CMWKSD -Chapter 43 Everyone Plays Their Part

When they returned to the Ji family, Ji Chaomian had already prepared several kinds of starch.

Over the past couple of days, they had been experimenting repeatedly. The starch was ready, but to make it truly delicious, Shen Mei still needed to study it carefully. Today, it could finally be made properly for eating.

All of this was based on what Jiu Yue had said—things she wanted to eat.

Jiu Yue hadn’t expected Ji Chaomian and the others to be so clever. In just a few days, Shen Mei had already mastered the art of cooking meat dishes with starch.

In another bowl was some lotus root starch. Jiu Yue knew a little about how to prepare lotus root starch.

“Add a bit of osmanthus or goji berries… it gives it a unique flavor.” Jiu Yue stirred the nearly transparent lotus root starch in the bowl.

Because this lotus root starch had no additives, its natural sweetness and smoothness flowed down the throat effortlessly, bringing immense comfort with each bite.

Finally able to eat something she truly wanted, Jiu Yue’s mood improved considerably.

At noon, Shen Mei used the experiments from the past two days to make Jiu Yue some boiled meatballs. The meat slices were marinated with starch and egg, and the stir-fried wood ear mushrooms with meat were soft, tender, and smooth. Paired with white rice, it was nothing short of a delicacy.

Shen Mei was overjoyed by Jiu Yue’s praise and fully accepted her role as the household’s cook. In a short time, she had internalized a simple truth: as long as she was useful, she could live well.

In short, if she followed Jiu Yue, she could have a good life—just look at them now, wearing new clothes every day and eating white rice with meat constantly. For someone in her thirties, this was a life she had never imagined.

After finishing their meal, Ji Yiqing and Ji Chaomian exchanged a glance, both clearly with some idea forming in their minds. Jiu Yue didn’t pay attention and went straight into the pharmacy.

Ji Yiqing ushered Ji Chaomian back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Brother, do you have something on your mind?”

Ji Chaomian fiddled with the hem of his clothes. “We’ve already made several kinds of starch: lotus root starch, sweet potato starch… the corn starch can be eaten by tonight at the latest.”

Ji Yiqing nodded. “I’ve seen it.”

The Great Qi Empire was strong.

It already had many imported seeds, such as corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes—high-yield crops that had been widely cultivated nationwide over the past couple of years.

In terms of basic sustenance, the people of Great Qi were much better off than in other countries. Once people could eat their fill, they naturally desired better food.

The culinary techniques in Great Qi were already diverse: frying, stewing, braising, and simmering—all of which had long been mastered by skilled chefs. The only thing lacking was seasoning.

So this starch Jiu Yue mentioned, if sold outside, would definitely be a significant source of income.

But what they had to consider now wasn’t just that…

Starch or lotus root starch didn’t require much technical skill. Once it hit the market, anyone could figure it out. Selling it wasn’t practical for long-term business, though it could make quick money.

Ji Chaomian and Ji Yiqing were on the same page.

Moreover, as scholars, they had a sense of duty. With the limited seasonings available, introducing sweet potato starch could also help regions with high sweet potato yields sell their crops. Selling those sweet potatoes would improve people’s lives, letting the common folk live better. After all, not every region in Great Qi was suitable for growing sweet potatoes.

“For the county magistrate?” Ji Yiqing asked directly.

Ji Chaomian nodded. “Yes. The new appointment hasn’t come through yet. This could be a way to give Assistant magistrate Li some leverage—it depends on how he chooses to handle it.”

“I’ve already checked. Sweet potato starch can be stored for a long time, and the price isn’t too high—people can afford it. I’ve already asked Second Aunt to experiment with recipes using sweet potato starch.”

Ji Yiqing agreed. “Alright, I’ll talk to Jiu Yue and see if she’s willing to offer it.”

Ji Chaomian nodded but said nothing further. In his view, Jiu Yue didn’t care what benefits this could bring her. Of course, if it could bring money, that was best; if not, as long as she could eat, that was enough.

While they were talking, Jiu Yue came rushing in. “I just remembered! Sweet potatoes can also be made into vermicelli… sour and spicy noodles!”

Ji Chaomian: …

Ji Yiqing: …

They exchanged glances—half delight, half helplessness. Jiu Yue’s ideas kept changing constantly. But what vermicelli was, neither of them knew.

“What’s vermicelli?”

Jiu Yue shrugged. “I guess it’s like noodles. I think it can be stored for a year.”

Ji Yiqing and Ji Chaomian’s eyes lit up. Like noodles? That would make it a staple. But sweet potatoes couldn’t really be eaten as a staple—they caused bloating and upset stomachs if eaten in large quantities. The main issue was that they weren’t very tasty when eaten in quantity.

But if it could be stored longer, the common people could keep vermicelli for future use—even as… military rations!

Thinking of sour and spicy noodles, Jiu Yue’s mouth watered. But she couldn’t cook. Besides being able to make a fire, she knew nothing about the kitchen.

In the 22nd century, unless necessary, people cooked in the wild. Most meals were compressed biscuits; when busy with killing, no one cared about taste.

After Jiu Yue left, Ji Chaomian and Ji Yiqing fell silent.

If it were just starch without any secret recipe, handing it over to Assistant magistrate Li as a favor or to curry favor was fine.

But they hadn’t considered whether this would eventually reach the common people’s tables. After all, those in power rarely empathized with ordinary citizens.

Ji Yiqing looked at Ji Chaomian, who had clearly considered this issue too.

After a moment of silence, Ji Yiqing said, “If we don’t give it to Assistant magistrate Li, we’ll partner with Boss Wang to do business.”

Ji Chaomian remembered they still had connections—specifically, the richest merchant in Qingshui County, Boss Wang. He owned several restaurants, grain shops, and even cloth stores.

Ji Chaomian paused. “Also, the layered-soled shoes… have you seen them? Mother made several pairs for Jiu Yue, and we have some too.”

Ji Yiqing stood, holding the shoes Su Ruo had just made.

After a moment, he finally made a decision. “Alright, tomorrow Jiu Yue will treat the county magistrate, and I’ll go see Boss Wang about the vermicelli…”

Ji Chaomian waved his hand. “Wait a couple of days, until we actually make the vermicelli. Right now we need to plan—whether it’s vermicelli, starch, or layered-soled shoes, how to work with Boss Wang. We have no connections, no stores. If we produce and sell ourselves, it’s too slow. How long would it take to get sweet potato starch and vermicelli onto tables nationwide?”

Honestly, both of them were good at studying, but when it came to business, they had no clue.

For now, the priority was simple: first, get the vermicelli made.