Chapter 35 Red Rice Sausage, Pan-fried Chive Dumplings, Chicken...

At 10:30 p.m., most elementary school students are already in bed because they have to go to school the next day. Middle and high school students are probably rushing to finish their homework. People who have to go to work the next day are probably lying in bed reminiscing about the May Day holiday that has already passed. The elderly are unaffected and go to bed early as always.

The acne-fighting group, which has been established for ten years, became popular because of the sharing by group member "Renping Yixiao", which attracted many group members from all over the country who were still awake and paying attention to the group.

[Ren Pingyi: Sharing the changes in my acne scars. From May 2nd to May 5th, the dark acne scars on my face have lightened considerably, and some lighter acne scars have gradually faded from pink. They were still visible in the photo taken on the 2nd, but the camera couldn't capture them anymore on the 5th. I've achieved the disappearance of acne scars within social distancing limits. Additionally, the two dark acne pits in the middle of my right cheek are also showing signs of lightening and smoothing out; the changes should be more noticeable in the future.]

[Ren Pingyixiao: Comparison image attached.jpg]

Almost as soon as the message was posted, the group members who saw it immediately got excited, and several popped up to ask questions.

[My acne has disappeared: Wow, it really looks like it's gotten lighter! Such a noticeable effect in just four days? What medication did you use? Please share, I'd be so grateful.]

[I'm mortal with acne: Oh my god! The acne scars on my right cheek are really smoothing out, and I feel like they'll be even more noticeable in a few days. I'm so excited in the middle of the night! @任凭逸萧, what medication or traditional Chinese medicine have you been using lately?]

[Hope on the face: I'm frantically searching for the name of this medicine. I've tried countless methods and medications over the years, and I hope this one will work. @Renpingyixiao.]

Friends across the country in the group were excited by this message. Regardless of whether they had spoken in the group, they were all anxiously waiting for Ren Yixiao to share the name of the medicine they were using, while wondering which dermatology hospital had developed a new acne treatment, and how they hadn't received any information about it.

Finally, they received the new message from Ren Pingyi.

[Ren Pingyixiao: I'm sharing this sincerely. Actually, I noticed the changes after eating at Gu's Private Kitchen on Suli Street in Yunjiang District for five consecutive days during my trip to Jiang City over the May Day holiday. The meat and dishes at this restaurant are especially fragrant, the taste is comparable to a five-star hotel, the ingredients are very fresh, and the seasonings are simple. I guess eating there a few more times will be good for improving my skin condition.]

[Ren Pingyixiao: I know this might sound like a fantasy, but it's true. The pictures I posted show no signs of Photoshop editing, and my friends who were with me, who don't have acne problems, even seemed to have better skin. If you have the chance, you should definitely try eating at Gu's Private Kitchen a few times in a row.]

Two messages popped up in succession, responding to the questions raised by previous group members, but instead provoked even more anger from others.

[Get rid of acne: I recognize every single word, but how can the sentence be so disappointing? Eating meat dishes at this restaurant can clear up acne? It's more like the saying that the water and soil of Jiang City are good for people, and I should go live there for a while (angry) (blushing and furious)]

[Blue Basket Doesn't Hold Acne: ??? Gu's Private Kitchen is even advertising in acne-fighting groups? That's going too far!]

[Hope on the Face: I recognize you, fellow group member. I remember you used to frequently discuss acne treatments and offer each other comfort and encouragement in the group. Sending this kind of message and treating us like fools, isn't that a bit much?]

[All pimples are paper tigers: But the photos posted by @任凭逸萧 really don't look photoshopped. Did they really come from eating Gu's Private Kitchen?]

[I guess I have to get rid of either my acne or my knees: We're all in this group, and we've all suffered from acne for years. Could @任凭逸萧 please tell us about some truly effective ointments? Thank you.]

[Ren Pingyixiao: We're all group members, and I know the pain of being troubled by acne. Even though I know I might be doubted if I post this, I'm still sharing it with you. I guarantee that my acne scars improved by eating Gu's Private Kitchen. If you're willing to believe me, you can try it in Jiang City. I can't guarantee the results. If you really don't believe me, just pretend you didn't see this message. Best wishes.]

On the plane, Su Yixiao saw the questions raised by the members of the acne-fighting group, some of which were even quite harsh. She had expected this and wasn't too angry.

Knowing that his message would be met with suspicion, Su Yixiao thought of the countless days and nights he had spent discussing how to fade acne scars with these group members, comforting and encouraging each other. With the idea of ​​helping as many people as possible, he still shared this unexpected discovery in the group.

In fact, Su Yixiao wasn't sure if the acne scars on his face would continue to fade after he returned to Lu City and stopped eating at Gu's Private Kitchen. Or was the change in the past few days just a temporary effect, and would he gradually return to his original state?

The more Su Yixiao thought about it, the more he felt that he might have sent the message too early. However, he still trusted Gu's Private Kitchen and believed that his recent changes were not just a flash in the pan.

She doesn't plan to reply to the messages in the group anymore. Sharing the message has already done her part. Those who are willing to believe will try even if they have to travel a long distance, while those who are not willing to believe will be met with criticism no matter how many heartfelt words she says.

Just as I was about to log out of the group, a private message popped up. It was from a group member I had discussed the additives in a certain ointment a year ago.

[Want to go back to my teenage years and protect my face: Yi Xiao, may I ask you again to confirm, does eating Gu's Private Kitchen really work for treating acne?]

Su Yixiao hadn't seen her reply in the group chat, apparently he was also observing. Now that he saw her private message, he replied sincerely as well.

[Ren Pingyixiao: It worked for me; the fading of my acne scars was definitely related to eating Gu's Private Kitchen. I ate it for five days straight, but now that I'm back home, I can't continue. I don't know if it will continue to get better. My personal suggestion is that you should try eating Gu's Private Kitchen in Jiang City for a few days; it might work for you.]

The other party replied very quickly.

[Want to go back to my teenage years and protect my face: Okay, okay, thank you Yixiao. I'll take a few days of annual leave to go to Jiang City to try Gu's Private Kitchen and see how it goes.]

Seeing the other party's reply, Su Yixiao smiled. A friend she had talked to before was willing to give it a try, and maybe it could really alleviate her troublesome acne problem.

She manually located Jiang City on the map, found the address of Gu's Private Kitchen, and shared it with her friends.

[Ren Pingyi: This is the address of Gu's Private Kitchen. You can use navigation to get there when you go to Jiang City. Don't go to the wrong place.]

[Ren Pingyixiao: There are also official accounts for Gu's Private Kitchen on Weibo and Xiaohongshu, as well as some customer reviews. The food they share looks incredibly tempting; it really tastes amazing.]

[Ren Pingyi: When you get to Jiang City, you can check Dianping (a Chinese review platform). The restaurants there will update their opening hours so you don't miss out on their closing time.]

[Want to go back to my teenage years and protect my face: Okay, okay, thank you Yixiao, I've got it all (puppy carrying a rose)]

[Want to go back to my teenage years and protect my face: I'll definitely share with you if it works after I go to Jiang City! Also, some people in the group might have gone a bit too far, don't take it to heart, everyone was probably just a little too excited.]

Su Yixiao smiled after reading it and typed a reply on his phone.

[Ren Pingyi: Okay, don't worry, I didn't mind. The fact that you're willing to believe me means I've achieved my goal of sharing this news. Looking forward to your good news.]

Seeing the emoji the other person replied with, Su Yixiao didn't reply again, nor did he check the 99+ messages in the acne-fighting group or the prominent notifications that he was mentioned. He simply logged out of the group, turned off his phone screen, and closed his eyes to rest.

On Suli Street in Jiang City, Gu Qingqiu was also lying in bed happily playing on her phone.

Just before nine o'clock, after Sister Zhou finished cleaning the restaurant, Gu Qingqiu told her to rest for the next two days.

Restaurants saw unprecedented business during the May Day holiday, with braised meats on the first two days and various dishes on the following three days proving extremely popular with customers.

Of course, she was also incredibly busy, and Sister Zhou was equally hectic serving customers in the dining area. After the May Day holiday, everyone should finally get some rest.

Sister Zhou readily agreed, smiling as she said that it would be a good opportunity to clean the house and spend more time with Fangfang.

Gu Qingqiu played on her phone without a care in the world that night, not even having to think about what dishes to order for tomorrow. When she got tired of playing, she tossed her phone aside, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Gu Qingqiu woke up naturally and felt refreshed as she looked at the white light emanating from the pink curtains.

She turned off the air conditioner, lay in bed looking at her phone for a while, then got up to wash up. Afterwards, she sprawled on the soft sofa in the second-floor living room and opened a food delivery app to order breakfast.

She decided to take a complete rest today and didn't even want to go out to buy breakfast.

After browsing food delivery apps for a while, Gu Qingqiu finally chose a long-established dim sum restaurant in Jiang City and ordered red rice rolls, pan-fried chive dumplings, sugarcane juice water chestnut cake, and preserved egg and lean pork congee.

She rarely orders through food delivery apps, and the last time she bought groceries, she used a special section for grocery shopping on the app, so she received some coupons as soon as she logged in this time.

After the discount, it cost 82 yuan. It might seem a little expensive for breakfast, but Gu Qingqiu felt that it was only right to have a good meal since she rarely had a break.

She got up to water the mint, then took a broom and quickly swept the second floor, wiping the doors, windows, and tables with a rag.

When she heard her phone ring, she answered it while going downstairs to get the takeout and placed it on a table where the fan could reach it.

Gu Qingqiu first opened the windows of the dining room to ventilate the space and turned on the fan. Then she sat down, opened the takeout bag, and took out boxes of breakfast.

She picked up the chopsticks that were delivered and first took a piece of red rice sausage to eat.

The first thing you taste in the red rice roll is the soft, red rice noodle roll with a rice aroma. Then, you bite into the crispy fried dough stick, followed by tender and bouncy shrimp. The subtle salty flavor doesn't overpower the shrimp's sweetness.

Gu Qingqiu picked up another piece of red rice sausage and ate it. She liked the crispy fried dough stick in the middle the most, and only then did she realize that there were two shrimp inside.

A serving of pan-fried chive dumplings costs 22 yuan but only contains four dumplings. Each dumpling is about half the size of a fist. You pick one up and take a big bite.

The dumpling wrappers were crispy, the meat filling was a large, oily ball, and the aroma of chives and the tenderness of the meat filling were perfectly combined. There should also be some water chestnut pieces added, which made it crunchy and juicy when chewed, with a savory and slightly sweet flavor.

She ate one chive dumpling and already felt quite full.

I grabbed a bottle of green tangerine Pu'er tea from the room-temperature beverage cabinet next to the freezer, walked back to the dining area, unscrewed the cap, and took a few sips to relieve the dryness in my mouth from eating red rice sausage and chive dumplings.

This tea is from a well-known brand, and its main selling point is that it's sugar-free and zero-calorie, which is quite popular among young people. Along with the brand's jasmine tea and aged white tea, it sells quite well in the store.

It does taste a bit like Pu'er tea, with a light flavor followed by a sweet aftertaste. It's convenient for those who are too lazy to brew tea, so grabbing a bottle to drink is a good option.

Gu Qingqiu then picked up a piece of sugarcane juice water chestnut cake and ate it.

Jiangshi is quite famous for its breakfast pastries, such as radish cake, water chestnut cake, and layered cake, which can be made in various flavors. Her favorite is water chestnut cake.

Water chestnut cake is dark brown and translucent, with visible water chestnut pieces scattered throughout. A bite reveals a soft, delicate texture with a slightly chewy, bouncy feel. The sweetness intensifies upon encountering the water chestnut pieces, a refreshing sweetness that isn't cloying.

Perhaps because of the added sugarcane juice, the sweetness is richer, and it has a minty coolness, making it taste even better than ordinary water chestnut cake.

Gu Qingqiu finished a piece of sugarcane juice water chestnut cake, about half the size of her palm and about 1.5 centimeters thick, in no time. She reluctantly looked away from the remaining water chestnut cake, saving some room to try the preserved egg and lean pork congee first.

Even after opening the lid and letting it air out for a while, you can still feel the warmth of the preserved egg and lean pork congee through the packaging box.

She picked up the spoon that came with the porridge and scooped up a mouthful. The porridge had been cooked for quite a while, and the rice grains had become thick and sticky. The preserved egg mixed in had a slightly chewy texture, and the lean meat pieces were tender and slightly salty. Overall, the porridge tasted quite smooth.

Having a bowl of congee first thing in the morning can be quite pleasant, both physically and mentally.

Gu Qingqiu scooped up several spoonfuls of porridge and drank it. The soft and glutinous porridge, the chewy preserved egg, and the fresh aroma of lean meat blended together. Occasionally, she would scoop up some chopped green onions and put them in her mouth. She could swallow it directly without much chewing.

However, perhaps it wasn't stirred properly or something else, the congee with preserved egg and lean pork on the top of the takeout box tasted just right in terms of saltiness, but the congee ladled down was a little salty, as if the salt added before serving hadn't been completely dissolved.

Gu Qingqiu was slightly disappointed with what she ate, so she simply picked up another piece of red rice sausage and ate it.

She was basically full. There were still three small pieces of red rice sausage, two pan-fried chive dumplings, three pieces of sugarcane juice water chestnut cake, and half a bowl of preserved egg and lean pork congee left in the takeout box on the table. She covered them all and put them away to be heated up and eaten at noon.

Gu Qingqiu spent her morning scrolling through her phone. After a quick lunch of leftovers, she lay in bed in the air-conditioned room watching short videos and eventually fell asleep.

She slept very soundly during her afternoon nap, and when she woke up it was already past four o'clock. She still didn't plan to go out, and would wait until lunchtime to order some barbecue to eat.

I regretted ordering from this place while I was eating. The grilled pork belly and lamb skewers had too much seasoning, and the grilled fish tofu and grilled gluten weren't very good either. Only the grilled corn was barely edible.

It's better to bake it yourself.

But the thought that she could eat these skewers without having to buy vegetables, marinate them, or grill them herself made it somewhat acceptable to her.

After finishing her meal, she went out to throw out the trash, which was the only time she left the house that day. After throwing it out, she returned to the restaurant, locked the doors and windows, went upstairs to take a shower, and then retreated back to her little world to continue her happy life.

The next day, Gu Qingqiu finally went out after getting up.

She walked to a rice noodle roll shop at the end of Suli Street, ordered an egg and lean pork rice noodle roll from the owner, and asked for bean sprouts as her vegetables. After paying by scanning the QR code, she went into the shop and found a seat.

Actually, this rice noodle roll shop is very simple. It has a simple shed with a few movable tables and chairs. On the far right, there is a table with a rice noodle roll machine on it, and various ingredients and rice batter for making rice noodle rolls are placed next to it.

Business is pretty good, and the prices aren't expensive either. A serving of vegetarian sausage is 4 yuan, a serving of egg sausage is 5 yuan, and a serving of egg and lean meat sausage is 7 yuan.

While Gu Qingqiu sat down to wait, several people passed by, ordered rice noodle rolls to go, and stood outside the shop waiting. Not many people came in to sit and eat.

She scrolled through her phone for a while, finally having time to switch between her accounts on Xiaohongshu and Weibo to check the official accounts and reply to some netizens' comments.

The surge in traffic during the May Day holiday wasn't just reflected in the foot traffic at physical stores; more people were also browsing Xiaohongshu and Weibo online, making it easier for their posts to get likes.

The live stream by Cilantro Didi previously garnered a significant number of followers for her two accounts. Viewers from other regions were filled with envy and longing, while locals expressed their intention to come and try the food if they had the chance.

As she looked at the comments, she saw that some netizens had probably come to the wrong place and were asking why the store was not open. They were saying how could they take a break when everyone else in the country was at work. A young woman who had been working hard all day and wanted to come to Gu's Private Kitchen for a big meal was disappointed.

Gu Qingqiu first apologized in her reply, then said that she would be taking a break for the next two days and would resume business tomorrow, May 8th. She also suggested that customers check the business status on Dianping (a Chinese review platform) to avoid making a wasted trip.

On May 5th, she instructed Sister Zhou to put up a sign in the store saying that the store would be closed on the 6th and 7th to remind customers who came to the store that day to avoid making a wasted trip. She also changed the store's status to closed on Dianping.

The restaurant has had a "Closed" sign hanging at the entrance for the past two days, so customers who come in know what's going on.

The owner brought over the egg and lean pork sausage she had ordered. Gu Qingqiu thanked him, put her phone aside, and prepared to eat.

This rice noodle roll shop is quite unique; the sauce poured over it isn't soy sauce, but a homemade concoction.

On an oval iron plate sits a large mound of white, translucent rice noodle rolls with a hint of soy sauce. The rolls are so clear that you can vaguely see the egg, minced meat, and bean sprouts inside. The sauce, with bits of preserved radish still dripping down, is a perfect complement to the rice noodle rolls.

She picked up her chopsticks, poked a hole in the rice noodle roll to reveal the egg, minced meat, and bean sprouts inside, and then ate a bite.

The rice noodle roll skin is very thin, with the unique fragrance of rice flour. The sauce has a rather unique aroma, slightly lighter than the braised pork sauce, yet it seems to have the sweetness of oyster sauce. The overall flavor is rich and mellow, and the occasional piece of preserved radish is crisp, salty, and fragrant.

The aroma of eggs and minced meat blends together, the bean sprouts are fresh and crisp, and the rice noodle roll skin is as thin as a cicada's wing. The unique sauce permeates every part, making it savory and delicious, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Gu Qingqiu used to come to this shop to eat rice noodle rolls a long time ago. What she liked most about this shop was its sauce, which made the rice noodle rolls taste better than those from other shops that only poured soy sauce.

The fact that it has been able to stay in business on Surrey Street for so many years shows that it has some real strength.

After enjoying the plate of egg and lean pork sausage, Gu Qingqiu also packed a portion of motherwort soup to take home for lunch.

At noon, she poured all the motherwort soup from the takeout container into a small pot in the kitchen on the second floor, heated it up, poured it back into the takeout container, and then brought it to the table to eat.

The motherwort soup is made with a variety of ingredients, including motherwort, tofu, sliced ​​meat, and pork liver. When heated, the steam carries the aroma outwards.

Gu Qingqiu went to her room to get her tablet, opened a video app, and started watching a modern romance drama adapted from a popular novel that she had recently become obsessed with.

Actually, the most popular TV dramas right now are fantasy dramas. Seven out of ten currently airing TV dramas and movies are fantasy dramas. She would watch them occasionally when she wanted to relax before she traveled through time.

But now Gu Qingqiu simply couldn't bear to watch anymore. Having personally witnessed all sorts of bizarre and fantastical things in the cultivation world, where the law of the jungle was everywhere, these fantasy dramas seemed so out of place and too unrealistic.

She adjusted the tablet to a suitable viewing angle and began drinking the motherwort soup.

I took a few sips with a spoon. The motherwort soup had a unique fragrance, a slightly salty taste, and the savory aroma of pork.

The cooked meat slices were tender, probably marinated beforehand, and the saltiness was just right. The small pieces of tofu were smooth, delicious, and had a bean flavor.

She doesn't like pig liver, so she put it aside, but I have to say that the motherwort soup cooked with pig liver has a richer and more mellow flavor.

The soup contained a lot of motherwort, cooked until soft and tender, with an even stronger, unique fragrance, but also a slightly bitter taste. If it weren't for the slices of pork liver and the rendered fat that balanced it out, this motherwort soup would probably taste a bit bitter as well.

Motherwort truly lives up to its name, with its slightly bitter taste, refreshing fragrance, and barely perceptible earthy aroma, making it feel just like eating grass.

However, Gu Qingqiu could clearly see that the black mist on these cooked motherwort leaves was so little that it was negligible, which meant that the quality was still acceptable.

At first, she wasn't used to the taste, but as she ate it, she seemed to be able to accept the taste of the motherwort and even thought it was quite good.

She ate while watching TV, finishing the entire large bowl of motherwort soup, including the pork liver, sliced ​​meat, tofu, and motherwort, along with the soup.

Gu Qingqiu felt that the 15 yuan for this motherwort soup was well worth it.

I quickly packed everything up, put it in the plastic bag I brought back, and left it in the kitchen. I can just take it out to throw it away when I go out later. It's so convenient not having to wash the dishes.

After waking up from her nap, she drank a glass of water to clear her head. Thinking that she had nothing else to do, she decided to go for a walk, so she took the kitchen waste from lunch, her phone, and headed out.

After throwing away the trash at the garbage collection point, Gu Qingqiu picked up a shared bicycle nearby and rode it to Shenghui Plaza.

After arriving at Shenghui Plaza, she first went to have some taro shaved ice. While eating, she browsed Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform) and saw some recommended movies. Intrigued, she simply booked a movie ticket on her phone and decided to watch a movie after finishing her meal.

It was almost six o'clock when Gu Qingqiu came out of the movie. She took the escalator downstairs and was attracted by the boutique next to the escalator on the first floor. She went in and bought a white camellia building block figurine set, planning to play with it to pass the time when she got home.

After leaving Shenghui Plaza, she rode a shared bicycle back to Suli Street. She stopped at the grocery store where she had bought mung beans before and went in to buy two kilograms of corn starch and a box of 12 cartons of milk.

She stopped riding shared bikes, parked her bike next to a bunch of shared bikes, locked it, and walked back to the restaurant carrying milk, cornstarch, and a box of building blocks.

Gu Qingqiu felt that she was destined to be a restless person. Before taking a nap at noon, she saw a recipe for crispy milk rolls and bought the ingredients to try making them.

However, she also enjoys the process of making food. Treating herself to what she wants to eat brings her a real sense of happiness.

Gu Qingqiu casually placed the block box on a table in the main room and then carried the rest of the items into the kitchen.

After washing her hands, she immediately began making the milk pudding for the crispy milk rolls. She took out a clean metal basin, then took out all twelve cartons of milk. She pried up the triangular seals on both sides of the milk cartons, flattened them, and cut openings with scissors. After cutting them all open, she poured six cartons of milk into the metal basin.

Next, add cornstarch and sugar according to the ratio, mix well with a mixer, and set aside.

Gu Qingqiu took a small milk pot, put it on the stove, turned on the fire, poured the remaining six boxes of milk into the pot and heated it, occasionally stirring it slightly with a ladle to prevent it from sticking to the pot.

After the milk in the pot was heated to a slight bubbling, Gu Qingqiu poured the milk from the previously prepared iron basin into the pot, mixed it together, and continued to stir and heat it.

When the milk in the pot gradually thickens, and when you scoop it up with a spoon and let it drip down at an angle to resemble yogurt, it's ready.

She took three food storage containers, brushed a thin layer of oil on the bottom of each, then divided the thick milk from the pot into the three containers, gently shook them to make the surface of the milk paste smoother, and then covered them and put them in the refrigerator to chill.

I'll make the crispy milk rolls tomorrow morning.

Gu Qingqiu washed and put away the iron basin, small milk pot, soup spoon, and stirrer, then walked out of the shop, picked up the assembled box, turned off the lights, and went upstairs.

She had eaten taro shaved ice in the afternoon and wasn't hungry, so she didn't plan to have dinner. She went upstairs, took a shower, changed into comfortable pajamas, and then sat down at her desk in the air-conditioned room to assemble a small bouquet.

After taking the rectangular box out, the accessories inside were not complicated. Each part of the small bouquet was connected together as a whole piece, and Gu Qingqiu cut them one by one with the small scissors that came with it.

The clicking sounds were incredibly relaxing.

After cutting all the parts out of the whole block board, she followed the instructions to first assemble the pea-green flower stand for holding the bouquet, then assembled the inner petals of the bouquet around the flower center, and then the outer petals. She also assembled a few emerald green leaves on the flower stem and tied some tender stamens around the outside of the petals.

Then she took out a light green wrapping paper and wrapped the bouquet with it, then wrapped it with a layer of almost transparent frosted wrapping paper, and finally wrapped it with a mesh-like wrapping paper. After wrapping it, the white camellia began to look beautiful.

Gu Qingqiu picked up the pea-green ribbon and tied it into a pretty bow around the bouquet, making it exactly the same as the white camellia printed on the building block box.

Placing this bunch of white camellias on a pea-green flower stand and then placing it in the upper right corner of the table instantly adds a touch of pleasing green to the natural wood desk, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Gu Qingqiu was quite satisfied with this, took out her phone to take a picture to record it, and posted it on her WeChat Moments, which was quite rare for her.

She started playing on her phone, and when she lay down in bed to go to sleep, she checked her WeChat Moments and found that many people had liked her post.

People who rarely post on WeChat Moments often get a lot of likes when they suddenly post something.

Before she transmigrated, Gu Qingqiu was not one to post much on social media. She would only post once every six months to prove that she was still alive.

Friendships based on likes are fleeting, but Gu Qingqiu did see three comments from her college roommates.

[Lu Yitong: You still enjoy assembling these little building block toys as always (laughs)]

[Xiang Nuan: My friend, you finally posted on WeChat Moments! I've been waiting for this day for half a year (shocked)]

[Xu Qianqian: Xiao Qiu seems to be doing well lately, keep it up! (duck charging forward)]

Actually, it had been quite a long time since they had been in contact, with more than ten years in between, since Gu Qingqiu had transmigrated to the cultivation world. But as she looked at these three comments, the smiling faces of her three roommates reappeared in her mind. They had gotten along quite well in college.

She replied to each one, and the dormitory group, which had been silent for a long time, briefly came alive again.

When my roommates talked about their recent situations, they couldn't help but complain about their bosses and colleagues. The single ones also talked about the troubles of their parents setting them up on blind dates. It was quite a lively conversation.

Gu Qingqiu also mentioned that she has reopened the restaurant left by her parents. Her three roommates all said that they would definitely come to support her during their vacation and get together.

After graduation, her three roommates all returned to their hometowns to work, leaving only Gu Qingqiu in Jiang City.

We chatted for a while, but since everyone had to go to work the next day, we reluctantly ended the group chat.

Gu Qingqiu fell asleep with a smile on her face that night.

As the sun climbs above the horizon and gradually rises, the first light of dawn illuminates the beginning of a new day.

Gu Qingqiu's biological clock is fixed, and since she had to work today, she still woke up around six o'clock.

After two days of rest, she is now full of energy and enthusiasm.

She sat up and subconsciously stared at the spiritual energy in her dantian that was already the size of a round candy. She thought that if she worked hard to cook more meat dishes, when the spiritual energy in her dantian was the size of a tennis ball, it should be enough for her to use a cooling spell to cool down the kitchen.

Gu Qingqiu first called Boss Zhu: "Hello Boss Zhu, I would like twelve catties of lean meat and twenty pig stomachs today. Can you deliver them to me?"

Boss Zhu paused for a moment before saying, "Young Master Gu, there's definitely no problem with twelve catties of lean meat. Pig stomach is less common. If you need this much, please let me know earlier next time so I can prepare accordingly."

"But this time it's not a big problem. I've contacted my brother and a few other bosses who also get meat from the slaughterhouse. We should be able to gather twenty pig stomachs for you, but it might be a little late to deliver them."

Gu Qingqiu knew that the ingredients for the soup she had suddenly thought of might be hard to find, so when she heard Boss Zhu's sincere words, she said, "I'm so sorry, Boss Zhu, thank you so much. Next time I need these rare ingredients, I'll definitely let you know a day in advance."

"How about this: send over twelve catties of lean meat and one pig stomach first, around 9:30 am. Then send over the remaining ten pig stomachs before 3 pm?"

As for whether the pig stomach delivered in the afternoon is fresh, Mr. Zhu will arrange for someone to help freeze it.

Normally, when Boss Zhu sends pork over, it arrives by 8:30 at the latest. It's only a little past 6:00 now, so there's still some time before 9:30.

"Okay, Mr. Gu, no need to be so polite. We'll deliver it at the time you asked. I'll call them first," Mr. Zhu said.

Gu Qingqiu replied, "Okay, thank you."

After hanging up the phone, she called Mr. Chen again and ordered twenty chickens.

Chickens weren't hard to get, and Boss Chen was overjoyed: "Young Boss Gu, with your patronage, I've sold more than half of my daily quota. I'll have my son deliver them to you later."

Gu Qingqiu asked him to bring it over at 9:30, and Boss Chen agreed with a smile.

Similarly, she called the beef vendor and asked him to deliver 12 jin (6 catties) of beef tenderloin at 9:30 am.

After ordering all the ingredients that could be ordered by phone, Gu Qingqiu opened the food delivery app and chose the bakery she had seen at Shenghui Plaza yesterday that looked pretty good, ordering eight milk toast loaves.

I didn't buy any yesterday because I was making crispy milk rolls today, so I figured I might as well order some fresh ones today.

After placing the order and paying, she got up to wash up, change her clothes, and go downstairs to the kitchen. Even with the kitchen window open, it wasn't bright enough; she usually had to turn on the lights during the day. After turning on the lights, she filled the kettle with water and started boiling it.

Next, I opened the refrigerator and took out a box of milk jelly that I had frozen yesterday. I let it sit for a while before opening the lid. The milk jelly inside was still a bit cold and hard, and it was solidified overall, but the edges softened quickly and became a bit bouncy.

She turned the food container upside down and poured the whole block of milk jelly onto the cutting board. She then used a knife to cut it in half horizontally, and then cut each half into 1.5cm wide square strips.

Shenghui Plaza is nearby, so she figured there would be fewer orders at this time and delivery would be faster. She cut a box of milk jelly into twelve long strips when she heard a knock on the door.

Gu Qingqiu walked to the dining area, opened the door, picked up the takeout, and carried it directly into the kitchen, placing it next to the stove. Inside was a large bag containing eight loaves of toast, each freshly made that morning and of good quality.

She took a loaf of toast, unwound the gold thread wrapping, and opened the plastic bag. Inside, the toast had already been cut into eight slices of suitable thickness.

Gu Qingqiu took out the bread slices and placed them on the cutting board. She used a kitchen knife to remove the crusts from the bread slices, and then used a clean rolling pin to roll the bread slices thin and long.

Prepare the egg yolk mixture first. Brush the egg yolk mixture on the left side of the toast slice. Using the cutting board, she places a strip of milk jelly on the right side of the rolled-out toast slice, presses it down slightly and rolls it up, sticking it together at the part brushed with egg yolk mixture.

Placing the bread rolls with the stuck parts facing down on the baking tray, Gu Qingqiu quickly made twelve bread rolls, using one and a half packs of bread.

She poured some corn oil into a bowl, brushed a thin layer of corn oil onto the surface of the toast rolls, and then put the whole tray into the oven, set the time and temperature, and started baking.

While Gu Qingqiu was tidying up the cutting board and stove, the crispy milk rolls in the oven were ready.

Wearing heat-resistant gloves, I opened the oven and took out the baking tray and placed it next to the stove. The toast rolls on the tray were golden brown with an orange tinge and looked slightly firm, but I could imagine how crispy they would be when I ate them. The air was filled with a rich milky aroma.

She took a plate, used chopsticks to pick up four crispy milk rolls, placed them on it, and then took a cup of water that had been boiled earlier to cool down before going to the dining room to sit down and prepare to eat breakfast.

The water was now lukewarm, making it even better to drink. She drank a glass of water on an empty stomach before picking up a crispy milk roll with her chopsticks.

It's as crispy as I imagined when I bite into it, and the crunching sound is really satisfying. It's not the kind of dry, hard crispness that comes from toasting; it has the unique softness of toast bread, and you can also taste the soft, chewy flavor of the milk jelly inside.

Take another big bite, and the fresh milk roll under the crispy outer layer is tender and soft. It melts in your mouth without you even having to bite it, and the rich milky aroma fills your mouth. It tastes much better than drinking milk directly.

The sweetness was just right; the sweetness of the sugar and the aroma of the milk blended together, creating a rich and sweet flavor that Gu Qingqiu liked. The elderly probably wouldn't find it too sweet either.

She confidently added the dessert to the lunch menu, and it was even a limited-quantity, first-come-first-served kind.

Gu Qingqiu enjoyed her breakfast, finishing with three crispy milk rolls and two glasses of water.

The remaining untouched crispy milk roll was carried into the kitchen along with the plate. I then took a pair of clean chopsticks and picked up two more rolls from the baking tray and put them on the plate, saving them for Sister Zhou to try later.

She took the remaining six crispy milk rolls from the baking tray, put them in the clean and dried food storage container that had previously contained the milk jelly, sealed the container, and placed it in a plastic bag. She planned to take them over to Grandma Lin and Grandpa Lin later.

Last time, someone gave her a big bag of peanuts. Although I usually add some side dishes to their table, it's nothing. This time, the crispy milk rolls I made are pretty good, so I'll send them over to try.

Gu Qingqiu checked the time and it was only eight o'clock. She picked up her shopping cart and plastic bags and went out, heading towards the end of Suli Street.

She vaguely remembered where Grandma Lin lived. As she approached, the hazy memories gradually became clearer. She found the low building with a banyan tree at the entrance, walked over, and opened the door.

"Who is it? Coming, coming."

When the door opened and she saw the person, Gu Qingqiu greeted him with a smile: "Good morning, Grandpa Lin."

Grandpa Lin, dressed casually in a white vest and dark blue striped shorts, looked relaxed and had a kind smile. He greeted her, "Xiao Qiu, come in and sit down. My wife just went out to buy groceries, she'll be back soon, and she'll be happy to see you."

Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "No need, no need, I won't go in. I still need to go to the market to buy meat and vegetables. I have a lot to do later."

Grandpa Lin nodded: "That's true. You're busy with so many things running your restaurant, from morning till night. But I admire you for managing to run it so well."

"Grandpa Lin, you flatter me." Gu Qingqiu handed over the bag of crispy milk rolls. "I made some crispy milk rolls this morning, and they taste pretty good. Here, you and Grandma Lin can try them."

"You're too kind, child. Well then, I won't stand on ceremony and will accept it." Grandpa Lin smiled, his eyes crinkling.

He wanted to refuse, as it wasn't good to accept gifts from young people, but he simply couldn't resist Xiao Qiu's cooking skills.

If the meat dishes at Gu's Private Kitchen are always so delicious, then Xiao Qiu's desserts must taste amazing too.

Grandpa Lin thanked her several times, then called Gu Qingqiu to wait a moment, turned around and went home to get a bag of strawberries, which he then forced into her hand.

"Xiao Qiu, take these strawberries home and eat them. They were given to me by my son's workplace. Try them too. I accepted all the crispy milk rolls you gave me earlier without any hesitation, so please don't be polite with me either."

Grandpa Lin pushed the strawberry that Gu Qingqiu handed back to him: "In your grandmother's words, it's only when we give and take that we have a sense of human connection."

Gu Qingqiu could only smile and accept it: "Alright, thank you, Grandpa Lin. I won't bother you any longer; I need to go to the market to buy groceries first."

Grandpa Lin smiled and nodded: "Okay, go ahead, we'll come to your shop for a meal again when we have time."

"Okay, you're welcome anytime."

Gu Qingqiu said goodbye to Grandpa Lin, hung the bag of strawberries on the shopping cart, and went directly to the market to buy meat and vegetables.