Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

The next day, the 24th day of the first lunar month, was Saturday.

Early in the morning, Xu Damao brought a blushing Xu Xiaoling to find Zhang Dabiao.

"Da Biao! My sister wants a chocolate cream cake for her birthday!"

Zhang Dabiao didn't care. He pointed to Qin Jingru and said, "It's mainly up to Jingru to do it. I'll handle the cream and chocolate, but we have to order a week in advance, otherwise we won't be able to get all the ingredients."

That's right. The cream in my little nest comes from the caterpillar cake, and there are still 6 large chocolates in the fridge. This stuff is easy to refresh, but the cream can only be enough for one cake (simplified version) in a week.

"Okay, my sister's birthday is still over a month away! I'll book it with you in advance! How much?"

Zhang Dabiao perked up. This thing can make money? It seems so.

So, together with Qin Jingru, they calculated the dimensions of an 8-inch cream cake:

5个鸡蛋、80克富强粉、20克玉米澱粉、70克牛奶、40克玉米油（张大彪用的是大豆油，没啥味道就行）、70克细砂糖。

You'll need at least 70 grams of cream, 50 grams of chocolate, and a portion of crumbly biscuits. Besides Oreos, Zhang Dabiao's little nest also has Want Want pancakes, chocolate wafer protein bars, and various other biscuits... A few grapes, a few almonds, two candles, a little ketchup to write a few words on, or any other colored jam would be even better.

You can also make some jujube cake and hawthorn cake as garnishes and toppings.

Once the cost is estimated, it's not cheap either. Add in labor, and an 8-inch one would be needed—

Xu Damao calculated it right away: 25 yuan!

"Holy crap? That's expensive?"

Zhang Dabiao and Qin Jingru were both stunned, and Xu Damao himself was also frightened.

Xu Damao explained to them, "Although your cake is delicious and novel, the cake itself is actually not expensive, only a few dollars."

"Creams, chocolate, and grapes are expensive!"

"And your cooking is expensive!"

He was also hesitant, but Xu Xiaoling, seeing that it was so expensive, suggested that they not make the cream chocolate one. Qin Jingru also suggested using jujube paste or hawthorn paste, and adding some icing sugar.

If Xu Damao could provide the ordinary materials, they would do it for free; it would only take a little effort, and Qin Jingru could practice her skills.

But Xu Damao objected: "No way, it's my sister's birthday, she wants to eat chocolate cream cake too!"

Zhang Dabiao was a little stunned: "Da Mao, how much do you make a month? Are you serious? Did you strike it rich or something?"

Xu Damao whispered to Zhang Dabiao, "I'm about to get a permanent position, and my dad is transferring me to the Workers' Cinema in the West District. They've allocated me a small courtyard there, and Xiaoling is going to live there too, so they can make room for me to find a wife."

"My sister has suffered because of my situation, shouldn't I have to spend some money to make things better?"

"Besides, if his silly Zhu has a girl, my Da Mao's girl must have one too!"

Zhang Dabiao then realized that this was a form of compensation for Xu Xiaoling, and also partly due to his competitive spirit.

only……

Did you ask Xu Xiaoling if she was willing to leave this courtyard and transfer schools?

"It's a deal then! I'm booking first, no cutting in line!"

"Once I get my permanent position, I'll treat you to dinner, bro!"

Then, Xu Damao took the still-shaken Xu Xiaoling out the door, and those who needed to go to work went to work, and those who needed to go to school went to school.

What Zhang Dabiao didn't know was that chocolate was now a nearly extinct imported luxury item, likely only found in diplomatic service departments or special overseas Chinese shops. The price was immeasurable; a small piece might cost an ordinary worker several weeks' or even months' wages.

Cream is not commonly found in the market; it is only available in Moorish hotels or hotels catering to foreign guests.

And then there's the oven for making cakes, which is something most ordinary families definitely don't have; these are the most expensive parts.

Don't even mention Xu Damao asking for 25—even if you ask for 50-100, you might not be able to buy it on the black market or through special channels.

Making a birthday cake is quite risky, isn't it?

Qin Jingru's eyes lit up – "Brother Da Biao, a cake is 25 yuan?"

"We're about to get rich!"

"Making one a week would be 25 yuan, and making four a month would be 100 yuan. On weekdays, I can also make some without cream and chocolate. I can make one a day, and let's say the cost is two yuan. I can sell them for three or five yuan. That would be enough for a month..."

Qin Jingru's little hands trembled incessantly, as if money was flying around in front of her.

But Zhang Dabiao gave her a light tap on the head.

"What are you thinking? You want to open a shop again?"

"You know that's speculation and profiteering, and I can't possibly bring back that many materials."

"I'll just make one or two for myself occasionally."

This little brat has completely fallen for money. Opening a cake shop isn't out of the question, but not now.

Zhang Dabiao ordered the maid to make breakfast again, as he still had to study today.

------------

In the factory, Sha Zhu was bragging to his apprentice Ma Hua and other kitchen helpers, including Liu Lan, in the canteen kitchen: "Do you know what a cream chocolate birthday cake is?"

"have no idea."

"..."

"It's the kind of small cake that our factory's experts on bears eat."

"Oh, oh, I know."

"The creamy chocolate cake I had yesterday tasted so much better than those little cakes the experts were eating!"

"Their little cakes were brushed with honey and sprinkled with white sugar. The one I ate had cream, chocolate chips, and grapes—that was the taste."

"Much more luxurious than their little cakes!"

Ma Hua and the others looked at Sha Zhu with envy. Master (Chef He) is really amazing. In this year, he can still eat such rare things!

But at that moment, a sound came from outside.

"Silly Zhu, you can get your hands on cream and chocolate?"

------------

Xu Damao was also bragging, "My brother's cooking skills are amazing!"

LOL!

Moreover, he has the ability to obtain ingredients that others cannot!

Do you know what a cream chocolate birthday cake is? Have you ever eaten one?

I've eaten it!

I also ordered one, but I need to book a week in advance to get all the materials ready!

how much is it?

25 yuan each!

Don't complain about the price; those cream and chocolates are not something the average person can get!

Only hotels catering to foreigners, the Old Moscow State Hotel, the Overseas Chinese Store, and department stores have them! You won't even see them anywhere else, let alone buy them!

Speculation and profiteering?

Screw you, my brother bought it for himself, that's not speculation, and besides, my brother is a purchasing agent!

And my brother said that as long as I can get the materials, he'll make it for me for free!

It's a pity my brother isn't a purchasing agent for our factory...

I was chatting with the girls from the publicity department when I heard a noise from outside.

"Xu Damao, can you get your hands on cream and chocolate?"

------------

At school, He Yushui handed the cake to her close classmate, Yu Haitang.

"Haitang, thank you for always treating me to meals. I'll treat you to this."

"What's this? A sponge cake?"

"Chocolate-filled birthday cake."

"Cream? Chocolate? How did you manage to buy this, Rainwater?"

"It's Zhang Dabiao from my courtyard, the one I told you about before..."

------------

So, the fact that Zhang Dabiao could make cream chocolate cakes inexplicably spread.