The portion of rice is not large, and when divided into two bowls, each person gets even less.
However, they had lunch just over two hours ago, so they weren't particularly hungry.
Pei Shanshan and Pei Jing shared one bowl of rice, along with some dishes, which was almost enough.
Pei Shanshan looked at the rice in front of her, then at Jiang Ran, hesitated a bit, and still asked, "What about you?"
"I'll have noodles."
She even ordered a bowl of shredded meat noodles!
As they spoke, the shredded meat noodles were served.
The bowl was large, and the portion was generous.
On top were greens and shredded meat, steaming hot with an enticing aroma.
One must say, at that time, the meal was genuinely affordable.
There was no fuss about presentation; what mattered was that the portions were large and filling.
If the taste was good too, it would be even more popular.
The few of them ate their fill, and they finished everything they ordered.
Once full and satisfied, Jiang Ran paid the bill.
While paying, Jiang Ran realized that not only were the portions large, but the price was also reasonable.
The twice-cooked pork was eighty cents, shredded potatoes thirty cents.
A bowl of shredded meat noodles cost sixty cents, and a bowl of rice was twenty cents.
In total, it was a dollar and ninety cents.
A dollar and ninety cents for a meal with meat and vegetables, feeding three people to their fullest, was truly inexpensive.
Jiang Ran found it affordable, but saw the expression on Pei Shanshan's face, full of pain.
Evidently, Pei Shanshan thought that the meal was quite expensive.
The Pei Family made a living by farming, and it was only in recent years that they started being allocated their share, allowing them to sell grain for some money after harvest.
Usually, to buy oil, salt, sauces, and daily necessities, they had to rely on the hens at home.
An egg sold for a penny, and many families in the village raised chickens like a bank.
The Pei Family raised more than ten chickens, but it was impossible to sell all the eggs collected every day.
The original host alone had to eat several eggs a day.
While the rest of the Pei Family could go without, Pei Jing was still young and needed to eat an egg daily.
Thinking about the Pei Family's situation, Jiang Ran could understand Pei Shanshan's thoughts.
But this was all temporary.
Once she started a business and made money, Pei Shanshan wouldn't have to worry about the meal costs.
After this meal, Jiang Ran had a clear understanding of the food prices, taste, and portions in the county town, and had decided on what to do.
Opening a restaurant was certain, but not now.
With limited funds, Jiang Ran had to be frugal.
At home, there was a cart used for transporting grain during the harvest, idle most of the time, perfect for moving goods.
With the cart available, all that was left to procure were the stove and cooking utensils.
In the Pei Family's kitchen, an old clay stove was used with pots embedded in it; it was impossible to move them, so they'd have to buy new ones.
A few years ago, buying a pot required an industrial coupon.
Without an industrial coupon, even with money, an iron pot couldn't be bought.
But in recent years, the reform and opening up had relaxed policies significantly.
As long as you had money, iron pots could indeed be bought.
In the department store, Jiang Ran spent a long time selecting and finally chose a pot.
This pot wasn't as large as the one used by the Pei Family, but for the current Jiang Ran, it was sufficient.
Besides the iron pot, an aluminum pot was also purchased.
The aluminum pot was cheaper, but together, the two pots cost forty yuan.
Pei Shanshan watched Jiang Ran hand over forty yuan without blinking, feeling as if her heart was bleeding.
That was forty yuan!