Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The tips of their noses were practically touching, and she could feel his breath. Being this close, Xiao Wanling’s internal alarm bells went off. She quickly backed away but accidentally pinned part of her clothing underneath her, causing her head to bump toward the wall. She shut her eyes in fright.

But the expected pain never came, and her head landed against a warm, steady palm.

Shen Qing swallowed nervously. “I—I’m sorry! I must’ve rolled into you.”

Xiao Wanling’s heart fluttered. She quickly stammered, “N-no, it’s fine!” She only felt the weather was getting hotter and reached up to gather her loose hair over to one side.

Shen Qing carried in her folded clothes and placed them by the bed, then stepped outside to stand guard.

After changing, Xiao Wanling splashed cold water on her face to cool off before opening the door to call him in to change as well.

They went to the small kitchen to cook something to eat. Shen Qing then headed out to buy more ingredients.

Xiao Wanling focused herself and began preparing according to the menu she had drafted the night before. She peeled, washed, and chopped peaches, adding sugar and simmering them into jam over the small stove.

On another stove, tea was brewing. She diced the remaining melons and fruits and mixed them with sugar to marinate and prevent discoloration.

Once Shen Qing returned with the river shrimp and small fish, he began cleaning and prepping them.

The newly purchased chicken feet were also boiled and drained, ready to be made into tiger skin chicken feet.

Madam Zhang swept into the kitchen in her usual whirlwind manner. She brought a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and also a box of almond crisps from Hongyun Restaurant. It was one of their signature pastries and delivered in a dark red, glossy, lacquered box. Each square-shaped, pale yellow cake had “Hongyun” stamped on top, clearly a product of careful craftsmanship.

“Taste it and see if you can replicate it,” Madam Zhang said, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Thinking of how Shen Qing had a sweet tooth, Xiao Wanling broke one in half, handed a piece to him, and took a bite herself.

It was a type of walnut crisp, quite similar to tuckahoe cake, but with added chopped walnuts and peanuts. The texture was crumbly and fragrant.

Madam Zhang stared at her eagerly. “Well?”

Xiao Wanling replied, “This isn’t covered by the ten-tael agreement.”

The maid beside Madam Zhang couldn’t help herself. “Ten taels for three days of work? Even the chefs at the Prince of Jin’s residence or the imperial palace don’t earn that much!”

Madam Zhang gave her a sharp look and barked, “Silence! I was the one who hired Madam Xiao.”

The maid quickly lowered her head. “Miss, I was wrong. Madam Xiao, I apologize.”

Madam Zhang waved her hand, and the maid slunk away with her head down.

Xiao Wanling wiped the crumbs from her hands with a handkerchief. “Sister Zhang, once people start inquiring about this pastry, the chefs at Hongyun will surely suspect me. Do you also think I’m asking too much?”

Madam Zhang said, “As long as I keep quiet, by the time he figures out the recipe ten days or half a month later, no one will connect it to you.”

Xiao Wanling nodded with satisfaction. “Then name your price.”

Madam Zhang held up eight fingers, but Xiao Wanling shook her head. “How much is a serving of Hongyun’s signature almond crisp?”

Twenty cents! And it was often sold out. Madam Zhang gritted her teeth. “Eighteen taels—but you’ll have to give me two more pastry recipes.”

Xiao Wanling said, “Deal!” After all, she was already doing something that would offend people. One more or one less didn’t matter. “There’s no rush on the recipes. I’ll give them to you after today’s tea snacks are finished.”

Madam Zhang agreed. It was better to take things step by step. Then she left with her maid to oversee the setup in the main hall.

Adding it all up, Xiao Wanling had earned nearly thirty taels from Madam Zhang. She planned to renovate the teahouse, build two more rooms, and replace the outhouse. Buying her own materials would be much cheaper. She discussed her plans with Shen Qing.

Shen Qing thought about how she’d earned dozens of taels so easily, while he had to hunt multiple wild animals for that amount.

Seeing him spacing out, Xiao Wanling repeated, “I found out that bricks cost thirteen cents each. Buying a brick house costs a hundred taels. Why not build it ourselves? What do you think?”

Shen Qing snapped back to attention. “Good idea!” He had plenty of strength and could help her do a lot of the work. He filled all the water jars and ground rice and beans into powder.

The two of them busied themselves in the kitchen when suddenly a maid walked in carrying a basket. “My lady sent these. She said the guests are all waiting, so please hurry!”

Shen Qing took the basket to Xiao Wanling. Inside were fruits and a live hen that clucked and flapped its wings.

Thankfully, Xiao Wanling reacted quickly and caught it before it flew into the pot.

The maid’s expression briefly revealed disappointment. “Please hurry and cook.”

Xiao Wanling tied the hen’s legs with rope. “Please leave. The space here is small.”

The maid widened her eyes. “My lady told me to bring it!”

But Xiao Wanling had given the menu last night, so this ingredient was unexpected. Something was wrong. No, this wasn’t just a mistake. Someone was trying to frame her with the food so Madam Zhang would suspect her and stop using her.

Shen Qing said, “Please leave.” He stepped in front of the maid, who grew uneasy and backed away to the door. Shen Qing followed and blocked the entrance.

The maid huffed and walked off a little farther.

Shen Qing returned and closed the door. Xiao Wanling stood by it and whispered, “I’ve never seen that maid before. Take these items out discreetly and tell the steward you must speak with Madam Zhang.”

Why not go into the inner residence directly? Because men weren’t allowed there. Shen Qing always used the side entrance. Besides, all of Madam Zhang’s guests were young ladies—one misstep and gossip would be inevitable.

Shen Qing nodded. “What about the teahouse orders? I’ll handle them.”

Xiao Wanling had considered postponing them and offering a small discount. But Shen Qing had seen her make everything so many times, so it should be fine. “Alright. Just make the rice cakes and sweet syrup.”

She dug out two bamboo tubes from her basket; they contained thick, cooked red syrup. It should last two days.

She packed him some freshly made river shrimp cakes and fruit tea to eat on the road. “Find Madam Zhang and explain everything first before returning to the village. Be careful.”

Listening to her soft instructions, Shen Qing smiled. “I’ll remember. I’ll come back to pick you up!”

Xiao Wanling nodded. “Okay!”

Shen Qing quickly left. The two old women guarding the side entrance opened the door and let him out.

At the main gate of the Zhang Residence, Shen Qing knocked. A servant opened the door and was surprised to see him. “Weren’t you in the kitchen?”

“I need to speak to your steward,” Shen Qing said, face stern. The servant, sensing something serious, told him to wait and ran off.

The steward thought something had gone wrong in the kitchen and rushed over, frustrated that even such a small task couldn’t be done properly.

Shen Qing didn’t waste words. He set the basket on the ground. “This was brought to the kitchen by a strange maid. My wife says the ingredients are suspicious and wants to speak with your lady.”

The steward and servant both broke into a cold sweat. A noble lady from the Prince of Jin’s household had shown up uninvited today. Madam Zhang was busy entertaining. If anything happened, the whole Zhang family would be finished.

The steward said solemnly, “Keep this quiet. Take two people and quietly seize that troublemaker. Discreetly inform Madam.”

The servant trembled as he nodded and ran off.

Shen Qing gave a nod and walked away.

The steward leaned on the doorframe; he’d only held it together by sheer will. He turned and shut the main gate, then staggered off toward the main hall.

Back in the kitchen, Xiao Wanling didn’t dare leave even half a step. She stoked the stove and kept an eye on the simmering jam and boiling tea.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached, and a group of elegantly dressed young women appeared at the doorway. The air filled with the scent of cosmetics and perfume.

At the front was a woman dressed in luxurious clothing, with gold thread embroidery along her collar and sleeves in a winding floral pattern. Two old matrons flanked her.

Xiao Wanling thought to herself, “Here they come.”

Madam Zhang appeared just in time, blocking the kitchen door. She said to the noble lady, “Madam, the kitchen is full of smoke and heat, and the air smells of oil. Why not rest in the flower hall and leave this matter to your attendants?”

Even from the doorway, one could smell the smoke and fishy odor. The noblewoman hesitated, then said to the two matrons, “You two stay.”

Madam Zhang and the two matrons remained. Everyone else followed the noble lady back to the flower hall.

The matrons walked into the kitchen and began searching around as if looking for something.

Madam Zhang stood to the side and instructed her maid, “Go help them. Be thorough!”

The maid bowed and joined in.

Xiao Wanling calmly continued her work. Madam Zhang secretly winked at her.

Of course, they found nothing. The two matrons were drenched in sweat from searching and frustration. Spotting a jug of tea chilled in well water, one sniffed and asked, “What is this?”

Madam Zhang quickly stepped up. “Fruit tea! The only one of its kind in Jin City!”

The matron sneered. “Quite a claim!”

Madam Zhang poured two cups for them. They looked at the reddish tea with peach slices floating inside and hesitated; this wasn’t like yesterday’s at all.

Xiao Wanling explained, “This is honey peach spring tea, made from premium fairy peaches brewed with fresh tea leaves.”

Madam Zhang added, “Specially prepared for Madam.”

The air carried a sweet, fragrant aroma. The tea’s vibrant color was indeed tempting. The matrons took a sip, exchanged glances, then drank quietly, savoring the flavor.

After finishing their cups, one matron said, “Bring out whatever else you’ve prepared. I’ll inspect it.”

Xiao Wanling guessed the noble lady had quite the background. This must be a tasting session. She calmly brought out the river shrimp cakes.

Madam Zhang bowed her head to hide her expression behind her teacup. She could barely hold back her laughter. Poisoning guests at a tea party? Only an idiot would do something so foolish.

The shrimp cakes were made with small fish, shrimp, eggs, and flour.

Madam Zhang took a bite—it was incredibly fresh, with no fishy taste. She secretly glanced at the matrons, who also ate in silence.

Xiao Wanling then brought out pickled phoenix claws and tiger skin chicken feet. The matrons’ expressions were priceless—like they were thinking, “You expect me to eat this?” But when they saw Xiao Wanling eat first with confidence, they forced themselves to try a bite. Their eyes widened immediately.

Madam Zhang cleared her throat and called to a maid at the door. “Take the chicken feet to the flower hall.”

The maid walked into the hall, nervously biting her lip. The noble guests’ surprised expressions were truly a sight. No matter their status, none of them had ever eaten anything like this before.

Before they knew it, it was already noon. Xiao Wanling added the remaining fruits into the chilled tea to make a multi-fruit tea.

She began tidying up. Fortunately, she had prepared all the small ingredients in advance. With the extra help, the tea and pastries had gone out quickly. She had eaten and drunk a little herself and was full.

She packed all the jars and containers into her basket, gave a small nod, and said, “Today’s pastries and tea are ready. I’ll take my leave.”

The two matrons walked over. The plumper one reached out to rummage through her jars, but Xiao Wanling blocked her hand. “Looking for recipes? You’ll have to buy them. These are exclusive secrets.”

Cultural Notes:

• • Tiger skin chicken feet: A popular Chinese dish where chicken feet are deep-fried and braised to achieve a wrinkled, tiger-skin-like texture.

• • Multi-fruit tea: A cold sweet tea infused with a variety of fresh fruits—popular in summer.

T’s-Food Notes:-

Tuckahoe Cake

Honey Peach Spring Tea

Shrimp Cakes

Pickled phoenix claws and tiger skin chicken feet

Multi-Fruit Tea