The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

"Alright, business is important. Be careful on the road!"

Qiao Xinxin nodded understandingly, without lingering, and took a half step back to watch him leave.

Watching that tall, straight figure in a white shirt disappear swiftly at the end of the road like a gust of wind, she turned around and hurried upstairs with light steps.

As soon as she reached the third floor, before she could even take out her keys, Qiao Xinxin smelled a strong and overpowering aroma of food wafting from under the door.

Push open the door—

"Xin Xin is back?"

Wearing sleeves and a floral apron, and holding a spatula, Mrs. Bai poked her head out of the kitchen with a smile: "Go wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon!"

Bai Zhengyuan, wearing a gray tank top, sat imposingly on the living room sofa, holding a copy of today's Guangming Daily. Hearing the door open, he immediately put down the newspaper and looked up at his beloved younger sister.

"How's it going, little sister? You must be tired after running around all morning. How did the shop go?"

"It's alright! We looked at several, and there's one I'm particularly satisfied with—it's practically tailor-made for us!"

As Qiao Xinxin changed out of her cloth shoes, she answered impatiently, her tone filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Mr. Bai came out of the kitchen carrying two steaming plates of food. Hearing his daughter's strong voice, a relieved smile appeared on his weathered face, etched with years of hard work: "It's good that you like it, it's good that you like it!"

Mother Bai carried the last large bowl of soup out of the kitchen and placed it steadily in the center of the dining table. As she untied her apron, she greeted everyone, "Alright, alright, no matter how joyous the occasion, we must fill our stomachs first! Come, sit down, let's eat first, and we can chat more afterwards!"

The family of four sat happily around the old square dining table.

When Qiao Xinxin picked up her chopsticks, she glanced down at the table and was surprised to find that all the dishes on the table were the ones she had taught Bai's mother to make in the kitchen last night!

The dish features braised pork ribs with a glossy, reddish-brown color, sweet and sour fish coated in a rich broth, crisp and refreshing stir-fried seasonal vegetables, garlicky cucumber salad, and a bowl of golden-yellow egg and tomato soup floating with scallions in the center.

It looks and smells delicious, and it's so tempting!

"Mom, this...you did all of this by yourself?!"

Qiao Xinxin's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the table full of dishes, then at her mother, Bai, who was looking on expectantly for praise. Her eyes sparkled with delight.

A little embarrassed by her daughter's bright eyes, Bai's mother, still holding the spatula, hastily wiped it on her apron and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Mom followed the steps you taught me last night, slowly and carefully. Try it and see if it tastes right?"

Qiao Xinxin couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks, precisely pick up a piece of braised pork rib with a bright red color, blow on it to cool it down, and take a bite.

"Hmm!"

Qiao Xinxin's eyes lit up instantly.

The ribs were stewed until tender and falling off the bone, juicy and perfectly balanced between salty and sweet. Although the cooking technique wasn't quite as good as her own skill in making caramelized sugar and reducing the sauce, in the 1980s, without the aid of modern high-tech seasonings, this flavor absolutely surpassed most of the chefs in state-run restaurants!

"tasty!"

Qiao Xinxin swallowed the meat in her mouth, gave a generous thumbs-up, and exclaimed sincerely, "Mom, you're a genius! This is amazing! To cook to this level on your first try is so much better than when I first learned to cook!"

"Oh, it's not as exaggerated as you say." Bai's mother blushed at the praise, but felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey. She waved her hands repeatedly, "It's all thanks to Xin Xin's teaching. You personally determined the seasoning ratio."

Bai Zhengyuan couldn't wait any longer. He picked up a piece of pork rib with his chopsticks and threw it into his mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, his sharp eyes suddenly widened.

"Mom, did you really make this?!" Bai Zhengyuan gave a thumbs up, his face full of astonishment. "This tastes amazing! It's a hundred times better than the medley food in our army canteen that's been cooked the same way for centuries!"

Mr. Bai was a rough man who wasn't good with words. He didn't say a word of nonsense, but his hands holding chopsticks were practically blurry! Especially the plate of sweet and sour fish in front of him. With each rise and fall of his chopsticks, he silently ate most of the fish, not even letting go of the scallion shreds dipped in the sauce.

The family sat around the table, chatting and laughing. Above them was a warm, dim light bulb, and on the table sat a steaming meal.

Although Bai Mu's cooking skills may not be considered amazing, they are made with heart, and every dish exudes a down-to-earth and fresh "taste of home".

While shoveling rice into her mouth, Qiao Xinxin secretly made plans in her mind.

My mother's learning ability and understanding of cooking temperature far exceeded my expectations! At this rate of practice, it won't even take half a month for my mother to be able to work independently and become the absolute mainstay of the future braised food restaurant's kitchen!

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Bai's mother quickly got up to clear the table, while Bai's father took a rag and helped wipe the table and sweep the floor.

Bai Zhengyuan and Qiao Xinxin moved to the old sofa in the living room, each holding an enamel mug, and began to talk about serious matters.

"Xin Xin, tell me, how did it go with all the shops you looked at this morning? Did you find anything particularly suitable?" Bai Zhengyuan blew on the floating tea leaves in his teacup, his tone becoming serious, displaying the composed demeanor of a patriarch.

"Yes! And it's a perfect match!"

Qiao Xinxin put down her water glass and systematically reviewed the shops she had visited that day. She analyzed their advantages and disadvantages in detail, from size and location to foot traffic, lighting, and rent.

Finally, she highlighted the shop on Locust Blossom Street.

"Brother, the one I like best is in the middle of Huaihua Street. There are factories and residential compounds nearby, so the foot traffic is definitely not small! The best thing is its size. The front is more than 40 square meters, spacious and bright; and there is also a kitchen of more than 10 square meters in the back!"

"Most importantly, the previous owner of that shop ran away because he owed rent, leaving everything in the shop as collateral. The solid wood eight-immortal table and chairs, spice rack, double-burner stove, iron pot, even the pots and pans are all ready-made! We just need to clean it up a bit, and we can start cooking and opening for business immediately, which will save us a lot of money on equipment!"

After listening, a hint of appreciation flashed in Bai Zhengyuan's eyes, which were used to carrying out missions for many years and were accustomed to analyzing pros and cons.

"From what you're saying, this shop is definitely in high demand."

Qiao Xinxin proudly raised her chin, then dropped a bombshell: "Right! And the original monthly rent was one hundred yuan, with a minimum annual rent of one thousand one hundred yuan, plus a one hundred yuan deposit. Later, Brother Lu spoke on my behalf to Uncle Zhou, who was in charge of the shop, and Uncle Zhou immediately decided: if we rent it, we'll only charge one thousand yuan a year! The deposit is still one hundred!"

"One thousand dollars?!"

Bai Zhengyuan's hand, holding the teacup, suddenly froze, and he exclaimed in surprise, "So that works out to... only eighty-odd yuan a month?!"

"Yes! I saved a whole hundred yuan!" Qiao Xinxin smiled, her eyes crinkling like a little fox who had successfully stolen a bite.

"A thousand yuan a year? And that includes a table, chairs, and a full set of pots and pans?!"