Making plum blossom cakes together

The cold wind before the New Year, carrying fine snowflakes, pattered against the windowpanes. The small peach tree in the corner of the courtyard stood bare and shivering against the wall. Ya Huan, huddled in her cotton coat, breathed out white puffs of air and muttered as she looked at the branches, "When the peach blossoms bloom in spring, we can make peach blossom cakes." Consort Li, gazing at the snowy sky, suddenly remembered her promise to Consort Hui. She chose a slightly sunny afternoon, braving the biting wind, and had a small table moved to the courtyard of the Dowager Consort Xian, intending to prepare some ingredients for making plum blossom cakes in advance.

"Ah Zhao, Ya Huan, come and help me." Consort Li spread out the cutting board, holding a handful of freshly sifted glutinous rice flour, and waved with a smile. "Consort Hui is picky; the skin of the plum blossom cake must be kneaded until soft and glutinous, and the filling must be sweet but not cloying. Not a bit less is acceptable." I rolled up my sleeves and took the wooden spoon she handed me, while Ya Huan skipped and hopped to get brown sugar and sesame seeds, humming a little tune: "I want to learn how to make cakes from Consort Li, so I can show off my skills to Sister Qin Lan when she comes!"

Consort Xian sat on a rattan chair in the corridor, holding a hand warmer, and watched us busily working with a smile: "I used to love making pastries when I was young, but later my hands and feet became clumsy, so I never touched them again." Consort Su came out of the room, carrying a bamboo basket filled with dried osmanthus flowers: "Adding some osmanthus flowers will make it even more fragrant; Consort Hui should like it." She walked to the cutting board, poured the osmanthus flowers into a small bowl, and gently stirred them.

While we were busy, Ya Huan suddenly remembered something and clapped her hands: "Oh dear, I forgot to invite Consort Rong over! Her embroidery is so good, she must be very skilled at making pastries too!" As she spoke, she was about to run towards Consort Rong's residence, but I quickly stopped her: "Don't rush, Consort Rong is shy, let's go invite her in person, then she won't feel it's abrupt."

Consort Li nodded, "Yes, Consort Rong is gentle by nature. Let's go invite her together and let her know that it's just a fun gathering, and she doesn't need to be reserved." We carried a small bag of freshly roasted sesame seeds and headed towards Consort Rong's residence. As soon as we reached the courtyard, we saw her sitting by the window, holding an embroidery frame in her hand, her fingertips pinching the needle and thread, seemingly embroidering something. Hearing footsteps, she paused, but didn't look up; she simply moved the embroidery frame closer to the window.

"Your Highness Consort Rong, we've come to invite you to make plum blossom cakes!" Ya Huan knocked gently on the door, her voice exceptionally soft. "Consort Li said she'd like you to try some; it'll be more lively with more people." There was a moment of silence in the room. After a long while, the door creaked open a crack, revealing half of Consort Rong's face. Her ears were flushed, and she whispered, "I... I don't know how to make them. I'm afraid... I'm afraid I'll just make things worse."

“You don’t need to lift a finger, just sit and watch!” I handed her the sesame seeds. “If you’re feeling bored, you can help us pass things around. None of us know how to cook; we all learned from Consort Li.” Consort Li smiled and said, “It’s just for the fun of it all. Whether it tastes good or not isn’t important. It’s more fun when everyone gets together.”

Consort Rong hesitated for a moment, her fingertips lightly touching the sesame bag before quickly withdrawing her hand. She said softly, "Then... then I'll go take a look. I won't... I won't cause any trouble." She turned and went into the house, quickly changing into a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). She came out clutching an embroidered handkerchief in her hand, her steps light, as if afraid of disturbing something, following behind us.

Upon arriving at the Empress Dowager's courtyard, Consort Rong indeed found a small stool in a corner and sat down, her hands clasped on her knees, her gaze fixed on the cutting board, but she remained silent. Consort Li handed her a piece of freshly kneaded dough: "Consort Rong, why don't you try it? Just knead it casually, no need to worry about the shape." Consort Rong took the dough, her fingers stiffly kneading it. The dough formed an irregular ball in her hand. Her face flushed, and she quickly put the dough back on the cutting board, muttering, "It doesn't look good," before withdrawing her hand.

Ya Huan was brushing oil onto the plum blossom cake mold. Seeing her, she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you're kneading it very well! It's my first time kneading dough, and I've made a mess of flour everywhere!" As she spoke, she deliberately kneaded the dough in her hands crookedly, making everyone laugh. Consort Rong looked at Ya Huan's appearance, and a faint smile appeared on her lips, the blush on the tips of her ears fading slightly.

I noticed her gaze kept falling on the small bowl of osmanthus flowers, so I scooped a spoonful and handed it to her. "Your Majesty, could you please help us distribute the osmanthus flowers evenly in the filling? It's simple; you just need to stir it gently." Consort Rong looked up, glanced at me, then at the osmanthus flowers in the small bowl, hesitated for a moment, and then took the spoon. Her movements were very gentle, and she stirred very slowly. The osmanthus flowers, brown sugar, and sesame seeds mixed together, and the aroma gradually filled the air.

"Sister, you've mixed it so well!" Consort Su said with a smile. "The filling made this way will definitely be fragrant and sweet." Consort Rong paused, didn't speak, but sped up the mixing, still not daring to look up at everyone. When she finished mixing, I reached for the spoon, but she quietly pushed it towards my hand, then quickly withdrew her hand, twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers, as if she had done something remarkable.

Consort Li placed the kneaded dough into molds, pressing out small plum blossom shapes. Ya Huan helped arrange them, while Consort Xian told us interesting stories about making pastries. Consort Rong sat in the corner, not saying much, but when we needed to pass something, she would quietly move it closer to us—when I asked for flour, she would gently push the flour bag in front of me; when Consort Su asked for a spoon, she would place the spoon next to Consort Su in advance, and when Consort Su thanked her, she would shake her head and whisper, "You're welcome."

Once, Ya Huan accidentally knocked over the sugar jar, spilling brown sugar all over the floor. Startled, she stuck out her tongue and quickly crouched down to pick it up. Consort Rong also stood up, quietly walked to her side, crouched down, and carefully gathered the scattered brown sugar with her fingers, her movements gentle, afraid of spilling more. Her fingers got a little brown sugar on them, but she didn't care, focusing only on helping to pick it up, until most of the brown sugar was back in the jar. Only then did she quietly step aside and wipe her fingers with her embroidered handkerchief.

“Your Highness, thank you!” Ya Huan said with a smile. “If it weren’t for your help, I don’t know how long I would have been picking through.” Consort Rong’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she whispered, “It’s nothing,” but as she turned away, a faint smile appeared on her lips. Looking at her, my heart warmed—this always shy woman was quietly integrating into this warm little group in her own way.

After the plum blossom cakes were placed in the steamer, the courtyard was filled with the aroma of glutinous rice and osmanthus. Everyone sat around under the eaves. The Consort Xian poured everyone a cup of warm jujube tea, while Consort Su recounted her embarrassing moments making pastries, making everyone laugh. Consort Rong sat to the side, holding a teacup in her hands, sipping slowly. Occasionally, she would glance up at the person speaking, and if noticed, she would immediately lower her head. However, when she heard something amusing, her shoulders would tremble slightly, revealing an undisguised smile.

"Your Highness, did you ever make pastries when you were at home?" Ya Huan asked curiously. Consort Rong paused, then said softly, "I... when I was little, the head housekeeper taught me embroidery, but I... I never made pastries." She paused again, then added, "But... I've seen the head housekeeper make them; it takes... it takes a long time to knead the dough." Her voice was soft, but earnest, as if she were recalling something from a long time ago.

The plum blossom cakes in the steamer were gradually cooking, and their aroma grew stronger. Consort Rong's eyes lit up at the smell, and she glanced discreetly towards the steamer. When Consort Li opened the steamer, the steaming plum blossom cakes, golden in color, were small and delicate, with clear plum blossom patterns imprinted on them. "They're ready to eat!" Ya Huan exclaimed excitedly, reaching out to grab one.

"Be careful, it's hot!" Consort Rong suddenly whispered, her voice soft but clear. She looked at Ya Huan with a hint of worry in her eyes. Seeing Ya Huan withdraw her hand, she breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her head again, as if those words had exhausted all her courage. Everyone was stunned for a moment, then laughed. The Empress Dowager Xian smiled and said, "Consort Rong is such a thoughtful girl, she even knew to remind Ya Huan." Consort Rong's earlobes turned red again, but she didn't flinch, only gently pursing her lips.

We distributed the plum blossom cakes to the plates. Consort Rong carefully picked up a piece with her chopsticks and took a small bite. The fragrance of osmanthus and the sweetness of brown sugar melted in her mouth. Her eyes lit up, and the smile on her lips grew wider. She whispered, "So...delicious." Consort Li smiled and said, "If you like it, eat a few more pieces. When Consort Hui arrives, we'll make it again, and you can try making it then." Consort Rong nodded and took another bite of the plum blossom cake, this time her movements were less reserved.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling warmly on everyone. The courtyard was filled with the aroma of plum blossom cakes and the sounds of laughter. Consort Rong sat in a corner, holding a plate of plum blossom cakes, occasionally exchanging a few words with Ya Huan. Although she still spoke softly, she no longer avoided him as before. Watching her, I thought to myself: The warmth in the Cold Palace, like the fragrance of these plum blossom cakes, slowly seeped into everyone's hearts, gradually opening those once-closed hearts to reveal their softer, more vulnerable sides.

After she had almost finished eating the plum blossom cakes, Consort Rong stood up and said softly, "I... I'm going back now, thank you all." She walked to the courtyard gate, turned around, looked at everyone, and whispered, "Next time... I'll come again next time." After saying that, she walked out quickly, her back view much lighter than when she arrived.

Watching her retreating figure, Ya Huan smiled and said, "Consort Rong is becoming more and more willing to talk to us!" The Dowager Consort Xian nodded, her eyes full of satisfaction: "This child actually really wants to be close to everyone, but she just hasn't had the chance before. Let's spend more time with her, and she'll gradually open up." Consort Su also smiled and said, "Next time we make peach blossom cakes, let's invite her over again and let her try. Maybe she can make peach blossom cakes with embroidered patterns!"

The fragrance in the courtyard hadn't yet dissipated, and the buds on the small peach tree seemed to have become even fuller. Looking at the people around me, I felt a deep sense of peace.