“Yanran is right. This hastily made pastry can only be considered average. Your decision was good. It’s mainly because of the fermentation process. As long as you knead the flour properly like you did today, the pastries will be very soft,” Qin Mu said.
There are already many styles of pastry making, and they felt it was good, mainly because it was the first time they had eaten pastries made with honey, eggs, cream, and butter together, which was a novelty.
"It's a kind of delicacy, much better than ordinary pastries, but the honey is rare," Xiangli Yanran nodded.
"Alright, I'll make you something simpler," Qin Mu said after thinking for a moment. He had promised to make something delicious for the little girl, so he wanted to make sure she was satisfied.
A large pot was brought over; fortunately, the Qin household had a large iron wok, the kind used for stir-frying, because of the large number of people there. The wheat was washed with water to remove the dust before being poured into the pot to stir-fry. Of course, Qin Mu didn't have to do any of this; the plump cook in the Qin household did it.
Once the wheat has dried up, add butter and honey, and continue to stir-fry. As the honey and butter are added, the aroma fills the kitchen, making it hard to leave, and people stay to watch.
Once the honey and butter on the wheat have become less sticky and the wheat has started to pop, you must keep stirring it at this point, otherwise it will easily burn. Because of the even heating, the wheat will quickly turn into wheat popcorn.
Once the pot was completely white, Qin Mu told the cook to take it out of the pot.
"Can we eat now?" Xiangli Yanran asked, tilting her little head.
"You can eat now, but be careful, it's hot," Qin Mu nodded and reminded him.
Xiangli Yanran was not afraid of the heat, so she grabbed it and ate it. As soon as she put it in her mouth, her eyes lit up. Judging from her beaming smile, she was extremely satisfied.
She ate a couple of handfuls before stopping, smiling and saying, "Delicious, much better than roasted pine nuts."
"Actually, this method is very simple. You can also fry your pine nuts this way, and they will taste even better," Qin Mu reminded him.
"Yes! Brother Qin Mu, you're so smart," Xiangli Yanran said happily.
"That's really good. This method is simple to make and tastes great. It's perfect as a snack for you," Qin Yue agreed.
"It needs to be sealed and stored properly, otherwise it will easily get damp and won't be brittle anymore," Qin Mu reminded him.
"It's alright, I'll make more at once and pack them up." Xiangli Yanran said nonchalantly, then waved her hand and packed up the whole pot of wheat flowers. It goes without saying that this girl has equipment with a Sumeru space, no wonder she has an endless supply of pine nuts.
"Actually, there's a simple way to make wheat blossoms anytime, even in the wild. And it's not just wheat blossoms, you can make rice blossoms too. You can even stick the wheat blossoms together with cane sugar, and that makes wheat blossom candy!" Qin Mu's eyes darted around, and he said with a mischievous grin.
"Brother Qin Mu, please tell me what to do!" Xiangli Yanran asked Qin Mu happily.
"The solution is simple; a blacksmith needs to forge a special pot," Qin Mu said, feigning difficulty.
That's right! He was thinking about the popcorn machine that foreigners called a "grain amplifier," and he was really looking forward to the little girl causing a huge commotion at home. Just thinking about it was incredibly exciting.
“No problem, these are minor matters. Tell me, what kind of airport do you want us to create?” Xiangli Yanran said, patting the flat airport.
The Mohists certainly understood metallurgy, and their skills were superb. That's why Qin Mu said it that way. Otherwise, if an ordinary blacksmith made a popcorn machine and instead of popping popcorn, he blew people up, that would be a huge mess.
The key issue is still the pressure register. When Qin Mu mentioned slowing down, Xiangli Yanran said it was quite simple. Even if it's just inscribing a Dao pattern, it's much simpler than making a puppet.
Qin Mu then realized that the Mohists also practiced alchemy, and the popcorn machine Qin Mu mentioned was actually just a very simple and basic alchemy furnace.
When refining pills, one needs to control the heat. So how does one control it? Besides experience, one relies on the Dao patterns on the alchemy furnace, using spiritual power to sense the changes within and spiritual energy to manipulate them.
In Xiangli Yanran's words, the popcorn machine is just adding a Dao pattern to the perception; it doesn't even qualify as an array.
After learning the production method from Qin Mu, Xiangli Yanran hurriedly left, pulling Qin Yue along with her, since they still needed to ask the Qin family for some materials.
"Why make a sealed pot? Wouldn't it be the same to just carry around a small, ordinary pot?" After Xiangli Yanran left, Huang Yuqi blinked mischievously and asked with a smile.
"Haha! Doesn't it taste even better? And the special pot is easier to use. I don't have to keep stirring it so much," Qin Mu chuckled dryly. Of course, he wouldn't admit that it was just a momentary whim of his that he tricked Xiangli Yanran into making it.
He had just told Xiangli Yanran about a specially made pot that could not only stir-fry rice and wheat, but also beans and pine nuts, and that it would taste excellent.
Huang Yuqi didn't ask any more questions. She just smiled at Qin Mu. Although she knew that Qin Mu must have other reasons, she believed that Qin Mu would not harm Xiangli Yanran.
Having wasted considerable time in the kitchen, and estimating that they should have finished eating in the main hall by then, the three returned.
As expected, the party was already ending, and many people were taking their leave of Qin Yao. After all, the orcs had withdrawn their troops, and the birthday celebration could not be held. However, the gifts that were due were still presented. This small amount of face still had to be given to the Qin family.
Soon, Qin Mu followed Qin Qiong and the others back to the Qin family's villa at the back of Juyong Pass.
"Mu'er, your cousin and I are going to the Khitan. You will stay at the Qin family for a while longer," Qin Qiong said.
"Father, aren't you going back to Chang'an?" Qin Mu asked in surprise. He thought that once things were over, he could go back to Chang'an. He had been looking forward to Chang'an for a long time.
"His Majesty has sent Father to the Khitan, and after we return, we'll go to Chang'an together?"
"The Khitans? Could there be any danger?" Qin Mu asked worriedly.
"There is no danger. Not only will your uncle be traveling with you, but also the Prince of Hejian and the Qin family," Qin Qiong reassured him.
“That’s right. With your father and me going together, we can fight our way out even if we’re surrounded by a large army,” Luo Cheng said confidently.
"Okay, I'll wait for you here," Qin Mu nodded. He didn't ask why, nor was there any need to. If Qin Qiong couldn't solve it, then there was nothing he could do.
"The Khitan were a large tribe located in Liaodong. They had always been threatened by the beastmen and lived a difficult life. They wanted to surrender to the Tang Dynasty and migrate inland. However, Goguryeo would not let them leave, so they continued to threaten them," Qin Qiong explained to him.
Qin Mu knew that his father was giving him a lesson, so he listened very attentively.
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