The next day, after Lin Zhou returned from grocery shopping, he rushed to the back of the villa, only to find the old man already waiting at the foot of the mountain.
Seeing him approach, she greeted him warmly.
"Here we are! Let's go up the mountain before the sun is fully up."
Lin Zhou looked distressed.
If he didn't want to be a person of his word, he really wouldn't have wanted to come today.
When he got home yesterday, his legs were so weak he could barely walk.
Thankfully, I felt much better after a good night's sleep; otherwise, it would have affected my nighttime stall business.
But it's not good to break a promise.
Besides, he also wanted to climb mountains to exercise.
"Okay."
The two didn't say much, and just climbed up the mountain together.
The old man was clearly a regular exerciser; after walking for more than ten minutes, Lin Zhou was already panting, but the old man showed no reaction at all.
He's a young man, how could he be outdone by a man over fifty?
Even though we've already lost, we can't go too far, otherwise, where will our dignity as men be?
I don't know if it's because of this competitive mentality, or because someone is climbing the mountain with me.
Having reached the halfway point of the mountain, Lin Zhou discovered that he still had the energy to get here today, compared to yesterday.
So, full of enthusiasm, he continued climbing up with the old man.
"Just hang in there a little longer, the scenery on the mountain is much better than halfway up."
Seeing Lin Zhou stop and look at the pavilion halfway up the mountain, the old man encouraged him.
Climbing a mountain alone is lonely, but having someone to accompany him makes the old man very happy, fearing that Lin Zhou might not continue climbing.
"Let's go, I'm still okay."
Lin Zhou took a sip of water and followed the old man, climbing up step by step.
The sun still rises, and as time passes, its temperature also increases.
The two of them started sweating from the heat.
"There is a bamboo forest on the mountain with beautiful scenery. If you can climb to the top and see it, you definitely won't want to leave."
The scenery along the way up the mountain was already captivating, and even Lin Zhou, a clueless straight man, found it beautiful.
I didn't expect the scenery behind the villa to be so well planned, with bamboo groves planted there.
"That's great, we get to eat bamboo shoots too."
When Lin Zhou heard the word "bamboo forest," his first thought was of spring and winter bamboo shoots. He couldn't imagine how delicious the bamboo shoots he dug himself would be.
The old man was taken aback.
The original intention was to attract Lin Zhou with the scenery of the bamboo forest, but unexpectedly, he was more interested in the bamboo itself.
This is truly beyond my expectations.
When he came to his senses, the old man couldn't help but laugh.
What an interesting young man.
"That's how it is."
"You can cook?"
The old man thought that someone who couldn't cook, or who didn't know much about food, wouldn't immediately think of eating bamboo shoots when they heard about bamboo forests.
"Yes, my cooking skills, I'm not bragging, are truly rare and few can compare to me."
Lin Zhou felt that he couldn't match the old man's physical strength, but in the field of cooking, he had a system, and there really wasn't anyone in the world who could compare to him.
"I didn't realize you were a chef. Chinese or Western cuisine?"
The old man was surprised to find that Lin Zhou, who looked like a rich second-generation, was actually a chef despite his young age.
Being a chef is no easy job; if you're learning Chinese cuisine, it's considered physically demanding.
"Everything will happen."
Lin Zhou smiled faintly as he looked at the old man's surprised expression.
He appeared humble and reserved.
But the confidence and self-assurance that his mastery of cooking skills brought him were on full display.
Despite his advanced age, the old man is still very good at judging people.
Judging from Lin Zhou's demeanor, you can tell that his cooking skills must be quite good.
"You must try it if you have the chance. Where else can you taste your cooking?"
The two chatted as they climbed the mountain, making even the most tedious climb seem interesting.
Lin Zhou has been in this world for so long, and all he's done is set up a stall and interact with customers.
I've never had a time like this before, chatting with others without any reservations, just like with friends.
I must say, the old man was a really good conversationalist; we could talk about anything he brought up and have a great time.
We get along well in terms of personality, and there's a sense of closeness, like being embraced and guided by an elder.
"Hehe, I've been selling steamed buns at Huaguoshan Park at night recently."
Lin Zhou didn't see anything wrong with living in a villa area and setting up a stall to sell steamed buns at night.
He still feels very proud when he talks about it.
He didn't think there was a problem, and the old man naturally didn't either.
It was quite natural for them to indicate that they would patronize his business.
"Then you have to go early. I set up my stall at eight o'clock and sell out by nine. Business is booming."
"Haha, okay."
And so, Lin Zhou unknowingly climbed to the top of the mountain.
Early in the morning, the mountaintop was still shrouded in mist. Under the sunlight, the mist seemed to gradually dissipate, revealing the true face of the mountain.
The air on the mountain is wonderful, with a freshness that's not found down below, making you want to take deep breaths and feel completely relaxed.
The vast bamboo forest exudes a rich, refreshing bamboo fragrance, which is invigorating.
"If we brewed a pot of tea here, wouldn't it be wonderful to sit in the bamboo grove and play chess?"
Lin Zhou was led by the old man into the pavilion in the bamboo forest.
With streams and brooks all around, sitting in the pavilion doesn't feel so hot.
Indeed, the scenery on the mountain was better than that halfway up.
Lin Zhou fell in love with this place at once.
The stone table in the pavilion is even engraved with a chessboard, making it a perfect place to drink tea and play chess.
"I have some good tea. I'll bring it tomorrow morning, and we can indulge in a bit of refined culture."
The old man was also very interested in the scene Lin Zhou described.
He usually climbs the mountain alone to exercise and to cool off and rest in the bamboo forest.
Now that Lin Zhou is around, he has someone to drink tea and play chess with.
"Hehe, then I'll wait and try it."
"By the way, sir, let's exchange contact information in case we can't find you."
The two added each other as friends in a good mood, and then headed down the mountain before the sun got too hot.
When Lin Zhou got home, he collapsed on the ground, half-dead.
I was so hot and tired that I didn't even have the strength to move.
I lay on the floor for a long time before slowly going to the bathroom to take a shower, and then went to bed to play on my phone.
I slept a long time yesterday, so although I'm tired now, I'm not sleepy.
After lying down until noon, Lin Zhou casually made some food and then started making steamed buns.
The dough for char siu bao takes a long time to make. Yesterday, the preparation time was too long, and I didn't even have time to eat dinner before going out to set up my stall.
We need to prepare in advance today.
Lin Zhou placed a large bag of old flour on the work surface, poured in water and mixed it together. He slowly kneaded the flour into a dough, divided it into several portions, and covered them all with a damp towel to ferment for four or five hours.
Prepare the fillings during this time.
Once the flour has fermented to a certain extent, add the sugar, alkaline water, and lard to the dough and knead it again.
Kneading dough is a time-consuming and laborious process.
Lin Zhou had been making steamed buns for several days and was already used to it.
His skillful technique and technique made his movements look effortless.
Before long, large dough balls were kneaded.
It is white and delicate, and does not stick to your hands.
Place the kneaded dough in the sun to continue fermenting.
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