Volume 1, Chapter 20: No One Understands Fine Dining Better Than I Do

"Making money?"

Madam Li stared at the items Fan Xiu had brought back as if she were looking at a ghost.

"The business you spoke of, the money you intend to make—you mean to do it with these things?" Madam Li asked, her face full of doubt.

The items Fan Xiu had purchased were common goods found in any market; the only unusual thing was that they had cost a fair amount of silver. Expecting to earn three hundred and fifty taels in ten days from such things seemed utterly impossible. Xiao Ruoqing and Ying watched Fan Xiu with equal skepticism.

"Hehe."

Fan Xiu tilted his head confidently. "Of course! Just with these! Come, give me a hand."

He certainly intended to teach Madam Li how to make *liangpi* (cold skin noodles). He couldn't possibly supply a restaurant by himself, nor did he intend to spend his whole life making cold noodles.

Madam Li eyed him with deep suspicion, yet she did not refuse. "Fine! I want to see what kind of scheme you're cooking up, you rascal!" she said, rising to her feet.

The process of making *liangpi* was not difficult; the challenge lay in the idea and the execution. Fan Xiu had Madam Li and his mother knead the dough, while he and his elder brother, Fan Yuan, prepared the garlic paste and other necessary ingredients. His parents had gone to work in the fields and would not return until evening.

Inside the room, Ying crossed her arms and watched the busy group in the courtyard with a puzzled expression. "Your Majesty, what do you suppose they are doing?"

"Do not call me Your Majesty," Xiao Ruoqing replied. "Lest they overhear. Just call me Elder Sister from now on."

"As you command!" Ying bowed.

Xiao Ruoqing looked toward the courtyard. "I am quite curious myself. Go over there, see what they are up to, and help them out while you are at it."

"Understood."

In the courtyard, Fan Xiu spotted Ying approaching and immediately directed her: "Liu Yue, scrub the copper trays I bought; I will need them shortly."

Ying frowned. This Fan Xiu really knew how to boss people around. She, a dignified Commander of the Blood Feather Guard, had been reduced to a serving maid! However, seeing Xiao Ruoqing watching from within, she dared not refuse and set to work, albeit with a huff.

The group worked fervently. Once Fan Xiu finished his preparations, he didn't rest, but instead began braising a batch of tea-infused eggs. To his knowledge, the Great Yin Dynasty had no such thing. The dish was simple and delicious; while the cost of tea leaves was not negligible, they were widely available, especially the lower-quality grades, and tea eggs were not particularly demanding regarding the quality of the leaves.

The most crucial step in making *liangpi* was the steaming.

After the kneaded dough had fermented for an hour, it was rinsed and settled. The resulting starch paste would become the *liangpi*, while the separated gluten could be used as a side dish.

Outside Qinglin Village, Fan Shoucheng and Madam Zhou were returning home, exhausted after an afternoon of labor. Fan Shoucheng wore a sorrowful expression. "Three hundred taels," he sighed as he walked. "Even if Xiu'er has god-like abilities, he could never earn that much."

"It is all my fault," Madam Zhou said, head bowed, her hands clutching her sleeve. "If it weren't for my medical expenses, you wouldn't have had to borrow so much from Master Zhao."

"Sigh..." Fan Shoucheng lamented. "I could not simply watch you die. I have already decided—our fields and our house are worth a decent sum. For the rest, I shall sell myself into servitude. You children can stay with Xiu'er; he is a Juren scholar and will be able to provide for you."

"No," Madam Zhou immediately refused. "I will not drag Xiu'er down any further. I will go with you! As for Xiu'er, I only hope he and Miss Liu can live a good life."

As they spoke, they arrived in front of the Fan household. Fan Shoucheng made a shushing gesture; he did not want Fan Xiu to know of their plans.

However, as soon as they entered the courtyard, they were met with a fresh, alluring aroma. A single breath seemed to wash away the fatigue of their long day.

In the courtyard, Madam Li, Fan Yuan, and Ying were all crowded around the kitchen door, peering inside.

"What is that scent?" Madam Zhou asked, surprised.

Fan Shoucheng’s face darkened. "Could Fan Xiu have squandered that ten taels of silver? How could he have become like this?"

"Father, Mother." Fan Xiu emerged from the kitchen, his face streaked with soot and sweat dripping from his brow. "You are just in time; I have just finished making something to eat."

Fan Shoucheng frowned. "The sages say a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen! You are a Juren scholar—what are you doing in there?"

"Hehe." Fan Xiu wiped the sweat from his face and laughed. "What of it? A scholar is still a man, born of a father and mother! Come, taste the food we’ve been working on all afternoon!"

He turned and headed back into the room, returning with two bowls of seasoned *liangpi*. As the dish was set down, the cool, tempting fragrance became even more intense.

"This is?" Fan Shoucheng asked, looking at the dish with a mix of shock and confusion. "What is this?"

"Father, Mother, try it and see," Fan Xiu urged.

Nearby, a drenched-in-sweat Li Chuntao explained, "Fan Xiu calls it *liangpi*. It is made from white flour. It is a very tedious process; it took us all afternoon to prepare."

Fan Xiu smiled. "Sister-in-law, Brother, Liu Yue, yours are inside. There is plenty for everyone."

Fan Yuan and Li Chuntao rushed inside immediately. After hesitating for two seconds, Ying followed them. She was curious—the *liangpi* looked and smelled excellent, but she wondered how it truly tasted.

Though Fan Shoucheng had scolded Fan Xiu, his hands were not idle; he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

"Mmm!" He closed his eyes, his face filled with blissful relaxation. With just one bite, he felt the exhaustion of the day vanish completely.

Inside the kitchen, Fan Yuan and Li Chuntao were eating heartily, nodding and beaming with excitement.

A flicker of disdain crossed Ying’s eyes. A bunch of unsophisticated country bumpkins! As a commander of the Blood Feather Guard, what fine delicacies had she not tasted? The Imperial Kitchen was staffed by the top chefs in the land, who fought tooth and nail just for the honor of cooking a single dish for the Emperor. She personally tasted everything destined for the Empress to ensure its safety. *No one knows fine food better than I do,* she thought.

Intent on giving the Empress a good impression, Ying took a tentative bite.

"Huh?"

It felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her mind. This flavor...

She took another bite immediately, then could not help but close her eyes, lost in intoxication. The texture was smooth and delicate; the ordinary flour had been transformed into something as silky as fine fabric. The spicy garlic paste, having soaked up the savory sauce, burst with flavor, perfectly complemented by the refreshing coolness of the noodles and a subtle tang. It was a unique, refreshing, and rich experience that left a lingering aftertaste, as if she were standing in the middle of a vast, tranquil sea.

Exquisite! Wonderful! Magnificent!

Such a delicacy was truly a treasure of the mortal world! Had she not participated in its creation, she would never have believed that such a magnificent dish could be crafted from mere flour.