4:30 a.m.

Lin Xu placed Dundun in the shop, then drove the produce truck his master had rented to the Chunfeng Vegetable Market to buy vegetables.

"Boss Lin, congratulations on winning the championship! The Guangdong cabbage you ordered is all ready. It's top quality, the best in the entire wholesale market," Uncle Shen greeted Lin Xu with a smile as soon as he saw him.

The stall was stacked with bundles of lush green Guangdong cabbage, looking exceptionally tender and fresh.

Guangdong cabbage, also known as choy sum or Chinese flowering cabbage, is a cruciferous plant unique to the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. It is cherished for its tender taste, can be grown year-round, and is the most common vegetable there.

After acquiring the recipe for Boiled Chinese Broccoli yesterday, Lin Xu had made immediate preparations to introduce it at his restaurant.

Customers had often complained that there were no green vegetables in the shop, saying that eating there every day could lead to 'internal heat.'

Now, finally, there was a vegetable dish available.

While selecting the Guangdong cabbage, Lin Xu said to Uncle Shen, "Lin Ji might have to close for a period soon. We're preparing to renovate and turn it into a proper restaurant. When that happens, I won't be able to come here to buy vegetables, so I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Shen, to deliver them to the shop."

To save on labor, owners of small eateries usually purchased ingredients themselves. They bargained where they could, as saving even a little was beneficial. Larger restaurants, however, had dedicated purchasing departments responsible for selecting and inspecting ingredients, relieving Lin Xu of the need to do it himself.

"Oh, congratulations, Boss Lin! Just let me know in advance when you plan to close for renovations, so I can adjust the volume of vegetables I stock."

"Sure, no problem!"

After loading all the purchased vegetables and other ingredients into the truck, Lin Xu bought some meat and then drove back to the shop.

First, he unloaded the truck. Then he processed the ingredients, soaking, scalding, or washing them as needed.

After finishing these tasks, he washed his hands, mixed a bit of Dough, and prepared to make some chicken soup with noodle sheets.

The weather was very hot, and he was sweating a lot, so he needed to drink more salty soup to replenish lost salt.

The Dough required for the noodle sheets was the same as that for making wontons. It just needed to be rolled into thin sheets.

This home-style dish of chicken soup with noodle sheets required a broth that was savory yet not greasy. The noodle sheets should be thin and translucent, smooth to eat, and perfectly seasoned.

A hot bowl of this noodle soup, paired with a staple food, would provide all the energy needed for the morning.

The chicken broth was ready-made. These days, it was always simmering in the shop.

Once the Dough had rested sufficiently, he could start rolling it out and cooking.

While the Dough rested, Lin Xu used this Kung Fu to mix another batch of Dough with high-gluten flour, intending to pan-fry some beef-filled pancakes on the flat griddle. He couldn't eat steamed buns and pan-fried buns all the time; it was important to vary the menu occasionally. After all, breakfast wasn't sold to the public, so he could make whatever he liked, allowing for considerable freedom.

After mixing the Dough, he set it aside to rest.

Next, he soaked some glass noodles, then chopped some scallions and ginger. He placed them in a bowl of cooled boiled water, added two small spoonfuls of salt, and massaged them in the water about ten times to create a Scallion and Ginger saltwater.

Adding salt directly to the beef filling could cause it to lose moisture, but using salted water was fine.

Once the Scallion and Ginger saltwater was ready, he took a piece of beef tenderloin and finely minced it with a cleaver. He added Light Soy Sauce, oyster sauce, and ground pepper, stirring until well mixed. Then, he gradually incorporated the Scallion and Ginger saltwater, beating the mixture until it became elastic and held its shape.

「Half an hour later.」

The Dough had properly rested, and the meat filling was marinated.

Lin Xu retrieved the softened glass noodles, chopped them, and added them to the meat filling. He then chopped some more fresh Scallions and mixed them in.

When preparing meat fillings for items like steamed buns, dumplings, or savory pancakes, chopped scallions must only be added right before use. Otherwise, the filling could develop an unpleasant, stale scallion odor.

After adding the chopped Scallions to the meat filling, he drizzled Dark Soy Sauce into the bowl, added a little lard and Sichuan peppercorn oil, then stirred everything until evenly combined.

The amount of salt in the beef was already sufficient, so there was no need to add more.

Lin Xu spread a little cooking oil on his work surface. He turned the rested Dough out onto it, coated the Dough evenly with more cooking oil, then rolled it into a long log and divided it into equal-sized portions.

The Dough for these beef pancakes must not be kneaded. Otherwise, the gluten would develop too much, causing the pancake skins to shrink during cooking.

He flattened each portion of Dough, brushed it with a little oil, and then used a rolling pin to roll it into a thin, long rectangle.

After rolling out a piece, he would slap the thin dough sheet a couple of times. He then placed some beef filling at one end. First, he folded the edges of the dough over the filling, then rolled it up towards the other end, ensuring the dough tightly encased the filling.

Once the filling was completely wrapped, he gently pressed the roll flat, and a beef pancake Dough was formed.

After preparing enough for roughly one batch, Lin Xu placed a flat-bottomed pan on the stove. Once it was hot, he greased the bottom with a layer of oil. He then carefully placed the beef pancakes into the pan one by one, covered it with a lid, and let them cook over low heat.

The Filling mixing, Dough preparation, and even the final shaping of the beef pancakes—he could accomplish all of this thanks to his Skill. However, he was a bit unsure about the final frying process. Therefore, he could only fry them slowly over low heat, preferring to take his time rather than risk burning them.

Now was when having a master would have been truly advantageous. If his master were here, there would be no worries about controlling the heat for these beef pancakes; even on high heat, he could cook them until they were perfectly golden and crisp on both sides. Unfortunately, the old 'Sea King' had retired. He wondered if he'd ever get to enjoy the drama between him and the Leopard-Print Auntie again.

「About two minutes later.」

Lin Xu lifted the lid and brushed a layer of oil on the pancakes.

Then, using a spatula, he flipped them over.

The side that had been against the pan was now nicely browned and emitted a pleasant, doughy aroma. What a pity it wasn't cooked through yet; otherwise, he definitely would have had a taste.

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