My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 122 Egg Tart
More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye in Shanghai.

As time went by, the renovation of the coffee shop was nearing completion, and the coffee shop was taking shape.

Because of the coffee shop's unique decor, and the fact that large floor-to-ceiling windows were made by breaking through the walls on both sides of the street-facing facade, it looked completely different from most interior design styles of the time, and quickly attracted the attention of many passersby.

As the shop sign was put up, passersby wondered what the place was for after seeing the fancy English letters, the Chinese characters for violet, and the patterns.

"Could it be that the barbershop on Wukang Road has moved here? That would be great, it will be much more convenient to get my hair done in the future."

This is what an older auntie said. Indeed, not far to the west, about three kilometers away, there is a famous hair salon in Shanghai called Violet Hair Salon. This salon and the Red Rose Hair Salon at the intersection of Xiafei Road are considered the two top hair salons in Shanghai.

Lin Ying and her friends' shop also happens to be called Violet, but although the names are the same, the style of the shop sign is completely different, appearing more novel and elegant.

“How could that be!” An old man shook his head and retorted, “Opening a barbershop in such a good location? How could you even think of that? And what kind of place is this? It’s a newly opened four-star hotel. Do you even know what a four-star hotel is? Besides, I don’t see any big, high-backed chairs for barbers inside. There are just small square tables and sofas. This should be a restaurant.”

"It doesn't look like a restaurant to me."

Another stylishly dressed elderly man shook his head, pointing to the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows and saying, "How could a restaurant use such small square tables and sofas? What restaurant sets up like this? How many dishes can you put on such a small square table? How can you eat on a comfortable sofa? I think this should be a salon."

"What is 'foolishness'?" a young man asked in confusion. He had never heard of or seen this term before.

"Tch! It's a salon, not some silly thing. You don't even know what a salon is? Le Salon! Do you even know that?" The old man deliberately said in fluent French, then shook his head and sighed, "These young people in Shanghai these days, they don't even know what a salon is, it's just... tsk tsk tsk."

"Oh my, old man, stop putting on airs and throwing your weight around. So what if you know? How many times have you been to a foreign salon? Le Salon, my foot! You're just a bunch of rotten mud pretending to be a diamond. Help me out, will you?" A middle-aged man scoffed from the side. He couldn't stand these pretentious people the most, acting like they were high-class when they were just all show and no substance.

Shanghai is a city teeming with hidden talents. Anyone whose parents lived here long enough has seen a lot. Besides, you call a salon a salon? Foreign salons always emphasize privacy; how could they possibly use huge floor-to-ceiling windows like that? Wouldn't that just let passersby see the charlatans performing their tricks inside?

"You... what do you know! Do you know more than I do? Back in my youth..."

"Alright, alright, stop reminiscing about the past. If you keep thinking about the past, you'll end up in Siberia."

"Cena!"

"Nonsense!"

……

Passersby outside started arguing because of their differing opinions, but it didn't affect the people inside the coffee shop.

The overall renovation of the coffee shop is basically complete, with only some finishing touches remaining. Most of the construction team has already left, leaving only a few plumbers, electricians, and carpenters to do the interior details.

As for the small garden outside the back door, it's almost finished. The remaining soft furnishings will be completed in a few days. However, it will still be some time before the official opening. After all, after the renovation, the coffee shop not only needs to air out the smell, but also needs to have a trial run inside to see if there are any shortcomings. As a coffee shop in a four-star hotel, Ge Xianlin attaches great importance to this matter. He had even patted his chest and guaranteed it to his superiors for the sake of this coffee shop.

"Come on, everyone, have a taste."

Lin Ying carried a plate out of the pastry shop through the back door, and as she arrived, everyone smelled a particularly sweet aroma.

"It smells so good? What is it, Second Sister?" Lin Xi quickly put down what she was doing and ran over to help. When she saw the plate in Lin Ying's hand with more than a dozen round, slightly flattened things about the size of a child's fist, she couldn't help but widen her eyes. The fragrant aroma was coming from these things, and she couldn't help but swallow.

"You glutton!" Lin Ying laughed and scolded, handing the plate to Lin Xi to carry, saying that she would take it over and invite everyone to come and eat, and see how it tasted.

"Hehe, egg tarts, they look pretty good! I didn't know you actually had this skill." Smelling the aroma, Xie Xiangrong came over with Lin Wen and immediately smiled when he saw the egg tarts on the plate.

Without a word, he reached out and picked one up, looked it over, then put it in his mouth and took a small bite. He chewed slowly and nodded slightly: "It's really good. The taste is no worse than the old Cantonese master chef's. I haven't had this for many years. You can hardly find it in Shanghai anymore." "Master, this... egg tart is really delicious?" Lin Xi asked from the side, suppressing her excitement, her little nose twitching, somewhat impatient.

"Eat, eat together! Your second sister's cooking skills are really good. She even knows how to make egg tarts. Come and have a taste." Xie Xiangrong waved her hand, and Lin Xi, who couldn't wait any longer, didn't stand on ceremony. She followed Xie Xiangrong's example and grabbed one, stuffing it into her mouth.

To her surprise, the egg tart looked only lukewarm on the outside, but it was scalding hot on the inside. Lin Xi took a big bite and immediately gasped for breath from the heat. However, the sweetness and bursting semi-liquid flavor in her mouth made her unable to give it up. She could only hold her chin with one hand, exhale sharply, and swallow with great difficulty.

"Delicious, so delicious!" Lin Xi mumbled, her eyes sparkling. Lin Wen, standing beside her, was much better off, taking small sips, but she also showed a look of delight.

The taste was absolutely amazing. The crust was crispy, the inside was soft and fluffy, and the filling was semi-liquid. The aroma of the pastry, milk, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients baked together was irresistible. It was a delicious treat she had never tasted before.

Watching them devour the food with great enthusiasm, nearly half of it was gone in the blink of an eye. Lin Ying smiled and said that these things shouldn't be eaten too much; this was only the first time she made them, just enough for everyone to try. She would send the rest to the busy workers so they could also have a taste. She would bake another batch later and send some to Ge Xianlin as well.

After eating two, Xie Xiangrong stopped, clapped his hands, and praised Lin Ying highly. With egg tarts, the coffee shop's pastries now had a signature product. However, Xie Xiangrong also asked Lin Ying what else she planned to make besides egg tarts. Lin Ying was already prepared and told Xie Xiangrong that in addition to egg tarts, the coffee shop also planned to bake waffles, cookies, financiers, crepes, and puddings.

These items are mainly sold as a set, and they are made in rotation. If conditions and time permit, Lin Ying also plans to try making even tastier Swiss rolls.

However, Lin Ying has no plans to bring out other Western-style pastries for the time being. After all, the pastries she has decided on so far are enough. As for some more advanced pastries, there are limitations in both the materials and the conditions.

While tiramisu and other Western desserts are delicious, their preparation requires very strict standards. Lin Ying didn't want her customers to end up in the hospital due to limited resources or insufficient storage. Therefore, she currently chooses desserts that are readily available in the market, not too difficult to make, and easy to store, which also suits the needs of a coffee shop.

Xie Xiangrong nodded after listening, giving Lin Ying a very approving look. He hadn't expected Lin Ying to be so thoughtful. Indeed, they were a coffee shop, not a pastry shop, and the pastries she had ordered were enough. Making and selling them herself, along with the coffee, would perfectly meet their needs.

After chatting for a while, Lin Wen gave away all the remaining egg tarts, and everyone who ate them praised them highly.

After putting away the empty plates, Lin Ying returned to the pastry room to bake the next batch. Once this batch was finished, she and Xie Xiangrong went to Ge Xianlin's office and took all the egg tarts with them.

Ge Xianlin was quite surprised to see the egg tarts delivered, and his eyebrows immediately rose after he tasted one.

"Kobayashi actually has this skill? Where did he learn it?"

"Hehe, just trying to make a living." Lin Ying laughed, but avoided his question.

Ge Xianlin didn't mind, smiled and looked at the egg tarts on the table, then said to Xie Xiangrong, "Old Xie, I want to discuss something with you..."

"Don't even think about it!" Xie Xiangrong said bluntly before he could finish speaking.

"What do you mean? I haven't finished speaking yet, why are you in such a hurry?" Ge Xianlin laughed.

Xie Xiangrong waved his hand: "Do you think I don't know you? I know what you're up to the moment you bend over. You just think the stuff looks good and want to take the whole thing, pot and all. Dream on!"

"How...how can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air? Am I that kind of person?" Ge Xianlin asked angrily, his eyes wide.

"Innocence? Bah!" Xie Xiangrong retorted without any politeness: "What innocence do you have? Did your eyes roll just now? Did your head tilt? I've known you for decades, and you always act like this whenever you're up to no good. If I couldn't see what you were thinking, I might as well just find a block of tofu and kill myself."

"You...I..." Ge Xianlin's face flushed red and then darkened, but he was helpless against Xie Xiangrong. Although he denied it verbally, Xie Xiangrong was right. He had indeed had such thoughts for a moment, but before he could say them, the old man cut him off.

However, Ge Xianlin wasn't in charge of the hotel for nothing; being shameless meant nothing to him. He quickly regained his composure, chuckled, and offered Xie Xiangrong a cigarette, lighting it for him with great care. Then, he said with a smile, "You, you really misunderstood me. I just wanted to ask if Xiao Lin could teach our pastry chefs how to make egg tarts. You know the hotel has a tea room and a restaurant. Egg tarts are a Cantonese dim sum. We're all family here, so it's not like we're separate people. Let my people learn from Xiao Lin, we can exchange knowledge, right?"

(End of this chapter)