45 Guanyin Tofu

◎They cracked melon seeds, waiting for the show.◎

"Guanyin tofu."

This Guanyin tofu was a specialty food that she had eaten in Yuhang in her previous life. It was the first time she ate it and the taste was fresh, so she asked for the recipe and made it a few times.

This time she came through again and made Guanyin tofu for the first time.

Li He asked innocently, "Is this tofu made by Guanyin herself?"

Song Jinyi laughed and said, "I don't blame you for thinking so much. Isn't this name too strange?" Without waiting for Li He to answer, Song Jinyi said to himself, "The scholars called noodles shuiyin, steamed buns yuzhu, and eggplant luosu.

Although Guanyin Tofu has a nice name, it's not poetic either. It could be called 'Koshao Soft Jade.'"

The green buds of Kou Tiao are green, and nephrite is an elegant name for tofu.

Song Jinyi cut several long strips around the edge of the whole piece of green "jelly", stacking them up layer by layer to form a pyramid shape, and then cut it into small square pieces from top to bottom.

The dark green tofu suddenly made Song Jinyi think of a pair of eyes, also dark green, like a bottomless pool of water. She was stunned for a moment.

It was not until she heard a noise coming from the kitchen door that she came to her senses. She saw the maid from the front yard coming to get the dishes. She placed a small jasmine flower on the top of the tofu as a decoration.

******

The painting appreciation banquet was held in the garden in the southeast corner of the mansion. Since the painting appreciation banquet was just a name and the real purpose was not to entertain the guests, only three or four guests were invited.

Behind the garden is the attic where paintings are stored. Passing through the moon-shaped door, you will see a horizontal corridor leading to the painting attic.

A woman in her forties, with skin as white as pearls, eyes like willow leaves, and cheeks that were plump and slightly drooping, she was rich and plump. This was Mrs. Li.

She and an old man in plain robes strolled along the straight corridor. "Master Xun is really hard to invite. I have invited you three or four times before. If it weren't for the help of the paintings, how could I have invited you today?" Mrs. Li said half jokingly and half complainingly.

Master Xun shook his head and said quickly, "Madam Li, you're joking. The academy has been busy lately. The month before last, we presided over the academy examinations, and the month before that, the imperial examinations. As soon as these are resolved, I'll attend your banquet immediately and live up to your repeated invitations."

When Madam Li heard Master Xun mention the provincial and metropolitan examinations, she turned her head and wanted to ask immediately, but was stopped by a look from Madam Zhou who was following behind her.

Mrs. Wang was silent for a moment, then said, "Since Master Xun rarely comes, he should take a good look. In this painting pavilion, there's 'Picking Peaches' by Xu and 'One Hundred Horses' by Meng Yan..."

Famous paintings are precious and rare. If they are left outside and accidentally stained, it would be a waste of treasures. For this reason, Mrs. Li specially found a spacious and quiet room, placed two rows of easels on the left and right, and unfolded the paintings one by one.

Madam Li and Master Xun entered the studio at the end of the corridor. Master Xun didn't have any special hobbies, he just liked to recite poems and appreciate paintings. At this moment, seeing the famous paintings that he could not usually see, he was delighted and stopped in front of the paintings to appreciate them with great interest.

About an incense stick later, Master Xun finally reached the end of the studio. Madam Wang breathed a sigh of relief and could no longer suppress her curiosity, asking, "Master Xun is also my son's mentor. Now my son has passed the academy examination and has become a student.

I heard that the Baichuan Academy in Maoyuan is excellent, and nearly a dozen prime ministers of Daxia have come from there. Now that the academy examinations are over, many students have gone there. I heard that you are familiar with the principal of the academy. If I can get your recommendation, I will definitely be able to get in. I wonder if you are willing to help me?"

Master Xun hesitated for a moment, then said sternly, "Your son is intelligent. If he wishes to enter Maoyuan, he only needs to register and pass the academy's three examinations. Why would he need a vulgar person like me to recommend him?"

He said this to show that he was unwilling. Mrs. Li was impatient and kept bringing it up, wishing she could hold him down and wait for him to agree before letting him go.

Master Xun looked embarrassed and bowed with both hands, saying that he had something to do and had to leave first. Madam Li was unwilling to do so and asked someone to block her way. She opened her mouth to talk about this matter again, but she felt someone tapping her from behind.

Looking back, she saw Aunt Zhou shaking her head to signal her not to mention the matter again.

Mrs. Li frowned and stopped talking about it.

Madam Zhou came out at the right time and said that the banquet had been set up in the garden behind and asked the guests to move forward.

Since the host had prepared the banquet, the guest had to eat a few bites and be given some thin noodles even if he wanted to leave. Besides, the young master of the Li family was his student. Master Xun thought for a moment and decided to find an excuse to leave later.

******

The garden is lush with trees and grass. Guests sit in an open space with a screen painted with mountains, rivers, flowers and birds behind them. There is a water channel on the side of the garden, hidden among the flowers.

There was a person standing by the screen serving dishes. His voice was soft but his pronunciation was clear so that everyone in the garden could hear clearly, "Three flavors of vegetarian rice wine, spicy tofu and chicken skin... Hundred Flowers Crisp——".

Baihua Su? Master Xun, who was enjoying his fine tea, heard the name and raised his eyelids with interest, wanting to see what kind of novel pastry this was. It was the first time he had heard of it.

A row of maids came in from the courtyard gate, carrying silver plates that were all silver and white with red dots. From a distance, one could see the colorful and eye-catching snacks on the silver plates.

Dai's maid came closer, and Master Xun took a look. There was a plate with ten flower pastries of different styles: rose pastries, jasmine pastries, magnolia pastries, camellia pastries, crabapple pastries, peach pastries, blue flower pastries, chrysanthemum pastries, lotus pastries, and wintersweet pastries.

There are ten flowers in a plate, and ten plates are more than a hundred. Moreover, there are more than ten plates. Isn't it a hundred-flower pastry?

After seeing the true face of Baihuasu, I thought it was just so-so. Who hasn't tried Baihuasu? Master Xun thought that Zui Liuxia's Baihuasu was the best.

He didn't think that the Li family's private chef could cook better than Zui Liuxia's pastry chef.

This idea began to waver a little when the Hundred Flowers Su was placed in front of him.

Ordinary flower pastries can only look 50% like the real thing, even if the craftsmanship is superb. Zui Liuxia can only look 60% like the real thing, but I didn’t expect that the flower pastries in front of me looked 90% like the real thing. From a distance, they looked like freshly picked flowers.

It's really lifelike.

Exquisite, very exquisite!

Just wondering how it tastes? Just as he was thinking this, someone who had already tasted it exclaimed in praise, "This flower pastry is sweet but not greasy, and its shape is elegant. It can be said to be a top-notch snack."

When Master Xun heard this, he also picked up a magnolia flower with chopsticks. The petals were distinct and the lines were clear, which showed that it had indeed taken a lot of effort.

When you take a bite, the fried crispy skin makes a crisp sound, and the crispy shell blooms instantly. The filling inside slowly invades the tip of the tongue and erodes the taste buds.

In the blink of an eye, Master Xun saw that there were only three flower cakes left on the silver plate. He muttered in his heart: Did he have such a good appetite before?

He loved sweets when he was young, but as he got older, he found sweets greasy and ate less and less. Unexpectedly, today he almost finished a whole plate in one go.

However, no matter how delicious the flower pastry was, if you ate too much, you would eventually get sick of it. He put down his chopsticks and prepared to say goodbye to Mrs. Wang.

But the waitress who served the dishes said, "The cherries are fried, and the tips of the nuts are as soft as jade."

Unexpectedly, new dishes were delivered at the right time. The dark green Guanyin tofu was moist and shiny, and the color looked very refreshing. The fried cherry was fresh in color, sour and sweet, and was also a great appetite whetter.

Master Xun usually thought that he was not a person who was greedy for food, but he didn't expect that today he was attracted by delicious food again and again, like a little child. He smiled silently.

******

In the kitchen, Li He was filling his stomach with the leftovers from making snacks. Song Jinyi was not hungry and sat beside Li He waiting quietly. However, Xu Ruolan looked up at the inner courtyard from time to time, her face full of anxiety.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in front of her. Song Jinyi looked over and saw someone coming from the inner courtyard. She asked, "Who is Madam Song?"

Upon hearing this, the cooks waiting in the kitchen all turned their eyes to Song Jinyi. They had previously expected that Song Jinyi's snacks would not be up to standard, and judging by the time, the banquet should be almost over.

Could it be that Madam Li wants to settle the score later?

They were cracking melon seeds, waiting for the show.

"Master Xun, who came today, really liked Madam Song's Hundred Flowers Pastry and asked Madam Li to meet this skilled Madam Song."

If the banquet is well prepared and wins the favor of the host and the guests, the host will be summoned separately and rewarded.

Song Jinyi had expected that Mrs. Li would want to see her. She stood up calmly, her eyes turned, and the gazes that had been staring at her just now all avoided her.

Those who were waiting to see the show were secretly annoyed that Song Jinyi, a cook who came from some unknown corner, could actually go to the inner courtyard to receive a reward. Thinking of this, even the melon seeds didn't taste good anymore.

Song Jinyi followed the maid who delivered the message to the inner courtyard.

Her eyes swept across the people on both sides, looking at the gorgeously dressed woman in the main seat, and the old man with white hair and beard, who looked very elegant, sitting in the guest seat a little lower than hers.

I think these two are Madam Li and Master Xun.

Master Xun asked Song Jinyi how she came up with the Hundred Flowers Pastry, and also asked about the soft jade with koji leaves, what it was made of, and where this delicacy came from... While talking, he occasionally interspersed allusions and poems.

Song Jinyi was not a well-read intellectual. In his previous life, he was a half-educated student who had received compulsory education for nine years. Now, when talking to an old man who was full of knowledge, he didn't know what to say except asking and answering questions.

When she was worrying about this, a woman broke into the banquet.

The woman was about six feet tall, and her voice was full of energy, like a huge bell. She pointed at Master Xun with her arm, which was as thick as a lotus root, and said, "Master Xun is a scholar after all. How can a scholar go back on his word?

My wife has invited me many times before, and you personally replied yesterday, saying that you would come to keep the appointment when you are free today. Why is it that you are so reluctant to turn away from the beautiful women in the Li Mansion and are unwilling to condescend to come to our humble home? ..."

The woman spoke like a machine gun, and she spoke all these words without even taking a breath.

If it were in the previous life, Song Jinyi would have applauded and praised this person for his rap talent.

This scene was so shocking that even Madam Zhou, who was beside Madam Li, was stunned. After a moment, she came to her senses and cursed loudly: "You bunch of freeloaders, how could you not even guard the door and let the maid from the palace break in—"

Master Xun was a scholar with a thin skin. The servant scolded him until his face turned red. He stood up and said, "I had wanted to come to the Li and Wang families to talk today, but I didn't expect to bother Madam Li for so long. It's time to go."

Mrs. Li was not willing to let the person go. She asked Master Xun for two reasons. One was to ask Master Xun to write a letter of recommendation for her son. The other was that she knew that the other party also wanted to ask Master Xun.

How could she possibly do what the other party wanted? So she had purposely scheduled the painting banquet for today, just so she couldn't invite anyone.

It would be fine if she couldn't get the letter of recommendation, but if Master Xun went to the house next door, she would be so angry that she wouldn't be able to eat.

Madam Li ordered the people in the courtyard, "Leave Master Xun here for me... and kick that wild girl out..."

There were many people in the garden, some gathered around Master Xun, some were standing by the maids in the palace, and some were watching the show and directing things. For a while, one person finished singing and another took the stage, making a mess.

Song Jinyi was the only one at the center of the incident, but she did not get involved. Although she felt funny in her heart, her expression remained calm as she analyzed the situation calmly.

She didn't come here today to prepare a banquet, but to ask Madam Li for help in a roundabout way. As Xu Ruolan said, it was just a meal, how could she ask Madam Li for help.

But if she wants to calm down this chaos and keep Master Xun, whether Madam Li is willing to help is another matter.

The things she brought this morning came in handy now.