New idea

"Brother Shi, the shop is not very big right now, so you'll have to make do with Ah Heng."

Pei Qingwu had great respect for veterans who had risked their lives on the battlefield, especially Shi Dayong, who had truly lost an eye.

Shi Dayong didn't take it to heart and just waved his hand, saying, "Master, there's no need to be so polite. I'm a rough man and I can sleep anywhere. These conditions are already very good."

His luggage wasn't much, just a roll of bedding and some personal belongings. Gu Heng had been watching him coldly, and seeing that he was old and not as good-looking as himself, the little bit of resentment in his heart disappeared completely, and he took the initiative to help him pack.

After everything was settled, Pei Qingwu called everyone over and had Shi Dayong acknowledge each of them.

"This is Yinlan. She's in charge of our meals. Her mutton soup is delicious."

"This is Qiantao. She usually greets customers and sells snacks."

"This is Jinniang, who is in charge of tidying up the courtyard and washing the clothes she has changed out of."

"These are Wu Niang and Xiao Yi, both apprentices in the shop, who have only recently become apprentices."

"This is Nianci, and this is Mingyi. They are both Jinniang's children. Nianci is still young, so she usually takes care of her younger brother and helps him with his studies. She also comes to help out occasionally."

"As for Ah Heng, Brother Shi must already know him."

After introducing everyone in the shop to Shi Dayong, Pei Qingwu introduced him to others: "Brother Shi was once a soldier in the Longyou Army, under Commandant Zhao. I am grateful that he did not mind and came to Sushan Market to work as a guard. He is just as busy as Aheng on weekdays."

Seeing that everyone was present and getting along well, Pei Qingwu decided to treat them to a nice meal at Taibai Tower.

If the Sushan Market is established in the future, these people will be considered veterans.

"You all watch the shop for now, I'll go find Madam Li."

Taibai Tower mainly provides banquets for high-ranking officials and nobles, which is quite expensive. Although Pei Qingwu is not short of money now, he still tries to save money wherever possible.

After all, I just bought a house...

"I'll go with my master," Gu Heng said hastily.

"good."

When visiting someone's home, it's customary to bring a gift. Now that she and Li Yinzhu are quite familiar with each other, she naturally knows Li Yinzhu's preferences—Li Yinzhu is skilled in and loves perfumery, tinkering with all sorts of spices.

Ordinary cosmetics and ready-made scented cakes naturally didn't catch her eye. After a moment's thought, Pei Qingwu had an idea.

"Come on, Aheng, let's go for a stroll in the West Market," Pei Qingwu called to Gu Heng.

The West Market was a hub for merchants from all over the world, and it was a collection of exotic treasures, with spices being one of the most renowned items.

The two went straight to a small but elegantly decorated spice shop owned by a foreign merchant. The shop was filled with fragrance, and various spices, oils, and dried flowers of different shapes and colors were neatly categorized and packaged in exquisite wooden boxes or plain glazed porcelain jars.

Pei Qingwu's gaze swept over the brocade boxes labeled with precious spices such as "ambergris," "agarwood," and "ambergris," and finally landed on a few rather plain celadon jars on the inside of the shop.

Pointing to a jar of small, golden, fine-textured resinous blocks, she asked, "Shopkeeper, is this benzoin a top-grade product from Persia?"

Seeing that Pei Qingwu recognized the quality, the foreign merchant's eyes gleamed, and his Mandarin, tinged with a Persian accent, became enthusiastic: "Young lady, you have a good eye! This is top-quality benzoin, just imported from the former Sassanid Persian lands. Its aroma is mellow and sweet, and the smoke it produces when burned is pure white. It is excellent for calming the mind and soothing the nerves. It is the perfect base for blending with other fragrances."

Pei Qingwu nodded, then pointed to a dark brown jar of ointment next to him that emitted a strange, sweet and spicy aroma and asked, "Is this jar styrax balm?"

"Exactly! This is top-grade styrax oil produced in the Abbasid Caliphate①. A single drop can fill a room with fragrance, and it is an indispensable ingredient for blending precious incense. Young lady, you truly have a discerning eye." The Hu merchant gave a thumbs-up in praise.

Pei Qingwu was satisfied. In this era, benzoin and styrax were both considered high-quality but not the most luxurious fragrances. Their prices were reasonable, which suited her current mindset of "saving money wherever possible".

More importantly, both of these are basic fragrance ingredients commonly used by perfumers. Especially for perfumers who pursue novel formulas, high-quality raw materials are far more precious and reflect their heartfelt intentions than finished products.

"I'll take these two items, one ounce of each, and please pack them up for me," Pei Qingwu said readily.

"Alright." The foreign merchant quickly weighed out the spices, carefully lined them with clean mulberry paper, and placed them into two small, plain celadon jars about the size of a fist. He then carefully tied the mouths of the jars with thin hemp rope to prevent them from losing their flavor.

Gu Heng watched silently as Pei Qingwu selected and paid, a knowing glint in his eyes. He took the two small jars handed to him by the shopkeeper, gently sniffed the lingering fragrance in the air, and said in a low voice, "The shopkeeper has made excellent choices. The benzoin is calming, and the styrax is lively. I think Madam Li will definitely like these excellent materials for perfumery."

Upon arriving at the Qin Prefecture Prefectural Governor's residence, Pei Qingwu explained his purpose and slipped money to the gatekeeper before successfully meeting Li Yinzhu. However, Gu Heng, being an outsider, was left outside.

Before even entering, a clear and lingering fragrance wafted over, refreshing and soothing. Just as the maid was about to announce her arrival, Pei Qingwu gently waved his hand, signaling her to be quiet. He then quietly stopped by the carved door and peered inside.

Li Yinzhu was dressed in a thin silk robe for early spring, with a pale yellow half-sleeved garment embroidered with lotus patterns over it, and a turmeric-colored twelve-piece skirt. Her black hair was loosely tied into a bun, with a small gold hairpin at an angle. A few strands of hair fell beside her cheeks, swaying slightly with her focused movements.

She was kneeling in front of a low sandalwood table, on which were arranged various exquisite utensils, including small white porcelain dishes, jade pestles and mortars, silver-inlaid small scales, fine sieves, and several open glass and celadon jars, which contained various spices, powders, oils, or dried flowers of different colors.

At this moment, she is intently focused on a Yue kiln celadon incense burner.

The incense ash in the burner had been pressed flat as a mirror, and on it, a delicate silver mold was used to press out continuous cloud patterns. Li Yinzhu picked up a small piece of mica as thin as a cicada's wing with her left hand and a fine silver hairpin with her right hand. She carefully picked up a tiny bit of dark blue powder that shimmered with a strange luster from a small agate dish, held her breath and concentrated, and evenly spread it on the mica piece.

Then, she put down the silver hairpin, picked up a small silver clip, took a small piece of the prepared spice ball from another porcelain dish, and placed it steadily on a mica sheet covered with blue powder.

After finishing all this, she breathed a sigh of relief, put down her tools, picked up the small copper kettle that was being warmed, and slowly poured a little hot water into the small hole reserved on the side of the incense burner.

As the steam rises, the mica sheet at the bottom of the incense ball heats up, and the tiny bit of blue powder instantly transforms into wisps of blue smoke, swirling around the incense ball in the center. These wisps of smoke drift out and blend wonderfully with the warm, sweet floral and fruity aroma emanating from the incense ball itself. The fragrance spreads, as if one were in a valley on a spring morning, with both the coolness of morning dew and the fragrant warmth of newly blooming flowers.

Pei Qingwu watched intently until the blue smoke slowly dissipated, leaving only a long, warm, and sweet aftertaste lingering in the room. Only then did she clapp her hands softly in praise: "Wonderful! Lady Yinzhu has truly reached the pinnacle of incense appreciation. Viewing the smoke is like watching a painting, and smelling the fragrance is like entering a realm of its own!"

Li Yinzhu was startled by the sudden voice. She looked up abruptly and saw Pei Qingwu standing by the door. Her face instantly lit up with a delighted smile: "Oh! When did Qingwu arrive? I was so engrossed that I didn't even notice! Please come in!"

She quickly got up to greet him and called to her maid, "Quickly serve tea to Master Pei, and also bring some of the newly acquired cherry blossom tea and jade dew tea!"

The maidservant acknowledged and withdrew to prepare.

Pei Qingwu walked into the study with a smile, and immediately felt gently enveloped by the warm and sweet fragrance. She knelt down opposite Li Yinzhu and sincerely praised, "That scene just now was truly like the work of a celestial being, especially the blue smoke, which complemented the incense ball, creating an exquisite artistic conception... Sister, what is the name of this incense? What is its purpose?"

Li Yinzhu blushed slightly at the praise, but her eyes shone brightly, clearly showing that she was also very satisfied with her work.

She pointed to the incense burner and said, “I call this incense ‘Spring Mountain Dawn.’ The blue color you saw earlier was from fine powder made from deep-sea seashells, taken to signify ‘dawn breaking.’ This incense ball is made with agarwood as the base, blended with the cool fragrance of plum blossoms and early peaches, and complemented with the fresh scent of spring tea buds and pine needles. It is intended to depict the scenery of a clear spring morning in the mountains, where the snow has not yet melted, new buds are just beginning to bloom, warmth is already present in the cold air, and vitality is hidden in the crispness.”

She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I only recently figured out this method of creating a blue smokescape, so please excuse my poor attempt, Qingwu."

Looking at the incense burner, Pei Qingwu became interested: "Lady Yinzhu is an expert in incense. I wonder if you could enlighten me? I want to create an incense that mimics the taste of pastries. Is that possible?"

Modern bakeries use special fragrances to create the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread, enticing customers to enter and make a purchase.

So, in ancient times, could she have used this method as one of the ways to attract customers to her pastry shop?

Li Yinzhu was admiringly playing with the spices she had given her when she heard this and was taken aback: "You need them for your business?"

Pei Qingwu smiled and said, "Yinzhu is indeed a clever person."

"Qingwu's request is indeed ingenious, but also quite challenging." Li Yinzhu frowned slightly as she pondered, "The aroma of pastries lies primarily in the crisp, caramelized fragrance after baking, the sweet, glutinous, and milky aroma, or the aroma of nuts and oils. These aromas are quite different from floral, woody, and resinous fragrances..."

She paused for a moment, tapping her fingertips lightly on the table: "If we want to imitate it, capturing its essence rather than its exact form might be feasible. For example, beeswax and vanilla can mimic the sweetness; a touch of roasted wheat bran and sesame powder can bring out the aroma of grains; special almond oil or walnut oil can add a rich, oily feel... However, the proportions, combinations, and heating methods all require repeated experimentation, especially to avoid overly murky smoke or an overly sweet and monotonous aroma..."

As she spoke, she looked at Pei Qingwu, her eyes sparkling with a desire to take on the challenge: "It's difficult, but it's really interesting! Don't worry, Qingwu, I will do my best to try, and I'll let you know when I have any progress."

"Oh, that's wonderful! I thank Yinzhu on behalf of Sushan Xiaoji!" Pei Qingwu smiled broadly, quickly stood up and bowed, then changed the subject: "Since Yinzhu is so generous, Qingwu has another favor to ask, which would be even more shameless."

Li Yinzhu raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Tell me about it?"

Pei Qingwu leaned closer: "Qingwu has taken on two disciples, and today, she also acquired a new guard. She's thinking of hosting a small banquet at Taibai Tower, but the expenses there..."

She pursed her lips: "I wonder if Yinzhu would be so kind as to write a letter and put in a good word for me, asking your uncle to give me a discount? I would be extremely grateful."

After saying that, she put her hands together and looked at Li Yinzhu expectantly.

Li Yinzhu was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing, pointing her finger at Pei Qingwu: "You, you! I thought you came all this way to deliver spices because you really cared about my incense culture! So the real foreshadowing was planted here? What a cunning boss Pei! It's truly a case of 'Xiang Zhuang dancing with his sword, but his real intention was to kill Liu Bang'!"

She laughed so hard her body trembled, and her golden hairpin jingled: "Alright, alright, considering these two jars of top-quality spices you have, I'll help you out!"

She immediately instructed her maid to prepare paper and ink, then picked up her brush and wrote the poem in one go, before stamping it with her small personal seal.

"Take this to the person in charge at the counter; your uncle will understand when he sees it." She handed the letter to Pei Qingwu, her smile undiminished: "If you dare to use spices as a way to get in the door again, I'll give you a good whack on the head!"

Pei Qingwu happily accepted the letter, thanked him again, and, together with Gu Heng who was waiting outside the door, picked up the others from the shop and headed straight for Taibai Tower.

After receiving Li Yinzhu's letter, the manager of Taibai Tower became exceptionally polite.

Pei Qingwu and his entourage were led to a quiet private room on the second floor. The dishes were served, making everyone's eyes light up.

Sesame cakes, roasted camel hump meat, minced meat and jade slices, whole sheep, sheep tripe soup, and several dishes of seasonal stir-fried fresh vegetables. The main dish was Dendrobium officinale rice, with each grain distinct, oily and fragrant, paired with green ant wine, which was enough to comfort everyone.

The atmosphere at the dinner was harmonious. Shi Dayong was a little nervous at first, but he gradually relaxed under the enthusiasm of everyone and told a few stories about the sandstorms in Longyou in his early years, which made everyone sigh.

As Gu Heng listened, he carefully broke off the most fragrant baked flatbread and placed it on the plate in front of Pei Qingwu.

The scene was harmonious and joyful. Pei Qingwu drank two more cups of wine, his eyes becoming somewhat glazed.

With a pastry shop to make a living, maids, old women, apprentices, guards... such a comfortable life is something I wouldn't trade for anything.

After a satisfying meal, everyone was tired and went to their rooms to sleep. Only Pei Qingwu stood alone in the quiet courtyard, gazing at the starry sky, pondering the business of the shop.

It's been a while since we've introduced any new dim sum items.

Thinking this, her gaze inadvertently fell upon the room of Jinniang and her two children. A small oil lamp shone brightly in the night, casting the silhouette of Nianci, who was engrossed in her studies, onto the window paper.

Nianci studied diligently whenever she had the chance, and she never slept at this time.

Pei Qingwu's heart suddenly skipped a beat; it seemed that the central provincial examination stage of the imperial examinations had arrived.

At this time, the imperial examination system was not yet fully developed, but it already had a standard procedure. First, the prefectural and county governments organized the provincial examinations. Those who passed were called "Xianggong Jinshi" or "Juren", and the first place was called "Jieyuan". The prefectural government would submit the list to the Ministry of Personnel every October.

The following spring, the Ministry of Personnel would hold a provincial examination in Chang'an. Those who passed were called "Jinshi" (进士), but this only granted them the qualification to enter officialdom. They still needed to pass the Ministry of Personnel's examination before they could be appointed to official positions.

Counting the days, the provincial examination is indeed approaching. Many students from Qin Prefecture who have passed the provincial examination are already packing their bags and preparing to go to Chang'an.

Pei Qingwu slapped her thigh excitedly—she knew what new dessert to make: Ding Sheng Gao (a type of sweet cake)!