Yu Erniang now works for the Gu family, mainly as a pastry chef at Jinyulou, and she also makes a living by preparing ordinary snacks and some side dishes.
Winter was approaching, but Gu Yaoniang suddenly craved the candied cherries that Yu Erniang used to sell at her stall. Yu Erniang was in a dilemma; fresh cherries were no longer available at this time of year, and using pre-made cherry preserves wouldn't taste the same.
It was the season when hawthorns ripened. Seeing that the fruits were all bright red and would taste sweet and sour when cooked, Yu Erniang made candied hawthorns for Gu Yaoniang.
Yu Erniang didn't know what method she used, but the shells of the candied hawthorns she made were crisper than those in other shops, and they were exquisite and crystal clear, without a trace of impurities or air bubbles, which was very pleasing.
The glistening sugar coating encases the bright red hawthorns, resembling sparkling amber, which is quite delightful.
Gu Yaoniang ate with a smile on her face, but accidentally bit her tooth on a hawthorn seed. Since hawthorn is sweet and sour, she grimaced in pain.
Bishuang then took a small silver stick, used a knife to cut the hawthorn horizontally, removed the hard seeds, and then put the hawthorn back together to make a candied hawthorn.
Seedless hawthorns look no different from whole ones, but the taste is completely different. It's mainly a matter of mindset; I feel much more at ease eating them now, without worrying about them getting stuck in my teeth.
Yu Erniang had a brilliant idea. She stuffed steamed white glutinous rice into the cut hawthorns, creating a delightful contrast of red and white, adding another layer of flavor compared to traditional candied hawthorns.
Gu Yaoniang liked it very much and wanted to sell this dessert at Jinyulou. She then decided to knead the best milk into the steamed glutinous rice to make dough.
From then on, Jin Yu Lou's dessert "Honey Snow Gourd" was considered complete.
Prince Qing arrived at Jinyulou, which was as lively as ever.
He also knew that Gu Yaoniang usually stayed at Jinyulou and would personally take care of any important people who came.
He waited and waited, but Gu Yaoniang never appeared. Upon asking, he learned that Gu Yaoniang's younger brother was about to go to the capital, and Gu Yaoniang had only come to the building briefly to look at him these past few days before leaving.
Only then did Prince Qing learn that Gu Yaoniang's younger brother was coming to Shuojing to study.
He chuckled; another merchant trying to pass the imperial examinations.
After serving the dishes and giving his reply, the waiter was about to leave when Prince Qing casually pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to the waiter.
The young shopkeeper was startled. He could tell from the touch that the item in his hand was no ordinary thing. He had never seen such a generous reward before.
The next second, Prince Qing said, "Give this to your master for me, and say it's a congratulatory gift for her brother's arrival in the capital."
The young waiter was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't show it on his face and agreed with a smile.
I thought to myself, "The imperial family is so generous; they give away such valuable items so readily."
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