AGN -Chapter 290 Fruit Tea Goes Perfectly with Four-Joy Tangyuan!

The staff at Yunzhong Cafeteria were almost driven crazy with how busy things had become.

In the kitchen, everyone who could help was assisting Qin Huai. Except for Chen An, who was still sticking to his duties as a breakfast chef—making buns, siu mai, and frying youtiao—even the two pastry chefs, Pei Xing and Li Hua, had turned into excellent assistants, competing over who could be Master Qin’s most capable right-hand man.

The waitstaff in the dining hall couldn’t slack off either. There were so many dine-in customers that some were even standing outside holding bowls to eat. Table turnover speed had become the key to success.

Almost the moment a customer finished eating and stood up, a server would dash over to clear the bowls and wipe the table. Then those who had been standing nearby would immediately sit down, experiencing the joy of “musical chairs” while enjoying their Four-Joy Tangyuan.

Those who were slower at cleaning or unable to assist in the kitchen were sent elsewhere—to wash dishes or serve tangyuan.

Too many bowls of Four-Joy Tangyuan were being sold, and there weren’t enough dishes. Though the dishwasher was good, it still wasn’t as fast as washing by hand.

Everyone was so busy their feet barely touched the ground.

Yet the veteran employees didn’t feel tired.

Many of the longtime staff felt like they had rediscovered the feeling from a few months ago—this level of customer flow, this intensity of work, this sense of wishing they had four hands and eight legs.

That’s right—this was the breakfast rush they were familiar with at Yunzhong Cafeteria!

Chef Xiao Qin… had returned!

While the cafeteria staff worked tirelessly, they had no idea that just across the street, in the Xiao Ou Hand-Shaken Lemon Tea shop, someone was shaking milk tea so fast it almost sparked fire.

That person was Ou Yang.

Let’s rewind time back to 7:00 AM.

On opening day, Ou Yang wasn’t as excited as he had imagined.

Because, in his mind, he had already opened yesterday.

He didn’t even want to recall what had happened.

He vaguely remembered going to the airport to pick up Qin Huai. Qin Huai then told him he had four excellent fruit tea recipes. Since the shop already had ingredients and machines, Ou Yang opened the store and started experimenting with the recipes together with Qin Huai.

Things got interesting when Xu Tuqiang arrived.

As for what happened afterward, Ou Yang didn’t remember much—he only remembered that 337 cups had disappeared from the shop that day.

He had originally planned to just test a few drinks, but ended up testing until 8 PM.

A total of 337 cups!

Qin Huai only made 37 cups himself.

The remaining 300 cups were all made by Ou Yang—300 cups!

But at least they made a lot of money.

Customers came too suddenly, waving cash and eagerly waiting for drinks. Ou Yang hadn’t even decided on names or prices yet. When Xu Tuqiang asked what the coconut drink was called and how much it cost, Ou Yang blurted out:

“Coconut No.1, 30 per cup.”

The other three fruit teas were named Strawberry No.1, Mango No.1, and Blueberry No.1—all priced at 30 each.

If the price hadn’t been high enough to scare some people away, Ou Yang suspected he’d have been making drinks until 11 PM.

Because the previous day had been so exhausting—and the opening had already been delayed several days past the Lunar New Year—the shop opened quietly. No banners, no flower baskets, just a simple buy-one-get-one-free promotion for hand-shaken lemon tea.

Well… not entirely nothing. Ou Yang had urgently contacted Huang Xi to help design a new menu, adding the four fruit teas.

Why didn’t he ask his store manager?

Because the shop only had one full-time worker. The other four were student workers—and Ou Yang himself was the manager.

As a wealthy second-generation who once lost 6.6 million running a fish hotpot restaurant, Ou Yang understood the importance of recipes in the food business—and the ruthlessness of competition. Sometimes, stealing a recipe didn’t require much—just 2,000 yuan to bribe a temporary worker.

So he decided the other employees would handle the lemon tea, while he personally made the four fruit teas.

“Sorry, Xiao Ou Lemon Tea shop… from today on, I’m not making lemon tea anymore.”

With that mindset, Ou Yang entered the shop at 6:30 AM and quietly prepared fruits and ingredients, waiting for the first official customer.

That customer was Xiao Zhang.

After eating two bowls of Four-Joy Tangyuan at Yunzhong Cafeteria, Xiao Zhang packed some buns and tea eggs for lunch. He sat there chatting happily with elderly patrons until 7:00 AM. When he mentioned the lemon tea shop across the street, the elderly warmly recommended it.

“The drinks there are great! Coconut No.1, Blueberry No.1, Strawberry No.1, Mango No.1—they’re all delicious!”

Though puzzled why a lemon tea shop’s signature drinks weren’t lemon tea, Xiao Zhang decided to trust them—and trust Chef Xiao Qin.

So at exactly 7:00 AM, as the shop opened, Xiao Zhang walked in and asked loudly:

“Boss, how much is a Blueberry No.1?”

“30,” Ou Yang replied.

Xiao Zhang: ?

30? For a weirdly named milk tea? What a rip-off!

He almost turned to leave, but remembered Qin Huai’s special recommendation. After thinking for two seconds, he decided to splurge—he had already spent over 100 on breakfast, so what was another 30?

“I’ll take one.”

If Ou Yang had any talent in making drinks, it was his strength and speed. He worked fast and efficiently.

Soon, a freshly made 350ml Blueberry No.1 was in Xiao Zhang’s hands.

He took a big sip.

…!

The rich blueberry flavor, the smooth texture, the refreshing yet not overly cold temperature, and the perfectly balanced sweetness!

No wonder Chef Xiao Qin recommended this place—this drink was a perfect match for Four-Joy Tangyuan!

After finishing his first bowl, Xiao Zhang had wanted something to drink, but didn’t like soy milk or mung bean soup, and the tangyuan broth was too bland. By the second bowl, the craving peaked—that’s why he rushed over for a drink.

The moment the Blueberry No.1 touched his lips, he felt he had found the perfect companion to tangyuan.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone again:

“Boss, another Strawberry No.1!”

He remembered Miss He at his office loved strawberries—she would definitely like it.

He messaged her to come early for tangyuan, planning to surprise her with the drink.

Chef Xiao Qin was truly thoughtful—not only making amazing tangyuan but also recommending the perfect drink pairing.

…

Xiao Zhang wasn’t the only one who discovered the pairing.

Many office workers had already tried the fruit tea the previous afternoon. After finishing their tangyuan and noticing the shop across the street was open, they casually went over to buy a drink.

One sip—and they were stunned.

Those who loved sharing immediately posted on social media. Soon, the combination spread rapidly through group chats—cafeteria groups, lunch groups, and workplace chats.

Xiao Ou Lemon Tea quickly had long lines forming.

Ou Yang was making drinks at full speed, almost sparking from the effort. To keep up with office workers, he went all out. The other employees were reduced to fruit-cutting assistants.

In a way, Ou Yang finally experienced what it was like to be Qin Huai in the kitchen.

By 9:12 AM, the business at Yunzhong Cafeteria finally began to slow down.

Nearby office buildings don’t have fixed working hours—most companies start between 9:00 and 9:30, with a few as late as 10:00, though that’s rare.

Qin Huai couldn’t even remember how many Four-Joy Tangyuan he had made that morning. He only felt that the “battle” was even more intense than during the New Year back in the countryside. After all, relatives visiting the Qin family during the holidays weren’t in a hurry—but the office workers coming to Yunzhong Cafeteria in the morning definitely were.

Once the customer flow eased, Pei Xing and Li Hua finally returned to their regular duties, making their usual pastries. Qin Huai, meanwhile, planned to make more Four-Joy Tangyuan. Since tangyuan was dine-in food, it was actually more suitable for lunch and dinner rather than breakfast.

After spending so much time training at Huang Ji, Qin Huai had come to feel that being a pastry chef was much easier than being a breakfast chef—no need to wake up so early.

He intended to bring this “pastry chef identity” back to Yunzhong Cafeteria and change customers’ long-standing impression of him.

First, he would win them over with A-grade Four-Joy Tangyuan. Then, he would let them know that tangyuan didn’t have to be eaten only in the morning—it could also be enjoyed at lunch and dinner.

He also planned to post an announcement about the selling times of tangyuan, Three-Delicacy buns, and other pastries, leaving the breakfast slot entirely to Chen An—so customers wouldn’t have to squat outside early in the morning holding bowls just to eat.

Before continuing with the tangyuan, Qin Huai first guided Li Hua on seasoning the filling.

Li Hua specialized in steamed pastries, especially beef fillings. That was why his knife skills were better than Pei Xing’s—he was more experienced in chopping meat fillings.

“Making fillings isn’t always about addition—you need subtraction,” Qin Huai said. Compared to kneading dough, which he couldn’t explain well, his master-level skill in seasoning fillings allowed him to give real, practical advice.

“You’re making beef dumplings. Normally, as long as one bite releases plenty of juice and the beef stays tender, it’s considered good enough. I haven’t tasted yours, but just by looking—don’t you think the filling isn’t visually appealing?”

“You’ve added too many seasonings. The color isn’t even the most natural and attractive one it should have.”

“You added salad oil, pepper oil, salt, seafood soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and bone broth. Sure, the first bite will taste delicious—but is that the natural flavor of the beef?”

“Many times, fillings shouldn’t have too many seasonings. When addition stops giving better results, try subtraction.”

“Use less—let the natural flavor of the beef stand out more. Be more precise in ingredient selection. Maybe you’ll get better results.”

“When the dumplings are steamed, bring them to me. I’ll give you more suggestions.”

Li Hua said excitedly, “I think I understand a bit now. Thank you, Master Xiao Qin! I’ll go back and reflect on it.”

Qin Huai: …?

Hadn’t he just heard that exact line from someone else earlier?

Oh well, not important.

He went back to making tangyuan.

Li Hua happily continued making beef dumplings, planning to apply the “subtraction” method in his next batch.

Seeing that Li Hua seemed to truly understand, Pei Xing was so envious he could almost grind his teeth to dust. He worked even harder kneading dough, hoping to show clear improvement so he could confidently ask Qin Huai for guidance again.

The two pastry chefs at Yunzhong Cafeteria had truly entered a fierce competition.

An Youyou watched quietly from the side while continuing to slice potatoes. Seeing that Chen An remained calm throughout while making breakfast, she curiously asked:

“Chef Chen, why don’t you go ask Master Xiao Qin for advice?”

“What do I need advice for? At my level, just watching from the side is enough to learn a lot,” Chen An replied calmly—though his face practically screamed “rookie.”

“But Master Xiao Qin even guided my knife skills this morning,” An Youyou said, looking at her right hand holding the knife. “I still don’t feel like I’m holding it right—it always feels a bit off.”

Chen An: …

That’s because among the kitchen staff Qin Huai is familiar with, you’re the only one he can guide in knife skills.

Everyone else’s knife skills are better than his.

Actually… even An Youyou’s knife skills are slightly better than Qin Huai’s.

Chen An glanced at Qin Huai and felt it was almost tragic—such an incredible pastry chef, yet with such poor knife skills. Who knows how he managed that?

After finishing his guidance for Li Hua, Qin Huai felt refreshed, as if he had regained his former self at Huang Ji. He took out his phone to check messages—and saw that everyone had replied.

Tan Weian: “Damn, awesome! That’s the filling for Three-Delicacy buns, right? Amazing!”

Zheng Siyuan: “I’ve booked a flight to Shanshi on March 21.”

Zheng Siyuan: “[Image] See you then.”

Huang Shengli: “Very beautiful meat filling. Looks like you’ve improved a lot over the New Year! [laughing emojis]”

Cao Guixiang: “Not bad. Keep it up. Once your knife skills improve, the filling will look even better! [thumbs up]”

Zheng Da replied the latest—at 9:11.

Zheng Da: “[Image]”

Zheng Da: “Qin, the coconuts in Sanya are really good. Want me to send you ten boxes?”

Zheng Da: “The seafood’s great too. Want some? Same-day chilled delivery—very fresh.”

Qin Huai: “Thank you, Master Zheng!”

Zheng Da: “Qin, if you have any suitable girls over there, introduce them to Siyuan. This kid is too stubborn—introduced him to more than ten during New Year, and he didn’t like any.”

Zheng Da: “I don’t understand young people’s tastes. You and Siyuan are about the same age—you might understand better. Introduce him if you know someone.”

Qin Huai: “Got it, Master Zheng. I’ll definitely help if there’s someone suitable!”

Qin Huai took a sip of tea and suddenly felt something was missing.

“Youyou,” he said, putting down his phone, “got time? Go across to Ou Yang’s shop and get me a cup of hand-shaken lemon tea.”

“Sure! I’ll go right now!” An Youyou put down her knife, washed her hands quickly, and left.

At Xiao Ou Hand-Shaken Lemon Tea shop, the delivery order machine was constantly spitting out tickets.

As soon as An Youyou entered, she heard nonstop notifications:

“You have a new Meituan order. Please process it promptly.”

“You have a new Meituan order. Please process it promptly.”

“Wow,” she exclaimed, “business is booming.”

At the counter, Ou Yang was mixing drinks so intensely he practically looked like a chemist.

An Youyou stepped forward. “Brother Yang, Master Xiao Qin wants a hand-shaken lemon tea.”

Hearing that there was finally an order for lemon tea, the full-time employee who had been cutting fruit got excited and grabbed a lemon—

Only to be stopped by Ou Yang.

With great enthusiasm, Ou Yang declared, “My bro’s lemon tea—I have to make it myself!”

“Youyou, did Qin Huai say what flavor he wants?”

“…No. Lemon tea has flavors?”

“Of course! Yesterday I invented coconut-milk-strawberry-blueberry-mango-boba hand-shaken lemon tea. Wait—I’ll make it now!”

An Youyou: …

Is that… really lemon tea?

She glanced at the still-printing order machine, her face full of confusion.

Customers these days… have really strange tastes.