Chapter 79

After breakfast, returning to the summer shop, they saw two young girls standing side by side at the entrance.

"Sister Shenhe!"

"Yaoyao."

A little girl with bun-styled hair showed a delighted smile, bouncing over to Shenhe, the bells in her hair jingling.

"Why is Sister Shenhe here?"

"Master let me come down from the mountain."

"Is there something important to do? Yaoyao can help!"

"It's already done. I'll be staying here. If Yaoyao misses me, you can come find me at the shop."

"Really?"

"Mm."

Xia Zhi stood nearby, "looking" at this lively and adorable little girl and the silver progress bar above her.

So she was Xiangling's little junior disciple?

There was even a rabbit in her basket - seemed to be a mechanical beast?

Qiqi slowly walked over, lifted her head, and softly said, "Mr. Xia, Miss Zhu Zi, Miss Shenhe, hello."

"Good morning, Miss Qiqi."

"Mr. Xia?" Only then did Yaoyao turn her attention, looking up curiously at the young man wearing black glasses. "Hello, big brother! I'm Yaoyao!"

The little girl was very polite, with bright eyes and white teeth, quite likable.

Xia Zhi lowered his head and smiled at her: "Hello, little sister. I'm Xia Zhi."

Zhu Zi opened the shop door and turned to ask, "Boss, should I make tea?"

"No need, let's all have fruit juice."

"Okay!"

"Let's go inside first."

Xia Zhi entered the shop, took out cups from the counter, and skillfully began mixing rainbow fruit juice.

Others gathered around to watch. Yaoyao, being shorter, had to stand on tiptoes and stretch her hands on the counter, adorably tilting her face up, watching the cup in his hands intently.

"Big brother, are you the owner of this shop?"

"Yes."

"Have you known Sister Shenhe for a long time?"

"No, we just met yesterday."

"Then why is Sister Shenhe staying at your shop?"

"Your Sister Shenhe is just staying here temporarily. When she finds something she truly wants to do, she'll leave."

"I see."

Yaoyao looked at Xia Zhi, then at Shenhe, seeming to ponder something, but her attention was quickly drawn to the beautiful juice in the cups.

Such pretty colors!

It really looked like a rainbow captured in a cup!

Xia Zhi distributed the mixed juice to everyone.

Yaoyao carefully held her cup, took a small sip, and her eyes immediately began to sparkle.

"Big brother, this is so delicious!"

"If Yaoyao likes it, big brother will make you another cup later."

"Thank you, big brother."

Xia Zhi walked over and put half a block of [Calming Incense] in the incense burner, lit it, then placed it on the table near Qiqi's position.

"Thank you, Mr. Xia."

"You're welcome."

"Boss, are we just going to sit here? It's so boring..."

"What would you like to do?"

"Well... there doesn't seem to be much to do..."

"Well, I am blind after all."

"Boss! I didn't mean it like that!"

Xia Zhi thought for a moment and said, "How about we make mooncakes?"

"Mooncakes?"

"It's a type of pastry my family used to make during the Moon Chase Festival. Simply put, you knead flour into a skin, wrap it around whatever filling you like, press it into a flat round shape, and slowly bake it. If you brush egg wash on the surface, it turns golden and looks even better."

"Is it tasty?"

"Some are crispy, some are soft and tender. I personally quite enjoy them."

"If Boss likes them, they must be delicious! Let's make them!"

As expected, the foodie girl Zhu Zi happily agreed.

A flash of interest passed through Shenhe's eyes. She knew from her master that Xia Zhi was from another world, so naturally understood that "family" referred to his other world. She was also curious about this food from another world and nodded gently: "We can try."

Qiqi's face showed no expression, but she shifted her gaze from the incense burner to him and said softly, "Okay."

Yaoyao raised her little hand, laughing: "Yaoyao wants to join too!"

Xia Zhi nodded: "Then it's decided. However, we don't have ingredients in the kitchen and need to buy them. I wonder what everyone likes..."

Zhu Zi immediately suggested: "How about we all go to the market together!"

This girl seemed to still be thinking about the morning's idea of shopping together.

Xia Zhi "looked" at Zhu Zi and said, "That's fine, but no rush. Let's finish our juice first."

During this time, Xia Zhi called up the system panel and browsed through the [Shop].

[Culinary Mastery]

Quality: Silver

Type: Experience Book

Traits: None

Effect: Become a culinary master.

Hidden Effect: None.

Price: 10 points.

Originally, Xia Zhi hadn't planned to buy this item - it was quite expensive at 10 points, and since he could eat free meals at Wanmin Restaurant every day, he didn't really need it.

But last night's gains in the dream were so abundant, providing a new way to earn points, that he had basically achieved treasure freedom and no longer needed to pinch points so tightly.

Xia Zhi bought and used it.

The experience book instantly disappeared from his inventory, and moments later, Xia Zhi felt his mind fill with culinary knowledge.

Now when he recalled the "Mushroom and Fish Stew" Xiangling made yesterday morning, several different improvement methods immediately came to mind, all better than his previous suggestion of simply adjusting the spices.

Xia Zhi took a sip from his cup, thinking that at lunch today he could give Xiangling a small culinary shock.

After finishing their juice and locking up the shop, everyone headed to the market together.

First, they went to the flour shop, where Xia Zhi "casually" selected a type of flour and bought a large bag.

This flour wasn't the most expensive in the shop, but it was the most suitable for making mooncakes.

Then they went to choose fillings.

"Red dates, roses, pine nuts, osmanthus, rock sugar, sesame, ham, salted egg yolks, lotus paste, coconut milk..."

Before they knew it, they had picked up a heavy bagful.

Zhu Zi could barely carry it, but Shenhe reached out one hand and easily took it from her.

"Miss Shenhe is so strong!"

"Thank you for the compliment."

Zhu Zi stuck out her tongue, then turned to Xia Zhi and asked, "Boss, what else do we need to buy?"

Xia Zhi "looked" at Shenhe's Cryo Vision, thought for a moment, and figured that with her around, they could make snow skin mooncakes even without a refrigerator.

"Glutinous rice flour, sticky rice flour..."

"With so many ingredients, we surely can't eat them all?"

"Of course we're not just making them for ourselves. We'll give some mooncakes to other friends too."

"Boss is so thoughtful!"

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