“Baking?”
Lin Shanyue had never heard the word before, but she could more or less guess that these were all wonderful tools and ingredients for making pastries.
There were all kinds of bowls and utensils she had never seen before, along with ingredients like butter, condensed milk, and many others.
Huo Yi said, “I’ll give you a book. Take a look and see if you can recognize the writing. Even if you can’t, it doesn’t matter—you can learn from the pictures.”
What he tossed through the mirror was naturally a baking cookbook.
Lin Shanyue carefully opened it.
“Although some of the characters look a little different, they haven’t changed that much. Reading it shouldn’t be too difficult. And these illustrations…” She looked at the pages in amazement. “They’re incredibly clear.”
“That’s good. Take your time learning. If you ever need anything, just tell me and I’ll send it over.”
Lin Shanyue was overwhelmed with gratitude.
She almost felt as if she were dreaming.
“I don’t know what blessings I accumulated in my previous life to have met you, Young Master. Thank you… truly, thank you so much.”
Seeing her flushed little face full of excitement, Huo Yi couldn’t help but smile.
He cleared his throat.
“I’m not helping you for free. Once you make money, you’ll be able to help me find valuable antiques and treasures.”
Then he changed the subject.
“So… what’s for lunch today?”
Only then did Lin Shanyue snap out of her excitement.
Smiling, she replied,
“Today I made ge da tang—dough-drop soup. Would you like to try it?”
Dough-drop soup…
Huo Yi hadn’t eaten something so humble in many years.
The only memories he had of it were from childhood, when he was sick with a fever. His grandmother and mother would always make him a steaming bowl, saying that sweating after eating it would help him recover.
“…I’d like that.”
His voice drifted away with nostalgia.
Lin Shanyue nodded with a smile.
“Oh, by the way, Young Master. I brought home a little maid today. Though I treat her more like a younger sister. Her name is Chunlan, and she’ll probably be around the house often. As for… your existence… I’m not sure what I should tell her. Do you have any advice?”
Huo Yi thought for a moment.
“Don’t tell her for now. If she asks about these things, just say they came from Yangzhou Prefecture. Keep the explanation simple. There’s no need to say more.”
Lin Shanyue nodded.
“Understood.”
While Chunlan busied herself cleaning the room next door, Lin Shanyue settled Little Bao down before returning to the kitchen.
The butter, condensed milk, and other strange ingredients obviously didn’t exist in this world.
She decided to transfer them into ordinary ceramic jars first.
As for the books, she hid them beneath her bed, intending to study them carefully that evening.
Soon, the dough-drop soup was ready.
A large steaming pot filled the room with warmth.
Besides the soft dough dumplings, it contained diced potatoes, diced radishes, tomatoes, ribbons of beaten egg, as well as wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms she’d bought earlier that day.
It was a hearty meal with both vegetables and noodles.
Tomatoes were a relatively new vegetable in the capital. When they first appeared years ago, their bright red color had frightened people away.
Only after tasting them did everyone discover their pleasantly sweet-and-sour flavor.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Lin Shanyue first carried a bowl into her room for Huo Yi.
Then she turned and called Chunlan.
“Come eat.”
“Madam, I think I’ve almost finished cleaning.”
“Good. Eat first. Tonight we’ll tidy up the rest together.”
Chunlan hurriedly waved her hands.
“I can do it myself! I couldn’t possibly trouble you.”
Lin Shanyue smiled.
“It’s alright. Since you’re here now, we’ll live like sisters. There’s no need for so many formalities.”
As she spoke, she ladled a generous bowl of soup for Chunlan.
Chunlan’s eyes immediately turned red.
It wasn’t just Chunlan.
When Huo Yi looked at the enormous bowl of steaming dough-drop soup in front of him, he also fell silent for a moment.
Such a huge bowl…
So much food…
Does this girl think I’m a pig?
But then…
His grandmother had always been the same.
Always worried he wouldn’t eat enough.
Always stuffing another huge bowl into his hands.
He scooped up a spoonful and took a bite.
The familiar taste instantly made his eyes sting.
How many years had it been…
Since he’d tasted something like this?
There were no extravagant side dishes.
No table overflowing with delicacies.
Yet somehow…
This meal left Huo Yi feeling completely satisfied.
The atmosphere in the little courtyard was much the same.
Chunlan and Little Bao were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
It was obvious Chunlan was quite the foodie.
One large bowl after another disappeared into her stomach until she was practically licking the bowl clean.
Little Bao, meanwhile, was holding his own bowl for the first time, slurping away enthusiastically.
Although he managed to spill food everywhere, it was still tremendous progress.
“Little Bao is so clever!”
Lin Shanyue gently rubbed her son’s head.
She decided that the next step would be teaching him how to use a spoon by himself.
After finishing her meal, Chunlan couldn’t help smacking her lips.
“I never imagined your cooking was this amazing, Madam.”
“You said you wanted to start a business…”
“Is it a food business?”
Lin Shanyue smiled.
“Yes. What do you think?”
Chunlan answered with complete seriousness.
“I think you’re going to become rich.”
Those simple words made Lin Shanyue burst into laughter.
“Then I’ll gladly accept your blessing.”
“Were you full? Would you like another bowl?”
By now, Lin Shanyue had a rough idea of Chunlan’s appetite.
Chunlan knew it too and looked embarrassed.
“I’m afraid I’ll end up eating too much of your family’s food.”
“If you don’t mind, please let me do all the heavy work.”
Lin Shanyue smiled.
“Deal.”
Then she promptly filled another bowl for her.
After the meal, washing the dishes naturally became Chunlan’s responsibility.
Lin Shanyue also began teaching her how to make incense.
“There will probably be plenty of work around the house.”
“So don’t worry about eating a little extra.”
“From now on, you’ll be in charge of all the incense-making.”
“I’ll focus on making pastries.”
Chunlan nodded earnestly.
“Don’t worry, Madam. I understand.”
By now, Lin Shanyue had realized Chunlan was dependable.
She no longer had any concerns.
Turning back toward the kitchen, she began experimenting with desserts.
Liu Niang had made herself perfectly clear that day.
From now on, all of Huayue Pavilion’s pastries would depend on Lin Shanyue.
She needed to devote herself wholeheartedly to them while also keeping the prices fair.
She had no intention of cutting corners.
After carefully studying how the unfamiliar baking tools worked, she decided to experiment with the condensed milk.
It was incredibly sweet—even sweeter than fresh milk.
If she added a little to her pastries, the flavor would surely be transformed.
Today she planned to make chestnut cakes.
Chestnuts were especially popular during winter.
Even the sugar-roasted chestnuts sold by street vendors were beloved treats.
She happened to have a basket of fresh chestnuts.
After peeling them, she steamed them until tender and mashed them into a smooth paste.
Since the chestnuts were already cooked, she stirred in just a tiny amount of condensed milk.
After tasting it repeatedly and adjusting the proportions over and over, she finally achieved the perfect balance of sweetness.
Next, she took out the ready-made sweet red bean paste that the Mirror Spirit Young Master had given her.
The combination of chestnut and red bean created beautiful layers of color inside the cake.
Best of all, the red bean paste was already prepared, saving her considerable effort.
She spread one layer of chestnut paste, then one layer of red bean paste, trimmed the edges into neat squares, and shaped some into delicate flowers.
The cakes could be enjoyed either warm or cold.
Finally, she arranged them on the beautiful enamel plates Huo Yi had provided.
Tomorrow, they would be ready for delivery.
Lin Shanyue wasn’t stingy with the finished pastries.
She generously shared them with Chunlan.
The moment Chunlan took her first bite, her eyes widened in disbelief.
“M-Madam!”
“This is… unbelievably delicious!”
She simply couldn’t find the words.
In all her more than ten years of life, she had never tasted anything so fragrant, rich, and sweet.
Lin Shanyue wasn’t surprised by her reaction at all.
Quietly, she thought to herself:
Truthfully… I’d never tasted anything this delicious before either.