I run a convenience store in the Empire

[Edited] Chapter 34

In just one hour, a large circular flower bed with a diameter of five meters and a height of half a meter was built in the center of an equilateral triangle composed of ropes, fences, and concrete walls adorned with lanterns.

Tang Tang placed an order on the star network for a tall ornamental peach blossom tree. It stood about six meters tall, three meters in diameter, and had many branches. The pink peach blossoms were beautiful and fairy-like, more splendid than the peach blossom tree she had seen in fairy-tale games, and comparable to the large cherry blossom tree.

The ornamental peach blossom tree does not bear fruit and blooms all year round. Tang Tang decided to use this tree as a marriage tree. Peach blossoms have always had a romantic charm, and the idea of pink flowers with red rope hanging small wooden signs like wind chimes sounded beautiful.

The peach blossom tree, like the cherry blossom tree, was specially delivered and planted by professionals.

Planted in a white marble flower bed, the peach blossom tree stood to the left and the right, its branches stretching out gracefully. The pink peach blossoms complemented the pink and white cherry blossoms, adding a dreamy, fairy-tale atmosphere to the store.

Tang Tang also ordered a one-meter-high white wooden fence, pale yellow and dark pink climbing roses, and an eighty-centimeter-high three-layer wooden bamboo shelf from the star network. The courier delivered everything quickly.

The flower bed, where the peach blossom trees were planted, was surrounded by square floor tiles. The peach blossom trees faced the window on the left side of the store, and two meters away was a small garden for planting milk fruit trees.

Tang Tang inserted a white fence along the edge of the grassy field opposite the peach blossom tree in the small rectangular garden, separating the two areas. She then planted the climbing roses next to the fence, added the special growth potion, and soon the pale yellow and dark pink roses climbed all over the white fence.

Finally, Tang Tang placed the bamboo shelf next to the peach blossom tree flower bed, neatly arranging the small wooden signs, red ropes, and paint pens on it. She priced a red rope at ten credits, ensuring that the cost was reasonable and preventing too many red ropes from being hung, which could harm the peach blossom tree.

After three o'clock in the afternoon, Tang Tang noticed Qi Tian, who had been playing with the red rope after helping with the tasks, looking very interested in it.

She sneaked up close to Qi Tian and playfully flicked his forehead. He looked up at her, a questioning look in his eyes.

Tang Tang smiled and said, "Why does Tian Tian like playing with the red rope? Are you interested in romantic love? Children should think about this when they grow up."

Qi Tian was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke up, "Sister."

The first time Qi Tian called her "sister," Tang Tang felt a bit dizzy. When she looked back, she noticed a red rope tied around his left wrist, the bright red contrasting with his porcelain-white skin.

"I obediently stopped playing and gave it to you, Sugar Candy," Qi Tian said, looking calm and casual.

"Can you just tie a red rope like this?" Tang Tang tried to untie it but found that he had tied several tight knots. When she looked up, she saw Qi Tian watching her intently, a hint of sadness on his face.

"Forget it, it's just a red rope. I'm not superstitious," she thought.

"It's almost dinner time, what should we do?" Tang Tang remembered that the unlocked food included Supi red bean cake and marshmallow milk tea.

"Sweet, let's eat red bean cake for dinner."

"Good."

Tang Tang immediately walked to the kitchen, with Qi Tian following behind, unable to hide his smile as he glanced at the red rope on Tang Tang's wrist.

In the kitchen, Tang Tang washed her hands thoroughly. She always enjoyed making Supi red bean cake. Typically, she found most red bean-filled pastries too sweet and greasy, but the Supi red bean cake from the system was a delightful surprise.

To make Supi red bean cake, the key is the method of preparing the dough. Tang Tang first added flour, water, and lard into a transparent glass bowl, stirring and kneading until the mixture became a smooth water-oil dough.

She then kneaded flour and lard into a smooth dry oil-soda dough. After that, she cut both doughs into 100 equal parts, rolled them into small balls, covered them with plastic wrap, and let them rest for a while.

While waiting for the dough to rest, she sat on a bar stool, watching Qi Tian. He was a quick learner and, after watching her once, could do things better than she could.

As the dough was resting, the milk tea was ready. Tang Tang picked two marshmallows from the colorful marshmallow star tree, then took out the brown sugar pearls and frozen ice pieces she had prepared earlier from the refrigerator. Making marshmallow milk tea was similar to making caramel milk tea.

Tang Tang boiled the milk tea, then poured it into glasses, adding pearls, ice cubes, and marshmallows on top. The marshmallow milk tea was ready.

The marshmallows came with matching straws. She inserted the straw through the marshmallow into the glass and took a sip. The freshly brewed milk tea was a bit hot, but the ice cubes made it cold. The combination of hot and cold, along with the milk's aroma and the faint tea flavor, created a rich, exciting taste.

The brown sugar pearls added a chewy texture to the smooth milk tea, making it a perfect match. She took a bite of the marshmallow on the cup and then sipped the milk tea through the straw. The marshmallow added a bit of sweetness to the milk tea and melted interestingly in her mouth.