10 Food Competition
◎Thirty taels of reward!◎
The next day.
The shopkeeper gave everyone a full month's salary during the break.
Song Jinyi took the two taels of silver, waited for the rest of the people to leave, and then went to the front desk to discuss the matter with the shopkeeper.
When the shopkeeper heard the word "borrow money", he refused it outright without even knowing the amount.
Song Jinyi also knew that borrowing money from him was not a wise move, and now she was just trying to save the situation.
Then, Song Jinyi was secretly distressed. The money Xu Ruolan borrowed last night, her monthly allowance, and the money left when she left the Song Mansion were only □□ taels. Where did the remaining 40 taels come from?
She sighed secretly, and sat in the east kitchen with her chin supported by one hand, thinking, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan, watching the jumping flames steaming the cakes.
While she was thinking hard, the waiter shouted through the curtain: "Sister Jinyi, someone is looking for you outside!"
The loud roar frightened Song Jinyi so much that she almost dropped what she was holding. She cursed under her breath, put the pastries in place, wiped her hands, and walked out slowly.
She is a stranger in Yunzhou, unfamiliar with the place, let alone having any acquaintances.
Who will come to see her?
When she came to the front hall, she raised her eyes and quickly scanned the place. The small shop was almost full of tea drinkers. It was so crowded that she was dazzled. Her eyes searched around but could not find anything to focus on.
Until the corner by the window, there was an old man, dressed simply, even with a patch on his left cuff. He raised his left hand slightly and waved a gourd wine jug.
Seeing her looking at him, he opened his mouth wide and beckoned her over.
The man looked very familiar, but Song Jinyi couldn't remember him for a moment. But when she sat in front of him and saw the situation - she suddenly realized: Isn't this the gourmet expert - Mr. Feng who came here half a month ago!
"Mrs. Song, how are you these days?" Old Feng asked.
Song Jinyi replied that everything was fine.
"I came here this time to talk to Madam Song about something..." As he said this, he picked up his wine jug and wanted to pour wine for Song Jinyi.
Song Jinyi reached out to pick up the wine jug and politely declined, "Not only is my alcohol tolerance average, but my drinking habits are also extremely poor. I really can't drink even a little of this wine. I have to let you down."
Mr. Feng smiled and didn't force it.
Song Jinyi looked at the snacks on the table. They were the yam and jujube paste cakes and ice bean curd that she had recently made. She recalled the time when Mr. Feng had come to "look for food" before and asked, "Is Mr. Feng here for the peony pastry again?"
The preparation of peony pastry is complicated and time-consuming. She would not consider making it unless the circumstances on that day were special.
"I'm afraid the ingredients today can't be used to make peony pastries," she said with some difficulty.
"Haha...", Mr. Feng laughed and said, "I didn't come here for myself today, but for others."
"There is a nobleman who came from Shengjing. He has a young daughter at home who is picky about food and has not eaten properly for the past four or five days. The nobleman feels sorry for his daughter and invites everyone to come to his house to prepare meals in the name of a competition.
Because I had a reputation as a gourmet, he sent someone to ask me who was the best cook in Yunzhou City.
How could I possibly possess such magical powers? I've only earned a reputation as a greedy old man. But I'm old enough, after all, and I don't want people to think I'm just seeking fame, so I thought of you, Madam Song."
After saying that, he looked at Song Jinyi, observing her expression.
Song Jinyi had an indifferent expression and lowered her eyes. Was he asking her to go over and give it a try?
After a while, she said, "I'm just working in a small tea shop. Yunzhou is vast and rich in resources, with many talented people. It's also a city famous for its delicious food, so how could there be a shortage of skilled chefs? Me?" She shook her head gently, "I can't do it."
Although she didn't say it explicitly, she made it clear to Mr. Feng her attitude.
That day, she and Xu Ruolan went to Zui Liuxia to check out the shop. The tea and pastries there were no worse than hers.
If Zui Liuxia, Liuxiangju, Yingchunlou and other famous places went there, her chances of winning would not be very high, so why bother herself?
"Madam Song, there's no need to be so modest. The Peony Pastry you made that day was enough to demonstrate your extraordinary craftsmanship and your innovative approach to cuisine. This is something no one else has, so I wanted you to give it a try."
Seeing that Song Jinyi's expression was shaken, her eyes moved around uncertainly, and then suddenly stopped, staying at a certain place, in a trance.
Seeing that she seemed to be worried, Mr. Feng continued, "This competition is more than just a competition. Madam Song, if you go, you will know that it will benefit you and not harm you. Even if you lose, it will be like enjoying the scenery. I heard that the prize money for this competition is thirty taels."
The reward of thirty taels is indeed very tempting. If she can get it, she will be able to save enough money quickly to redeem the person.
"I can give it a try."
******
Gu Mansion.
Song Jinyi held the visiting card given to her by Mr. Feng and stood in front of the mansion. There were two stone lions standing on the left and right of the stone steps. She walked up the steps and looked up at this noble mansion.
This was the "big official" who announced the notice that day and whom she had watched from afar in the crowd. When she had heard that there was a bonus of thirty cents, she was tempted and wanted to see it for herself.
But because the thief missed the opportunity, he didn't expect to come here again after going around in circles.
It can be considered a different kind of fate.
She gave a wry smile and went up the stairs. Two gatekeepers were standing in front of the mansion. When they heard that she came in response to the notice, one of them took her visiting card and the other looked her up and down.
When she ran away from home, she took some inconspicuous plain clothes with her. She dressed simply on weekdays. The man's eyes contained disdain and contempt, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
She followed the servant to the side door of the mansion and passed through the vermilion outer door. The man led her for a quarter of an hour and arrived at another door. There was a woman at the door.
The servant whispered a lot to the old woman and handed her the visiting card. The old woman called out from inside and a maid came out and brought Song Jinyi in.
She walked around in this huge house again, and after walking through several corridors, she still hadn't reached her destination. She couldn't help but sigh at how spacious this place was. The courtyard was filled with stacked stones and carved ponds, and there were ancient pines, strange rocks, and lush trees.
Looking up, she could see the magnificent golden terraces and pavilions. This was no ordinary nobleman. Many melodramatic scenes from TV dramas suddenly flashed through her mind.
She suddenly felt a sense of unease in her heart. This was not the modern world, and the laws and regulations were all set by the nobles.
She was a little hesitant about whether her decision was correct. As she was lost in thought, a voice came from her side. The maid who led the way reminded her softly, "Madam Song, we've arrived."
Song Jinyi was taken to a flower hall with carved beams and painted pillars on all sides, which was very luxurious.
The innermost room is slightly higher and is home to a sandalwood couch with a wooden table on it. A famous painting hangs behind it, and a plaque with a gilded inscription hangs on the ceiling. Two rows of mahogany armchairs are placed in the hall.
Besides her, there were many other guests who came to try it out. They all seemed to know each other and gathered together, chatting happily.
And she was like an outsider, sitting alone near the door.
She tilted her head and silently looked at the scenery outside the hall. Suddenly, a light red skirt passed by in her peripheral vision. Song Jinyi raised her head, but only had time to see the back of the woman in the light red dress.
The woman in red sat right at the front of the row.
I think this person's craftsmanship is more famous than these people, so he left the first place to her who came later.
Song Jinyi wanted to look away, but caught a glimpse of the woman she had seen at the back door of Zui Liuxia before.
The woman was wearing a light yellow linen coat today. She lowered her head and said nothing, as if she was afraid of being discovered by others. She followed the steps of the woman in red closely.
Song Jinyi looked at him a few more times, but she didn't expect to be misunderstood by the woman in red next to her. The woman in red glanced at her with a look full of hostility and disdain, and finally snorted heavily in her direction.
baffling!
Song Jinyi also snorted coldly and turned her head away.
The large hall was filled with people arriving one after another. Someone started talking to the woman in red. Song Jinyi then realized that she was the "top tea and pastry chef" of Zuichunlou that Xu Ruolan had mentioned that day.
She didn't expect that such delicate and thoughtful snacks could be made by such a rude person. She originally wanted to compete with this skillful person, but now she just wanted to stay away from him.
Another quarter of an hour later, a woman dressed in gorgeous brocade clothes came slowly, followed by six maids. She must be the mistress of the mansion.
Song Jinyi came here in a daze because he was entrusted by Mr. Feng. He didn't even know who the person he was entrusted with was. When he saw the others stand up and salute, he also followed suit.
"You are all the best chefs in Yunzhou. I invited you here to compete with me because my daughter has been spoiled by the elders in my family since she was a child.
I'm not used to Yunzhou right now and have lost my appetite for a few days, so I'd like to ask you all to show off your cooking skills so that my daughter can taste your cooking skills."
The woman smiled and said, “If you can whet my appetite, then the mere thirty taels of reward is just a gift for meeting me.
When my old lady is going to hold a birthday banquet in Shengjing, she will need a chef who can hold the place up. If I can make her happy, a thousand taels will be a small thing."
Everyone in the hall was instantly agitated. Firstly, the bounty of a thousand taels was too tempting! Secondly, this nobleman from Shengjing was so generous and his last name was Gu. Smart people would naturally look up to him.
Chun Sanniang, who was drunk in Liuxia, looked calm. She glanced at everyone with pride in her heart. She certainly did not come here for the mere thirty taels of silver, but to go to Shengjing, for the "old lady" as the woman called her.
She had some connections in Beijing, so she found out a few things and made sure she won this opportunity.
"You are all busy people. If you can't handle this, you can leave now."
The implication is that if you know you don't have the ability, just leave and don't waste time.
One-third of the people understood the subtext, and seeing the chef who was better than them in the flower hall, they had no hope of winning and left quietly.
Someone asked, "What does the girl like to eat?"
The woman smiled and said, "My daughter is usually very picky about food. She likes things that are beautiful and interesting, and she also pays attention to the taste. This summer, she must eat something with a light texture."
I think this is the key point!
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