The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Chapter 511: Chapter 498: Strange

Today, they finally had a customer, and the waiter was so happy that he couldn’t help but hum a tune while cleaning the dishes.

“Waiter, give me a bowl of noodles,”

Another person walked into the noodle shop and found a new table to sit at.

Rushing to accommodate the customer, the waiter put aside what he was doing, put on a cheery face, and asked, “Sir, what kind of noodles would you like? We have plain noodles, chicken noodle soup, fish noodle soup, pork rib noodles, etc., aside from the plain noodles, which are six coins a bowl, everything else is ten coins a bowl. What kind of noodles do you want?”

“Are the plain noodles six coins a bowl?” The man widened his eyes when he heard the price, “The vendor outside who sells noodles with shredded meat only charges five coins, and he gives a decent amount of meat. Are you running a scam here?”

“No, no! Sir, this is a fully fledged business. We can’t possibly be running a scam,” the waiter anxiously defended.

“If it’s not a scam, then why are your noodles more than twice as expensive as the ones outside?”

“Noodles are not all the same, you’ll know once you try,” the waiter strived to maintain his smile.

“Once I try them, I have to buy them, huh? This is a clever business model: trick people into eating first and then they have to pay afterward,” the man abruptly stood up, walked out, all the while cursing, “I have never seen such business practices. They said this noodle shop wasn’t busy and their serving was fast, so I could eat and get on with my other business. I didn’t expect it to be a rip-off!”

“What makes your noodles so special? At the end of the day, they’re just noodles made from kneading flour and water; it’s not some exotic dish, how could they be different? Can they blossom into flowers? If you’re ripping people off, just admit it, instead of giving so many excuses,”

The man had walked far away, but his words were still faintly audible.

It revealed how much resentment he held and how loudly he complained.

The previous three customers were easygoing and even ate five bowls of noodles in total. They praised the noodles and assured us that the business would be successful in the future..

I initially thought the noodle shop would enjoy a turnaround and business would pick up, but it seems I was overly optimistic.

Things are still the same!

The waiter sighed, hung his head, and continued to clean the dishes with a gloomy expression.

“Why the long face?” Shang Chengen lifted the curtain and came out from the backyard, seeing the waiter’s wrinkled face, he laughed, “You look more and more like your name.”

The waiter’s name was Kugua (Bitter melon in English).

It was said that when his mother was pregnant with him, she craved bitter melons, and the year he was born was a year of heavy rain and floods which wiped out all the crops. They lived a harsh life that year.

Kugua’s mother thought his life was full of difficulties, so she cursed him with this name fearing more disasters in the future.

Kugua’s surname was originally Jin. However, since they entered slavery, their lives belonged to the main house, and the surname was no longer necessary. Shen Chengen thought this name was interesting, so he kept it.

“Boss,” Kugua frowned, “we’ve been open for three days and have only sold five bowls of noodles. Aren’t you worried?”

“Worry about what?” Shang Chengen laughed, “Doing business always carries risk and reward. There’s no place that enjoys full seats and makes a fortune just after its opening. Everything takes time; good wine needs no bush; if the noodles are good, there won’t be a lack of repeat customers.”

“Didn’t we have a customer just now, who even asked for a second bowl?”

“Speaking of the customer who just came…”

Kugua paused in his work, “Those three guests were very strange. Two of them were government officials, and one was a young girl of about my age. Maybe one or two years older at most. She was pretty, but I don’t know why she was hanging out with those two officials. She didn’t look like a rich man’s daughter or someone who had been arrested. It’s just very strange.”

“Yes, I also heard the two officials calling the girl Manager Zhuang. Perhaps this girl is a businesswoman. Interestingly, Manager Zhuang said the same phrase you did, ‘good wine needs no bush’.”

“Also, when I was seeing the three guests out, I heard them talking about the new dish- Hang Noodles and Manager Zhuang’s plan to open a workshop to make those. They even said Hang Noodles are as delicious as our fresh noodles here.”

“Now I’m a bit confused, Boss. What are these Hang Noodles? I’ve had your noodles and they’re the best! Could there be anyone who can replicate your delicious noodles?”

Shang Chengen was also taken aback, “Did you say Hang Noodles?”

“Yes, sir, I’m sure. How can noodles be hung up? Won’t they break? Even if they don’t, won’t they dry out? Won’t the dried noodles become brittle when touched?”

Kugua’s perplexity grew the more he thought.

Shang Chengen was amused by Kugua’s confusion of questions, “Our place doesn’t make Hang Noodles, and since you’re not familiar with it, Hang Noodles originated from Shaanxi and Gansu. The dough is pulled out and stretched to form thread-like noodles. They are then hung up to dry and that’s why they’re called Hang Noodles.”

“As for Hang Noodles, they keep well and are convenient to use. Whenever you want to eat, just boil them. However, the Hang Noodles I’ve tasted aren’t very delicious.”

But just now, Kugua said that Hang Noodles produced in the workshop were as good as the fresh noodles he made.

Could they have discovered a way to make Hang Noodles taste exceptional?

Shang Chengen stroked his chin, “You said among those three people, two were government officials, do you know where they come from?”

“I don’t know about that,” Kugua shook his heard, “But judging from their accents, they’re likely from the County Government Office.”

“That makes it easier…”,

When he goes to the county town to buy seasonings next time, he can inquire about it. It’s not something to rush about.

“Boss, what are you referring to when you said ‘that makes it easier’?” Kugua asked, puzzled by Shang Chengen’s changing facial expressions.

“Nothing of that sort, hurry up and tidy up everything for our incoming customers.” Shang Chengen playfully tapped Kugua’s head.

Cleaning up can be done, but as for anticipating incoming customers…

Recalling the man from earlier, who cursed his way out of shop, Kugua had a bit of a headache, even letting out a sigh.

If the future customers are like the three we encountered today, then that would be wonderful.

—-

By the time Zhuang Qingning, along with Shen Quan and Shi Bao, finished dining and returned home, it was already twilight.