Chapter 272 Fancy Methods

Huo Lin looked at the overflowing green vegetables in the bowl, then glanced at Jiang Huan's sincere little face, and felt that there was an indescribable eeriness to the scene.

[A short temper? I don't feel it at all! I'm perfectly fine, I could eat a whole cow!]

[Could it be that I inadvertently revealed some anxiety? Or did some imperial physician gossip and spout some health advice to her?]

[But this...this is way too green...it's giving me the creeps...]

He mentally ranted, but when he looked into Jiang Huan's clear, innocent eyes, he swallowed back his small protest.

[Never mind, since she prepared it especially for us, it's a token of her affection, we can't let her down.]

Let her eat grass, it's better than upsetting her.

With an almost tragic feeling, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat the bowl of food with difficulty.

His expression was just like that of a child being forced to drink bitter medicine.

Jiang Huan looked at his aggrieved yet forcedly composed appearance and smiled slightly.

Oh my, he looks so pitiful. Anyone who didn't know better would think he'd been mistreated.

But looking at how obediently he eats grass, he's actually quite cute!

She showed no sign of it on her face, maintaining her gentle and considerate demeanor, and even served him a bowl of clear soup with only two slices of winter melon floating on top.

Huo Lin: ...

He felt his stomach crying.

After finally getting through the vegetarian feast, Huo Lin seemed to remember something important and tried to change the subject to get rid of the lingering grassy taste in his mouth.

"By the way," he put down his chopsticks and looked at Jiang Huan, "I have ordered the instant noodle workshop you mentioned before to be built. We have also made a few batches of noodles. It looks quite impressive. Would you like to come with me to take a look now?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan's eyes lit up, and she immediately became interested, taking Huo Lin's arm.

"His Majesty is indeed efficient. Let's go, let's go take a look now."

Huo Lin couldn't help but smile as he looked at her energetic appearance.

After tidying up, the two left the palace. The carriage drove out of the palace city and arrived at a newly built workshop area near the East Market.

A simple wooden sign hangs at the entrance of the workshop: Zhuang's Workshop.

Upon entering the workshop, a rich aroma of flour and oil wafts over you.

Inside, everything was in good order, with workers busy kneading dough, pressing sheets, steaming... A complete production line was already taking shape.

Xie Yunzhi, holding an account book and a charcoal pencil, was quickly jotting something down in a corner.

Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw the Emperor and Jiang Huan, so startled that he almost dropped the charcoal pencil in his hand.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Your Highness! Why are you here?"

He instinctively tried to shrink behind the pillar, minimizing his presence.

Huo Lin waved his hand in a good mood: "No need for formalities. Yunzhi, how is the workshop operating? Is it going smoothly?"

Hearing the familiar topic of work, Xie Yunzhi's tension eased slightly, and he reported very quickly: "Your Majesty, everything is going smoothly. The pancake production process is stable, and daily production can reach over a thousand pieces. The packaging is also as you requested, uniformly marked with the label of Consort Zhuang's research, but... but..."

He hesitated for a moment and looked at Jiang Huan.

"What is it?" Jiang Huan asked interjecting.

Xie Yunzhi picked up a small earthenware jar from the side and opened it, revealing a dark brown sauce inside.

"It's this secret sauce that Your Majesty provided. It tastes amazing and is the soul of instant noodles. However, it's not easy to preserve and it spoils easily when the weather gets a little warm. If it's packaged with the noodles, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will spoil in just a few days."

This was precisely the biggest technical problem troubling him.

Jiang Huan had been pondering this question for a while, and now she has the answer.

He smiled knowingly and said, "That's simple, just sell the sauce and the noodles separately, right?"

She picked up the small earthenware jar: "We use these small earthenware jars to store the sauce. They seal well. When customers buy them and want to eat them, they just boil water to make pancakes, then scoop a spoonful of sauce from the jar to dissolve. One jar of sauce can be used several times. This way, the pancakes can be stored for a long time, and the sauce can also be preserved for a longer period of time."

Xie Yunzhi's eyes grew brighter as he listened, and he quickly made notes in the blank spaces of the ledger.

"Selling them separately, sealing them in earthenware jars...brilliant! This method not only solves the preservation problem, but also...and allows us to make more money!"

As he finished speaking, his voice trailed off, as if he were a little embarrassed.

Huo Lin nodded approvingly: "Yunzhi, do as she says."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xie Yunzhi quickly replied.

There were many flatbreads in the factory. Looking at those square, dry flatbreads, Jiang Huan thought of the various ways they were made in modern times.

She offered, “Your Majesty, instant noodles aren’t just eaten by soaking them in hot water. There are many ways to enjoy them. Come, I’ll take you to the Imperial Kitchen and demonstrate a few new ways to eat them.”

As she spoke, she enthusiastically pulled Huo Lin along, and then said to Xie Yunzhi, "Lord Xie, you come along too, take paper and pen, and write it down carefully."

Xie Yunzhi: "!!!"

I'm going to have to get so close to the Empress again? How...how terrifying...

But he couldn't disobey the emperor's order, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet, clutching his account book and charcoal pencil, and follow far behind like a frightened little quail.

The group marched back to the palace and headed straight for the imperial kitchen.

The head of the imperial kitchen was no longer the person who dared to give Jiang Huan a hard time. Now, when Consort Zhuang arrived, he was even more enthusiastic than when he saw his own mother.

"Your Majesty, what new and unusual dishes would you like to make today? What ingredients do you need? This servant will have them prepared immediately!"

Everyone in the imperial kitchen was completely captivated by Jiang Huan's endless stream of delicious food, and they wished she would come every day.

Jiang Huan didn't stand on ceremony and gave the orders decisively: "Please prepare a clean large pot, boil some water, and also prepare some eggs, green vegetables, fresh shrimp... oh, and a wok!"

"Understood, this servant will take care of it immediately!"

The steward promptly gave the orders, and the imperial kitchen instantly sprang into operation with high efficiency.

Jiang Huan picked up a few instant noodle cakes and first demonstrated the most classic way to eat them.

"Watch closely, the first way is to soak it! Boil water, put the noodles in, cook until they break apart, scoop a spoonful of sauce, stir well, sprinkle some chopped green onions, it's simple and quick."

The steaming hot noodles are cooked, and their aroma fills the air.

Huo Lin and Xie Yunzhi each received a small bowl.

Xie Yunzhi ate in small bites, making quick notes in the ledger as he ate.

"The classic noodle-cooking method requires boiling water...and a spoonful of sauce..."

Next, Jiang Huan picked up a wok and poured in oil: "We can also stir-fry this. First, boil the noodles until they're loose, then drain them. Put oil in the wok, add eggs, shredded meat, and vegetables, and stir-fry. Then add the cooked noodles, sauce, and stir-fry over high heat until evenly mixed. Done!"

Soon, a plate of glossy, fragrant stir-fried instant noodles was ready.

Huo Lin took a bite, his eyes brightening slightly: "It has a unique flavor, and it's even more fragrant."

Xie Yunzhi quickly jotted down: "For stir-fried noodles, you need to boil them first and then stir-fry them... The side dishes can be varied..."

Afterwards, Jiang Huan made a cold dish with instant noodles, and even tried coating it in egg batter and frying it...

The imperial kitchen was filled with delicious aromas, and the various novel cooking methods were dazzling.

Xie Yunzhi's charcoal pencil was almost worn down, and his ledger was filled with dense notes. He was deeply shocked.

The Empress has such ingenious ideas; she has managed to create so many ways to eat a single type of flatbread.

The market potential is immeasurable!