The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 504 Stuff it into his mouth! (Thanks to Han Fengqing for the patronage reward!)
Zhao Cheng'an pulled Wang Gensheng away, leaving the stage to the remaining spirits.

Seeing that the rest were all his own people, Luo Jun stopped pretending.

Luo Jun wasn't stupid. Seeing Qin Huai rushing to the kitchen to make desserts, and with such a clumsy excuse that it was obvious he hadn't put his heart into it, he guessed that Gong Liang would definitely wake up today.

Gong Liang will wake up soon, so there's no need to pretend.

Luo Jun turned around and stared at Gong Liang, his face clearly saying, "You're dead as soon as the coconut mooncakes come out of the oven."

Gong Liang: ...

Seeing such a lively scene, Chen Huihong immediately stopped watching the TV series, picked up her melon seeds, sat back down at the dining table, and watched intently with piercing eyes.

Luo Jun glared at Chen Huihong again, his eyes saying: Don't worry, after Gong Liang dies, you'll be next!

Chen Huihong opened her innocent big eyes to show that she wasn't afraid, since you can't breathe fire now anyway.

Seeing this, Qu Jing felt she should apologize again, and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Luo, I didn't know you had arranged all this so carefully today. I haven't been checking the group chat these past few days. I'm so sorry, I really feel bad for wasting your acting skills. If there's another opportunity like this next time, I will definitely check the group chat carefully and cooperate with you in time. I will never do such a thing again."

"There will be a next time?!" Luo Jun's anger was reignited.

Qu Jing looked bewildered: "Isn't there a next time? But Youyou and Grandpa Wang haven't woken up yet, have they?"

Gong Liang: ?
Gong Liang realized that this group of people was really strange. He had been a salesman for so many years and had seen all sorts of odd people, but this was the first time he had encountered a situation where he could understand each word individually, but couldn't understand them when they were put together.

Are they still speaking Chinese?
The spirits in the living room have already let loose, while Qin Huai in the kitchen is diligently making coconut mooncakes.

After kneading the dough for coconut mooncakes, it needs to be wrapped in plastic wrap and rested for two hours. The dough for the coconut mooncakes Qin Huai made today was prepared in advance at the Yunzhong Canteen this morning. Because a little too much was prepared, there were still quite a few left over when baking the first batch of mooncakes in the afternoon. Since there were already some, there was no need to make them again, nor was there any need to find an excuse to make Gong Liang stay for more than two hours.

The only regret is that I made this pie crust before watching the video tutorial.

The only slightly different technique Qin Huai noticed when watching the video tutorial was the dough for the coconut mooncake. Since coconut mooncakes are sweet mooncakes, the key to sweet mooncakes is sweetness from the outside in without being cloying, so the dough also needs to be sweet.

Add syrup while kneading the dough.

Oil is also indispensable.

Qin Huai uses peanut oil, and Master Jing in the video tutorial also uses peanut oil, only the syrup is slightly different. Master Jing's syrup is of slightly lower quality than Qin Huai's. This is understandable, as it's a matter of time. In terms of the freshness of ingredients, the last century might have been better than this century, but for ingredients like syrup that involve some industrial processes, the current ones are definitely better.

Master Jing's kneading technique is gentler.

He truly mastered the technique and skill, kneading the syrup and oil little by little into the dough. This makes the crust softer after baking and setting, without being too oily or too sweet, making it an excellent crust for sweet mooncakes.

Since Qin Huai couldn't improve the crust, she could only focus her efforts on the filling.

The filling of coconut mooncakes requires careful attention to seasoning.

Its filling is pure coconut filling, with no other ingredients besides coconut milk, butter, sugar and eggs. When you eat it, you can't taste a rich texture or many layers, but you can taste the purest coconut aroma.

The filling is also very easy to make. First, put all the ingredients except the shredded coconut into a pot and melt and stir over low heat. Then, pour in the shredded coconut and stir-fry until fragrant and fluffy, and the filling is just the right consistency.

The entire stir-frying process doesn't require high heat control, making it a level of difficulty that even beginners can try.

In making the filling, seasoning is the most difficult part.

The crust of coconut mooncakes is sweet, and so is the filling. The biggest challenge in making coconut mooncakes is to differentiate and create layers of sweetness between the two, so that they complement each other perfectly, achieving a truly sweet but not cloying flavor with a lingering fragrance, while also allowing you to taste the deliciousness of the sweet coconut flakes.

How to overcome this difficulty is clearly explained in the video tutorial.

Of course, Qinhuai itself can be conquered.

His previous coconut mooncakes were also at a B+ level. When pastries reach this level, there's no chance of a disaster, and you can't find any problems. You can only say that there are still areas for improvement.

Qin Huai stir-fried the coconut flakes.

Because Zhao Cheng'an didn't close the kitchen door properly when he left, the aroma of coconut flakes wafted out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Chen Huihong, who was closest to the kitchen, was the first to smell the aroma: "Is Xiao Qin frying coconut flakes? It smells really good. I didn't find the coconut flakes in the coconut mooncake I just ate to be this fragrant."

Gong Liang, who has a keen eye for coconut snacks, explained: "Coconut is like this: when it's being stir-fried, it smells delicious, but the taste is probably just average. It's like instant noodles; it smells amazing."

"Of course, it tastes best when eaten hot."

Chen Huihong suddenly realized and asked, "Gong Liang, can you withstand a fever?"

Gong Liang: "Huh?"

"It's nothing, I'm just curious. You don't have to answer me now, you can answer me later."

Luo Jun's gloomy voice came from across the room from Chen Huihong: "You think you can take a fever?"

“I certainly can’t withstand a high fever, but I’m not afraid now. You’re about to die, so what am I afraid of? I’ll only be afraid when you’re alive,” Chen Huihong said confidently.

Gong Liang: ?
Gong Liang now suspects that the people present are not mentally sound, especially Chen Huihong.

Luo Jun might have a bit of a performative personality and a bad temper, but Chen Huihong is genuinely ill.

In the kitchen, Qin Huai had already finished frying the coconut filling.

Qin Huai waited quietly for the coconut filling to cool before wrapping the mooncakes. She made one, preheated the oven, and set the timer for 5 minutes.

There are 5 minutes left until Gong Liang wakes up!
Thinking about it this way, I'm actually a little excited.

Qin Huai excitedly pushed open the kitchen door to see what was happening outside. He found Luo Jun already sharpening his knife, Chen Huihong excitedly eating melon, Chen Gong deep in thought, Shi Dadan silently eating fruit, Qu Jing looking down guiltily, probably thinking about how to write an apology letter, and Gong Liang looking puzzled yet seemingly deep in thought.

Very good, very energetic.

"Are the mooncakes ready?" Luo Jun asked.

"Five more minutes," Qin Huai said with a smile. "This mooncake should be eaten while it's hot, while it's hot."

Luo Jun understood.

Luo Jun looked at Gong Liang.

Gong Liang: ?
There are still 4 minutes until Gong Liang wakes up.

"Mr. Gong, you burned yourself eating a scalding hot mooncake last time. How long did it take before you were able to eat normally again?" Qin Huai asked curiously.

"The last time I burned myself on a mooncake was many years ago. I remember it took me two or three days to recover. During those days, everything tasted strange, with an odd texture and bland flavor." Gong Liang thought seriously for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Qin, how did you know I burned myself on a mooncake before? Did I tell you? I don't remember telling you. Did Zheng Da tell you? He told you all this?"

Qin Huai then asked, "Were there any aftereffects after you were burned that time?"

"What kind of aftereffects can there be from burning your mouth while eating? You don't even need to apply any medicine; it will be fine in a couple of days."

Qin Huai was finally relieved.

There are three minutes left before Gong Liang wakes up.

Qin Huai suddenly remembered that the mooncakes were about to be baked, but there were still some important props that hadn't arrived, so he quickly asked Luo Jun, "Mr. Luo, do you have any ice in your refrigerator?"

“That little compartment in the middle is for making ice, it’s in there. Chen Huihong comes to my house every day in the summer to fill two buckets of ice and leave. Can’t we get a new refrigerator?” Luo Jun said, rolling his eyes at Chen Huihong.

“That won’t do.” Chen Huihong said, though her argument was unconvincing.

Qin Huai rarely used Luo Jun's refrigerator; Zhang Shumei would always prepare the ingredients for his desserts in advance. Following Luo Jun's instructions, Qin Huai found the ice cubes in the small compartment in the middle, scooped out a full glass of ice, prepared the ice water in advance, and then, after thinking for a moment, took out an empty bowl and placed it in front of Gong Liang.

Gong Liang: ? ? ?
There was still one and a half minutes before Gong Liang woke up.

"This is..." Gong Liang was truly dumbfounded. He no longer thought that everyone present was out of their minds; he now suspected that the others were plotting against him.

"Prepare in advance, just in case," Qin Huai said with a smile.

Gong Liang was certain that everyone was plotting to kill him. But Gong Liang couldn't understand why Luo Jun was the richest person present. Given Luo Jun's age, he was clearly the more suitable person to be murdered. Why not kill Luo Jun instead of him?

There are 30 seconds left before Gong Liang wakes up.

Luo Jun now fully understood the reason why Gong Liang woke up, and began to move his hands.

Gong Liang wanted to find an excuse to leave, but just as he was about to get up, Chen Gong grabbed him from behind.

Gong Liang: ! Help!!!

There are three seconds left before Gong Liang wakes up.

"Ding."

As the oven dinged, Qin Huai deftly put on gloves, opened the oven, took out the only mooncake inside, plated it, and served it.

The mooncake was piping hot, even hotter than the one Gong Liang remembered eating.

At least Gong Liang could still pick up that mooncake with his hands.

Luo Jun was already trying to snatch the plate from Qin Huai and stuff the mooncake into Gong Liang's mouth.

"Mr. Luo, please don't rush. This mooncake is indeed a bit too hot. Let it cool down for a minute. A minute won't make a difference," Qin Huai advised.

It was rare for Luo Jun to seek revenge on the spot, so he patiently nodded and sat there staring at the mooncakes.

Gong Liang: !!! They're trying to scald me to death with mooncakes! Help!!!

There are 10 seconds left before Gong Liang wakes up.

Qin Huai quietly touched the mooncake and felt that the crust was no longer so hot, but if he took a bite, it would probably still be so hot that it would burn his tongue.

Qin Huai nodded to Luo Jun.

Luo Jun picked up the mooncake.

Gong Liang tried to struggle.

Chen Gong swiftly pressed down on Gong Liang's left shoulder, while Shi Dadan, as if on cue, pressed down on Gong Liang's right shoulder. The two of them firmly pressed Gong Liang into the chair, and Gong Liang could only open his mouth to try to call for help.

"Master Qin, what's going on? This mooncake is so hot, how can you eat it now? I have no grudge against you, and this is my first time attending a tea party. It's not like this..."

"Enough with the nonsense, just eat yours!" Luo Jun swiftly and decisively stuffed the mooncake into Gong Liang's mouth.

Qin Huai handed over the plate at the right moment and said, "Mr. Gong, if you feel it's too hot, you can chew it a couple of times and then spit it out. I know you might not understand now, but that's okay. It will only take 30 seconds at most. After 30 seconds, you'll understand everything. We really want what's best for you."

Gong Liang now suspects that Qin Huai poisoned the mooncakes. The person who instructed Qin Huai to do this was his biggest competitor, Mr. Liu, who runs another silk business in Suzhou. He is indeed a vicious businessman.

Gong Liang subconsciously took a bite, then spat out the mooncake from his mouth.

"Hot hot hot hot hot".

Gong Liang performed a crosstalk routine using his tongue.

It's hard to tell whether this was a genuine expression of emotion or an impromptu performance, given that Gong Liang's acting skills are already superb.

The next second, Gong Liang fell silent.

He seemed to have been frozen in time, his eyes glazed over. His mouth remained slightly open, frozen in that position. If this were an act of time standing still, it would be Oscar-worthy acting.

As everyone knows, Gong Liang has woken up.

Chen Gong and Shi Dadan immediately let go. Shi Dadan continued eating fruit, glanced at the half-eaten coconut mooncake on the plate, and asked, "Qin Huai, did you only make this one mooncake?"

"I was in a hurry, so I only made this one. But there are still some dough and fillings in the kitchen. If you want some, Lao Shi, I'll bake a few more for you later."

Shi Dadan nodded, somewhat disappointed: "I thought you would make more, at least one for me."

Qin Huai: ...What's with this inexplicable feeling of guilt?

Gong Liang was still in a daze, while Chen Huihong had already started eating sunflower seeds. Luo Jun was a little disappointed, probably because he felt that he had only eaten a few and it wasn't enough. He then started thinking about how to curse people later.

Everyone else, including Qin Huai, waited quietly for Gong Liang to wake up.

Finally, after a long five-minute wait, Gong Liang moved.

His vision cleared first, and then he began—

"Hot, hot, hot, hot!"

Okay, that was just a genuine expression of my feelings.

Gong Liang gasped for air, and Qin Huai quickly handed him the ice water. Gong Liang gulped down most of the glass of water in a few big gulps, leaving the last sip in his mouth.

Qin Huai took the cup and poured Gong Liang another glass of ice water. Gong Liang repeated the above actions before staring at Qin Huai with a shocked and puzzled expression.

Gong Liang wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was very clever. Although he was somewhat confused about the situation, he immediately realized that Qin Huai was the main character and the one who woke him up, while the other spirits were just watching the show.

Gong Liang stared at Qin Huai for a long time, slowly swallowed the water in his mouth, and said somewhat vaguely, "Does it have to be this way?"

"Does one have to eat such a hot mooncake to wake up? Is this how everyone wakes up?"

Qin Huai sighed inwardly, thinking how worthy the E's Beast was, managing to sort out the situation in such a short time and determine that the awakening of the other spirits was also due to his help.

"No, it's just that Mr. Gong's request upon waking up was rather special; he insisted on eating the coconut mooncakes while they were still hot."

"When I was looking at your memories just now, I saw that you were burned by a coconut mooncake, so I figured that coconut mooncakes are probably meant to be eaten hot. If you're going to eat it hot, you should at least make it hot from the start. What if the temperature isn't high enough, and you end up burning your tongue and failing? We can't really drag you upstairs and force a coconut mooncake into your mouth, can we? That would be like kidnapping or confinement!"

Upon hearing Qin Huai's words, Luo Jun revealed a hint of regret, clearly blaming Qin Huai for not using such a good method.

Qin Huai: ...

Just how much do you want E's beast to die? E's beast doesn't deserve this much.

Gong Liang: "...Alright then, what did the others eat?"

"I ate rice cake soup, the really bad kind," Qu Jing was the first to answer, which comforted Gong Liang somewhat.

"The longevity noodles I ate were the chicken soup noodles that Xiao Qin usually makes," Chen Huihong said.

"I think I woke up by eating Four Happiness Tangyuan," Chen Gong said, not entirely sure.

"I woke up on my own, without eating anything," Shi Dadan said with a simple and honest smile.

"Zhao Cheng'an ate potato dumplings." Since Zhao Cheng'an hadn't returned, Qin Huai said it for him.

Only Luo Jun is left.

Luo Jun coldly replied, "This is my first reincarnation. I was about to fail and reincarnate, but I didn't succeed."

Gong Liang immediately said, "That's not good, Mr. Luo. You need to hurry. Everyone else here is awake except you. You're falling behind."

Luo Jun: ...

Looking at the mooncakes on the table, Luo Jun asked, "Can I put this back in his mouth?"

The Broken Beast, it can't speak human language now that it's awake, but it was quite talkative when it was still asleep.

(End of this chapter)