Ruan Mingchu: "We are so lucky to have met you. We have so much to write about in our papers now."
Hearing that it would be written into a paper, Grandpa Ren got even more excited and explained the history and specific production methods of Qing Sui milk tea to Ruan Mingchu in great detail.
Ruan Mingchu took out his notebook, listening and taking notes, occasionally asking a question or two, as if he really was traveling because of a paper.
Mu Yu kept staring at Grandpa Ren's hands, seemingly very interested in making milk tea.
Realizing this, Grandpa Ren deliberately slowed down his movements: "The mixing method is also very particular; if it is slightly different, the taste will be very different."
Although it was not obvious, a faint white light did emanate from Grandpa Ren's hands, indicating that he was using a skill, rather than simply using a combination of techniques.
After he finished mixing the powders, he raised the already heated milk, and the fragrant milk flowed from the long, thin spout of the milk jug, splashing onto the pale blue powders.
Suddenly, an extremely complex yet refreshing fragrance wafted into the nostrils of the three people present. Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu, who were smelling it for the first time, unconsciously sniffed.
Grandpa Ren was very satisfied with the feedback from the two guests. He reached out and pushed the teacups toward them respectively, and said with a smile, "Drink it while it's hot, it's not too hot."
Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu both picked up their cups and took a big gulp, trusting what Old Master Ren had said.
Grandpa Ren then thought of his old friend's grandsons, so he brought Qing Sui Milk Tea with him and made a reservation for them. Even though they showed their liking for Qing Sui Milk Tea, Grandpa Ren still didn't like them very much.
Perhaps it was because they kept yawning while describing it, or perhaps it was because they blew on it before taking small sips even after saying it was "not hot," or perhaps it was because they compared their Qing Sui milk tea with those milk-infused teas on the market...
He knew that this was only human nature, but that didn't stop him from disliking them and preferring the two young men.
Grandpa Ren laughed and said, "You have to drink Qing Sui milk tea in big gulps to really enjoy it. There's still plenty left after you finish it, so don't be shy."
Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu didn't stand on ceremony and gulped down their drinks, then pushed the cups in front of Grandpa Ren: "It's really delicious!"
A ring of pale blue milk foam appeared around their lips. Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu exchanged a glance and both laughed.
If the old man hadn't been there, Ruan Mingchu would have loved to hold Mu Yu in his arms and lick the milk foam clean, bit by bit.
The old man poured another glass for the two of them, saying, "This time, you should savor it carefully; it tastes different from the first glass."
The three of them drank milk tea, admired the beautiful sunset clouds, and chatted about everything under the sun.
Ruan Mingchu felt his mind had become much more open. The events in the Fifth Star System had made him feel somewhat depressed, but all of that had vanished at that moment.
One day, wherever he goes, he will be as prosperous and peaceful as Gudexing and Dasuicheng, and he will meet kind people like Grandpa Ren.
Drinking milk tea alone is not enough. After pouring the third cup for Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu, Grandpa Ren said, "No matter how good this is, you can't overdo it. You can only drink three cups of milk tea a day. After you finish the milk tea, I will make you Qing Sui cakes. They taste different from milk tea, but they are both delicious."
Not only did Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu's moods improve, but so did Grandpa Ren's. He had been on a week-long trip and was full of anger, but he was lucky enough to meet two young men on his way back, which satisfied Grandpa Ren's desire to vent and express himself.
Good things are meant to be shared with others to make people happy; Gudexing doesn't believe in keeping things to oneself.
The third floor of the east wing is a place to rest and enjoy the view, the second floor is a dedicated storage room, and the first floor is the kitchen and dining room.
The kitchen was clean and spacious, but when Grandpa Ren saw it, he curled his lip and said, "Neither of these two is diligent. I've been away for a week, and they've probably been eating fast food for the whole week."
The old man was disappointed that none of them had inherited his talent and diligence. However, he would not let his displeasure affect his guests.
He warmly invited the two of them: "Brewing Qing Sui milk tea requires skill, but making Qing Sui cakes is very simple. Would you like to try it together? It's quite interesting."
Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu were naturally happy to work together.
After washing his hands, Grandpa Ren brought out three basins, one large and two small. The two small basins were placed in front of Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu, while the large basin in front of him was nearly a meter in diameter.
"Since I'm doing this, I'll make a lot more so I can share some with my neighbors. They really love my green rice cakes."
Ruan Mingchu nodded: "I can already imagine how delicious the green rice cake is. You have such skillful hands."
Grandpa Ren laughed heartily. He loved being praised; who wouldn't?
"The most crucial point about making this green rice cake is kneading the dough. You must knead in the heart and soul of the cake maker."
In other words, you should knead vigorously, knead in various ways, and knead however feels comfortable.
Under Mr. Ren's guidance, after initially turning the powder into dough, the dough was kneaded into various different shapes, much like playdough in a child's hands.
No wonder people say making green rice cakes is interesting; it's not just the process that's interesting, but also the person making them.
As Ruan Mingchu kneaded his little dough ball, he thought to himself, "This dough is so unruly in my hands. It can not only change shape in the old man's hands, but it can also fly in the air. In my hands, it can't even fly, let alone fly."
If it weren't for his skill, the dough would have fallen to the ground long ago.
Looking at Mu Yu beside her, he was pursing his lips, head down, long eyelashes casting a shadow, completely focused. The dough in his hands was also very obedient, becoming smoother and smoother.
Ruan Mingchu simply stopped kneading and started pounding with his fist.
Grandpa Ren smiled and said, "Any way is fine."
Qing Sui flour is not wheat flour. Kneading it too much will not produce a gluten window; it will only become smoother and the dough will gradually become shiny and translucent.
Taking a deep breath, Ruan Mingchu noticed a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Grandpa Ren confirmed his feeling: "The more you knead it, the more fragrant it becomes!"
Once the dough was kneaded, the huge pancake pan was taken out and placed on the table.
Grandpa Ren used an oil brush to grease the pot. "You can't use any other kind of oil. If you do, the taste won't be right. You have to use oil pressed from the stalks of green stalks, and then add some animal fat to adjust it. These animals are only fed green stalks their whole lives. You can't feed them anything else."
In short, it's very particular.
The green spike oil is completely free of any impurities, is transparent and clear, and has no smell whatsoever.
However, once the pot is heated up, the aroma of the green stalks bursts forth, accompanied by the rich flavor of the oil, making one's mouth water.
Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu stared intently at the pancake pan. Grandpa Ren laughed heartily, his hands keeping pace, pinching off pieces of dough, pressing them down with his palm, and tossing them into the pan. The pancakes landed steadily in the pan.
He was very fast, and in no time he had filled the pan with pancakes.
If you look closely, you'll notice that the pancakes are all the same size, and even the spacing between them is almost identical.
The heated pancakes quickly became more translucent and translucent, with a faint bluish tint, while both sides turned golden brown, making them extremely beautiful.
What surprised Ruan Minh Thu even more was that when the cakes were taken out, they were taken out one by one in the order they were placed, without missing a single one.
Grandpa Ren said without any modesty, "Back when I was running my stall, other stalls were struggling to stay afloat, but the stall owners would come to me to buy pancakes."
"It's a little hot, blow on it before you eat it."
Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu each held a green rice cake, hurriedly blew on it twice, and put it in their mouths. It was so hot that they sizzled, but they couldn't stop eating it.
Grandpa Ren laughed heartily, “It’s delicious hot or cold, the flavors are quite different. You can also dip it in sauce. The sauce from Da Sui City is also excellent. However, the sauce here is still fermenting. I’ll go buy some for you tomorrow.”
"Master, you're back!"
A clear and cheerful voice burst into the kitchen. Upon hearing this, Grandpa Ren's smile deepened. Looking at the figure appearing at the kitchen door, the old man said, "Why are you back so early today?"
I came back right after school.
"Dad said you were coming back, and I missed you so much that I rushed here."
Ren Meng rushed into the kitchen, but didn't even glance at his beloved grandfather. He went straight to the baked green rice cakes in the basket, picked up several and ate them in a few bites before picking up another one and eating it at a normal pace.
While eating, he said, "Grandpa, you have no idea what I've been living these past few days while you were gone! It was absolutely unbearable! Next time you go out, please take me with you. I don't want to eat fast food with Dad!"
"Slow down, no one's going to take it from you," Old Master Ren tapped Ren Meng with his finger, "Can't you do it yourself? I've been teaching you for so long for nothing."
"These are Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu, two guests who have come from afar and will stay at our house for a few days."
"This is Ren Meng, my little grandson."
Ruan Mingchu praised, "Xiao Meng is so handsome, he looks just like you."
Grandpa Ren laughed heartily.
Ren Meng puffed out his chest: "That's right, my grandpa was the most handsome heartthrob in Da Sui City back in the day, but you guys aren't bad either."
"Sir, I happen to have the day off tomorrow and the day after. I'll take them around."
Grandpa Ren: "Get out of the way, this is my guest, there's no need for you."
"Hmph, take me with you, take me with you!" Ren Meng clung to Old Master Ren's arm and acted coquettishly.
"Go away, don't touch me with your greasy hands."
It was clear that the grandfather and grandson had a very good relationship, and Ruan Mingchu couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He was sure that when he and Mu Yu had children, their family would be just like that—happy and fulfilling.
After the four finished eating, Grandpa Ren took out a stack of lunch boxes from the storage cabinet, each with a name written on it.
“Whenever someone in our neighborhood makes something delicious and wants to share it with their neighbors, they will deliver it to each and every one of them. Because this happens quite often, each household prepares some lunchboxes specifically for their neighbors.”
It's really harmonious and friendly. Ruan Mingchu helped the old man pack the food. "The atmosphere here is so nice. Do the neighbors never have any conflicts?"
"Of course there are conflicts," the old man said. "For example, Da Niu and Da Lang's family have been arguing over the boundaries of their fields for many years without any resolution. Not to mention the distant ones, just take the land in front of their houses, for example, they even have some conflicts when they are cleaning it."
"But conflicts are conflicts, and friendships are friendships; they can be kept separate," said Grandpa Ren Mengti.
Grandpa Ren was very unhappy that his words had been interrupted. Did he have to let his grandson steal his conversation with such a sensible child? "Didn't you talk enough with your classmates during the day?"
Ren Meng chuckled, "I'm a chatterbox, you know, I never get enough of talking."
Grandpa Ren rolled his eyes.
Even the conflicts are heartwarming.
Ruan Mingchu seemed to be deep in thought, but in fact, very few people can separate conflict from friendship; otherwise, how could there be so many people who break up?
After the boxes were packed, each person carried four or five boxes, with Grandpa Ren leading the way, as they went to deliver warmth to their neighbors.
As soon as they arrived at the door, before Grandpa Ren could even knock, the door opened from the inside, and a child of about ten years old came out and said, "Thank you, Grandpa Ren."
The adults in the family followed behind and said with a smile, "We've been craving the smell for so long. It's been so long since we've had your green rice cakes. We can't sit still when we smell them."
"Hahaha," Grandpa Ren patted the child's head, "If you want to eat it again, go to Grandpa's house and find Grandpa. Grandpa will make it especially for you."
The child said sweetly, "It's a promise, okay? If Grandpa doesn't make it for me, I'll cry."
"Haha, of course, of course, here you go, take these first."
The child took the box and was about to open it, but after opening it, he let his mother eat first.
The mother and child shared food together at the door.
Grandpa Ren said, "I'll go deliver to the other families first. You all eat first."
Adults and children alike said together, "Thank you, Uncle Ren/Grandpa, have a safe journey."
Almost every house that followed was the same scene; the door would be opened from the inside before anyone even knocked.
There was only one empty house, so Grandpa Ren put the lunchbox in the box on the wall next to the door.
After the four of them finished distributing the green rice cakes, it got dark. When they returned to the Ren family home, Ren Xiaofeng was wolfing down his food in the kitchen, looking quite ravaged by a week of fast food.
Grandpa Ren scolded him without hesitation, "You're such a grown man, yet you let your child eat fast food with you. You could at least take him to a restaurant. You're always giving me trouble."