The typhoon weather has passed. Although I set several alarms last night to force myself to wake up early, after all, there are important matters today. However, my habit of staying up late and lying in bed has not changed, so the time I promised to help others was also delayed.
Why did I force myself to get up early? It's because my old friend Yang Ge's new store is officially opening today. Previously, my face was covered in acne, and it was obvious that it was due to inflammation. Yang Ge recommended that I go to him for acupuncture. After checking my pulse, he found that my spleen and stomach were damp and cold, and my liver and gallbladder were fiery. So during those treatment days, I avoided extremely cold and hot foods. Sure enough, after several acupuncture and moxibustion sessions, the inflammation on my face disappeared due to improved blood circulation. When I learned that Yang Ge also offers bone-setting services, I didn't hesitate to get a membership card.
Since the store opened, Yang Ge has been supportive all the way, inviting friends to his cousin's steamed oyster shop and his cousin's snail noodle shop for gatherings. He has also frequently visited the coffee shop that I mainly manage, especially enjoying our hot ginger milk. Whenever Yang Ge's son returns to Taishan during holidays, he comes to the coffee shop to try new products.
On the eve of Yang Ge's new store opening, he ordered two servings of "French toast" that were cooked without a drop of oil, of course, using an air fryer. He also ordered a pot of milk tea and a pot of fruit tea. So the night before, I prepared the dough for the "French toast." To avoid wasting the crusts of the sliced bread, I even toasted them until they became hard, packed them up, and took them home. I love to pour hot water over a portion of golden-flavored oatmeal, add a beaten egg, and then soak the bread in it for a late-night snack.
This morning, I had to arrive at the shop early to chat with Yang Ge and then quickly and carefully prepare a serving of air-fried French toast. Each piece had to be small enough for a girl to finish in one bite, so I cut them into tiny pieces. To prevent sticking during the baking process, I had to evenly coat the sides or top with the beaten egg mixture, then place the uncoated side down. Since each piece had to be completed precisely, it took quite a bit of time, with the level of detail comparable to a beautiful girl applying nail polish. After finishing the process, I baked them on the highest heat for three minutes, then flipped each piece and coated them with egg mixture again, baking for another two minutes. Once baked, I placed frozen butter on top, allowing the residual heat of the French toast to melt it. In the past, we would pour condensed milk over the toast, but Yang Ge instructed me in advance to portion the condensed milk for customers to add as they like.
After packing the French toast, I asked my cousin to lend me a pot and prepared a pot of Hong Kong-style iced milk tea and a pot of kumquat lemon green tea. I then took them to Yang Ge, who indicated that I should place the food and drinks in the designated area and invited me to take a little of everything from the buffet to my plate, then find a place to sit and eat. After finishing the fried rice, fried green beans, and vegetable avocado shrimp salad, I had a slice of yogurt cheesecake and a matcha cream cake. I also tried the French toast I made, which turned out to be a bit dry and hard... there's still room for improvement. After eating, I returned to the coffee shop to check on things.
Before leaving, a female employee stopped me, saying she had a gift for me. Just looking at the outer box, which was leather, it was already very exquisite. I originally wanted to take a photo at the door and post it on social media, but I forgot to put my phone in my pocket after focusing on finishing my work. I had to go back to the coffee shop to open it and see what it was. It turned out to be a beautifully crafted ceramic tea set, even more exquisite than the outer box. I then took a photo to show my parents.
Not long after, while serving regular customers who come for coffee every day, I received a message from Yang Ge asking me to prepare another pot of fruit tea. I used Guangdong fragrant lemons and Sichuan Anyue yulu yellow lemons, squeezing half of each for juice, then added it to the tea base for Hong Kong-style lemon tea, along with sugar and ice to mix well. I took the two pots of steeped tea up, but I found that the pot that previously held kumquat lemon was now filled with cola. The staff had to pour it back into the large bottle and put my "New Greater Bay Lemon Black Tea" into the pot.
When it was time for lunch, Yang Ge asked me to send him a photo of the order list, and then he transferred the corresponding amount to me via WeChat. Yang Ge could take back the pot, and he said he could do so when he had time, but when he went to get it, he found that the lid of one of the pots was missing and couldn't be found.