Chapter 16: Making Desserts

When going up the mountain, the speed was slow because they had to look for the Little White Fox. Now going downhill, Zhou Yu and Huzi went very fast.

This search for the Little White Fox also proved that its parents had really run into trouble, leaving the little one an orphan. Despite that, it still survived stubbornly.

Just after coming down the mountain, Zhou Yu received a call from Wei Dehua. He said the contract was ready, and he was also heading to Taoyuan Village, asking where to meet and sign.

Zhou Yu naturally chose his uncle’s shop again. Right now, the yard had nothing to offer and wasn’t suitable for entertaining guests, especially since the most important Spirit Gathering Array was in the yard.

He rode his electric scooter, carrying over twenty bunches of grapes in a black bag, and headed to Guomin Food Stall.

It was just past eight o’clock. Li Guomin’s shop had just opened. He was tidying things up, and no customers had arrived yet.

“Uncle.” Zhou Yu stopped his scooter in front of the shop and greeted Li Guomin.

Li Guomin paused his work and said with a smile, “Xiao Yu, you’re up so early. That Biaozi fellow is still nowhere to be seen.” At the end, his tone held a hint of disappointment.

“Biaozi is married now, of course it’s different. Don’t scold him every day; he’s actually quite hardworking,” Zhou Yu shook his head, taking two bunches of grapes from the bag. “Here, Uncle, freshly picked grapes.”

Li Guomin looked at the grapes resembling purple gems and secretly swallowed. It was truly because these grapes were too delicious, unforgettable, making you want to eat them at the sight. “Xiao Yu, you’re not selling these grapes for money but giving them to me instead.”

“Just a couple bunches of grapes, it’s nothing,” Zhou Yu said without concern. Back when his family was poor, his aunt and uncle would secretly slip a few hundred yuan under the quilt every time they visited as relatives, afraid his parents would refuse face-to-face. He remembered that clearly from his childhood.

After waiting a few minutes in the shop, Wei Dehua arrived. They greeted each other, sat at one of the tables, and began signing the contract.

Zhou Yu didn’t relax at all just because they had talked beforehand. He held the contract, carefully reading each clause one by one. The contract wasn’t long, just over ten items, clearly stating the obligations and responsibilities of both parties with no mistakes.

After reading both copies, Zhou Yu said there were no issues, so he and Wei Dehua each signed their names on the contracts.

After signing, he raised the teacup on the table and said with a smile, “Manager Wei, may we have a pleasant cooperation.”

“Mr. Zhou, pleasant cooperation,” Wei Dehua also said formally with a smile.

Then, Zhou Yu handed him the bag containing twenty bunches of grapes. “Here are today’s twenty bunches.”

Immediately, Wei Dehua took it, not caring about the bag at all. He opened it and saw bunches of purple grapes inside, very beautiful and tempting.

Looking at these grapes in the bag, excitement showed on his face. This was the key to whether his shop could become famous.

“Xiao Yu, I’ll go back now to make desserts and drinks. Would you like to come and try some?” Seeing these beautiful grapes, Wei Dehua couldn’t help but say. Yesterday, the two bunches Zhou Yu left at the shop were eaten up quickly; they hadn’t had time to make any desserts.

“Sure, Uncle Wei, I’m very interested,” Zhou Yu said eagerly, wondering what taste desserts or drinks made from these grapes would have.

Wei Dehua laughed heartily. “Alright, follow me back then.”

After bidding farewell to Li Guomin, Wei Dehua took Zhou Yu to a nearby parking lot, got into his car, and they headed toward Xing’an Town. In Taoyuan Village, outside tourists couldn’t drive cars around the village freely; they had to park in the parking lot, which was also for the sake of the villagers and the environment.

Soon, Zhou Yu and Wei Dehua returned to Sweetheart Cottage. After parking the car, Wei Dehua gently opened the trunk and took out a chilled foam box placed inside; the twenty bunches of grapes were in it.

Seeing the manager return, the two servers at Sweetheart Cottage quickly opened the door to help, wanting to take the foam box from Wei Dehua. But Wei Dehua shook his head, carrying the box straight into the shop.

“It’s you. The manager must be carrying grapes. Great!” Seeing Zhou Yu at the door, the two young female servers said with surprise, then full of delight.

They didn’t know about Wei Dehua’s negotiation with Zhou Yu last night, and Wei Dehua had left mysteriously this morning. So, seeing their manager had reached a deal with Zhou Yu now, they were also very happy inside.

Zhou Yu put his finger to his lips. “Shh, keep it secret. Don’t tell anyone.” After saying that, he followed Wei Dehua into the shop.

The other servers in the shop, seeing Zhou Yu, showed the same expression, full of delight and anticipation.

Zhou Yu followed Wei Dehua into the back dessert-making room. Two female dessert chefs were making desserts at the time. When Wei Dehua opened the box and they saw the grapes inside, they exclaimed in surprise, “Manager, you really got those grapes?”

They were making desserts yesterday and didn’t see Zhou Yu, but later, they also tasted that kind of grape.

Wei Dehua laughed loudly, very happily. “Haha, when I personally handle things, is there anything I can’t manage? I’ll make the first grape desserts myself. You go handle other tasks.”

He wanted to personally make these grape desserts to let Zhou Yu, his partner, have a taste, and also to satisfy his own restless heart.

“Xiao Yu, what kind of desserts do you like?” Wei Dehua asked Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu quickly waved his hand. “Uncle Wei, you decide. I’m not picky.” Regarding things like desserts, he really never had been picky.

“Alright then. You just watch from the side how these grapes become beautiful and delicious desserts,” Wei Dehua said. Then he put on a white work uniform, wore gloves, took a bunch of grapes from the box, and started making them.

First, Wei Dehua peeled and removed the seeds from the grapes one by one, then put them into a juicer to make grape juice, which he then heated over a water bath.

Next, he took out some powdery substance. From the writing on the package, Zhou Yu learned it was gelatin powder.

Wei Dehua also dissolved the gelatin powder by heating it over a water bath, then poured it into the hot grape juice. After the liquid cooled, he took out half, put it into a mold, and pushed it into the refrigerator.

Then he took four grapes, placed them into the half of the mold that had just frozen, poured in the other half of the grape juice and gelatin mixture, and put it to freeze.

Seeing that half-chilled, formed purple transparent substance that seemed a bit elastic, Zhou Yu understood Wei Dehua was making jelly.

Then Wei Dehua took out some milk, again heating it over a water bath. He took some more gelatin powder, heated and dissolved it, then added it to the milk. After mixing the milk, he poured it into the frozen mold. Finally, he put the entire mold into the refrigerator.

“Haha, the first dessert, grape milk jelly, is done. Next is the second one,” Wei Dehua laughed heartily, then began making the second dessert.