In the kitchen, Zheng Siyuan had already kneaded several doughs. The helpers in the orphanage were familiar faces from last time. Their cooking skills weren’t great, but their knife skills were decent. Zheng Siyuan had them all cutting vegetables and assisting, with sounds of chopping meat and vegetables everywhere.
Everyone was busy, and at first glance, it looked a bit like a large rural banquet.
The kitchen at the orphanage also had rural stoves and large pots, and today, Qin Huai was planning to take on a challenge: stir-frying the stuffing using a large pot.
Of course, Qin Huai also had a plan B. He had Dean Qu prepare plenty of ingredients for cabbage and meat buns and planned to have the children in the orphanage help with making buns in the afternoon as a backup.
When stir-frying the stuffing, the key was to add the meat to a hot pot for a quick stir-fry over high heat.
Using bold techniques and skills in tossing the wok, part of the fat in the stuffing is rendered out; then, turning down the heat to carefully control the oil. While tossing in the early stage, the stuffing should be spread out, and in the later stages, the oil should be controlled so that the stuffing is mixed evenly without falling apart.
Qin Huai had a complete plan in mind for today’s stir-fry. His excuse of finding inspiration at the orphanage to deceive Zheng Siyuan was a lie, but cooking at the orphanage genuinely felt like being at home for him.
Because he knew the children at the orphanage would not be picky eaters.
Qin Huai picked up the spatula.
He felt like he found the feeling of playing on his home turf.
A large pot of stuffing was poured into the wok.
Qin Huai found the right timing and planned to imitate Zheng Siyuan’s tossing technique from yesterday.
Qin Huai clumsily waved the spatula around, trying hard to toss the stuffing in the wok.
Zheng Siyuan silently watched from the side, patting the dough, with an unperturbed heart.
When he saw Qin Huai holding the spatula confidently, he had a faint glimmer of expectation, thinking that Qin Huai was an intuitive and talented player, and maybe he would perform extraordinarily here.
What was he even expecting?
Not far from Qin Huai, an orphanage employee chopping cabbage and a colleague next door pounding meat commented, "Master Xiao Qin’s skills are impressive, the stir-fried meat smells amazing!"
The meat-pounding colleague wholeheartedly agreed, nodding furiously, "The past few days have been relaxing, and the children have been eating enthusiastically. You missed it earlier, Congcong, who usually can’t speak properly, has been picking up quickly even though he’s been sent to a special school. He was playing outside and called Master Xiao Qin ’Brother Bao Bao’ so clearly!"
"I wish I had Master Xiao Qin’s skills, then I could open a bun shop back home, it’d be better than anything." The cabbage-chopping employee said with envy.
Okay, the people here are really very accepting, it’s no wonder Qin Huai prefers coming here.
On Qin Huai’s side, after the ordinary stir-frying in the pan, the stuffing had moved into the stewing phase.
Stewing in the big pot, with broth specially brought over by Qin Huai from the cafeteria, the rich aroma of meat spread throughout the kitchen.
Both the cabbage-chopping and meat-pounding employees were amazed, and even Dean Qu couldn’t help showing an expression of surprise, quietly peeking to ask Zheng Siyuan if it was still bun filling, it smelled so good!
Such fragrant stuffing is wasted on buns; can’t we just have noodles with the cooked meat stuffing tonight, making cabbage meat buns with the kneaded dough? Too much dough is not an issue; the orphanage often makes buns, so we can always make them tomorrow.
Zheng Siyuan didn’t know how to respond, quietly continuing to knead the dough.
After the stuffing cooled slightly, it was time for the exciting stage of shaping the fruit buns.
As Qin Huai mentioned, he and Zheng Siyuan were making a new cafeteria product, a special fruit-shaped snack, causing curiosity among the orphanage staff who gathered to watch.
Having shaped buns all afternoon yesterday, Zheng Siyuan and Qin Huai had become adept in quick, perfunctory shaping.
If you have an apple in your heart, anything you shape becomes an apple.
What? You say this doesn’t look like an apple, just a big round fruit?
Well, you’re right, it isn’t an apple.
Zheng Siyuan and Qin Huai’s fingers moved swiftly and nimbly to shape the dough, and in a blink of an eye, a roughly round, slightly apple-like fruit bun was born, though only close examination would reveal it was not an apple.
"Wow!" The onlookers cooperated by making amazed sounds, their emotional value fully invested.
With an expressionless face, Zheng Siyuan quickly shaped another one.
"Wow! It’s the same!" The onlookers once again expressed their amazement.
Zheng Siyuan decided to disrupt the process, letting Qin Huai continue shaping while he went to adjust the beet juice for coloring the fruit buns.
The first unsightly fruit bun was born in Zheng Siyuan’s hands.
"Wow!" Exclamations arose one after another.
Zheng Siyuan felt this trial result was quite optimal, suggesting regular production every Sunday. If Qin Huai found the journey to be too far, he could drive.
Qin Huai watched from the side, almost unable to hold back his laughter.
Zheng Siyuan truly seemed to love receiving instant praise from customers.
No wonder he was so easily deceived by those longing gazes from the elders in the community, starting work earlier and earlier each day from 7 AM to 6 AM, and ending later and later each day, teaching only after having made another batch of goods post-lunch.
Qin Huai cooperatively let Zheng Siyuan have the last highlight moment, only focusing on shaping fruit buns and practicing his Finger Skills, leaving all coloring tasks to the latter.
Even such unsightly fruit buns could evoke such genuine cheering from the orphanage staff, which showed how hard it was for Dean Qu to recruit volunteers, and everyone seemed to want Zheng Siyuan to stay.
After completing the first batch of fruit buns, Qin Huai and Zheng Siyuan divided tasks again, one seasoned the bun filling while the other kneaded softer bun dough.
The orphanage staff were also organized, with Dean Qu setting up tables and mobilizing the children to come over to wrap buns later.
As a result, Dean Qu didn’t return after mobilizing, and while the bun filling and dough in the kitchen were ready, the children were not to be seen, nor was Dean Qu to be found.
The orphanage staff called Dean Qu, but there was no answer.
"Maybe a new benevolent person arrived and Dean Qu is entertaining them; normally, Dean Qu wouldn’t look at their phone during conversations." Someone speculated.
"I’ll go check Dean Qu’s office, and also take the files to the car, I forgot to take them earlier. Mr. Luo hasn’t looked at those documents yet." Qin Huai said.
One staff member even helpfully pointed out the route to the dean’s office to Qin Huai, fearing he might get lost.
Then continued to praise Zheng Siyuan.
"Wow, Master Xiao Zheng, you rolled this bun skin so well, the texture feels different in hand!"
Qin Huai: ... if the praises continue, Zheng Siyuan could well become a resident volunteer.
Good, another advantage for matchmaking, really heartwarming.
Qin Huai walked towards the dean’s office, the door was half-closed, seemed to have been closed then opened again. The door looked older than Qin Luo, it wasn’t unusual for it not to close properly.
Voices were coming from inside.
As Qin Huai approached, intending to knock, he heard two familiar voices conversing inside.
"Why have you started again?!" Dean Qu’s tone was sharp, something Qin Huai had never heard before, possibly realizing she was too harsh, she took a deep breath and softened.
"Are you writing a thesis recently?"
Qu Jing didn’t respond.
"You haven’t done this for a long time after becoming friends with Xiao Qin and them, haven’t you? Didn’t you tell me you buy snacks and Dried Tangerine Peel Tea from Xiao Qin’s shop every day, and you’ve felt much happier and improved a lot?"
"Last time Xiao Qin told me he wanted to introduce someone to you; I thought if you got better, with advanced medical techniques now, even burn injuries can have scar repairs, maybe yours can be corrected too."
"You’re still young; many people marry in their 30s. Jingjing, one day you’ll have a normal life."
"Why have you..." said Dean Qu, her voice choking up.
Qu Jing quietly said, "I’m sorry, Mom Qu, I’m a monster."
"Don’t say that, it’s my fault, I didn’t take you to the hospital when you fell ill as a child, I delayed things for you."
Qin Huai, standing outside, felt baffled, unable to comprehend the conversation inside, what illness did Qu Jing have?
Did she really have a sun allergy?
Qin Huai moved slightly closer to the door gap, sneaking a glance inside.
The scene before his eyes left him speechless.
Qu Jing wasn’t wearing gloves.
Nor was she wearing UV-protective sleeves; her long sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, exposing her arms.
Her hands, wrists, and arms were covered with scars, resembling cuts, some new, some old, new scars overlapping the old, pink scars twisted and snaked around, making the exposed skin appear terrifying, even parts of the arm seemed uneven as if a chunk of flesh had been gouged out.
The latest seemed to be on the arm, wrapped with bandages, probably where she got burned by the fruit bun yesterday.
Qin Huai realized he had discovered Qu Jing’s true secret.
He also knew he faced a choice without turning back.
Should he pretend not to know, or knock gently and enter with decorum?
Qin Huai took a deep breath to calm himself.
He wondered if his relationship with Qu Jing was adequate, but considering her situation, a significant wake-up call might be the only way.
At the rate of self-harm, Qin Huai feared Qu Jing might one day attempt suicide by wrist-cutting.
He knocked heavily twice on the door.
Not giving the people inside time to react, Qin Huai pushed the door open.