The next day, Zhenzhen and Fengxian arrived at Mussel Tower on time to showcase their culinary skills alongside the eight other shortlisted women. The courtyard behind Mussel Tower was already stocked with a variety of ingredients: mountain delicacies, seafood, poultry, fruits, and vegetables, as well as some medicinal herbs commonly used in cooking. Although the selection was abundant, the quantities of certain key ingredients were limited. Following the rules, the women first drew lots to determine their order, then went to the courtyard to choose two main ingredients each, which they would bring to the kitchen to prepare two dishes. If a scarce ingredient desired by a later participant had already been taken by someone earlier in the order, they could negotiate an exchange. However, if the other party refused, they would have to choose from the remaining ingredients.
Zhenzhen’s order was relatively early, so she selected Scallop Adductor and Mandarin Fish from the main ingredients—she was particularly skilled at dishes centered around seafood. After her, two more women chose Scallop Adductor, and this ingredient was quickly depleted. Another girl who came later seemed to want Scallop Adductor as well, but by the time it was her turn, only an empty plate remained. Sighing repeatedly, she reluctantly chose shrimp instead, then turned to the cages of birds on the opposite side and caught two Turtle Doves.
Perhaps sensing their impending fate, the two Turtle Doves struggled and let out a few mournful coos that sounded quite pitiful. Zhenzhen, who was on her way to the kitchen, couldn’t help but pause and glance back at the doves and the girl who had chosen them.
Zhenzhen held a tray with Scallop Adductor and Mandarin Fish. The girl carrying the Turtle Doves noticed Zhenzhen looking at her and returned the gaze, her eyes quickly drawn to the Scallop Adductor, which she stared at for a long while.
Zhenzhen walked over to her and straightforwardly asked, “May I exchange my Scallop Adductor for your Turtle Doves?”
The girl was overjoyed and nodded eagerly. “Yes, of course!”
After obtaining the Scallop Adductor, the girl handed both Turtle Doves to Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen untied the ropes from the doves’ feet, carried them to the center of the courtyard, and lifted them one by one into her palms. She then raised her hands and gently opened her fingers, allowing the doves to spread their wings in the breeze.
The Turtle Doves flapped their wings a few times before taking flight from Zhenzhen’s palms. They circled once above the courtyard and then flew toward the distant dense forest. Zhenzhen watched them with a smile until they disappeared beneath the horizon’s clouds before turning to head to the kitchen. As she turned, she noticed Qin Sishan, the Director of Palace Catering, who was patrolling the courtyard, staring intently at her.
“Why did you release the Turtle Doves?” Qin Sishan asked coldly.
Zhenzhen bowed slightly to her and replied, “Bai Juyi once said, ‘I urge you not to strike the birds on the branches, for their young in the nest await their mother’s return.’ Spring is the season when birds hatch and nurture their young. Birds in early spring, especially, should not be harmed. Killing one may lead to the starvation of an entire nest of fledglings. So I took the liberty of releasing the Turtle Doves… I’m not sure if this violated today’s rules.”
“It doesn’t break the rules,” Qin Sishan said slowly. “Once you’ve chosen the main ingredients, whether you use them is up to you. However, you only had one chance to select main ingredients. Now you have only Mandarin Fish left as your main protein ingredient, yet you must prepare two dishes. You’ll need to think carefully about how to proceed.”Zhenzhen nodded to indicate her willingness to accept the consequences, thanked Qin Sishan, picked up the tray with her ingredients, and continued toward the kitchen. The girl who had exchanged ingredients with her earlier witnessed this scene from the side and quietly followed. She selected four sea prawns from her own plate and placed them into Zhenzhen’s tray. Zhenzhen expressed her gratitude but did not forget to glance back at Qin Sishan, who was still observing her. Seeing Qin Sishan give a slight nod, she accepted the prawns with relief.
Fengxian’s draw placed her unfavorably, ranking second to last. Among the poultry, few options remained, and none were alive. The last available choices were a few quails and one Silkie Chicken, both already plucked and cleaned. She first took the Silkie Chicken. As for aquatic ingredients, only two types of fish were left: the unremarkable crucian carp and the exceptionally delicious yet potentially lethal pufferfish.
Fengxian pondered for a long while, hesitating to make a decision. The woman behind her was Xing Junman, cousin of Yang Shenglin from Mussel Tower. Xing Junman was seventeen years old, having spent three years training at a relative’s restaurant in Lin’an before returning to Pujiang at the beginning of the year. Her appearance was also quite lovely, and the people of Pujiang considered her the most likely candidate for selection, undoubtedly the greatest rival to Zhenzhen and Fengxian. Unfortunately, her luck today was poor, as her draw placed her last, leaving her with only the ingredients others had passed over. Thus, she watched Fengxian intently, deeply concerned about Fengxian’s choice.
While Fengxian was still contemplating, she suddenly noticed Magistrate Shen bowing to Qin Sishan. “This humble official has been suffering from a weak spleen and stomach lately, often finding food tasteless. Today, with the exquisite delicacies presented by the young ladies, I fear I may not have the fortune to fully appreciate them. I must rely entirely on the Inner Lady’s discerning judgment.”
Fengxian carefully observed Magistrate Shen. He appeared to be in his forties, with a sallow complexion and a frail physique, indeed showing signs of a weak spleen and stomach.
In that instant, Fengxian made her decision and chose the crucian carp. As she scooped the fish from the water tank with a small net, she distinctly sensed Xing Junman behind her heave a sigh of relief.
Xing Junman was determined to win this competition. For a young woman like her, the readily available crucian carp was naturally less impressive than a rare ingredient like pufferfish, which could better showcase her extraordinary culinary skills. Fengxian did not look back at her but carried the crucian carp into the kitchen, leaving behind a faint, almost imperceptible smile in the space Xing Junman never noticed.
The kitchen at Mussel Tower was fully equipped, with each of the ten girls having her own workstation and stove. In addition to the main ingredients, supplementary items were primarily vegetables, including various seasonings and grains, as well as some meat scraps such as skin and bones. These were plentiful and available for free use. Zhenzhen selected spring bamboo shoots, fernbrake, mung bean starch, rice, and seasonings like salt, ginger, and pepper. Fengxian, on the other hand, chose dried rehmannia root, maltose, aged tangerine peel, ginger, scallion whites, and some lamb bones.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Qin Sishan signaled to the eunuch beside her. At the eunuch’s command, the women each took their ingredients and began working busily.
Zhenzhen took an appropriate amount of mung bean starch and mixed it with water to form a slurry. Mung bean starch is made by soaking, grinding, filtering, and settling mung beans, resulting in a fine, white powder. The prepared slurry had a milky white appearance.
Zhenzhen placed a cauldron on her stove to boil water. Once the water was boiling, she poured the mung bean slurry into a shallow, thin copper tray. Holding the tray with both hands, she rotated it to spread the slurry evenly across the bottom. Then, she placed the copper tray into the boiling water, letting it float on the surface.After a short while, the liquid solidified into a white sheet. Zhenzhen held chopsticks in both hands and carefully pressed the copper plate into the water. Boiling water seeped into the plate, causing it to gradually sink. Once the mung bean sheet was fully cooked, Zhenzhen removed the copper plate from the pot and immediately placed it into a basin of cold water prepared earlier. After the plate cooled, she took it out, drained the water, and gently peeled the mung bean sheet from the bottom.
The finished sheet was thin, transparent, and resembled ice silk. Zhenzhen cut it evenly into four portions and set them aside.
Next, Zhenzhen took out the Mandarin Fish, removed its scales and entrails, cut off the head and tail, and set the body aside. She meticulously deboned the tail section, diced the fish meat from that part, and also took sea shrimp meat, spring bamboo shoots, and bracken, dicing them as well. All these ingredients were blanched in boiling water, then mixed with cooked oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. She then took one of the prepared mung bean sheets, placed it into a round silver cup, scooped an appropriate amount of the mixed fish, shrimp, bamboo shoot, and bracken filling into the cup, and quickly gathered the four corners of the sheet toward the center, sealing the opening with mung bean starch paste applied with chopsticks. After wrapping, she inverted the silver cup onto a silver plate, lifted the cup, and a plump, round dumpling faintly revealing the fresh colors of its filling appeared on the plate.
This was the "Mountain and Sea Pouch" that Lin Hong had previously made for Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen had modified a few details, moving the steaming step to the final stage after wrapping. The four Mountain and Sea Pouches were placed in a steamer to cook. Zhenzhen also prepared accompanying condiments of vinegar, soy sauce, and Eight-Harmony Relish. When the tasting began, she presented everything to Qin Sishan.
Upon hearing the dish was named "Mountain and Sea Pouch," Qin Sishan asked Zhenzhen about its meaning. Zhenzhen replied, "The Mountain and Sea Pouch contains fish, shrimp, bamboo shoots, and bracken, symbolizing the gathering of mountain delicacies and seafood. Mountains and seas are separated by the central plains, distant and far apart. The meeting of fish and shrimp with bamboo shoots and bracken is a rare encounter; their combination and fusion often create a unique umami flavor. Just like two people from different backgrounds, separated by vast distances, who meet by chance, they can easily attract and complement each other, forming a wonderful bond."
Qin Sishan couldn't help but smile faintly: "Similar dishes have been made in the palace, but they were named 'Fish, Shrimp, Bamboo Shoot, and Bracken Pouch,' which lacks the poetic charm of 'Mountain and Sea Pouch.' Moreover, she cut the sheet into strips, mixed them with the diced fish, shrimp, bamboo shoots, and bracken, and drizzled vinegar for seasoning. The presentation was inferior to the Mountain and Sea Pouch, and unlike yours, which offers several dipping sauces for choice."
Zhenzhen said, "I've noticed that people's tastes vary—some prefer sour, some salty, some like light flavors, while others enjoy rich oils, salts, and spices. So, I thought it best to prepare multiple dipping sauces, leaving the seasoning to the diners."
"You're quite thoughtful for your young age," Qin Sishan remarked. She signaled a palace attendant beside her to bring a Mountain and Sea Pouch. Without adding any sauce, she took a small bite. She did not immediately comment on the taste, but her expression softened.
"What is your other dish?" Qin Sishan asked. She recalled that Zhenzhen's main ingredients were Mandarin Fish and sea shrimp, which seemed to have been used in the Mountain and Sea Pouch, and wondered what the other dish would be made from.
Zhenzhen replied, "It's Mandarin Fish congee. It's still on the stove and should be just done."
Qin Sishan ordered a Junior Eunuch waiting nearby to bring the congee. Shortly after, the Junior Eunuch carried the entire pot used for cooking the congee to the main table. Steam still rising from it carried the fragrant aroma of fresh fish, wafting toward them. Strangely, four threads extended from the edge of the pot, each tied to a copper coin at its lower end, hanging down on the four sides of the copper pot.Qin Sishan observed the copper wires beneath the pot with great interest, then instructed Zhenzhen to lift the lid. Zhenzhen complied, removing the lid and setting it aside. Seeing that the other ends of the four silk threads were submerged in the porridge, Qin Sishan wondered about their purpose and turned her gaze to Zhenzhen, her eyes filled with inquiry.
Zhenzhen smiled faintly, picked up the copper coins one by one, holding all four in her hand, then gently lifted the threads up and down in the porridge a few times. Sensing that the timing was right, she exerted force and pulled upward.
A complete fish skeleton, except for the head and tail, gradually emerged from the surface of the porridge as her hand rose.
It turned out that the four silk threads were threaded through the spine of the Mandarin Fish. The raw fish, with its head, tail, and skin removed, had been submerged in the water and cooked together with the rice. Once the porridge was done, the fish meat had melted into the porridge. Since Mandarin Fish have no fine bones, all that remained was this skeleton. By pulling the fine threads, the entire fish bone was extracted from the porridge.
(To be continued)
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