steamed buns

Chapter 21: Steamed Buns

Lift the lid, wait for the steam to dissipate, then gently press the surface of the bun with your fingers. Observe that the bun quickly rebounds, indicating that it is stable. Pick one out with chopsticks and take a bite. It is fluffy and soft. This is the feeling! Chu Huaibei couldn't help but feel a little proud. Is his DIY ability still good?

Just as he was concentrating on savoring the fruits of his labor, a voice came from behind him: "Dad, can Hengheng have a bite?"

Chu Huaibei turned his head and saw that the place five meters away from the kitchen was full of people. Not to mention the two mothers, even his mother was there. This scene made Chu Huaibei think that he had developed something amazing.

Hengheng leaned on the door frame, staring at the food in his father's hand with his bright eyes. Although he was full at dinner, he felt he could eat a little more.

Chu Huaibei blew on the half-eaten bun he had eaten to make sure it was no longer hot before breaking off half and placing it in Hengheng's little hand: "Eat it, Hengheng, have a try."

Then she stood up and said to everyone outside the door, "Don't stand outside, come in and try the steamed buns I made, mother, come and try them."

Everyone then entered the room one by one, instantly making the already large kitchen seem smaller. Chu Huaibei took a pair of clean chopsticks, picked up a steamed bun and placed it in the bowl, then handed the bowl to his mother. "Mom, it's still a little hot, please take your time."

The toffee took it and examined it carefully. She noticed it was twice as large as the previous one, rounder and fuller. She took a bite and it was incredibly soft, not at all as firm and chewy as the previous one. The aroma of wheat filled her mouth, and it was indeed delicious. However, there had never been any such buns in the North, not even in Fengjingdu. How did Shenzhi know how to make them?

Chu Huaibei only made a basket of six steamed buns. She ate most of it, gave a small half to Hengheng, one to her mother, one to Aunt Wen, one to Huzhi, and the remaining two were broken in half each. The two mothers and Uncle Deng and Xiao Feng all tasted them.

Everyone was amazed as soon as they took a bite, they didn't know the steamed buns could be so soft. They didn't rush to finish the buns in their hands, but chewed them slowly and savored them carefully.

After Chu Huaibei and the other two mothers finished eating, he explained to them in detail the process of making steamed buns with leavened dough, how to preserve and make a small ball of old dough, and that the old dough would turn sour if not stored properly. If a sour smell was smelled, it meant it was bad and needed to be made again.

The two mothers listened carefully and prepared steamed buns for tomorrow's breakfast so that everyone could enjoy it.

Chu Huaibei instructed the two mothers to learn the technique themselves and then teach it to the cooks from the farm. In the palace, apart from the two mothers Wang and Liu who were the masters, the meals of the other palace soldiers were prepared by the cooks from the farm, including the new cooks from Lancao Courtyard.

The two mothers followed the prince's instructions and said that they would teach others as soon as they learned how to do it.

After eating these steamed buns, everyone went back to sleep, looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast.

Chu Huaibei hadn't expected steamed buns to be so popular. In fact, she was from the north in her previous life and was used to eating noodles. She'd been in Daxia for several months, eating rice every day, and she missed the taste of steamed buns dipped in vegetable soup. But the moment she ate the unleavened steamed buns, her heart broke. Leavened steamed buns had been around for a long time in ancient times, so why weren't they here? How many things had the original author overlooked? When writing about ancient times, you should at least include some of the common people's food culture. It was truly sloppy!

Lying on the bed, Sun Mingsi was still thinking about how to make the steamed buns. It was indeed not difficult, but Huaibei made it without anyone else knowing. Where did she learn the recipe?

Chu Huaibei didn't know that just by making a steamed bun made from leavened dough, it triggered speculations from two people.

The next day, everyone got their wish for steamed buns for breakfast. Deng Ran, a bit older and preferring softer foods, ate two steamed buns for breakfast, along with some refreshing side dishes, enjoying them with gusto.

Seeing that everyone was satisfied with the food, Chu Huaibei felt a sense of accomplishment.

Mr. Du's teaching has resumed in the military camp in early July. This is the fourth month. Basically, everyone can read and write the Three Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames. He is currently teaching the final Thousand Character Classic. After learning the Thousand Character Classic, Du Jiping's teaching will be completed.

Du Jiping rarely expressed regret for the studious nature of these soldiers. Many of them had good memory. If they had learned from childhood, their lives would have been very different. But then again, being able to read and write was a great blessing for them. The person these people should be most grateful to was the King of Zhenbei, not him, Du Jiping.

Today, Chu Huaibei packed four steamed buns and brought them to the military camp, preparing to eat them for lunch. Paired with vegetable soup, they were quite delicious. In her previous life, she loved to dip steamed buns in vegetable soup. Since she was not from the north, she generally did not understand the taste.

Chu Huaibei first visited the camp's main kitchen and confirmed that they were also using unleavened dough for their buns. He then considered how to find an opportunity to teach the firemen how to make dough. Besides being more flavorful, the same amount of dough could yield twice as many buns, allowing for a stronger feeling of fullness by eating two more buns with the soup.

He handled military affairs with the adjutant. Lunch was brought by the deputy general as usual. Half of the rice was given to the deputy general. Chu Huaibei took out the steamed buns he brought with him and started eating with the dishes without caring about his image.

The deputy general was stunned. Is the prince so hungry today? Why is he eating the steamed bun? Looking more closely, he found that the steamed bun had another secret: it could actually absorb the soup.

Seeing that there were still two steamed buns left on the table, the deputy general shamelessly went over to ask Chu Huaibei for one. He imitated the prince by breaking the bun apart, pinching the edges, pressing the inner side hard into the soup, and then picked it up and took a big bite. The salty fragrance of the soup and the wheat aroma of the bun burst in his mouth. It was much more refreshing than eating rice. The deputy general finished his bun in no time and wanted the prince to give him half. But when he looked up, he saw that Chu Huaibei had already finished the last bun.

The deputy general was instantly disheartened. The prince had no moral principles.

Chu Huaibei, not noticing his deputy general's somewhat resentful lunch, continued to handle military affairs in a cheerful mood, though his deputy general was a bit absent-minded. This kid, how could we possibly do without him? He looks so useless.

Returning to the city in the afternoon, Chu Huaibei specifically asked the deputy general to wait outside the palace for a while. After a while, she personally brought out ten steamed buns and stuffed them into the deputy general's arms, asking him to find them delicious and send a cook from the palace to learn how to make steamed buns with yeast dough. The deputy general was now overjoyed and showered her with nice words without asking for money. Chu Huaibei rolled her eyes and scolded him with a smile: "Hurry up and go back to your home."

The deputy general happily ran home with the steamed buns. It was dinner time, and the whole family was waiting in the dining hall for the deputy general's return. When General Qin saw his youngest son coming in with a bundle, he didn't pay any attention and invited him to sit down and eat.

Sitting in his fixed seat, the deputy general untied the bag and took out the steamed buns. He gave the first one to his father, General Qin, the second one to his mother, the third and fourth ones to his eldest and second brothers, the fifth and sixth ones to his eldest and second sisters-in-law, and he ate the remaining four himself and did not share them with the younger generations. After a while, there would be more steamed buns than could be eaten at home.

Everyone was frightened by his action of distributing steamed buns. They didn't know what had happened to this man today that he dared to stuff steamed buns into his father and mother's mouth. It was okay for his father, but wasn't he afraid that his mother would choke?

When the deputy general saw the whole family holding the steamed buns in their hands and staring at him blankly, he said, "Eat it, these steamed buns are delicious." After that, he broke the steamed bun open and dipped it in the braised pork sauce in front of him, then picked up a piece of fat and lean meat and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with a happy face.

General Qin had been in the military camp all his life and would eat steamed buns occasionally. He didn't reject it. He put it in his mouth and took a bite. He immediately tasted something different. Looking at his youngest son's eating habits, he instantly understood and also put the meat with soup and juice on the steamed bun and chewed it with big mouthfuls. Hmm, it was indeed delicious.

The eldest and second brothers had already followed the younger brother's example and started eating, leaving only three women still hesitating. They were all daughters of wealthy families who were well-educated. They had never eaten such common food as steamed buns. Even the rice in their home was divided into six or seven grades, and only the best quality could enter their mouths.

Seeing that his mother was still hesitant, the deputy general picked up the steamed bun beside him that had not been eaten yet, broke off a small piece, dipped the bun in the gravy with the serving chopsticks, and then fed it to his mother's mouth with his own hands, "Mother, please give your son a favor and try it."

Zhuang, unaware of her youngest son's filial piety, devoured the bun in one gulp. After tasting it, she was surprised to discover that it was unlike any other steamed bun. The soft, juicy bun was incredibly delicious. She immediately followed her son's example and began eating. The other two sisters-in-law, however, realized only half of the bun was left, having been snatched off by their husbands. They secretly rolled their eyes at their husbands, then tasted the small piece, finding it delicious indeed.

In the end, the deputy general, who had originally planned to eat four steamed buns himself, only ate two, and obediently contributed the other two under the glare of his old father.

General Qin was enjoying a rare meal, so he asked where the steamed buns came from. The deputy general replied that the prince had sent them, and that he would send a skilled cook to the prince's mansion tomorrow to learn how to make them. The prince had already agreed that if he wanted to eat steamed buns in the future, they would be made in his own mansion.

After hearing this, Zhuang immediately ordered Madam Zhao to go to the kitchen and select someone, and to have her youngest son personally bring them there tomorrow morning. She figured it wouldn't be easy to get the prince's favor for nothing, so she sent her youngest son to the prince's residence with some fresh treats sent from his mother's family in the south as a thank-you gift.

On the second day, the deputy general was waiting in front of the palace early in the morning, bringing with him the thank-you gift arranged by his mother and the cook of the palace.

As Chu Huaibei walked out of the house, he noticed two large frames at the deputy general's feet. He nodded to signal Xiao Feng to lead the cook in, then asked the deputy general: "Why, my aunt asked you to bring a gift to my family, you don't have to be so polite."

The deputy general was also a little embarrassed. "Mother said I can't always take your things. It's so rude. Oh, this is a specialty from my grandmother's family in the south. It's not expensive, but I give it as a token of my love. Your Highness, you must accept it."

Chu Huaibei opened it and saw that it was actually lychees, and they were still chilled. No wonder water was seeping out. At first he thought it was a fish gift.

Chu Huaibei accepted it with pleasure, called the palace soldiers, and sent the two baskets of things to the concubine. "Qin Feng, thank your aunt for me. I like it very much."

The deputy general grinned and said, "Your Highness, you are so polite. If you like, I will send you two baskets every year."