Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 146 Cooperation
"Sister-in-law, could you peel the potatoes for me and cut them into shreds? I'll make a potato salad later, and I'll also cook some millet porridge and steam a few buns. That'll make breakfast."

Xu Qingmeng called out to the outside, and Gu Yunyi and the others had already gotten up and were reading in the courtyard. When the three of them heard the voice, Gu Yunyi and Zhou Yuanjia came into the kitchen to help.

We agreed yesterday that we would all eat together today.

After finishing their meal, Xu Qingmeng thought about making the chili oil first, and Huiniang hurriedly came in to help.

However, Hui Niang rarely tended the fire at home, so her control over the stove fire was not as good as Gu Yunyi's, but it didn't matter.

Yesterday's batch was only mildly spicy; the machine is planned to make two other types of chili oil that are spicier.

In Xu Qingmeng's opinion, yesterday's was only slightly spicy, while today's two are mild and regular spicy, respectively. However, in Huiniang's opinion...

Xu Qingmeng thought it was just ordinary spicy, but it was already quite spicy. She wasn't very good at handling overly stimulating flavors.

Although it was very spicy, Hui Niang couldn't stop eating the cold dish that Xu Qingmeng had prepared, even though she had just finished breakfast. She kept saying how delicious and satisfying it was, and kept giving Xu Qingmeng a thumbs up.

Although she knew Xu Qingmeng was a good cook, after this demonstration, Huiniang had even more confidence in their small stone stall, which had not yet opened.

Since there was no Quanxian County, Shen Jinwen specially ordered a small bottle, and Xu Qingmeng put the chili oil in a ceramic jar.

She planned to bring two kinds, one mildly spicy and one regularly spicy, to the noodle shop. She then told Hui Niang to prepare the vegetables first, as she was going out for a bit.

Gu Yunyi accompanied Xu Qingmeng. As soon as they entered, they saw that the restaurant was already quite full, even though it was only midday.

"Oh, what would you two gentlemen like to eat?"

Today is not yet a busy day, so the waiter has some free time to entertain them.

Xu Qingmeng smiled, her gentle and serene demeanor making her even more likable. Unfortunately, Gu Yunyi was unwilling, his face sour. However, he knew that the two had come for a reason, so he could only hold back.

"Young man, is your manager here? Would it be convenient for you to introduce us?"

The waiter hesitated for a moment, looked at the two men with a puzzled expression, and said, "Who are you two...?"

Don't let the small size of this noodle shop fool you; it's incredibly popular and makes a good living every day. Many people are drawn to their sauces and want to buy them from the owner.

The waiter assumed that Xu Qingmeng and her companion had come for the same reason.

Seeing that the two people in front of him had an extraordinary air about them, but their clothes and attire did not seem to belong to a wealthy family, he was a little unsure of what to do with them.

Xu Qingmeng and Gu Yunyi exchanged a glance and said directly, "To be honest, we came here because we have a unique sauce that is especially suitable for noodles. We were wondering if it would be possible to cooperate with your store, so we came to inquire."

The waiter thought for a moment, and the smile on his face faded considerably: "Gentlemen, don't blame me for exaggerating. Don't let the small size of our shop fool you; the noodles here are unmatched by any other shop in the area. The sauce for our cold noodles is a family recipe passed down through generations. Even the famous Changqing Restaurant in this prefecture might not be able to make it as good as ours. Gentlemen, you may be disappointed."

Xu Qingmeng, however, did not think so. As a gifted chef, taste is the most important thing. Although the noodles she ate that day were not bad, she had only eaten them once. Although she could not recreate them perfectly, she could still recreate them to 99%.

But Xu Qingmeng also knew that cooperation couldn't be forced; it depended on fate, and besides, there was more than one noodle shop in the vicinity.

If this one doesn't work, there's always another one I'll want to try.

Then, Xu Qingmeng said with a smile, "Young man, could you please go and inform your manager? If the manager really can't find us, we'll leave immediately and won't bother you any further." "Alright, I'll ask for you. You two wait a moment." The waiter glanced at the two people in front of him, then turned and went to the back room.

Xu Qingmeng and Gu Yunyi remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

The two calmly drank their tea, and soon the waiter came over.

"Gentlemen, our manager invites you in."

Xu Qing dreamed that it seemed the shopkeeper wasn't an arrogant person after all.

Xu Qingmeng and Gu Yunyi followed the waiter into the back room.

The back hall wasn't large, but there was a small tea room inside. The manager was a middle-aged man around fifty years old with a goatee. He didn't look like the manager of a restaurant; in Xu Qingmeng's eyes, he looked more like the manager of a bookstore.

The waiter led the two men out, and Manager Li raised his eyes and gestured for them to sit down.

Manager Li didn't waste any time with pleasantries and went straight to the point.

He smiled and said, "Dashan just mentioned that you two have a secret sauce recipe you'd like to collaborate with us on?"

"To be honest, the cold noodles and sauces in our shop are a family heirloom passed down through generations. After many generations of improvement, the owner has tried to make changes and seek further breakthroughs in recent years, but unfortunately, the results have often ended in failure."

"Gentlemen, if this sauce is not good, you may be disappointed and leave empty-handed."

Manager Li laid out the unpleasant truths upfront, giving Xu Qingmeng and her companion a heads-up.

The purpose of saying this was actually to avoid wasting time, since they were about to get busy, and it would also discourage them from doing so.

Xu Qingmeng and Gu Yunyi are not fools; on the contrary, they are quite intelligent, but neither of them is timid.

Xu Qingmeng believed in her own cooking skills, while Gu Yunyi believed in Xu Qingmeng.

Xu Qingmeng smiled and placed the ceramic jar in Gu Yunyi's hand in front of the shopkeeper, saying, "I know that your shop's noodles are very famous in this area, but to be honest, my chili oil is not unknown in Quan County either. Why don't you give it a try?"

Shopkeeper Li hesitated for a moment, then opened the lid of the ceramic jar. A red, oily surface was covered with a layer of white sesame seeds. The rich, spicy aroma, along with a faint fragrance, wafted to the nose, immediately whetting one's appetite.

Manager Li glanced at it once, then without hesitation, he called out to the outside. Soon, the waiter who had led the way came over.

"The shopkeeper's."

The waiter thought to himself, "So fast? Does this mean I have to kick these two out?"

Manager Li waved his hand and said, "Quickly, go to the kitchen and bring me a bowl of plain noodles, no sauce, just plain noodles."

After listening, Xu Qingmeng reminded the shopkeeper, "My sauce doesn't conflict with your shop's sauces, so please bring your sauces with you."

(End of this chapter)