Chapter 196 New Lotus Blossom Pastry and Layered Oil Cake! Rich women in their friend circle are all envious!

Before going to bed, President Shen sent a picture to Boss Lu. It was a picture of a rich woman wearing a light, thin nightgown, exuding a sense of coolness.

The silk fabric clung to her snowy white skin, leaving one wondering whether she was preparing for a study or a romantic encounter. She was both noble and pure. Her skin was white and smooth. The art was striking, too artistic.

The image was, of course, only visible to Boss Lu. So, after Boss Lu stared at it for a few seconds, he took a deep breath and felt an urge to do push-ups. Just when Boss Lu was dry-mouthed and still didn’t feel satisfied, the image was retracted.

Boss Lu stared at the screen for a few seconds, then typed and sent.

[Lu Qin: Are you helping a friend to try on nightwear?].

[Shen Muyan: Is it nice? (arrogant expression)].

[Lu Qin: It looks great, but you retracted it. (smiling expression)].

[Shen Muyan: It’s paid content, not something you can view freely.].

[Lu Qin: How much would it cost to see it?].

[Shen Muyan: Two thousand.].

[Lu Qin: Two thousand? That’s absolutely not possible. How many servings of rice noodles do I have to fry? Goodbye, time to sleep.].

Shen Muyan hummed in dissatisfaction and didn’t reply. Her trusted strategist, Fang Ya, messaged Shen Muyan.

[Did you send the sexy nightwear photo to your Lu boss? Do you think he can resist the temptation?].

[Shen Muyan replied: He definitely can’t resist, but he won’t pay to view it. He thinks two thousand is too expensive.].

[Fang Ya: He’s really stingy. If our Shen president’s private photos were auctioned, the young elite entrepreneurs would fight for them. Starting bid would be a million!].

Shen Muyan, with both beauty and body, is a wealthy woman with everything in place. If she wasn’t so cold towards other men, the line of suitors would stretch across the Pacific Ocean.

[Shen Muyan: Hmph, that man doesn’t know how to appreciate it.].

[Fang Ya: It’s fine, you’ll find a chance to use the killer move.].

[Shen Muyan: What killer move?].

The strategist, Fang Ya, wetted her finger, flipping through a book called “The Love Guide for Pursuing Men.”

[I’ll tell you tomorrow, but you have to bring me something to eat.].

_____

The first ray of morning sunlight shone through the window curtains. Lu Qin opened his eyes. The night before, he had won a high-level lottery and obtained [Full Level Chinese Pastry Skills].

Lu Qin decided to add two new products: Lotus Blossom Pastry and Layered Oil Cake. Pastry foods don’t need to be freshly made, and once prepared, they don’t require special storage, making them perfect for stall-based selling.

Lu Qin got up early to purchase new ingredients. His assistant, Xiaomi, had already been busy in the kitchen since around 4 AM. By now, Xiaomi was able to independently prepare green bean paste, ice crystal cakes, and even knead the dough and make fillings for crystal shrimp dumplings.

And she never needed Lu Qin to tell her what to do. She worked without complaint or taking breaks, making her the perfect employee in the eyes of her boss.

The best part? She wasn’t paid a salary—only basic living and food needs were covered. Such an assistant was undoubtedly the most amazing reward from the advanced draw. Unfortunately, he hadn’t won anything like that again.

The production of the Lotus Blossom Pastry was quite complicated, mainly because it required a variety of ingredients. It also demanded special attention to its shape.

Why was it called “Lotus Blossom Pastry”? Because the pastry looked like a lotus flower. Authentic Lotus Blossom Pastry required extremely delicate craftsmanship, almost like a beautiful painting.

The filling for Lotus Blossom Pastry was either made from carrots or white lotus paste. There were two main color options—the flower’s center was yellow, made with pumpkin, and the petals were red, made with dragon fruit juice.

The dough contains lard to help it flake, much like the method for making layered oil cakes, so Lu Qin made sure to buy enough pork lard as it’s needed for both pastries.

Lu Qin wandered through the market, purchasing a variety of ingredients. The hardest ingredient to find was the green and red shredded toppings for the Layered Oil Cake.

In some street shops, the toppings were made using mustard and food coloring, which, while not harmful, weren’t good for health. Lu Qin certainly didn’t want to buy such low-quality toppings.

The better toppings were made with ingredients like dried tangerine peel, carrots, orange peel, papaya, and radish. But the most authentic ones were made from green apricots and rose preserves. Due to price and labor costs, these were more expensive. In the past, only royal families or wealthy households could afford them.

After asking around for over an hour, Lu Qin finally found a small shop selling such high-quality shredded toppings. It was a small shop run by an elderly couple, a family business that had been around for decades.

Though the shop was small, it was clean, and they used traditional wooden and bamboo tools instead of machines. Lu Qin happened to see the elderly couple making kumquat and candied dates.

On a wooden rack, they had glass jars filled with green and red shredded fruits, preserved fruits, and candies. Lu Qin entered to negotiate, and after tasting the products, he was very satisfied with the quality.

The reason the shop had been around for decades was its reputation and quality. Business was tough for the elderly couple, so Lu Qin didn’t haggle and bought four jars of green and red shredded fruit, one jar of kumquat candied dates, and one jar of winter melon sugar cubes.

These natural handmade treats were healthier than the mass-produced candies made by machines. Lu Qin drove back to the old neighborhood, and as soon as he arrived at the small courtyard, Xiaomi immediately ran out to help carry the items.

Lu Qin walked into the kitchen, where the dough for ice crystal cakes and crystal shrimp dumplings was almost ready. He washed his hands, dried them, and started getting to work.

After the ice crystal cakes and crystal shrimp dumplings were placed in the steamer, Lu Qin began kneading the dough to make the lotus blossom pastries and layered oil cakes. Xiaomi helped on the side.

Lu Qin gave Xiaomi a list of addresses.

“Xiaomi, from now on, you need to add layered oil cakes every day. The steamer won’t be enough, so after the morning stall, go to this address and buy two stacks of steamers.”

“Got it, boss.”

Xiaomi committed it to memory.

The lotus blossom pastries, like the layered oil cakes, are fried in oil. But the layered oil cake is steamed in a steamer.

Lu Qin instructed Xiaomi to keep kneading the dough and explained in detail the proportions of lard and sugar needed in the medium-gluten flour. The amount of water added to the flour varies depending on whether it’s summer or winter.

A seasoned master would only say “appropriate” when asked how much water to add for every pound of flour. But how much is “appropriate”? It all depends on experience and feel.

Beginners would use a measuring cup, but Lu Qin, with his full-level skills, could tell exactly by feel. Xiaomi had a hundred percent of the intuition for it, so after Lu Qin demonstrated once, Xiaomi deeply understood the concept of “appropriate.”

Lu Qin let Xiaomi knead the dough while he prepared the filling for the lotus blossom pastries. After stir-frying the carrot filling, Lu Qin began making the layered oil cakes.

Layered oil cake was one of the two famous dishes of Fuchun, a renowned food place in Yangzhou with a history of over a hundred years. The other specialty was jade-colored shao mai.

As the Napoleon of Yangzhou’s morning tea, layered oil cakes were famous for their snow-white layers that resembled the delicate unfolding of lotus petals. The cake had 64 layers, each as thin as a cicada’s wing.

After Xiaomi kneaded the dough, Lu Qin rolled it out, then folded it, brushed sugar oil on it, and folded it again. The dough was layered upon layered, requiring meticulous craftsmanship.

Why was the layered oil cake called one of the two specialties? Because it used a semi-fermentation technique, allowing one pound of flour to absorb six to seven ounces of water.

After steaming the dough in a steamer, Lu Qin began preparing the lotus blossom pastries. Making lotus blossom pastries was a complex process, and if the details were not precise, the pastry could easily fail.

Moreover, the petals and the flower center must not break. If any petal broke, it affected the appearance and was considered a failure. The dough was divided into red and yellow. The red dough was made by adding dragon fruit juice to form the lotus petals, and the yellow dough was mixed with pumpkin to form the lotus center.

Lu Qin rolled out the dough to show the layered effect of the petals, just like the layered oil cakes, and folded it.

Both the petals and center required a “one-open-four” technique.

After every fold, small holes were pricked in the dough with a toothpick to release air bubbles.

Why do air bubbles form?

Because the dough had gluten, and after kneading, air bubbles inevitably formed. The dough needed to rest, and it was simple to do so—just cover it with plastic wrap and wait for ten minutes.

Lotus blossom pastries needed to be not only tasty but also beautiful, so a lot of time was spent shaping them. However, for Lu Qin, a full-level expert, it took no time to form the dough into small balls with a small knife—quicker than any machine could.

Half an hour later, the countertop was filled with little dough balls that looked like lotus blossoms, red wrapping yellow. For those who suffer from trypophobia, this might be a bit much.

A large pot of hot oil was ready, with the temperature controlled at 130 degrees Celsius.

Ordinary masters would use a thermometer to measure the oil temperature, but Lu Qin only needed to dip a chopstick into the oil and check the bubbles or simply use his hand to control the temperature…

Using a thermometer was a sign of lacking experience. As the pastry dough hit the hot oil, the petals of the lotus pastry unfurled, and the flowers bloomed in the hot oil, creating a wonderful and beautiful sight.

When lifting them, simply use chopsticks, but steady hands were essential. Lu Qin demonstrated it three times, and Xiaomi finished frying the remaining dough. Lu Qin then busied himself with other tasks.

It was 7:20 AM. Lu Qin called for the little one to wake up. Ten minutes later, breakfast was ready. A knock came at the door.

Shen Muyan was back for breakfast again.

“Mommy~!”

“Good morning, Boss Lady!”

Shen Muyan was wearing a black and white professional suit today, her long and slender legs perfectly straight. Her hair was simply styled, and she wore no makeup, yet her beauty outshone that of many actresses.

Lu Qin and Shen Muyan exchanged a glance and greeted each other with a single word. “Morning.”

Although neither said much, their eyes spoke volumes. Recently, Shen Muyan had been making the moves, while Lu Qin had been retreating and holding his ground, unsure how much longer he could resist.

Breakfast consisted of fried eggs, ham, crystal shrimp dumplings, and hot milk. Xiaomi also brought over a plate of lotus blossom pastries and layered oil cakes. Both Shen Muyan and Lu Xiyao were impressed.

Lu Qin had created new products again. The lotus blossom pastries looked like delicate sculptures made from flour. The layered oil cakes were diamond-shaped, with a soft, translucent texture, topped with red and green shredded fruits, making them visually refreshing and delightful.

Little Boss Lady exclaimed, “Dad~! They’re so pretty! I don’t even want to eat them!”

Though she said that, her mouth was already watering.

The big boss lady, excited, took out her phone. “Don’t touch them, I need to take a picture.”

Because the lotus blossom pastries and layered oil cakes looked so beautiful, Shen Muyan, who rarely took pictures, managed to capture them in a way that still looked artistic, despite her lack of technical skill.

She rarely posted on social media but made an exception this time.

【Heartwarming Breakfast】【picture】【picture】

Not long after, the post got several likes and comments.

[Fang Ya: Wow! What is this? Lu Qin has new products again! (frantic expression)].

[Shen Hongda: Going to Lu Qin’s place early in the morning? Well done! Bring one back for your mom!].

[Jiang Qin: Xiaoyan, it’s your dad who wants to eat them, his mouth is practically watering! This is great, you should spend more time with Lu Qin, and also hang out more with Yao Yao! Work can wait!].

[Deng Jianping, Mr. Deng: Shen, you’re lucky! It must be Lu Qin’s doing, right? How many new products has his snack stall come out with? Just back from a business trip, I want to taste his food!].

[Sun Zhi, Mr. Sun: Shen, you’re really living the good life! (thumbs up expression)].

[Fan Qingfang: I want to eat too! (envy expression)].

[Ouyang Lin: Posting this so early, Shen, you’re being a bit extra!].

_____

Shen Muyan, reading all the comments full of admiration, was in a great mood.

“Dad, can I eat this lotus flower pastry?”

The little one took her finger out of her mouth, pointing at the lotus blossom pastry but hesitant to pick it up.

“Of course, this is a type of Chinese pastry called lotus blossom pastry. Take one and eat it.”

There were four lotus blossom pastries and layered oil cakes on the plate, so everyone could have one. The little one took a bite of the lotus blossom pastry, her eyes squinting into crescent moons, nodding in approval.

Shen Muyan also tried a bite, finding the flaky layers clear and light, with a sweet and savory fragrance, a unique flavor. She then tasted the layered oil cake.

The layered oil cake was well-defined in layers, soft, sweet, and smooth, just as exceptional in taste and texture. The rich woman looked at Lu Qin with sparkling eyes.

Lu Qin really was impressive, everything he made was top-tier. It seemed likeher admiration for him was only growing.

After breakfast, the rich woman didn’t hesitate to eat and take more with her. Lu Qin learned she was taking it to Shen Hongda and his wife, and naturally, he was more than willing. He packed a few more boxes.

“You two go to the stall. I’ll take the little one to kindergarten.”

“Okay, drive safely.”

Lu Qin reminded them, packing the lunchboxes he had already prepared into a canvas bag. He also packed a box of lotus blossom pastries and layered oil cakes, to serve as an afternoon snack for the little one.

Without a doubt, with a hearty lunch and delicious afternoon tea, the little one was sure to be the most stylish kid in kindergarten.