A Maid's Survival Story in a Noble Family Mansion? Rich Landlords Are More Appealing.

Lin Wei's smile widened after receiving the affirmation, but then it drooped a little: "It's just that those salty and savory flavors, sweet and sour jam fillings that you mentioned before are really difficult to make."

I tried making savory ham and pine nut pastries a few times, but they either tasted strange or became soggy and not crispy.

Not to mention jam. At this time of year, apart from some dried dates and apricots that have been stored, what fruits on the market are fresh, sweet and sour?

I also tried making jam with dried fruit, but it was either too sweet or lacked fruit flavor. The chef said that if there's more fruit in the summer, maybe we can try again.

Chen Wanxing was not too disappointed after hearing this.

She had long anticipated that innovation in flavor would be limited by the ingredients available in this era, preservation conditions, and the chef's established mindset, making it by no means an easy task.

In fact, having a unique "fragrant cake" is already a pleasant surprise.

She even considered whether she could directly introduce some Western dessert ideas, such as egg tarts and cream puffs.

But she quickly rejected the idea herself; putting everything else aside, the milk alone ruled out most possibilities.

Milk is no longer a readily available and stable food ingredient, let alone suitable processing techniques such as pasteurization to ensure the safety and taste of pastries.

She understood the saying, "Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice."

"It's alright." Chen Wanxing put down the bamboo skewer, her tone calm and firm. "It's already very good that we've achieved this much. Our pastries are delicious and just as good as any other restaurant's."

Its unique and distinctive shape, along with its refreshing aroma, is already quite appealing.

Running a shop and doing business doesn't require everything to be groundbreaking. Having just one or two things that people remember and find unique is half the battle won.

Looking at the adorable and exquisitely patterned pastries in the food box, she continued, "Besides, the two pastries we presented earlier have generated so much buzz and whetted everyone's appetite."

When we open tomorrow, people will flock in, and the first thing they'll see will be these strange and unusual sights they've never seen before. That novelty will keep them entertained for a while.

As long as the taste is decent, making people feel it's worth the price, or even more, the word-of-mouth will naturally build up over time.

Hearing these words, Lin Wei's initial unease dissipated, and she was filled with confidence once again.

"Sister is right. I was thinking the wrong way. I always wanted everything to be perfect. We've already done so much better than the others. Tomorrow, we'll make Qiaoxinzhai a huge success."

The two carefully checked the procedures for tomorrow's opening, the staff arrangements, and possible situations until the sun was setting and the shadows of the trees in the courtyard were stretched long.

Lin Wei, having cleared up her last remaining doubts, breathed a satisfied sigh of relief and began packing up the large food box. Suddenly remembering something, she turned and tugged at Chen Wanxing's sleeve, her eyes sparkling with anticipation:

"Sister, Qiaoxinzhai is opening tomorrow, will you come?" she asked eagerly. "This is the first time our shop will be open to the public, and my parents might also come to take a look."

"Sister, you're my pillar of strength. I only feel at ease when you're here. Besides, you should see for yourself all the hard work we've put in these past few days, displayed in the shop, being picked out by customers. That feeling is definitely different."

Seeing the expectant look in Lin Wei's eyes, Chen Wanxing's eyes also lit up with a happy smile, "Okay."

She nodded, her voice gentle yet clear, "I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning. Of course I have to be there on such an important day."

Only after receiving confirmation did Lin Wei, filled with anticipation and high spirits, bid farewell and return to the city to make final preparations.

Tomorrow, Qiaoxinzhai will officially take center stage in Ruyang County. She has done everything she can to sow the seeds and create the conditions.

The rest is up to the market, to the customers, and to time.

After seeing Lin Wei off, Chen Wanxing stood alone in the evening breeze. She looked up at the last rays of brilliant sunset on the horizon and gently exhaled.

The third day of the third lunar month is an auspicious day for opening businesses and bringing in wealth. Qiaoxinzhai Dim Sum Shop officially opened for business.

Chen Wanxing did not go alone today; she was accompanied by the overjoyed Chen Qinghui.

The little girl was seeing such a scene for the first time, and she even changed into the fine cloth dress that she only wore during the New Year. Her hair was neatly combed, and her little face was full of excitement and curiosity.

Today, Chen Wanxing unusually chose a bright red dress, carefully styled her hair, and picked out a hollowed-out gilded water lily hairpin with long tassels. She still wore the warm and lustrous yellow jade bracelet on her wrist.

When their carriage arrived, it was still early. The brand-new black signboard with gold lacquer had already been hung up, and the red silk that had covered it a few days ago had been taken down. The three elegant characters of Qiaoxinzhai shone brightly in the morning light.

The shop door was wide open, and the shopkeeper, dressed in a brand-new indigo blue fine cloth gown with his hair neatly combed, was with two equally neatly dressed and spirited employees, hanging the last few strings of red firecrackers on the bamboo pole in front of the door.

Instead of going directly into the shop, they went around to the back street and entered the backyard through the back door. Lin Wei and her parents had already arrived and were drinking tea at the stone table in the yard.

Lin Wei was also dressed brightly and dazzlingly today. The two of them did not discuss it, but both chose red clothes. She wore an apricot-red satin dress and sat next to her parents, looking like a pampered young lady.

However, the way her eyes kept glancing towards her shop door betrayed her inner turmoil.

Lin Zhenye wore a deep purple silk robe, his face was calm, and his gaze occasionally swept over the facade of Qiaoxinzhai and the gradually gathering crowd. His expression showed no emotion.

Lin's mother, with a gentle smile on her face, held her daughter's arm and whispered something to Lin Wei.

Seeing Chen Wanxing approach, Lin Wei's eyes lit up. She quickly waved and introduced her to her father, "Dad, this is Sister Wanxing. Sister, this is my dad."

Chen Wanxing stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Wanxing greets Master Lin and Madam Lin."

Lin Zhenye's gaze lingered on Chen Wanxing for a moment, his eyes flickered, and he nodded politely: "Greetings, Miss Chen."

Lin's mother smiled and offered a helping hand, her attitude quite kind.

Seeing this, Chen Qinghui followed her sister's example and obediently stepped forward to bow. She received a compliment from Madam Li, who said, "What a clever girl!" Her face flushed slightly, and she stood quietly behind Chen Wanxing, but couldn't help craning her neck to look into the crowd.

When the auspicious hour arrived, Manager Wang lit firecrackers. Amidst the deafening noise and billowing smoke, Qiaoxinzhai officially opened its doors to welcome guests.

Looking at the bustling crowd in front of the shop, Lin's father suddenly turned to Chen Wanxing, who was standing quietly, and said, "Miss Chen, Wei'er's shop opening seems more lively than expected."

"I've heard that many of the ingenious ideas in this work came from the young lady?"

Chen Wanxing bowed slightly and said humbly, "Master Lin, you flatter me. I was just chatting with Sister Wei'er and came up with some random ideas."

The actual implementation was all thanks to the effective management of Sister Wei'er and the shopkeeper.

Lin Zhenye remained noncommittal, his gaze returning to the endless stream of people at the shop entrance. "Wei'er only told me earlier that she had a new method, but she didn't go into details."

Seeing her today, I finally understand what this novel idea she was talking about really is. No wonder Wei'er dared to boast to me the other day that your shop would definitely succeed.”

He paused, looked directly at Chen Wanxing, his eyes filled with approval, "Miss Chen's methods are interconnected, seemingly simple, yet very precise."

And these novel styles! Wei'er always says at home that Miss Chen is clever, and seeing her today, it's truly true.

"Master Lin is too kind. Sister Wei'er is determined to do a good job, and I will do my best to assist her."