In the season when wintersweet blossoms fill the air with fragrance, a thin layer of frost covers the dirt roads of the Hongqi Production Brigade, making a soft "crunch, crunch" sound underfoot. Shen Laoda and Zhang Lan stood in front of their newly renovated adobe house, their faces filled with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation as they looked at the wooden sign hanging on the doorframe that read "Natural Flavors Hongqi Branch." The sign, specially commissioned by Shen Tingzhou from a carpenter in the city, was painted red with bold black characters, exuding a festive air in the winter morning light.
"Honey, do you think we can manage?" Zhang Lan tugged at her blue cotton-padded jacket, her eyes filled with unease. Ever since Lin Wanqiu suggested they run a branch store, she had been restless. Back in the village, she always felt that Lin Wanqiu was lucky, making a fortune through her spatial ability and skills, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. But if she were really put in charge, she was afraid of messing it up.
Old Master Shen rubbed his rough hands together, a simple, honest smile spreading across his face. "What are you afraid of? Wanqiu said she'll teach us the recipe and techniques, and Tingzhou is in the city looking after us. We'll definitely make it!" Although he was honest and simple, he knew this was a great opportunity to change their lives. Before, farming depended entirely on the weather, and even after a year of hard work, they couldn't save much money. Now, with a branch store, maybe their family's life could improve.
Just then, a familiar sound of footsteps came from afar. Lin Wanqiu, Shen Tingzhou, Nian'an, Nianxi, and Old Lady Shen walked over together. The truck was carrying several large boxes of goods, including raw materials for food production, as well as oil paper and bamboo baskets for packaging.
"Big brother, sister-in-law, we're here!" Lin Wanqiu greeted them with a smile, jumping out of the car to help Boss Shen unload the goods.
Grandma Shen also came over, and looking at the clean and tidy shop, she nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, not bad, you've cleaned it up quite well. You must work hard in the future and not let Wanqiu and Tingzhou down."
Zhang Lan nodded quickly: "Mom, don't worry, we'll definitely do our best!"
Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou stayed in their hometown, teaching Shen Laoda and Zhang Lan how to make various "Natural Flavor" products. Lin Wanqiu started by teaching them the most basic step of kneading dough. She demonstrated and patiently explained, "When kneading dough, the water temperature is very important. Use warm water in winter and cool water in summer. This will make the dough more elastic." She picked up a dough ball and kneaded it skillfully with both hands.
Shen Laoda and Zhang Lan watched intently, nodding occasionally. Shen Laoda picked up the dough and tried to knead it like Lin Wanqiu, but the dough just wouldn't cooperate, either too dry or too runny. He scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Wanqiu, kneading dough looks simple, but it's really difficult to do."
Lin Wanqiu smiled and comforted him, "Big brother, don't rush, take your time. Everyone is like this at first, you'll get the hang of it after a few more practices." She walked over to Shen Laoda and guided him step by step in adjusting the water temperature and kneading the dough.
Zhang Lan was learning to make fruit and vegetable buns. She carefully poured the squeezed fruit and vegetable juice into the flour and stirred it evenly. However, because she didn't control the force well, flour splattered all over her, making her look like a plain white bun. Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but laugh when she saw her: "Sister-in-law, stir slowly, don't stir too hard."
Zhang Lan smiled somewhat awkwardly, quickly wiped the flour off her face, and began stirring even more carefully.
Shen Tingzhou helped set up the shelves, sawing the logs to the appropriate lengths and securing them with nails with practiced ease. Meanwhile, the two children, Nian'an and Nianxi, played in the yard, occasionally running in to watch the adults' busy work and handing them tools, acting like two little helpers.
After several days of hard work, Shen and Zhang finally mastered the skills of making various products. Their fruit and vegetable steamed buns were brightly colored and soft; their yam and lotus seed cakes were sweet, soft, and melt-in-your-mouth; and their nut energy bars were crispy, delicious, and nutritious. Looking at their finished products, the two smiled with satisfaction.
The day the branch opened was exceptionally sunny. Early in the morning, Shen Laoda and Zhang Lan placed the prepared food on the shelves. The colorful food attracted the attention of many villagers.
"What is this? It looks really nice!" An older woman wearing a floral print shirt walked up to the shelf and asked curiously.
Zhang Lan quickly went up to her, smiling as she introduced, "Auntie, these are our 'Natural Delight' fruit and vegetable steamed buns. They're made with fresh fruit and vegetable juices, without any added coloring or preservatives. They're healthy and delicious." She picked up a pink strawberry-flavored bun and handed it to the auntie, saying, "Please try one, it's free."
The woman took the steamed bun, took a bite, and her eyes lit up: "Mmm! So delicious! It's fragrant and sweet, and it even tastes like strawberries!" She quickly said, "Give me ten!"
"Okay!" Zhang Lan happily agreed, quickly picked up the oil paper bag, skillfully counted out ten small steamed buns, and handed them to the old lady.
With the first customer's encouragement, more and more villagers were drawn in. They gathered around the shelves, curiously inquiring about the prices and flavors of various products. Shen Laoda and Zhang Lan were extremely busy, warmly greeting customers while skillfully packing and collecting money.
"Give me a pound of yam and lotus seed cake!"
"I want two pounds of nut energy bars!"
"Buy some fruit and vegetable steamed buns for the kids!"
The customers' voices rose and fell, and the food on the shelves was quickly reduced by more than half. Although Shen Laoda and Zhang Lan were sweating profusely, their faces were filled with happy smiles. They hadn't expected business to be so good on the first day of the branch's opening.
Around noon, the number of customers gradually decreased. Boss Shen and Zhang Lan sat down, catching their breath. Boss Shen looked at the money bag in his hand, a simple, honest smile spreading across his face: "Boss, look, we've made so much money this morning!"
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