Seeing Xiao Chuan looking at her with sparkling eyes, as if seeking praise, Meng Zhao raised an eyebrow: "What good deed have you done?"
Ogawa proudly raised his chin, "That shop is really dishonest. They put the exchange sign in an inconspicuous place, and a lot of people don't even know about it. Hehe, I spent a little money to find a few homeless thugs and spread the word about it. Now even the beggars at the City God Temple probably know that you can exchange a 'Peach Blossom Smile' box for 'Jade Complexion Cream'!"
Moreover, allergic reactions are particularly noticeable, and very few people would risk an allergic reaction on their face just to get a genuine product. However, the skin thins out from rubbing salt on the face, so you can just pat it on your face a few times before going into the store to create red marks and get away with it.
If Yu Yan Zhai dared to be too strict and refuse to replace them, someone would cause a scene in the shop. This would not only make the situation even more unsightly, but also waste all the previous investment. Manager Yu was furious, but he had no choice but to replace them all, hoping to quell the matter as soon as possible.
Huang Cui said happily, "It seems that there are too many people coming to exchange goods, and Yu Yan Zhai can't keep up with the demand, so they're taking advantage of the New Year holiday to close for a few days to avoid the situation."
Meng Zhao couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to tap Xiao Chuan's forehead: "You little rascal, you're such a clever little devil."
"What's wrong, Sister Meng Zhao? Are you unhappy?" Xiao Chuan blinked and tilted his head to ask.
"How could I not be happy! I couldn't be happier. If we hadn't reacted quickly back then, our reputation would probably be ruined by now. They brought this on themselves and have no one else to blame." After saying that, he continued to say to Xiao Chuan, "You did a good job, but don't pay out of your own pocket. I'll go and tell Sister Xia later and ask her to withdraw the money from her account for you."
Upon hearing this, Ogawa nodded and went out to help.
Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year. After checking the accounts and finding no problems, Meng Zhao prepared to go home first. Before leaving, she said to He Jianxia and the others, "It's cold today, and there probably won't be many people. In the afternoon, when you see that there aren't many people, let the workers go home early to celebrate the festival. I'll be waiting for you at home to celebrate the festival together."
He Jianxia and the others nodded and saw Meng Zhao out. After Meng Zhao got home, she put the things she brought back on the table and went back to her room to change her clothes. When she came out, she saw Xu Yunrong and Meng Dashan whispering around the table.
"What is this?" Xu Yunrong poked it lightly with her fingertip, and the hard texture made her frown.
Meng Dashan picked one up and sniffed it. "It smells like the bread Zhaozhao was talking about...? Wasn't she always fiddling with that newly built bread oven the other day?"
"But it's completely different from the one you brought back last time." Last time, Zhao Zhao brought back something that looked a bit like jujube cake, but it was much softer and had a rich milky flavor. This one, on the other hand, looked grayish and like a lump of unburnt soil.
Her eyes darted around, and she held the "clod of dirt" in her hand up to Meng Dashan: "Why don't you try it and see how it tastes?"
Meng Dashan instinctively leaned back, waving his hands repeatedly: "This...this doesn't look like something edible. Maybe we should wait for Zhaozhao to come."
"Father, Mother!" Meng Zhao called out from behind them, "What are you doing?"
When Xu Yunrong saw her return, she quickly asked, "Zhaozhao, what is this thing you're holding? Is it edible?"
Meng Zhao smiled and stepped forward, taking the hard bread from their hands: "This is called bread. The one Mother gave you was overbaked, so it's a bit hard." She then took another golden, plump loaf from the basket, gently broke it open, and a fragrant aroma filled the air. "This one is just right. You should try it."
The moment the bread was broken open, its fluffy honeycomb structure was clearly visible, emitting an enticing aroma of wheat. Xu Yunrong and Meng Dashan each took a small piece and put it in their mouths with some skepticism.
"Huh?" Xu Yunrong's eyes lit up. "I thought it would be hard, but it's actually quite soft! It has a nice chewy texture and a sweet milky aroma."
Meng Dashan chewed carefully, nodding repeatedly: "It's really delicious, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes."
"That's how bread is," Meng Zhao explained with a smile. "When you first taste it, you first taste the milky aroma on the surface, then the caramelized aroma of baking, and finally, after chewing for a while, the natural sweetness of the wheat itself emerges. Mmm, it's incredibly delicious."
Xu Yunrong finished the remaining half of the bread with lingering satisfaction, letting out a soft sigh. She couldn't help but rub her aching cheeks, saying, "This bread is really delicious, but chewing it for so long has made my teeth a little sore."
Seeing this, Meng Zhao poured a cup of hot tea and handed it over: "Next time we can heat up some milk to eat with it, or make some bubble tea. The sweet taste paired with bread will definitely make it even better."
Xu Yunrong was very excited, then noticed the remaining bread and asked, "How are we going to eat these? We can't just eat them raw, can we?"
Meng Zhao smiled mysteriously: "Those have another use." He then took a clean cloth bag, put the dried dough inside, and handed Meng Dashan a pestle. "Dad, please help me crush these."
With a series of "thump-thump" sounds, the hard bread gradually turned into fine, golden crumbs. When she came in earlier, she had already instructed Aunt Li to marinate some chicken. In the past, when making fried chicken, coating it with flour always felt a bit off. Now, with these dried bread crumbs, the taste would definitely be elevated to a whole new level.
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