Hearing her say that, it was Sili Ren's turn to ponder.
Fortunately, he was also shrewd; with just a slight hint, he understood the meaning. He quickly refilled Qin San Niang's tea and asked in a low voice,
"Girl, do you mean there are any new pastries you could offer at this birthday banquet?"
Qin San Niang nodded. The only thing she could think of was a birthday cake. This kind of thing definitely didn't exist in the Great Sheng Dynasty, and the cake's special sweet and soft texture would surely win over the taste buds of most people.
"It's quite a coincidence, actually. I got some goat milk from somewhere a while ago, and after some experimentation at home, I actually made a kind of cake. The flavor is very unique, soft, sweet, and melts in your mouth, just like swallowing a cloud. If I can make a big cake, it will surely impress the magistrate's daughter."
Hearing her description, Si Liren's eyes shone even brighter. "Oh my, just from what you've said, I know this cake must be extraordinary. Tell me what ingredients you need, and I'll prepare them all. Then you can make one yourself."
"But this cake can't be stored for long; it's best to make and eat it on the same day. I wonder when the magistrate's daughter's birthday is? I'll come a day early and make it before dawn so as not to delay important matters."
Also, although I used goat's milk before, cow's milk would be even better. The other ingredients are refined white flour, eggs, and sugar.
There were still a few cakes stored in the space. She herself liked sweets, and she had almost finished off all those small mousse cakes, chocolate cheesecakes, and "dirty" buns. If she could persuade Si Ji to start a cake business, then she would be able to enjoy cakes again in the future! Anyway, she had all the recipes.
This request wasn't difficult. Although milk was hard to find, it couldn't stump Manager Si, who had been working in the county for over a decade. The magistrate's daughter's birthday banquet was in seven days, and he promised to prepare everything beforehand.
"Girl, I've found out about the stalking thing you mentioned last time. It was Chen's gang who did it! But don't worry, now that I've turned things around, I'll definitely give them a taste of their own medicine. Chen's gang was bullying us, wasn't they? I'll drive those scum out of He County bit by bit!"
I had no idea until I investigated! Chen Yushan was involved in a truly harmful business, and I heard he even trafficked innocent girls! It's a shame the world is going to the dogs! When did this kind of person get into the market in He County? He almost took over the whole place! It makes me so angry just thinking about it!
Hearing that Chen Yushan was involved in human trafficking, Qin Sanniang was surprised and furious. After all, her child had just been found by human traffickers, and she couldn't stand this kind of business. If she caught him, he would definitely suffer the consequences!
"Then why is he targeting you so much, brother? If he wants to wield power in He County, why doesn't he venture into other more advantageous industries? Like music halls or restaurants? Why did he start a pastry business?" Qin San Niang was a cautious person and wouldn't let anger cloud her judgment. She always felt that Chen Yushan had ulterior motives, and that it wouldn't be that simple.
This stumped Sili Ren. He had investigated for a long time, but still had no clue. "Alas, I don't know. I've also guessed that my ancestors might have had some kind of grudge against his family, which is why they wanted to force me to sell my house and land, and ruin my family. But my elder sister said that she didn't know any family with the surname Chen at all, let alone have any connection with them."
"I'd rather not think about it anymore! But you were right, Chen's is planning to sell wine. I don't know where they hired a master brewer, and they've also set their sights on a shop on the next street. Who knows, they're going to stir up trouble in He County again."
Qin Sanniang tapped the corner of the table rhythmically with her index finger, pondering that this Chen family manager must have some premeditated scheme, perhaps related to Manager Si. Since he had made up his mind to work in He County, she might as well wait and see what he did. Right now, clinging to the magistrate's coattails was of paramount importance!
After discussing the details further, Qin San Niang prepared to take her leave.
Knowing that her family was building a house, Sili Ren had his attendant bring her a bag of silver, which was considered an advance on her share of the profits. This month's profits hadn't even been paid yet, so she shouldn't have received her share in advance. He did this because he was worried that she might be short of money.
Qin Sanniang was a little touched. "Brother Si, this doesn't align with the spirit of the contract. Don't worry, I still have enough money. Let's do the accounting and distribute the profits when the time comes."
"What are you saying? Rules are rules, but people are flexible! Just consider it an expense I'm giving you for your own use. We can transfer it back when the accounts are settled. It's nothing!" Si Li Ren stuffed it into her hand, and there was no way he would take it back. He also instructed Xiao Wu to pack two large bags of pastries for her to take back for the children.
After bidding farewell to the clerk, Qin San Niang decided not to buy any more meat, as they had enough in her spatial storage. She would buy the large steamed buns that Liu Shi had mentioned earlier, but the stock she had previously hoarded was already gone.
"Young man, how many steamed buns are in this steamer?" Qin Sanniang stopped at a steamed bun stall and looked up to ask.
At that time, steamed buns were more like a snack to improve one's diet, unlike in later generations when they were more common. Poor families couldn't afford to buy them every day, while wealthy families had dedicated cooks. The method of making steamed buns was not difficult, so there was no need to go out and buy them.
The woman in front of me was very young, and although her clothes were not made of silk, they were made of cotton, which was quite rare.
The young man selling steamed buns hurriedly got up from behind the stove, picked up the cloth draped over his shoulder, rubbed his hands together, and said...
"Sister, we have twenty-five steamed buns in a steamer. How many would you like? I'll wrap them up for you." Business wasn't good today; he hadn't sold many yet this morning! He was a little anxious, afraid of missing out on customers, and his tone was very enthusiastic.
Qin San Niang looked down and saw that the steamed buns in the steamer were white and plump, steaming hot, and the air was filled with the aroma of grain. People passing by also peeked out, obviously wanting to eat them but unable to afford them.
"Your steamed buns are very good!" Qin San Niang praised sincerely. In fact, her steamed buns were not as white as those of later generations, and were even a little black. However, in this era without additives, they were genuine white flour steamed buns!
Hearing his skills praised, the young man was quite happy, and his expectant eyes became even more evident.
Qin Sanniang did a rough calculation in her mind. If each family had four steamed buns, then there were a total of seventy-two households in Shiligou. Of course, not all households participated in helping to find the child. Even if we only count seventy households, it would still require two hundred and eighty steamed buns, which would require more than a dozen steamers.
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