A grocery car?

Lin Xu, seeing a Wuling minivan parked at the store entrance, wiped his hands and curiously walked outside.

"My mentor called and said he got me a grocery car. I'm going out to check it out," Lin Xu announced.

Upon hearing this, Shen Guofu followed him.

Outside, a young man immediately hopped down from the minivan and asked Lin Xu, "Are you Mr. Lin Xu?"

Lin Xu nodded.

"I am from Fengxing Auto Rental Co., Ltd. One of your elders has arranged for us to rent a small van for you. The vehicle has now been delivered, and as the user, you need to sign your name on this rental agreement."

A rental agreement? Lin Xu took it and flipped through it.

The agreement was straightforward, specifying that the vehicle should not be subleased, overloaded, oversped, or intentionally damaged during the rental period.

Shen Guofu leaned over to check, "Why doesn't it mention the price? Is it free to rent?"

The young man from the rental company replied, "The rental fee has been paid by Mr. Lin's elder. Mr. Lin just needs to use it. Our boss also specifically instructed that if the car feels inadequate to drive someday, you can change it for a new one for free."

Sheesh... This so-called Fengxing Auto Rental must be run by 'Leopard Print Auntie,' right? I guess only she would spoil my mentor like this.

Lin Xu quickly signed his name, then examined the vehicle more and asked about the use of its refrigerated cargo space, among other details.

Once everything was clear, the rental company's young man took a taxi back.

Meanwhile, Lin Xu went back inside the store to continue his work.

Having the grocery car now, grocery shopping would be much easier. But he still needed to think about getting a car of his own.

Unfortunately, Lin Xu didn't have the eligibility to enter the license plate lottery.

If he could enter the lottery with Dundun, he would definitely win on the first try!

「Half an hour later.」

Breakfast in the store was ready. There were the Pork Grease buns that Han Shuzhen was curious about, the sugar triangles that Shen Jiayue liked, and the preserved egg with lean pork congee that Shen Guofu favored.

"Delicious!"

Normally averse to fatty meats, Han Shuzhen enjoyed a Pork Grease bun this time. She even followed her daughter's lead by drizzling some Chili Oil on it with a spoon.

She took a bite. The spicy and fragrant flavors intermingled. It was incredibly delicious.

While enjoying the tasty buns, Han Shuzhen looked at Lin Xu. He had hastily finished his meal and was now busy in the kitchen. She felt a twinge of pity.

"Xu, what is your clothing size?" she asked. "I'm taking the afternoon off, and I plan to go shopping at the International Trade area with your Uncle Shen to buy you some clothes."

Shen Jiayue, who was nibbling on a sugar triangle, suddenly became interested.

Clothes shopping?

"Do I get some too?"

Han Shuzhen originally wanted to tell her to mind her own business. But then, thinking that her son-in-law was here, she said, "Let's see. If we find something suitable, we might buy one or two items for you as well."

HO HO!

New clothes to wear!

Lin Xu didn't want to make such a fuss. However, Han Shuzhen insisted on buying him clothes because she had eaten the store's breakfast, so he provided his clothing size.

After the Shen Family had their fill and left for work, Lin Xu felt it was inappropriate to let them buy clothes for him. He also knew his mother-in-law would certainly not accept money for them. So, he decided to make a small, cooling, and refreshing dessert as a thank-you. This dessert would be the Almond Tofu he had won in last night's draw.

Yes, he would make that. It would also be an opportunity to see how far his mother's cooking was from the Perfect Level.

Almond Tofu is a popular traditional dessert snack found everywhere. It's made with Southern Almonds, milk, White Sugar, and Agar. Known for its simple recipe, delicate taste, and cooling effect, it's a very popular summer dessert.

Lin Xu went to the supermarket next door to weigh some Southern Almonds, and also bought milk and Agar. After purchasing these, he returned to the store to start preparations.

The almonds and Agar were separately poured into a basin, first washed twice, and then soaked in clear water.

Agar is a food thickening agent extracted from seaweed. It is widely used in various food processing and dessert making, regardless of whether the cuisine is Western or Chinese.

Of course, traditional Almond Tofu doesn't use Agar but cornstarch. However, the texture of Almond Tofu made with cornstarch isn't as good as that made with Agar. Its appearance also isn't as translucent. Therefore, starch is rarely used nowadays. It has basically been completely replaced by Agar.

Besides starch, the traditional method of using a Stone Mill to grind almonds has also been upgraded to high-speed blenders and food processors.

Technology has advanced. The methods of cooking must also progress with the times and not blindly follow old practices.

While he was busy, Chezai came over and asked curiously, "What are you soaking so many almonds for, boss?"

"Making some Almond Tofu."

Nearby, Niu Chuan, who was cutting meat, heard and said with a smile, "That's nice. Drizzle some osmanthus honey on it, and it's very delicious. But nowadays, the quality of osmanthus honey is declining. It tastes all sugary and hardly has the fragrance of osmanthus."

That got Lin Xu thinking. Although the process of making Almond Tofu is simple, when it comes to eating, it can't do without osmanthus honey. Good osmanthus honey can make Almond Tofu even more delicious. But poor-quality osmanthus honey can significantly downgrade an otherwise perfect Almond Tofu.

Thinking about this, Lin Xu picked up his phone and called Xie Baomin.

"Senior Brother, I need osmanthus honey for making desserts. Do you know where I can get some good-quality osmanthus honey?"

To buy high-end ingredients, one must consult those who cook high-end dishes. The Fishing Platform, as Beijing's venue for hosting foreign affairs, most likely had all sorts of high-end ingredients.

Xie Baomin said, "I'll have someone send you a couple of bottles of the ones we use at the Fishing Platform in a bit. If you need bulk quantities, I'll contact our Fishing Platform supplier later to inquire."

Lin Xu was making Almond Tofu as a way to thank his mother-in-law for buying clothes. He hadn't planned on offering it in his store. This was because pricing the dessert too low didn't seem right. However, if priced too high, it wouldn't sell well. It was better not to sell it at all, as this would also boost the sales of Sour Plum Soup.

Compared to Almond Tofu, Sour Plum Soup is simpler to make and more suited for mass production.

「Before long.」

A local courier delivered a cardboard box. After opening it, two bottles of osmanthus honey, wrapped in bubble wrap, were revealed. Song Tiantian, who was standing by, took a look and asked curiously, "Eh? Isn't osmanthus honey supposed to be yellow? Why is this red?"

Lin Xu opened the bottle cap and sniffed, saying, "This must be Red Osmanthus. Mmm, the scent is so strong."

「In the afternoon.」

After his lunch break, Lin Xu came to the shop. He pulled out the high-speed blender and began making Almond Tofu. This dessert needed to be chilled for more than an hour to taste right, so he started early to avoid being unprepared when his mother-in-law arrived.

He poured the almonds, after soaking for four hours, along with the soaking water, into the high-speed blender and pressed the juice button. The finer the almonds were crushed, the better the effect. Therefore, he blended them at least three times. He continued until the water in the high-speed blender turned into a slightly thick almond milk before pouring it out.

Next, he poured it into a filter bag to remove the residue. This step was crucial, affecting the texture of the Almond Tofu, so it needed to be meticulously filtered.

After filtering, he took a non-stick pot used for desserts, poured in the filtered almond milk, added a box of milk, then added White Sugar and the completely softened Agar. He turned on a low heat and continuously stirred the mixture in the pot with a spoon to help the Agar dissolve.

While he was busy, at the International Trade Mall, Han Shuzhen, who rarely shopped, went on a spree. Every time she saw clothes that would suit her son-in-law, it was buy, buy, buy. Soon, Shen Guofu was loaded with newly purchased clothes, hanging from his hands and draped over his neck.

While they were shopping, Shen Jiayue called.

"Mom, what new clothes did you buy for me today? I'll come to meet you soon!"

Han Shuzhen looked at her husband, who was laden with big and small packages, and after a moment's thoughtful consideration, said, "It seems like there are two pairs of socks for you... they were free with the men's clothes purchase. I thought the designs were quite nice."

Shen Jiayue: ???????

BOO HOO HOO HOO! I'm running away from home! I'm going to find my real mom and dad!!!!!

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