Chapter 33 - 32: New Fermented Rice Wine

Chapter 33: Chapter 32: New Fermented Rice Wine

When Ning He got home, the first thing she did was harvest the remaining vegetables from her garden and put them away.

Since she was going to participate in the food festival, these unsold ingredients would come in handy. But there was a good amount—about five kilograms of produce. If she just left it all out and it spoiled, the loss would be significant.

It seemed buying a refrigerator couldn’t be delayed any longer.

Ning He tallied up her assets.

She had earned just under a thousand from the stall, netted fifteen hundred from the shelter, and just made a little under a hundred selling vegetables. After subtracting her expenses for the past two days and the deposit for the cafeteria stall, she still had over eighteen hundred original coins. Enough to buy a small freezer.

Ning He checked the time. There was still enough to make a trip, so she decided not to wait. She hid the vegetable basket in the attic and set off for the second-hand market.

After a round of haggling, Ning He finally gritted her teeth and paid 800 original coins for a large, 200-liter refrigerated cabinet, which could hold over a hundred kilograms of vegetables.

Since she was buying one anyway, she might as well go all out. It was worth it, even if it was a bit more expensive.

The owner enthusiastically helped deliver the refrigerator to her home and install it, leaving a number for free repairs. Ning He waited until he was long gone before bringing down the vegetables and storing them all inside. Before the food festival began, she estimated she could gather another ten to twenty kilograms.

But she probably couldn’t handle it all alone. Tomorrow, she would have to ask Connie and the others if they were willing to help.

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「The next morning, at the Mecha Academy training grounds.」

During today’s running drills, everyone was a little distracted. Their minds were filled with thoughts about the new Level 0 stall. ’What new items will they have? Will it be good? If it is, will I be able to get any?’

Some of the students who hadn’t managed to buy anything the past two days were secretly gearing up, determined to get a spot in line today.

Juno and her roommates were the same. They barely managed to endure until the end of training. The moment they reached the cafeteria entrance and the instructor yelled "Dismissed!", they shot into the cafeteria as if their feet had grown wings.

The others quickly reacted and followed suit. In an instant, a huge wave of people surged toward the stall in the corner, creating a rather intimidating scene.

Ning He and the other two watched the approaching dark mass of people and sucked in a sharp breath. They immediately felt that they hadn’t prepared enough for the day.

’It’s like zombies swarming their prey!’

The new items and their prices were already written on the small blackboard at the window, with a sample of each dish on display.

The first student to arrive was a tall, long-legged boy. His eyes lit up when he saw the new display items, but then his expression turned to one of confusion and disappointment.

’What is *jiuniang*?’

’These two bowls of soupy, pale-white stuff... they look so ordinary, don’t they?’

’Don’t tell me this is a total bust.’

’And after I sprinted like a hundred-meter dasher to get here first... was it even worth it?’

Since the *jiuniang* with sweet rice balls and the oatmeal porridge weren’t convenient for sampling, Ning He decided not to offer any.

The boy hesitated.

Behind him, Juno took a step forward.

"Why don’t you let me try first?"

The boy was only too happy to have someone else taste it for him, so upon hearing her, he took a step back.

Juno stepped up and first looked at the prices.

Each item was three original coins. ’Not expensive!’

"I’ll try one of each."

"You got it."

Ning He briskly ladled her a bowl of *jiuniang* with sweet rice balls, a bowl of slightly thick *jiuniang* oatmeal porridge, and a serving of *jiuniang* rice cake.

Everyone waited for Juno’s verdict.

She glanced at the three items before her, finally picking up the bowl filled with cute little rice balls. She took a spoonful and tasted it.

Sweet!

A rich, sweet fragrance filled her mouth the moment it entered.

But it wasn’t like ordinary white sugar, nor was it like the artificial sweeteners on the market.

The sweetness was more subtle, yet a warm, mellow aroma she had never experienced before filled her mouth. It was utterly unique.

After she swallowed, a refreshing sweetness and a faint, crisp tartness lingered in her mouth.

That fragrance, wrapped in warmth, traveled down her throat to her stomach. Everywhere it passed, it left a comforting, spreading warmth, as if her esophagus was being treated to a fragrant, warm steam bath.

As for the little rice balls, they were soft, chewy, and incredibly springy. When she bit into one, its substantial texture provided a solid foundation for the preceding sweetness and aroma.

Occasionally, she would bite into a grain of rice, so soft it practically melted between her teeth in an instant, releasing a burst of intense sweetness. They were like tiny, adorable, and delightful little sugar beans with a refreshing fragrance.

Her senses of taste and smell, along with her stomach, were all simultaneously satisfied.

Countless eyes were fixed on Juno, waiting for her feedback, but she remained silent, her chewing movements slow and deliberate.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

’Is it... so bad she can’t even swallow it?’

’Of course. How could it be so easy to develop good new dishes? Otherwise, why wouldn’t the other stalls introduce new items all year round?’

This thought arose in everyone’s mind at almost the same time.

"Give me five more servings of each!"

Juno’s excited voice rang out. The people around her froze for a second, then immediately understood.

This wasn’t because it was bad at all—it was so delicious she’d been stunned into silence!

The crowd instantly grew anxious.

"Why are you buying so many at once? What if they’re sold out by the time it’s my turn?" a student further back in the line exclaimed, practically tearing his hair out.

"Yeah, that’s against the rules!"

"She let us have a taste test first, so what’s wrong with her buying a little more? Why weren’t you rushing to the front just now?"

Juno’s roommates surged forward, forming a stable barrier to hold back the restless line behind her.

On Ning He’s recommendation, Juno swapped a few bowls of the sweet rice balls and oatmeal porridge for *youtiao*. The girls from her dorm carried the first batch of new items to their table under a barrage of envious gazes and began to eat.

Even though they had expected the *jiuniang* to be popular, the students’ level of enthusiasm still startled Connie and Ning He.

The prices of all the items were not a burden for the students, so everyone ordered at least two things. Ah Huai’s *youtiao* were selling the moment they came out of the fryer; there wasn’t even time to drain the oil.

The two large buckets of sweet rice balls were quickly emptied, and the oatmeal porridge was gone too. With all the food sold out, the students who missed out were beating their chests in frustration, while those who had bought some were blissfully enjoying their meals at their seats.

A serving of rice balls or porridge, paired with a *youtiao*, a piece of rice cake or *cifangao*—it was a mix of solid and liquid, savory and sweet. It was filling, delicious, and inexpensive.

’Only a fool wouldn’t buy it!’

"Is it really that good?"

"Yeah, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. They must be acting, right?"

The students who had bought breakfast from other stalls watched their blissful expressions and couldn’t help but comment with a hint of sour grapes.

"Why don’t you try it yourself and find out? Surely you can afford three coins, can’t you?"

Someone with sharp ears retorted bluntly.

That person immediately shut his mouth, his face looking a little indignant. He secretly made a decision.

’Hmph, I’ll try it then. If it’s not good, I’ll make sure to trash it twice as hard on the forums!’

After seeing off the last customer, Connie and Ah Huai started cleaning up, while Ning He took the portion she had saved for Uncle Wood to his office.

When Old Wood saw her enter with a tray, he immediately remembered the *jiuniang* she had mentioned before and his face lit up with surprise.

"You really made it?"

"Of course. Please, have a taste. How is it?"

Ning He first handed Old Wood a cup of the pure, unadulterated brew.

Old Wood took it, sniffed it, and his eyes immediately brightened.

The liquid in the cup was a faint, milky white, yet clear and translucent. As he brought it closer to smell, a fragrance shot straight into his nostrils.

"So fragrant!"

Ning He grinned. "It’s the aroma of wine. But don’t worry, the alcohol content isn’t high. And after being cooked, only the sweet fragrance remains, not the alcohol, so you won’t get drunk from it."

Old Wood nodded cheerfully. "Your uncle trusts you."

Old Wood had never drunk alcohol before, but he’d heard the higher-ups mention it. They said alcohol was delicious, but if you drank too much, you could easily pass out, so you couldn’t be greedy with it.

Therefore, he only took a small sip.

The crisp, sweet rice wine instantly filled his mouth with fragrance. Its taste and aroma far surpassed any commercially available beverage.

Although the liquid was cool, as it slid down his throat and settled in his stomach, it brought waves of subsequent warmth. Soon, he felt a pleasant heat spreading through his chest.

’This is the feeling!’

It took Old Wood a good while to come back to his senses.

"Ah He, your Uncle Wood can now say he’s a man who has tasted wine! Not bad, not bad at all. No wonder those high-end restaurants sell it for so much. It really is good stuff."

"I’m glad you like it. I’ll save a portion for you every day from now on. By the way, Uncle, business has been pretty good since my stall opened, but I don’t know how I compare to the other stalls. I’ve never run a breakfast stall before, so I’m not very confident."

Seeing Old Wood so happy, Ning He took the opportunity to ask for some information.

Old Wood savored the lingering fragrance in his mouth. Hearing her words, he said with a smile, "Don’t worry. I’ve seen how busy your stall is. You’ll definitely meet the required sales volume."

"But can I compete for first place? Uncle, to be honest with you, I want to try and upgrade the stall. If I can at least get to a Level 1 stall, there’s a lot more I’ll be able to do."

"Is that so? It’s good that you’re so ambitious. Let your uncle take a look for you."

Without hesitation, Old Wood took a small booklet from his drawer, opened it, and searched carefully through a few pages.

"Hmm... the monthly sales ratios for our breakfast stalls are between 80 and 120 percent. Jonah’s dumpling shop is often ranked first. If you can sell 60kg a day, you should have no problem surpassing him."

Ning He now had a clear idea and breathed a sigh of relief.

Right now, the stall was selling about 50kg a day and still couldn’t meet demand. If she increased her stock starting next week, she should be able to sell it all.

It wouldn’t be a big problem.

"Thank you, Uncle Wood. I understand now."

After chatting with Old Wood for a few more minutes, Ning He left the office and returned to the stall to share the information she’d gathered with Connie and Ah Huai.