"You've come at the right time. Have you finished shoveling the river sand I asked you to last time?"
"I've been keeping it."
"Find it, I need it."
As Geng Youran gave instructions, her hands never stopped rinsing the glutinous rice. After rinsing the glutinous rice clean, she covered it with a lid to keep it warm.
Then they started making the sugar syrup.
Pour sugar and water into a pot and boil them. Remove impurities from the sugar during the boiling process, and then filter it through a cotton cloth while it is still hot.
The syrup is then cooked until it crystallizes. Sesame oil is added and the syrup is cooked until the oil and sugar are fully mixed. Then it is removed from the heat and cooled.
"Xiao Anzi, pick out the dregs from these peach kernels, then soak them in boiling water."
"Yes, sir."
After Qianxue brought the river sand she had prepared in advance, she poured it into the pot. Then Geng Youran also poured in the washed glutinous rice and used the river sand to stir-fry the rice.
After the glutinous rice is cooked, filter out the river sand.
Before this, Geng Youran had deliberately placed a small piece of the syrup into the well to speed up the cooling process. After instructing someone to retrieve the syrup, it had almost solidified.
Then Geng Youran asked Xiao Anzi to grind the solidified syrup into powdered sugar and the cooked glutinous rice into rice flour, and then sift them.
Originally, the rice flour needed to be fermented, but because there wasn't enough time, Geng Youran could only barely mix the rice flour and sugar together, add a little water to mix evenly, and then press it into a wooden mold.
After compacting, sprinkle the peach kernels and other ingredients on top, then spread another layer of rice flour and compact it again.
To prevent the peach cake from falling apart, Geng Youran specially called two people to pound and press the cake dough in the mold tightly, and then thoroughly pound it with a wooden mallet.
Place the cake dough in a pot of hot water to absorb the steam and stew it, then let it sit and wait for it to regain its moisture.
Once the cake dough has completely cooled, remove it from the mold and slice it into thin pieces.
In addition to glutinous rice flour, Geng Youran also added an appropriate amount of japonica rice flour to the mulberry cake.
Fresh mulberries are washed, stems removed, and then crushed.
Mix glutinous rice flour and japonica rice flour evenly in a certain ratio.
Add an appropriate amount of water and stir into a paste. Add the prepared mulberry juice or crushed mulberries to the powder paste.
Add an appropriate amount of sugar and stir well to fully combine the mulberries and powder.
Pour the mixed mulberry cake paste into the mold and smooth the surface.
Place the mold in a steamer and steam over high heat until cooked.
Remove the steamed mulberry cake from the mold and let it cool naturally in a ventilated place.
The last thing Geng Youran had to do was make 'Angelica and Peony Cake'.
Compared to the previous two desserts, this one is relatively simple.
The necessary ingredients, such as Angelica sinensis and Atractylodes macrocephala, are readily available. Wash and slice the Angelica sinensis, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Alisma plantago-aquatica, add an appropriate amount of water, and simmer for half an hour.
Peony and Poria cocos are washed, ground, and then crushed.
Add flour to the ground peony powder and poria powder, and mix well.
Then, add the decocted medicinal liquid to the flour mixture and stir to form a dough.
Shape the dough into cakes and place them in a steaming tray. Top each cake with a date, then place the tray in a steamer and steam until cooked.
Geng Youran spent about an hour preparing the three pastries.
After everything was ready, Geng Youran and Qianxue carried the snacks back to the main room:
"Gentlemen, please try them and see if they suit your taste. It's almost June now, so the peaches and mulberries are all fresh, and these peonies were picked just a few days ago. They're all very fresh."
Because she didn't know whether Yinzhen and Yinxiang liked it or not, Geng Youran didn't make much.
Yinzhen tasted a piece of 'peach cake', and found it sweet but not cloying, and the taste was indeed quite good.
Yinxiang, on the other hand, tried all three kinds of pastries one by one.
"Gege Geng, how did you come up with all these things?"
Geng Youran smiled:
"Your Highness is too kind. It's not what I was thinking. These things are mostly in books. I just like to try making them myself. If you enjoy the food, I'll make some more for you to take back."
At this moment, Yinzhen spoke up from the side:
"It just so happens that Master and Thirteenth Brother have some important matters to discuss. After you finish making it this afternoon, have someone deliver it to the study."
"yes."
After Yinzhen and Yinxiang left, Geng Youran sat down.
"These two gentlemen really know how to give me something to do. Qianxue, make lunch first, and we'll talk after we eat."
Qianxue looked at her master, who was sitting so improperly, with amusement, and shook her head helplessly.
"Yes, Princess."
In the afternoon, Yinxiang returned home laden with spoils.
After that, nothing major happened in the manor. Of course, except for the incident where Nian Yunrong hit a princess in the back garden.
"Consort Nian, tell me, did you slap Princess Bai's face?"
"So what if she is? She spoke rudely; do I not even have the right to discipline a princess?"
The princess said solemnly:
"This is Prince Yong's residence, not your private garden. She spoke rudely; you should have informed me first and let me handle it. She's a woman, and you actually had someone slap her in the face. What were your intentions?"
Ulanara then changed the subject, clearly implying that Nian Yunrong was abusing her power, deliberately trying to embarrass Bai Gege by using her position as a concubine.
"you!"
Nian Yunrong was speechless, because Ulanara was indeed mostly right.
This White Princess entered the mansion some time ago, and had been keeping a low profile.
For some reason, she caught the prince's eye last month, and he visited her courtyard more often, sending her gifts three times.
As the month drew to a close, Yinzhen had not stayed overnight in Nian Yunrong's courtyard even once, and had only eaten lunch there twice. The rest of the time, apart from Geng Youran, it was this Bai Gege who served the prince the most.
Of course, some of the others present also harbored resentment towards Bai Gege.
Just as the two were arguing, Li Jingshu spoke up.
“Your Highness, Nian’s sister was just angry for a moment, so please don’t blame her. I’ve asked the other servants present, and that Bai Shi, relying on the Prince’s favor, did say some unpleasant things. It’s only natural that Nian’s sister is angry.”
Having said all that, there was no point in Ulanara arguing any further.
"In that case, let that Princess Bai learn some manners properly. Granny Qian!"
"This servant is here."
"From today onwards, you will be in charge of teaching Princess Bai the rules of our household. You may return when you have taught her well."
"yes."
After everyone dispersed, Niohuru Wanru followed Geng Youran back to the courtyard.
"Wanru, what's the background of this Bai Gege? I've never seen her before."
Wanru drank several sips of tea before regaining her composure and answering Geng Youran's question:
"Speaking of which, Princess Bai's life was quite miserable. She wasn't chosen through a selection process, nor was she bestowed upon him. Instead, she was sent by an official when the prince was on an inspection tour of the region. Her family was actually a scholarly family, and a member of her family had even passed the imperial examination. But by the time of her father's generation, they had nothing to do all day, so they asked someone to send her to the local prefect, who then sent her to the prince."
How do you even know all this?
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