Chapter 692: Mala Hotpot Restaurant
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Xueye said, “Great-Grandpa Su will be thrilled about the residential area.
He hopes the village will only improve and become more prosperous.”
Su Xueye’s great- grandfather, also Su Binglan’s eldest granduncle, was the chief of Su Teng Village.
Since Su Teng Village’s development, Chief Su felt his physical and mental health had improved. In the eyes of others, he seemed to have aged backward.
That was because Su Binglan had mixed her spiritual spring water into the wine she had gifted him. It benefited Chief Su l s health significantly, and he seemed to be in a much better mental state.
Additionally, the Su family had become more influential. Their tofu factory had helped many villagers, and the people were grateful to the family for it. Chief Su could only feel gratified.
“Granduncle Su is an excellent village chief. He only hopes Su Teng Village continues to improve and prosper.”
The Su Teng Villagers were grateful to Chief Su. They would believe everything he said because he had their respect. Whoever wanted to move to Su Teng Village would need Chief Su p s approval.
Of course, he would not take bribes. Instead, he looked at one’s background and behavior. After ensuring the person was kind-hearted and diligent, he would allow them to move in.
The people of Su Teng Village were kind and helpful, which had much to do with Chief Su’s excellent management skills. Additionally, he was the first to accept those who lived in Su Teng Village long ago.
Therefore, Su Teng Village was always a peaceful place to live.
Su Xueye said smilingly, “Aunt Su, many people I didn’t recognize visited my great- grandparents. His house was much livelier than in previous years.”
“Do you like crowds?” Su Binglan asked.
Su Xuexue nodded. “Yes, I like the liveliness during the New Year. Everyone is happy, especially when they eat delicious food. Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma never smiled much in the past. But now, they seem much kinder and smile more often.’
Su Xueye felt tense last time, but it had improved now. He was more carefree, unlike when no one dared to speak up last time.
Su Binglan considered this change and said, “It’s good you’re happy. Everyone looks much better when they smile.”
Su Xueye’s eyes widened. “Aunt Binglan, you’re only a few months older than me, but you speak so wisely.”
“It’s true. I am your elder.” Su Binglan helplessly sighed but felt amused.
Although Su Xueye called Su Binglan “aunt,” he saw her as his sister. Su
Binglan was so young yet so capable. She was who Su Xueye admired most.
Su Binglan and Su Xueye discussed the plans the entire morning. When noon arrived, she asked Su Xueye to stay for lunch.
When Su Binglan said she would cook, Su Xueye did not argue and stayed for lunch. Su Binglan made stir-fried mung bean sprouts and a spicy hotpot that afternoon.
Making the spicy hotpot was relatively simple, and the seasoning was vital. Su Binglan had already prepared the sesame sauce. The family ate the food with the sauce and could not stop praising it.
They also enjoyed the stir-fried mung bean sprouts. Su Wenwu had not stopped thinking about it since last night. He felt satisfied after finally tasting it, saying, “It’s so delicious, Sister!”
Su Xueye nodded enthusiastically. “It’s not just delicious—it’s also refreshing!
I’ve been eating meat these past few days, so having something new is nice. Having something light like this increases my appetite.”
He remembered only being able to eat more extravagant foods on New Year’s Day. Even so, most of the dishes were the same. This Chinese New Year was different because he could eat something new daily.
Su Xueye had been eating well for the past month. However, having meat every day was unhealthy because of the fat content.
Everyone sat around a small pot and dipped their skewers into the hotpot. Afterward, they removed the skewers and dipped them into the sesame sauce before eating.
Meanwhile, Su Wenwu could not stop thinking about opening another hotpot restaurant. His eyes lit up when he saw the spicy hotpot his sister made. He asked, “Sister, can we open a spicy hotpot shop instead of a regular one?”
Su Binglan was about to eat when she heard her brother’s question. She paused and asked, “What inspired that idea?”
She felt Su Wenwu would have a hard time dealing with an average hotpot restaurant and one that specialized in spicy foods. However, Su Wenwu thought otherwise.
He was excited when he considered opening a spicy hotpot restaurant. Su Wenwu was no longer confused after running so many restaurants. On the contrary, he felt fulfilled.
Unlike his past muddleheaded self, he felt at ease when he could work hard. Su Wenwu was no longer a lost soul because he had a gratifying career. He enjoyed opening more restaurants and innovating them.
He had hotpot restaurants wherever he went. Although he could not describe how happy he was, he felt accomplished. Therefore, he felt inspired to open a spicy hotpot restaurant.
“Making mala with Sichuan peppercorns is relatively simple, so we don’t need to hire a renowned chef. We just need to master the seasoning ourselves,” Su Wenwu explained.
“Moreover, the customers will cook their own food in the mala hotpot. It gives a novel feeling and sense of interaction. Besides, 1 think mala is delicious and also cheap.
“The customers can choose their vegetarian, tofu, or meat skewers. It’ll be similar to our average hotpot. Since mala is cheaper, ordinary people can eat it too.”
Since the average hotpot was relatively expensive, ordinary villagers could not afford it. However, mala differed as it only cost a little over ten copper to eat.
The family was eating from a small pot when Su Wenwu said, “l also considered making a pot like this for customers to sit around while waiting for their food to cook in the mala. I’ll make a few dividers so they don’t mistakenly grab other people’s skewers.”
Su Binglan was surprised when her brother voiced his thoughts so enthusiastically. She said, “Your ideas are excellent, Third Brother!”
“Does that mean you’ll support me?”
Su Binglan scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile, asking, “Can you handle it?”
Su Wenwu nodded. “Yes, I can! I’ve already gained a lot of experience from running several hotpot restaurants. I just need to hire good workers. Then, I’ll just check on them every day. I can handle it since they’ll do most of the work..