Chapter 369: Why Not Open a Shop in Gaojia Village?

Gao Yiye stood in front of the “Fresh Water Hele” snack shop, looking up at the sign. “Huh, I actually don’t recognize these two characters.”Qiu Ju, beside her, whispered, “Those two characters are ‘shuǐ xiān’ (fresh water).”

Gao Yiye said, “I meant the last two characters.”

Dong Xue promptly added, “Those two are ‘hé le’ (Hele).”

Gao Yiye asked, “So the question is, what is Fresh Water Hele?”

The two girls, Qiu and Dong, shook their heads together. “No idea.”

Not just them—even the Deity had no clue, utterly confused as he watched from above. What in the world was this? Why hadn’t he eaten it before, or even heard of it?

He quickly opened a delivery app and searched for “Fresh Water Hele,” but the search yielded nothing. Shuangqing City didn’t even sell it!

This simply wouldn’t do. He had to see it for himself.

Li Daoxuan commanded, “Yiye, go inside. Eat!”

Gao Yiye patted her stomach. “But I just had a bowl of Three Ponds Knife-Shaved Noodles, half a bowl of Heyang Xumian, and half a Lamb Cake… I’m already so full. Shopping in this Heyang County is scary—you end up eating loads without realizing it.”

Li Daoxuan sounded surprised. “You’ve eaten that much?”

Gao Yiye replied, “Haven’t you been watching from above all along?”

Li Daoxuan fell silent.

Well… he’d been too busy watching the adorable girls laughing and being cute, not noticing her constant snacking. Terrifying indeed.

He was about to say, “Forget it if you can’t eat more,” but suddenly, Gao Yiye rubbed her slightly protruding stomach and chuckled. “Maybe I can manage a bit more. Qiu Ju, could you help me with half?”

Qiu Ju said plaintively, “I already ate half of your Lamb Cake earlier.”

Gao Yiye had no choice but to turn to Dong Xue, who looked sheepish. “I also ate half of your Heyang Xumian before.”

Gao Yiye threw up her hands. “Your appetites are way too small! How come both of you can only eat half a portion?”

Qiu Ju and Dong Xue murmured quietly, “That’s how we were taught since childhood… only half-full, never getting fat…”

Gao Yiye didn’t understand, but Li Daoxuan did. His heart ached slightly for them. He sighed. “Go inside. From now on, eat till you’re full. Don’t stop at half. If you gain weight, so be it. Here, no one will care if you do.”

Only after hearing this did Gao Yiye finally grasp the situation. Embarrassed, she said, “Let’s go in. The Deity says you should eat to your heart’s content from now on. No one will mind if you gain weight.”

Qiu and Dong beamed with joy. “Thank you, Deity.”

The three stepped into the “Fresh Water Hele” shop. “Owner, what exactly is this Fresh Water Hele?”

The shopkeeper saw three elegantly dressed women—a married lady with her hair in a bun clearly in charge, followed by two well-dressed maids out for a stroll. He hastened over with a smile. “Madam, Fresh Water Hele is a specialty of Heyang County. Made from buckwheat flour kneaded with artemisia seeds or water infused with scorched bluestone. The dough becomes incredibly elastic. Boiled in water then immediately rinsed in fresh water—that’s why it’s called Fresh Water Hele.”

Gao Yiye’s mouth watered.

Li Daoxuan’s mouth watered too.

“Get a bowl!”

They almost spoke at the same time.

After that, Gao Yiye looked up. “Huh? Deity, did you mean for me to get a bowl, or did you want one yourself?”

Li Daoxuan coughed awkwardly. “Of course I meant for you to get one! I’ve traveled the breadth of the land—what delicacies haven’t I sampled? Nothing special.”

Even as he spoke, his fingers flew over his phone, searching frantically. Nothing on “deliveries A,” “deliveries B,” or “deliveries C.” Just not available! He couldn’t order from any delivery app. Infuriating!

At last, the ubiquitous online site came to his rescue. They sold Hele—though not Heyang’s Fresh Water version, but Chunhua Hele. Six boxes for around twenty yuan. Cheap. Sigh. It would have to do. Place an order. Pay extra for expedited shipping.

Soon, the shopkeeper finished preparing the Fresh Water Hele and brought it to the table.

Gao Yiye took a small bite and immediately lit up. “So good! Really good!”

Qiu Ju and Dong Xue tried some too, their faces brightening with delight.

Seeing their expressions, Li Daoxuan knew it was tasty. He chuckled. “Yiye, why not ask the shopkeeper how business is? Spark a conversation.”

Following his words, Gao Yiye called to the shopkeeper. “Proprietor, this Water Fresh Hele is delicious! But why are there so few customers? Business not good?”

The owner sighed deeply. “Business hasn’t been good for years. The severe drought… The last two winters, buckwheat flour was impossible to get. Only after people from Gaojia Village came, distributing aid flour everywhere, did things change. Some families still had buckwheat flour stashed away and agreed to sell it at fair prices. I finally bought some to make Water Fresh Hele. But everyone just wants to fill their bellies now, not enjoy good food. Business… it’s truly hard to put into words.”

Li Daoxuan understood. Heyang County had only just started handing out food rations. The atmosphere of normal times was still far off. Ordinary folks now held on tight to what little wealth they had, reluctant to spend. Only when they felt secure about the future would they dare loosen their purse strings for delicacies. Otherwise, they’d rather just manage simple home cooking with their flour.

Li Daoxuan laughed. “Invite him to open a shop in Gaojia Village.”

Gao Yiye grinned. “Owner, your food is delicious. Why not open a shop in Gaojia Village? There are still several vacancies in the Gaojia Business Circle. Rent-free for the first three months! Set up a shop selling Water Fresh Hele there. I guarantee you’ll be doing great business!”

The shopkeeper looked intrigued. “Would it sell well in Gaojia Village?”

Gao Yiye: “Absolutely! People in Gaojia Village are living much better now. It’s no longer about just ‘filling one’s stomach,’ but ‘eating well.’ If you don’t believe me, stop by and see for yourself someday.”

The owner’s heart started pounding with the idea.

If Gaojia Village were far away, forcing him to leave his hometown, he’d refuse. But it was close! Right on the border between Heyang County and Chengcheng Township—just miles away. Road construction was underway too. Once the roads opened, travel would be easy. Taking a chance so near… why not?

The shopkeeper chuckled happily. “Thanks for the idea! I’ll close up for a day and go have a look at Gaojia Village. If business seems promising there, I’ll move and give it a shot.”

Gao Yiye smiled. “You’ll see for yourself.”

Right as they were finishing their conversation, a horse galloped furiously into town. Its rider, a messenger, shouted at the top of his lungs: “Good news! Great news! The bandit army led by the ringleader Wang Jiayin has been stopped by our county defense force and the Gaojia Village Militia at Qiachuan Port! The bandits have fled!”