8 minutes later, the first batch of Five Fillings Bun was out of the steamer.
Usually, Qin Huai doesn't recommend customers eat the freshly steamed buns directly.
It's not that freshly steamed buns aren't tasty, it's mainly because they're hot.
Hot enough to burn your mouth.
Every year, there are always a few customers who insist on eating the hottest ones, only to end up doing a tap dance with buns in their mouths.
Mr. Xu clearly doesn't care; he doesn't even mind indigestion, let alone a little mouth-burning. As soon as Huang Xi brought the basket to the table, he reached for one.
Took a big bite of half the bun.
"Whoa." Mr. Xu exclaimed.
It's really freaking hot!
Mr. Xu's first reaction was to spit out the scalding bun, but once he opened his mouth, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
His tongue had already tasted the flavor.
The bun's skin was soft and tender, with the inside absorbing the meat juice and the outside being fluffy with a hint of sweetness. The juice enveloped the filling, bursting with the tenderness of shrimp and the fresh crispness of bamboo shoots, with the smoothness of sea cucumber mixed in as the best buffer. The flavors of the mountain and sea converged in this small bun, and the deliciousness spread along the tip of his tongue.
Mr. Xu couldn't help himself, retracted his tongue and took a big bite.
It's really hot, damn this bun, why is it so hot!
Mr. Xu always thought a thin skin with a big filling was the best compliment for a bun. I mean, it's a bun, how good can it be? No matter how delicious, it's just a bun.
Being this tasty, it actually is a bun?!
Mr. Xu kept chewing, steaming from his mouth, reluctant to spit it out yet unwilling to swallow it. After a struggle, he finally swallowed, took a sip of soy milk, and continued eating slowly.
Two bites later, the bun was finished.
Mr. Xu let out a satisfied sigh, rubbed his belly, got up, and was about to walk to the outer gate. After taking a couple of steps, he stopped and turned around.
"Young man, three more baskets!" Mr. Xu walked straight to the cashier, paying with the aura of swiping a gold card at will.
Ten minutes later, because Mr. Xu delayed for ten minutes by eating five baskets of buns, his morning run buddies, who had been stood up, stormed into the restaurant angrily, capturing Mr. Xu on the spot at table number 9.
"Xu Tuqiang!" the leader scolded loudly.
Mr. Xu shoved a bun into the leader's mouth, saying, "My treat."
Then he turned and shouted, "Another basket!"
The leader instinctively took a bite, held the bun, and angrily said, "Don't give me this... hey?"
The leader looked at the bun.
Chewed a couple of bites.
Thought for a moment, and started devouring the bun right there.
Old Cao, what's going on? We were waiting for you to serve justice, why are you eating the bun?
Two minutes later, the four elderly men who came over for righteous justice against Xu Tuqiang sat at a separate table, isolating Xu Tuqiang, each ordering a few baskets of Three Meat Buns or Five Fillings Buns while they isolated him.
After Mr. Cao finished two buns and was done savoring them, he continued his righteous chastisement: "Old Xu, you're really something, keeping such a good place in your neighborhood a secret from us."
"Who kept it a secret from you?" Already full to the point of burping, Xu Tuqiang sipped the last bit of soy milk, half sprawled on the chair, "This shop just opened today, didn't you get the flyers they handed out outside a few days ago?"
After that, Mr. Xu let out a long burp.
"Are we still running later?"
"Run my ass," Mr. Cao bit a Three Meat Bun fiercely, "What do you need to run for after eating this much, dismissed, run tomorrow."
"We'll eat more after running tomorrow!"
After speaking, Mr. Cao glanced at the prices on the sign, showing a pained expression, "As good as it is, it's really expensive, 35 bucks a bun, gone in two bites, someone who doesn't know would think we're munching on gold."
"Gold's much more expensive," Xu Tuqiang unmercifully quipped, "It's good to have something to eat, money's for spending, I have no idea why you, Old Cao, are always pinching pennies like a stingy ogre. You're a multimillionaire for crying out loud, ordering two baskets of Three Meat Buns and a basket of Five Fillings Buns, someone who doesn't know might think you can't afford it."
Having said that, Xu Tuqiang waved stylishly: "Miss, pack me a basket of Three Meat Buns and a basket of Five Fillings Buns to take home for my wife to try."
Provoked by Xu Tuqiang, Mr. Cao couldn't stand it and followed suit with an additional order.
Xu Tuqiang only has one wife at home, while Mr. Cao has a wife, a son, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson, five people, they sure can eat.
"Miss, give me another 18 baskets of Five Fillings Buns, and 5 baskets of Three Meat Buns!" Old Cao shouted in a more resounding voice.
In the kitchen, Qin Huai: ...
Really, you rich folks have such unique competitions?
Seen cars, watches, and yachts being compared, but the first time seeing who's buying the most buns compared.
Ten minutes later, the old men strutted out, each with a bag of buns, returning home triumphant. Among them, Mr. Cao stood the straightest, couldn't help it, his family is numerous, and his grandson is at the age where he can eat a lot, one for three.
The new employees saw customers leaving with buns, bewildered, thinking they had missed a notice that changed the starting time to earlier. On their first day, they anxiously walked into the restaurant, fearing being docked pay right after starting work.
Huang Xi calmly explained the situation to the three of them, telling them to quickly change clothes and get ready for work.
The arrival of the old men was just a surprise, but since the orders were placed and the staff was present, Huang Xi simply changed the sign outside to indicate they were open and began business early.
This time, there wasn't much customer flow; nearby office buildings mostly started work at 9. The crowd only picked up after 8 o'clock. After 6 o'clock, a few guests trickled in from the outer gate. Some, disliking the lack of noodles and soup, glanced at the menu and left, while others considered the meat buns reasonably priced and bought a few to take away.
The Three Meat Buns and Five Fillings Buns remained untouched due to their price, most people startling at the prices with a glance. After all, it's not a tourist spot, $35 per bun is a bit beyond the usual spending for a normal person.
Seeing there weren't many customers and it wasn't yet peak time, Qin Huai simply moved a small stool next to the shelf and sat down, planning to slack off until 7.
This work philosophy of working two hours and slacking off one had always been his favorite.
Happy doubled by slacking off.
Qin Huai's slacking lasted until 6:30.
At 6:30, Chen Huihong and Chen Huixi stepped into Yunzhong Restaurant on time from the Inner Door.
Chen Huixi wore a school uniform, with pink butterfly ribbons tying her twin tails, and a pink headband inlaid with pearls. She happily walked in, carrying a little pink backpack.
"Good morning, Brother Qin Huai," Chen Huixi ran to the window, smiling, and greeted Qin Huai in the kitchen, "Brother Qin Huai, do you have bunny buns this morning?"
"Yes, we do," Qin Huai replied gently, "How many do you want, Huixi?"
"Two!" Chen Huixi raised two thumbs, "Mom said too many sweets give you cavities, I can only have two red bean paste buns."
Qin Huai instinctively glanced at Chen Huihong.
Ever since discovering that Chen Huihong probably wasn't human, Qin Huai's feelings towards her had been a bit complex.
He wasn't afraid, just very curious.
Curious about what she really was.
Qin Huai had been analyzing it for the past few days, thinking he'd have to unlock her dreams to unlock this mystery about Chen Huihong. But figuring out how to unlock dreams, Qin Huai hadn't come up with an answer yet.
The last dream happened after touching the animal buns made by Chen Huihong, so Qin Huai wasn't sure if it was a random drop whenever he touched pastries she personally made, or whether more interaction might trigger it.
The randomness seemed quite high; Chen Huihong cooking was itself a rare event. Also, the treats last time were handed to him by Huihui, so he couldn't even be certain which of the two brought the dream forth.
Qin Huai planned to interact more with Chen Huihong and Chen Huixi, fostering goodwill, hoping to unlock dreams sooner or later.
Chen Huihong was looking up at the menu, pointing at the Five Fillings Bun, "Isn't this bun a snack from Guangling? I think I've had it before."
As expected of a wealthy lady, well-traveled and experienced.
"One basket of Five Fillings Bun, one basket of Three Meat Buns, two bunny red bean paste buns, a bowl of mung bean soup, and a bowl of soy milk. Just half a bowl for the soy milk; Huixi can't drink that much," Chen Huihong began ordering, leading Chen Huixi to sit at table number 9.
At this time, the buns were ready-made, so they were served quickly.
Small dishes, baskets, and bowls were arranged on the table, making for quite a spread.
Chen Huihong first took out her phone for a snap, then offered a bunny red bean paste bun to Chen Huixi, while she herself picked up a Five Fillings Bun and started eating right away.
Chen Huixi didn't eat immediately but picked up the bunny red bean paste bun to admire it.
The bunny bun with dotted eyes appeared more lifelike; Chen Huixi was utterly enamored, so much so that she didn't notice her mom freezing in place beside her.
Chen Huihong was truly stunned.
With all her vast experiences, eating the Four Happiness Dumplings just made her think Qin Huai's skills were pretty good, the dumplings were quite tasty, almost comparable to those old masters' delicacies from renowned snack shops.
This time, however, Chen Huihong began to doubt her memory.
In her impression, Five Fillings Bun wasn't this delicious.
Could it be that she was just too picky years ago to appreciate such a delicious bun?
Chen Huihong glanced at the bun, which seemed ordinary.
Taste-tested a bite; it was astounding!
Chen Huihong recalled Qin Huai's previous introduction.
His family ran a breakfast shop in a county town, an old brand, quite famous, much liked by the local folks.
Never would she have imagined such terror from a Southern County.
"Huihui," Chen Huihong stopped the about-to-eat Chen Huixi, holding her hand, "Don't eat just yet."
Chen Huihong raised her hand, indicating 'bring another basket of Five Fillings Bun.'
"Eat this," she pushed the steamer towards Chen Huixi, with a firm face, "It's delicious."
Chen Huixi, puzzled, picked up the bun and took a small bite.
Chen Huixi, who usually ate slowly and methodically, surprisingly took a quick bite, immediately following it with a second bite.
"Mom," Chen Huixi happily looked up after swallowing the bun, "can we have buns for lunch today too? I don't want to eat at the canteen."
Chen Huihong nodded firmly, "Sure!"
Sweetheart, Mom was just thinking the same thing!