Wenxia's pace gradually quickened as she walked along the wide road with swaying shadows of sycamore trees on both sides. The rich aroma of milk attracted her nose like a magnet.
Suddenly, my eyes lit up and a cozy bakery came into view. The freshly baked coconut bread and red bean paste buns exuded an enticing aroma, making people salivate.
"Wow, it smells so good!" Wenxia exclaimed. Her little head couldn't wait to lie on the glass display cabinet, her eyes wide open, as if she wanted to take in all the snacks.
Huang's mother couldn't help laughing when she saw her daughter like this. She took out her wallet and said to the boss, "Give us some coconut bread and red bean paste buns, and a pound of tea cakes."
The boss smiled enthusiastically and nodded, packing the snacks with swift hands and feet. Xu Mengyao had already taken a bite of the coconut bread, and her expression of satisfaction was beyond words: This taste is simply better than many modern chain stores!
Huang Wenrong had been longing to go to the library. "Mom, let's go to the bookstore," she suggested.
The four-story, stand-alone bookstore stood like a temple of knowledge. Just as the family reached the door, a loud "bang" was heard. They looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man pedaling an old-fashioned popcorn machine. Popcorn popped into the air, emitting an alluring aroma.
Huang Wenrong's eyes lit up, and he took his mother's hand and walked over there. Huang's mother smiled and shook her head, but still doted on the four siblings by buying them a bag of popcorn. A bite of that old-fashioned, crispy popcorn had a unique flavor.
At this moment, Xu Mengyao had a flash of inspiration and realized that movie theaters nowadays do not sell popcorn, and this traditional popcorn only appears on the streets when the New Year is approaching.
She thought of the bakery again and hurriedly said to Huang's mother, "Mom, you guys go in first. I have something to ask the owner of the bakery."
After saying that, she stuffed the thing in her hand into her elder sister's arms and ran away.
As soon as she entered the bakery, the owner greeted her warmly: "Here you are again, little girl. What would you like to buy this time?"
Xu Mengyao asked breathlessly, "Uncle, I want to buy some butter. Do you have any?"
The boss looked surprised and said, "Little girl, why are you buying butter? I only sell bread and pastries here."
“Uncle,” she pleaded, “I really need butter. I want to try making something to eat myself.”
The boss misunderstood her intention and said with a smile: "Oh, making bread is not easy."
Seeing her pitiful appearance, he shook his head helplessly: "I really don't have butter for sale here, but you can go to the street above and see if there is a store that specializes in wholesale baking ingredients."
When Xu Mengyao heard this, her eyes lit up and she said excitedly, "Thank you, uncle! I wish you a prosperous business and great fortune!"
After saying that, he bowed to the boss, turned around and left quickly as instructed.
It wasn't long before Xu Mengyao found the shop called "Meihua Baking Ingredients Wholesale." Though small, the interior was neatly organized. She walked in and was immediately drawn to the large freezer in the center. The shelves next to it were filled with a variety of baking ingredients.
Xu Mengyao browsed through it carefully. She had some knowledge in this area. In her previous life, she was a dessert lover. She followed many food and dessert bloggers on short videos. When she had nothing to do, she would try to make some simple desserts at home.
Just as she was absorbed in the sight, a amiable, slightly plump lady boss came down from upstairs. She smiled and asked, "Little girl, what would you like to buy?"
Xu Mengyao smiled a little embarrassedly and replied, "I want to buy some butter. Do you have any here?"
The lady boss responded enthusiastically, "Of course we have them. They're all in the freezer. Just take a look at how much you want and I'll cut you a piece."
As she spoke, she opened the freezer, revealing neatly stacked chunks of butter. Pointing to a piece of butter in the corner, the proprietress asked Xu Mengyao, "That's five pounds. Is that enough? I just cut it today."
Xu Mengyao nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, then I'll take this one, thank you auntie."
Then, she followed the boss lady to pick out some white sugar for baking. Passing by the high-gluten and low-gluten flour sections, Xu Mengyao suddenly stopped and pointed at a bag of bright yellow, round corn kernels and asked, "Auntie, are these baby corns?"
The proprietress looked in the direction she pointed and replied, "Oh, this is popcorn from Shandong. I heard it was imported from abroad and is a new variety just bred by our Academy of Agricultural Sciences. You can make popcorn at home in an iron pan. It's very convenient."
Of course, Xu Mengyao knew that special corn kernels were needed to make popcorn at home. She didn't know if this variety was available at the time, nor did she know how to describe it to others. She originally wanted to use the dumbest method to buy a snakeskin bag of old-fashioned popcorn, go home and coat it with butter and syrup, and then sell it. However, she didn't expect to find the most critical raw material here, solving the most troublesome problem from the source.
She suppressed her inner joy and said calmly, "Really? That sounds quite novel. I love trying new things. Auntie, please give me ten kilograms. Even if I can't make delicious food, I can still eat it as food."
The proprietress smiled and nodded, weighing the items, then wrapped them up and handed them to her. When it came time to pay, Xu Mengyao realized she didn't have enough money. She gave an awkward smile, paid five yuan, left the items at the store, and then ran to the library to ask Huang's mother for the money. Huang Wenrong had also bought the books, so the family returned to the bakery to pay the rest.
On the way back, Huang Wenbin curiously asked Xu Mengyao: "Juan, I won't ask you about other things you bought, but why did you buy so many corn kernels? Don't we have plenty at home?"
Xu Mengyao smiled mysteriously and replied, "These corn kernels are not ordinary corn kernels. They are our most crucial secret weapon. When we get back, I'll make you something delicious. I guarantee it will open your eyes. If we make this, we'll definitely make a fortune this winter vacation!"
Huang Wenbin immediately became interested and asked Xu Mengyao what delicious food she was going to make. Xu Mengyao just smiled and shook her head, refusing to reveal any more details.
The whole family looked at her confident look and couldn't help but show anticipation on their faces.
They boarded the bus back to the mining area with a full load, their hearts full of longing and expectation for the future.
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