Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 22 - 21: Crab Shell Cake (Request for monthly ticket!)

On the morning of the second day, originally planning to sleep an extra hour and go to the store to make buns by 5 o'clock, Qin Huai was woken up at 4 o'clock because he forgot to set the alarm, forcing him to start work early.

When Qin Huai arrived at the canteen, Qin Congwen and Zhao Rong were already making pork buns.

Qin Luo was still asleep. Yesterday was the first day of opening, and Qin Congwen and Zhao Rong thought it was such an important day that the family should prepare early together, so they woke up Qin Luo. Today had become an uneventful second day, and since Qin Luo was still growing, with some effort, he might even grow a few more centimeters, so he returned to his happy life of sleeping until he naturally woke up.

Qin Huai glanced at the ingredients Qin Congwen prepared and found that there were a lot more than yesterday.

Apparently, Qin Congwen noticed the sales were great yesterday, with the buns sold out by noon, and planned to make more.

There were plenty of workers nearby who preferred to save money by eating cheap buns for lunch and dinner. After the buns sold out, some customers actively asked why the cheap large meat buns were gone.

The 1.5-yuan buns didn't make much money, but Qin Congwen had made a lifetime living selling breakfast, always believing that no matter how small a profit, it was still meat. As long as he could sell it, he'd make more, earning a little more was something.

A good business made for a good mood. Qin Congwen was full of drive early in the morning making buns, even happily humming a tune.

Kneading dough, Qin Huai couldn't help but laugh, "Dad, why don't you just close the breakfast shop at home and rent the space out to someone else? Just stay here with me selling buns. The sales aren't any worse than at home."

"That won't do," Qin Congwen replied without hesitation, "Luoluo's school registration is still at home, and school starts in September for high school. Your mom and I have to go back. Otherwise, if we let your aunt take care of him, she'll drive him crazy."

"Yes, apart from being a bit better at English, Luoluo isn't doing well in Chinese, math, physics, chemistry, or biology. The results from the high school entrance exam aren't out yet, and we don't know if he can get into a city high school. I heard if the score gap is big, the selection fee is not cheap. The two high schools in our county are getting worse each year," Zhao Rong had endless worries when it came to Qin Luo's further studies, "We don't even know if the kid can keep up in high school. To make up for all five subjects in one week, it's hard to say."

If five subjects had to be made up for in one week... Qin Huai could only light a candle for Qin Luo's tragic high school life in advance.

After kneading the dough, Qin Huai divided the peeled fresh shrimp prepared by Qin Congwen into two portions.

Noticing Qin Huai's actions, Qin Congwen asked, "Huaihuai, did Dad prepare too much? I can peel fewer tomorrow."

"No," Qin Huai shook his head, pointing to the smaller portion, "This is for making Crab Shell Cake."

Crab Shell Cake, a famous Shanghai snack.

The name comes from its yellow round shape baked into a small pastry, resembling a crab shell. A poem praises it as "smelling it before seeing the bakery, biting in, the flaky pastry falls," showing its crispy texture with sweet and salty flavors.

Qin Huai can make the sweet one with white sugar mixed with lard. He can also make the salty one with diced pork. But as for the fresh shrimp filling Ouyang wanted, Qin Huai couldn't make it.

Qin Luo doesn't like shrimp, and normally, the Qin Family doesn't make wontons with fresh shrimp filling.

The early method of making Crab Shell Cake was to stick the raw dough directly to the stove wall to bake. Now it's not so complicated; just bake it in the oven for quick and bulk production, making it very time-saving and effortless with technological support.

Ouyang had wanted to eat Crab Shell Cake for a while, Qin Huai heard from Qin Luo, and yesterday he specifically asked for a fresh shrimp filling. Qin Huai felt it was time to fulfill his godson's wish.

After all, during the time when Qin Huai first came to inherit the legacy, it was Ouyang who offered to let him stay at his place. Ouyang had helped him out a lot, so even if Qin Huai had never made a fresh shrimp filling, he had to try.

No experience needed, recipes are available online.

Qin Huai simmered the Five Fillings Bun stuffing over low heat while checking recipe instructions on his phone.

After watching, it didn't work.

The person teaching how to make Crab Shell Cake had poor skills.

The appearance looked great, brushed with egg yolk and sprinkled with white sesame seeds, but the filling-making process was obviously questionable. Shrimp was minced and mixed with pork, plus sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and white sugar, with even a bit of oyster sauce. He seemed to include every possible seasoning from the kitchen.

This kind of fresh shrimp filling snack was meant for enjoying the unique taste of shrimp. The flavor was mild; too much pork overpowers it, while too little gives no taste. If you add a seasoning medley, the final filling tastes like seasonings, wasting the shrimp.

Qin Huai shook his head and closed it, looking for the next one.

That one didn't work either.

Truly amazing secret recipes couldn't appear on the internet, right? After all, they're secret recipes.

Forget it, I'll make it based on feel.

Qin Huai believed Ouyang wouldn't mind.

Besides, he always had a good sense.

Qin Huai started three tasks simultaneously, supervising the bun fillings in the pot, overseeing the quietly fermenting dough, while also preparing the Crab Shell Cake filling.

At 6:07, the first batch of fresh shrimp Crab Shell Cakes came out of the oven, smelling fantastic.

Almost right on time, Ouyang walked into the shop at 6:08, arriving even earlier than the employees rewarded for being ahead 100%.

Even Huang Xi hadn't arrived at this time.

Qin Huai didn't encourage employees to start work early, as there weren't many customers early anyway, and Qin Huai and the few early runners could handle the few customers easily.

Rent near Yunzhong District wasn't cheap, the shop's employees generally lived further away, and working early shifts required waking up early. Qin Huai understood the pain of not being able to sleep in, and wasn't overly strict about punctual check-in.

"Crab Shell Cake!" Ouyang immediately noticed the golden Crab Shell Cakes.

A whole tray of Crab Shell Cakes neatly aligned was indeed eye-catching, not to mention they were just out of the oven. Crab Shell Cakes are already flaky pastries, and anyone who has hovered around a snack shop knows how fragrant fresh flaky pastries are.

Ouyang took a deep, intoxicating breath.

"Aroma! So aromatic! My early wake-up was worth it, Qin Huai, I can eat ten of these!"

Qin Huai didn't believe Ouyang's bluff. The Five Fillings Bun and Three Meat Buns in the small steamer would be ready in a couple of minutes.

"How about trying two first?" Qin Huai picked up the rack.

Ouyang nodded crazily.

Qin Huai put two Crab Shell Cakes on a small plate, meanwhile instructing Ouyang to find the tag for Crab Shell Cakes in the storage and hang it in the window, reminding him that these fresh out of the oven were truly mouth-burning, much hotter than buns, not to eat directly without Qin Luo's iron mouth ability.

Ouyang went to find the tag, fiddled for a while, and by the time he washed his hands and returned, they were just right to eat.

He carefully picked one up with his hands, squeezing a bit too hard, causing the flaky pastry to fall off.

A bite.

Flaky, aromatic, salty, and fresh.

The flaky pastry and sesame crumbs clung to the sides of his mouth and fell onto the table, coating half his body. The savory taste of pork and the flavor of shrimps stood out sharply. Ouyang took a bite, feeling the shrimp must be exceptional.

There's a shrimp flavor!

He had eaten many fresh shrimp snacks, including fresh shrimp wontons with a whole shrimp inside, and couldn't really taste the shrimp.

But this Crab Shell Cake did.

And it was aromatic and crisp.

Without hesitation, Ouyang devoured the remaining Crab Shell Cake in one bite. Picking up the second one, he opened his mouth wide, popping it in the same way.

One in one bite, so satisfying!

This time he could actually eat 10!

Chewing happily, Ouyang lamented in his heart how unfortunate his parents were.

How couldn't his parents have happened to travel to Qiu County 20 years ago, just happened to pass by the orphanage, happened to meet Qin Huai, and adopted Qin Huai?

If so, wouldn't Qin Huai be his younger brother?

Right now, the good days of eating snacks every day like Qin Luo, wouldn't he, Ouyang, have them?

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Ouyang looked at Qin Huai, his eyes filled with regret.

Qin Huai: ...

Why did Ouyang's gaze feel weird?