This is an essential ingredient for making Winter Melon Sugar.

"I won't take any sugar," Lin Xu said. "We have tens of pounds of White Sugar from the store piled up at home, and I'm worried it might absorb moisture and spoil."

He cut off a piece, less than half of the winter melon, and held it in his arms. Then, he grabbed some quicklime, ready to leave.

For his first attempt, he wanted to test the taste. If it turned out well, he'd consider making it in the back kitchen of the Fishing Platform later. That space was more generous, and the pots were bigger—much better than the small stove at home.

After only a few steps, Lin Xu suddenly saw a few old pumpkins in the fresh produce area nearby.

If winter melon can be made into sugar, then the method for making Winter Melon Sugar should also work for pumpkin, right?

He decided to give it a try.

After mentioning it to Uncle Yu, Lin Xu found himself holding more than half of an old pumpkin in his arms.

He drove back to the complex.

First, he took Dundun upstairs, then came back down to carry the winter melon, pumpkins, and various delivery boxes.

After moving everything up, he unpacked and assembled the toys.

By then, Dundun was already getting impatient, circling Lin Xu and trying to "help," occasionally pawing at the toy parts on the floor, as if to urge him to hurry.

It was an electric mouse that could automatically change direction.

After inserting the batteries, Lin Xu turned on the switch. The little mouse SQUEAKED and ran forward on its four wheels. It automatically turned when it was about to hit the sofa and then continued to run.

Dundun stalked it, a mix of fear and curiosity in its eyes. Occasionally, it would pounce, swatting the little mouse with its paw.

Seeing it playing happily, Lin Xu unpacked the other deliveries, placing the cardboard boxes in the empty space behind the sofa.

To a cat, these were the real cat beds.

After finishing these tasks, he washed his hands and went to the kitchen.

He poured the food-grade quicklime into a large basin, added fresh water, stirred it evenly, and set it aside.

Quicklime is rich in calcium ions. When the cut winter melon strips are soaked in it, these ions cause the melon's naturally soft texture to become firm and crisp.

This is what gives Winter Melon Sugar its characteristic crisp texture.

However, regular lime is not edible. Specially processed, food-grade quicklime is required.

This type of quicklime is reportedly processed from sources like clam shells, making it safe for consumption.

However, not all the limewater is used. The process involves stirring the quicklime into water until it's evenly mixed and then letting it settle. Only the clear water from the top layer is used; the small particles that precipitate at the bottom are largely discarded.

After preparing the limewater, Lin Xu placed the winter melon on the cutting board.

First, he peeled the winter melon, then cut it open and scooped out the soft inner pulp and seeds. He kept only the firmer flesh, as this is what makes delicious Winter Melon Sugar.

After removing the pulp, he used a kitchen knife to cut the winter melon flesh into strips approximately ten centimeters long and one centimeter thick.

Once all the winter melon was cut, he prepared the pumpkin in the same way.

Soon, he had a basin each of winter melon and pumpkin strips.

He poured the clarified limewater into the basins, ensuring the winter melon and pumpkin strips were fully submerged.

Next, he placed the basins in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment to soak overnight.

After soaking overnight, both the winter melon and pumpkin strips would become firm and crisp.

Only then could he proceed with the next step.

What should I do next?

Seeing Dundun happily playing, Lin Xu didn't disturb the little guy. Instead, he changed his shoes and went downstairs, planning to check on the construction site.

Well, even though I've fully delegated it to Dou Wenjing, I can't just ignore it. After all, this is my business, and my future car and house purchases depend on this store.

As soon as he arrived downstairs, he saw Dou Wenjing and the attractive reporter Zeng Xiaoqi walking out of the construction site wearing hard hats.

"Mr. Lin, the shopfront demolition is complete, and all the old equipment has been sold," Dou Wenjing came over, reporting the renovation progress in an organized manner. "The sections on the first to third floors that required removal have also been completely cleared. Hardware construction will start tomorrow."

On the day the renovation contract was signed, Shen Guofu transferred several million yuan to the company account. This was a personal loan to the company for the renovation, sparing Dou Wenjing the trouble of applying for a bank loan.

With sufficient funding, the pace of renovation naturally accelerated.

For example, the demolition work would normally have taken several days. However, thanks to the financial backing, they could hire additional workers. As a result, all the necessary demolition was completed in a single day, and the construction debris was promptly transported to the designated disposal site.

"You've worked hard, Sister Jing."

"It's my responsibility... Oh, by the way, Reporter Zeng is here to film the renovation progress. This will help maintain the buzz around Lin Ji's Food."

Lin Xu quickly turned to Zeng Xiaoqi to express his gratitude, "Thank you so much, Reporter Zeng, for making the trip. Sister Jing, please reimburse Reporter Zeng for her travel expenses later. After all, she's going to a lot of trouble for our restaurant."

"I will, Mr. Lin."

Zeng Xiaoqi said with a smile, "No need, no need. Just treat me to a meal sometime."

Treat her to a meal? That's easy.

Lin Xu suddenly thought of the crayfish Technique he had just acquired that day. Plus, the crayfish at Uncle Yu's supermarket were indeed tempting. So he said with a smile, "How about I treat you to crayfish later?"

After acquiring the crayfish Skill, he had been planning to make a spicy crayfish feast to satisfy his craving.

In the past, when he wanted to eat it, he couldn't afford it; by the time he could afford it, he had no time.

Now that he had money, time, and the know-how, he naturally wanted to experience the freedom of enjoying crayfish whenever he liked.

"Wow! Really, Boss Lin? Crayfish is my favorite!"

Zeng Xiaoqi was overjoyed. She had just been making a casual remark and hadn't expected Lin Xu to actually agree—and he hadn't suggested 'another day' or 'when he had time,' but had directly proposed today.

Lin Xu said with a smile,

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