For the evening meal, mushroom buns were indeed served.
So-called mushroom buns are what later generations would call steamed buns filled with mushrooms.
Yuan Niang and Chen Ge’er rubbed their hands in anticipation, both eager to see what made these mushroom buns so remarkable that even Uncle Su Shi couldn’t stop thinking about them during his poetic exchanges.
Each took a small plate with a freshly steamed mushroom bun. The fluffy, snow-white dough enveloped a fragrant filling.
The best mushroom buns Yuan Niang had ever tasted before were actually from the breakfast shop below her previous residence. The vegetarian filling consisted of diced shiitake mushrooms and finely chopped green bok choy, generously mixed with lard—since both mushrooms and leafy greens absorb oil well—then seasoned with salt, a bit of sugar, and finally a drizzle of sesame oil. Shaped into small, bite-sized buns, they were so delicious that one would eat them in silent appreciation.
A half-basket of these small buns paired with a bowl of mung bean porridge was an absolute perfect match!
Yuan Niang used to visit that breakfast shop daily, thoroughly enjoying her meals.
But compared to the Su Family’s mushroom buns, there was no contest—the Su Family’s version was far more refined.
The fresh mushrooms in the buns locked in a sweet, juicy flavor, while dried mushrooms added a rich aroma, creating a complex and layered taste. The filling also included chopped greens, key additions like bamboo shoot dice, crispy lard crumbs, and a minimal amount of dried shrimp flakes. One bite released a burst of savory, aromatic juices—so delightful that one wouldn’t trade it for any lavish meat dish!
Even the usually talkative Chen Ge’er ate in complete silence, fully absorbed in the meal.
A plate of steaming mushroom buns vanished in no time, and Ren Momo had to replenish them several times.
Finally, Chen Ge’er, too full to eat another bite, slumped in his chair, patting his stomach with a long sigh. “I just don’t understand,” he said.
Everyone turned to him, curious about what profound insight he was about to share.
“With such divine mushroom buns in existence, why would you compose poems about summer rain? If you’re going to write poetry, it should be about these buns!” Chen Ge’er declared with feigned solemnity.
Su Shi couldn’t help but laugh, tweaking the boy’s topknot as he teased, “It seems you and your uncle are of one mind on this.”
The group shared a laugh.
The next day, coinciding with a rest day, the whole family went to Tianzhusi Temple to visit Shu Ji.
Biancai Fashi pulled Su Shi aside and whispered, “You’ve asked me twice for fermented tea leaves—are you hiding something good?”
He had made a mistake in tea processing, causing several batches of good tea to ferment. The tea’s flavor had changed dramatically; it would be a waste to discard it, but it was undrinkable as is. Just as he was unsure what to do, Su Shi repeatedly asked for the leaves, leading him to suspect that Su Shi had likely concocted something new.
Su Shi didn’t keep it a secret. With a mysterious smile, he said, “There is something good, but it’s not appropriate to discuss in this sacred place.”
Biancai Fashi frowned. Any food that couldn’t be mentioned within temple grounds must involve meat or rich flavors. He wondered how tea combined with such elements could possibly taste good.
Seeing his confusion, Su Shi, ever the joker, dragged him outside the temple and revealed the secret of red bean milk tea, leaving Biancai Fashi utterly astounded.
After a long pause, Biancai Fashi asked, “So, this drinking method was invented by that clever disciple of yours?”
Su Shi nodded proudly. “You could say that!”
Biancai Fashi’s expression shifted thoughtfully. After a moment’s consideration, he said, “This seems like a truly benevolent act with immeasurable merit. I have quite a bit of that tea lying around with no use. How about I give it all to you?”
Su Shi said, “How could we possibly drink that much!”
“Just host a few more tea gatherings and you’ll have plenty,” Biancai Fashi coaxed.
After a moment’s thought, Su Shi summoned Yuan Niang and asked if she would agree to hold a tea tasting event featuring red bean milk tea, since the recipe belonged to her.
Yuan Niang waved her hand magnanimously. “Go ahead, go ahead! Good things should be shared with everyone!”
Su Shi laughed. “This will settle one of Biancai’s concerns.”
Yuan Niang planted her hands on her hips and declared, “No need to worry about the red bean milk tea recipe being leaked. If anyone asks you for the recipe, just have them exchange one of their own secret culinary recipes!”
Su Shi chuckled. “That sounds like a foolproof business deal.”
As if remembering something, Yuan Niang added, “But no alchemy recipes, no immortality elixirs – only down-to-earth recipes from common kitchens.”
Su Shi coughed lightly, dropping his pretense as he tried to persuade her: “Several Taoist masters possess secret alchemy formulas. Aren’t you curious? What if consuming them could help you achieve immortality?”
Yuan Niang immediately waved her hands in protest. “The Master spoke not of ghosts and gods! How could immortality be so easily attained? People poisoning themselves happens all too often – I want to live a long life!” She certainly didn’t want to suffer heavy metal poisoning at such a young age!
“You don’t believe in divine arts?” Biancai Fashi suddenly interjected.
Yuan Niang shook her head. “Living to seventy already depends on heaven’s mercy – how could eternal life be real?” Not even in her technologically advanced future era could this be achieved!
Biancai Fashi stared at her in stunned silence.
Yuan Niang scratched her head and posed a fundamental question: “Master, aren’t you devoted to Buddhist practice?”
Biancai collected himself and coughed lightly. “Buddhism and Taoism share common roots.”
Yuan Niang: “…”
Alas, the Song emperor’s deep belief in Buddhism and Taoism had influenced many scholars and officials. Even someone as brilliant as Su Shi couldn’t escape being fascinated by Taoist immortality arts.
This was exactly why Yuan Niang had given them that warning earlier – she knew that aside from accidentally inventing gunpowder, alchemy contributed nothing to longevity! Don’t fall for scammers! Others might get duped by Taoist frauds, but not her teacher. Her teacher’s every action could become historical legacy – if he kept getting deceived, she dreaded what would happen to his reputation!
Seeing Yuan Niang’s firm stance, Su Shi sighed regretfully. “Don’t you want to try the immortal dates?”
“What immortal dates?” Yuan Niang asked.
“Seedless celestial dates – extremely rare. Almost no one in this world has tasted them,” Su Shi said mysteriously.
Yuan Niang tried to suppress her laughter, again and again, until she couldn’t hold it anymore. She sat on the doorstep with her back turned, shaking with laughter until tears streamed down her face, her stomach and throat aching from amusement!
After composing herself, she pressed her lips together and asked, “Does teacher want to eat them?”
Su Shi rubbed his fingers somewhat sheepishly.
Yuan Niang said, “Alright, we’ll trade with that date-owning Taoist this time. Your disciple will definitely get you those immortal dates to eat.”
“Then what were you laughing about?” Su Shi asked.
Yuan Niang waved it off. “Nothing, I just hit my funny bone. Please don’t mind me, teacher.”
She thought to herself: I wonder how he’ll react when I produce a handful of seedless dates! Will he be awestruck? What bad intentions could teacher possibly have? He just wants to taste some “immortal dates”!
Thinking of this, Yuan Niang added, “We can trade, and you can eat it, but Master mustn’t write this down.”
“Why?” Su Shi asked.
“All affairs succeed through secrecy and fail through exposure. What if writing it down makes it stop working?” Yuan Niang declared with conviction.
“That makes sense,” Su Shi nodded gravely.
In the afternoon, she was carried aboard the Painted Boat by her master. The boat was already filled with distinguished guests, with exquisite delicacies laid out in abundance. There were even dancing girls and singers to accompany the drinking.
Her eyes widened roundly, somewhat bewildered.
When the crowd saw Su Shi arrive, they all rose to greet him, saying, “Master Su.”
Su Shi waved his hand, signaling everyone to sit. He turned and placed Yuan Niang on the seat beside him, freeing both hands.
Seeing this, the guests swarmed around again—some urging him to drink, others begging for poems, some requesting calligraphy, and still others seeking advice on contemporary literature. The scene was lively and diverse.
Yuan Niang accepted a fruit wine handed to her by a beautiful songstress and sipped it carefully. Turning her head, she noticed a delicate, jade-like little girl sitting beside her, about her own age, though she didn’t know which family she was from.
Noticing Yuan Niang’s gaze, the girl smiled faintly and said, “Hello, sister! I’m Chen Shiyi Niang. Chen Yunjian is my brother!”
Yuan Niang blinked, still trying to recall who Chen Yunjian was. Just then, Little Taotie woke up, tempted by the delicious food on the table, and overheard their conversation. It reminded her, “Su Yu’s deskmate.”
Yuan Niang facepalmed. Of all things to bring up…
Chen Shiyi Niang’s smile revealed two deep dimples, sweet and adorable. She didn’t mention Yuan Niang’s poem-writing incident at school but asked curiously, “I heard from Father that Su Zi is hosting a Tea Tasting Party at West Lake, so I pestered him to bring me along.”
Yuan Niang raised an eyebrow. Well, well, her master’s charm—from ninety-nine to just learning to walk, no one could resist it.
Yuan Niang shared half of her fruit wine with the girl, thinking to herself: Since you like my master, you’re a good kid worth befriending!
Shiyi Niang leaned in secretly and whispered, “Su Zi is so handsome and talented. I’ve decided—when I grow up, I’m going to marry him!!”
Yuan Niang choked on her fruit wine upon hearing this and coughed uncontrollably. Well, well, I share my drink with you, and you’re already thinking of becoming my master’s wife? I can’t let you have your way! So she said, “By the time you grow up, my master will be old.”
“I don’t mind!” Chen Shiyi Niang remained stubbornly persistent. It wasn’t that the child was truly obstinate—children this young hardly understand concepts like marriage. Expressing admiration for someone often just means wanting to marry them when they grow up.
Just then, Su Shi’s surroundings had somehow quieted down. He tapped Yuan Niang on the head and said with a teasing smile, “Don’t you dare say your master is old.”
“Fine then! As long as you don’t mind me being young now, I promise I won’t mind you being old later. I’ll definitely care for you in your old age and perform all filial duties—you can count on it!” Having drunk the fruit wine, Yuan Niang chattered away, amusing all the guests present.
Someone took the opportunity to ask, “Master Su, since you’ve invited us here today, do you have some good tea to share?”
Su Shi nodded. “Indeed, I have something special.” He clapped his hands, and a page waiting outside the Painted Boat brought in a warming bucket. Inside the bucket, sealed bamboo tubes were soaking in hot water.
The guests were puzzled, but Su Shi was always one for innovation. What fresh novelty was he introducing this time?! They were extremely curious.
Su Shi instructed his page to distribute bamboo tubes to everyone present—one for each person, no more and no less. Even Chen Shiyi Niang received one.
Following Su Shi’s example, everyone opened the lids and quietly examined the contents. A blend of milky and tea aromas wafted toward them—a novelty indeed. Someone asked aloud, “Is this a new way of whisking tea?”
The person beside him shook his head and refuted, “It doesn’t seem like it. Whisked tea only looks like milk, but this tea seems to actually have milk added, yet lacks any milky fishy taste. It’s quite peculiar.”
Su Shi said with a smile, “This is a new creation my disciple came up with in her spare time. I find it quite delightful and specially invited you all to try it.”
Chen Shiyi Niang, being a child, had no patience for the adults’ chatter. She had already found a reed straw and was noisily slurping up the milk tea.
As soon as it touched her lips, her eyes widened, and she looked at Yuan Niang, exclaiming, “It’s delicious, really delicious! Sister, did you make this?”
Yuan Niang nodded and replied with a laugh, “I also think this kind of tea is tasty.”
Those present were all from well-off families who could afford milk and fine tea, but this was their first time encountering such a way of drinking tea. The vast majority found it highly appealing.
Chen Shiyi Niang quickly slurped down an entire bamboo cup and wanted more, but there was none left. She ended up drinking her father’s portion as well, yet still hadn’t had her fill.
Seeing how much she liked it, Magistrate Chen considered buying the recipe from Yuan Niang. However, he learned that she wasn’t selling it—only exchanging it for unique culinary recipes.
The Chen family, with their vast estate, had many exclusive dishes. Yuan Niang specifically requested the recipe for “Dian Su Pan.”
Seeing this, others also clamored to exchange recipes—for brewing wine, making soups, preparing medicinal dishes, cooking fish, stewing chicken, crafting pastries, and more.
By the time the banquet concluded, she had gathered a thick stack of recipes—all authentic and unmistakably from the Song Dynasty!
Yuan Niang couldn’t help but marvel, “Even if I were to open a shop right away, this would be more than enough to sustain it!”
Su Shi patted her head and said, “These are all valuable items. Keep them safe.”
Yuan Niang tucked the recipes into her deerskin pouch, waved goodbye to Shi Yi Niang, and then climbed onto her master’s shoulders as they left the West Lake Painted Boat.
The lanterns of Hangzhou were just beginning to glow, shining as brightly as daylight.
Su Shi walked along the lakeside embankment toward Su Mansion, explaining to her how to recognize the way home so she wouldn’t get lost again.
Yuan Niang’s little head nodded drowsily as she listened, half-asleep. In a daze, she finally asked, “Master, did you get the immortal dates?”
Su Shi chuckled and placed a bright red, crisp date into her hand, saying, “I only wish for my disciple to live a long life.”
Yuan Niang jolted awake!! What?! Her master had actually obtained an “immortal date”!!
Ahhh!! In the eyes of superstitious Song Dynasty people, this was a clear chance at immortality!! And he had just given it to her?! This wasn’t just a master—he was more like a father than her own father!!!
Yuan Niang stared at the miraculous date, too excited to speak!
She had been wrong to laugh at her master’s obsession with cultivating immortality before. Who was he doing it for? It was all for her! What kind of person was she, Lin Puyuan, to deserve such devotion?!
Su Shi laughed and said, “Stop staring at it. Hurry up and eat it.”
Yuan Niang took a small knife from her pouch, split the jujube in two, and declared, “Master and disciple share everything—how could I keep such a delicacy to myself!” Without waiting for a reply, she stuffed half the jujube into Su Shi’s mouth and ate the other half herself.
Su Shi smiled warmly and said, “Now it’s settled. If ascension to immortality is truly possible, our master-disciple pair will claim it together!” But most importantly, after this incident, the rumor that his disciple was a foolish child would surely cease to spread.
The little one need not worry about anything—just grow up safe and sound.
The city glowed with countless lights, its pavilions and towers arranged in graceful disorder, resembling a celestial palace in the heavens.