Divorced and Determined: The CEO’s Ex-Wife Fights for Love

Chapter 23 Making Ice Crystal Cake! Lu Xiyao Spends the Weekend With Her Grandparents!

Lu Qin began making ice crystal cakes. He first washed the glutinous rice and japonica rice, then ground them separately into flour using a small millstone. The ratio of japonica rice to glutinous rice was 3:7. He then added boiled water, white sugar, and several complex auxiliary ingredients, mixing them into a thick dough.

The dough was placed on a board, and he repeatedly slapped it with both hands. The slapping wasn’t random, it required skill and effort. This technique is professionally known as ‘dough slapping’.

Dough slapping is a crucial step in making ice crystal cakes. If done well, the ice crystal cakes will turn out transparent and bubble-free. This technique is somewhat similar to the pounding of sticky rice cakes.

However, sticky rice cakes are pounded after steaming to make them stickier. Dough slapping, on the other hand, allows the dough to absorb oil better.

Next, he added a certain amount of roasted peanut oil. Once the oil was added, no manual stirring was needed. If the dough slapping was done correctly, the dough and the peanut oil would blend seamlessly within a few minutes.

After waiting for a while, sure enough, the dough and the peanut oil had perfectly combined, with no trace left of either. It was quite magical. Then, Lu Qin arranged cleaned four-centimeter square molds and filled them with the dough before placing them in the steamer.

The charcoal used for steaming had to be fruitwood charcoal, these small details were essential, as overlooking them could affect the final taste of the ice crystal cakes.

The next step was controlling the heat. Without at least five years of experience in making ice crystal cakes, it’s hard to master heat control. But for Lu Qin, who had mastered the art of making ice crystal cakes, controlling the heat was not a problem.

After thirty minutes, Lu Qin lifted the lid of the steamer. The ice crystal cakes, crystal clear and flawless, appeared before him.

They were perfect. Absolutely flawless. This was an authentic ice crystal cake. He had steamed sixty pounds of ice crystal cakes in three layers of bamboo steamers.

The cakes were neatly arranged on bamboo boards, looking quite pleasing to the eye. Finally, Lu Qin drizzled a bit of osmanthus honey and marigold on the surface of the ice crystal cakes. After cooling, the ice crystal cakes were complete.

Lu Qin picked up a piece and took a bite. The taste was very unique—at first, cool and sweet, followed by a rich, distinct flavor after chewing a bit.

The ice crystal cakes had a unique flavor and clear layers, leaving a lingering taste that was unforgettable. It could easily surpass any Western cake or dessert.

Lu Qin packed the ice crystal cakes into transparent plastic boxes, each containing half a pound. The price was 25 yuan per box.

Lu Qin wrote the price on the whiteboard, noting.

He also packed mung bean paste into cups, sealed them, and placed them in a foam insulated box. He would sell the mung bean paste hot in the morning since chilled mung bean paste wasn’t good for digestion.

After loading the ingredients onto the food cart, Lu Qin checked the time and went to wake up Lu Xiyao.

“Xiyao, it’s time to get up. It’s almost 9 a.m. Today, your mom will send someone to pick you up. You’ll be spending the weekend with your grandparents.”

“Mmm… Daddy~! In my dream, I was eating ice cream, but when you called me, it disappeared.”

“So?”

“So, Daddy, you need to make up for it and give your little cutie a chocolate-flavored cone.”

“Let’s see how you behave. You need to be good and not cause trouble at your grandparents’ place today.”

Lu Qin pinched the little one’s nose.

“Daddy, can I come back early? I’ll miss you.”

“Sure, I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 3 p.m.”

“Yay!”

Lu Xiyao jumped up, hugged Lu Qin, gave him a little cheek rub, and then started brushing her teeth and washing her face.

Breakfast was fried eggs, ham, and oatmeal. The little one ate her fill.

A few minutes later, a Bentley pulled up outside.

Lu Qin handed the little one three boxes of ice crystal cakes to take with her.

“Daddy~! What’s this?”

“It’s ice crystal cake. One box is for you, keep it for yourself, and the other two are for your grandparents.”

“Ice crystal cake?”

The little one looked at the transparent and delicate cakes in the box, excited.

“Daddy, can I try it now? It must be delicious!”

Lu Qin gently held her hand down, “You just had breakfast, no eating now, maybe later.”

“Okay.”

The little one nodded obediently. If she opened the plastic box, she wouldn’t be able to resist eating it.

Lu Qin thought for a moment and grabbed another box.

“This one is for your mom.”

“Oh.”

The driver took the boxes of ice crystal cake and gently guided Lu Xiyao into the car, protecting her head as she got in.

He respectfully said to Lu Qin, “Mr. Lu, I’ve picked up Miss Xiyao. The chairman and his wife haven’t landed yet, so I’ll take her to Miss Shen first.”

“Alright,” Lu Qin nodded at the driver.

“Daddy, bye! Don’t forget to think of me!”

“I will, goodbye, Xiyao.”

Watching the Bentley drive away, Lu Qin turned back, got on his tricycle cart, and headed towards Sunshine Elementary School.

Fifteen minutes later, the tricycle cart arrived at the school gate. The school doors were shut, and the campus was empty.

With no students attending school, most of the breakfast stalls were missing. It was the weekend, and the nearby residents were just waking up. Some were walking their dogs, others were buying breakfast. Without work, people’s routines slowed down.

As soon as Lu Qin set up his stall, a customer approached.

“Good morning, boss. I’ve been waiting for your stir-fried noodles. Give me three portions with eggs, ham, and lean pork.”

“Alright, coming right up.”

“Boss, do you have mung bean paste today?”

“Yes, it’s in the foam box on the right. Feel free to help yourself.”

“Okay! Three cups of mung bean paste as well!”

While stir-frying, Lu Qin hung up a small whiteboard displaying the menu.

One customer glanced at it and noticed ice crystal cakes priced at 25 yuan a box, with a purchase limit.

“Boss, you’ve got something new today, huh? Ice crystal cake? Where is it?”

“In the large box on the left. Freshly made this morning.”

“25 yuan a box, that’s a bit pricey.”

Lu Qin smiled and explained.

“Ice crystal cakes take a lot of effort and time to make, so they’re a little more expensive, but they’re worth it.”

The customer didn’t doubt the quality. The stir-fried noodles and mung bean paste were top-notch, so the ice crystal cake must be equally good.

“I’ll take a box to try.”

While Lu Qin stir-fried the noodles, the customer bent down to grab a box. The delicate and beautiful ice crystal cakes lay in the transparent plastic box.

The customer couldn’t help but praise.

“Ice crystal cake, right?”

“I’ve never had it before, but it looks great. I’ll give it a try.”

Carefully picking up a piece, it was so exquisite that the customer hesitated to take a bite. He brought it close to his nose, the fragrance of flowers mixed with the scent of rice wafting into his senses, hitting him deeply.

“So fragrant!”

Finally, the customer took a bite, and the soft, sweet texture immediately lit up his face.

“Delicious!”

“So sweet!”

Excited, the customer was thrilled by the unique texture and flavor of the ice crystal cake, savoring the taste. He had never eaten such a delicious dessert before.

“These cakes weren’t even refrigerated, but they still have a cool, refreshing sensation. How amazing!”

“I’ll take two more boxes, boss.”

“Sorry, the ice crystal cakes are limited, two boxes per person maximum.”

“Ah, they’re limited! Okay, I’ll take one more then.”

Slightly disappointed, the customer scanned to pay. The WeChat Wallet notified Lu Qin of a 99.5 yuan deposit. The customer hurried off with the food, eager to share the tasty treats with his family.

After the first customer left, more quickly gathered. These were all people who had enjoyed the stir-fried noodles the day before. They had been thinking about that delicious taste ever since.

“Good morning, boss. Two portions of stir-fried noodles, fully loaded.”

“My favorite stir-fried noodles, one portion, please! And a cup of mung bean paste.”

“Boss, you’re finally here. I came down at 8 a.m., but you weren’t here. I thought you weren’t coming. Quick, give me three portions of stir-fried noodles, fully loaded with extra chili.”

“Hey, boss, what’s this ice crystal cake on your board? Is it good?”

Lu Qin packed up some fresh stir-fried noodles and handed them to a customer. Then he brought out a dozen boxes of ice crystal cakes and stacked them on the counter.

“These are ice crystal cakes. They taste amazing, but they’re limited to two boxes per person.”