Ye Yifan laughed, then said to Li Hui, "So, Brother Li, if you meet the right person, don't worry too much, right?"

Li Hui thought for a moment and smiled: "Well, then I also need to make sure this little shop is doing well."

Ye Yifan said, "You really don't need to worry about that. A professional will guide you."

"Who is it?" Li Hui looked around, but there was no one there.

Hua Kai pointed to herself and said, "Brother Li, it's me."

Li Hui looked at the blooming flowers with a puzzled expression, then looked at Ye Yifan after a while: "Ye Yifan, you're not joking, are you?"

Ye Yifan smiled and said, "I'm not joking, really. Kai Kai just told me that you can make barbecue tonight. You're right next to the night market, and it's such a big residential area, so you're not short of customers. You just need to make it taste good. It's Huakai Barbecue's recipe. So what do you think we need?"

Hua Kai said, "We don't have to eat all the barbecues indoors. We can set up tables in front of the door when spring comes. I think the open space outside is quite large, and the barbecue grills are all outside. This place is enough. Once we make money, we can move to another shop. We'll grow bigger and bigger in the future."

Li Hui hesitated after hearing Hua Kai's words: "But I know nothing about barbecue!"

Hua Kai said, "Barbecuing doesn't require too much skill. It's just skewers, grilled to the right temperature, and seasoned with enough flavor, that's all."

Ye Yifan said, "Let's not talk about whether it will work or not. The cost isn't high. Let's give it a try. If it doesn't work, we'll just eat it ourselves."

Hua Kai said, "That's right, let's try it ourselves and see if it works."

With that said, Li Hui had fewer concerns: "Okay, I happen to have a scrap metal barrel behind me. You can tell me what else we need for making charcoal, and I'll go buy it."

Hua Kai thought about the tools from the barbecue restaurant in her previous life, and said, "Anyway, I quite like barbecue. Why don't we spend money to have a grill made, and also order some iron skewers and wire mesh?"

Ye Yifan said, "Then find some paper and pen and draw it out. There's a place nearby that can do this. I'll have Brother Li go and make a reservation tomorrow morning, and we'll come over tonight for a barbecue together."

Li Hui trusted Ye Yifan and Hua Kai, so he was hopeful about the path they pointed him in. Moreover, this was something he wanted to do himself, not something Ye Yifan would pay for. He didn't want to accept too much financial help, but if he could achieve it through his own efforts, even though it was still with their help, he could accept it.

So I quickly agreed: "Okay, I'll do it tomorrow. Tell me what else I need to prepare, and I'll go buy it when there aren't many customers in the morning."

Hua Kai said, "Nothing else is needed. I'll buy the meat and seasonings and then mix them here."

Ye Yifan said, "Brother Li, Kai Kai is very knowledgeable about food. Putting aside the business and making money, even if we're just eating, I guarantee you'll like it."

Li Hui truly trusted them: "Then I'll have to take advantage of Hua Kai's success."

Hua Kai smiled and said, "We're all friends, it's only right."

She didn't want to keep bringing up Li Hui's kindness to Ye Yifan; some things were better left unsaid, as everyone knew.

The atmosphere during the meal was very harmonious. After the meal, Hua Kai drew out the barbecue grill and other equipment and explained them to Li Hui. It was getting late, so Hua Kai and Ye Yifan said goodbye and went home.

On the way back, Hua Kai kept thinking about barbecue. Chicken frames and bean curd sheets, which are cheap and easy to marinate, would be better. She wanted to open up the market with taste and price first.

Then start with fewer meat skewers; the more expensive ones might attract fewer people.

Seeing that the flowers were blooming but remained silent, lost in thought, Ye Yifan guessed what was going on: "Thinking about the barbecue?"

Hua Kai nodded: "Hmm, let me think about what to make first to open up sales channels more easily. If we start with high-priced items, they won't be easily accepted. Let's start with some cheaper items and build up our reputation."

Ye Yifan asked, "Can the price, taste, and quality be proportional?"

Hua Kai is very confident about this: "Don't worry, no one can match the taste. I also have some exclusive secret recipes and methods, so you can make delicious food even if it's cheap. Don't worry."

"When have I ever worried about you? I'm just making you worry again."

"Your business is my business, your friends are my friends. Besides, I have good skills, so there's no use for me keeping them. I can give them to those who need them, earn money, and let more people enjoy affordable food. Why not?"

"You always describe the good deeds you do as nothing, but we're not stupid, we can all see it."

"With you saying that, then my efforts weren't in vain, right? And if Brother Li cooks well in the future, we'll have another place to satisfy our cravings."

"Sometimes I really feel like you're not a child, and the things you say don't sound like one either. It feels like you have just as much life experience as I do."

"Big brother, I'm your girlfriend, okay? How did I become a child?"

"Then I'll spoil you like a child for the rest of my life." Ye Yifan looked at Hua Kai with doting eyes and smiled.

Hua Kai listened and smiled. In her previous life, she watched her father abandon his wife and children and live a good life with his mistress. At that time, Hua Kai always felt that men were unreliable. But in this life, she saw Hua Wanjiang and Gu Lanyan's love and mutual support, so her thoughts in her previous life changed.

After meeting Ye Yifan, she understood even more that not all men are like her father from her previous life. She was willing to believe in goodness and in the existence of goodness.

When I got home, it was already completely dark. After washing up, it started snowing again outside. Hua Kai stood by the window looking out.

Ye Yifan quietly stayed with her.

The two of them never said anything, but the silence was very reassuring.

The snow stopped the next morning. The snow outside was very thick, and the provincial capital was very beautiful in its silver-clad state. At this time, the provincial capital was not full of high-rise buildings; there were many old-style buildings. This was the imperial city, so many Chinese-style buildings were also very representative.

After breakfast, the two went to the farmers' market. Hua Kai showed Ye Yifan around and then they started buying ingredients.

I bought the seasonings first, and after that, I went to buy meat and vegetables.

Since it was just an experiment, I didn't buy much. I bought five chicken frames, a pound of chicken wings, some chicken necks, two pounds of beef, two pounds of lamb, and some pork belly. I can slice it and skewer it with chili peppers to grill. It tastes pretty good.

After that, I bought bean curd sheets. Roasted bean curd sheets are cheap and delicious. In my previous life, when I was broke, I often relied on this to satisfy my cravings.

Vegetables aren't cheap this season, so I didn't buy any. I'll gradually increase the variety later.

We've done these for now. We didn't buy too many. First, we need to get the flavors right, and then we'll let Li Hui try the others.

After making their purchases, the two went to Li Hui's shop.

There weren't many people in the shop in the morning. Li Hui had already gone to the place that could make stoves and placed an order. There wasn't much work in the winter, so he could pick it up in the afternoon.

At this point, it was just right to marinate and skewer the meat.