The next day.

Qiao Xin went to the restaurant with excitement and anxiety.

When she arrived, Ji Huai and Ji's mother were already busy. Seeing her coming, Ji's mother was surprised.

"Yunhao is sick. My aunt and uncle were afraid that you would be too busy, so they asked me to help." Qiao Xin explained, forcing an unnatural smile.

She was very nervous, her eyebrows lowered, and she didn't dare to look at Ji Huai's side.

"I'm so sorry. Is he seriously ill? We don't know about this either. If you hadn't come, we wouldn't have been able to finish the work. Thank you." Ji's mother said quickly.

The ingredients are already prepared, but without helpers, they would be busy.

Qiao Xin's expression relaxed and she said softly, "He's okay. It's not serious. He just needs to rest for a while. What can I do? You're welcome, just give me your order. I work in the inn and do everything."

Although Mrs. Yun would protect her, she had to work hard to live under someone else's roof. She had been doing laundry and cooking since she was a child, and had been busy working in the inn. She could work as a waiter, but she had never been paid.

In fact, Mr. He is not at a disadvantage at all, but she has no choice but to live like this. She just hopes to marry a good husband and leave this family in the future.

"Then let's light a fire." Ji Huai turned his head and said.

"Okay." Qiao Xin stood up to hold hay, sat in front of the stove, and quickly started to light the fire.

Ji's mother is kneading the dough, and Ji Huai is making the stuffing. He is skilled in gestures and can make a bun in a few clicks. All of them have pointed toes, round bellies, and the same size.

One cage after another.

When Ji's mother went out to make dough, Qiao Xin took over the job of kneading the dough. She kneaded it carefully and hard, very seriously.

"Use less force, or you won't be able to lift your arm tomorrow." His voice sounded in her ears, mellow and clear. She heard it very clearly, and she blushed quietly.

"Hmm." She whispered in response, and kept moving her hands.

"Have you had breakfast?" he asked again.

"I'm not hungry." Qiao Xin answered without raising her head.

When she was at the inn, her breakfast was usually a bowl of plain porridge. The chef was very kind to her, but Xu felt sorry for her and would often cook her an egg secretly and let her take it back to her room to eat.

Ji Huai nodded and turned around to continue making stuffing.

As soon as it gets bright and there are more people on the street, there are people lining up in front of Ji's house.

Qiao Xin wanted to work more, kneaded the dough, and when Ji Huai finished chopping the stuffing, she went to help him put the stuffing in the flour, and he kneaded it, because she couldn't knead it into this shape.

It was her first time doing this job, and she was very unfamiliar. She was afraid that too much stuffing would lead to high costs, and that if there was too little stuffing, the customers would be dissatisfied, so she always had to take a second look.

Ji Huai squeezed it quickly, and she hurriedly handed it to him, accidentally touching his hand.

In an instant, the place where she was touched suddenly felt hot, and she was at a loss for what to do.

"Don't be anxious, just watch and feel it." Ji Huai looked calm, took it from her hand, and gently touched her palm with his fingertips, but as if he didn't notice, he continued to wrap it, and said, "You too

You can learn, like this, practice a few times, practice makes perfect."

He slowed down and started pinching.

Qiao Xin took her hands back and clasped them tightly, her palms seemed to have been tickled by feathers, still retaining his warmth. She didn't pay attention to what he said, but nodded obediently like a chicken pecking at rice, "Okay, okay."

Ji Huai looked at her blankly, with a very shallow arc at the corner of his mouth.

She tried making one, but it was too ugly and she didn't dare to waste it anymore, so she filled it for him obediently.

After she finished, she said, "Brother Huai, I went to fetch water, but there is no water in the tank."

Yunhao said that his daily job is to make fire, fetch water and knead dough.

"No, that's enough." Ji Huai stopped him.

"...Okay." She put down the barrel and stood aside not knowing what to do.

"Knead some dough, just a spoonful of flour." Ji Huai walked to the stove.

"Yeah." Qiao Xin moved her hands.

His voice still rings in my ears from time to time:

"Add salt to improve the gluten, add some water, beat the dough...and beat it again, but it's not enough."

"Just beat it into the shape of your hand now and start kicking it."

"Knead into a ball."

...

Qiao Xin worked diligently as he said. When the dough was kneaded, he said again, "Bring the cloth over, soak it in water, and cover it."

She took the white cloth on one side, covered it carefully, and looked up at him.

Ji Huai turned his back to her and started peeling shrimp shells.

She was a little greedy and looked at him a few more times. His back was as straight as a black bamboo. His slender fingers placed the peeled shrimp on the chopping board and began to chop it. After a while, he opened his thin lips and said, "Help me put the shrimp on the table."

Bring the meat."

There is a large piece of pork meat on the table, which is the hind leg part.

After Qiao Xin took it over, he only took the fat on top, chopped it to the end, and smashed it with the back of the knife. When it got fluffy, he stopped and put it together with the chopped shrimp meat.

Then, pour the juice from onion, ginger, garlic and various spices into it, add corn flour and two egg whites, and start kneading until the filling becomes very elastic.

She didn't dare to look at it at first, after all, Ji Huai didn't even teach Yunhao, but he didn't seem to say anything or cover up, so she became more and more bold.

Apart from not knowing what proportions to use, she also knows the general ingredients.

During this period, he turned his head to look at her and said softly, "Make the dough into the size of a dumpling wrapper. The thinner the better, only eight pieces, and then sprinkle with a layer of corn flour."

Qiao Xin nodded, brought the dough from the table over and started kneading it.

Ji Huai put oil in the pot, felt the temperature of the oil, took the dough she had kneaded, added the filling into it, and pinched it with her fingers to make a semicircle.

Fry them in the pan, one after another.

Eight dough sheets are enough to fill up the filling, no more, no less.

They were floating in the pot, and Ji Huai stirred them a few times. Qiao Xin found them strange and fragrant, and couldn't help but stand aside and watch.

After frying until golden brown, remove from the pan and place on a plate.

When it was brought to the table, Ji Huai looked at her and said, "Try it."

"Should I taste it?" Qiao Xin was surprised, and her first reaction was to shake her head.

These are all made with shrimps, or large shrimps, which are rare. She has never eaten large shrimps, and she has never seen anyone selling them. I heard that only fresh shrimps are used in cooking by wealthy families.

Ji Huai said again: "The shrimps delivered yesterday are too big and are not suitable for making shrimp paste. They can only be kept for eating. Try the new dishes."

She hesitated for a while, and then refused to give face. She thanked her and carefully picked up a piece.

The dough is fried to a golden brown, and when you bite into it, it's crispy and crispy, and the shrimps are tender and delicious. You can't bear to finish the piece in your hand.

"It's delicious." She narrowed her eyes, thinking that Ji Huai had developed a new pastry and she was happy for him. "This will definitely be a big seller."

Ji Huai answered: "Fresh prawns are hard to find. They taste bad when they are dead. It's okay to eat them occasionally, but they can't be sold. If they are delicious, eat them all and use them as breakfast."

Before she finished speaking, Qiao Xin froze and hurriedly refused, "Just one taste is enough for you and your aunt."

"We don't like shrimps, and my mother won't even eat them. You've worked hard today, so let's treat it as a reward. Eat it quickly and don't waste it." Ji Huai covered the pot, spoke gently, and smiled at her.

Laughed.

Qiao Xin was stunned. Wisps of warmth seemed to penetrate into her heart through the cracks. Her heart moved slightly and ripples appeared in her eyes.

The last time she felt this way was when he bought her candied haws. Although it was just by the way and he was actually buying it for Yun Shiqiao, she was still very happy.

Seeing him cleaning the stove, she wanted to get up and help him clean it again. He was the first to stop her, "Just eat well. When you're done eating, just wash the dishes. There's mung bean soup in the pot. Drink some after you finish it."

, so as not to get angry.”

"Thank you, Brother Huai." Qiao Xin was forced to sit down, biting her cherry red lips, staring at his slender and tall figure with watery eyes, feeling uneasy and hesitant, but the excitement in her heart could not be contained.

"You're welcome." Ji Huai took the bucket and went outside to carry water.

She didn't dare to finish the meal, and only dared to continue eating after his urging. After eating so many shrimps, she felt guilty in her heart. If no one ate them, they could sell them on the street, and they would definitely be robbed, and it would be a waste for her to eat them.

.

It turns out that fresh shrimp tastes like this. It’s really delicious, fresh, tender and smooth, not greasy at all. It’s the best dim sum she’s ever tasted. It’s better than the Heshanzhai’s signature shortbread cake that Yun Shiqiao often clamored to buy.

A hundred times more delicious.

Ji Mu finished selling the buns and began to close the stall.

She also went back to buy meat and vegetables, and even bought some more, leaving Qiao Xin to eat here. In the past, Yunhao would finish his meal here before going back.

Seeing that Ji Huai was about to cook, she wanted to rush to cook, but Ji's mother stopped her and said, "Let him come. Every day he has to study some new dishes and practice his skills."

"But don't worry, it just doesn't look good at most, but it tastes good."

Qiao Xin chatted with Ji's mother in the courtyard. Listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen, she was a little absent-minded, but she was able to hide her emotions after growing up living under someone else's roof.

Compared to Yun Shiqiao, Qiao Xin is the type that her mother-in-law would like, as she is nimble, not squeamish and not showy.

She doesn't have makeup, but she looks good. If you take a closer look, you can see that her facial features are still good, but she is a little thinner. She is not dark, but she is malnourished and a bit yellowish, and her skin is still very delicate and smooth.
To be continued...