The next day.
Rong Jing went to the company, while Rong's father made an appointment with a friend to go fishing.
When Su Yinwan came downstairs, she found Grandpa Rong and his mother drinking tea in the living room.
She walked over slowly, greeted them, and then sat down in the chair next to Rong's mother.
Grandpa Rong twirled the tea set, then smiled at Su Yinwan, "Has Wanwan studied tea ceremony? Can she brew tea?"
Su Yinwan nodded repeatedly, pursing her lips, "I learned a little about tea culture in college and studied some ways of drinking it, so I know a little bit."
How about I make tea for Grandpa and Mom? Don't mind it later, okay?
She vaguely remembered reading a book that described the process of making sencha.
Grandpa Rong loves drinking tea, so he naturally has several tea sets.
Su Yinwan selected one of the tea sets, gently held the tea cake with bamboo tongs, and placed it over a suitable fire to bake it, turning it back and forth.
When it came to grinding the tea, Su Yinwan quickly placed the fragrant tea cake into a paper bag and sealed it.
After the tea cake cooled completely, she took it out of the paper bag and crushed it until it became powder. Then she sifted it and put it into the tea box.
Su Yinwan proceeded with each step slowly and methodically.
When it was time to boil the water, she would add the tea leaves after the water had boiled three times.
When the water just started to boil, with large bubbles and a slight boiling sound, Su Yinwan added an appropriate amount of salt to taste, depending on the amount of water.
When the water boils for the second time and bubbles rise to the surface one after another, she scoops out a spoonful of water and sets it aside for later use. Then she uses bamboo tongs to stir the water continuously, creating a whirlpool.
Then use a small spoon to scoop out the tea powder and drop it into the center of the vortex, continuing to stir.
When the water boils for the third time, it boils and rolls like waves, splashing out a lot of foam. Then pour back the spoonful of water that was just scooped out and continue until it stops boiling.
Finally, Su Yinwan skimmed off the black film that had formed on the tea foam.
Then came the step of serving the tea. Su Yinwan evenly distributed the tea into the teacups.
Grandpa Rong and Madam Rong both looked at Su Yinwan, and occasionally chatted about everyday things.
Su Yinwan, on the other hand, was focused on her own thing, as if she were performing an art piece.
Su Yinwan served the first cup to Grandpa Rong and the second cup to Rong's mother.
Grandpa Rong savored the tea that Su Yinwan handed him while it was still hot. The tea's mellowness and strong aroma were just right, and he couldn't help but nod in approval.
After drinking it, Rong's mother praised Su Yinwan highly and gave her a thumbs up.
The aroma of tea lingered in the living room, creating a pastoral atmosphere that made people feel even more comfortable.
Grandpa Rong looked at his granddaughter-in-law with undisguised admiration and satisfaction.
After lunch, Sister Yun made a phone call to Su Yinwan.
It's another new Wednesday, the day Smile launches new products. Sister Yun asked Su Yinwan if she wanted to come to the store to try the new products.
Su Yinwan figured she had nothing to do at the old house anyway. Grandpa Rong was taking a nap, and Madam Rong had gone out on business.
After thinking for a moment, she told Sister Yun that she would arrive at Smile later.
At 3 p.m., Su Yinwan drove to the dessert shop.
This time, Sister Yun's new product is pear and osmanthus jelly.
The fragrance of osmanthus fills the air, and the mouth is filled with a refreshing aroma. The texture is chewy, bouncy, and smooth.
Just in time for the dry autumn season, pairing it with pear, a perfect match, is refreshing and good for the lungs, suitable for all ages.
More and more people are coming to the store for afternoon tea. Today, only Sister Yun, Sister Li, and Xu Zhaodi are working at the store.
Seeing that they were too busy, Su Yinwan put on an apron from the shop and started working.
She stayed in the kitchen to make desserts with Sister Yun, Sister Li worked as a cashier and made drinks at the bar, and Xu Zhaodi was busy serving drinks and desserts, as well as clearing the tables.
The four people worked non-stop until 6 p.m., when the crowds gradually dispersed.
Exhausted, the group raised their arms, tilted their heads back, and stretched.
Seeing their synchronized actions, they exchanged smiles.
Sister Li then remembered the rice cakes she had made at home the day before yesterday.
She had already cut the rice cakes and put them in a glass lunchbox before going to work in the morning. After dropping her child off at school, she came to the store and put the rice cakes in the refrigerator to chill.
I've been so busy I haven't had time to cook anything.
Now that everyone had some free time, Sister Li took out rice cakes from the refrigerator to show Su Yinwan and the others her work.
The rice cakes, cut into cubes, are dark brown in color and have a hard, chocolate-like texture.
Xu Zhaodi's mouth watered as she watched, eagerly anticipating the taste once it was cooked.
Sister Li divided the box of rice cakes into two portions. She boiled one portion in sugar water with some brown sugar, and coated the other portion in egg liquid and fried it.
It didn't take much time; Sister Li worked on both at the same time, and they were both ready to serve quickly.
Xu Zhaodi enthusiastically brought out the prepared rice cakes.
She served a bowl of sweet soup to Su Yinwan, Sister Yun, and Sister Li, and only served herself a bowl at the end.
"Mmm, it's so delicious, Sister Li! Your cooking skills are amazing! This is the first time I've ever eaten rice cake like this."
Xu Zhaodi ate the scalding hot rice cake soup, her breath steaming in the heat.
It's sweet, soft, and chewy without being cloying; it's chewy but not sticky.
The pan-fried rice cake pieces are slightly crispy and charred. Dipped in the simmered brown sugar syrup, they taste great—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—and the sweetness isn't cloying.
Su Yinwan and Sister Yun took a bite of the soft and chewy rice cake and nodded repeatedly in approval because it was so delicious.
Sister Li was overjoyed to see the wonderful reviews they gave her rice cakes.
In the past, when she made these new gadgets for her husband and mother-in-law, she was either disliked or blamed for messing around and was never given a kind look. Since then, Sister Li has lost interest in trying them.
After joining Smile, she regained her confidence and found joy again.
"If you like it, I'll make more for you next time, and you can also take some back for your family to try."
Sister Li smiled as she took the empty bowl that Xu Zhaodi had quickly finished eating, and then smiled as she ladled out another bowl for her.
"This is too much trouble, Sister Li. Doing all this must be very complicated and tiring," Su Yinwan replied.
"It's okay, if you like it, I'll make it for you. I usually love tinkering with these new things, and I'm so glad you gave me such a good review."
Afterwards, everyone was stuffed and leaned back in their chairs, chatting about everyday things.
Sister Li and Sister Yun both have children, so they have a lot in common.
And so, the two have started discussing their child's education again.
Su Yinwan and Xu Zhaodi chatted about their life plans. Su Yinwan learned that Xu Zhaodi wanted to study abroad, but it seemed that she had some difficulties.
After spending the past month or two together, Su Yinwan realized that Xu Zhaodi was truly a hardworking and resilient person.
Her eyes held the light that should be present in someone her age; she had clear goals and was striving towards them.
If she didn't have that family to hold her back, her life would probably be pretty good now.
However, Su Yinwan always believed that as long as she did not give in to fate, she would eventually reach the top.
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