"Excuse me."
After hesitating for a moment, Li Si asked again, "Are there any other 'Tang? Jianxue' nearby?"
The proprietress, a woman in her forties, shook her head and smiled:
"You can say there are cake shops, but one with this name is probably the only one in Hangzhou, let alone in our neighborhood. After all, such a name is not common."
"...When did it start operating?"
"It's been open for about five or six years now."
The proprietress paused, then asked, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, no..."
Li Si thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I came here on a friend's recommendation. It seems a little different from what he remembered. He thought he had come to the wrong shop."
The proprietress then smiled and said:
"Don't worry, sir. Five or six years isn't exactly a long-established business, but we've managed to stay afloat thanks to our excellent reputation... Hmm, ah! We just renovated our place recently, that might be why. Your friend hasn't been here in a while, has he? It used to be quite run-down."
At this point, a happy smile appeared in the proprietress's eyes.
Clearly, they are extremely satisfied with the renovation... or perhaps with their current life.
Li Si nodded.
…but it's not a problem with the decorating style, it's…
Honestly, if he had continued with those questions, the "boss lady with a terrible temper" that Brother Bei described might have already asked him to leave.
Has the boss's personality been "renovated" over the past few years?
"But don't worry, the taste won't change..."
The proprietress smiled and asked again, "Would you like a cake made by hand, sir?"
Li Si nodded again.
"Is it for giving gifts during Christmas?"
"Um."
"For a girl? -- Oh, sir."
The proprietress explained, "Cakes for boys, cakes for girls, and cakes for girlfriends differ slightly in style. If you'd like to tell us, it will make it easier for us to choose."
Li Si smiled: "It's for a girl."
"Girlfriend?"
“…No, no.” Li Si shook his head.
The proprietress exclaimed "Ah!", a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes, and her smile held a touch of gentle grace.
"Pretty much. Do you have any experience making cakes before?"
Li Si smiled wryly: "No."
The proprietress smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's very simple. I've already baked the cake base, all we need to do is spread the cream on it. I'll teach you, and you'll definitely be able to make it look beautiful."
After Li Si hummed in agreement, the proprietress said "wait a moment" and went to look for something in the backstage area behind the shelves.
After a while, she brought over cups of hot drinks that were still steaming.
"Here, have a cup of milk tea first."
The proprietress smiled and said, "This is my family's special milk tea... Your friend probably doesn't know yet, it's a new product that was only released in the second half of this year."
Thank you.
Li Si took a sip; it was sweet but smooth, not cloying, yet with a delicate texture.
This cup of tea dispelled most of Li Si's concerns—the milk tea was good, so the cake should be about the same.
The proprietress looked at him and asked, "Is it good?"
After Li Si nodded, the proprietress became even more satisfied: "It was my daughter who wanted to come out and buy milk tea. She even went to work at a milk tea shop for it... She said if others can make it, we can make it too."
Li Si smiled, sensing that the proprietress and her daughter got along remarkably well…
When she mentions it, her eyes are filled with pride and affection.
Perhaps because most business people are quite talkative, while the cake base was still baking, the proprietress casually chatted with Li Si about everyday matters.
"We could have arranged to meet in the evening, but my daughter suddenly said she had to come back, so we had to postpone it to the afternoon... I hope I didn't inconvenience you?"
Li Si smiled and shook his head: "No."
Do you work around here?
"Still studying."
The proprietress looked Li Si up and down in surprise.
Li Si knew he was naturally mature, and his formal attire today made it normal for him to be misunderstood.
The proprietress realized her gaze was rude and quickly looked away: "Studying? Which school?"
Li Si was about to reply.
The oven inside made a ding.
The proprietress quickly ran inside: "The cake base is ready, now we need to start preparing the cream!"
Li Si followed her, took the disposable gloves and apron handed to him by the proprietress, and began whipping the cream.
It was indeed his first time making this kind of dessert, but the process was not complicated; on the contrary, it could even be described as monotonous.
Simply spread the snow-white cream over and over, then scrape off any uneven areas.
Then coat it evenly with a thick layer of butter.
Although the process is not complicated at all, for a novice like Li Si, spreading the cream layer by layer and spreading it evenly is time-consuming enough.
Soon, half an hour passed... and then it was another one.
The proprietress offered guidance from the side, occasionally taking the small shovel from Li Si's hand to help him clean up any parts that weren't done meticulously enough. In her spare time, she would chat with him.
"We actually have quite a few orders today... but it's very rare to see someone like you come in person to make their food."
When the proprietress praised someone, the faint light in her eyes conveyed her genuine sincerity.
Li Si smiled and said, "Others are busy, but I have more free time."
The proprietress admired the young man even more. He wasn't arrogant at all in the face of praise. She asked in surprise, "Shouldn't we be studying for final exams now?"
Li Si gently wiped away the excess cream from the cake base:
"Actually, if you pay attention in class, the review workload won't be so heavy."
The proprietress seemed to have never been to university and wasn't quite sure what final exam week was like, but after listening to Li Si's explanation, she nodded in agreement and uttered a phrase that most parents in the world have probably said:
"I wish my daughter could be like you."
Li Si chuckled: "Then I couldn't make such good milk tea..."
Hearing him praise his own milk tea again, the proprietress was overjoyed.
Having been in business for so many years, although she doesn't possess those mysterious skills like physiognomy, she still quite likes this young man in her personal opinion.
He speaks with grace and refinement, and when he's making a cake, the earnest and down-to-earth look in his eyes is something most people can't fake.
He was also quite handsome and dressed very elegantly.
"It's a pity my daughter isn't here, otherwise her cooking would be even better than mine..." the proprietress said with a smile.
“Then I’ll come again when I have the chance,” Li Si said.
The proprietress wanted to say something, but ultimately held back.
She gazed at the cake base that this young man was treating with such utmost care... but he already had a girl he liked!
If they said something like, "How about I introduce my daughter to you?", wouldn't that be blatant poaching?!
pity.
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