At exactly 11 o’clock, Huang Ji Restaurant opened to receive guests.
Of course, if on a regular working day there’s no overflow requiring waiting in line, coming in at 10:30 and sitting down is not impossible either.
Anyway, no matter what time you come in, you have to wait until 11:10 to order and place your order.
At 11:08, Qian Zhongheng’s family, who had reserved table number 6 in advance, arrived at his faithful Huang Ji Restaurant.
Qian Zhongheng’s son and daughter-in-law had still taken time off to come for dinner.
The son was still somewhat dissatisfied and confused.
"Dad, why do we have to take leave to come to lunch again today? My excuse for leave yesterday was that you were hospitalized and needed a meal at noon, and now I have to do it again today. My boss asked why you’re not better yet. I really can’t keep taking leave tomorrow, or I’ll be exposed," the son complained unhappily.
"I invite you to eat, and you’re ungrateful. Do you know how much that meal cost yesterday?" Qian Zhongheng didn’t even glance at his son, busy messaging Qin Huai to inform him the family had just arrived.
"Your dad just doesn’t forget you when there’s delicious food," the wife, Bai Xiujuan, interjected, "Do you still remember Uncle Wang?"
The son shook his head, "Which Uncle Wang?"
"Your dad’s old colleague, he even came to attend your wedding, though it’s been years without contact. Recently, he suddenly contacted your dad on WeChat to ask for Zheng Da’s WeChat," she explained.
The son finally nodded, "Oh, got it, Uncle Wang came to Gusu? But it wasn’t necessary to invite him for lunch, a dinner invite would do too."
Bai Xiujuan couldn’t quite handle her son’s peculiar thinking, "Uncle Wang’s friend came to Gusu and invited us to eat."
The son started to grasp, "Then why drag Yuan and me along? You and Dad being there would suffice, maybe bring Mengmeng too."
Bai Xiujuan: "... Can’t you let me finish talking first? Uncle Wang’s friend is this new dessert chef at Huang Ji who arrived yesterday."
Turns out Uncle Wang had such a good friend!
At this moment, the son felt profoundly ashamed.
Ashamed indeed! Uncle Wang had traveled long distances to attend his wedding back in the day, and he hadn’t contacted him over the years, not even visited during New Year’s.
This year, he must take a high-speed train or a plane to visit Uncle Wang for New Year’s greetings!
"Master Qin was thoughtful. He said it was thanks to your dad’s assistance in introducing Zheng Da to meet him that he came to Huang Ji today for the exchange. Today, he specifically made snacks not on the menu for your dad to try. Your dad thought of you all and specially called you over, yet here you are complaining. You’ve really grown to be ungrateful," she continued.
"If you’re not happy, you can just go back to work now."
The son quickly forced a smile, "Mom, no way! How could I complain? I know you and Dad have always been the best to me, always thinking of us first with any good thing. I’ll pay for today’s lunch; Dad’s retirement money can wait until next week for another meal at Huang Ji!"
Then the son stopped talking, sitting happily at the table, rubbing his hands in excitement.
Meanwhile, Huang An Yao, who’s been squatting by the kitchen door watching customers in the hall, ran back immediately to tell Qin Huai that the guests at table 6 had arrived.
Qin Huai was in the midst of brushing his third apple dough ball.
He planned to make 12 apple dough balls: 6 for the Qian family, 3 for Huang An Yao, and 3 for Huang Jia. First, he would complete the Qians’ 6 and finish the remaining 6 after 1 PM. Before 1, he needed to stay focused, as he still had to make several batches of steamed buns and baked buns during these 3 hours.
While brushing the dough balls, Qin Huai glanced at what the Qian family ordered.
They didn’t order any snacks, just three signature hot dishes, the portions weren’t large, likely saving room for the desserts.
Orders from the restaurant are announced in the kitchen.
A ding alerts the chefs not to miss orders.
And the waitstaff will remind them over the intercom too.
From 11:10, the alert sound didn’t stop.
From the helpers’ pace and the frequency of loading buns, Qin Huai deduced that the first round of orders mainly consisted of steamed buns and baked buns.
Qin Huai couldn’t resist taking a peek outside.
Wow, the delivery guys were already waiting at the door.
These patrons really rely on deliveries.
However, this didn’t last long; the ’ding-ding-ding’ slowed significantly from 11:17 onward. Qin Huai sighed in relief, at least it wasn’t as crazy as yesterday.
Today’s assembly line pace was a bit manageable.
Qin Huai continued focusing on brushing the dough balls.
At 11:22, 6 perfect apple dough balls were born.
If a lifelike apple dough ball wasn’t already mesmerizing enough, having 6 lined up together made it impossible for any chef in the kitchen to not glance their way.
Each dough ball was distinct.
Even if a chef managed to make the dough sizes identical and shapes similar, controlling baking to ensure identical rising, especially in handmade stuffed ones, was challenging.
Six differing apple dough balls on a plate could easily be mistaken for a fruit platter at first sight.
If an uninformed person entered the kitchen, wanting an apple, they might really grab one for a bite.
Qin Huai motioned for the dish to be served.
The server carried the dough balls towards table 6.
Many patrons noticed but didn’t pay much attention, maybe just wondering which table ordered 6 apples without even asking the kitchen to cut them into a fruit platter.
Does Huang Ji have apples on the menu?
Anyway, not important. Eating buns was the priority.
The Qian family noticed too but didn’t mind, the son even made a playful remark to compensate for his earlier complaints: "Dad, look, someone ordered apples at Huang Ji!"
Then the son saw the server come towards their table, stopping right in front of him, presenting the dish.
"Miss, this isn’t ours, right? Or is the restaurant giving out apples with lunch today?" The son was a bit dazed.
"These are apple dough balls made by Master Qin, please enjoy," the server left smiling.
The son didn’t understand at all, not knowing what ’dough balls’ meant, his eyes full of questioning gleams, reached directly for the apples on the plate.
"What dough ball, isn’t this just an app... whoa?!"
The son was dumbfounded.
Struggling to believe his eyes, he blinked a few times rapidly, then questioning his hands, he squeezed hard.
The apple dough ball instantly deformed under pressure.
The son quickly released his hold, frightened.
No one spoke; everyone at the table was stunned.
Ma Yuan instinctively took out her phone to take pictures.
Dreaming, after a few seconds of staring, gave a wholehearted compliment to her dad, "Dad squashed the apple! Such strength!"
After Ma Yuan finished taking photos, she looked up what a dough ball was and read it aloud to her family. Hearing this, Qian Zhongheng marveled, taking one into his hand.
At this moment, the dough ball remained warm.
"If I didn’t feel it with my hands, who’d believe this was made of dough?" Qian Zhongheng remarked in awe, "I’ve lived over 60 years, and this is definitely an eye-opener."
While Qian Zhongheng was still marveling, his son was already munching.
With a single bite, his eyes widened, seeming like they’d pop out from shock, exclaiming, "Dad, this dough ball tastes like apple!"
"Oh my gosh, it tastes just like apple!"
Immediately, his son became the center of attention, even drawing glances from the seven or eight newly arrived guests and a fresh delivery guy at Huang Ji.
The newcomers were heading to the 2nd floor private rooms, led by a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, dressed in large logo attire, signaling wealth just from looks.
The affluent guest stopped, his aging eyes fixed intently on the apple dough ball with a bite taken from it in Qian’s son’s hand.
Seeing him halt, someone patted him, "Gong Datou, aren’t we heading upstairs? Or are you thinking of staying in the hall today?"
Gong Liang, AKA Gong Datou, looked a bit longer without answering, suddenly furious.
"I knew Zheng Da was lying; Old Huang’s in on it too! What ’new dessert chef’, it’s just him filling in at Huang Ji. I overwhelmed him with so many snacks yesterday, and he’s afraid I’d order again today."
"Cannot stand this; I need to call Old Huang."
"Lunch today must include two apple dough balls for me."
"Nothing can solve this without two apple dough balls!"