"There's nothing wrong with being a protector, is there?" Qin Mu asked.
"How could there be nothing wrong? Protectors spend all their time with others, they have no freedom at all," Xiangli Yanran said, pouting.
"Hehe, don't let your second uncle hear you say that," Huang Yuqi said with a smile.
"Hehe, I was just saying." Xiangli Yanran quickly turned around and glanced back, then stuck out her tongue and laughed shyly.
“Even if you want to be a protector, it will be many years from now. If it really doesn’t work out, you can always get married, right?” Huang Yuqi reminded her.
"No, no, I don't want to get married," Xiangli Yanran said, shaking her head vigorously.
"Why don't you want to get married?" Qin Yue asked curiously.
"Marriage means even less freedom, just like my mother, who stays at home all day and does nothing but embroider," Xiangli Yanran said, pouting.
It was entirely a child's idea, which made the group chuckle and they didn't discuss marriage with her any further.
Young people each have their own hobbies, and their social circles naturally differ. Therefore, although they may pay attention to others, it's just that—attention.
Without any elders present, there were fewer concerns about eating, and the meal was finished quickly.
"Okay! Okay! We'll go get you something to eat." Qin Mu had just put down his chopsticks when Xiangli Yanran sat down opposite him, staring at him with wide eyes, so he had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.
"Yay! Let's go!" Xiangli Yanran was so happy she almost jumped up.
"Miss Qin, may I use the kitchen?"
"Of course," Qin Yue nodded, then stood up and beckoned them, "Come with me."
“I’m also curious about what kind of food Young Master Qin makes,” Huang Yuqi said, standing up as well.
The four of them walked out amidst the curious gazes of the others. Although this was the kitchen of the Juyongguan City Guard's Office, it was well-stocked with ingredients, though most of them were staple foods and meats.
Qin Mu didn't plan to cook. After all, ordinary dishes certainly wouldn't satisfy Xiangli Yanran, and even if he made a stir-fry, the seasonings wouldn't be complete, and the taste wouldn't be very good. After looking at the ingredients, he decided to make pastries instead.
Although the method of fermenting flour exists now, it is only a simple fermentation process. Qin Mu first had people select the whitest refined flour, then added it to the fermented flour, and had people knead it continuously.
Kneading the flour until it's "well-cooked" not only speeds up the fermentation process but also improves the texture. Most importantly, he added eggs, butter, and honey to the flour—all readily available ingredients in the kitchen.
He wanted to make a cake, and the most important step was to separate the egg whites and yolks and mix them evenly. Normally, if he had baking powder, he would add it to the flour little by little while mixing, but he didn't, so he had to knead it. As for cow's milk, he would use fresh goat's milk instead. Of course, Qin Mu couldn't guarantee what it would taste like.
Having servants is great; you don't have to do these things yourself, you just have to give orders, and the results are better than if you did it yourself.
Since we didn't have an oven, we had to steam it. Once everything was ready, we could just wait patiently.
"Brother Huaidao, you know all this stuff?" Qin Yue, whose face was still a little pale, ran over and asked curiously.
"What's so strange about that? I grew up in the countryside, how could I not understand?" Qin Mu replied calmly.
"Are you already so particular about food in your rural area?" Qin Yue asked in surprise.
“Of course, most people wouldn’t, but my mother loves me and always tries to make the food more delicious,” Qin Mu said with a touch of sadness.
Of course! He mainly misses the people and food of another world. Perhaps the downside of having such a good memory is that while it's okay during difficult times, once things stabilize, he always feels that the food is much worse.
"Human desires are never satisfied, and so are the desires of men!" Qin Mu shook his head and complained to himself.
"I'm sorry." He thought he'd stirred up painful memories. Qin Yue quickly apologized.
"It's alright, it's all over now." Qin Mu waved his hand.
"Perhaps it is precisely because of the harsh living conditions that people have the initiative to learn, unlike us, who are forced to study by our families. The difference between the two is too great," Huang Yuqi said thoughtfully.
"It still depends on talent. If you don't have talent, you won't be able to learn it no matter what," Qin Yue said, shaking her head.
"Yes, talent and passion are indeed the most important. Talent accounts for 30%, while hard work accounts for 70%." Qin Mu nodded in agreement.
"Brother Huaidao is right," Qin Yue said, slapping his thigh.
"Ninety points are still thanks to family!" Qin Mu added quietly.
"Uh!" Qin Yue's slightly excited expression froze on his face.
"whee!"
"Hehe!" Huang Yuqi and the other two girls burst into laughter at Qin Mu's lame joke.
"Brother Qin Mu, you're so funny!"
"Don't laugh! I'm telling the truth. I studied in the countryside for so long, and I was just a scholar. It was only after I came out that I met Master Zhiyuan, and it was under his guidance that I entered the path of Confucian cultivation. Think about it, if someone in my family had guided me, would I have ended up like this?"
"You haven't seen me before, I was dark and skinny. I've changed a lot in the last two months because my life has improved." Qin Mu said seriously after they stopped laughing.
"So dark and thin? No way! You became so fair-skinned in just two months, how did you do it!" Xiangli Yanran stared wide-eyed and leaned closer to Qin Mu to ask curiously.
A unique aura of a young girl wafted over him, and Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat. He slightly stepped aside and said, "Two divine baptisms have turned you into this."
A divinely ordained baptism was beyond Xiangli Yanran's comprehension. She couldn't help but sigh in disappointment, "Ah!" and then slumped weakly onto the stone table.
Before long, the kitchen was filled with the unique aroma of noodles, mixed with the smell of milk, which was very pleasant to smell.
Just moments ago, Xiangli Yanran was listless, but now, like a Samoyed, she stretched her neck and twitched her nose repeatedly. Then, her eyes lit up, and she got up and walked towards the kitchen.
Steam rose from the steamer, and Qin Mu figured it was almost done, so he turned off the heat, waited a moment, and then lifted the lid.
As steam rose, a large, golden-yellow bun appeared in the pot, and the aroma of malty milk became even stronger.
"I never expected that such a simple pastry could smell so good! Let me have a taste!" Xiangli Yanran said, swallowing hard.
"Don't worry, it'll be ready soon," Qin Mu reassured him, then took the cake out, picked up a kitchen knife, and cut it into pieces.
After distributing the cake to several people, Xiangli Yanran stretched out her chubby fingers, picked up a piece, and put it in her mouth.
The others didn't stand on ceremony and started eating as well; the rather large cake was quickly devoured by everyone.
"Not bad!" Xiangli Yanran smacked her lips, savoring the moment.
"I think it's delicious! It's soft and fluffy, sweet but not cloying," Qin Yue nodded in satisfaction.
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