The two chatted as they worked. Once the nuomi zao in the steamer was steamed and taken out, Wen Mingtang immediately poured the prepared osmanthus honey syrup over them. Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, she heard a series of greetings from outside.

“Greetings, Second Young Master!” The voices were slightly uneven. Wen Mingtang looked up and saw several maids bringing cold dishes and side dishes and greeting Lin Fei, who was sitting at the stone table, drinking tea and reading a storybook.

The Jingyun Marquis’s residence had many unique sights, but not the kitchen.

To make it easier for maids, cooks, and servants to carry soup and dishes in and out, the kitchen was simply left unfurnished. The main road leading in and out was wide and smooth, making it convenient for everyone to carry soup and dishes.

Therefore, the kitchen courtyard was a bare expanse at first glance, except for a row of scallions and garlic planted in the corner so the cooks could easily access the ingredients.

Lin Fei nodded to the maids, glanced at Wen Mingtang and Chef Xing, and then said, “Since I invited Chef Wen, I naturally have to look after her. If the guests have any dietary restrictions or preferences, I can remind them promptly.”

This excuse… Wen Mingtang’s lips twitched, and she couldn’t help but facepalm: Oh well! It’s better than the excuse of coming to see the scenery.

Without pointing out Lin Fei’s intentions, Wen Mingtang continued, “What Lin Shaoqing said makes sense, especially since there are children among the guests; we should be extra careful when cooking!”

Lin Fei seemed particularly attentive to Chef Xing beside her, his gaze lingering on him when he looked over earlier.

Thinking of Chef Xing’s earlier reluctance to speak, Wen Mingtang didn’t say anything more: Chef Xing’s secret, or Lin Fei’s intentions, were not things a cook like her should concern herself with. What she should be concerned with was whether the guests were satisfied with the “nuomi zao” dish that the maids had just taken away.

…

The first dishes served at the banquet were naturally cold appetizers. Chef Xing had been at the Marquis’s residence for some time now. The Marquis’s wife had tasted all the cold dishes that were served before, so she knew their flavors wouldn’t be disappointing, except for one dish—her gaze lingered on the most eye-catching dish among the plates.

The nuomi zao, evenly arranged in a plum blossom-shaped dish, were distinctly red and white, their colors alone captivating. But that wasn’t all; a layer of glistening osmanthus honey drizzled over it, giving the red dates and glutinous rice an enticing sheen. Golden osmanthus blossoms dotted the white rice, a perfect finishing touch.

It must be said that children might not yet fully appreciate Chef Xing’s poetic imagery of “a small boat cruising on a lake,” but they instinctively had a natural affinity for such brightly colored, soft, and sweet food.

Seeing the adults begin to eat, the two children immediately picked up the “nuomi zao” dish, their favorite.

As the children picked up a piece of “nuomi zao,” watching the glistening nectar being pulled out along with it, they instinctively swallowed. The sweet taste of osmanthus honey they had tasted before instantly flooded their hearts, and they couldn’t wait to put the honey-dripping “Xin Xin Ruan” into their mouths.

However, when they actually picked up the “nuomi zao” and brought it to their lips, the two children paused involuntarily: the reason was simple—it smelled too good!

From a distance, they had only seen the bright red and white color of the “nuomi zao,” the glistening osmanthus honey, and the golden osmanthus blossoms but hadn’t smelled it. Only when the “nuomi zao” was brought to their lips did they realize that the “nuomi zao” on their chopsticks was still steaming. The aroma of red dates, glutinous rice, and osmanthus, along with a rich and sweet fragrance, wafted over, making the saliva they had just suppressed involuntarily rise from the bottom of their tongues again.

Most children seem to have an innate love for sweets, and these two were no exception. Smelling the rich, sweet aroma, they eagerly popped the treats into their mouths before they could even cool down.

The naturally sweet jujube flesh, drizzled with honey, gained an extra layer of the unique sweetness of osmanthus, making it far more complex than just plain jujube flesh. The richness wasn’t just in the sweetness but also in the texture. A bite of this glutinous rice jujube revealed a soft, chewy center with the characteristic stickiness of glutinous rice, unlike the crispness of the jujube flesh. Instead, it stretched into long strands of fragrant, sticky rice, filling the mouth with the sweet aroma of glutinous rice, jujubes, and osmanthus, making one’s appetite soar.

It wasn’t just the children who loved this “soft-hearted” treat; the ladies at the table, including the elderly Madam Lu, also enjoyed it. Red jujubes were good for replenishing blood and qi and were especially suitable for women. In addition, Madam Lu was a vegetarian, and some of the cold dishes were meat dishes that she could not touch. She had also tried the other vegetarian dishes before, so she was not very interested. However, the snacks made of red jujubes and glutinous rice, although they looked simple, were very much to her liking. So Madam Lu, who usually does not eat much, took a few bites.

Before they knew it, the “nuomi zao” cold appetizer was the first to be finished.

Seeing that Madam Lu liked it, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Hou Furen’s eyes. She gave a wink to the nanny beside her, instructing her to note it down and have Chef Wen make an extra plate of “nuomi zao” after the banquet.

“Nuomi zao” was a dish suitable for children, women, and the elderly. Wen Mingtang didn’t realize that, apart from Madam Lu’s grandson, the only adult males at the banquet were children, women, and the elderly. It was a fortunate coincidence that it suited everyone’s tastes.

After preparing the appetizers, they began to prepare the hot dishes.

Chef Xing had already taken care of all the cold dishes that could be prepared in advance. Even the hot dishes, such as braised pork, which didn’t require much time, were handled by Chef Xing. The rest required careful control of heat and cooking timing.

With his bandaged arm, Chef Xing couldn’t control the heat properly, so he had to leave it to Wen Mingtang.

The first dish was Squirrel Fish, a rare sweet and sour fish dish, much like “nuomi zao,” a dish popular with children.

Wen Mingtang found the situation somewhat amusing: although she had caught the attention of the Hóu Fūrén because of her expertise in Sichuan cuisine, today she had been invited to prepare only sweet and sour dishes, with Chef Xing handling all the Sichuan dishes at the banquet.

Perhaps… it would be better to hire a chef from Jiangnan or other regions in the city; they might be better at making these dishes.

However, despite the amusement, since Lin Fei had invited her, she couldn’t let the money go to waste.

Wen Mingtang bent down, making even diagonal and straight cuts on the fish fillets so that the “squirrel” fish would bloom beautifully when it hit the oil. Glancing out of the corner of her eye at Chef Xing marinating chicken and remembering a dish ordered from the menu, Wen Mingtang said, “Chef Xing, this spicy chicken dish requires stir-frying and careful control of the heat. Would you like me to do it?”

Chef Xing, currently with his arm in a bandage and only able to move one hand, was clearly unsuitable for this dish.

Unexpectedly, Chef Xing shook his head and smiled. “No need. I’ve prepared the ingredients. As long as I can hold a spatula, I can do it. Don’t worry, Chef Wen!”

Although his tone was polite, the refusal was quite obvious.

Wen Mingtang didn’t insist but glanced out the window at Lin Fei, who was engrossed in his storybook, seemingly oblivious to the commotion; with his hearing, it would be strange if he hadn’t heard!

Chef Xing’s insistence was truly peculiar. While it was true that one could stir-fry food with a spatula, making a dish like spicy chicken with only one hand was quite difficult.

Seeing Chef Xing’s meticulous approach to everything, knowing full well that his dishes wouldn’t be as good as before, yet still persisting, one wondered what his motivation was.

(End of Chapter)

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