Zhao Youlin’s eyes sparkled and she made up her own mind. If what they prepared was not particularly delicious, she could still retain them temporarily as apprentices, so long the food was edible. After all, she lacked staff for her outlet.
However, Zhao Youlin soon realized she had worried too much. The two girls did not need anybody’s sympathy because they were already fully capable of baking.
It took a long time to make pastries and bread even though they looked small. They had to be made from scratch from a pile of flappy flour into pastry.
Zhao Youlin waited for about an hour before the siblings finally displayed their products before her.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. These are what we’ve made — pineapple bun, mousse cake, mango pancake and puffs.” The siblings pushed their creations to Zhao Youlin, then they took two steps back and resumed cautious demeanors just like before. The spirits that they had while making the food were gone.
Zhao Youlin looked at the four types of pastries placed before her. She nodded with satisfaction. ‘Mhm, they look good, and they smell fragrant too. I wonder what they taste like.’
Zhao Youlin reached out for the mango pancake and took a bite. It tasted so good that it was well beyond her expectations. The sweetness and fragrance of the mango met the softness and smoothness of the cream, and the taste was further elevated with the pancake. The portions of the ingredients were just nice. Different tastes blended into one, yet each of them retained their uniqueness and did not overshadow the other.
After Zhao Youlin finished a small piece of mango pancake, she reached out for the pineapple bun.
In fact, Zhao Youlin never really liked pineapple buns. She always found them to be dry and unpalatable, especially after they turned cold, they became sticky and mushy.
However, the pineapple buns made by An Qi were very crispy and delicious. They were not greasy as they should be when hot as well as not too sweet. They were very soft and delectable. Although it looked simple, one could see that the bakers had put in painstaking effort to make them.
After savoring the first two types of pastries, Zhao Youlin gained confidence. She tasted the other two, which also did not disappoint her.
After Zhao Youlin finished tasting the four types of pastries, she looked at the siblings who had been waiting for her comments in bewilderment. She smiled faintly and blurted out, “Are there any more of these pastries? I would like to take them home for my son later. He loves to eat pastries.”
The siblings were startled. “Do you mean…”
“If you guys are free in the next two days, you can come to work. Of course, if you still want to think about it for a couple of days, that’s fine with me, as long as you make up your mind before the outlet is opened for business.”
The siblings were stunned at Zhao Youlin’s brief and concise remarks. It was only after a while did they return to their senses and cheered with excitement.
“Is this true?! But, we don’t even have a certificate…” An Yue was so excited that she turned red. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Zhao Youlin.
Zhao Youlin let out a bark of laughter and said, “A certificate is just a convenient paper to market your ability. Since you guys are truly capable, it no longer matters if you have it. Moreover, I’m not the kind of person who gets all fixated on such things. In fact, I find those who lay the foundation one step at a time and grow in practice to be more useful compared to those pseudo chefs who have gone through formal training just for the sake of getting the certificates. At the end of the day, they are mere empty cans.”
“Yes!”
“Now, let’s talk about the treatment. We’ll start with your salaries. Each of you will be receiving four thousand and five hundred at the beginning of the month. Of course, if you do well in the future, your salary would increase. Are you guys okay with this?”
Right after Zhao Youlin spoke, the siblings were delighted once again. Originally, they thought they had no certificates and were young. So, even if they were accepted, they would only be paid about two thousand a month, which was just about the amount to support themselves. Little did they expect Zhao Youlin to offer them four thousand five hundred without hesitation, which was more than double their expectations in an instant.
When Zhao Youlin saw the two of them nodding, she continued, “Next, we’ll talk about the office hours. I plan to recruit more staff in the near future. So, there would be two shifts. The morning shift would be from half-past seven in the morning to three o’clock in the evening. The evening shift would be from three o’clock in the evening until half-past ten at night. I’ll give you guys a schedule by then. Well, when will you be able to start work?”
“Anytime!” An Qi exclaimed happily. Immediately after, she seemed to realize something, and she said with slight embarrassment, “Big sister Zhao, do you offer accommodation as well?”
Zhao Youlin froze. She looked at the two of them and asked, “Where are you guys staying now?”
“Um… A decent inn.”
Zhao Youlin noticed their troubled expression. She thought it over and said, “If you guys want, you can stay on the half-floor above the outlet, but…”
“But… what?”
“It might be a bit crowded.”
“It’s fine. We have been squeezing ourselves in the same bed at the inn too.”
When Zhao Youlin heard An Qi say so, she was once again convinced that the two girls must have experienced hardship before this. “Alright, you guys can move over if you have time. It’ll be more convenient to watch over the outlet in the future, after all.”
“Yes!”
Zhao Youlin finally had someone to make the pastries. She heaved a sigh of relief and was in a good mood. So, she joked with the siblings, “Now, can you answer my question just now? Are there any more of these pastries? I would like to bring some back for my son when I go home later. I believe he’ll like them very much.”
“Yes, of course!”
In the end, Zhao Youlin carried boxes of pastries and went home. As soon as she entered through the Zhao family’s front door, her son dashed over to her like a small cannonball and lunged at her. He clung to her thigh and said, “Mommy, mommy, you’re finally back!”
“Mhm… Joy, did you obey Grandpa and Grandma while you’re at home?” Zhao Youlin asked in a low voice as she hugged the active child who had been overly spoiled.
“Yes, I did!” Joy raised his head and shouted, “I behaved well today and obeyed Grandma’s words. I played games, stacked blocks, and watched nice cartoons with her.”
Zhao Youlin cast a glance at Joy’s cutesy look as he tilted his head and longed for her compliment. She could not help but give him a kiss and said, “So, you’ve done many many things with Grandma today. Such a good boy, Joy.”
“Mm-hmm!” Joy burst into joy when he heard the desired praise.
While the mother and son pair were talking to each other, someone not far away from them gradually approached them and said gently, “You’re back.”
Even though it was a simple greeting, Zhao Youlin felt the warmth in her heart.
Before Zhao Youlin responded to Duan Yarong, Joy, who had been clinging to her thigh, sniffed and peeked at her other hand. He instinctively murmured, “Mommy, I smell the fragrance of cakes from you.”
Zhao Youlin froze. She did not know if she should laugh or cry. Then, she reached out and pinched Joy’s small nose and said, “You little glutton, you can still smell them even though I’ve hidden them from you.”
Right after Joy heard Zhao Youlin’s words, he immediately reacted to her words and knew that she had really brought the cakes home. His eyes sparkled and clung to Zhao Youlin tightly. He spread out his arms and shouted, “Mommy, cakes…”
