With so many people at home today, dumplings are an essential part of our family reunion dinner.

"Second brother, I'm going to buy groceries with Mom. This pot was just installed. Go and boil some water on each stove to see if the chimney works well."

Shen Qinghe nodded, "Okay, sister-in-law, you go with Mother, I'll take care of the rest."

After making the arrangements, Meng Zhao and Gu Shi each carried a basket and went to the vegetable market. They still had some leftover rice, flour, and seasonings from before, so they brought them over today. Now they only needed to buy some meat and vegetables.

Meng Zhao asked Gu to go buy groceries, while she went to Meng's Butcher Shop.

Although her shop wasn't very close to Meng's butcher shop, it was less than a quarter of an hour's walk south from where she lived. There weren't many people buying meat at this time, and Meng Zhao spotted Xu Yunrong sitting and chatting with an old lady at the stall next to her.

"Mom, have you decided what to eat tonight?" A clear voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

Seeing her daughter arrive, Xu Yunrong was also very happy. "Not yet. How about you? How's the move going? I said I'd come and lend you a hand, but you wouldn't let me."

Meng Zhao smiled, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, "I'm not in a hurry here. I still have to go back to the village often anyway. I'll bring the things I usually use first, and move the rest slowly."

Then he looked towards the backyard and asked, "Where's Dad? Has he come back yet?"

"He's back. He's dividing the pigs in the backyard. What's up? You need to talk to him? I'll call him over."

Meng Zhao quickly stopped her and took her arm. "No need. I just came to tell you not to cook dinner tonight. I'll make some nice dishes. Come to my place and eat."

Xu Yunrong asked curiously, "Didn't you just move in? You're all set up already?"

"With so many people and quick hands, we've almost finished cleaning up. I'm thinking of making some dumplings. What kind of filling does Mom want?"

Xu Yunrong thought for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Anything is fine. Anyway, I don't dislike anything my daughter makes."

Watching the mother and daughter chat, the old woman sitting next to them also spoke up: "Zhaozhao, when will your shop open? Your parents always talk about how good your food is, praising it to the skies, making our mouths water. When it opens, we can have a taste."

Meng Zhao smiled as she looked at Xu Yunrong, who was quite proud. She hadn't lied; her daughter's cooking was indeed delicious.

"We'll open for business in the next couple of days once we've finished tidying up our new place. It'll be right on Tongfu Street. You'll have to come and support us then."

The old woman smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll have to try it and see if it's really as delicious as your parents said."

After speaking, Meng Zhao bought a few more pounds of pork. Although dumplings are delicious, you can't just eat dumplings alone. He planned to cook a few more dishes when he got back.

When they got home, Shen Qinghe had already lit several pots. Meng Zhao checked them one by one. The fires were burning brightly, and the chimneys were ventilating smoothly. There were no problems.

So Meng Zhao began preparing dinner, having Shen Qinghe chop the dumpling filling beside him.

Thanks to his previous experience, Shen Qinghe, despite his mediocre skills at the stove, had actually mastered the art of chopping filling.

Pick up a piece of pork, first cut it into thin strips on one side but not all the way through, then flip it over and continue cutting into thin strips in the other direction but not all the way through.

After the first cut, flip it over again and cut it again in a direction opposite to the first cut, cutting the strips into small squares. This time, you still don't need to cut all the way through.

After two cuts, the meat has become a series of connected cubes. Then, cut them open with a knife and mince them for a short while until they are evenly sized.

Meng Zhao nodded repeatedly after seeing the results. He thought, "She's a quick learner. It seems that people who are good at studying can learn other things faster. Shen Qinghe does have some talent in cooking."

After taking the chopped meat filling, Meng Zhao added scallion and ginger water, minced scallions and ginger, a little starch, and salt to taste, then stirred until it became sticky.

Once the meat filling was prepared, Gu's dough was also ready. Just as everyone was making dumplings together, there was a knock on the door, and Shen Qingze went to open it.

The visitor was Xu Ping. He had been concerned about Meng Zhao's move, but Meng Zhao said that the starch matter was more important, so he didn't ask Xu Ping for help. After he finished his work, he rushed over to deliver the housewarming gift.

"Cousin, congratulations on moving to your new home!" The boy was full of energy, his voice loud and enthusiastic.

After saying that, he puffed out his chest, acting like a little adult, and said, "I wish my cousin a prosperous business, abundant wealth, and all the best in the future!"

As he spoke, he pulled out several packages from behind his back. Although it was unclear what was inside, the exquisite packaging suggested they were quite valuable, and he must have spent a considerable amount of money.

Meng Zhao first thanked him, then said, "Why are you spending so much, kid? How come you've already achieved results on the first day?"

Xu Ping immediately broke down, like a child who couldn't keep a secret, and went up to Meng Zhao excitedly to tell him about his experiences that day.

After listening to Meng Zhao's instructions, he hurriedly carried the starch to Zuixianlou and went there. As soon as he entered, he saw Cao Chuan, the waiter he knew before.

The man assumed he was there for a meal and secretly told him which dish was the chef's specialty.

Xu Ping stopped him, "I'm not here to eat today, I'm here to help you."

The waiter was a little curious. "What can you do for me? I only get a fixed salary every month. No matter how much you order, I won't get any of it."

Xu Ping chuckled. "What are you thinking? Didn't you say before that your manager is often angry because business at the restaurant hasn't been good lately? I happen to have something good here that your manager will definitely like when he sees it. Why don't you introduce it to him?"

The waiter looked Xu Ping up and down, worried that he might be hiding something from him. After all, Xu Ping looked so young, what kind of tricks could he possibly have up his sleeve?

But seeing that Xu Ping didn't seem to be lying, he mustered up his courage and went to find the shopkeeper, thinking that at most he would get a scolding, so he might as well give it a try.

Mr. Song, the owner of Zuixianlou, had been very worried lately. When he heard from the waiter that someone had something good they wanted to see him, he lost his airs and went downstairs with the waiter.

Seeing that the visitor was just a teenager, he was immediately disappointed and thought he should get rid of him as soon as possible. It wasn't until Xu Ping took out the starch that he became truly serious.

"Boss Song, this stuff is called starch. When you add it to dishes, it thickens the broth and enhances the flavor. If you mix it with water and use it as a batter to coat meat before frying, it will make the meat crispier. If you add water and steam it, it will also form a translucent skin."

After listening to Xu Ping's introduction, Boss Song was stunned. These were the new dishes at Chunfenglou. He had been researching them for two or three months without any results. It turned out that the problem was with the ingredients.

Boss Song welcomed Xu Ping directly into the kitchen and asked him to demonstrate. Xu Ping often watched Meng Zhao and Gu Shi cook. Although his skills were average, he could at least demonstrate the effects of starch.

Boss Song could tell from Xu Ping's technique that he wasn't a professional chef, but he didn't mind. What he wanted to see was whether the starch really had the effects he claimed.