Chapter 199 Delicious Osmanthus Cake
The rain has stopped and the sky is clear.
The rainwater in front of my house dries very quickly.
Four girls were sitting in the courtyard embroidering.
Wu Huiniang sat on the side mending baby clothes and shoes. Her belly was getting bigger and bigger, and it was inconvenient for her to do a lot of work. Her mother-in-law wouldn't let her do it anymore, but she couldn't sit still. She made clothes for her unborn child every day and made three or four sets.
The girls outside were embroidering, while inside, several boys were talking.
Zhao Dawang came over and pestered Zhao Ergou with business questions: "Brother Ergou, I also want to start a business. What do you think I'm suited for?"
He is a year younger than Zhao Ergou, fifteen years old this year, and is also tall and strong.
Before starting his studies, he had no idea what he wanted to do in the future.
But after reading books, he gradually realized what he liked. He really wanted to do business, just like Brother Er Gou.
Zhao Ergou said, "Doing business requires accounting. Last time you only got a few points in arithmetic. Once you've mastered arithmetic, then come and learn how to do business with me."
Zhao Dawang wanted to cry but had no tears.
Shen Zheng, in the study, was also on the verge of tears.
Zhao Sidan, that little rascal, asked him a question with a sentence from the Four Books. He had no idea what it meant and was afraid of damaging the reputation of the dignified Young Master Shen, so he talked nonsense. As a result, Cheng Zhao heard him and then made him stay in the study to read the book. It wasn't enough for him to finish reading it; he also had to understand its meaning. And even if he understood it, he still had to apply it to other situations and express his own insights.
His father never expected him to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, and he himself never expected it either; it was Cheng Zhao who encouraged him every day.
It's not easy to find a true friend in life. Just for Cheng Zhao's encouragement, he should study hard too.
Shen Zheng intermittently felt ambitious and read the book seriously.
Before he had even finished looking at it for a quarter of an hour, he could smell an enticing sweet aroma, and his mouth watered.
A pot of osmanthus cake is ready.
It was autumn, and the osmanthus flowers were in full bloom all over the mountain. When Cheng Wanwan saw the osmanthus flowers, she wanted to make osmanthus cake.
A couple of days ago, I had Sidan pick some osmanthus flowers and dry them. Now they're coming in handy. First, we made osmanthus sugar. We simmered the osmanthus flowers in the sugar water over low heat. In no time, the sugar with the aroma of osmanthus flowers was ready.
While simmering the osmanthus sugar, start stirring the glutinous rice flour. Stir the glutinous rice flour into a liquid, pour it into a plate, cut it into small pieces with a spatula, and then start steaming it over high heat.
After steaming, the glutinous rice cake is drizzled with osmanthus sugar. It is soft, slightly sweet, and has a sweet and fragrant aroma that is very tempting.
Cheng Wanwan divided the osmanthus cake into several dishes and brought them out.
The children had already smelled the aroma and followed it to the inner room.
Zhao Sidan sniffed: "I never knew osmanthus could be used to make something so delicious! It smells so good!"
Zhao Dashan said, "It's such a pity that the third brother won't get to eat osmanthus cake."
Zhao Ergou swallowed hard: "Mom, you're amazing, you can do everything."
Cheng Wanwan coughed a little guiltily. These steamed cakes don't require much skill and are actually not difficult to make at all.
She went outside and said, "Hui Niang, have the four maids wash their hands. We're going to eat osmanthus cake."
Wang Damai quickly packed his things: "I have things to do at home, so I'll head back first."
Her parents had received a favor from Aunt Zhao and earned more than one tael of silver a month. How could she eat for free here? It would be more appropriate for her to bring food to Aunt Zhao.
Cheng Wanwan quickly pulled Wang Damai back: "And Chunhua, Xiahua, and Dawang, none of you three are allowed to leave. It's only right that your aunt treats you to a visit. It's just a few pieces of osmanthus cake, your aunt can afford it. Alright, come inside."
Since she had said that, the children couldn't very well refuse.
Cao Yingying said, "Aunt Zhao's pastries are all especially delicious. You'll see when you try them later."
Zhao Dawang's mouth watered instantly.
Every time his aunt brought food to the old house, he would get a bite or two; it was the most delicious food he had ever eaten.
He swallowed hard and said, "Thank you, Auntie!"
He washed his hands, and as soon as he went inside, Zhao Sidan stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth.
"Hmm!"
His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
The soft texture, the sweet aroma, and the subtle floral fragrance were so delicious that he couldn't bear to swallow it.
After the last autumn harvest, Grandma bought some pastries in town, but they were nowhere near as good as the osmanthus cake from my aunt's house.
"It's so delicious." Shen Zheng swallowed one in one gulp. "Auntie, look at me, I've gained so much weight since I came to Dahe Village."
Cheng Zhao also spoke up: "I've gained some weight too."
Ah Fu mumbled, "I've gained weight and grown taller!"
Cao Yingying was eating happily, but when she heard what they said, her fingers stopped.
She pinched her cheeks and realized... she'd gained weight. She figured she wouldn't be able to wear any of her clothes when she got home.
Chunhua and Xiahua were relatively quiet, standing to one side with osmanthus cakes in their hands, taking small bites.
Chunhua took a small bite and then stopped eating. She secretly hid the remaining half in her sleeve. Her younger sister, Donghua, was greedy, so she decided to take it back for her.
But she had used osmanthus flowers to make pastries before, so why couldn't she make them as delicious?
She used buckwheat flour back then, and the taste was completely different from this. Because it was so bad, her mother scolded her severely.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "Auntie, can I learn to make pastries from you?"
She had no interest in embroidery at all, but she loved studying food. However, her mother forbade her from wasting food, so she never dared to mention it.
Of course, she wouldn't dare to waste her aunt's family's food. She just wanted to lend a hand, learn from them, observe, and figure it out on her own. She thought she would be able to do it.
Cheng Wanwan looked at Chunhua.
This child is the eldest daughter of the Zhao family's generation. She is fourteen years old this year and will be fifteen after the New Year, which is the age when she should be getting married.
If a girl has decent cooking skills, she will be very popular in the marriage market these days. Of course, her aunt hopes that her niece can marry a relatively good man.
Another thing is that after Hui Niang's child is born, her family plans to open a restaurant. Hui Niang will be the head chef, so they need to arrange for a kitchen helper.
She had been debating whether to let Dashan come with her to help out at the restaurant, but she felt that it wasn't quite right to have Dashan as a kitchen helper. Now that Chunhua brought it up, it was a good opportunity to assign the task to Chunhua.
Chunhua is quick and efficient at work, but her biggest weakness is that she is afraid of her mother.
But as long as Chunhua can earn money, Sun Shi should no longer make things difficult for her eldest daughter. Besides, there's still the old lady guarding the old house.
Cheng Wanwan said gently, "I've been really busy with the kitchen lately, and there's also some work in the yard. I'm exhausted. It would be good if you could help me out. Go back and tell your mother that you can come to my place in the morning and go back in the evening. It'll be eighteen coins a day. See if your mother agrees."
Chunhua's eyes widened suddenly.
She just wanted to learn how to make delicious pastries so her mother would stop scolding her. Why did her aunt suddenly offer her wages?
Eighteen coins a day—this was something she had never imagined.
She was still feeling dizzy when she got home.
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