Chapter 61, The 61st Inn: Fu Wang Departs
"Stop chatting and hurry up and eat," Cheng Yong said, looking at the still steaming crab-stuffed oranges. "They'll get cold if we don't eat them soon."
Yunyin quickly replied, "Yes, let's eat first, and then we can talk."
After she said to start eating, Cheng Yong took the first bite of the crab-stuffed orange. The orange not only smelled delicious, but also tasted wonderful. The orange and crab meat blended together perfectly, and the flavor was exceptionally fresh. He really liked it, but it was a pity that there was only one per person, and he hadn't had enough.
Cheng Yong exclaimed, "Miss Yun, I don't know how you came up with the idea of cooking oranges and crab meat together. You know, we don't usually eat oranges. They're so sour. Wealthy people use orange peels as incense, but nobody would actually eat them."
Yunyin just smiled and didn't say anything. She couldn't very well tell him that these dishes were invented by the ancients and not something she came up with herself. All the dishes she knew were treasures left behind by the ancients. She could only say that China was full of talented people and had so many delicious foods passed down that she could never learn or cook them all in her entire life.
After the banquet, Yunyin packed up the gifts that Xia Xiaoniangzi had sent. She moved the flowers that Xia Xiaoniangzi had sent before to the courtyard and planted the hollyhocks in the flowerbed. This time, Xia Xiaoniangzi sent crape myrtle and lilies. The purple and white flowers intertwined, and the fragrance of the lilies enveloped her, making her feel like a fairy among flowers.
She planted crape myrtle in front of the side room, and lilies in the backyard. She had already planted gardenias in the front yard, so she put the lilies in the back. As for jasmine, she put it in the main hall. Jasmine's fragrance wasn't too strong, and the plant didn't take up much space, so it was suitable for the main hall.
After arranging all the flowers, Yunyin went back to her room, took out a painting, and said to Fu Wang, "Here, take this painting. Please keep an eye out for this plant."
Fu Wang opened the scroll, which contained three paintings: one depicting flowers in bloom, with small white flowers swaying gracefully in the painting; and another depicting fruit, with one painting each of blue and red fruits, the fruits short and round, growing together in clusters, which were very beautiful.
"I'm not sure if this is what it looks like. I drew it based on my memory." Actually, it wasn't drawn based on memory. These drawings were based on descriptions in a plant encyclopedia. Although it only briefly introduced an ancient species, she still drew it roughly based on existing species.
In order to learn sculpture, she specifically took some basic art courses. Although her drawing skills were average, she could still draw a chili pepper without any problem.
Yunyin looked at Fu Wang and said, "If you can't find it, then forget it. Don't worry too much."
Although she really wanted to find chili peppers, she didn't know if they had been introduced to Europe yet. She didn't want Fu Wang to spend too much energy on this. Although the taste of dogwood was not that spicy, it was still spicy and could be used to make some spicy dishes, but it was not as good as chili peppers.
Fu Wang tucked the silk cloth into his pocket and smiled at Yun Yin: "I will pay more attention, so you don't need to worry. I will keep an eye out and it won't affect my plans. Besides, there are many strange and unusual things in the Western Regions, so we might find something there. I also have friends in various places. I'll write to them and ask them to keep an eye out. Maybe if it's not in the Western Regions, it might be in other places."
Yunyin smiled and said to Fu Wang, "Thank you very much." She exclaimed "Oh dear!" and ran to the kitchen, bringing out the packed food box and handing it to him, "This is what I prepared for you. You can eat it on the way."
Fu Wang opened the food box and saw strands of pastries. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Thank you, Ayin."
The moon was exceptionally round tonight, hanging overhead like a luminous pearl, its clear light bathing them. Yunyin raised her cup to Fu Wang and said, "Let's drink a cup together."
Fu Wang met her gaze, smiled, took a cup of rice wine, and drank it down in one gulp. "This wine is too mellow. Distilled spirits have a much stronger flavor."
Yunyin: "I don't have those kinds of wines here, only rice wine and fruit wine. As you know, getting drunk can easily lead to mistakes. Rice wine and fruit wine don't make you drunk, so they're suitable for people who want to have a drink but are worried about getting drunk."
Fu Wang: "That's right. Your defenses here are still too weak. It's best not to sell wine if you can avoid it." He frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "Although Cheng Yong was injured, his martial arts skills are still quite good. You can have him guard the inn for you. As for Feng Hai, he doesn't have much fighting ability, but his cooking skills are quite good. You can have him help you."
Yunyin nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll arrange everything. You can go and do your escort mission with peace of mind. I'll wait for you to come back here."
Hearing Yunyin say she was waiting for him, he was still very happy, even though he knew she hadn't quite grasped the situation yet. He smiled and said, "Yes, I'll be back as soon as possible."
The next morning, Fu Wang left with Luo Tian and the others. Yun Yin was about to return to the inn after seeing them off when Wan Leqiao came along the official road. She called out to Yun Yin, "Miss Yun, what a coincidence! I just came to deliver some milk to you."
Yunyin stepped forward and took the bucket of fresh milk, smiling, "Thank you, Madam Wan. I'll make it right away. By the way, did Madam Xia like the pastries I sent her earlier?"
Wan Leqiao said, "Our lady really likes it, especially the silver thread candy. After we finish eating, our young lady will buy more to take back with her."
"Yes, I've made quite a few of these pastries. Miss Xia can come and buy some anytime."
Yunyin took the milk to the kitchen, then got a few eggs, took out a clean small pot, poured the milk into the pot and started boiling it. The boiled milk was poured into a prepared bowl, and a skin would form during the cooling process. After the skin formed, the milk was poured out from the edge of the bowl, and beaten egg whites and sugar were added and stirred well. The mixture was then poured back into the bowl with the milk skin and steamed in a pot until cooked.
The steamed double-skin milk also has a layer of skin on top. After it cools down, it is placed in the well to chill it. When Xia Xiaoniangzi comes over, it will be ready to eat chilled milk.
After making the double-skin milk, Yunyin planned to make caramel pudding. It wasn't difficult to make either. The ingredients were still milk, sugar, and eggs. The leftover egg yolks were perfect for making pudding. She cracked a few more eggs, poured in the boiled and slightly cooled milk, stirred it well, and then strained it. When making milk pudding, it's best not to leave any foam, otherwise the pudding will have air bubbles.
Making caramel is also very simple. Pour sugar and water into a pot and cook without stirring. Let it react naturally until it turns caramel color and the bubbles become smaller. The caramel is then ready. Pour the cooked caramel into a bowl, add the milk you just poured in, and bake it in the oven. Make sure to put water in the baking pan so it doesn't burn.
The baked puddings were placed in the well to chill. Once completely cooled, they were poured into a plate, and the beautiful crème brûlée was ready. Amber-colored caramel covered the entire pudding. Upon first bite, the slightly bitter taste of caramel filled the mouth, but a subtle sweetness could be tasted upon closer tasting. The pudding was incredibly creamy, smooth, and melted in the mouth, with a wonderfully soft texture.
Yunyin felt she hadn't had enough after finishing one, but unfortunately she didn't have any milk. It wasn't easy to buy milk from cows that produce milk. She had asked around before, but to no avail. She didn't know where Xia Xiaoniangzi got her milk from, and wondered if she could buy milk from her. She really wanted to eat more dairy products.
After finishing the caramel pudding, Yunyin heard Zheng Guilan calling for Xia Xiaoniangzi. She took two portions of pastries and went to the main hall. Xia Yan was wearing an apricot-colored high-waisted blouse with a pomegranate-red skirt with a floral pattern, and a light gauze blouse with wide sleeves. When she walked, she looked like flowing clouds, just like a fairy descending to earth.
She placed the pudding and double-skin milk in front of Xia Yan and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen Miss Xia. Thank you for the gift."
Xia Yan propped her head up and said, "Oh, it's so hot, I don't even want to go out. I just came to support your restaurant opening. The pastries you gave me last time were really delicious, and my family loved them too."
Yunyin smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. Try it and see if you like it."
Xia Yan scooped up a spoonful of caramel pudding with a porcelain spoon. Her arm bracelet jingled as she raised her hand. The caramel pudding melted in her mouth, and before she could even taste it, the spoonful was gone.
She scooped up another spoonful, savored it slowly, and nodded, saying, "It tastes very good, sweet with a hint of bitterness, smooth and soft, very easy to eat. I'm sure my grandmother would love this dessert."
Xia Yan put down her soup spoon and looked at Yun Yin curiously, "I wonder where Yun Niangzi is from? Which chef did you learn from? I've never even heard of many of the dishes you make."
Yunyin pursed her lips and said, "There are many masters, and even if I told you, Miss Xia wouldn't know them. As long as you think it tastes good, why bother about these things? Don't you think so?"
“What Lady Yun said is also true; there is indeed no need to delve into it further.”
Yunyin pointed to the bowl of double-skin milk pudding and said, "You can eat the original flavor of double-skin milk pudding or the red bean flavor. Madam Xia, you can add red beans as you like. I also need to prepare a ginger milk curd. Eat slowly, I'm going back now."
Xia Yan nodded, then gestured for Wan Leqiao to sit down as well, saying to her, "You should try this flavor too."
Yunyin returned to the kitchen. Ginger milk curd is not difficult to make. All you need is fresh ginger juice and hot milk. Quickly pour the sugared and boiled milk into the ginger juice. After a while, the milk will solidify. Finally, sprinkle some dried osmanthus flowers on top to make the ginger milk curd more delicious and beautiful. When Yunyin brought the ginger milk curd back to the main hall, Xia Yan had already finished eating double-skin milk.
She sighed contentedly, "It tastes so good, I could eat another big bowl."
Yunyin handed her the ginger milk curd, saying, "Try this. It's a bit spicy. I don't know if you can handle the taste."
Xia Yan took a bite, her brows furrowed slightly, but relaxed after a while. "This ginger milk curd is actually quite delicious. Although it's a bit spicy, the aftertaste is very sweet. In the end, only the fragrance of osmanthus remains, which is truly unforgettable."
Yunyin sat down beside her and asked, "How did you like the desserts today? Shall I go prepare your meal now, or should we wait a bit?"
She patted her stomach and said, "This little dessert won't fill me up, but let's eat dinner later and chat for a while."
"I saw the flowers in Lady Yun's courtyard. I think the flowers I sent were alright."
Yunyin nodded: "The flowers that Miss Xia sent are very beautiful. The gardenias smell especially fragrant. They bloom every day, and the whole courtyard can smell their fragrance. I feel very happy every day. Thank you so much, Miss Xia."
"Yes, these are all my favorite flowers. I like to grow flowers when I have free time. I was thinking that your restaurant looks bare and not very nice, so I gave you some. I'm glad you like them."
After expressing her gratitude, Yunyin noticed that the girl was still thinking about the desserts. After a moment's thought, she said, "Miss Xia, how about we make a deal?"
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