The two women who entertained Xu Milu, Thirteen and Eighteen, were both clever and quick-witted. One was gentle and sweet like a little white flower, while the other had a touch of heroism between her brows. They were two different types of beauties.
"Madam Xu, these are the ingredients that Grandpa asked us to buy yesterday according to the list. Can you check if there are any mistakes or omissions?"
Thirteen Sister smiled gently, handed over the ingredient list, and checked it off for Xu Milu one by one:
"We've bought up all the chickens raised by the people of Chang'an for tomorrow's wedding banquet—a whole bunch of fat chickens and ducks. The other day, the black bear from the mountains also sent three live deer, which are now being kept in the backyard. The snake lord from the front area also sent a hundred live fish to the pond."
My fourth uncle bought two or three large, fat pigs a few days ago, along with tender lotus roots, water celery, wild onions and garlic, watercress, tender bamboo shoots, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoot sprouts, wood ear fungus, daylilies, agar-agar, laver, purslane, taro, radishes, yams, polygonatum, and several eggs—it seems like he has more than enough.
Xu Milu did a quick inventory and tentatively decided on the menu:
"Mandarin Duck Eggs, Auspicious Chicken Rolls, Honey-Glazed Roasted Venison, Spiced Chicken, Premium White Cut Chicken, Braised Duck, Sweet and Sour Carp, Taro Braised Fish Head, Yellow Wine Braised Pork Knuckle, Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens, Delicious Braised Pork Intestines, Braised Lamb with Radish, Garlic Lamb Trotters, and for vegetarian dishes, we'll keep it simple with Candied Yam and Taro, Cold Mixed Black Fungus and Daylily, Osmanthus Sugar Lotus Root, Stir-fried Mushrooms, a Platter of Assorted Seasonal Vegetables, Five Blessings Vegetable Rolls, and for soup, how about a sweet and sour white fungus soup?"
The list of dishes made the two fox girls' eyes light up; they almost lost their cravings and couldn't help but reveal their true forms.
Putting aside the fact that I've never even heard of these dish names, just hearing their auspicious meanings tells me that they must have been prepared with great care.
"Madam Xu has a wonderful mind. Everyone says that Madam Xu is good at cooking and is particularly skilled in culinary arts. Now that I have seen her, I can confirm that her reputation is well-deserved."
Shiba Niang covered her face with her sleeve and swallowed hard.
"Such a long menu. I'm afraid we'll have to start preparing it tonight. Just give the orders, Madam Xu. I have many sisters, and I'm sure we can make it all neat and tidy."
Xu Milu nodded, but didn't start doing anything. Instead, she smiled and said:
"No rush, I know what I'm doing. We'll have the banquet tomorrow evening and send Eleventh Sister off, then we'll still have time. I've heard there are many wild fruits in the mountains. Do you have any fresh fruits here? To be honest, I just saw the peaches in the yard and I'm quite tempted."
"Oops, it's all my fault, I completely forgot about this place, I deserve a beating!"
Eighteenth Sister moved gracefully, leading Xu Milu and Mo Xuan out of the kitchen and into the pavilion in the courtyard. Thirteenth Sister then brought tea and snacks to them.
"It's all my sister's fault. We forgot to invite Madam Xu to have some tea first. We deserve a beating. Madam, please try our wild tea from the mountains. Although it doesn't have the aroma of tea from the city, it has its own unique charm."
As she spoke, she summoned a group of fox cubs that were less than knee-high.
These little fairies were all strangely shaped and couldn't transform into human form. They were dressed entirely in clothes made of leaves. Before long, the group of fox cubs returned carrying a lot of wild fruits, and they spoke in soft, gentle voices.
"Distinguished guests, please enjoy the fruit..."
"Distinguished guests, please enjoy the fruit..."
Xu Milu found it intriguing and took out a round, plump egg fruit from her sleeve to feed one of the little foxes.
The fox cub, having obtained the magical egg, rolled around on the ground with joy. After a long while, it reluctantly swallowed it, and the other cubs immediately started making a ruckus.
"What are you still making a fuss about? Get down here."
Shiba Niang coldly cursed, and the group of little foxes ran away.
"Madam Xu, these are all fruits picked from the mountains. Use some first. I'll ask a few of my sisters to cook some food and bring it over."
Thirteen Sister greeted her.
The table was piled high with wild fruits: the loquats were golden yellow, with thin skin and thick flesh, sweet and juicy; the apricots were soft and sweet like honey with every bite; the wild kiwis were no bigger than an egg, but they were also sweet and sour; there were also fresh chestnuts, which had a milky taste when eaten raw; and the wild pears were only the size of a thumb, but when ripe, they were fragrant and delicious.
Xu Milu's favorite wild fruit is one with a purple outer skin, but inside it is a banana-like fruit that tastes sweet and refreshing, and is cool and refreshing. It is somewhat like the "August Explosion" on Earth, except that this fruit does not have as many seeds.
Mo Xuan doesn't like vegetarian food and had already gone to the mountains to find wild game. Xu Milu didn't care about him. He was a dragon, so it was normal for him to eat ordinary wild animals that hadn't developed intelligence.
"This fruit is called the Auspicious Fruit. It only grows in bamboo forests, and most of us foxes love to eat it!"
Thirteen Sister gazed at Xu Milu, slowly swallowed, her face flushed red, her eyes filled with longing:
"Madam Xu...do you still have any of those eggs from earlier?"
Looking at Shiba Niang again, she was just as attentive, blushing deeply with embarrassment.
Xu Milu realized that for foxes who love to eat eggs, the wheat ear passion fruit was a delicacy full of spiritual energy, which explained why the two little foxes were behaving this way.
"Yes, I'll give you one."
Xu Milu then magically produced two eggs and placed them in front of the two sisters, who were delighted.
Thirteen Sister held the egg with great agility. She gently tapped the egg on the table, stretched her neck forward, and her fox face appeared. With a flick of her pointed chin, the raw egg fell into her throat.
"It really is a chicken with a spirit."
Shiba Niang swallowed the egg in one gulp, then covered her face, seemingly embarrassed.
"Please excuse us, Madam Xu. We usually eat ordinary food, so we were a little flustered when we saw this chicken."
Xu Milu's heart skipped a beat: "If such chickens were for sale, would your fox clan be willing to buy them?"
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