Chapter 134 Making Kimchi! Do You Like Daddy?
At 5:30 AM, Lu Qin started preparing various foods for his street stall. He ground glutinous rice into flour, mixed it with water, white sugar, and other ingredients, kneaded the dough, oiled it, and let it rest—this was for making crystal ice cakes.
While the dough was resting, he prepared the dough for crystal shrimp dumplings. Using 3,500 grams of starch and 1,500 grams of wheat starch, he mixed them with warm water at about 45°C. The key was the mixing technique—there couldn’t be any lumps.
After letting the slurry sit for two minutes, he poured some starch onto the counter and started kneading. The dough for the crystal shrimp dumplings needed to be smooth and elastic while looking transparent—only then would the dumpling skins be soft, chewy, and translucent.
The dumpling dough was also left to rest. Next, he washed and soaked mung beans for mung bean paste. While they were cooking, he started making kimchi.
Lu Qin carefully washed fresh, plump vegetables—yardlong beans, cabbage, radish—then let them air dry slightly to remove excess water.
After cutting the radish, ginger, and cabbage, he washed the kimchi jars, then layered the cut vegetables inside, adding chili peppers for flavor, garlic for sterilization, and Sichuan peppercorns for aroma.
The next step was adding old brine, which acted like yeast in dough fermentation. It inhibited unwanted bacteria while allowing lactic acid bacteria to thrive. This transformed the vegetables’ natural sugars into lactic acid, giving kimchi its signature tangy flavor.
Since this was Lu Qin’s first time making kimchi, he had no old brine. Instead, he mixed salt and cooled boiled water at a 1:50 ratio in a stainless steel basin. New brine wasn’t ideal, but with a little system-grade fermentation accelerator, it would work even better than old brine.
After sealing the jars, he poured water into the rims to block air and bacteria. The kimchi was now ready—he just had to let the microbes work their magic.
Thanks to the system’s scientific boost, the kimchi would be ready by tomorrow instead of the usual 15 days. He made five jars of kimchi and placed them under the eaves outside.
By then, the mung bean paste was nearly done. He stirred it with a long spoon, then left it to cool before portioning it into cups and sealing them.
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At 7:15 AM, Lu Qin had finished making crystal ice cakes and crystal shrimp dumplings. Today, Lu Xiyao didn’t stay in bed. As soon as she woke up, she ran outside on her little legs to find Lu Qin.
“Daddy, hug me!” S~eaʀᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lu Qin smiled, wiped his hands, and lifted the little girl into his arms. She pressed her soft cheek against his for a while until she was fully awake.
“Daddy, I’m hungry.”
“Go wash up first. Breakfast is stir-fried rice noodles and mung bean paste.”
“Okay, Daddy~!”
She ran off.
Shen Muyan had also gotten up. She hadn’t slept at all after last night—her mind was buzzing. When they met, Lu Qin acted naturally, pretending nothing had happened, making it less awkward.
Meanwhile, Shen Muyan avoided his gaze, her fair cheeks still flushed.
“You should wash up too. Breakfast is ready.”
“Oh.”
She nodded quickly and disappeared into the bathroom.
_____
After washing up, mother and daughter came out together.
Lu Xiyao kissed Lu Qin’s cheek again.
“Daddy, does it smell nice? It’s white peach-flavored toothpaste.”
“Mmm, very nice. Breakfast is on the table, eat slowly.”
“Wow, smells so good~!”
The little girl climbed onto the chair and started eating happily.
When Shen Muyan saw her daughter kiss Lu Qin, she immediately remembered last night—her face turned even redder.
____
After breakfast, Lu Xiyao had to go to kindergarten. Lu Qin packed her lunchbox—Stir-fried rice noodles, Crystal shrimp dumplings, Mapo tofu, Mung bean paste drink and Crystal ice cake as a snack. It was perfectly prepared.
She pointed at the container with Mapo tofu and asked in her soft voice.
“Daddy, what’s this?”
“Mapo tofu, a new dish.”
“Wow! Can I try it?”
Her eyes sparkled, and her little mouth watered.
“Sure.”
Lu Qin scooped up a piece, coated in glossy red chili oil, blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to her.
Traditionally, Mapo tofu is best eaten hot and spicy, but that could hurt a child’s stomach. So, Lu Qin had toned down the spice—keeping the chili’s fragrance while making it milder.
The little girl ate it enthusiastically, squinting her eyes and sticking out her tongue.
“Phew~! It’s spicy! But it’s so delicious~! Daddy, this Mapo tofu is amazing~!”
Lu Qin smiled.
“It’ll be milder when you eat it with rice at lunch.”
“Okay!”
Then, he noticed Shen Muyan swallowing hard, staring at the Mapo tofu like a hungry cat. Lu Qin scooped up another spoonful and offered it to her.
“Here, try it.”
The little girl tilted her head.
“Daddy, you forgot to blow on it. It’s hot.”
“…”
Lu Qin blew on it, then fed it to Shen Muyan.
She took a bite.
“…Mm, it’s delicious!”
She was amazed—the Mapo tofu was rich, fragrant, and spicy, instantly whetting her appetite.
“Did you make lunch for me too?”
She shamelessly asked. Even though her Ourei Grand Hotel had multiple fine-dining restaurants, none could compare to Lu Qin’s cooking.
“Yeah, here.”
Lu Qin handed her a bag containing the same meal as their daughter’s.
“Thanks.”
She looked genuinely happy and touched.
______
At that moment, Lu Xiyao clapped her hands and asked mischievously, “Mommy, is Daddy good?”
Shen Muyan blushed and nodded.
“Good.”
“Is Daddy’s food delicious?”
“Yes.”
“Then will you come back next time?”
“Yes.”
“Then… do you like Daddy?”
“…”
Lu Qin: “…”
______
Since Shen Muyan hadn’t driven last night, Lu Qin let her take his car to drop their daughter off at kindergarten. He would get it sent back later. He himself rode his three-wheeler food cart towards Sunshine Elementary School.
At Starlight Kindergarten, many parents were surprised to see Shen Muyan instead of Lu Qin.
“Oh? It’s Mommy dropping her off today?”
“Yes.”
She responded in her usual cold CEO demeanor. Seeing this, the parents didn’t try to chat and quickly left after sending their kids inside.
Meanwhile, Lu Xiyao was thrilled—her mom hadn’t taken her to school in a long time.
“Drink lots of water, listen to the teacher, and eat your lunch properly.”
“I will, Mommy~!”
“Give Mommy a kiss, then go in.”
Smooch!
Shen Muyan watched her daughter happily walk into kindergarten, then rolled up the window and drove towards Ourei Grand Hotel.
______
Meanwhile, Lu Qin sent an announcement in the customer chat group.
The chat exploded with excited messages. Many office workers, even those working in the north of the city, detoured to the south just for breakfast.
Being late to work meant getting scolded by the boss, but missing Lu Qin’s breakfast meant suffering all day!
Residents of the old town—dog walkers, grocery shoppers, parents dropping off kids—all changed direction, flocking to Sunshine Elementary School.
“Wait! I think I see Lu Qin’s car!”
A customer on an electric scooter spotted a black M7 at a red light.
“What’s the license plate? 4997?”
“Yes! That’s Lu Qin’s car!”
“Where did you see it?”
“Baishui Road, near the leather factory! He’s heading toward Sunshine Elementary! Follow him—I can already smell the stir-fried rice noodles!”
The scooter riders sped up, more excited than seeing a celebrity.
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