Chapter 39 Discussing Cooperation: Great Song Dynasty Rice Cakes
The area in front of Xingguo Temple was packed with pilgrims buying New Year's goods, a sea of heads. Stalls selling talismans, dried fruits, and bamboo lanterns were so crowded you couldn't squeeze through. Long lines of stalls selling New Year's goods stretched out, bamboo baskets piled high with peanuts, roasted melon seeds, candied chestnuts, and various kinds of dried fruits; young peddlers stood on benches, their necks adorned with lanterns of various colors, holding silk lanterns in their hands, shouting at the top of their lungs: "Newly made lanterns, windproof and bright!"
The last note lingered long and bright, carried away by the mountain wind, and dissipated after passing the three main halls. Wupan placed the fishing rod made of reeds on the tattered futon, cradled his chubby cheeks, and stared blankly at the withered lotus stems leaning to the side in the release pond. His senior brothers, Fajun and Faming, had also gone to Guizhou by boat a while ago.
Nobody plays with him anymore.
A bubble rose in the pond, and Wupan hurriedly lifted the rod, but the fishing line got caught on a withered lotus stem. When he pulled it up, he found only a few rotten, fishy-smelling water plants.
"How boring..." Wupan sat down again, picked up a few pebbles, and listlessly threw them onto the water. He wondered if his senior brothers had enough mugwort. He had even dried a basketful of dried tangerine peel earlier, but he had forgotten to put it in their medicine boxes.
"You good-for-nothing! The people in front are so busy they're about to hang themselves! I told you to go outside and distribute incense to the believers, and you're slacking off here!" A voice like a broken gong suddenly came from behind, startling Wupan so much that he flung his fishing rod into the pond. Xuanchen turned around angrily from the doorway, his thick eyebrows furrowed, his eyes dark, and his high cheekbones paired with his long chin giving him a naturally angry and bitter look.
Wupan shrank back upon seeing him: "Master..."
"I told you not to be lazy! Did you clean the Buddha statue? Did you send the bill?" With each question Xuan Chen asked, Wu Pan shook his little bald head, which made Xuan Chen so angry that he slapped him on the round forehead: "You're really something, you haven't done anything, what are you doing hiding here all by yourself?"
Wupan lowered his head pitifully.
Seeing his expression, Xuan Chen guessed the reason. He grabbed Wupan by the back of the neck and pulled him up like a chick, vigorously patting his dirty monk's robe. His thick eyebrows were still furrowed, but the corners of his mouth drooped slightly as he stiffly comforted him, "Fajun and the others are much stronger than you. They'll be fine. They'll come back after the New Year, so you don't need to worry about them! Come on, let's go back!"
Just as the master and disciple were about to turn back, hurried footsteps came from the west corridor: "Junior Brother Wupan! Junior Brother Wupan!" Zhiyuan, who was doing odd jobs, was still carrying a broom. He greeted Xuanchen while panting and said, "There is a female benefactor in front of the mountain gate. She said she came specifically to ask you to pay back the interest! I told her to hand her over to the master on duty in the Longevity Treasury, but she insisted on looking for you."
Wupan paused for a moment, then immediately remembered who it was, his eyes lighting up: "It's Miss Yao!"
What a sin! Lady Yao had been hoping he would help her relay a message to their master, but when the matter of sending her fellow disciples south came up, he completely forgot about it!
Xuan Chen frowned and asked, "Who is it?"
Since he was indebted to her, Wupan seized the opportunity to enthusiastically recommend Yao Xiaoniangzi: "Master, she is the granddaughter of that Dr. Yao from the Imperial Academy. She pays off her debts very readily! Last time I went there, the spicy chips I brought back were made by her. What did you think of the taste, Master? Senior Brother Fajun said they were extremely delicious."
Xuan Chen snorted and flicked his sleeve: "What could be unpalatable in Fa Jun's mouth? He says water is sweet and even the wind is filling. Don't try to fool your master."
Wupan chuckled and tugged at Xuanchen's sleeve: "Master, since you have some free time, why don't you accompany me to see that Miss Yao? Judging from what she said earlier, besides paying off her debts, she also has something she wants to ask of you, Master."
"Who said I have time? I'm busy, I can't see you."
Xuan Chen quickly understood Yao's intentions. Countless people came to Xingguo Temple with similar plans; how could he possibly meet them all? The Longevity Treasury managed the temple's finances and expenditures, making it the temple's most important financial repository. As the abbot, Xuan Chen was the third most powerful person in Xingguo Temple after the abbot and head monk, handling countless sums of money daily. Why would he bother with such a small matter?
"Master, please meet her. Miss Yao may have brought spicy snacks again!" Wupanguang's mouth watered at the thought, and he shook Xuanchen's arm, pleading, "Disciple is hungry and wants to eat."
"Are you hungry? I watched you eat five tofu and silver thread buns at breakfast!" Xuan Chen raised his hand to slap him again, but saw Wu Bian staring at him with his beady green eyes, pleading with him pitifully. Xuan Chen stared at him for a long time, but finally couldn't resist and gritted his teeth, saying, "See, see, see! Okay, okay!"
Wupan cheered, "Master is the best!"
With his mind filled with spicy snacks, he grabbed Xuan Chen, who was scolding him, and ran outside.
***
The Longevity Storehouse of Xingguo Temple is located in the west courtyard. It has green tiles and white walls, and two old ginkgo trees in front of the gate. The trunks are covered with red silk and bells, which jingle when the wind blows, creating a Zen-like atmosphere.
In the side room where guests were being received, Yao Ruyi, having just been introduced, sat upright and dignified.
Feeling uncomfortable with his status, Three-Inch Nail refused to go inside and waited in the corridor. Yao Ruyi placed the snack box on the table, clutching a strip of cloth dog leash in one hand, the other end of which was tightly holding Big Yellow.
This time she learned her lesson and took Big Yellow with her when she went out.
But for some reason, Da Huang refused to sit down ever since it went out. Its tail was held high, and it restlessly observed its surroundings. Whenever someone passed by, it would bark wildly. Even the innocent cats that passed by on the wall of Xingguo Temple would be barked at by it.
"Dahuang, can you be a little more discreet in someone else's territory?" Yao Ruyi coaxed softly. She tried to pinch the dog's mouth several times, but it shook her head off each time. Fortunately, she had prepared some dried crabapple fruit that it liked.
I had considered bringing the dried field mouse meat I'd been saving at home, but then I thought better of it. Since we were going to a Buddhist sanctuary, it would be more appropriate to bring dried fruit. I didn't want to offend the monks.
Speaking of dried field mice, Yao Ruyi felt depressed.
Because Uncle Yu often went to the flower, bird, insect and fish shop on Ma Xing Street to buy bird food, which seemed to be a street full of pets and livestock, Yao Ruyi asked him to go to the cat and dog shop to see if he could bring back some dog snacks. And he actually did!
Then he bought Yao Ruyi a large bag of dried field mice and dried quail.
Dried quail was one thing, but dried field mice were made by plucking the fur off a whole fat mouse, drying it, and leaving it still in the shape of a mouse. Even Yao Ruyi, who could catch mice with his bare hands, was afraid of them.
However, in her previous life, there was a teacher from Fujian at the school where she and her grandmother ran a small shop. She often came to the shop to buy things and was very familiar with her grandmother. One year, when she went back to her hometown to visit relatives, she gave her grandmother a package of "Eight Kinds of Dried Foods", which included dried tofu, dried sweet potato, dried radish, dried vegetables, dried bamboo shoots, pig gall bladder and liver, dried pork... and dried field mouse.
At the time, Yao Ruyi was unaware of the truth. Her grandmother jokingly lied to her, saying it was beef jerky, which was delicious. She actually ate it. When she learned the truth, she burst into tears.
The dried field mice that Uncle Yu brought back were more visually appealing than those she had seen in her previous life. She quickly asked Uncle Cong to chop them into small pieces so that their original form was no longer visible. Only then would she dare to feed them to the dogs on ordinary days.
There was no way around it; the purchase was already made, so I couldn't return it, and I couldn't waste it either—that bag of things cost over thirty coins.
Although it was a bit scary, the cats and dogs in the house loved the jerky, eating it one bite at a time, crunchy and delicious. However, eating too much of it caused internal heat; after two days, the dog's eyes started to get more discharge. So Yao Ruyi roasted some dried apples for them to eat with it.
Dogs love dried fruit too; as soon as she took it out, Da Huang modestly shut up.
After eating just one piece, Yao Ruyi thought that Dahuang would calm down a bit, but unexpectedly, the footsteps outside got closer, and it strained its throat and barked even louder than before!
Yao Ruyi was so embarrassed that she quickly stuffed another piece into her mouth.
Big Yellow lowered its head contentedly and chewed heartily.
Yao Ruyi looked at its fierce-looking head and suddenly realized something was wrong. She always gave Da Huang food when it barked. Had she misled it into thinking that it could get a "reward" for food every time it barked?
It's like throwing meat buns to a dog; the more you feed them, the more enthusiastic they become.
Just as I was feeling annoyed, the curtain rustled.
Wupan peeked in first, and upon seeing Yao Ruyi, he smiled and said, "It really is Miss Yao!"
Then he lifted the curtain and stepped aside, inviting in a tall, thin old monk. The old monk had dark circles under his eyes, high cheekbones, and a slender build, but possessed an inherent air of authority; just as Wupan had said, he looked like he had a bad temper. But at least he was here, so there was an opportunity!
Yao Ruyi encouraged herself and quickly stood up, put her hands together in a gesture of respect, and said, "Greetings, Abbot Master."
“No need for such formalities, benefactor. This humble monk is also grateful that you have come to repay your debt.” Xuan Chen returned the greeting with a raised palm, then cupped his hands and invited him to sit down. “Please sit down, benefactor.” As he spoke, he called out to the monks passing by outside the door, “Fa Xiu, go and brew a pot of fresh tea to serve our guest.”
"Yes, Master," the man replied, and hurriedly went to prepare tea.
Xuan Chen sat down on the futon opposite Yao Ruyi and said calmly, "I heard from Wu Pan that you have something to discuss with me?"
Yao Ruyi glanced at Wupan, who had already slipped behind Xuan Chen and was standing there pretending to be serious. When he met her gaze, he winked cleverly but remained silent.
“Indeed, I’ve made some new pastries and would like to invite the abbot to try them first.” Yao Ruyi said, tying the dog leash to the copper door knocker, washing her hands with the stone bowl by the door, before opening the pastry box on the table.
The bottom of the box was lined with two layers of parchment paper, and two kinds of off-white pastries were neatly arranged on top, one round and one oval, with the edges of the pastries slightly charred and emitting the aroma of rice.
She handed the items to Xuanchen and Wupan, explaining her purpose: "To be honest, I run a small general store in an alley near the Imperial College, selling all kinds of daily necessities. But I run it all by myself, and it's not enough. I have a few vegetarian recipes that I've never seen before, and they're unique to this place. It would be a shame to just keep them, so I'm asking Master Wupan to help me find them..."
Yao Ruyi glanced at Xuan Chen and Wu Pan. Wu Pan, needless to say, was eating with his eyes wide open. If his master hadn't been there, he probably would have rushed over to praise Yao Ruyi to the skies.
Xuan Chen was slowly savoring an oval rice cake, his face revealing nothing.
"I've heard that your temple owns numerous pastry workshops and vegetarian food shops throughout the capital. I'd like to supply my vegetarian pastry recipes to the temple's workshops for production. I'll only take 20% of the profits and have the right to purchase goods at a minimum price. In this way, the temple's shops can attract more worshippers and increase their income with the new pastries; my shop can also supply them. We can both operate independently and make our own profits. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
After Yao Ruyi finished speaking, Wupan turned to look at his master. Although he didn't say anything, his eyes were very eager, as if to say, "This stuff is so delicious, Master! Please agree!"
She composed herself and continued, "Today I only brought two vegetarian snacks, both made from baked rice cakes. But besides these two, I have four or five other recipes, though I haven't made any samples. Such as taro chips, spicy gluten strips, rice crusts, cat's ear noodles, and crispy corners..."
Wupan couldn't resist listening. These were all snacks that sounded delicious just from their names. Although he didn't know what many of them were, his mouth was watering just listening to them, and he could hardly swallow them.
With a rice cake still in his mouth, he opened his mouth to plead, spewing out crumbs: "Master!"
Xuan Chen wiped his face, giving his disciple a helpless glare. He had also eaten the rice cakes, and his palate was still sharp enough to tell how good they were. He had never seen them anywhere else; they were definitely high-quality. He had just been putting on airs, pretending not to care, in order to try and negotiate a lower price.
Who knew that this silly child would reveal his true colors so easily!
How can we negotiate now? This young lady Yao doesn't contribute any money, materials, or labor; she just wants 20% profit based on a few recipes. She really treats Xingguo Temple like a temple of wealth! Although we know there's money to be made from these snacks, we still have to hold back.
Just then, the disciple who was preparing the tea brought it over. Xuanchen coughed lightly, clapped his hands, and pondered, "This humble monk understands what the female benefactor means. Although the vegetarian cakes are good, the temple needs to raise funds for the raw materials, labor, and money for this outsourcing. Although we are willing to cooperate, we dare not agree hastily. We still need to carefully consider the matter."
The implication was that he was afraid of losing money. Yao Ruyi then continued to persuade him gently: "Abbot, please rest assured, I will write down the ingredients and methods in the recipe clearly. These pastries are all vegetarian, so they can be used in the temple for religious ceremonies and offerings to Buddha, and believers can eat them with peace of mind. Although there are many pastries in Bianjing, there are few such fresh vegetarian pastries. Even non-believers will be willing to buy and eat delicious things, so there is no need to worry about sales."
Her confidence stemmed from the fact that these snacks had withstood the test of countless discerning palates throughout the ages. The fact that they remained popular even in an era of abundant resources and food was proof enough of just how delicious they were.
Xuan Chen smiled slightly. The rice cakes were indeed delicious, but he wasn't entirely convinced by Yao Ruyi's words. After all, he didn't know the actual cost of the rice cakes, and whether they really had such a large market was unsubstantiated. Although he was a monk, he had always run the temple's secular business and was always meticulous about every penny. So he simply suggested, "How about this, tomorrow I'll summon the manager of the pastry workshop, and we'll calculate the costs and profits in detail. Since it's a collaboration, the temple naturally won't take advantage of you, female benefactor. Everything will be done according to market rules. What do you think?"
When it comes to details, this is where things begin! Yao Ruyi quickly replied, "It's all up to the abbot to decide." She then pointed to the remaining rice cakes in the food box, "Please keep this box of snacks so that the other monks in the temple can also have a taste."
Xuan Chen nodded and asked the little monk to fetch some small gourds engraved with auspicious and peaceful patterns as a gift. She also instructed Wu Pan to see her out.
Yao Ruyi led the dog, woke up Sancunding who was dozing while hugging a pillar, and followed Wupan, who had stuffed two rice cakes into his mouth before leaving. The group headed out of the mountain gate.
Wupan ate it so thoroughly that he picked up every crumb and licked his fingers clean before letting out a satisfied sigh: "Young Lady Yao, to be honest, this is truly the best vegetarian cake I have ever eaten."
These rice cakes, oval-shaped, are thinly coated with a pale yellow powder. You have to handle them gently, or they'll crumble easily. The first bite is crisp; the fine rice is roasted to a crunchy perfection. It's not just about the aroma of rice; it's also sweet and savory, with even a hint of umami. As you chew, the rice cake softens, moistened by saliva, the sweet and savory flavors mingling, the crispness enhanced by the rice's fragrance. The best part is the layer of powder left on your fingers after eating; you don't want to wipe it off, so you lick each finger clean.
All the fried pastries, sugar-coated cakes, and steamed buns he had eaten before were utterly insignificant compared to Yao Xiaoniangzi's rice cakes today! From now on, Yao's rice cakes will be his favorite vegetarian cakes!
Seeing his expression, Yao Ru smiled, her eyes crinkling.
Rice crackers are truly a magical snack enjoyed by people of all ages. When I was little, I always longed for the loose rice crackers sold at the corner store, and I would buy a few packs every few days to satisfy my craving. Now that I'm an adult, I don't usually think about buying them, but if I see them in the supermarket during the Lunar New Year, I will definitely buy them to take home as a snack.
Yao Ruyi spent several days figuring out how to make the "Song Dynasty version of senbei" before she finally succeeded. She knew roughly what it was made of, but not the exact proportions, so she encountered all sorts of problems. She and Uncle Cong tried many times, wasting a lot of rice, which made her heart ache, before she finally succeeded.
The first step is to grind the rice and glutinous rice into a fine powder using a stone mill in a 7:3 ratio, sift it, add warm water and knead it into a smooth dough, press it into thin cakes using a wooden mold, trim the edges, steam them until half-cooked, remove them and let them cool on a bamboo sieve to remove surface moisture. Then preheat the ceramic oven and bake the rice cakes until the surface is slightly puffed up and the edges are slightly golden.
While the flatbread is baking, prepare a sweet and savory sauce: dilute soybean paste and mushroom paste with a little water, add salt, roasted sesame seeds, roasted rice flour and honey, brush a layer on the baked flatbread, and then bake it in the oven for a short while.
Snow crackers are made entirely with japonica rice, without any glutinous rice, making them crispier.
After grinding the glutinous rice into powder, add a little lotus seed powder (with the core removed), mix with cold water to make a thin paste. The paste should be softer than rice cracker dough, similar to pancake batter. Pour it into a griddle and spread it into a very thin round sheet. Cook over low heat until half-cooked, then remove it from the griddle. Pour vegetable oil into a wok, heat the oil slightly, and fry the rice until golden brown and bubbly. Remove and drain the oil.
In a separate pot, cook the sugar syrup. While it's still hot, pour it into the fried rice cakes and quickly toss them to coat them evenly with the syrup. Then pour it into a bamboo sieve and sift in the stir-fried fine rice flour. This layer of rice flour absorbs excess syrup, creating the "snow" layer on the surface of the rice cakes. Shake the sieve again, and you'll have rice cakes covered in "snow."
While the resulting rice crackers and snow crackers lacked the fluffiness of later versions made with leavening agents, they gained a thinner and crispier texture. In essence, they were a type of rice cracker with a flavor similar to rice crackers and snow crackers.
But calling it rice cake all the time makes it a little less unique.
Yao Ruyi pondered that the snow cake could still be called snow cake, after all, it was a fitting name, as it was indeed as white as snowflakes, but the name "senbei" actually came from Japanese, meaning Japanese rice cake... so she thought of changing the name.
After pondering for several days, Yao Ruyi made her decision.
The "Song Dynasty Rice Crackers" she made should probably be called "Pine and Snow Crisps" instead!
Crispy and crunchy like pine needles, it perfectly reflects the Song Dynasty's literati taste in naming food, which combined "refined words with colloquial meaning." After all, the Song Dynasty people always imbued food with a romantic and poetic sensibility, a time when rice noodles could be named "Silver Light Rope" and hot pot could be called "Bo Xia Gong."
After arranging a time with Wupan at the mountain gate for her to come over the next day for a detailed discussion, Yao Ruyi happily took a cart home with a bunch of small gourds in her arms.
If the negotiations go smoothly tomorrow, the contract can be finalized before the new year, and the convenience store will be able to keep stocking these snacks when school starts after the holidays. Besides that, she'll also get a bonus!
Yao Ruyi felt overjoyed sitting in the car, and even the freezing weather didn't feel cold. She would hug Dahuang's head for a while, and shake its paws, humming and singing songs that no one could understand.
Three-Inch Nail, wearing a thick, new blue cotton coat embroidered with "Yaoji Grocery Store" on the back, sat outside the carriage shaft driving the vehicle. He could faintly hear his wife singing something like "la lu la lu la, la lu la la lu" from inside the carriage curtain. Occasionally, Big Yellow would let out a low, dissatisfied growl.
Spicy braised dishes with braising sauce? What kind of braising sauce is that? Is it tasty?
The three-inch nail tilted its head.
When the car reached the alley entrance, Yao Ruyi jumped off and led Da Huang out of the car. Sancunding went to Maxing Street to return the car. Once they reached the alley, Da Huang's restlessness lessened considerably, and it stopped barking. Yao Ruyi loosened the rope around Da Huang's neck and led it inside.
She had only taken two steps when she noticed a large crowd gathered in front of the Yu family's house, with several carriages parked in the alley, and everyone holding knives, spears, and clubs. Yao Ruyi was startled, thinking something had happened to the Yu family. Upon closer inspection, she saw that Aunt Yu and Uncle Yu were also standing in the crowd, holding knives.
Seeing her return, Aunt Yu's fierce anger had not yet faded. She called out to her from afar, "Ruyi, you're finally back. Aunt has something to entrust to you."
Yao Ruyi rushed over and asked what was wrong, only to learn that Aunt Yu's daughter, who had married into a family in Luoyang, had sent a letter. The letter was filled with heartbreaking pleas for her parents to come and take her home: "My mother-in-law is harsh, my husband is heartless, and this foreign land is nothing like my hometown. I beg my parents to have mercy and save their daughter from this misery..."
After receiving the letter, Aunt Yu only read it once before she was furious. She immediately ordered Yu Shouzhen to call back her youngest son, Yu Erlang, who was working at the Dali Temple. She then rushed back to her parents' home and invited her uncles and aunts. With horses and men leading the way, they all grabbed their weapons and prepared to rush to Luoyang to snatch their daughter back.
At this moment, Yao Ruyi noticed two tall young men in the crowd. One wore a turban, a blue robe with a square collar, a knife at his waist, and black leather boots. He resembled Aunt Yu somewhat, with a round, robust face and an angry expression. The other was younger, with bright, clear eyes and a handsome appearance. He wore a scholar's cap and a moon-white, wide-sleeved long robe, the usual attire for lawyers at this time.
Aunt Yu was very thoughtful; she not only invited elders and relatives, but also brought her son, who held an official position, to help her out, and even hired a lawyer!
This demonstrates her determination to bring her daughter back from her husband's family, regardless of whether she chooses legal, personal, power-based, or physical means.
Because Yu Erlang was wearing official robes and the two were standing very close, she glanced at them again. At this moment, Aunt Yu had already tucked the kitchen knife into her waistband, grabbed Ruyi's hand, and said in a deep voice, "Ruyi, your Uncle Yu and I will be gone for at least ten days to half a month. Please take care of the birds and flowers at home for a while. Here are the house keys. I will definitely repay you handsomely when I bring Jiuwan back!"
Even Yu Shouzhen, who usually cherishes birds, did not hesitate for a moment. With a serious face, he took the little parrot from his shoulder and placed it in Yao Ruyi's palm: "It is the most affectionate of birds and does not want to live in a cage, so I entrust it to you."
Yao Ruyi hurriedly held the colorful little bird in her hands.
Yu Erlang seemed to share the same temper as his aunt, gritting his teeth and cursing, "That son of a bitch dared to humiliate my sister! I'll chop off his three legs and feed them to the dogs!" After cursing fiercely for a while, he regained some of his composure and whispered to the tall young man beside him, "Chen Chuan, you know the law best and are very eloquent. Pull me along, and make sure I can beat him half to death without giving his family any leverage to sue my family..."
Yao Ruyi's ears twitched, and she turned her head to look at the person in surprise.
Chen Chuan.
She actually met the younger brother of the heroine Shen Niangzi in the book.
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Thank you, everyone! I was on TV! [Sunglasses]
Happy Mother's Day!!
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