Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 282 Master Li has arrived

March 6th.

Han San and Xiao Wei drove the four people back to Longcheng in two cars.

The four people sitting in the car were Master Li from Guangdong and his three apprentices. Two of the three would take turns serving as instructors in the pastry class and as chefs in the cake shop over the next year.

At 11:30 a.m., the two cars parked in the dam behind Jubinge.

Han San drove a Nissan Bluebird. After getting out of his car, he walked over to Xiao Wei's car, looked around, shook his head, and said, "Too extravagant, such a waste of money."

Xiao Wei smiled without saying a word, and pulled Han San to invite Master Li and the others into the restaurant.

The restaurant is currently preparing ingredients; lunchtime is approaching. It's the beginning of the year, and various organizations are holding events, so the restaurant has been packed these past few days.

Xiao Wei had already called to make arrangements before they left. As soon as they entered the house, the dishes were served, otherwise they would be too busy to keep up. Xiao Wei poured drinks for everyone, but none of Master Li and his four apprentices drank, so he poured a glass for Han San and drank one for himself.

Sure enough, halfway through the meal, the diners arrived. Xiao Wei got up and dealt with them briefly before returning to his drink. Han San said, "Let's not eat here anymore. It would be so much better if we found a quiet place to eat slowly. This place looks so busy. Don't you have a cafeteria over there?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Yes, my mom is doing it with three older women. There are about ten people eating. What's up?"

Han San said, "Then why did you bring us here? This whole thing is so hectic. It would be so much better to just go back to your courtyard and eat in the canteen. I think home-cooked food is much better than what you get in restaurants."

Xiao Wei said, "This isn't Master Li's first time here, so I have to show him some respect."

Han San waved his hand and said, "It's unnecessary. Lao Li is a true friend. Why would he bother with something like this? The key is to get things done well so everyone can make money, understand?"

Master Li smiled and nodded, saying, "Actually, all the food here tastes the same to me. As long as I'm full, that's fine. There are factories over there where I can eat bread and cakes. If there's a kitchen, that would be even better, where I can make soup." He spoke with a Cantonese accent, but it was clearer than usual, indicating that he was someone who frequently traveled around the country.

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "Okay, I just thought it would be nice if you had a proper meal since it's your first time here. Alright, I won't stand on ceremony with you from now on. There's a kitchen over there, you can cook whatever you like, and just let me know if you need anything and I'll buy it for you."

After finishing their meal quickly, the group got into their car and drove to the courtyard.

Watching the gate slowly open, Han San smiled and said, "It's getting more and more awesome. It feels great. Now I'm thinking about building a yard whenever I have free time." The car drove into the yard and parked in front of the garage, alongside the 100, Sea Lion, and Wanlit parked there.

After getting out of the car, Han San asked, "How many cars did you buy?"

Xiao Wei pointed to the old building and said, "There are two more inside, that's all."

After accompanying Master Li on a tour of the school and then a walk around the factory, Master Li said, "It's pretty good, but the products are a bit low-end, they're all from the past, but otherwise there's no problem."

Xiao Wei said, "These are all former employees of state-owned food factories. They only know how to make those old things. To be honest, Master Li, we can't compare with you in eastern Guangdong. Our purchasing power is limited. The market for expensive things is too small. We have to produce some common products."

Chef Li said, "Delicious and beautiful things aren't necessarily expensive. Nowadays, baked goods actually have lower costs, but the taste, appearance, and color are much better. Take birthday cake bases, for example. They used to be made with honeycomb cakes, which were heavy and required a lot of ingredients. But the chiffon cakes that are now popular are much better than honeycomb cakes in terms of color and taste. Moreover, because of the recipe, they rise better and are more delicate, making them very light. Lighter means that for the same size cake, less ingredients are needed than honeycomb cakes, resulting in lower costs. Eighty percent of a cake is made of eggs, so cost is very important."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "I understand. I'm a complete novice in this area, so I'll have to rely on you, Master Li, from now on."

Master Li smiled and said, "You make money and I make money; we rely on each other."

Xiao Wei said, "Master Li, can the recipe for cookies like Luguo be changed? These are quite popular in our market. Oh, and Caozigao too."

Master Li said, "You mean that thing that looks like a mahjong tile? It tastes very good. I don't know how to make it; we don't have it where I'm from. But I can look into it and think about it. 'Caozi Gao' is just plum blossom cake, right? That can be modified. You're still using the old method of baking with ammonium bicarbonate, which results in much less puffing and a poor taste and texture. Just change the additives, like baking powder, cream of tartar, or custard powder. We'll have to try it a few times."

Ammonium bicarbonate, also known as ammonium nitrate, was used in traditional cake baking. It's not very good for the human body. When heated and expanded, it decomposes into ammonia and carbon dioxide, leaving a significant residue in food.

Many small shops still use this method to reduce costs, as adding ammonium bicarbonate increases the flour ratio and reduces the amount of eggs used. It's actually quite easy to tell; just hold it up to your nose and smell it when you buy it.

Many people may not recognize the name ammonium bicarbonate, but it also has another name: urea. This substance is highly volatile, which is why places where fertilizers are stored often have a pungent ammonia smell—the smell of urea. Urea is the Japanese name for ammonium bicarbonate because it is found in large quantities in human urine.

Many words and names in our lives use Japanese names, such as Urinone and Ajinomoto.

……

Master Li said, "Changing the leavening agent actually means that the main components of the product change. The ratio of flour to eggs and sugar must be changed accordingly. For example, ammonium bicarbonate is more flour and less egg, while cream of tartar and baking powder are less flour and more egg. If there is too much flour, it will not leaven. Custard powder has the lowest leavening degree and can generally only be used in cookies or puddings, but it tastes very good and makes the products very milky."

Xiao Wei said, "I don't understand what you're saying now. I'll learn along with you when the class starts. You'll all be my teachers."

After chatting for a while, Xiao Wei and Han San arranged accommodations for Master Li and the others in the main building and told them to rest. Then they went downstairs.

Han San followed Xiao Wei downstairs and asked, "Where are we going? Is something wrong? I want to sleep a little longer. By the way, where am I going to sleep? Didn't they arrange a place for me?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's a guesthouse, the conditions there are better than here, and you won't be staying for more than a few days."

Han San said, "No need, this is fine. We're here to work, not to play. If there's nothing else, I'll go upstairs and lie down for a while. Do you have any luggage?"

Xiao Wei reached out and pulled Han San downstairs, saying, "What's the rush? Others are tired from flying and driving, why are you as tired as me?"

Han San asked, "What's the matter that you have to say now? Where are we going?"

He led Han San to the empty guest room, changed his shoes, and went inside. Han San looked around and asked, "This is your room? It's really nice. I didn't get a chance to take a closer look last time. Everything here is very well arranged."

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "This is your room, you can take a nap. I'm going to check on the factory." He changed his shoes at the door.

Han San was taken aback for a moment, then walked over and asked, "Really? I live in this room?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "How could I possibly coax you? Go get some sleep, I'll call you for dinner later. Your washbasin, toothbrush, and towel are all in that cabinet. If you think the blanket is too thin, there are blankets in the cabinet too." Han San patted Xiao Wei on the shoulder and said, "That's a good friend, haha, not bad, not bad."

(End of this chapter)