Xue Li supported him steadily. “There is no need to worry, sir. It is enough that your body is unharmed.”
Guo Lixiang originally intended to swallow the cake in his mouth so he could thank his savior with proper decorum. However, he hadn’t expected that while he had gulped down the pastry mindlessly when his consciousness was blurred, he would now find its flavor truly miraculous upon careful chewing.
His eyes instantly lit up, and he stared straight at Xue Li. “May I ask the young lady, from which shop was this cake purchased?”
Xue Li smiled slightly and pointed for him to see. “This pastry was not purchased; it was made in my own shop.”
“This cake is called Ginger Jujube Cake, and it warms the stomach to dispel cold. The beverage is a Perilla Drink, which focuses on clearing the meridians, harmonizing the stomach, and dispersing cold from the surface. You collapsed because cold and dampness entered your body, and the cold evil disturbed your mind. This condition is not exactly major, but it is not minor either. For the sake of your health, I advise you to visit a medical clinic.”
Hearing this, Guo Lixiang’s eyes widened into round circles, a bit of uncleaned cake crumb still hanging from the corner of his mouth. For a long while, he was speechless.
A moment later, he slapped his thigh. “Marvelous! Truly a miraculous touch! To think you cured my sudden ailment with just two kinds of food. Young lady, I thought you only had good culinary skills, but I didn’t expect you to be so well-versed in pharmacology as well!”
Xue Li shook her head. “You overpraise me, sir. I only learned a few basics from my father when I was young. I wouldn’t dare claim to be well-versed.”
As for the Ginger Jujube Cake he praised…
In truth, Xue Li’s method was not much different from the usual date cakes found in the market. There was only one difference: she had added some Ceylonese cinnamon powder she had bought from an Arab merchant a few days ago.
This Ceylonese cinnamon had a gentler sweetness than the ordinary cinnamon of the Song Dynasty and possessed an exotic flavor. When mixed into the Ginger Jujube Cake, it created a duet of spicy fragrance and honeyed sweetness with the ginger. This was why the palate of Guo Lixiang—a veteran epicurean and kitchen supervisor with thirty years of experience—found it so novel.
The crowd of onlookers had gradually dispersed after Guo Lixiang woke up. Even though his legs were still a bit weak, he mysteriously pulled Xue Li aside with a face full of admiration. He cupped his hands in a deep bow and said, “To tell you the truth, I am Guo Lixiang, the Kitchen Supervisor of the Marquis of Ningwu’s estate. I am deeply grateful for your great kindness today. However, there is one more matter I wish to ask for the young lady’s help with.”
So, he is a chef from the Marquis’s estate, Xue Li realized.
The Marquis of Ningwu’s estate? Isn’t that the noble household for which the current Emperor issued a special imperial decree to recruit a chef?
Her mind raced, and she couldn’t help but grumble to herself. If that’s the case, just how unpalatable must the food at this estate be to alarm the Emperor enough to issue a decree? Or is the Marquis himself so eccentric and difficult to serve?
Xue Li imagined a whole dramatic saga in her head. She didn’t realize that when Guo Lixiang saw her remain calm and composed after hearing his identity—not only refraining from fawning but not even offering a single word of empty flattery—his heart tightened with even more respect.
I didn’t expect this young lady to be so level-headed at such a young age. Truly extraordinary; she is indeed the person I’ve set my sights on.
He suppressed his thoughts and spoke solemnly: “The young lady’s culinary skills are superb, and you understand pharmacology. The way you balance medicine and food is exactly what the Marquis’s estate needs right now. If you don’t mind, I can recommend you to the estate’s kitchen. Your monthly salary would be several times higher than what you earn from the toil of opening a shop from dawn to dusk, and the holiday bonuses are quite substantial. What do you think?”
His words were sincere and came one after another, nearly leaving Xue Li dazed. He only ate one piece of my cake; how did it turn into him trying to poach me?
Although she had traveled back to this prosperous and wealthy Great Song, she had never intended to become famous. She simply planned to experience the local customs, run a small business, and live a comfortable, free life. As for whether to keep a shop or not, she wasn’t particularly obsessed.
That said, if it was truly about making money, the salary at the Marquis’s estate was indeed high, and working there would be much easier than the daily sweat and hustle of managing the Treasure Delicacies Shop.
But judging from all the signs, that Marquis of Ningwu seemed very eccentric and harsh!
If she truly took a job at that estate, she might have to live a life of servility, cautiously scraping by under his watchful eye. Not to mention bowing and scraping—one small mistake and her head might be at risk. How uncomfortable would that be?
Before she could straighten out her thoughts, Guo Lixiang was already waiting eagerly for her reply. His round, plump face looked naturally kind, and his fervent gaze made Xue Li feel a bit of pity.
“This…” She gave an apologetic smile. “I appreciate the supervisor’s kind intentions. However, I am merely of humble origin and do not understand the etiquette of a great household. I fear that upon entering the Marquis’s gate, I would offend a noble and ruin things. Besides, if I truly leave, what will happen to everyone at the Treasure Delicacies Shop? If the shop closes, they lose their livelihoods. It would be even harder for them to make a living in the future.”
What Xue Li said was truly not an excuse. If she left, what would Xiyu do? Where would those three little beggars go? Although they weren’t exactly living in luxury now, they at least didn’t have to worry about food or clothing and had a stable place to stay. How could she bear to see them return to their past lives of hiding and half-starvation?
“Now that the Emperor has posted a royal bounty to select a chef for the Marquis of Ningwu, Supervisor Guo need not worry. I’m sure in a few days, you will have a new colleague.”
Xue Li had intended to decline gracefully while thanking him for his kindness, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she saw that plate-sized face drop slightly. Following that, a pair of eyes the size of soybeans actually “shua” let out two streams of clear tears that rolled down his cheeks.
“Supervisor, you… hey, don’t cry.” Xue Li hurriedly handed him a handkerchief, her mind racing to figure out which of her previous words had struck a nerve to make him cry so bitterly.
Guo Lixiang waved away her handkerchief and pulled out his own washed-out one to blow his nose. His voice was thick and muffled, and he spoke through tears: “It’s nothing, it’s nothing… but young lady, you don’t understand. The Emperor’s decree to select a chef is precisely because the Marquis has barely touched any of the food I cook since he was wounded. As long as a new chef doesn’t arrive, my heart hangs in suspense every day, fearing that one day the Emperor will fly into a rage and have my head cut off as punishment…”
By the end, Guo Lixiang’s tears were flowing even more tragically. His originally white, doughy face had gradually turned a deep burgundy, and his features were wrinkled in grief. It truly made one see the heartbreaking sorrow of a common worker.
Looking at that burgundy “large flatbread”—no, Guo Lixiang’s face—Xue Li couldn’t help but be moved. She patted his shoulder solemnly. “For the supervisor to have served in the Marquis’s estate for many years, you must have true talent. As for the Marquis, his reluctance to eat your cooking is likely because his injuries on the battlefield affected his spleen and stomach, draining his vitality. That is why his appetite is poor. With time and proper nourishment, he will surely recover as before.”
Though her words were gentle, Xue Li spoke with great confidence. This made Guo Lixiang feel a warmth in his heart. He raised his red, swollen, bean-sized eyes to look at her, a light flickering in them: “By those words, does the young lady have a way?”
“There is a way, naturally,” Xue Li smiled brightly. “Although I cannot enter the estate with you, if we change the method, that is a different story.”
The Marquis of Ningwu’s Mansion.
The room smelled of bitter medicinal herbs, with a faint, lingering scent of blood mixed in.
Qi Xun sat upright and stern at the desk, hands resting on his knees. He wore neither an outer robe nor an inner shirt, leaving a large portion of his wheat-colored skin exposed.
Looking down, a winding saber wound coiled along the left side of his well-defined abdominal muscles. The mark was deep and heavy, enough to make even a physician frown, yet he remained calm and self-possessed.
The Imperial Physician of the Hanlin Academy was carefully changing the dressing. His movements were skilled and respectful. He asked as per routine, “Has the Marquis felt any lingering pain at the wound lately? After taking the prescription for soothing the liver and harmonizing the middle from the day before yesterday, has the abdominal discomfort eased?”
Qi Xun looked down at the newly bandaged wound on his abdomen, then dressed himself efficiently. He replied in a low voice, “Everything has eased. As long as it is not a rainy day, the wound no longer aches. The physician has worked hard.”
“Treating the Marquis is my duty,” the physician replied with a smile as he rose. “The Emperor has been concerned about your injuries. If he knows you have made such progress, he will certainly be at ease.”
After a pause, he added, “I heard from Steward Chu that the Marquis’s appetite has been improving these past few days. At this rate, you will be fully recovered in no time.”
Qi Xun’s movements as he straightened his robes paused slightly, an imperceptible trace of relaxation flickering in his eyes.
Regarding his diet, he knew the truth. His recent improvement in appetite was secondary to the herbal treatment; the real effect came from those few dishes made by the estate’s kitchen.
For some reason, the food that used to seem flavorless had suddenly become exceptionally “right” over the past few days. For example, the dish of Braised Goose Web with Sour Beans from the day before yesterday was perfectly tart and savory with a rich umami flavor; one bite was enough to spark an appetite that had long been dull. Or the Crucian Carp Soup sent yesterday evening—the fish was delicate, and the soup even carried a hint of sweet jujube fragrance. He had mindlessly drunk two bowls.
It was strange. His meals had always been prepared personally by Guo Lixiang. That man had been established in the estate for years, and his skills were well-known to Qi Xun—mediocre and conservative, prioritizing stability over risk. But lately, it was as if he had been struck by a bolt of inspiration; every meal was a new creation, and every dish was remarkable.
Could it be that he has changed his hands for a pair of miraculous ones?
While he was pondering, footsteps came from outside. Yun Feng walked in carrying breakfast, his steps steady. He laid the breakfast out on the low table one by one.
“Marquis, for breakfast today: one bowl of Tofu Soup, one plate of Steamed Perch, one dish of Fermented Pickled Melon, and this…” As Yun Feng spoke, he mysteriously opened a bamboo box, revealing two small pastries inside.
The pastries were quite uniquely shaped—crescent-like, with a golden crust, bulging in the middle and drooping at the ends. They were layered and flaky, and they even emitted a milky fragrance.
Qi Xun’s gaze narrowed, and his voice paused. “This is?”
Yun Feng gave a special introduction: “This is a new pastry made by Supervisor Guo today. He said it’s called a ‘Niujiao Bao’ (Croissant).”
Qi Xun looked down at the snack and couldn’t help but recall the scene when Qi Yue returned to the estate from the market a few days ago. At that time, she had been secretly clutching something in her arms—likely food as well. She had hidden it so tightly that she didn’t even know she had flattened it, only caring about watching out for where he was. Little did she know, he had seen it long ago.
So the original was this item—pointed and bulging, it truly did look a bit like a bull’s horn.
He picked one up. As soon as his fingertips applied pressure, the caramel-colored flaky crust fell away in pieces.
He brought it to his lips and bit down. The layers upon layers of flaky crust exploded between his teeth. The milky fragrance was wrapped in a slight sweetness; it was flaky but didn’t shatter, and it was crispy yet soft. It actually gave his taste buds a jolt, and for a split second, a long-lost sense of satisfaction welled up. And the more he ate, the hungrier he actually felt.
Seeing that he seemed to have a good appetite, Yun Feng couldn’t help but be happy. “The supervisor is indeed an old veteran of the Marquis’s estate; he knows the Marquis’s tastes best.”
Qi Xun brushed away the crumbs with the pad of his finger, his expression as immovable as a mountain.
Precisely because Guo Lixiang was an old veteran of the estate, such a sudden transformation in skill was all the more suspicious.