It seemed like she could see through everything clearly.

“Didn’t you know whether it’s done or not?” Jian Xiu smiled and asked in response.

Hearing this, Rong Zhihe could only helplessly shake his head.

He pointed to the seat across from him, signaling Jian Xiu to sit there.

After she sat down, Rong Zhihe poured her a cup of tea from the teapot in his hand.

“Try it, how’s the tea?”

“I’m just a simple housewife, just an ordinary person. I really can’t dare to comment on something like tea,” Jian Xiu humbly said.

“Do we need to hide anything between us? Today, Miss Jian, you truly opened my eyes,” Rong Zhihe said.

“As long as you don’t laugh at me for making a fool of myself, I’m already grateful,” Jian Xiu replied.

“Hahaha…”

Casually picking up the cup, Rong Zhihe sniffed the tea before Jian Xiu took a sip.

“The tea is bitter with a touch of sweetness, sweet with a hint of fragrance. It’s truly good tea here at your place,” Jian Xiu said with a smile as she set the cup down.

“Miss Jian, you truly understand tea. If you like it, would you like me to bring a bag for you to take back later?” Rong Zhihe asked politely.

Upon hearing this, Jian Xiu instinctively wanted to decline.

But then she thought about their future cooperation and lightly nodded.

“Then, I’ll thank Mr. Rong in advance. Since you invited me here today, it shouldn’t just be to give me tea, right?”

“Hahaha… to be honest, I plan to go back to the capital. You know, the round trip takes over ten days, so I’d like to have the recipe you have.”

At this point, as if fearing Jian Xiu might misunderstand, he quickly explained:

“But rest assured, as always, we’ll give you your share of the profits. I won’t let you suffer.”

Jian Xiu nodded knowingly upon hearing Rong Zhihe’s words.

It made sense.

With the addition of cakes, Caifangzhai’s business was thriving.

Clearly, Rong Zhihe wanted to return to the capital to expand his business further.

Money? Who doesn’t love it? Jian Xiu wasn’t any different.

“Alright, how many recipes do you need?” Jian Xiu asked straightforwardly.

“It’s getting late, I plan to leave tomorrow. By the looks of it, today we should be able to learn five recipes, if that works for you?” Rong Zhihe asked.

“Naturally, that works.”

After saying this, Jian Xiu realized she had a set of writing materials on the side, so she added, “Is that for me?”

“Please, Miss Jian, use it.”

Jian Xiu then listed all the materials she needed and handed them over to Rong Zhihe. He glanced at them lightly and stood up to take Jian Xiu to the kitchen.

“Do you have these materials in the kitchen?” Jian Xiu asked curiously.

“Of course. What do you think? Caifangzhai doesn’t just make plain food. Don’t forget, we’re in the pastry business. While your materials are a bit special, they’re not impossible to get.”

Hearing this, Jian Xiu felt a little embarrassed.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to the kitchen,” Rong Zhihe said, leading the way.

“Okay!”

This time, the things Jian Xiu had to make were simple: flower cakes, donuts, wormwood rice cakes, pork floss bread…

There was also a kind of horse hoof cake she used to make often in the apocalypse.

This cake was easy to make, but here, she hadn’t seen it before.

Although it was easy to prepare, the process of grinding the flour was a bit troublesome.

So, earlier, she had asked Rong Zhihe to prepare a lot of horse hooves.

Once the flour was prepared, making the cake was much easier.

“However, if we grind the flour today, we won’t be able to make the cake today,” Jian Xiu said calmly to Rong Zhihe.

It was at this moment that Jian Xiu realized Rong Zhihe could also make pastries.

Not just that, he was actually quite skilled—better than some of the people in the kitchen.

When he asked about the process, Jian Xiu replied directly:

“Because the horse hoof flour needs to be dried under the sun for several days. After it dries, it works better.”

“Is the rest of the process complicated?” Rong Zhihe asked.

“Not at all. It’s all quite simple. I’ll write the recipe down for you. Just follow my method, and you won’t go wrong.”

“Alright…”

Jian Xiu then began teaching the kitchen staff how to make the other four pastries.

The most difficult one was the wormwood rice cake.

However, it was also the most delicious.

The cost was a bit higher, mainly because of the filling, but overall, it was one of the more expensive items.

The filling could be either sweet or savory.

As for the wormwood, it was everywhere here, just like in the apocalypse, so it didn’t cost any money.

After making all four pastries, it was already afternoon (Shenshi, between 1-5 p.m.).

She was pretty quick—thanks to everyone helping her out.

“These four pastries? You’ve seen the materials and the method. As for pricing, that’s up to you,” Jian Xiu said to Rong Zhihe.

At this moment, Rong Zhihe wasn’t even paying attention to her words; his eyes were focused on the wormwood rice cake in his hand.

Although making this cake wasn’t as complicated as the others, it was particularly delicious.

“Miss Jian, where did you get all these recipes?” Rong Zhihe couldn’t help but ask.

Jian Xiu had noticed that he had heard her question earlier, but he didn’t have time to respond at the moment.

“These are just some things I’ve researched in my spare time. If you like them, I’ll bring a few more next time and introduce new varieties to Caifangzhai.”

“Miss Jian, if that’s the case, our Caifangzhai will definitely depend on your new varieties,” Rong Zhihe teased.

“Alright, enough of that. Let’s call it a day. But remember, even though these pastries seem simple, there are many details to pay attention to. You must follow my method step by step, or the taste will be off.”

“Alright, we’ll follow your method to the letter!”

“The most important one is the wormwood rice cake. I personally think it’s the best one today, but when removing the bitterness, you must follow my method exactly.”