AT THE SAME TIME
XAVIER
Of course, why hadn’t I thought of it sooner? The answer was so obvious that I nearly smacked myself on the forehead. I looked at the flour stacked on the shelf, then at the pork hanging in the pantry, then back at Ana and Hin. A grin slowly spread across my face.
"I have got it." I smirked.
"I know that smile."Ana immediately sighed.
"So do I."Hin nodded in agreement.
"Meat buns." I rubbed my hands together.
"Meat buns?" Ana blinked.
I nodded enthusiastically.
"Soft steamed dough wrapped around juicy, flavorful meat."I explained.
"Wrapped... inside the bread?"Hin tilted her head.
"Exactly!"I said and smiled.
The two women exchanged confused looks.
"Wouldn’t it be easier to serve the meat separately?"Ana frowned.
"That’s the brilliant part." I pointed dramatically. "People can carry them while walking."
Their expressions remained blank as I continued anyway.
"No bowls. No chopsticks. No tables and no mess." I raised one finger after another. "You hold it in one hand, you eat while walking and it stays warm. It fills your stomach, and if we make enough." I couldn’t help smirking. "We’ll have the perfect festival food."
"That’s actually a really good idea."Ana stared at me for several seconds.
"It is practical."Hin nodded.
"Exactly!"I grinned.
Then another thought struck me.
"We’ll make different fillings."I said.
"Different?"Ana looked intrigued.
"Braised pork. Minced pork with mushrooms. Vegetable buns for people who don’t eat meat and maybe..." I paused. "A sweet version."
"A sweet bun?"Hin’s eyes widened slightly.
"Trust me." I laughed. "People are going to love them."
"I don’t know where these ideas come from." Ana shook her head with a smile.
"Neither do I."I rubbed back of my neck.
Well actually, I did. Twenty first century Earth. But I couldn’t exactly explain that.
"We need supplies."I grabbed a basket.
"I will come with you."Hin immediately picked up another basket.
"What about me?"Ana looked toward us.
"You stay here." I smiled. "If customers arrive, someone needs to run the inn."
"So I’m stuck doing paperwork while you two go shopping."She sighed dramatically.
"Exactly."I nodded.
"You planned this."She said and sighed.
"I absolutely did not." I chucked lightly.
"I don’t believe you."She narrowed her eyes.
"I’ll make sure Master Wei doesn’t buy the entire market."Hin quietly laughed.
"I only did that once."I coughed.
"You did it twice."Hin said.
"I remember one."I shook my head.
"I remember both."Hin laughed.
Traitor. A few minutes later Hin and I walked through the lively village market. The familiar merchants immediately recognized us.
"Chef Wei!"One said.
"The famous chef is here!"Another merchant joined. "Good morning, Miss Hin!"
"Good morning."Hin smiled politely.
"I will need a lot of pork."I walked straight toward the butcher.
"How much is ’a lot’?"The butcher blinked.
I thought for a moment.
"Everything."I said.
"Everything?"He asked, confused.
"I’ll buy your entire supply."I nodded.
The butcher stared at me then bursted into laughter.
"I knew the festival was coming, but I didn’t expect this." He disappeared into the back of the shop. "I have been saving the best cuts." He returned carrying several large slabs of fresh pork. "I had a feeling you would create another miracle."
"I will certainly try."I smiled.
After paying, Hin looked at the growing pile in our baskets.
"Master Wei."Hin began nervously.
"Yes?"I asked.
"This is enough meat to feed half the village."She said.
"Exactly."I nodded proudly.
"I suppose asking you to buy less would be pointless."She sighed.
"Very."I said.
Our next stop was the flour merchant.
"I will take your finest wheat flour."I said.
"For buns?"The merchant grinned.
"How did you know?"I blinked.
"You have been buying ingredients while talking to yourself."He laughed.
Hin covered her mouth to hide another smile. I looked at her.
"You heard that?"I asked.
"Every word."Hin chuckled.
"..."I sighed. "I was brainstorming."
"You were arguing with yourself over seasoning."Hin added. "There were hand gestures."
"I was hoping nobody noticed."I buried my face in one hand.
"Oh, everyone noticed."The merchant teased.
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. By the time we finished shopping, both our baskets were overflowing. Fresh pork, fine flour, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. Everything I needed. As we walked back toward the inn, I looked at the mountain of ingredients and couldn’t stop smiling. If everything went according to plan the capital festival would never be the same again, and neither would the name "Chef Wei." For a few days I was busy. Every morning, I mixed dough, every afternoon, I tested fillings. Every evening, Ana and Hin became my unwilling taste testers.
"This one?" I asked hopefully.
"The dough is good."Ana took a bite and frowned. "But?" "The filling needs more ginger."
I nodded and immediately wrote it down.
"This one is much better."Hin tried another bun. "But the sauce is a little salty."
Back to the cutting board again, and again, and again.
After dozens of batches, I finally bit into one and smiled. Soft dough, juicy filling. It was perfect balance.
"This is it."I nodded.
Ana and Hin both took another bite. They looked at each other and then nodded.
"This is the one." Ana declared.
The next morning, I headed to the village kiln. An elderly craftsman was carefully removing freshly fired pottery when I arrived.
"Good morning."I said.
"Chef Wei."He looked up.
"I need your help."I said.
"What kind of pot?"He smiled.
"Not a pot." I pulled out several sheets of paper covered in sketches. "I need an oven."
"An... oven?"The old craftsman adjusted his glasses.
"A clay oven shaped like a large barrel."I pointed at the drawing.
He studied it carefully.
"The walls need to be thick." I continued explaining. "It has to trap heat evenly and I need hooks inside, so the buns can be attached to the inner walls while they bake."
The old craftsman looked increasingly interested.
"I have never made anything like this before."He shook his head.
"I know." I smiled. "That’s why I came to the best kiln maker in the village."
"You certainly know how to flatter an old craftsman."The old man laughed.
"I am serious."I smiled.
"It won’t be easy."He looked over the drawings one last time.
"I didn’t expect easy."I nodded.
"I will need several days."He nodded slowly.
"That’s fine."I said.
He carefully rolled up the plans.
"And what will this strange oven be used for?"He asked.
"To make the most popular buns at the Capital festival."I couldn’t help grinning.
"Then I would better make sure it works."The old craftsman chuckled.
As I left the kiln, I looked back once as everything was coming together. Now all I needed was for the oven to be finished before the festival began. Three days later, the sound of knocking echoed through the inn just after sunrise."Chef Wei!"I heard a familiar voice.
I opened the door to find the elderly kiln master standing outside with a proud smile.
"It is finished."He said.
"Really?"My eyes lit up.
"My sons are bringing it over now."He nodded.
A few moments later, four sturdy villagers carefully carried an enormous clay oven into the courtyard behind the inn. It was even better than I had imagined. The rounded barrel shape gave it a sturdy appearance, while the thick clay walls promised excellent heat retention. Inside, smooth curved walls surrounded the baking chamber exactly as I had designed it. I slowly walked around it.
"It’s perfect."I nodded.
"I have made pottery for forty years."The kiln master chuckled as he patted the oven proudly. "But this is the strangest thing anyone has ever asked me to build."
"I will take that as a compliment." I laughed.
"You should."He nodded.
Ana stepped outside and stared.
"It is huge."She said as Hin slowly circled it.
"I’ve never seen an oven like this."She added.
Neither had anyone else. Several curious villagers stopped outside the inn.
"What is Chef Wei building now?"One of them asked.
"It looks like a giant clay barrel."Another one guessed.
"Is it another brewing machine?"The third one asked.
"No."I smiled. "It is for buns."
The villagers looked even more confused. By midday the fire inside the oven had heated the thick clay walls. I pressed my hand near the opening. Perfect. I placed the first batch of carefully prepared meat buns inside. The heavy lid closed and now we waited. The villagers didn’t leave. Someone had apparently spread the news that Chef Wei was testing another new recipe.Within minutes, half the village had gathered outside the inn.
"Do you think it will be better than the liquor?"A little boy tugged on his father’s sleeve.
"I don’t know."His father laughed. "But Chef Wei hasn’t disappointed us yet."
A few minutes later the first aroma escaped. Rich pork, fresh ginger, garlic and warm bread. The fragrance drifted through the courtyard. Every conversation stopped.
"That smells incredible."One old farmer slowly inhaled.
"I have never smelled bread like that."A merchant closed his eyes.
"It smells even better than during practice."Even Ana blinked.
"The oven’s working."I smiled.
When the timer in my head told me they were ready I lifted the heavy lid. A cloud of fragrant steam burst into the air and inside rested rows of perfectly baked buns.
Golden, soft, beautiful as tiny drops of savory juices glistened where the folds met. The crowd collectively gasped, I picked one up with wooden tongs then broke it in half. Steam rushed upward, and the juicy pork filling shimmered inside.
"It looks delicious..."A little girl swallowed loudly.
"Let’s find out."I laughed.
I handed the first bun to the kiln master.
"Me?"He looked surprised.
"You built the oven."I said and nodded. "You deserve the first taste."
The old craftsman smiled warmly, he carefully took a bite. Silence. He chewed slowly and then his eyes widened.
"Chef Wei." He looked at the bun. "I made the oven..." He took another bite. "But you created the miracle."
The surrounding villagers laughed. That was all the invitation they needed.
"I want one!"One asked.
"Me too!"Another one joined.
"Save one for me!"A little girl tugged my sleeve.
Within moments, Ana and Hin began handing out fresh buns. The courtyard became filled with happy voices.
"It’s so soft! The meat is so juicy!" A boy gasped.
"I’ve never eaten bread like this!"A villiger added. "The filling is amazing!"
"I could eat three more."An elderly grandmother smiled after finishing hers.
"This would be perfect to carry into the mountains."A hunter nodded enthusiastically.
"You can eat it without stopping your journey."A merchant laughed.
I couldn’t help smiling. Exactly, that was the whole idea.
Soon, the first batch was gone. Then the second, and then the third. I looked at the empty trays.
"We are going to need a lot more ingredients."Ana laughed.
"If the villagers love them this much."Hin nodded. She looked toward me with a smile. "The Capital Festival won’t know what hit it."
I looked at the custom oven standing proudly in the courtyard. For the first time, I truly believed she was right.