6. Celebrity Effect

"Good is good, no need for my approval."

Today, because Mr. Feng was here, and he claimed that he came here because of its reputation, he also ordered Zui Liuxia's most famous Peony Pastry. Whether this was a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the audience, no one knew, nor did they care, but they knew in their hearts that this was a good show.

The guests wanted to see if this little-known shop could win Mr. Feng's heart? And if it could surpass Zui Liuxia's Peony Pastry? Even worse, surpass Zui Liuxia's status as a top-tier pastry.

The room was full of people watching the show, and the waiting time was long. In addition, it was noon and the weather was dry, so their throats were inevitably dry and uncomfortable, so they ordered a cup of tea to moisten their throats.

When the shopkeeper saw that Xu Ruolan had not come out of the east kitchen for a long time, he urged her to go out and make tea, and sent a waiter to help Song Jinyi.

Song Jinyi only had to prepare snacks for one person, while Xu Ruolan had to prepare tea for a room full of people in the front hall.

Xu Ruolan heard the shopkeeper urging her, and she responded. As she walked away, she scolded Song Jinyi, "It's all your fault. Even I was busy all day long."

Song Jinyi smiled faintly, quickly apologized, watched her leave, and continued with his work.

This peony pastry was also mentioned in "Dream of Red Mansions". It is a small pastry with the shape of a delicate peony flower. Grandmother Jia is old and doesn't like fried food very much, as she finds it too greasy.

Although Mr. Feng is in good spirits, he is old and probably cannot be used to eating fried fruits. It would be better for her to steam them in a basket instead.

The waiter who was sent to buy noodles also came back.

She poured the wheat flour and glutinous rice flour into a basin, added hot water, and stirred while pouring water until the flour became flocculent. She then placed it on the chopping board, added lard and kneaded it into a ball for later use.

Don't underestimate this step. Kneading dough is strenuous work. After kneading it all the way, the sweat on her back soaked through Song Jinyi's clothes. She stopped, scooped water from the bucket beside her, washed her face, and then she felt alive again.

Looking at the dough and pondering what to do next, I realized belatedly that there was one thing missing - red yeast rice powder for coloring!

Although this red yeast rice is only used to adjust the color, it is indeed the finishing touch. The red peony is gorgeous, and the other colors are all slightly different. Moreover, Mr. Feng came here to "find faults", so color, fragrance and taste are all indispensable!

She had to get the ingredients for the coloring.

She called the waiter over and asked, "Is there anyone selling red yeast rice around here?"

The waiter scratched his head and said, "Yes, there is. They sell it on Rongmin Street, two blocks away. It's a bit far, so it'll take some time."

Song Jinyi took a look at the kneaded dough, and then looked at the sunlight outside the diamond-shaped window. The sun was hanging in the sky, like a huge round piece of iron scorching the people below, and the surrounding white clouds retreated due to the heat.

The sun is at its highest point. If the dough is left to sit for too long, it will be past its best quality and alkali will need to be added to neutralize it.

An outsider may not be able to taste much difference, but Mr. Feng, who is known as a "foodie", can definitely tell the difference.

"Is there a store closer? The kind that can be bought in fifteen minutes?"

"This..." The waiter said in confusion, "There's a shop up ahead that sells brine. They should have red yeast rice powder, but it's almost afternoon now. They'll probably be out of it by now, and there's no guarantee we'll be able to borrow some."

What should I do?

She pursed her lower lip, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on her head. What could she use to replace the red koji to adjust the color?

Song Jinyi turned her head and caught a glimpse of a touch of red on the stove?

There are many seasonal fruits in summer. Yesterday, Song Jinyi saw that pomegranates were selling well. They were big and bright in color, so she bought a few. She had nothing to do at noon, so she ate half of them.

Song Jinyi walked over and weighed the remaining half of the pomegranate. The fruit was large and bright in color - like a ruby.

It’s not impossible.

She peeled the pomegranate flesh, put it in a stone mortar and pounded it to extract the pomegranate juice. She took half of the dough that had just been left to rest, pinched it into a nest shape, poured in the pomegranate juice, and continued to knead the dough until it became evenly pink.

Take another small piece of dough and roll it into a flower bud. Then, use orange juice to color the remaining dough yellow. Roll it into thin strips, cut it short, and insert it into the flower bud to make the pistil.

Take the pink and white doughs, knead them into petal shapes, and then use a plastic knife to press out the veins of the petals.

This step is a delicate job. She holds the dough with her index finger and wraps the prepared petals on the bud until the petals are stacked layer by layer to form the shape of a peony flower.

She made two pairs, symbolizing that good things come in pairs.

Steam it in a steamer for four minutes, and choose the flattest and most beautiful porcelain plate with a circle of lace wrapped with green leaves on the edge, which just sets off the "protagonist".

Xu Ruolan calculated the time and estimated that it was about time. She rubbed her wrist and said that she would take a break and take a look at how the east chef was doing.

When I lifted the curtain, I saw Song Jinyi coming out with a plate. There was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and her hair stuck to her cheeks, but it did not affect her energetic and confident look at all.

She lowered her head and looked at the peony pastry that Song Jinyi had just made, and her expression changed.

******

Song Jinyi went to the hall carrying the peony pastry.

The spectators on both sides of the aisle stretched their necks to look at the delicacies on the plate.

Before she even reached Mr. Feng, the audience's endless questioning was about to drown her out.

"It's beautiful, but it's nothing like Zui Liuxia's Peony Pastry!"

"After all, Zui Liuxia's is unique. If it were so easy to make, Liuxiangju would have copied it long ago."

Amidst the questioning, she still walked calmly to Mr. Feng and said, "This peony pastry is not on the menu of our shop. At your request, the ingredients were bought and made on the spot. It took a little longer, so I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"A gentleman stays away from the kitchen, as good things take time." Old Feng smiled. He is a free man now and does not care about time as long as the long wait is worth it.

When he saw the plate of peony pastry made by Song Jinyi, the smile on his face faded a little.

He frowned and said nothing, the wrinkles on his forehead squeezed into a knot.

The shopkeeper beside him saw this and thought to himself, "Not good!"

Seeing that Mr. Feng was reluctant to pick up his chopsticks and hearing the gloating voices of the onlookers next to him, he became impatient and prepared to smooth things over.

He pointed at Song Jinyi and said angrily: "If you don't have the ability, don't take on porcelain work. You're making a fool of yourself. Old Feng, don't bother with a little girl..."

Before he could finish his words, he saw Elder Feng suddenly move and pick up his chopsticks. However, he did not put them down immediately. Instead, he looked up at Song Jinyi and asked, "A delicious meal is one that has all the flavors and tastes. Miss, you have done it well, but it is different from anything I have ever seen."

Song Jinyi smiled and said, "What rules are there for food? As long as it tastes good, that's fine."

Mr. Feng seemed to agree that what she said made sense, so he nodded in agreement and picked up his chopsticks to savor the food carefully.

He frowned at first, then relaxed, then swallowed the two peonies, and finally put down his chopsticks, concealing his unnecessary expression.

He asked, "Can I ask why you chose to steam it instead of fry it?"

"Food is for serving people. This fried food is a bit greasy, and I'm afraid you won't be used to it, so I changed the way it's prepared."

Mr. Feng asked again, "Your taste is also a little different. I can't put my finger on it, but it tastes sweet."

"I usually use red yeast rice powder, but I switched to pomegranate juice for coloring, which gives it a lighter taste."

"Not bad," Elder Feng said simply, summarizing the dish. "I didn't expect that a young lady of her age would have such unique ideas about food and such exquisite cooking skills."

Mr. Feng tapped the shopkeeper with his chopsticks and said, "You've found a treasure."

In stark contrast to Mr. Feng's calmness were the onlookers around him.

"What does Mr. Feng mean by that? Do you think it's better than Zui Liuxia's?"

"How is that possible? What kind of place is Zui Liu Xia? This is just a small tea shop. How can it be compared to Zui Liu Xia?"

Someone else who had tried the dim sum in the shop said, "I'm telling you the food here tastes pretty good, just as good as Zui Liu Xia, and half the price. I'll definitely eat here from now on."

…

After finishing his meal, Mr. Feng went to pay the bill.

The shopkeeper said politely, "It is an honor for our shop that Mr. Feng is willing to patronize us. How can we accept your money?"

"If it's good, it's good. No need for my approval." Mr. Feng didn't want to take advantage of others and insisted on paying the money.

After seeing off the great man, the spectators who had come to see Mr. Feng gradually dispersed, and the clamor of the teahouse gradually died down. After a long silence, diners who had heard the noise flocked in, filling the teahouse.

The half-day holiday promised by the shopkeeper was also wasted.

In the end, we ran out of ingredients and had to close the store early.

After the store closed, Xu Ruolan and Song Jinyi met up to go out for a stroll. Xu Ruolan continued the unfinished conversation with her: "Do you know how the store that Mr. Feng recommended is doing now?"

Song Jinyi shook her head and said she didn't know.

"That shop is the Liu Family Soup Restaurant, which is famous for its soups in Yunzhou. He praised your cooking skills today. Who knows, one day, you might leave here. Maybe even a place like Zui Liu Xia can't keep you."

Song Jinyi smiled but did not answer.

She didn't tell Xu Ruolan that she did have other plans in mind. Working to save money was not a long-term solution after all.

When she saved enough money, she rented a small stall and opened a small shop.

Yunzhou is not a place where she can stay for a long time.

After a while, she will leave Yunzhou and stay away from the Song family.

******

Just like the celebrity effect, ever since Mr. Feng finished his visit, the tea shop has no longer been as quiet as before. Song Jinyi was so busy that she was dizzy. Half a month had passed unknowingly and it was the second half of this month.

After finishing his work for the day, the waiter hung a wooden sign indicating the store was closed at the door.

Song Jinyi sat on a wooden bench by the window in the front hall. Outside the window, small vendors were selling peach branches and cattail leaves.

There were also some middle-aged women holding a wooden rack with bracelets and necklaces woven with colorful ropes, as well as sachets filled with mugwort and perilla hanging on it.

A bright light flashed in her dull eyes. She was attracted by the colorful ornaments and looked at a mother and daughter who stopped in front of the stall, gesturing to buy things.

In her previous life, when she saw these colorful little gadgets on the street, she could only stare at them through the black iron gate. As she was an orphan, no one would give her such bracelets.

She often wondered what would happen if she had parents too?

After the woman selling goods went away, she came to her senses and saw Xu Ruolan bought a bunch of mugwort from a small vendor outside and hung it at the door. She thought that today was the second day of May, and there were three days left until the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of May, and there were six days left until the next month.

She called Xu Ruolan, "Sister Ruolan, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, why don't we make some rice dumplings to celebrate the occasion?"

"This..." Xu Ruolan said disapprovingly, "Zongzi are too common. They only have candied date dumplings. There aren't many varieties, and the cooking method is very simple. Not to mention those skilled women, even I can only wrap them roughly."

Song Jinyi was not discouraged by Xu Ruolan's words. She smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, and said, "Of course we won't make the usual dumplings. Let's make something different."

"How is it different?"