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

Bai's mother sat down on a small stool nearby, looking at her daughter with eyes full of satisfaction. She reached out and tucked a stray strand of sweaty hair behind her ear, and sighed:

"Xinxin, when I used to farm in the village, I toiled from dawn till dusk, and I could barely save any money all year round. Back then, I never dreamed I could live such a good life, with meat to eat every day and money coming in every day. When you first came back from that rich family, I couldn't sleep at night, worried that you'd gotten used to the good life in the city and would look down on our poor family and not be able to get used to it. Now, seeing how well you've managed this shop, I can finally put my mind at ease."

Qiao Xinxin felt a warmth in her heart, and took Bai's mother's rough but warm hand in her own, saying earnestly:

"Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? This is my home. Besides, this shop is all thanks to the hard work of our whole family. If it weren't for you and Dad working tirelessly in the kitchen from dawn till dusk, and my brother helping out in the army, how could I possibly manage all this on my own?"

Mother Bai's eyes welled up with tears at her daughter's heartfelt words. She patted her daughter's hand and chuckled, scolding her gently:

"You have such a sweet tongue, it's like it's been coated in honey!"

After resting for a while, Qiao Xinxin's restless nature came back. She stood up, walked around the shop, straightened a few slightly crooked bamboo chairs, and then used a rag to wipe the bright green leaves of the potted green ivy on the counter until they shone.

She went behind the counter and carefully calculated the accounts from the past few days.

To her surprise, she found that her turnover in the past few days was almost 30% higher than the same period last month! A large part of that was due to the new grilled skewers.

At this rate, she'll be able to save enough money to buy a brand new refrigerator at the department store in less than two months! Then it will be much more convenient to chill drinks and store meat in the summer.

Qiao Xinxin was happily making plans when her gaze suddenly fell on the simple wooden shelf next to the row of seats by the window.

That wooden shelf was specially made by Bai's father, and it held newspapers and magazines she had found at the flea market, meant for customers waiting for their food to browse, to give the shop a stylish feel. But now, with more and more customers, those magazines were long since torn and tattered from being flipped around so much.

"I'm going to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy goods tomorrow, and I'll also stop by Xinhua Bookstore to buy some new comic books and serialized books to keep," Qiao Xinxin secretly decided.

That evening, after getting off work, Qiao Xinxin lay on her small bed covered with floral sheets, her mind still racing with thoughts about the shop.

The next morning, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative in the city with her bag.

The supply and marketing cooperative was bustling with people. Qiao Xinxin queued for a long time before she finally bought all the seasonings and dried goods she needed for the shop. When she was paying, she turned her head and suddenly saw a bundle of brand-new bamboo steamers neatly arranged on the ground next to the counter.

The steamer was exquisitely crafted, woven from fresh green bamboo strips. It was small and delicate, stacked with four or five layers, and when you got close, you could smell a faint fragrance of bamboo.

Qiao Xinxin was immediately unable to move her feet.

A brilliant idea flashed into her mind, and she immediately came up with a new dish idea.

The shop's current signature dishes are braised pork belly and braised spare ribs. Although they are delicious, other state-owned restaurants and slightly larger eateries also offer them, so they are not unique. She recalled her memories of modern cuisine, among which was an extremely classic southern snack—steamed pork with rice flour.

This dish involves coating pork belly with fragrant stir-fried rice flour and steaming it thoroughly in a small steamer over high heat. The steamed pork belly is tender, juicy, and flavorful, rich yet not greasy. You can also place sweet potatoes or potatoes underneath to soak up the meat juices—it's simply divine!

Most importantly, she had never seen any restaurant in this northern city sell this dish. If it could be served in such an exquisite little bamboo steamer, it would not only look novel and beautiful, but also taste great. It would definitely become another signature dish for the restaurant, and no one else could imitate it!

Qiao Xinxin became more and more excited as she thought about it. She immediately took out the money from her bag, counted it, gritted her teeth, and said directly to the sales clerk:

"Comrade, could you please get me two bundles of these small bamboo steamers, and also those bags of high-quality glutinous rice behind the counter?"

Besides the steamer and glutinous rice, she also went to the meat counter and picked out several kilograms of fatty and lean pork belly and fresh ribs before carrying them back to the shop in large and small bags.

When they returned to the shop, Bai's mother was wiping the table. Upon seeing what Qiao Xinxin had brought back, she was startled and quickly came forward to help her take it.

"Oh dear, Xin Xin, are you going to buy supplies or moving? Why are you buying so many little bamboo baskets? Can you even use them as bowls?"

Qiao Xinxin wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, lined up the bamboo steamers on the table, and proudly raised her chin:

"Mom, this isn't just any ordinary bamboo basket, it's called a bamboo steamer! I'm thinking of adding a new dish to our shop called 'Steamed Pork with Rice Flour.' It's steamed in this steamer. I'll try making a batch later, and you can try it and see if it's good!"

With a mixture of belief and skepticism, Bai's mother picked up an exquisitely crafted steamer and examined it closely, muttering to herself:

"Steamed pork with rice flour? You can wrap pork in rice flour and steam it? That stuff is all sticky, how can it taste good?"

"Just you wait and see, I guarantee you'll want to come back for more!"

Qiao Xinxin acted immediately.

She tied on an apron and deftly washed the several pounds of pork belly, slicing it into evenly thick, palm-sized pieces. Then, she placed the slices in a large porcelain basin, adding soy sauce, cooking wine, minced ginger, a little sugar, and a touch of her own homemade spice powder.

"Sizzle—"

Qiao Xinxin mixed the meat slices and seasonings evenly, ensuring each slice was coated with the sauce, then covered the meat and set it aside to marinate.

"Mom, could you watch the fire for me? I'll stir-fry this glutinous rice first!" Qiao Xinxin called out crisply to the kitchen as she rolled up her sleeves.

Bai's mother responded from behind the stove and quickly added two evenly split pieces of firewood into the firebox.

Qiao Xinxin quickly poured the washed and semi-dry glutinous rice into the hot iron pot.

"Shhhh—"

As the spatula continued to stir, crisp sounds rang out from the pan. Qiao Xinxin stood in front of the pan, her fair face flushed red in the firelight, but her hands were extremely nimble. She wielded the spatula with the agility of a juggler, stirring the food evenly with each stroke.

"Xin Xin, is the fire ready? Should we remove two more pieces of firewood?" Mother Bai poked her head out and asked with some concern.

"Perfect timing, Mom. This fried rice needs to be stir-fried over a low flame. You can't rush it. If the heat is too high, the outside will burn while the inside remains raw, and it won't taste good after steaming." Qiao Xinxin replied sweetly, her hands moving without slowing down at all.