Jiang Zhou returned home to find Lu Xiangxi waiting for him with a hot water bottle. The young man, despite his simple appearance, held a lot of potential for learning. He eagerly expressed his interest in the knowledge Jiang Zhou shared about creating a hot water bottle.

Jiang Zhou, feeling the chill in the air, welcomed Lu Xiangxi inside and began to demonstrate how to prepare sponge cakes.

Jiang Zhou explained the delicate process of beating the eggs with the right proportion of sugar, and Lu Xiangxi watched carefully, paying close attention to the precise movements. As Jiang Zhou continued, Lu Xiangxi’s legs grew sore from standing and he couldn’t help but question how long the process would take.

Jiang Zhou reassured him and then revealed that he had built a special egg-beating machine, which made the process more efficient and less physically demanding. He took out the manually operated machine, which was an improvement on the traditional method of using chopsticks and arms to beat the eggs.

Lu Xiangxi was in awe of his teacher’s dedication and hard work, expressing admiration for Jiang Zhou’s commitment to quality. Jiang Zhou smiled and acknowledged the effort, but emphasized that having the machine helped make the work more manageable.

The tool used for whipping and stirring was made of iron wires arranged in an oval shape. Unlike an electrified one from memory, this tool was designed to save time and effort.

The wires were tightly spaced, with only a few wires intertwined, to prevent anything from getting stuck. The handle was constructed from several wooden plates with a mortise and tenon structure, stacked on top of each other.

The middle part of the handle was the tenon. When whipping, you simply hold the handle, much like a blacksmith shaking a furnace.

This machine greatly saves Jiang Zhou a lot of effort.

Lu Xiangxi was filled with admiration at this moment, wondering how someone could be so innovative like Jiang Zhou.

.

Once he was taught, the remaining steps became straightforward. Jiang Zhou demonstrated each step and let Lu Xiangxi try them on his own. He stood by to guide him and point out his mistakes.

Since it was just practice, only a small number of chicken cakes were made, and the machine was not used. Relying too much on the machine wasn’t advisable. In the future, when Lu Xiangxi operates a sponge cake business, he would need to innovate. Familiarity with each step and its effects will help him innovate on his own, instead of copying others’ wisdom.

At the same time, Jiang Zhou advised him, saying, “The sponge cakes you see now are just the basics. If you want to make a living from them, consider adding variety to make the cakes rich and diverse in flavor. Eating the same pastry all the time can get monotonous. Without improvement, it will become outdated.”

Seeing that Lu Xiangxi was listening attentively, Jiang Zhou continued, and once again Lu Xiangxi addressed him as “Teacher.”

Jiang Zhou wanted to teach him more: “It’s not just sponge cakes. The technique I’m teaching you can be applied to other things. By varying the time and ingredients, even different ratios of eggs and sugar, you can create various effects. Right now, I’m teaching you the simplest cake, but there’s much more for you to learn and experiment with in the future.”

Lu Xiangxi listened, slightly confused. He continued to beat the egg mixture in his hands while processing the wealth of new information in his head. It was a novel experience, like opening his mind to a whole new way of thinking.

He was a farmer accustomed to toiling in the fields for a living. The most audacious thing he had ever done in his life was participating when Master Qiu was recruiting workers. Much to his surprise, he was chosen due to his robust physique, but he felt as though he had been in a daze throughout the entire process.

Now, he found himself apprenticed to Jiang Zhou, learning the art of making sponge cakes. However, he had no intention of being lost in a daze any longer. Half of his life had already passed in a haze, and he couldn’t afford to remain in that state if he wanted to marry his beloved wife!

Thinking of his delicate wife eagerly awaiting their wedding, Lu Xiangxi felt a surge of determination. His hands moved more swiftly, and cracking an egg gave him a sense of strength. He also held onto every word Jiang Zhou had spoken, even if he didn’t fully grasp it now; he was certain that understanding would come in time.

Engrossed in his work, Jiang Zhou didn’t interrupt him. He turned around to prepare the oden.

However, in that moment, he caught a glimpse of something unusual and turned back to see Lu Xiangxi’s hand wrapped in cloth strips with a fancy little bow tied around them.

Curious, Jiang Zhou inquired, “What happened to your hand?”

Lu Xiangxi blushed suddenly and replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just burned my hand while making that hot water bottle.”

Jiang Zhou found this odd and asked, “Then why did you tie a bow around it?”

When the bow was mentioned, Lu Xiangxi chuckled, “Well, my wife was the one who bandaged it for me.”

This time, he was determined to discuss his plans to start a sponge cake business with his wife. He explained everything to reassure her, all while delivering the hot water bottle.

To his surprise, his wife noticed his bandaged hand.

Recalling his wife’s tender care as she had bandaged him, Lu Xiangxi’s heart swelled with affection and a touch of nostalgia.

Jiang Zhou’s expression became even more perplexed, unexpectedly, he was fed with dog food. At that moment, he understood how Lu Dalang must have felt every time he gazed at him and Wen Yan.