Chapter 45 A beautiful kitchen: Transparency is the cornerstone of building trust...
The appointed day arrived on a sunny and pleasant morning.
Shi Wan got up early and tidied up the farm inside and out to make it even cleaner and more cozy, even wiping the cats' food bowls and water bowls until they shone.
Huanhuan knew that important guests were coming, so she deliberately didn't go patrolling the fields. Instead, she squatted at the entrance of the main house, her tail coiled around her paws, like a dutiful little doorman.
Tangyuan, still maintaining the demeanor of a farm manager, was torn between the two auspicious spots in the yard—the fence post and the apple tree—wanting to choose a location that offered a panoramic view while also appearing dignified and extraordinary.
At exactly nine o'clock, a discreet white SUV parked precisely outside the farm.
The car door opened, and Isabella Wong stepped out.
Today she wore a light apricot-colored casual pantsuit, paired with flat shoes in the same color scheme, looking both capable and comfortable. She still had a silk scarf tied around her neck, this time with an elegant ink wash pattern.
She looked up at the farm's sign, a look of appreciation on her face.
Shi Wan quickly went out to greet her, "Isabella, welcome, welcome!"
"Shi Wan, good morning! It's even more beautiful here than in the photos!" Isabella smiled and gave Shi Wan a light hug, her gaze immediately drawn to Huanhuan sitting by the door.
"Oh! This must be Huanhuan you mentioned on the phone, right? What a spirited little girl."
She didn't reach out rashly, but instead leaned down slightly, met Huanhuan's gaze with gentle eyes, and greeted her softly.
Huanhuan's whiskers twitched, and it cautiously sniffed the unfamiliar scent in the air. But perhaps it was Isabella's calm and gentle demeanor that made her feel at ease, and Huanhuan responded with a reserved meow.
“She’s the security captain of our farm, and she’s very responsible,” Shi Wan said with a smile. Then she pointed to Tangyuan, who had ultimately chosen the fence post, “That’s Tangyuan. She’s the farm manager and has a lot of leadership qualities.”
Isabella followed the gaze and saw Tangyuan, whose fluffy fur and heterochromatic eyes looked exceptionally beautiful in the sunlight, and a look of amazement flashed in her eyes.
"He's so handsome! And he's so confident; you can tell he feels very safe here."
After exchanging pleasantries, Shi Wan took Isabella on a farm tour.
They first visited the core planting area.
Before the morning dew had completely evaporated, the emerald green cat grass stretched its leaves in the sunlight, emitting a refreshing fragrance.
"We mainly grow wheatgrass in this area, and vegetables in other areas, which are all raw materials needed for production."
Shi Wan explained, "We also rotate the plants according to the season and the cats' feedback. In a few weeks, the climate will no longer be suitable for planting cat grass, so we will switch to hydroponics. We also use pure natural organic fertilizer in the fields, which is applied according to scientific ratios."
Isabella crouched down and gently stroked a cat grass leaf, carefully examining its color and thickness.
"It's growing very well, with full, vibrant leaves. I can tell the soil here is very fertile." She looked up and asked a professional question.
"How do you process harvested cat grass to ensure that it retains the maximum amount of nutrients and fiber when processed into biscuits or cat grass sticks?"
Shi Wan was prepared for this and answered fluently, "After checking the information, I found that it is usually harvested in the early morning after the dew has dried and before the sun is too strong. Then, the first round of manual coarse sieving is carried out immediately, followed by a second round of fine sieving by machine. Low-temperature baking is used when making cat grass biscuits, and intelligent equipment strictly controls the time and temperature to avoid excessive drying and loss of moisture and nutrients."
Isabella nodded approvingly. "The timing and the way you handled it were both crucial. You did a very meticulous job."
Next, they visited the livestock area, where they saw chicken coops, rabbit cages, and Call duck villas.
The chickens were strolling freely and pecking at food inside the fenced enclosure, while the ducks preened their feathers by the makeshift pond, making contented quacking noises.
Bingbing had followed us around at some point, squatting outside the chicken coop and staring longingly at the little hens inside. Shi Wan shooed him away with a helpless smile, saying, "Don't let his weight fool you, he's quite clever."
Isabella was amused, but she was more concerned about animal welfare.
“I see they have plenty of space to move around and seem relaxed, which is crucial for the quality of their eggs and meat. Could I know about their daily feed composition? Besides the basic grains, are they supplemented with any specific nutrients?”
"The feed mainly consists of non-GMO corn, soybean meal, and wheat bran. We regularly add some crushed shell powder to supplement calcium, and we also mix in some chopped vegetables and herbs, such as dandelion leaves and mint, to help them digest and enhance their immunity," Shi Wan explained in detail.
"I believe that only healthy animals can produce healthy food."
“A fantastic idea!” Isabella’s eyes lit up. “This is exactly what I wanted to hear: natural balance that focuses on the animal’s fundamental needs.”
They walked and talked as they arrived at the factory's processing area.
Shi Wan introduced the basic processing equipment and workflow, emphasizing hygiene standards and traceability management.
Isabella was very interested in the system that had QR codes for each batch of products. She took out her phone and scanned one. The pop-up message clearly showed the raw material batch, production date, and even environmental monitoring data. She expressed her approval again.
"Transparency is the cornerstone of building trust."
During the tour, other farm employees also appeared one after another.
Mianmian walked gracefully past the flowerbed and called out softly to Isabella.
Yao Yao, Bu Bu, and Qi Qi have grown up a lot and are chasing and playing on the grass, showing their vitality.
Even the three new kittens dared to peer curiously from afar.
Isabella always remained gentle and respectful, never forcibly hugging or petting any of the cats, but communicating with them through eye contact and soft words.
Finally, they returned to the office building and sat down, where Shi Wan brewed a pot of herbal tea.
Isabella looked around at the comfortable space filled with sunshine, greenery, and cats, and exclaimed sincerely, "Shi Wan, this place really is like a peaceful paradise. I am even more convinced that it would be a wonderful thing for us to collaborate on hosting offline events."
“I think so too.” Shi Wan poured her some tea and said sincerely, “After today’s visit and exchange, I am even more convinced of your professionalism and ideas, and I am very confident about cooperation.”
The two had a preliminary discussion on the details of the collaboration.
Isabella proposed a general framework.
We will first try to hold a small weekend experience day for no more than ten pet families. The activities include a pet nutrition class led by Isabella, a pet food making experience led by Shi Wan, and free time for communication and interaction.
She was responsible for event planning, professional content creation, and client recruitment, while Shi Wan provided the venue, basic raw materials, and some product support.
“We can start with something simple and gradually gain experience,” Isabella suggested. “The key is to ensure the quality of each activity and the experience of all the participants and cats.”
“I think it’s a good idea!” Shi Wan nodded excitedly. “We can continue to communicate and refine the details online.”
Isabella spent almost the entire morning at the farm, befriending several of the cats before reluctantly saying goodbye.
After seeing her off, Shi Wan stood in the center of the farm, her heart unable to calm down for a long time.
Isabella's approval and professional advice were like a gentle breeze, dispelling the last lingering gloom brought about by Zhou Jianming and injecting a clear and hopeful direction into the farm's development.
Collaboration requires more professional and independent food processing spaces.
This thought became incredibly strong.
There are no suitable rooms in the existing space; she needs a dedicated environment that meets higher standards for teaching and hygiene.
She immediately opened the system store.
With a quick swipe of his finger, his gaze soon settled on the "mini fresh food kitchen".
The description below reads, "Unlock fresh pet food preparation; nutritious, healthy, and delicious, targeting a specific mid-to-high-end customer base. Just Meow King's canteen."
Perfect fit.
This is it!
Shi Wan checked the required points; although it was a considerable amount, it was well within her budget.
She clicked to confirm unlocking almost without hesitation.
"Points have been deducted, and a small fresh food kitchen is under construction."
Shi Wan chose a relatively independent and well-lit open space between the office building and the planting area.
This location offers a view of the natural ecology of the planting area while also separating the factory production area from her and her cat's living area, making it the most suitable spot at present.
Shi Wan planned to add two more doors on the road leading to the production and living areas at the back to prevent anyone from exploring or accidentally entering.
She walked towards the new kitchen, her anticipation rising with each step.
The overall style of the cabin remains warm wood paired with pure white.
The roof is covered with slightly sloping, dark brown imitation tiles, with the eaves protruding a little, making it look small and cute.
The walls are made of warm-toned, natural wood panels, which are joined together seamlessly.
A white, arched wooden door sits in the center, with a cat-paw-shaped openwork window on it, playful and fitting the theme.
On either side of the door are large floor-to-ceiling windows with white gauze curtains featuring small fishbone patterns, which ensures ample natural light while adding a touch of softness.
Shi Wan couldn't wait to push open the lovely door and go inside.
The interior space was even more exquisite and well-designed than she had imagined.
The floor is covered with non-slip, stain-resistant light gray tiles, and the walls are covered with easy-to-clean white glossy tiles.
The entire space is cleverly divided into several areas.
At the entrance is a cute shoe changing area and coat hanging area, with several cat-shaped hooks hanging on the wall.
The first area against the wall is the pre-treatment cleaning area, which has a spacious stainless steel double-basin sink and a wide work surface.
Walking along the path leads to the core work area, which is equipped with a brand-new induction cooker, a built-in mini oven, and a compact sous-vide machine, with ample storage cabinets below.
Next is the cooling and packaging area, which has dedicated stainless steel cooling racks and separate packaging workbenches.
Finally, there is a storage area with several food-grade storage cabinets with transparent windows standing against the wall, which can be used to store raw materials and finished products in different categories.
What surprised her most was the attention to detail in every aspect of the kitchen.
The edges and corners of the worktable have been rounded to prevent bumps and knocks.
The cabinet handles are shaped like delicate brass fish.
Near the window, there is a small, cushioned workbench, clearly intended for curious cats.
The air was filled with the faint scent of new wood and cleaning products; everything was new, bright, and orderly.
Standing in the center of the kitchen, Shi Wan could almost see the future, the lively scene of herself and her students making healthy food for the furry friends, and the adorable sight of the cats squatting on the supervisor's platform, curiously looking around.
"This is perfect..." she murmured to herself, her face beaming with happiness and anticipation.
She took out her phone, snapped several photos from different angles, and sent them to Isabella with the caption, "Look! Our future teaching base and culinary studio are ready!"
Isabella quickly replied with a string of exclamation marks and smiley faces, “Wow! You’re so efficient! This place is so lovely! This is the kitchen of my dreams! I can’t wait for our first activity!”
Putting down her phone, Shi Wan walked out of the new kitchen.
The setting sun painted the sky a warm orange-pink hue, bathing everything on the farm in a soft glow.
Huanhuan and Tangyuan had somehow arrived outside the new kitchen and were peering curiously through the glass.
Shi Wan squatted down, opened her arms, and hugged them on either side of the cat, pressing her cheek against their warm, soft fur, and whispered.
"Look, this is our new territory. We'll be making even more delicious food here, and we'll welcome even more friends who like you."
Huanhuan rubbed against her, and Tangyuan looked at the cat paw door, letting out a soft purr filled with approval and dependence.
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Author's Note: Tangyuan: The food in my bowl is disappearing so fast lately... Who stole my food?!
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