Chapter 179: Apple Noodle Guo'er Grade A

Qin Huai was coloring the Guo'er.

It had been a long time since he last colored Guo'er; back at Huang Ji, Qin Huai basically never made them, and when he did, it was only to make proper Apple Noodle Guo'er for Gong Liang.

Suddenly having to color so many Guo'er now, he felt a bit rusty for a moment.

The price of being rusty was that the colors he painted were incredibly abstract, historically terrible, and transcendentally good.

So good that—

【Apple Noodle Guo'er Grade A】

Qin Huai stared at the Guo'er in his hand, completely dumbfounded.

G... Grade A?

How did this reach Grade A?

Was it because Huang Huang Huang Shengli had rested well for a month, his waist recovered exceptionally, and the filling stir-fried with his great wok-tossing technique was even stronger than last time?

Or was it because Qin Huai's dough-leavening skill had leveled up to Advanced, giving him better control over the dough, making the kneaded dough a perfect match for the Guo'er?

Or was it because this time, being rusty, he colored them exceptionally ugly, and under the buff's enhancement, it pushed them to Grade A?

No, coloring this dim sum only affects the probability of a buff appearing, not the overall grade.

Qin Huai examined the Guo'er in his hand.

Beautiful shaping, ugly colors.

Like fruits just scooped out of a paint palette.

But at this very moment, this slightly warm Guo'er looked so beautiful in Qin Huai's eyes.

Because it was Grade A!

Qin Huai had never made a dim sum that the system could judge as Grade A; without making one, there was no true reference point. Qin Huai had always guessed that Advanced skills could not produce Grade A dim sum, not even with a breakthrough.

There were very strict barriers between major levels.

In novels, a Golden Core could breakthrough to defeat a Nascent Soul, but here, no matter how much an Advanced skill breakthrough occurred, it could not produce Grade A dim sum.

Now he had made one, with Huang Huang Huang Shengli's enhancement.

This made Qin Huai even more convinced that he needed to brush at least one important skill to Master level before he could make Grade A dim sum.

The ugly Guo'er lay obediently in Qin Huai's palm, not light in weight, a full half-jin, focusing on large portions and satisfying hunger.

Qin Huai knew that Guo'er must be eaten while hot to taste good.

Essentially, this dim sum was a meat-filled pastry disguised with a fruit-shaped dough skin. The outer skin was thick, the inner filling juicy; the dough skin wrapped the meat filling to lock in the juices. If left to cool for just a minute or two after steaming, it might not feel that hot to the touch, but one bite would definitely scald the tongue.

Therefore, coloring it while hot right after steaming, and eating it immediately after coloring, resulted in the most palatable temperature.

Qin Huai knew it might still be a bit hot to eat now, since this was the first one he had brushed out.

But he couldn't wait; he wanted to eat it now. He wanted to taste what his first Grade A dim sum tasted like right now.

Qin Huai moved.

Without any hesitation, he took a huge bite of the freshly colored Guo'er, wrapping up both skin and filling in one mouthful.

Meat juices mixed with the sweet aroma of mashed carrots filled his mouth, scalding Qin Huai until he gasped; he could only hiss and chew simultaneously, savoring carefully while swallowing quickly.

Grade A Guo'er and Grade B Guo'er were simply not the same kind of dim sum!

Qin Huai wasn't saying Grade B Guo'er didn't taste good; he simply felt that Grade B Guo'er hadn't unleashed the true strengths of this dim sum at all.

Everyone who saw the Guo'er recipe knew that the Guo'er filling was standard bun filling.

Qin Huai knew more than others; he knew this dim sum was entirely because Jiang Weiming wasn't very good at making dim sum, so he stubbornly used a savory chef's mindset to invent and create this pastry dim sum.

The meat filling was the highlight of Grade B Guo'er; delicious, juicy, combining freshness, saltiness, sweetness, and fragrance into one, making people unable to stop eating it.

Compared to the meat filling, the Guo'er's shape and skin were merely foils.

But Grade A Guo'er was different; the dough skin of Grade A Guo'er was no longer a foil, it was the filling's best partner. Its texture, its elasticity, its firmness, even the combination of the dough parts soaked in meat juices and those not soaked, were all perfectly matched.

This skin and filling were compatible; this was a very distinctive, delicious dim sum that meat lovers couldn't refuse, combining the sweetness of carrots very well.

Qin Huai realized he seemed to have slightly underestimated Jiang Weiming's culinary skills.

Because he had seen the memories, he subjectively believed Guo'er was just an unusual dim sum where the filling's importance far surpassed the dough skin.

Because he knew Jiang Weiming was actually a savory chef, he naturally assumed Guo'er was a dish where savory techniques far outweighed pastry techniques, that the focus of Guo'er was heat control, the great wok toss, and making the filling well. He had never considered that he thought this way because Jiang Weiming's pastry skill points weren't enough to do better.

Guo'er could be better; when Jiang Weiming was researching this recipe, he was truly treating it as a good method for making dim sum, not carelessly copying and forcing bun filling into fruit-shaped dough.

In this instant, Qin Huai couldn't help but sigh in his heart; Jiang Weiming was truly an amazing chef.

Qin Huai ate silently, unaware that not far away, Qin Luo's eyes were staring straight.

Qin Luo:?!

Why did her brother stop making Guo'er after finishing one and start eating it by himself?

Brother, you weren't like this before!

Before, whenever there was something delicious, the first person you thought of was me; at the very least, we siblings should split it half and half!

Shouldn't you make two, one for you and one for me, so we can eat first?

It's not that Sister is greedy, mainly...

It's...

It's just...

That Guo'er in your hand looks so fragrant.

You are eating so seriously.

It looks much more delicious than what you made before.

Qin Luo: I want to eat too qaq

Unfortunately, Qin Huai didn't hear Qin Luo's inner cry; he was eating a bit too seriously, and as he ate, he even started recalling a female classmate he had a secret crush on in high school.

That girl sat in front of him, was the math representative, and had to collect homework every morning.

Wearing a loose school uniform, with a ponytail, she loved eating his family's buns. She often stuffed money to Qin Huai, begging him to bring her two buns when he went to school in the morning.

Qin Huai agreed, and then more and more people stuffed money to him, even students from neighboring classes came to buy on behalf of others. Later on, Qin Huai's schoolbag couldn't hold so many buns; every morning, Qin Congwen drove a small van to take Qin Huai to school. While others carried one schoolbag to school, Qin Huai carried one schoolbag plus lugged two large bags of buns.

Almost all teachers and students in the school knew Qin Huai, and some students who didn't know the truth even thought he was delivering takeout.

At that time, Qin Huai's school wasn't strict, there weren't many boarding students, the cafeteria didn't really sell breakfast, and teachers wouldn't stop Qin Huai's purchasing behavior because the teachers also wanted to eat Qin Huai's family's buns.

Later, even the vice principal contacted Qin Congwen, asking if Qin Congwen was willing to contract the school cafeteria's breakfast. Qin Congwen, afraid that Qin Huai making breakfast in the school cafeteria every day would be seen by classmates and cause embarrassment, rejected this overwhelming wealth.

After all, the plot popular in idol dramas at that time was that the poor heroine's parents set up a stall selling snacks at the school gate, and classmates would mock the heroine.

By the time Qin Huai recalled that in winter, Qin Congwen would specially prepare large foam boxes to pack breakfast, with Qin Huai carrying one box into the school and Qin Congwen holding another box waiting outside because many parents had also ordered, the Guo'er was finished.

Only then did Qin Huai belatedly realize that he seemed to have triggered the Guo'er's buff.

Tasting the flavor of love.

But what did what he just think of have to do with love? The plot about the girl he secretly liked was only one sentence long; he couldn't even remember her name now. After the arts and sciences split, Qin Huai studied science, while that girl went to study arts.

Qin Huai thought in confusion, could it be that what he truly loved was the days of bringing breakfast to his classmates?

At that time, the Qin family breakfast shop earned quite a lot, and it was tiring; the buns brought to classmates were basically made by Qin Huai waking up early. It could be said he worked from dawn to dusk entirely for his classmates, a classmate friendship that moved heaven and earth.

When Qin Huai drove these messy memories out of his brain and picked up the next Guo'er to continue coloring, he looked up and saw Qin Luo's resentful gaze.

Qin Huai:...

The Grade A Guo'er was so tempting that he had forgotten Did Luo Luo.

Qin Huai hurried to finish the work, coloring them well.

【Apple Noodle Guo'er Grade A】

"Did Luo Luo, you must be hungry, come quickly and eat a Guo'er to tide you over," Qin Huai said affectionately.

Qin Luo immediately put down her crisp cake, jumped up, trotted over to Qin Huai, took the Guo'er, and took a bite.

"Mmm!!!"

Qin Luo was so overwhelmed by the deliciousness that she couldn't speak.

It was also that during this time in Gusu, Qin Luo had seen a lot and eaten quite a few Grade A dishes and dim sum, but she had truly never eaten this. Qin Huai didn't know if the fresh meat mooncakes Zheng Zheng Zheng Siyuan made were Grade A; the dim sum Zheng Da made previously at Yunzhong Canteen might have been Grade A, but it was definitely a perfunctory Grade A, certainly not as good as this.

Not to mention Guo'er also had a buff.

Looking at Qin Luo's expression, Qin Huai knew she had already fallen in love with the Guo'er.

Before Qin Luo could finish recalling and start praising extravagantly, Qin Huai continued coloring. Coloring Guo'er was very simple and fast; soon, two bizarrely ugly Grade A Apple Noodle Guo'er were born.

Qin Huai gave one each to Pei Xing and Li Hua.

Pei Xing and Li Hua had a clear division of labor; one rolled shumai skins, the other wrapped shumai, and in no time, the small basin of filling Qin Huai had made was nearly empty.

The two stopped working and started eating Guo'er.

They all ate without making a sound.

When people are eating truly delicious dim sum, they don't make noises with their mouths; at most, they emit some interjections.

In the quiet kitchen, Guo'er were born one by one from Qin Huai's hands.

The uncles and aunties in the hall had already started queuing.

Qin Huai brushed one, someone took one from outside, ate one, and fell into a blissful silence; exaggerating a bit, not only were their expressions blissful, but there were even some tears in the corners of their eyes, unknown what flavor they had tasted.

When Seeing Seeing Ouyang entered cheerfully, this was the scene he saw.

It was so strange that Seeing Seeing Ouyang almost thought he had walked into the wrong place, almost pulling out his phone to call the police.

But Seeing Seeing Ouyang had already seen what everyone was eating.

Guo'er!

Although he didn't know what had happened, he loved eating this dim sum; meat filling, generous portions, delicious!

Seeing Seeing Ouyang felt he should eat one first before asking about the situation.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang consciously went to the window to get dim sum and happily took a big bite.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang fell silent as well.

He felt like crying.

He felt his nose turning sour.

He desperately wanted to act out a scene from a tragic drama, grabbing Qin Huai by the shoulders and shaking him frantically while demanding to know why.

Why, exactly? Why have you not been at the Clouds Canteen for this entire month?!

Do you have any idea how I've lived through these past forty-plus days? Do you know that since my parents won't give me extra money for snacks, and I have no surplus funds to embezzle, I can neither eat well nor afford much, leaving me strapped for cash?

Why did you let me grow accustomed to having delicious snacks every day, only to vanish without returning, and now that you're back, you make such incredibly tasty treats?

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo, Qin Huai, my good brother, don't leave; your bro misses you.

I really miss you; I miss you so much every day that tears stream down from the corners of my mouth.

With tears streaming down his face in his heart, Seeing Seeing Ouyang finished eating the Guo'er, only to discover there was still one left; he nearly wept with joy, immediately changed clothes, entered the kitchen, and sat there eating.

Because he had discovered there were also flaky pastries in the kitchen.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang and Qin Luo dragged over small stools and sat beside the steamer baskets eating the flaky pastries.

Qin Huai:...

Wait, is this really necessary for you two?

These Crab Roe Shumai have only just entered the steamer; they aren't going to grow wings and fly away.

Besides, you two just ate two Guo'er, weighing nearly half a jin each, and adding the flaky pastries used to fill the gaps, you've already got at least half a jin of snacks down your hatch; do you still have room to wait for the Crab Roe Shumai?

Are you two even human? You must be reincarnations of the Taotie.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang and Qin Luo indicated that Qin Huai simply didn't understand; in this moment and under these circumstances, sitting by the steamer eating shumai was their way of showing the greatest respect for Qin Huai's return.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang gnawed on a flaky pastry.

"Qin Huai, now that you're back, when will Master Xiao Zheng return?" Seeing Seeing Ouyang asked while gnawing his pastry.

Qin Huai was examining the walnut cookies made by Pei Xing.

Qin Huai felt that Pei Xing's craftsmanship was indeed quite good; as a professionally trained chef, his foundational skills were extremely solid, and when making the oil-based pastries and flaky crust snacks he excelled at, there was nothing to criticize—they were absolutely far superior to what most pastry shops on the market sold.

During the days he was away, the residents around the Clouds Canteen hadn't been eating all that poorly, after all.

Staring at the walnut cookies without looking up, Qin Huai said, "The last time Zheng Zheng Zheng Siyuan came over was because his pastry shop was under renovation and he had nothing to do, so he came to exchange ideas; once he went back, he wouldn't be coming here anymore."

"Now that the renovation of his pastry shop is nearly complete, estimated to finish in another half-month plus a month for airing out... he should be working with me at the Huang Family Restaurant until the New Year."

"I'm not clear on whether he'll be at the Huang Family Restaurant during the New Year period; by then, Master Huang's waist should have mostly healed. Since the Huang Family Restaurant will be too busy during the New Year, I estimate Zheng Zheng Zheng Siyuan will return to his pastry shop."

Seeing Seeing Ouyang hadn't actually understood much of what Qin Huai said, but he had caught the keywords.

Working together at the Huang Family Restaurant until the New Year.

The New Year!

"The New Year??? You're going to Gusu again?!" Seeing Seeing Ouyang was so shocked his voice cracked.

"Yes, I haven't finished this study and exchange session yet." Qin Huai nodded, expressing approval for Pei Xing's walnut cookies, then turned to look at Li Hua.

"I originally went to Gusu this time to practice heat control, but due to some unexpected circumstances, I didn't practice heat control much; instead, I spent over a month practicing filling preparation."

"Now my skills in preparing fillings and kneading dough have improved greatly; you should have been able to tell from the Guo'er you just ate that my level has advanced considerably. Once the Crab Roe Shumai comes out of the steamer shortly, you'll know exactly what I've been practicing; this shumai contains fresh shrimp, crab meat, and crab roe, all your favorites, so you'll definitely love it."

"I've come back this time to take my two months of accumulated leave together; counting today, I have six days off total, and I must return on the 23rd."

"Did Luo Luo, when does your winter break start?"

"January 19th." Qin Luo answered instantly; she remembered all her holiday dates by heart.

Qin Huai nodded: "Later I'll discuss it with Mom and Dad; once your winter break starts, you'll go to Gusu. The house I've rented happens to have two rooms, so you can stay in the secondary bedroom."

"I've contacted several tutoring teachers for you; during winter break, we'll focus heavily on supplementary lessons, eat all three meals at the Huang Family Restaurant, and return to our hometown together before the New Year."

"Yay! Does that mean I can eat the dishes from the photos you sent me, brother? I can do it!" Qin Luo automatically ignored the part about contacting several teachers for tutoring.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.

He could only sorrowfully eat his flaky pastry while pondering whether he could request a long leave from Sister Hong for his winter break and ask his parents to approve a budget so he could go to Gusu as well.

Why hadn't he thought of it before that if Qin Huai wasn't in Shan City, he didn't have to be in Shan City either?

He was a second-generation rich kid, after all!

Although this particular second-generation rich kid didn't have a single cent to his name right now, he could get money.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang began pondering how to convince his parents to let him go to Gusu to eat for a while.

The Crab Roe Shumai was cooked.

Qin Huai lifted the lid, and Qin Luo swiftly picked up the shumai from the side, attempting to snatch one to eat first, only to be stopped on the spot by Qin Huai.

Freshly steamed Crab Roe Shumai was far hotter than the Four-Joy Dumplings; even if Qin Luo had an iron stomach and an iron tongue, she couldn't eat it like that.

After blowing on it to cool for a moment, Qin Luo impatiently stuffed the entire shumai into her mouth in one bite!

"Delicious! Brother, this shumai you made is delicious; I love crab roe again!"

Qin Huai could now see clearly that the Crab Roe Shumai wasn't as delicious as the Guo'er, since one could actually speak while eating the shumai.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang was eating as well.

He ate without saying a word, his eyes rimmed with red.

Qin Huai glanced at him: "Did the steam get to you? I told you not to stand right by the steamer; stand a bit farther away."

Sniffing, Seeing Seeing Ouyang moved a bit farther away; just thinking that such delicious snacks would be gone after a few more days made tears almost fall from his eyes.

Seeing Seeing Ouyang made his decision.

Last time he lost 6.6 million in his startup venture, and his parents hadn't beaten him to death.

This time, even if his parents beat him to death, he was going to follow Qin Huai to Gusu!

He was determined to eat his fill!

(End of Chapter)