Huayu Chef

030 All good things must come to an end.

"Willows have a long history of cultivation in the Beijing area. They can be said to be native trees of the city and have witnessed the historical changes of the capital."

"Willow trees are heroes in Beijing's ecological construction and pioneers in the city's greening efforts."

"Willows are the tallest tree species in Beijing, one of the earliest to sprout and the latest to shed their leaves, forming the city's green 'skyline.' From ancient times to the present, the people of Beijing have held an inseparable affection for willows."

"At the beginning of this video, my food critic Huang Mengying and I listed some streets, alleys, and locations in Beijing named after willow trees. Hmm, where's Mengying?"

"Goodness, the goddess has turned into a foodie. Let her eat, I won't call her anymore."

"Beijing has the customs of 'appreciating willows in March' and 'eating willow buds in spring,' as well as the saying 'watching willows along the long river,' and many, many other scenic spots such as 'spring dawn on the willow embankment,' 'misty willows on the west embankment,' 'layered green willow screen,' and 'dragon boats under the shade of willows.'"

"Willows are an integral part of Beijing's culture. You can pour a glass of wine, cook three or five side dishes with willow catkins, and enjoy them all day long. You can also listen to countless touching stories related to willows."

"So today, the three of us paid the highest tribute to the willows of the capital, picked willow catkins with baskets, and prepared a willow catkin feast."

"It was quite a coincidence that I ran into Grandma Lin while picking willow catkins in the afternoon. She kindly took the three of us home and provided us with a kitchen, ingredients, and seasonings, allowing me to make six and a half dishes with the willow catkins."

"I originally planned to make eight dishes. The eighth dish was willow catkin dumpling soup. There are many different flavors of dumpling soup. I originally planned to make it sour and spicy. A bowl of carbohydrates eaten with fresh willow catkins would be so delicious. I wouldn't even take a job as a god."

"Feeling hungry? That's good, but I'm not making it. Why?"

"The dishes I made tonight were too large. It would be a waste if we couldn't finish the willow catkin dumpling soup. If I have the chance in the future, I will film another episode about willow catkin banquet and make the remaining willow catkin dumplings, willow catkin fried meatballs, willow catkin crisp rolls, willow catkin buns and other willow catkin dishes so that everyone can enjoy them."

"Let me give a review of the six and a half dishes I helped cook. The willow tassel pancakes were basically made by Grandma Lin. I only did some basic work. The willow tassel pancakes turned out delicious. No wonder they are a dish that Aunt Xie can't forget."

"I won't give this dish a score. The score is up to the people. Just look at my happy family behind me and you'll understand. At this moment, a score is meaningless."

"Cold willow catkin salad..."

Zhang Jinxuan described the taste of the other six dishes in detail, and then said, "Out of a total of 10 points, I would give myself 8 points. I'm afraid of getting arrogant if I deduct one point, and I'm afraid of making everyone proud if I deduct another point. Let's be humble, leave some room for improvement, think more, and continuously improve our cooking skills."

"With this filming session, we're saying goodbye for this episode of Willow Catkin Banquet. For the next episode, I plan to film in another city, taking you to appreciate the beautiful scenery of our motherland, learn about the human stories and culinary philosophies behind the local cuisine, and together seek the joy and laughter that food brings."

"Let's hike over mountains and have some fun together! See you next Saturday!"

Zhang Jinxuan waved his hand, scooped a bowl of rice, sat back down, and continued to enjoy his meal.

The ten of them were quite a force to be reckoned with. They devoured all seven dishes of willow-shaped vegetables, and were so full that they were too lazy to move. They sat down to digest, drink tea, and chat.

After finishing his tea, Zhang Jinxuan realized it was getting late and, with the shop on his mind, he gave Huang Mengying and Zhuangzhuang a look and said goodbye.

Grandma Lin and her family tried to persuade him to stay, but Zhang Jinxuan politely declined, saying he needed to go back to the store to stock up on goods, so they didn't insist.

"Xiao Zhang, Xiao Huang, Xiao Zhuang, wait a moment, Da Ming and the others have gone to get some pastries. Take a few boxes back with you."

"Auntie Xie, no need to trouble yourself."

"No trouble at all, I brought them all from the shop."

Before long, Lu Daming, Xie Baocheng, and Xie Xiaofei each carried five large boxes of beautifully packaged pastries out of the main room.

Judging from the quality of the gift boxes, they were very expensive. Zhang Jinxuan, Huang Mengying, and Zhuangzhuang were embarrassed to accept them, but Xie Baoxin stuffed them into their hands without saying a word.

"Homemade snacks aren't worth much money."

"Aunt Xie, don't try to fool me. I know what I'm talking about. This is really too valuable. You're giving me too much. We can't accept it."

Grandma Lin teased, "Little Zhang, we know you're a master chef, you can make all kinds of food yourself, you're so capable, why do you look down on our poor family?"

"Grandma Lin, that's not true."

Xie Baocheng laughed and said, "Xiao Zhang, take it. Come visit often. If you need tables, chairs, or equipment, just give me a call, and I'll find you some good stuff at rock-bottom prices."

Lu Daming said, "If you think our pastries are delicious, just come back and patronize our business after you've finished eating, and help us promote it. There's no need to be so sentimental. Xiao Zhang, come visit the shop sometime, let's chat."

"No problem, I'm also quite interested in making pastries, so I can learn from Uncle Ming."

"Xiao Zhang, don't try to shut me up. We're not even sure who'll be our mentor yet."

"I only know a little bit about pastry making."

"Ha ha."

Everyone was laughing; they clearly didn't believe it.

Zhang Jinxuan smiled helplessly. In his previous life, he had studied pastry making for a while and became obsessed with it by making desserts for girls. He had learned how to make dozens of Chinese and Western pastries, which was enough to support himself by opening a small shop. He couldn't compare to professional pastry chefs or pastry masters.

"Mengying, Zhuangzhuang, thank you for your kindness, Aunt Xie and the others. Let's accept it."

"Mmm."

"Thank you, Grandma Lin, Uncle Xie, Uncle Ming, Aunt Xie, Xiaoguang, and Xiaoyan."

"We're leaving."

"Be careful on the road."

"Drive slowly."

"Everyone, please stay a while. No need to see us off."

After leaving Grandma Lin's house and arriving at the parking area, Zhang Jinxuan used his car key to open the trunk, first putting a small basin of willow catkins inside, and then placing his five boxes of pastries next to it.

"Mengying, you and Zhuangzhuang can put them on the back seat. It'll be easier to get them when we get out of the car. Can you fit them in?"

"I can let it go."

Zhang Jinxuan closed the trunk, opened the car door, and got into the driver's seat. Zhuangzhuang, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head and asked, "Brother Xuan, these pastry gift boxes must be expensive, right?"

As Zhang Jinxuan backed out of the parking space, he replied, "Even a box from a time-honored shop isn't cheap. Uncle Ming's boxes are bigger, hold more pastries, and are purely handmade. Since they're given as gifts, they're definitely made to the finest quality. A box would definitely cost over three figures, and I can't say exactly how much it costs."

"Then our 15 boxes will cost several thousand yuan, that's extravagant."

Zhang Jinxuan asked with a smile, "Mengying, Zhuangzhuang, today wasn't a wasted trip, was it?"

The two people who were mentioned said in unison, "It was worth the trip."

Huang Mengying said sincerely, "These few boxes of pastries are a pleasant surprise. Actually, I'm already very satisfied to be able to eat the willow tassel feast made by Brother Xuan today."

"I'm a pretty good cook, right?"

Huang Mengying exclaimed excitedly, "That's fantastic! I can't wait for the next trip to Tianjin!"

Zhuangzhuang asked, "Brother Xuan, when will the third episode be filmed?"

"Next Monday."

"Has the time been set?"

"The time has been set."

Huang Mengying was amused by the two men's broken Tianjin dialect and laughed heartily. Her laughter echoed in the car, seemingly bringing a joyful mood to the air.