The construction work for the estate workshop was handed over to Master Yun.
Yun Zhiyue suddenly found herself much more relaxed.
Then she suddenly remembered—
Right, they were running out of ice.
She needed to figure out how to make more.
Ice… making ice…
Modern freezers made ice, but ancient times obviously had no refrigerators.
Saltpeter ice-making…
That might be worth trying.
“Lüliu, where can I find saltpeter?”
Lüliu looked confused.
“Miss… what is saltpeter?”
Yun Zhiyue: “……”
“Forget it. Let’s go out for a walk.”
She still hadn’t properly explored the streets of this ancient world yet.
Instead of heading toward the bustling commercial district, Yun Zhiyue chose the chaotic marketplace.
Suddenly, she stopped before a pork stall.
Lüliu looked puzzled.
“Miss, are you buying groceries? Leave these things to this servant. How can you personally come to such a filthy place? What if the smell gets onto your clothes?”
The pork seller noticed the two finely dressed young women and immediately assumed they were wealthy customers. His face quickly brightened with a smile.
“Miss, would you like to buy pork?”
Yun Zhiyue pointed toward the bucket in the lower corner beside him.
“I want those pig intestines and that pig head meat too.”
Braised pig intestines.
Stir-fried pig intestines.
Grilled pig intestines…
In the modern world, those were delicious delicacies.
Yet here, nobody wanted them.
What a bargain for her.
The butcher’s smile froze awkwardly.
His gaze became strange.
This young lady was dressed so elegantly—why did she seem mentally unsound?
What normal person would buy these things?
This was the imperial capital beneath the Son of Heaven’s rule.
Though not everyone was rich, everyone could at least afford food.
These pig offal scraps were things he couldn’t even give away for free.
“Miss… are you serious?”
By now, Lüliu was no longer surprised.
Her young miss simply loved buying things other people didn’t want.
Yun Zhiyue nodded casually, unconcerned by the butcher’s strange stare.
“How much altogether? Could you also deliver them to the Yun residence in East Alley?”
“Uh…”
The butcher hesitated.
He genuinely didn’t dare.
If he carried pig intestines to a wealthy household, he might get thrown out before reaching the door.
Perhaps noticing his reluctance, Yun Zhiyue placed a silver tael on the chopping board.
“One tael of silver. I’ll take the pig offal, and you can deliver it as well.”
The moment he saw the money, the butcher immediately grinned broadly.
“Yes, yes! Certainly!”
Who cared anymore? Money was money.
The two girls wandered around the streets for another while.
Then a signboard suddenly caught Yun Zhiyue’s attention.
Knows-All Hall.
Lüliu noticed her pause and looked up.
“Miss, this place specializes in selling information. They charge according to the importance of the news.”
Yun Zhiyue understood immediately and walked inside.
A waiter quickly led her upstairs.
An intricately carved folding screen divided the room in two.
Behind the screen sat a faint silhouette.
Judging from the figure, it was probably a man.
“Miss may write down whatever information she wishes to inquire about.”
“Once payment is made, you will receive an answer.”
Yun Zhiyue picked up a brush and wrote several words before setting it down.
The waiter immediately carried the paper behind the screen.
“This information costs one tael of silver.”
Lüliu untied her money pouch and paid.
Shortly afterward, the waiter returned with a slip of paper.
Yun Zhiyue lowered her eyes to read it and finally understood.
So this dynasty did possess saltpeter mines.
However, they were all strictly controlled by the imperial court and used mainly for military gunpowder production.
She really had oversimplified things.
Still, old walls and abandoned buildings often naturally accumulated saltpeter residue too.
Afterward, the two visited an apothecary to buy seasonings before returning home.
Madam Yun stood at the entrance covering her nose with a silk handkerchief while staring at the butcher holding the pig intestines.
Her forehead twitched violently.
“You’re saying… the eldest miss personally bought these from the butcher shop?”
The butcher immediately nodded.
“Yes. That young lady instructed me to deliver them to the Yun residence in East Alley.”
The surrounding servants all wore indescribable expressions.
The eldest miss was becoming increasingly unreliable.
Madam Yun waved her hand immediately, clearly unwilling to look another second longer.
“Someone take those things into the kitchen.”
When Yun Zhiyue returned home, she found Master and Madam Yun already seated in the main hall.
“Father. Mother.”
Madam Yun quickly grabbed her daughter’s hands and cautiously asked:
“Good daughter… tell Mother honestly. Why did you buy those things?”
Such a good daughter—why did she insist on buying these bizarre ingredients?
“To cook with, of course.”
“Those are perfect as drinking snacks. Father will definitely love them.”
Master Yun: “……”
His daughter was being a little too filial.
Madam Yun glanced at her husband’s expression and couldn’t help laughing.
“Yes, yes, all for your father. Your father loves eating such things the most.”
As long as he ate it and not her.
“Steward, personally take people to search for old abandoned houses and outhouses.”
“If you see white residue on the walls, scrape it off and collect it for me.”
“Yes, Eldest Miss.”
“Lüliu, take people to the kitchen and wash the pig intestines thoroughly with plant ash until there’s no smell left.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Yun Zhiyue calmly issued orders one after another.
Next, she needed to properly think through the plans for opening a restaurant.
At the moment, she possessed instant noodles and unlimited lemons.
Ancient times also had many ingredients she could make use of.
The seasonings were somewhat limited, but that wasn’t a major issue.
Yun Zhiyue bustled around the kitchen while servants whispered outside the doorway.
“Do you think whatever the eldest miss is making can actually be eaten?”
“To be honest, these things are only eaten by people too poor to afford meat.”
“But our household doesn’t lack meat at all.”
“Don’t forget—the phoenix claws Miss made last time were delicious.”
Not far away, Madam Yun repeatedly reminded her husband:
“When it’s finished, you must taste it.”
“You absolutely cannot make our daughter feel disappointed. Otherwise, you can sleep in the study tonight.”
Master Yun sighed helplessly.
“I know, Madam.”
Secretly, he prayed the dish would truly taste good.
Yun Zhiyue lifted the pot lid in the kitchen.
A wave of rich braised fragrance burst outward with the steam.
The aroma instantly spread throughout the entire residence.
Everyone in the household began sniffing the air.
So fragrant.
Incredibly fragrant.
Where exactly was this smell coming from?
One servant suddenly exclaimed:
“It smells like it’s coming from our kitchen.”
Everyone froze.
Wasn’t the kitchen currently occupied by the eldest miss cooking pig intestines?
“Master, the smell is actually quite good. It should be edible.”
Master and Madam Yun hurried over.
“Yue’er, is it ready?”
Yun Zhiyue personally lifted out a section of pig intestine, sliced it into pieces, and neatly plated it.
“Father, try it. You’ll definitely like it.”
The smell was wonderful.
But the moment Master Yun remembered what intestines were used for, he found himself unable to eat.
“Father? What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you dislike it?” Yun Zhiyue asked curiously.
“Yue’er, how could your father dislike it?” Madam Yun quickly interrupted. “He’s simply been stunned silly by the fragrance.”
Taking a deep breath, Master Yun finally picked up a piece and slowly chewed.
The texture was soft, chewy, and springy.
Rich without being greasy.
Perfectly coated in savory sauce.
Extremely fragrant.
His daughter had been right.
He really did like it.
If paired with some wine, it would be even better.
Master Yun ate several pieces in succession before finally stopping.
“Very delicious. Father loves it.”
“There’s still plenty left. Father should try the others too.”
Master Yun sampled each dish one by one, his eyes shining brighter and brighter.
He was practically dying to go brag to his friends.
“Yue’er! Father is going to invite my friends over right now so we can drink wine together while tasting this food. Make sure to save some for us!”
Before anyone could reply, he practically sprinted away.
Madam Yun: “……”
Didn’t the household already have servants?
Why was her husband running so fast?