almost jumped up, "Sister Xia, if we wash this dough in water, won't it all turn into soup?"

"Yes, it can be transformed, but not all of it." Xia Mingyue didn't even raise her head.

Jiang Zhuguo was still surprised.

These are all noodles, why do some of them melt and some don’t?
Jiang Zhuguo couldn't figure it out, so while working, he glanced at Xia Mingyue from time to time, wanting to see why the dough hadn't been fully melted.

Xia Mingyue noticed it, but didn't explain much. She just concentrated on kneading the dough in her hands.

The water in the basin became turbid as the flour gradually dissolved, and the dough in Xia Mingyue's hand became smaller and smaller.

When the dough in her hand became the size of a fist and its color was no longer white but yellowish, Xia Mingyue pulled the dough to check its toughness, and then asked Jiang Zhuguo to light a fire and put the yellow dough on the stove to steam.

Jiang Zhuguo didn't quite understand, but he did as he was told.

Xia Mingyue went to deal with the white starch water.

The starch water will be separated into layers after being left for a while. The clear water on the surface is discarded, and only the sticky paste that has settled at the bottom is kept. After stirring evenly, it is spread thinly on the oiled bamboo steamer grate.

Steam it for a while, take out the grate and put it in cold water to chill it, then carefully peel off the transparent and smooth crust from the edge...

Xia Mingyue worked carefully and obtained a piece of cold skin that was evenly thick, translucent and smooth.

After pulling the cold noodle a little to make sure it was elastic, Xia Mingyue started making the second and third pieces...

When all the batter in the bowl was used up, Xia Mingyue had also made a pile of good quality cold noodles.

"The cake looks crystal clear, but it looks very pretty, so I think it should taste good too." Lu said, "I just don't know what it's called."

"Liangpi." Xia Mingyue replied.

"Liangpi..." Jiang Zhuguo repeated the name several times, and finally nodded vigorously, "It's icy and cool, and translucent. The name Liangpi is quite appropriate for the occasion."

"Is this how we eat the cold noodles? Or does it need to be paired with something else?" Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu asked together.

It doesn’t matter what they are called or what they look like, they only care about eating.

"You'll find out if you wait."

As Xia Mingyue spoke, she began to get busy with the next step.

Cut the cucumber into thin strips, cut the carrot into strips, blanch the mung bean sprouts, and add the diced gluten that has just been steamed in the pot, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic water, sesame paste, Xia Mingyue's freshly cooked chili oil, and crushed cooked peanuts...

Mix everything evenly, carefully place the side dishes on a piece of cold skin, and use the cold skin as a thin and tough pancake skin to wrap all the dishes.

"Try it." Xia Mingyue was quick with her hands and feet. She quickly wrapped a few and handed them to Lu, Jiang Zhuguo and the other three.

The four of them took it and looked at it first.

The cold skin is thin and translucent, and from the outside you can faintly see the green of the cucumber, the orange of the carrot, the red of the chili oil... The colors are bright and diverse, full of visual impact!

And if you take a bite...

The clear and bouncy cold noodles and the crispy vegetables inside almost burst out in an instant. The sesame sauce is rich and fragrant, the chili oil is spicy and pungent and fully stimulates the taste buds, and the balsamic vinegar is slightly sweet and neutralizes some of the spiciness...

　The author has looked up a lot of information about when Liangpi was created. Some say it existed during the Qin Shihuang period, while others say it existed during the Han Gaozu period. The background of the novel is fictitious, and it is not based on historical facts. Everything is for the plot, so those who study historical facts should not be too serious.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)