The early morning mist had not yet lifted when loud banging began on the dilapidated wooden gate of the Su family’s courtyard.
Su Qinghe pushed the gate open while yawning, and nearly tripped over a pile of goods stacked like a small mountain right at the entrance.
Several baskets of eggs, still carrying the fresh earthy scent from where they had been gathered, sat alongside two heavy sacks of cornmeal and a large bundle of freshly picked green vegetables. These items completely blocked the doorway. Standing nearby were a few villagers whose faces she recognized; they rubbed their hands together and wore expressions of awkwardness and ingratiation.
“Sister-in-law Su, this is a small token of our regard from my family. Before… before we were short-sighted and sold our chestnuts to others, causing you to suffer unfair treatment.”
“That’s right. Please accept these things. Don’t hold our foolish actions against us.”
Su Qinghe glanced at them and understood their intentions perfectly.
They felt guilty, certainly, but this was also a way of testing the waters. The chestnut season had ended; every last “spiky ball” from the hills had been picked clean. Everyone had gotten a taste of how easy it was to make quick money, and now that that source of income was gone, they were looking to her—the “God of Wealth”—to show them a new way to earn.
“Uncles, aunts, neighbors—you are all too kind.” Su Qinghe did not put on airs or act superior. She accepted their gifts graciously. “The chestnuts are gone, but there are always other ways for us to make a living. As long as you trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities to earn good money in the days ahead.”
She saw the villagers off, each of them expressing endless gratitude. When she closed the gate behind them, she could still faintly hear their voices as they walked away.
“Goodness, Sister-in-law Su has changed so much. In the old days, she wouldn’t even speak up loud enough to be heard, and kept her head down whenever she met anyone. But look at her now—she speaks with such skill and grace, never missing a beat.”
“You’re absolutely right. Her eyes are bright and sharp; you can see how clever she is just by looking at her. Back then, she was held down and oppressed by the old Su family household. But now that they’ve split up and she’s on her own, she’s really going to make a success of her life.”
“Mark my words—we need to stay close to her from now on. That girl’s mind works so quickly; who knows what other money-making ideas she’ll come up with next?”
Su Qinghe shook her head and smiled to herself as she listened. People were always like this. When you were weak, everyone would step on you. But once you became strong, and especially once you could bring them benefits, smiles and flattery would come your way naturally.
Now that she had accepted their gifts and made such confident promises, she really did need to find some new business opportunities. She still had a supply of chestnuts to sell for a while longer, but that stock would eventually run out.
Seeing that the sun was still bright and the weather fine, Su Qinghe slung a bamboo basket over her back and decided to walk along the riverbank to see what she might find.
A clear stream ran through the western end of the village, where the women usually came to wash clothes. Su Qinghe followed the course of the river downstream, hoping to spot fish, shrimp, or other wild food sources.
When she reached a stretch of calm water surrounded by reeds, her eyes suddenly lit up.
Lying in the clear river mud were countless dark brown creatures clustered tightly together. Each was as large as a baby’s fist, shining with a blue-black luster under the sunlight.
River snails! And not just any snails—these were large ones with plump, tender meat!
In the modern era, this was a staple dish ordered at every food stall. Stir-fried river snails, rice noodles with snail sauce… just thinking about the spicy, savory, and fragrant flavors made Su Qinghe’s mouth water. But in this time and place, villagers disliked them. They were said to have a strong muddy taste, very little meat inside a hard shell, and were incredibly difficult to clean and prepare. Unless there was a famine and food was scarce, no one bothered to touch them.
“What a waste! Such a precious thing, completely wasted!” Su Qinghe’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Without a second thought, she rolled up her trousers, took off her shoes and socks, and waded into the water.
The water was cool, sending a shiver through her body, but she didn’t care at all—not when she looked at the “treasures” covering the riverbed. She bent over, feeling through the mud with both hands, and came up with a large handful every time she reached down.
Before long, her basket was half full. It was so heavy it made her shoulders ache, yet the smile on her face was brighter than the sun above.
She had found her new way to make money!
When she returned to her small courtyard, Xiao Hanyuan was sitting under the eaves, carving something out of a piece of wood. Hearing her come in, he looked up. His gaze fell on Su Qinghe—covered in mud—and the dripping basket on her back.
She struggled to heave the basket onto the ground, making a dull, heavy thud.
Xiao Hanyuan frowned slightly. He stood up, walked over, and peered inside. It was filled with dark, shelled creatures coated in silt, releasing a strong fishy odor.
Confusion flashed in his eyes as he looked at her. “Why did you bring these lumpy stones back?”
In his opinion, these things had thick shells, barely any meat, and were gritty with sand. They were too hard even to feed to ducks—completely useless trash.
Su Qinghe wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her dark eyes shone brightly. “You don’t understand, do you? These are wonderful things. If prepared properly, they taste better than meat! Tonight, I’ll open your eyes—and your stomach—to see what real delicacies taste like.”
Xiao Hanyuan watched her confident expression, she looked like a greedy cat who had found a feast. He still had his doubts; it was hard to believe something so muddy and smelly could be edible, let alone good. But seeing the sparkle in her eyes, he swallowed the words of criticism that were about to leave his mouth.
This woman always managed to turn trash into treasure.
Perhaps… this time would be no different?
Half an hour later.
An indescribable scent began to spread outward from the Su family kitchen, reaching every corner of the area.
It smelled like a jar of pickled vegetables that had fermented for years had suddenly exploded, mixed with the stench of an outhouse that had been blocked up for three days and then suddenly broken open. It was sour, pungent, and carried a rotten odor that seemed to pierce straight to the top of one’s head.
In the yard, Xiao Hanyuan—who had been chopping firewood—froze mid-swing. His axe nearly came down on his own foot.
He held his breath, his expression turning serious.
Villagers passing by clamped their noses and ran away quickly. “This is terrible! Sister-in-law Su is cooking manure in her house!”
Inside the kitchen, however, Su Qinghe breathed in deeply with pure delight.
The rich aroma of sour bamboo shoots, the savory freshness of the snail broth, and the spicy kick of chili oil… it was perfect.
She worked quickly and skillfully. She blanched the rice noodles until tender, ladled a generous amount of rich, thick broth over them, and topped it all with golden crispy fried tofu skin, roasted peanuts, a large spoonful of sour bamboo shoots, and shredded wood ear mushrooms.
“Time to eat.”
Su Qinghe carried two large bowls of noodles to the small table in the yard.
Xiao Hanyuan took two steps back. “I’m not hungry.”
“Just try it,” Su Qinghe said, sitting down comfortably. She tapped the edge of her bowl with her chopsticks. “I promise it tastes amazing. Trust me.”
A vein throbbed slightly at his temple.
Looking at her bright, shining eyes, Xiao Hanyuan found himself unable to refuse.
Almost against his own will, he sat down. Holding his breath, he picked up a strand of noodles with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth as if he were swallowing poison.
The moment the food touched his tongue, Xiao Hanyuan’s pupils suddenly widened.
The terrible stench he had expected never came. Instead, an explosion of incredible flavor burst across his taste buds. The tangy sourness of the bamboo shoots awakened his senses instantly, followed closely by the bold heat of the chili oil that filled his entire mouth with authority. Beneath it all lay the deep, rich savoriness of the snail broth, creating a taste that was utterly addictive.
This flavor… it was unbelievably delicious!
The expression on Xiao Hanyuan’s face—which rarely changed from its cold, icy state—finally cracked. Almost instinctively, he took another mouthful, and then another…
Soon, the sound of slurping noodles echoed rhythmically around the courtyard.
Su Qinghe watched the man across from her as he finished every last drop of the soup in his bowl. Her eyes curved into happy crescents. “Well? Is it delicious?”
Xiao Hanyuan set down the empty bowl. The tips of his ears were slightly red. He wiped his mouth with dignified reserve. “The flavor is quite good.”
“Exactly!” Su Qinghe grinned, her eyes shining with brilliance. “Tomorrow, I’m going to sell this!”
By noon the next day, at the market in Qinghe Town.
As soon as Su Qinghe set up her stall, a clear empty space—ten meters wide all around—formed instantly.
“Good heavens! What is that smell?”
“Did someone move a public latrine out onto the street?”
“Disgusting! Absolutely repulsive! How is anyone supposed to eat around here?”
The vendors nearby complained loudly. Several bun sellers even picked up their rolling pins and came over to drive her away.
“Big sister, if you want to sell that stuff, go do it outside the city near the graveyard! Don’t stink up the place here!” shouted a burly butcher with a fierce face, pinching his nose shut. “This is beyond vile! No one smells things this bad even when cooking manure!”
Xiao Hanyuan stepped forward, resting his hand on the hilt of his rusted iron sword. His gaze was sharp and cold as a blade.
The butcher was struck by the menacing aura radiating from him and shrank back in fear, yet he still muttered insults under his breath. “What are you staring at? Can’t people speak up when you’re cooking garbage?”
Su Qinghe placed her hand over Xiao Hanyuan’s and shook her head gently to calm him.
She remained completely unhurried and lifted the lid off her large pot.
Whoosh—
The overwhelming sour and pungent smell erupted even stronger than before, causing passersby to cover their faces and flee in all directions.
Su Qinghe did not bother explaining anything. She simply served a bowl of noodles, poured over the red chili oil, and sprinkled chopped green onions on top. Holding the bowl high for everyone to see, she took a loud, satisfying slurp.
*Sluuuurp—*
The smooth noodles, coated in rich broth, slipped into her mouth. Su Qinghe let out a sigh of pure satisfaction, her face showing an expression of total enjoyment. She ate with such obvious pleasure: the glossy red soup clung to her lips, and the crispy fried tofu skin made a delightful crunching sound between her teeth.
The crowd watching fell silent for a moment.
This… she really isn’t eating filth? But seeing her enjoy it so much… why does my stomach suddenly feel a little empty?
“Come over, all you who are passing by! Don’t miss out! Snail rice noodles really taste incredible!” Su Qinghe called out while continuing to eat. “Made with a secret recipe! If you don’t like the taste, you don’t have to pay!”
Hearing that bold promise—that it was free if not delicious—someone in the crowd was finally tempted.
“Miss, give me a bowl!”
A strong, bare-chested man pushed his way through the crowd, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. “I’ve *got* to taste this… this… whatever this is! See if it really is as bad as it smells!”
“Coming right up! One bowl of snail noodles, five copper coins!”
Su Qinghe prepared a bowl swiftly and handed it to him.
The big man held his breath and took a cautious first bite.
The next second, his eyes opened wide as saucers.
“Damn it!” The man slapped his thigh in shock. “This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted!”
That shout was like opening Pandora’s box.
“Is that true? I want a bowl too!”
“Get me one as well! And put extra chili in mine!”
In less than a quarter of an hour, a long line had formed in front of the stall that everyone had been running away from only moments ago. People who had been holding their noses and cursing earlier were now squatting by the roadside, bowls in hand, sweating profusely as they ate, all exclaiming between mouthfuls that it was “absolutely delicious.”
Just outside the crowd, a carriage came slowly to a stop.
Shopkeeper Liu from Zuixianlou lifted the carriage curtain. He sniffed hard at the scent that he both loved and hated, and finally fixed his gaze on the plump woman working busily behind the stall.
“A genius… she really is a genius,” Shopkeeper Liu muttered to himself.
To be able to turn something that smelled so terrible into a successful business… Madam Su’s skills were nothing short of miraculous!
Half an hour later, Shopkeeper Liu approached Su Qinghe’s stall and spoke directly. “Ten taels of silver. Sell me the recipe.”
Previously, he had bought her recipe for sugar-fried chestnuts, and his restaurant had earned a great deal of money from it. Customers would always leave with a package of those chestnuts in hand.
But gradually, the chestnut season ended, and that business had run its course.
Now, seeing her new creation—the snail noodles—Shopkeeper Liu was eager to get involved again.
Su Qinghe collected money from a customer while smiling brightly. “Shopkeeper Liu, this recipe is not for sale.”