Shen Tingzhou nodded, agreeing with her idea. He knew that Lin Wanqiu, though seemingly vengeful, was actually soft-hearted. As long as others didn't cross her bottom line—especially if they hurt Nian'an—she was willing to give them a chance to reform.
The family of three walked home. Nian'an skipped and hopped ahead, occasionally bending down to pick up pebbles from the ground, humming a nursery rhyme taught at the village primary school, his little face full of carefree smiles. Lin Wanqiu watched her son's back, feeling a sense of peace—Lin Moli had been sentenced, the gang of thugs had been dismantled, and the atmosphere in the village was becoming more and more harmonious. She could finally focus on her side business, creating a better life for her family and for her fellow villagers.
Back home, Lin Wanqiu put the eggs in the cupboard and took out some flour and sugar from her storage space—these were modern supplies she had previously stockpiled, which she planned to use to make some new-style pastries to supply the county's supply and marketing cooperative. Director Wang had mentioned to her before that the living conditions of the residents in the county were getting better and better, and the demand for pastries was also increasing. If she could make some novel and delicious pastries, the supply and marketing cooperative would definitely be willing to cooperate with her long-term.
Seeing her busy figure, Shen Tingzhou went over to help: "What can I do for you?"
"Could you sift the flour for me? It needs to be sifted finely so the pastries will be soft." Lin Wanqiu handed her a bamboo sieve and then took out a ceramic bowl. "I'll beat the eggs first, and then we'll try making peach shortbread and your favorite sesame cake."
Shen Tingzhou took the bamboo sieve and skillfully sifted the flour. Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the two of them. The air was filled with the fresh scent of flour and a faint, sweet aroma, creating a warm and comforting atmosphere. Nian'an sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), scribbling and drawing in her notebook. Every now and then, she would look up at her busy parents, a sweet smile playing on her lips.
"By the way, Director Wang sent a message yesterday, saying that we should send over the pastry samples as soon as possible. If they are suitable, we can start supplying them next month." Lin Wanqiu said while cracking eggs. "We need to hurry up and try several different flavors to try and get it approved on the first try."
“No problem, I’m free these days and can help you out.” Shen Tingzhou said with a smile, “There’s been new progress on the previous investigation mission. I asked some former comrades and found the liaison officer who was in charge of relaying messages back then. I’ll go to the county town to meet him in a few days, and we should be able to figure out the doubts from back then.”
Lin Wanqiu stopped what she was doing, her eyes full of anticipation: "Really? That's great! Once you've found out the truth, we can finally relax." She had been worried that Shen Tingzhou's mission would bring danger to their family, but now that things were finally looking up, half the weight on her heart had been lifted.
"Yes, soon." Shen Tingzhou looked at her with gentle eyes. "Once this is over, I will completely let go of the past and stay at home with you and Nian'an. I will help you manage your side business, and we will make our lives better together."
Lin Wanqiu nodded, her heart filled with anticipation. She imagined the days to come: the tofu shop would open smoothly, and the villagers would earn more money by making tofu and vermicelli; after the pastries were supplied to the supply and marketing cooperative, the sideline business would become more and more prosperous; Shen Tingzhou would find out the doubts about the mission and would have no more worries; Nian'an would grow up healthy and become more and more sensible... Such days, though simple, were full of hope.
Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu devoted herself entirely to making pastries. She took out various modern kitchen utensils and ingredients from her spatial storage, and repeatedly adjusted the recipes to suit the realities of the 1960s, striving to ensure the taste while using locally available ingredients as much as possible.
On the first day, she tried making peach shortbread. Using locally produced flour, she combined it with sugar and lard from her spatial storage, and added chopped walnuts. The resulting peach shortbread was golden and crispy, leaving a lingering fragrance in your mouth with every bite. Nian'an's eyes lit up as she ate it. Holding a piece of peach shortbread, she ran to Shen Tingzhou's side: "Dad, you have to try it! Mom's peach shortbread is so delicious! It's even better than the ones sold at the county supply and marketing cooperative!"
Shen Tingzhou took the peach shortbread, took a bite, and found it to be crispy, sweet, and much better than the peach shortbread on the market: "It's really delicious, Wanqiu, your skills are truly impeccable."
Lin Wanqiu said with a smile, "This is just a preliminary attempt, and there are still many areas that need improvement. For example, the amount of lard used. If there is too much, the cost will be high. We need to find a balance that can ensure the taste while controlling the cost."
Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu tried making several other pastries, including sesame cake, mung bean cake, and jujube paste cake. Each time she made one, she would have Shen Tingzhou and Nian'an taste it first, gather their feedback, and then continuously adjust the recipe. Shen Tingzhou also helped her with some physical tasks, such as kneading dough and starting the oven, and occasionally offered suggestions, such as adding a small amount of honey to the sesame cake to make the texture more delicate.
When the villagers heard that Lin Wanqiu was making new-style pastries, they all came to watch out of curiosity. Aunt Li tasted a piece of mung bean cake and praised it highly: "Wanqiu, your skills are amazing! This mung bean cake melts in your mouth and doesn't stick to your teeth. It's even better than the ones I ate at my relatives' house in the city when I was a child!"
Uncle Zhang smiled and said, "If we send these pastries to the county supply and marketing cooperative, they'll definitely sell like hotcakes! Then our sideline business group will have another source of income, and the villagers will have even more hope for the future!"
Lin Wanqiu said with a smile, "I have to thank everyone for their support. Once the pastries are officially supplied, I will teach everyone how to make them together. Then we can work together to expand and strengthen the pastry business."
Upon hearing this, the villagers were thrilled and eagerly expressed their willingness to learn how to make pastries. Lin Wanqiu was also pleased to see everyone's enthusiasm—she knew that only through everyone's concerted efforts could the sideline production group go further and the Hongqi Production Brigade truly prosper.
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