As soon as he uttered the word "mother," Jin Shou immediately changed his mind.
"The secret recipe for flower cakes was bought by the Yan family from a traveling merchant in the southwest. The climate in the southwest is hot all year round, and flowers can bloom several times a year, so many people use flowers as vegetables and make them into pastries. However, if we want to sell flower cakes, we have to wait until summer!"
"But what? Tell me."
Chen Li was very anxious.
He urged Jin Shou to continue.
"But just as I was leaving the city and preparing to return, I met an old woman who was visiting relatives. She was from the southwest and had been abandoned halfway by a heartless driver. She couldn't carry the jar and asked me to watch it for her for a while. When I saw that the jar contained rose jam, I quickly agreed. After she left with peace of mind, I carried the jar and ran off. You can go and see for yourselves. The rose jam in the jar is very well preserved, exactly as described in the recipe."
Jin Shou gave the secret recipe to Chen Shouzhu.
Fortunately, Chen Shouzhu knew a few characters because she did small business with Zhao Daniu.
She read it haltingly.
Skip over any unfamiliar characters.
The recipe says that after harvesting the roses, remove the petals, wash them, sprinkle them with 50% sugar and 20% salt, put them in a jar and marinate for two months. Do not open the jar during this time, or they will rot.
The crust is made by mixing 30% sugar, 20% lard, and refined flour, kneading the mixture, dividing it into small pieces, rolling them into flatbreads, wrapping the rose petal jam inside, and then baking them.
"Wow, this stuff costs a lot. It needs so much sugar, lard, and refined flour. Jin Shou, thank goodness you brought this jar back. This has saved our family a lot of money. Husband, make it according to this recipe, and exchange the refined flour for money in the village."
Chen Shouzhu handed the secret recipe to Zhao Daniu.
"Okay, I'll go right away."
In the past, the baked cakes they sold were all made by Zhao Daniu.
This is a craft passed down through the Zhao family.
Flower cakes can certainly be made as well.
As long as there is a recipe.
That evening, the steaming hot flower cakes were ready.
Because there is no dedicated oven.
It can only be cooked by baking on a stove.
Naturally, its appearance is slightly less appealing.
Zhao Daniu was the first to take a bite.
"It tastes good, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but it's a bit too sweet. I guess the old lady who makes the rose jam has a sweet tooth. I suggest reducing the filling by half, and it will taste even better."
"Let me have a taste."
Chen Lishi couldn't wait to grab a piece and put it in her mouth.
"Not too sweet, just right, really delicious."
Farmers rarely eat sugar on a regular basis, so when they occasionally taste sweet pastries, it's like eating some kind of heavenly delicacy.
Soon, all the dozen or so flower cakes were eaten.
Jin Shou, who had done so much, didn't get a single grain of rice.
Once he was used up, he was discarded like trash.
The Chen family began to ignore him.
Jin Shou's face gradually darkened.
He returned to the house.
He sat on the bed without saying a word.
I wonder what he's thinking.
A moment later, Chen Shouzhu came in with half a flower cake.
"Jin Shou, why didn't you eat the flower cake? Your aunt saved half for you. Try it. From now on, this will be our family's business. According to the previous agreement, the Chen family and the Zhao family will each take 50%. Once we make some money, I'll talk to your grandmother and ask her to find you a wife."
Jin Shou felt a little better after that.
"Thank you, Auntie."
He took the flower cake and carefully took a bite.
It's very sweet and fragrant, and delicious.
Before he could take a second bite, Chen Shouzhu started talking again.
She took a small bottle from her waist and handed it to Jin Shou.
"This is croton, which will cause diarrhea if eaten. Go to town again tomorrow and give the croton to Lamei. Tell her to mix it into the flower cakes in three days. That day is the first day our pastry shop opens. Auntie has already found a shop and spent a whole three taels to rent it. We will set off for the neighboring town early tomorrow morning. I hope you won't disappoint Auntie, okay?"
Chen Shouzhu gently stroked the back of Jin Shou's head.
They displayed an attitude of compassion.
"I understand, I'll go first thing this morning."
Jin Shou took the bottle.
Chen Shouzhu then left satisfied.
In the evening, the Chen family, a large group of people, finished their discussion in the main room and went to bed early.
Zhao Daniu paid for the shop rental, and the Chen family bought sugar, refined flour, and lard.
It's divided into 50/50.
Chen Shoujia took Jinbao and Yinbao with him to the shop to help out.
It can be considered a form of surveillance.
When Jin Shou got up to urinate in the middle of the night, he passed by Chen Shouzhu's house and vaguely heard people talking inside.
For some reason, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest and crouched down to eavesdrop by the window.
"Honey, I'm so excited I can't sleep! What do you think? If we sell the house in Hundred Flowers Village, will we come back?"
"Come back my foot! What's so great about this place? Why not stay in a perfectly good town instead of this run-down village? If it weren't for this secret recipe, do you think I would have come back willingly?"
The reason why the two of them insisted on living at the Chen family's house, even though they had their own place, was because of this.
The old house of Zhao Daniu's family had long been dilapidated and abandoned, and it was uninhabitable without being cleaned up.
It's better to sell it.
"I've already given the poison to Jin Shou. Once the Yan family's shop is in trouble, only our family will be able to sell flower cakes anymore. Haha, then we'll raise the price and sell them for one tael of silver a bag. With the money we make, we'll buy a big house and live in a three-courtyard house!"
"Your parents are greedy too. Only I can make flower cakes, and they still want 50% of the profits. Once the Yan family falls, they'll kick your Chen family out! 50%? They really dare to ask for that much!"
"Don't worry, husband, I know what I'm doing. Now that I've married you, I'm naturally a member of the Zhao family. Let's keep them calm for now, and once the shop's business improves, we'll think of a way to get rid of them."
"You didn't tell your nephew that it was poison, did you?"
"No, how could I say that? Yan is his biological mother, after all. Even if she wasn't good to him, that's an undeniable fact. I wouldn't dare gamble. I told him it was croton oil, and that eating it would only cause diarrhea."
"Well done. Yan's shop is doing so well. Who knows how many people will die in three days? Haha, she might not even be able to save her old life then. It's not our fault, we can't blame her for blocking our way."
"....."
Before the two could finish speaking, Jin Shou hurriedly returned to his house.
He picked up the medicine bottle, opened it, and took a look.
It wasn't the earthy-colored croton powder, but a white powder.
When he was a child, he saw his friend's family buy croton powder, which was used to feed an old cow that was about to die from constipation. It tasted spicy and looked like mud.
How could it possibly be ground white?
It turns out my aunt wanted to kill my mother...
Jin Shou lost his grip and the bottle almost fell to the ground.
He was so frightened that he quickly caught it and plugged the bottle opening.
"Mother, don't blame your son. It's your fault for disowning me. Don't worry, your son is your child, and I will definitely carry on Father's family line..."
He muttered to himself, put the bottle away, and lay in bed unable to fall asleep again.
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