In the villa on West Fourth Ring Road.
Shen Guofu was half-lying on the sofa, reminiscing about the meal he had eaten today.
This was certainly the most satisfying meal he had had all year.
The only drawback was that there was too little staple food; he hadn’t eaten his fill.
If there had been another bowl of rice to mix with the black bean sauce from the ribs, mmm, that taste would have been absolutely wonderful.
"Shen, what kind of car are you planning to buy for Yueyue?"
The door to the bathroom adjoining the living room was pushed open.
Han Shuzhen, who had just finished using a water flosser, walked out.
The Tiger Skin Chicken Feet and black bean sauce chicken feet their daughter had brought home today each had their own merits, and both were very delicious.
What satisfied her most, however, was the rich, gelatinous texture, full of collagen to keep the skin elastic.
"It depends on her choice. If she doesn’t find anything she likes, I’ll just buy her a sports car. Other cars like the Maybach or Bentley aren’t suitable for our daughter to drive."
While they were talking, Shen Jiayue walked in with a tray.
"Dessert is here! Director Han, Boss Shen, come and try my handiwork."
Han Shuzhen couldn’t help but chuckle.
Her daughter was getting more brazen by the day. She had just arranged the packaged snacks on a plate, and that counted as her handiwork?
However, when she saw the snacks on the tray, she looked genuinely surprised.
She had assumed her daughter had just casually bought some desserts. But after seeing their appearance, she realized these weren’t from an ordinary shop like Daoyang Village.
She picked up a piece and tasted it.
Mm! This texture is incredible!
"Daughter, where did you buy these from? Have any new high-end dessert shops opened in Beijing lately?"
Shen Jiayue was just about to speak when Nanny Liu suddenly came from the kitchen holding a box.
"Yueyue, do you still want this box? If not, I’ll take it to my room. This box is really pretty; I’m planning to use it as a makeup box."
A box? Is this the packaging for the snacks?
Han Shuzhen said, "Nanny Liu, please bring the box here for me to see. Where on earth did this girl buy such delicious snacks?"
Nanny Liu brought the box over.
Han Shuzhen took it and looked at it. The box was indeed well-made, without flashy designs or vulgar gold coloring. Its exterior was an elegant, pale cyan, with a few small characters in clerical script printed in one corner:
"Fishing Platform State Guesthouse · Souvenir"
"Has the Fishing Platform started selling snacks?"
"No, it was a gift from someone. I just brought them for you all to try. I have another box in my room; you can go get it yourself if you want more."
Han Shuzhen handed the box back to Nanny Liu, just about to ask something else, when Shen Guofu, who was beside her, spoke up first, "Daughter, I really enjoyed the meal you brought today. Tell me, what car do you want? Dad will have someone order it first thing tomorrow morning."
Shen Jiayue thought for a moment and said, "A white BMW X1 will do."
Shen Guofu and his wife exchanged looks. It didn’t sound like a very high-end model.
He looked it up on his phone.
The car’s base model was not even 200,000 yuan, and even the top-spec model was just over 300,000 yuan. Currently, they were not only readily available but also came with a significant discount.
Their daughter... suddenly prefers lower-end cars?
"I work at the Audit Bureau. Driving a sports car is too conspicuous. A smaller SUV is more suitable for me. It offers a good view and has enough legroom."
Of course, the most important thing is that I no longer have to worry about my sports car pressuring Lin Xu. I can drive my car to see my dear Lin Xu every day!
Seeing that his daughter seemed serious, Shen Guofu said, "Are you sure you want this car? Alright, I’ll arrange for someone to buy it first thing tomorrow morning. We’ll get you the top-spec model, and I’ll even have someone customize it a bit so you can drive to work comfortably."
"Thanks, Dad! I’m going to exercise now!"
Shen Jiayue, in great spirits, casually picked up a plump little rabbit-shaped snack and bit into it.
This bunny is so cute, of course I have to gobble it up in one bite!
After her daughter had left, Han Shuzhen said, "A few days ago, Yueyue kept bringing home food. I thought she had found a chef. Now it seems, could this be some young master from a wealthy family?"
These are the kinds of snacks that can’t be bought on the market. Shen Guofu could certainly acquire them, though it would take some effort. But the snacks Yueyue brought didn’t seem to have involved much trouble. Otherwise, knowing her personality, she would have definitely boasted about how hard they were to get.
Shen Guofu replied, "That’s quite an imagination you have. How could Yueyue find a chef? Remember, she mentioned wanting someone who earns a million a month. Is there even a young chef out there with such a high salary?"
Shen Guofu even doubted his daughter was dating at all.
Because she neither clung to her cellphone constantly on long calls nor went out on dates, nor did she find various excuses to stay out overnight.
She just immersed herself in the gym, working out after returning home every day.
She didn’t seem like she was in a relationship at all.
「At five-forty in the morning.」
Lin Xu was busy in the kitchen when Grandpa Gao came in with his hands clasped behind his back, out for his early morning stroll.
Dressed in a shirt covered with maple leaf patterns, he looked quite the jaunty young fellow from behind.
"Xu, what would you like for breakfast this morning? Master will make it for you."
Starting from yesterday, Grandpa Gao had begun making breakfast in the shop.
Yesterday’s breakfast was pork buns with egg soup, which Che and the others couldn’t stop eating.
"I’d like scallion oil pancakes. Could you make those, Master?"
The morning tasks were demanding and quite intricate, so he needed more carbs to maintain stamina for the laborious work.
"Of course I can, that’s easy. Just wait. It’ll be ready real soon."
After saying that, Grandpa Gao rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, picked up a mixing bowl, and started making the dough.
"For hand-rolled noodles, the dough has to be firm to roll out properly. But for scallion oil pancakes, the dough should be a bit softer. That way, the cooked pancake is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, becoming more fragrant the more you chew."
After preparing the dough, Grandpa Gao placed some dry flour in a bowl, then added some Sichuan peppercorn powder, five-spice powder, and salt.
Next, he poured some hot oil over it and mixed it into a paste while it was still hot, creating the essential ingredient for making scallion oil pancakes—the oil-and-flour roux.
「Half an hour later.」
Grandpa Gao preheated the electric griddle.
Then he placed the rested dough on the table.
At this point, the dough was relaxed. It couldn’t be kneaded, as that would develop the gluten too much and make the pancakes hard.
He rolled the dough into long strips, then divided them into individual portions.
With his hands, he flattened each portion and rolled them out.
He spread a layer of the roux, then sprinkled on some chopped green onions.
He rolled each piece into a long strip, coiled it into a round disk, then flattened it again. Now it was ready to be cooked on the electric griddle.
The whole process flowed as smoothly as moving clouds and flowing water.
While waiting for the dough to rest, Grandpa Gao even used the leftover pork bone broth from yesterday, combined with dried wood ear mushrooms and dried daylilies from the storeroom, to make a pot of hot and sour soup. He also prepared a refreshing salad with the excess wood ear mushrooms and onions.
Such efficiency! It made Lin Xu feel quite inadequate by comparison.
After the pancakes were ready, the master and apprentice were just about to sit down for breakfast when Che suddenly pushed the door and came in.
Lin Xu checked the time; it was only six-thirty. Isn’t that too early for work?
He was about to speak when he saw a robust, honest-looking man following behind Che. Who was this...?
"Boss, he used to be a colleague in my previous shop. The business there wasn’t good, and they let him go. Hearing we were short-handed, he wanted to give it a try."
He got fired, and you’re bringing him to our shop? Are you trying to start a league for the unemployed here?
Lin Xu was about to say something when Che quickly added, "My colleague was the head chef for roast meats. He wasn’t fired for lack of skill, but because fewer people in the North eat roast meats, so he was the first to be let go..."
Lin Xu’s attention was suddenly caught!