Chapter 56 (Jam on Toast...)
Yan Qiushu didn’t know about Li Ma’s frustration, she only knew that her cooking skills were really good!
As the bread was about to be baked, the aroma became stronger and stronger.
I've already made a lot of cookies, but I don't have time to put them in because the toast is almost done.
Yan Qiushu ate biscuits and drank milk tea. After waiting for a while, the time came and the aroma became stronger. She asked Aunt Xu to take out the box of toast.
The box was covered with a lid. When I opened it, I found that the skin was a little burnt and had a bitter taste.
Yan Qiushu's eyebrows jumped immediately, and she quickly used chopsticks to pick at the bread. The stringy bread was torn open, revealing the white and clean inside. She felt relieved again: "It was a little burnt, a little too long. I'll shorten the time next time."
Aunt Xu nodded: "I will remember this."
But it was already very good to be able to do this. Yan Qiushu took a small scraper and pulled off the bread stuck on the iron box. Although it was a little sticky, it was still very good overall.
When all comes out, it becomes a big rectangular bread.
There are occasional gaps in the middle, which doesn't look very pretty, but after cutting off the burnt parts, the aroma is still as tempting.
Yan Qiushu took it directly to the barbecue table, cut off a slice, divided it into four portions and handed them to Dongdong and the others: "Try it, how does it taste?"
The soft bread has much more space than the cake, and the sweet taste is somewhat similar, but the taste is completely different.
The cake is sweet and soft, and has a much higher moisture content, while the bread is soft and sweet. If you eat it directly, it is dry and like a steamed bun, but it has a different taste from the simple steamed bun.
Milk, eggs, shakes, etc. enrich its flavor.
After tasting it, Dongdong nodded decisively: "Delicious!"
Wan'er thought for a moment before saying, "It's sweet and soft, but a little dry."
Xiao Pingsong said: "Delicious, delicious!"
After the three children finished speaking, everyone looked at the fourth one. Before, when Ah Heng was around, he would take the initiative to tell them about the taste, but Zhou Zhaoqin was not used to this, so he did not move for a long time.
As a result, I was stared at by three pairs of eyes.
His heart was so frightened that it beat faster. After reacting, Zhou Zhaoqin said tentatively: "It's delicious! It has a milky flavor."
Three children: Satisfied.
They withdrew their gaze and looked at Yan Qiushu, who was also tasting the food and happened to see them looking at Zhou Zhaoqin, but she didn't have time to say anything. She also held a bit of indulgence and wanted them to take the child with them, so she didn't speak immediately.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhaoqin was so supportive and cooperative. He immediately pursed his lips, swallowed the bread in his mouth, and said with a smile, "There are even better ones!"
Dongdong: “Wow!”
"What is it?"
"Want to eat now?"
Yan Qiushu smiled and nodded. Aunt Xu took out the prepared charcoal stove, set it up as if it were a barbecue, and put a piece of butter on it. When it came into contact with the hot iron sheet, the butter melted very smoothly. Then she cut a piece of toast and put it on it, then quickly turned it over so that each side was coated with butter.
Then bake it like this for a while. It doesn't need to be too long, but both sides need to be baked.
When a thin layer of crispiness appeared on the surface, the toast was taken out, spread with a layer of cooled peach jam placed between ice cubes, cut into four pieces, and placed on the plate in front of them.
This thing originally only had one piece, but now it was divided into four parts, so each child only had a small bite.
They didn't expect that they could do this, so they just watched without blinking until the food came in front of them, and then they quickly put it into their mouths one by one.
"Mmm!!!" Dongdong's expression was the most exaggerated. His eyes widened slightly, and he hummed with satisfaction. He chewed quickly with his little mouth, and only after finishing it did he exclaim in surprise: "This is even more delicious!!!"
Although the bread just now was delicious, it had a soft texture.
After being coated with butter and baked, the surface is slightly browned and the texture becomes a bit crispy. However, this crispness is thin and it breaks with a slight bite, revealing the inner core which becomes softer due to reheating.
It's as if the former highlights the latter, and the butter spread on top adds a touch of flavor.
Add a little peach jam on it, and it tastes sweet, cool, hot and cold at the same time in your mouth. The novel experience completely surpasses the taste of the food itself, and the deliciousness is even higher.
Wan'er also licked her little lips with satisfaction.
Zhou Zhaoqin's eyes were also shining after he finished eating.
The four children finished their food at this time, looked at Yan Qiushu with determined anticipation and eagerness, silently waiting for her next move.
Yan Qiushu was still roasting the second slice.
But she ate the second piece.
She and Shui Xuan each had half, and they could have two bites each. The hot bread slices were spread with cold peach jam, and the taste was a perfect combination of ice and fire. It was amazing!
Ice cream bread, so delicious!!!
But she hadn't made the ice cream yet, so she had to use frozen jam instead.
When she was eating, the four children looked at her eagerly, but they were sensible and didn't say anything. They couldn't let Yan Qiushu cook for them all the time.
How can this be so embarrassing?
Zhou Zhaoqin was a little surprised. He was used to being served, and he wanted to eat at this moment, but when he saw Yan Qiushu put the food into his mouth, he was disappointed for a moment, but quickly looked at the person next to him, realized something, and regained his composure.
This is no longer the mansion it once was, and the people in front of him are no longer the slaves who once served him.
He began to understand why his mother held him in her arms that night and kept telling him that he should be sensible and must be sensible.
The jam toast was ultimately loved by everyone.
But this thing is very sweet and very filling. After eating two bites, Yan Qiushu didn't let them eat it. There are plenty of opportunities to eat it, and it will be the same next time.
While it was still early, the other cookies were also made.
Except for the simple circle at the beginning, the rest were various special shapes specially made by Yan Qiushu, Shui Yu and Aunt Xu, including little rabbits, little bears and little pigs.
Yan Qiushu's skills were second only to Xiao Xiong's, but Xiao Pingsong was a clever boy. Although he looked silly, he was not behind in learning. He personally helped make little rabbits, little pigs, little tigers, and so on.
After the cookies were baked, they were packed in a box for each person and asked to deliver them. Wan'er's was given to the third young lady Xiao Huaiyu who didn't like to go out, Xiao Pingsong's was given to the second young lady's wife Song Mingdai, and Dongdong's mother was not at home, so she gave it to Madam Xiao.
The three children were busy with their own things, while Zhou Zhaoqin was holding his own unfinished biscuits and sticking to Yan Qiushu without missing a step.
He follows her so closely, as if he would feel insecure without her. It makes people feel helpless and a little distressed.
Yan Qiushu had no choice but to accompany her. Fortunately, there were many maids in the yard, and some of them were specifically for serving Zhou Zhaoqin, so she only needed to play with them.
Main Courtyard
The sound arrives before the person arrives.
A cry of "Grandma!" made Mrs. Xiao, who was reading the scriptures, put down the book in her hand. She turned around with a smile in the corner of her eyes and saw a chubby little meat ball running towards her.
"Fat again?" Mrs. Xiao was both happy and melancholy.
Although being fat is cute and good, if you continue this trend and get fatter, you will really become a ball. Being too fat is not good either.
Nanny Huang smiled and said, "Don't worry. Didn't Master Pingyu say that the young master should learn martial arts? Once he practices martial arts, he will lose weight. Wasn't the Sixth Young Master like this when he was a child? Look how thin he is now."
Mrs. Xiao nodded, and the child came to her. She opened her arms, and Dongdong jumped into her arms.
"What great news is this? Why are you coming all the way here to announce the good news?" Mrs. Xiao asked softly. The expression on her face was not very gentle, but her eyes were full of kindness.
Dongdong took out the oil-paper bag like he was presenting a treasure and opened it carefully. A sweet milky aroma came from the pocket, and there was a hint of roasted flavor in the sweetness. The thing was revealed between their arms. As soon as Mrs. Xiao smelled it, she felt a shock of energy.
Then a small biscuit that was still a little hot was taken out and placed next to her mouth: "Grandma, try it, it's delicious!"
Mrs. Xiao opened her mouth in cooperation, still a little worried: "Grandma's teeth are not good, I'm afraid she can't bite it..." After she said that, she exerted force with her teeth, and the biscuit broke easily, half of it fell on the tip of her tongue, with some crumbs along with it.
The crispy texture is not as hard as its appearance. Every crumb has a strong milky sweetness. It tastes a bit oily, but you can't tell what kind of oil it is. It is perfectly mixed with milk, flour and other things to form the taste it has today.
"It's so delicious!" Mrs. Xiao exclaimed in surprise.
Dongdong grinned happily: "These are cookies made by Sister Shu. The one you are eating is a little rabbit, drawn by Brother Pingsong."
Mrs. Xiao was even more surprised. She hadn't looked at it while eating, but now she saw that it was really a cute little rabbit, with a pair of long ears, a pair of round eyes, a three-lobed mouth, and a plump body. "Is Pingsong so well made?"
Dongdong defiantly puffed out his chubby chest and said, "Dongdong will be even more powerful in the future!"
Oh, look at this appearance, the little round face is chubby, so cute.
Mrs. Xiao was overjoyed and nodded cooperatively, coaxing Dongdong to feed her continuously.
The same scene happened in Xiao Huaiyu's yard, and the mother and daughter were also being affectionate with each other.
Only Xiao Pingsong was not like this.
It wasn't because he was a big kid, but because when he came in with the things in his hands, he found that all the maids in the yard had been sent out and there was no one there.
He approached excitedly, because his mother was aloof and didn't like being yelled at, so he wouldn't speak loudly in front of her like Dongdong did.
Fortunately, it was like this, so he saw this scene.
His aunt, Liu, was arrogantly accusing his mother, "How many days have you been back at the Xiao family? You haven't made any progress at all. Song Mingdai, remember, you're not a member of the Xiao family, you're a member of the Song family!"
"The Song family has already hooked up with the Sixth Prince, and they've also agreed to find good jobs for your two brothers. They're doing this for the Xiao family's sake. Only if you convince that old man to make Pingsong the crown prince will the Sixth Prince take a liking to our family, understand?"
After finishing her accusations, she lowered her voice and began to threaten: "Mingdai, you also know how many people are watching the Xiao family now. His Majesty will definitely not let the Xiao family go. If you want to save Pingsong's life, you can only return to the Song family..."
Xiao Pingzhou hid outside the main house door, listening to the situation inside. His face was dark and his big hands were clenched into fists and trembling slightly. When he heard the last sentence, a soft "pa pa pa" sound came from inside, like the sound of a hand accidentally hitting the face.
It's not that hard, but this rhythm carries a more embarrassing contempt.
Xiao Pingzhou didn't dare to think about it at all. His aunt was so kind to him before she came back to the Xiao family, but now she turned around and spoke to his mother like this. The string of forbearance in his mind snapped.
He no longer endured it and pushed open the half-open door.
The faces of the people in the room changed in shock, and they quickly turned around, especially the woman who had started the incident. She was so frightened that her face turned pale. However, after seeing Xiao Pingsong, she subconsciously looked behind him. When she saw no one else, she felt relieved and forced a smile: "Pingsong is back?"
Xiao Pingsong did not say anything. His tiger eyes noticed that his mother was not injured. However, after being slapped on the face by this woman's hands, he stared at the person in front of him, breathing rapidly, like an angry calf.
"Pingsong!" Song Mingdai reminded in a deep voice.
Xiao Pingsong did not restrain himself at all, and his teeth were gritting.
Liu was so frightened that she took two steps back. Although the boy in front of her was only twelve years old, he was already an inch taller than her and looked strong due to exercise. In comparison, he seemed like he could make her vomit blood with just one punch.
Liu curled her lips and said, "Pingsong, my aunt will go back first."
Without saying goodbye, she took the maid and the old woman away. However, before leaving, she did not forget to glance at Song Mingdai with a warning in her eyes.
She hurried away, and Xiao Pingsong turned to look at his mother who was sitting in the chair without saying a word: "...Mom!"
Song Mingdai turned her face away in embarrassment and didn't want to say anything.
Xiao Pingsong stamped his feet in anger: "I'm going to tell grandma and uncle!"
He turned and tried to leave.
But at this moment, Song Mingdai called out to him in a hurried tone: "Don't go!"
Xiao Pingsong froze in his tracks, not daring to move. He felt wronged. Why didn't he go? He didn't understand, and his eyes turned red.
Song Mingdai sighed, "The Xiao family is in turmoil right now. Recently, His Royal Highness Prince Chang has revived, and things seem to be getting better. But with five years of delay, no one can guarantee that the Xiao family will be safe on this ship, especially Your Majesty... Pingsong, you don't understand. Some people have evil hearts. They want the Xiao family to be like a knife, used when needed, and blunt when not needed, otherwise they won't feel at ease. Now he doesn't need it, so the knife can't be used properly. Mother will be patient for a while. When they find out that what I said in the Xiao family is not counted, they will not let me do this again..."
In fact, the situation has improved a little now. Before Prince Chang rose to power again, the Xiao family was surrounded by enemies. If they were accidentally charged with treason, everything would be over.
In order to protect herself, she must find a way to survive for her children. Although the Song family is not well-known, it is safe. As long as she is in the Xiao family, Xiao Pingsong has no say in the Xiao family, and no one will care about the Song family.
She can live a peaceful life with her son.
I just feel sorry for the Xiao family.
But Xiao Pingsong didn't understand. The young man was full of youthful energy. Even though he had lived in the Song family for a long time, he spent more time in the Xiao family. His martial arts were all taught by his uncle. He said, "I'm not afraid! Mother, I'm a member of the Xiao family. Naturally, I will live and die with the Xiao family!"
"But mother is afraid!" Song Mingdai suddenly shouted, her face as gloomy as water: "If mother says you are not allowed to go, then you are not allowed to go! Don't worry, if the Xiao family survives this crisis, you can still return to the Xiao family. They will not disown you."
Xiao Pingsong pouted, feeling extremely aggrieved by being yelled at, but seeing his mother like this, he was still a little timid. He angrily stuffed the oil-paper bag that he was holding tightly in his hand into her arms and ran out.
"Hey——" Song Mingdai was anxious, but this time, she didn't shout to stop.
But she was no longer in a hurry.
Song Mingdai knew her son well. He was an honest man. He didn't refute her just now, which meant he was obedient and would not complain.
She took a deep breath and looked at the things in her arms. Just now, her pocket opened and a sweet smell came out. She picked up a silly little tiger and took a small bite. It was so sweet that it relieved her sore eyes.
It’s okay, as long as her son can survive, isn’t it just a little bit of injustice?
At first, she took her son back to the Song family. In fact, her mother and eldest brother and sister-in-law also agreed. She knew that the Xiao family had little chance of survival.
Afterwards, they even tacitly agreed that the Jiang family was coaxing Dongdong not to return, and even considered sending Xiao Huaiyu and Wan'er to the Shen family as well, so that the children could all survive...
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