Yesterday’s Xiaomi Guōbā and caramel milk tea were indeed a huge hit, and then… unsurprisingly, they were sold at the takeout stall. Ji Caimai, counting his abacus and smiling until his eyes narrowed into slits, looked at the officers lining up to buy snacks and raised an eyebrow: “How many do you want?”

“Three orders of Xiaomi Guōbā and two orders of caramel milk tea!” The officer looked at the grinning Ji Caimai and sighed softly, “There are more and more snacks coming to the takeout stall!”

The lǔ yāhuò, cháyè dàn, and táng chǎo bǎnlì were still there and remained popular. Recently, because of the cold weather, the summer treats like bīngfěn, lǜdòu gāo, and guìhuā suānméi yǐnzi were no longer being sold. Instead, xiaomi guōbā and caramel milk tea had been added.

Taking the few copper coins handed over by the officer, Ji Caimai glanced at him sideways, took the silver in his hand, and asked: “Are the snacks that cost money still delicious?”

The officer smelled the rich milk fragrance in the air, sighed helplessly, and nodded resignedly: “It smells very good!”

This snack was really not expensive! Most of the snacks that could be bought on the street with this silver were not very delicious and did not require much thought. How could they compare with Master Wen’s craftsmanship? Unlike the snacks in Hongyanlou, you felt exquisite and delicious when you put them in your mouth, but as soon as you asked the price, you immediately felt that they were “not delicious”!

There was nothing you could do; you were just an ordinary person! It was just a small monthly salary, and he had to support a family, so he still had to consider money, unlike those who were wealthy and could go to Hongyanlou…

Just as he was thinking about this, Yu Jijiu, a regular customer from a “rich family”, came in with a few teaching doctors from the Imperial College next door, carrying a lot of food boxes. He greeted Ji Caimai with a smile, walked to the back of the crowd and said while queuing, “I really liked yesterday’s afternoon snack of Xiaomi Guōbā with caramel milk tea, so I came here to buy some to reward the students in the Imperial College who did well in this month’s monthly exam!”

“That’s a big order!” Ji Caimai smiled and glanced at Yu Jijiu, and said, “Next time, if Yu Jijiu wants to reward all the students in the Imperial College, remember to let us know in advance so that we can prepare enough ingredients!”

Yu Jijiu smiled and responded, saying “Okay” repeatedly.

Seeing that the “wealthy” Yu Jiji hadn’t been to Hongyanlou for some time, only visiting the Dali Temple, the officers couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. “Fortunately, ‘Shopkeeper Ji,’ although he charges for takeout and doesn’t miss out on every order, doesn’t jack up the prices!”

If it were a restaurant outside, they’d probably have raised prices due to the long lines!

However, while the price wouldn’t be raised, Master Wen, always known for her “inventive” creations, was adding something special to her caramel milk tea. The officers queuing for milk tea and Xiaomi Guōbā watched curiously as Wen Mingtang and the others rolled the dough into long strips behind the counter.

The long strips of dough rolled by Ah Bing were a slightly darker shade of dark brown, while the ones Master Wen was holding were a variety of purple, yellow, and white, looking vibrant.

Seeing this, someone couldn’t help but ask Wen Mingtang, “Master Wen, what are you making?”

Wen Mingtang said, “The toppings for caramel milk tea, Ah Bing and Tangyuan are making Zhēnzhū xiǎo yuánzi, and I made Yùyuán!”

Looking at the small balls that looked like glutinous rice balls, everyone was puzzled: “What’s the difference between them and nuòmǐ xiǎo yuánzi?”

Wen Mingtang said, “That one is made of glutinous rice, and these ones are made of tapioca starch. The taste is very different.”

As for how they are different… Ji Caimai smiled and said, “Buy caramel milk tea today, and you can add some for free. This is only for one day. If you want to add it tomorrow, it will cost money!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the queue of officers couldn’t help but shout, “Ji Caimai is treacherous!” Hearing the word “free” was like assuming everyone would want more after they’d already eaten.

Despite everyone’s complaints, Ji Caimai’s smile remained undimmed. “You don’t have to add extra to the free food today. When did the Dali Temple’s public kitchen force everyone to add extra?” He rolled his eyes and nodded, “If you don’t want to eat it, then you naturally won’t want to if you haven’t tried it! That’s a good idea!”

Hearing these words, it was so tempting to drag Ji Caimai, who was sitting at the back of the stall, out and teach him a lesson!

The free zhēnzhū xiǎo yuánzi and small yùyuán were right there, so how could anyone resist? Ji Caimai, who had already been trying the new food, picked up a nearby bamboo tube with a thin bamboo tube inserted, took a sip, and then began to chew with his cheeks.

Although they had a rough idea of what he was chewing, someone couldn’t help but ask, “Ji Caimai, are you chewing those zhēnzhū xiǎo yuánzi and yùyuán?”

Ji Caimai nodded, flicking the straw on the side of the bamboo tube as he chewed. With a “Hmm,” he said, “I sucked up the milk tea along with it!”

Everyone suddenly understood: No wonder Master Wen had rolled the zhēnzhū xiǎo yuánzi and yùyuán into such small sizes! They were just the right size to fit through the thin bamboo tube called a “straw.” With one sip, the milk tea and the balls entered the mouth simultaneously, truly saving a lot of trouble.

From the way Ji Caimai chewed, they guessed that the texture of the balls was different from the soft, chewy glutinous rice balls.

The waiter, who had ordered the caramel milk tea with toppings at the front of the line, took a sip through the straw as soon as it was handed to him. The milk tea tasted familiar; he had already tasted it yesterday.

However, the zhēnzhū xiǎo yuánzi mixed in with the others caught his eye. As he chewed on one, he said to the people in the queue who hadn’t yet had a turn, “They’re so smooth on the outside, so refreshing, and so springy when you chew them, yet soft and chewy inside. They go really well with this milk tea, just like… like vegetables and tofu, the two are meant to go together!”

Yu Jijiu, who was still a few people away from his turn, glanced at the servant sipping milk tea from a thin bamboo tube and gave him a sidelong glance: “Master Wen has not only cultivated a discerning palate in you, but your ability to appreciate food has also greatly improved!” His description truly made him want to try it right away.

…

After lunch, the officers who had been assigned to keep watch at the Huang Mansion gate early in the morning returned.

As soon as they entered the lobby, they saw their colleagues twisting Xiaomi Guōbā and drinking “caramel milk tea” with thin bamboo tubes. They couldn’t help but twitch their lips and turned to see Lin Fei.

Because it was cold, Lin Shaoqing’s door was not as wide open as usual, and Officer Zhao was not guarding the door at this time. The two knocked on the door outside, and after hearing a voice of “Come in” from inside, they pushed the door open and walked in.

As soon as they entered the room, they heard Lin Fei ask, “What’s the matter?”

The two officers looked up and were about to answer when they saw Lin Fei, Liu Yuan and Bai Zhu in the room looking at them.

The three of them held a bamboo tube in one hand and drank caramel milk tea with the thin bamboo tube.

It seemed that Master Wen’s snacks this time were very popular! The two officers who had been busy all morning swallowed their saliva and thought to themselves.

(End of this chapter)