26. Steamed Osmanthus Crisp with Fine Sugar

◎The Cook at the Floating Wine Cups on a Winding Stream◎

After entering the kitchen, Yan Yunzhao first looked around.

The kitchen of Biyuefang was spacious and simply furnished, and could probably accommodate more than twenty people to help with cooking. Various ingredients were neatly arranged in small dishes, and a group of old women and maids waited by the side, waiting for Yan Yunzhao to give them his orders.

She glanced at the ingredients on the table; although there were many kinds, none of them were what she needed today.

Do you have any dried osmanthus flowers?

A shrewd-looking maid, seemingly the leader, called a clever little maid to bring up a basket of osmanthus flowers drying in the backyard. When the bamboo lid was opened, the rich fragrance of osmanthus flowers filled the kitchen.

Yan Yunzhao gathered a handful of osmanthus flowers, rubbed them carefully, and then shook his head: "There is still too much moisture. They were not dried properly in the shade, so the fragrance of the osmanthus flowers cannot be fully released."

“Oh, girl, you know how humid Lixi Town is. It takes a lot of effort to dry these flowers in the shade. We can’t do anything about it right now, so we’ll just have to make do with what we have.”

The maid was about twenty years old, sighing and complaining. Yan Yunzhao patted her shoulder reassuringly, "It's alright, I'll take care of it."

Place the large pot on the stove, wipe the pot dry with a dry cloth, leaving no moisture, and put in a few osmanthus flowers.

Yan Yunzhao took the firewood handed to him by the maid, but chopped it into small pieces and placed them evenly under the stove before lighting the fire to heat the pot.

The maids and matrons were puzzled and asked in confusion, "Why is that?"

As Yan Yunzhao tied his apron, he said, "Osmanthus flowers need to be completely dried to retain their aroma when making pastries. Dried osmanthus flowers need to be roasted over low heat. If the firewood is too strong, the fire will burn easily because the pan will not heat evenly."

The maids and grandmothers suddenly realized and nodded in unison: "That makes sense. No wonder the pastries we made before always tasted bland."

She slowly stirred the osmanthus flowers in the pan, watching the slightly yellow petals gradually thin out until they turned completely yellow, before finally pouring the whole pot of osmanthus flowers onto a plate.

"Fresh pomelo, lemon, black tea."

The maids were puzzled as to why these ingredients were needed to make osmanthus pastries. They arranged them as instructed, waiting to see how Yan Yunzhao would begin.

Crush osmanthus flowers and pour them into a syrup boiled over high heat, mix in honey, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice. Take some flour, add boiled spring water, a little black tea, and osmanthus jam, then stir and knead the mixture. Tear, pull, twist, knead, and pinch the small dough balls repeatedly, then let them rest and ferment. Divide the dough into small pieces, stretch them into thin paper shapes, and wrap them up layer by layer, about ten layers in total.

After steaming the osmanthus pastries in the steamer for a short while, a little magic is needed to activate them.

The crispy pastries were placed in the steamer, and the maids and old women couldn't see them clearly. However, just in case, Yan Yunzhao still arranged some work for them and sent them aside.

She summoned a small fire and evenly baked the crispy pastries in the steamer, turning up the heat to evaporate the excess moisture. In no time, the fragrance of osmanthus had already traveled for miles.

The osmanthus pastries are baked until they are neither too dry nor too wet, and have a refreshing and sweet taste. Arrange them on a plate, sprinkle with some osmanthus flowers, and drizzle with diluted honey, and you're done!

An old woman, upon seeing the crispy pastry, smiled, a rare occurrence for her: "This young lady is just starting out; I, a cook with decades of experience, am truly ashamed of my own incompetence."

"You're too kind, Mother-in-law. As for cooking skills, I'm certainly not as skilled as you. I just had a few flashes of inspiration and some clever ideas. It's nothing but my clumsy skills. How can I compare to you?"

I had long heard of Biyuefang's renowned reputation, all because of a cook with exceptional skills—a former imperial chef serving the Emperor. She had honed her culinary skills for decades, developing her own unique style, and had won over countless discerning diners who preferred her cooking. Only due to her advanced age was she granted permission by the Emperor to retire to her hometown. Now, in Lixi Town, no one fails to acknowledge the brilliance of her culinary skills.

Yan Yunzhao looked around and realized that most of the cooks and helpers were still young and he couldn't match them to his name. He then knew that it must be the old woman who had been silently standing by.

Her words, a mix of self-deprecation and praise, pleased the old woman, who smiled kindly. "You can just call me Madam Du. I've heard you're the owner of that Cui Liang shop?"

Yan Yunzhao nodded and smiled modestly: "That's right."

"Young lady, you are quite young, yet you already possess a remarkable understanding of culinary arts. It is truly commendable. Would you be willing to stay at Biyuefang in the future?"

Seeing that Madam Du was interested, Yan Yunzhao went along with it and said, "It's probably not feasible for me to stay at Biyuefang, as I have three younger sisters to support at home. However, if you don't mind, could you take me as your apprentice?"

Madam Du beamed and said, "You flatter me, young lady. My shop is doing very well, and you still have the ambition to improve. I will definitely teach you with all my might."

Yan Yunzhao smiled and bowed, saying, "Yunzhao greets Master."

Lady Du took her hand and said, "There's no need for such formalities. I've always been a spontaneous person."

The maids and matrons in the kitchen were stunned: Madam Du was usually extremely strict. If any of her subordinates neglected their duties, missed the mark, or skipped a step, she would punish them severely. She would never take on apprentices. Why was she being so polite to this newcomer, Miss Yan?

Just as they were wondering, Lou Chengjing lifted the curtain and strode in from outside.

"Wow, it's so lively here! Sister-in-law, how's your pastry making going?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding maids and old women reacted with varying expressions. Yan Yunzhao knew he was deliberately addressing him that way to cause misunderstanding, and seeing his smug face, she just wanted to punch him a couple of times.

With so many people around, it wasn't convenient to cause a scene. She forced a smile and said, "The osmanthus pastries are ready. Would you be willing to try some, Master Lou?"

She had only tasted the pastries and was itching to try making them for fun, but now she had a plan.

"OK."

Lou Chengjing took the pastry and took a small bite.

The first bite is soft and crumbly, with the aroma of sesame oil from the thin, flaky outer crust stimulating the taste buds. After a few chews, you'll find a soft, sweet, and chewy outer layer. If you swallow it whole, the sweet flavor of fresh osmanthus sauce inside will explode in your mouth, interspersed with layers of grapefruit honey, creating an incredibly rich and complex taste.

"Hmm? It's really good. Sweet but not cloying, and perfectly soft and tender. But why does it taste like there are other flavors as well?"

Lou Chengjing ate several more suspiciously, but still couldn't figure out what it was.

"Madam Du, would you like to try some?"

Lou Chengjing gestured with his chin towards the small plate, and upon hearing this, Madam Du also picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.

"Fresh grapefruit and lemon juice infused into the flavor perfectly balances the sweetness of the osmanthus syrup, leaving a refreshing aftertaste. Black tea is gently poured into the dough, enriching the flavor of the pastry and also removing the fishy taste of the spring water."

Yan Yunzhao nodded with a smile: "One should not be too particular about the fineness of food or the delicacy of cooking. Lady Du has excellent taste."

"Such expertise in making simple pastries shows that I have underestimated Miss Yun Zhao."

Lou Chengjing narrowed his long, phoenix-shaped eyes, seemingly plotting something: "Fifty strings of cash, sell the pastry recipe to my Biyuefang."

"You think you can buy out the formula for a mere fifty strings of cash? Is this all the sincerity the shopkeeper has?"

"So what do you want?"

"Five hundred strings of cash."

Everyone gasped, but Yan Yunzhao remained calm and pulled up a chair to sit down.

“Master Lou, we are all businessmen. Let me discuss this five hundred strings of cash with you.”

"Based on the current land prices in Lixi Town, renting a house in a more remote area costs three guan a month. For a place as large as your guifang, it wouldn't be unreasonable to estimate it at thirty guan. Pepper, sesame seeds, flour, sugar, salt, vegetables, and meat are needed to entertain the thousands of people in Biyuefang. In addition, there are the salaries of maids, mothers-in-law, servants, and guards. I roughly estimate that the monthly expenses will be at least one thousand guan."

"I only need five hundred strings of cash, which is negligible compared to your brothel's revenue. What else could you possibly be worried about, brothel owner?"

Lou Chengjing leaned against the side, playing with the folding fan in his hand, seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, he lowered his head and chuckled, "Interesting."

“In the capital, even the rarest delicacies in a recipe book sell for no more than three hundred strings of cash. Miss Yun Zhao is intelligent; she couldn’t possibly be unaware of fair prices. If she says this, she probably knew I wouldn’t buy your Osmanthus Pastry and has a backup plan.”

Unexpectedly, Lou Chengjing was also a shrewd person. Even though her thoughts were exposed, she was not angry: "Not so. Whether the shop owner buys it or not, it will benefit me."

"Qing'er, go to the accounting office and bring over one hundred strings of cash. Just one hundred strings, not a penny more, not a penny less, give it to me or not."

Yan Yunzhao smiled: They took the bait as expected.

Her original intention was not about the money; she had a backup plan.

The girl named Qing'er was quick and efficient, and soon came over with a note for one hundred strings of cash.

Lou Chengjing straightened up, stretched, and glanced at Yan Yunzhao casually: "A mere hundred strings of cash, here you go. I've been living a mundane life for too long, I'd like to see what tricks you have up your sleeve."

"Please wait, Master Lou. However... since you are willing to sell my recipe cheaply and not pay more, I don't need the money. I only ask for a position as a cook at the 'Floating Wine Cups' banquet."

"The winding stream banquet, where distinguished guests gather, is held to celebrate Princess Chang Le's birthday. The banquet is exquisite and elegant. Although Miss Yun Zhao's cooking skills are excellent, they may not be enough for the winding stream banquet."

"There are still more than two months until the banquet, so it's natural to hone my skills. Why don't you set an auspicious day and invite all the owners of the seventeen guilds of restaurants to judge whether my skills are up to par?"

“This matter is not something I can decide alone. Welcoming the Princess is the most important event in the entire Lixi Town. Preparations begin every early spring. Currently, eighty-eight chefs have been selected. Adding one more might break the auspiciousness and displease the Princess. However, I will handle things with the other owners. If any chef is unable to attend, I will recommend you.”

"Then thank you very much, Master Lou."

Lou Chengjing's phoenix eyes were calm and unwavering, revealing nothing of his thoughts. But being stared at by him always made one feel uneasy, as if a venomous snake was slowly and coldly coiling around you from behind, ready to strike a fatal blow when you least expected it.

"Master Lou, can we just leave me locked up in Biyuefang like this? I need to go back to prepare the banquet."

Yan Yunzhao hesitated before speaking, carefully changing his wording.

"Whatever you want."

Lou Chengjing said those words and then took a long stride out.

What an eccentric person. He inexplicably wanted her and Lou Su to stay at Biyuefang, and now he's inexplicably telling her to go back?

After mentally criticizing Lou Chengjing, Yan Yunzhao put on a warm smile and said goodbye to Madam Du: "I will often come to Biyuefang to learn cooking skills in the future. I hope Master will not find it troublesome."

"How could I find it troublesome? Miss Yun Zhao, please come on over."

Anyone with eyes could see that the owner of the building seemed to have a special feeling for Yan Yunzhao. A group of maids kept glancing at her and exchanging winks and flirtations behind her back, but Madam Du didn't seem to care much.

After leaving Biyuefang with one hundred strings of cash, Yan Yunzhao did not return to the small shop, but went to the county magistrate's mansion instead.