Chapter 98: Pork Floss
When Si Li came back with two boxes of roasted pork floss dumplings, the afternoon business of Wanglaiju was about to begin. There was no trace of Princess Jinhe in the courtyard, only Jiang Shizhi was left.
This is very rare. The contract was signed to help the princess recover. Most of the time, even if Jiang Shizhi didn't come, Princess Jinhe would still come. There were also a few times when Jiang Shizhi came alone, but I have never seen Jiang Shizhi stay and let Princess Jinhe leave first.
"Where's Ah Fei?" Si Li looked around and lifted the food box in her hand. It was so heavy that she almost stumbled. "I brought some food back and asked her to try it."
Jiang Hengyun stepped forward and held her shoulders without saying a word. He curled his fingers. The heat from his clothes just now remained in his palms, and it burned all the way to his heart. He reached out and took the food box from Si Li's hand. It was quite heavy. Fang sat down with Si Li. Before he opened his mouth, he saw her bend down and open the food box, take out a handkerchief and put it in her palm, pick up a piece of golden orange snack and put it to her lips.
The meat floss is fluffy and has a salty and fresh taste with a slight spicy taste that stimulates the appetite. The pastry underneath is soft and glutinous. The tenderness and freshness of the egg are completely integrated with the pastry with a hint of sweetness. Take a deep bite, the sauce overflowing in the middle is just the right sweetness, smooth and palatable, which makes people relax.
The orange color of the snack was familiar to Jiang Hengyun. He had spent nearly half an hour frying the crispy and soft meat floss that Si Li wanted, and it turned out that she used it like this. Perhaps because of the hard work, Jiang Hengyun looked at the small snack and felt a little unfair.
“Is this the new product coming out these days?”
Instead of receiving compliments about the taste, she was greeted with a question. Si Li was stunned for a moment, then she smiled. Her hands were shaking as she held the meat floss. She simply wrapped the cake in a handkerchief and threw it into Jiang Hengyun's arms. "How is that possible? This is specially made for you and your elder brother. Even I am enjoying this delicious food because of you. This thing is so troublesome. If I want to make a new product to sell, I have to find a professional to help make the meat floss."
At this point, Si Li paused, and suddenly understood where the sourness in Jiang Shizhi's tone came from. She coughed twice, "Is your arm tired? I'll get a towel soaked in hot water and apply it to you."
Hearing that this snack was specially made for him, Jiang Hengyun relaxed his brows and did not stop Si Li from busying around. He held the snack that he had only eaten half of in his palm, took another half bite, and tasted its full sweetness.
There is always hot water in the kitchen behind the house. Because of Si Li's "particularity", even warm water is used to wash dishes in winter, and Jiang Shizhi's hot towel for hand application is naturally indispensable.
When Si Li came back with a small basin of hot water and a cloth, she saw Jiang Shizhi sitting in front of the chessboard with his sleeves rolled up over his elbows, looking too obedient, as if he was eagerly waiting to be fed. However, Si Li noticed that her oily handkerchief was missing, and when she opened the layer of sauce in the food box, a whole row of pork floss with sugar added to it was missing.
No, what's so good about stealing a handkerchief made of coarse cloth that costs five cents a piece?
Si Li held back the question that was about to come out of her mouth. Since there was no personal mark on the handkerchief anyway, she didn't bother to ask Jiang Shizhi for it. She soaked the handkerchief calmly and said, "Master, come here, I will help you apply the hand massage."
She teased him intentionally. As soon as the handkerchief touched the young man's strong arm, Jiang Shizhi pulled his hand away as if he had received an electric shock, "I can do it myself."
The young man's forearms have tight muscles and smooth lines. They are white but still have a sense of strength. From the elbows down to the bamboo-like knuckles, everything seems to have been favored by the gods, and they are too beautiful.
It is said that the Prince of Yue is good at painting. Si Li has known him for more than a month, and he has only seen him paint once. The rest of the time, he is either eating or playing chess, and chatting. I don't know how he has consolidated his painting skills.
The sleeves of the man opposite her were rolled up, which made her look untidy. In order to avoid making Jiang Shizhi embarrassed, Si Li absentmindedly stared at her reflection in the water. When Jiang Shizhi turned around, she suddenly saw a dark mark on his arm, which completely ruined the jade-carved beauty of the entire arm.
"This is..." Si Li turned around suddenly, and the scar on her arm became more conspicuous. It was obviously quite old, and the scars around it were lighter in color. The entire scar ran across the inside of Jiang Shizhi's left arm, almost cutting the forearm into two sections. The criss-crossing marks fully explained how bloody the scene was at that time. Just by looking at it, Si Li felt his arm starting to hurt.
With such a sharp cut on the inside of the arm, Si Li didn't believe it was an accidental cut. She had watched several movies before, where actors had scars left when they raised their hands to block an attack at the critical moment of life and death, and the location was exactly the same as Jiang Shizhi's.
Jiang Hengyun didn't expect her to turn around. His expression paused for a moment. He quickly wiped the water marks on his arms, put down his sleeves, and said calmly, "Did I scare you?"
A royal child who is famous for his painting skills has such a cruel scar on his body. Si Li didn't dare to think about what he had been through. He shook his head and said, "This scar saved your life. This transaction is worth it."
Jiang Hengyun lowered his eyes to look at the scar that had been blocked. After returning to the court to mourn the death of the king that year, he re-organized his troops to conquer the Di Luo in the northwest. When he broke into the king's tent, he vented his anger and went deep into the enemy's territory alone. He was chopped down by the Di Luo Chanyu. That moment was a matter of life and death. If he had not sacrificed his left arm in time to block it and exchanged his arm for the life of Di Luo Chanyu, he would probably be a lonely soul somewhere now.
He stared at Si Li. The girl's eyes showed worry and relief, but not a bit of fear or hatred, which was different from the girls in Beijing who pursued beauty. He knew that Si Li also liked good-looking people, but she could accept his scars. After returning from the battlefield, he had heard too many regrets from eunuchs and doctors, but he didn't expect to hear the evaluation of "not being unworthy" at this time and place.
"You're right." Jiang Hengyun smiled. "I have a scar, and the Dilo people in the northwest have a head. I made a profit from this deal."
"Wow, is it left on the battlefield?" Although Si Li was born in a peaceful environment, under Xiao Qi's repeated nostalgia for the northwest, he also had no good feelings towards the invaders, the Di Luo people, who burned and plundered every year. "Protecting the country, I didn't expect that Shi Zhi looked like a scholar, but was actually a hero."
Jiang Hengyun was in a trance for a moment. This was the second time he heard Si Li's words about a "hero who defends his country". For some reason, this time, hearing her praise of "himself" in person was much more pleasing to the ear than before.
He lowered his eyes to look at Si Li, who met his gaze. They both stopped all movement for a moment, even the sound of the wind was silent for a moment. Si Li heard someone's heartbeat, thumping.
"Boss, one portion of sweet potato shreds and one scorpion hotpot!"
The quiet and ambiguous atmosphere was broken by the waiter who lifted the curtain. Si Liyang responded loudly, rubbed his ears that were a little hot, quickly removed two layers of the food box, divided the other two parts and reinstalled them on the handle of the food box, and handed them all to Jiang Shizhi, and carefully reminded him, "I have to go and get busy. I see Ah Fei has left. Are you leaving soon? The box on the left is for you and the princess, and the one on the right is for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Don't get them mixed up. If His Royal Highness asks, please thank him for his compliment on my behalf."
"...Okay." Si Li ran away right after she finished speaking, and missed Jiang Hengyun's answer. He was going to stay for a while longer, but she urged him to leave early with his lunch box.
Hulu, who was guarding the other side of the courtyard wall, was listening to the noise next door when he saw his master coming over with a food box in each hand. He hurriedly stepped forward to take it, but Jiang Hengyun raised his hand to avoid him, "You continue to watch, and don't miss anything at tomorrow's flower party."
Jiang Hengyun entered the Qiyun Building. The two food boxes on the left and right were indeed of different weights as Si Li had said. He put down the box that belonged to "him" as he had been told, and opened the other box without changing his expression.
The crowded pastries in the food box exuded an enticing aroma and looked no different from what he had eaten before. Jiang Hengyun looked at them for a moment, then opened "his" box. After comparing the two, he confirmed that they looked exactly the same and Si Li did not favor one over the other.
Reassured, Jiang Hengyun picked up a pastry from the box that was so soft that it could hardly bear the force and put it into his mouth, waiting for the sweet taste to bloom. However, his expression froze when he tasted the sauce.
The sweetness of this pastry is obviously only half of the previous one, and the umami taste is more obvious. It seems that acacia honey is added inside, which is clear, sweet and fragrant, not greasy at all. The taste of sweet sauce is not overwhelming, and it is harmonious with the meat floss and soft glutinous cake. It is a very qualified tea snack.
If the previous piece was a magnificent palace, this piece is a mountain cottage with its own flowers. Although almost the same ingredients are used, the taste gives people completely different feelings.
Jiang Hengyun's face darkened. He had clearly said that the prince had the same taste as "him", but Si Li didn't listen. Who did she think he was? Would he play tricks on her behind her back?
This rising unhappiness continued until the next morning. When Jiang Hengyun saw Si Li's red eyes, he knew she was still tired. In the past, he would have urged Si Li to go back to sleep, but today he opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "The banquet will be held after noon. Ah Fei will not show up at the flower viewing banquet. You haven't been socializing for many years. Now that you have become famous, you don't have to be nervous if you don't see your acquaintances. Just chat with them. Everyone in the Yuewang Mansion has been reminded that they won't make things difficult for you."
He looked at the small pot on the wall and added casually, "They are all very kind."
Si Li looked at him with amusement. They, who are they? Not everyone is like the Si Mansion, where the Lady Si is supporting the evil servants. Such a flower banquet represents the reputation of the Yue Palace to a certain extent. Could it be that someone is so bold as to make trouble?
"I've opened such a big store, and you still don't trust me?" Si Li covered her mouth and yawned slightly. "You are one of the protagonists today, so I don't expect to bother you. Just remember to arrange a maid to lead me to tell you the story of your family's green plum."
Jiang Shizhi came early and left quickly. After Si Li finished supervising the morning business and chose her dress for the lunch party, she remembered that she had not asked him whether the snacks from yesterday had been delivered.
Fortunately, she had calculated the time yesterday to make the best use of it. She started making it in the afternoon, and when it was finished in the evening, she could take out the pork floss fritters that were refrigerated in the well next door before going to the flower show. Even if Jiang Shizhi didn't send snacks, she would have time to remind him to send them to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince when they met today.
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The author has something to say:
The salad dressing in the pork floss buns is delicious, but if you put too much, it will be greasy, which is very annoying. In fact, the difference between Master Bao and other restaurants is the ratio of ingredients. There are also salted egg yolk flavors and strawberry flavors, you can try them. It is really too troublesome to make it yourself, so I choose to buy it online (?