In the blink of an eye, the day of the banquet arrived.
Master Song led several instructors and purchasing officials toward the garden, inwardly feeling immensely grateful. The elegant garden he had bought on a whim had finally come in handy.
The instructors actually hadn’t been very eager to attend. They had been invited to quite a few banquets lately, and most had been rather dull. They hadn’t expected much from this one either. But after receiving the invitation, they all changed their minds a little.
First, they had never heard of a “Fragrant Memories Banquet,” so there was bound to be something new about it. Second, the calligraphy on the invitation was exceptionally beautiful, and there was even a poem attached to it. The poem was quite good and made them curious to meet the person who had written it.
Naturally, both the invitation and the poem had been written by Lu Sheng. His handwriting had caught Song Bowen’s eye immediately.
The garden that Master Song had purchased was in the suburbs and had beautiful scenery. But it was already winter—the chrysanthemums were nearly withered, and the plum blossoms had yet to bloom. They were curious to see what novelty could possibly justify calling it the “Fragrant Memories Banquet.”
When they were only a few steps from the flower garden, someone suddenly said, “Why is there a person over there?”
Not far ahead stood a plum tree. Although it wasn’t yet the season for plum blossoms, the tree was covered in white flowers. A swing hung from one of its branches, and on the swing sat someone dressed in white.
Master Song merely smiled.
The group quickly approached and realized that it was actually a painting. The beauty was painted life-size and looked so lifelike that only upon getting close did they realize she wasn’t real. The figure had been cut out along its outline and pasted onto the swing.
“Wonderful!” they exclaimed.
Smiling, Master Song introduced it.
“This is made with our own paper and our own ink. Gentlemen, please feel free to touch it.”
The purchasing official stepped forward thoughtfully and ran a hand over it. The paper was much thicker and sturdier than ordinary paper, and the vivid ink didn’t smear at all.
“Indeed, very impressive.”
As he withdrew his hand, he accidentally brushed against one of the plum blossoms. He froze.
“The flowers are fake too?”
“The entire tree is fake,” Master Song replied.
The group hurried over to inspect the incredibly realistic plum tree, clicking their tongues in amazement.
After admiring the plum blossoms to their hearts’ content, they walked a little farther and arrived beneath an apricot tree.
Pink-and-white apricot blossoms covered the ground, and beneath the tree stood a young girl in white and pink, leaning forward with a round fan in her hand as she tried to catch a butterfly.
Past the apricot blossoms came peach blossoms. Behind the peach tree, a girl in pink peeked out from behind the trunk…
After finishing their stroll through the garden, they had seen all Twelve Flower Goddesses. The instructors and purchasing officials were utterly convinced.
“No wonder it’s called the Fragrant Memories Banquet,” one of them said. “It’s truly quite interesting.”
“And these paintings are remarkable as well. I’ve never seen this style before, but they’re so lifelike.”
Master Song laughed heartily.
“Gentlemen, I’m not boasting, but the Fragrant Memories Banquet is far more than this.”
Everyone’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued.
By then, they had reached the pavilion in the center of the garden.
The pavilion had been completely remodeled. Thick velvet curtains hung on all sides, and silver-thread charcoal burned in the corners. The moment they stepped inside, it felt as warm as spring.
The dishes had already been set on the table.
They were all ordinary banquet dishes—four cold dishes and six hot dishes, with both meat and vegetables. The guests looked at them and burst into laughter.
“Shopkeeper Song, we were waiting for your surprises. These dishes don’t seem particularly special.”
Master Song waved his hand calmly.
A maid bowed and withdrew.
“Don’t be impatient,” he said. “The real dishes haven’t arrived yet.”
A short while later, the serving maid returned, followed by seven other maids, each carrying a covered dish. The last maid carried a tray with four white porcelain bowls.
Song Bowen and Lu Sheng also entered.
The maids placed the six dishes on the table and withdrew.
Master Song introduced the two young men.
“This is my son, Song Bowen, and this is his friend, Lu Sheng. The entire banquet was organized by these two, so I’ll let them introduce the dishes.”
The guests were stunned to hear that the banquet had been arranged by these youngsters.
But their attention was immediately drawn away as the two began uncovering the dishes.
Song Bowen lifted the lid of the first dish.
“Peerless Beauty.”
Inside were peony-shaped steamed buns.
Lu Sheng uncovered the next.
“Blazing Splendor.”
It was a plate of peach blossom dumplings.
Song Bowen revealed the third.
“Golden Radiance.”
It was Chrysanthemum Fish.
Lu Sheng opened the fourth.
“Lotus Rising from Water.”
It was Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth.
Song Bowen unveiled the fifth.
“Ascending Step by Step.”
It was a cucumber cup arranged like bamboo.
Lu Sheng opened the final dish.
“Red Lotus Blossoms.”
It was lotus pastries.
When all six dishes had been uncovered, everyone stared at the table full of flowers in complete shock.
“These… these can actually be eaten?” someone asked in a trembling voice.
“Of course they can,” Lu Sheng said with a smile. “Would you like to try?”
Naturally, they did.
Song Bowen pushed forward a tray of peony buns.
There were exactly four of them—one for each guest.
“This is the Peony Bun. It tastes like milk-flavored steamed bread,” he explained. “The peony alone is worthy of being called the national beauty, and when it blooms, it stirs the entire capital. That’s why it’s called ‘Peerless Beauty.'”
The guests looked at the bun, which had blossomed like a real flower, and couldn’t bear to bite into it. They merely tore off a petal and tasted it, unwilling to destroy the beautiful creation.
Next came the peach blossom dumplings.
Unlike the buns, these dumplings were translucent, delicate as crystal.
“Peach Blossom Crystal Dumplings. The filling is pork and shrimp. We already asked about everyone’s dietary restrictions, so you should all be able to eat them.”
“Peach trees flourish; their blossoms blaze brilliantly. Please enjoy.”
Everyone picked up a dumpling and cautiously took a bite.
The flavor was completely different from the peony bun.
The bun was simply a beautiful steamed bread, but the dumplings were both beautiful and delicious.
The skin was thin, chewy, and slightly springy. The filling burst with juice, and every bite contained the sweetness of shrimp.
“This is excellent!” one of them exclaimed, wishing there were more.
After the dumplings came the Chrysanthemum Fish.
The fish had been sliced into evenly sized strips without cutting all the way through, coated in starch, deep-fried, and then drizzled with sweet-and-sour sauce. The entire dish was a brilliant golden color.
“This is made from snakehead fish from our county,” Song Bowen explained. “The flavor is sweet and sour.”
Everyone tasted it.
The outside was crispy, while the inside remained tender. The sweet-and-sour sauce clung to the fish, creating a flavor they had never experienced before.
This is really fish?
Lu Sheng looked at their astonished expressions and pushed forward the dish that had taken the most time and effort—Boiled Cabbage in Supreme Broth.
When he had first heard what ingredients went into this dish, he had been stunned.
“This dish is called Boiled Cabbage. But this ‘boiled water’ is not ordinary boiled water. One taste and you’ll understand.”
The dish truly lived up to the name “Lotus Rising from Water.”
The broth was crystal clear with a faint golden hue, like the surface of a pond. In the center floated a cabbage heart carved into the shape of a lotus blossom.
The guests looked at it, uncertain where to begin.
“The essence of this dish lies in the soup,” Lu Sheng hinted.
They immediately picked up their porcelain spoons and sipped the broth.
The rich, concentrated flavor exploded across their taste buds.
Only then did they understand what he meant.
After all, the soup had been made from half a pork knuckle, one chicken, and two ducks simmered together.
After drinking the soup, they eagerly began eating the cabbage.
“The flavor of this broth is extraordinary,” one instructor sighed. “At first glance it seems as clear as water, but only after tasting it do you understand its depth.”
Lu Sheng smiled.
“The soup was simmered from half a pork knuckle, an old hen, and two fat ducks over a gentle fire for two hours.”
Everyone marveled at the cook’s ingenuity.
After the Boiled Cabbage, most dishes seemed somewhat ordinary by comparison.
Although the bamboo-shaped cucumber cups and the sweet lotus pastries were also well received, Lu Sheng could tell that everyone’s enthusiasm couldn’t compare to when they had tasted the soup.
He exchanged a glance with Song Bowen.
It was time to give these refined scholars one final, fiery shock.
“Gentlemen,” Song Bowen said, “there is a white porcelain bowl beside each of you. This is the surprise we saved for the end.”
“You may open them now. This dish is called ‘A Lone Boat Amid Ten Thousand Green Mountains.'”
Everyone lifted the lids.
An incredibly domineering sour fragrance rushed out.
Inside the bowls floated dark-green pickled vegetables in a yellow-green broth, with a single white slice of fish resting among them.
The guests scooped up a spoonful and tasted it.
The intense sour and spicy flavors immediately swept over their taste buds.
What a stimulating flavor!
The fish was tender, the pickled vegetables crisp and refreshing.
After only a few bites, the foreheads of these men, who were accustomed to bland food, began to bead with sweat.
Yet no one could stop eating.
They finished every last drop.
Song Bowen and Lu Sheng exchanged another glance.
Saving the pickled fish for the end had been the right decision.
Its flavor was simply too powerful. Anything eaten afterward would seem bland.
After being thoroughly overwhelmed by the entire banquet, the guests couldn’t help but sigh.
“Shopkeeper Song, we’ve underestimated you. Your chef is truly extraordinary!”
“I remember the chef in your household is Chef Lin. Did he prepare this feast? His culinary skills have improved tremendously!”
Master Song smiled and waved his hand.
“The ordinary dishes from earlier were Chef Lin’s work. These dishes, however, were not.”
“Oh?”
The speaker became interested.
“Then whose handiwork are they? Such ingenious ideas!”
Master Song instinctively looked at Lu Sheng, uncertain whether he wanted others to know that his elder sister was the chef.
Lu Sheng actually didn’t mind.
He simply didn’t know how to introduce Lu Yan.
He certainly couldn’t say that she had been bought by his father to become his future wife.
So he accepted Lu Yan’s public explanation and said,
“These dishes were prepared by my elder sister.”
The instructors were surprised.
Not only by the unusual relationship, but also by the fact that this remarkable chef was a young woman.
They immediately wanted to meet her.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, things were quite different.
This time, unlike during the tasting session, Chef Lin and all of his assistants were present.
The two sides had different responsibilities and worked separately without interfering with one another.
At first, Chef Lin had looked down on Lu Yan, thinking Master Song must be joking to let a little girl prepare the banquet.
But after watching her create one miraculous flower-shaped dish after another, all that remained was admiration.
With a sizzling sound, hot oil was poured over the pickled fish, releasing its domineering sour and spicy aroma.
Lu Yan filled the four porcelain bowls.
Her work was finally complete.
She turned around.
Chef Lin and his two apprentices were all staring blankly at the basin of pickled fish, unconsciously swallowing.
At that moment, Lu Yan’s own stomach growled.
They had been busy all morning. It was time to eat.
She mixed together sweet vinegar soy sauce, minced garlic, and chili oil to make a dipping sauce. Then she carried out the cooked pork knuckle, duck, chicken, and a basin of pickled fish to the stone table in the courtyard.
“You must all be hungry. Come eat.”
Chef Lin swallowed again and grinned foolishly.
“Then we won’t stand on ceremony.”
Just as Lu Yan and the others were enthusiastically devouring the food, a maid came running over.
“Miss Lu, the gentlemen in front would like to see you.”
Lu Yan froze.
What? Since when do customers want to meet the chef after eating?
She looked down at the old clothes she was wearing—hand-me-downs from Xu Shi—and felt speechless.
Even after making money, she had never thought of buying new clothes.
If she had known chefs needed to meet customers, she would have bought a proper outfit.
After straightening her clothes, she followed the maid.
The moment the instructors saw Lu Yan, all their romantic imaginings vanished.
She was simply too young.
Still, with such ingenious ideas and with a younger brother who was clearly talented in literature, they didn’t dare look down on her and instead offered several words of praise.
Lu Yan wasn’t good at handling such situations, so she simply wore a humble expression and listened.
“Miss Lu’s hardships are only temporary,” one instructor said. “Your brother’s success is just around the corner. Once he passes the examinations, your good days will come.”
Lu Yan smiled and nodded.
“I’ve been looking forward to that day. When Lu Sheng becomes a scholar and enters the county academy, I’ll have to rely on all of you teachers to look after him.”
The banquet ended in an atmosphere of mutual compliments and courtesy.
Before leaving, each guest was given a paper bag to take home.
According to Lu Yan, it was called a “souvenir gift.”
Inside each bag was a high-quality set of the Four Treasures of the Study and a box of Brush Pastries made by Lu Yan.
The pastry’s handle was made from hardened sugar, while the brush tip consisted of flaky pastry filled with sweet red bean paste.
The pastries were shaped exactly like writing brushes and were both delicious and charming.
The instructors all had children at home, and their families were delighted with the gifts.
Once again, the instructors marveled at the Song family’s thoughtful arrangements.
And in their hearts, they had already reached a conclusion.