Free gift of old yeast
Chapter 37: Free Gift of Old Yeast
When Chu Huaibei delivered a recipe to the deputy general, he also gave one to Xue Zhan. He had seen that Xue Zhan also loved the dishes at the palace, so he thought he shouldn't favor one over the other. The Xue family had been loyal to the Chu family for generations, starting with the first Zhenbei King. It was said that it was the Zhenbei King who saved General Xue, which led to the establishment of the Xue family.
The Xue family was not a prominent family in the northern border. The first head of the Xue family was from a farming family and was promoted to the personal guard of the King of Zhenbei due to his military merits. It was only after several generations that the family was gradually built up and the Xue family was able to barely gain a foothold among the last aristocratic families.
That day, Xue Zhan stood in Chu Huaibei's tent, hesitating for a long time without saying anything. After Chu Huaibei finished dealing with military affairs, he saw his troubled expression and asked him directly, "Is there something you can't say? Why do you look like that?"
"Your Highness, I... I would like to ask if my small restaurant can be allowed to sell steamed buns and flower rolls and other pasta. There are several young people in the mansion who need to get married..." Xue Zhan was in a dilemma. His father died in the raid a few years ago. In the same year, the old prince was also seriously injured and passed away within three months.
As the eldest son, he took over his father's position and responsibilities. He watched his mother worry about money every day, even though she never mentioned it in front of him. He was not deaf or blind. The women in the family only had a new set of clothes every two or three years, while the men, who needed to be seen all year round, only had two new sets a year.
It may be because no one in the mansion is good at management, and the restaurants and shops only have a small surplus, and most of the surplus money is invested in land. Although there is a good harvest this year, there are many things to do at home, and it seems that things are not much better.
Although he now has only a three-year-old daughter, his wife has begun to worry. The daughter of Liang Song, the magistrate, who was a fellow Jinshi, married to his wife is now the magistrate of Guan County in Qizhou. It is true that their family is quite poor.
The prince now directly gave the recipe to his family. Originally, he shouldn't have asked for it again, but due to livelihood, he still had the nerve to ask for it.
"Huh? That's it? No problem, you can sell it if you want. But the dishes served at the dinner that day can only be made in your restaurant after another month. I don't want other families to learn the dishes too soon and disrupt my plans, so my restaurant in Fengjing has just started serving these dishes." Chu Huaibei was not reserved about the pastries. The breakfast shops in his previous life all served these, and he was just used to it.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I really don't know what to say to thank you for your gift."
"You're welcome. I know your family's situation, but seriously, don't just blindly teach your child poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Those are things that people with money value. Given your situation, you'd be better off hiring someone to teach them how to trade. Money is earned the right way, and with money, everything will be easier for your family." Chu Huaibei slightly disagreed with Aunt Xue's parenting style. Apart from silently helping the Xue family out from time to time, she didn't want to say much. Seeing Xue Zhan like this today, she rarely spoke a word.
"Also, your family's marriage will be somewhat influenced by the palace, so your options are limited. If you can set aside your prejudices, I think some peaceful merchant families would be more suitable for your family. You can think about this issue yourself. Auntie is still too focused on the status of aristocratic family. In fact, as long as you and I are alive, your family will not fall. But if you and I are gone, how long do you think your family can survive?"
"Your Highness, what you said makes sense. Let me think about it. Thank you for your advice!" It was rare for Xue Zhan to hear the prince speak from the heart. After following him for so long, this was the first time he heard him talk about family matters. He knew that the prince often helped him, but the prince didn't express it, and he was not good at speaking and didn't know how to thank him. He would only work harder to repay the prince.
After what happened with Xue Zhan, Chu Huaibei realized that her original goal of spreading the word about leavened steamed buns in the northern border might have been cut short. She didn't know what went wrong and it failed to spread on a large scale, even though she had let so many people learn it.
In fact, this cannot be blamed on others. People living in this era assume that cooking recipes are like medicine recipes, which are passed down within the family. The people in the palace did not care and taught many people. That was the generosity of the palace. Those who had learned it would not pass it on privately. They assumed that it was something from the palace and how could it be passed on without the consent of the owner.
Chu Huaibei told Hu Zhi about this strange phenomenon before going to bed that night. Seeing that she really didn't understand, Hu Zhi told her about the current people's thinking. Chu Huaibei suddenly understood that it was the result of the difference in ideology between herself and this era, and she couldn't blame anyone else. Sun Mingsi looked at Chu Huaibei thoughtfully, and suddenly hugged her tightly. For a moment, he felt that she was a little far away from him.
The next day, Chu Huaibei instructed the two mothers to make more old yeast in the near future. She would set up a stall at the east gate of the palace in five days to teach how to make steamed buns with leavened dough. People who watched carefully could get a small portion of old yeast for free and take it home to make it directly.
When the Queen Mother learned that her son truly wanted to ensure that all the people in the northern border had access to steamed buns made with leavened dough, she lamented that her own generosity was not as great as his, and she felt quite proud of it. In an era where selflessness is commonplace, anyone who selflessly works for the people will always be highly regarded.
A blackboard had been erected early in the morning on the east side of the palace, announcing that a free instruction on how to make steamed buns with leavened dough would be offered at 9:00 PM in five days. Those who diligently studied and could answer the instructor's questions would receive a free portion of the palace's homemade yeast. A palace soldier sat beside the blackboard, explaining the information to the gathered civilians. On the table sat a basket of steamed buns, each cut horizontally and vertically into four pieces. Each time a civilian approached, the soldier offered them a piece to try. Within half an hour, everyone had gathered, and the entire basket of buns had been quickly distributed.
When people who haven’t tasted it hear others say how delicious it is, they just regret that they are slow and look forward to the teaching in five days.
Some noble families, who normally had mediocre relations with the palace, became more proactive and sent their best cooks, demanding they diligently learn how to make the leavened dough and bring it back to the palace. During their daily banquets and outings, the noble families had already tasted a variety of leavened dough dishes at several palaces, and they were very popular. When asked about the recipes, everyone claimed they learned them from the palace, their implication being that anyone who wanted them would go to the palace themselves, a move many people couldn't afford to make.
Five days later, at the time of Si, the two mothers were surrounded by a huge crowd of people as soon as they came out of the east door. Fortunately, the prince had thought of it in advance and temporarily built a high platform. The two of them worked on the platform and explained with a loud speaker so that everyone below could see.
Today, in addition to the basic steamed buns, there were also flower rolls, baozi, and steamed buns made the day before, sliced and fried. The aroma filled the entire street near the east gate of the palace. Some quick-witted students, when they couldn't understand a step, raised a hand and shouted, "Sir, sir, I don't understand this step. Please show me again."
The two mothers had never seen such a scene before, and were immediately delighted by the constant call of "Mr.", teaching seriously and diligently. When it came to the final question-and-answer session, the first person who called out "Mr." was called upon to answer the question correctly, and received a portion of old yeast, which they happily took home.
The cooks sent by the aristocratic families held themselves in high esteem, disdaining to address other servants as "sir." A few were lucky enough to be picked to answer a question and receive a piece of old yeast starter, but the rest had to pay for it from others. A piece of old yeast starter fetched two taels of silver, so the less affluent families simply sold it to buy meat for the family or a piece of coarse cloth to make several sets of clothes. After all, they had already learned how to make the old yeast starter, and it was just a matter of eating it two days later.
There were many farmers from nearby countryside in the crowd. After carefully learning the production methods, a few smart women mixed their own pickles with a small amount of minced meat and steamed a basket of buns. After gaining the recognition of their fellow villagers, they made carts and went to the market or the city to sell them every day. This became the family's largest source of income besides the land, and their lives were getting better and better.
Chu Huaibei would occasionally buy a pickled vegetable bun on the way to the military camp. It really had a unique flavor. Every household had different ways of making pickles, and the delicious pickles made into buns tasted pretty good too.
Fengjing's steamed buns, first introduced at the Taifei restaurant, had gradually found their way into the kitchens of the aristocratic families. Of course, the Taifei first made a killing selling sourdough starter, then profited from selling sourdough recipes, and finally from selling various recipes for steamed buns and flower rolls. They repeatedly ripped off the aristocratic families' money, but who knew they were willing to pay?
First, the advent of steamed buns made from leavened dough finally gave ministers who needed to attend court a better choice. Previously, they had to choose between various pastries, which were dry and choking, or water. Drinking too much water and feeling the urge to urinate during court was a serious taboo. Alternatively, they could choose steamed buns made from unleavened dough, which were also choking and unpalatable. Alternatively, they could choose flatbreads, which could not be eaten with fillings, fearing the smell would offend the nobles. Even these dry flatbreads weren't particularly tasty.
Now the leavened steamed buns and the various kinds of pastries that will be released later are all convenient to eat and not too pungent, so they are welcomed by the aristocratic families. There are not many aristocratic families in Fengjing, but at least one person in the main family is an official in the court. Some of the side branches are also prosperous, with more than three people from the main family and side branches serving as officials in the court.
With the palace making the dough-making method public, it seems that the people of Daxia will soon be able to eat steamed buns made from leavened dough.
Chu Huaibei has been thinking about brown sugar recently, so she asked the kitchen to try making brown sugar steamed cake. In her previous life, this pastry was a must-have dish at banquets in her hometown, symbolizing prosperity and wealth. It was so simple, and no matter how high-end the banquet was, this would definitely be present.
Chu Huaibei also wanted to have this brown sugar steamed cake appear at the banquet here. After she told her mother the meaning of brown sugar steamed cake, her mother understood her intention in a second. In the following days, this snack was available in the small restaurant in Fengjing. At first, it was given as a gift after someone ordered a banquet. The waiter was very eloquent and coaxed the guests at the banquet table into being very happy. He also rewarded him with an extra tael of silver. The shopkeeper asked him to accept it directly without handing it to him. The happy waiter was very active and recommended it to all the banquet tables.
Gradually, this dessert became a regular feature at the banquets of the aristocratic families. However, the aristocratic families changed the name of the cake, thinking that the name "red sugar steamed cake" was a bit rustic, so they simply called it "Hongsheng Cake" or "Hongsheng Cake". Later, a story broke about a student who ate this cake the day before the imperial examination and passed the exam that year. Rumor had it that he had failed the exam three times and if he failed again, he would have to return to his hometown to teach privately. The story became more and more outrageous, but in the spirit of believing it was true, all families with students were given the opportunity to take the exam.
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