Yummy Yummy Yummy

Shen Shaoguang entrusted the important task of selecting chicks to A Yuan, washed her hands, and served Lord Lin a Fruit Drink. "What would you like to eat today, my lord?" It wasn’t even lunchtime yet—why had he come so early?

"My grandmother has been suffering from a poor appetite these past few days, finding everything bland. So I came to see if there are any suitable new dishes."

Bland taste... It’s a pity the ham isn’t cured enough yet, otherwise, ham with shepherd’s purse would be worth trying.

Slicing the ham into shreds and mixing it with shepherd’s purse using Sesame Oil Blend—this was the "recipe" Tang Lusun had given to Zhang Henshui.

Back when Zhang Henshui was writing The Golden Era , Jin Yanxi (Jin Qishao) fell ill and craved two light porridge dishes, one of which was a rather Dream of the Red Chamber -style "duck web salad."

Mr. Tang believed that a wealthy young master wouldn’t eat something so hard to digest while sick and suggested changing it to ham with shepherd’s purse instead.

Later, when Zhang contracted malaria in Chongqing and lost his appetite, he recalled this dish and actually had someone prepare it. He then wrote to Mr. Tang, saying, "The so-called porridge dish of rare excellence—now I’ve truly tasted it."

This dish would likely suit the taste of Lord Lin’s grandmother, but alas... Thinking of shepherd’s purse, Shen Shaoguang was reminded of how Lord Lin had avoided mentioning her childhood name, only referring to it as "the former matter," and the expression on his face at the time. Then there was the earlier topic of "killing for meat." Shen Shaoguang couldn’t help but reflect—why do I keep teasing this serious man?

To show she was turning over a new leaf, despite the improper thoughts swirling in her mind, Shen Shaoguang kept her words perfectly proper: "If the Lady Dowager finds everything tasteless, it’s likely due to seasonal influences—some spring dryness. In such cases, nothing beats a bowl of silver ear fungus, red date, and lotus seed soup, simmered until thick. When the porridge is cool enough to eat, add a bit of honey for flavor. It moistens the lungs, relieves dryness, and regulates the spleen and stomach."

Lin Yan nodded with a gentle smile. "Thank you, miss."

"If her digestion is fine but she’s simply tired of the usual fare, I do have two seasonal novelties here." How could she let a guest leave empty-handed? She had to offer something to "seal his lips."

"You may try them first, my lord," Shen Shaoguang said with a smile.

Lin Yan nodded. "I’d appreciate that."

Shen Shaoguang asked him to wait and went to the backyard. In the corner were several plants left by the previous owner, an old man. They were crowded together and hadn’t thrived, so Shen Shaoguang had uprooted or cut down the unwanted ones, leaving only a wisteria vine. After watering and fertilizing it, the half-dead plant had burst into a wall of blossoms by late spring.

Such flowers couldn’t just be admired. Over the past few days, Shen Shaoguang had candied some in honey, preserved others in sugar, rolled some into a three-blend flour batter to make Wisteria Fritters, blended the juice with glutinous rice flour for Wisteria Cake, brewed Wisteria Tea, cooked Wisteria Porridge, and even mixed some into meat filling for dumplings. But after trying all these, she concluded that the simplest and most satisfying way was to fry them!

She picked a few fresh clusters of wisteria blossoms and, without hesitation, plucked a handful of tender mulberry leaves from her neighbor’s overhanging branches. After washing them, she coated the wisteria in a milk-infused egg-and-starch batter and the mulberry leaves in a salted version. Once fried to crisp perfection, she drained them, plated them, sprinkled sugar over the wisteria, and placed a small dish of spiced salt beside the fried mulberry leaves.She added a few pastries made by Yu San, such as Pea Flour Cake, green rice dumplings, hawthorn cakes, and Snowflake Cake, to make up the spread. Since it wasn’t a proper meal, she prepared a bowl of kudzu powder as a drink and placed everything on a large tray to be served.

“Please try the Fried Wisteria Flowers to bid farewell to spring,” Shen Shaoguang said with a smile. Once the wisteria blooms, summer would soon follow.

The fried wisteria flowers had a golden crispy exterior with hints of purple inside. Since they were fried in whole clusters, they did resemble fish somewhat.

Lin Yan picked up a piece of Fried Wisteria Flowers and tasted it. After finishing, he smiled and praised, “Very sweet and fragrant.”

Shen Shaoguang then said, “Lord Lin, why not try the Fried Mulberry Leaves? Though you concern yourself with agriculture and sericulture daily, you probably haven’t tasted this yourself, have you?” Would this guy refuse to eat it because it’s something silkworms feed on?

Lin Yan paused his chopsticks, raised his eyes to meet Shen Shaoguang’s teasing gaze, then looked away and calmly picked up a piece of fried mulberry leaf. He dipped it in the accompanying salt and pepper before slowly chewing.

“Also very good,” he nodded after finishing.

Shen Shaoguang nodded in satisfaction. Well, he was quite down-to-earth. Moreover, Lord Lin seemed to have developed an excellent habit during meals—praising the food.

What a fine habit!

Though his compliments remained at the level of “very good,” with that one exceptional remark during the Shangsi Festival by the Qujiang River likely being an unparalleled masterpiece, Shen Shaoguang was still content. She figured that earning a “very good” from this deputy magistrate in the capital was no small feat—especially since such praise was often followed by generous tips...

Shen Shaoguang beamed and said, “Please enjoy your meal, Lord Lin.” Then she turned away to check on the chicks A Yuan had picked out.

Seeing A Yuan about to feed them millet directly, Shen Shaoguang stopped her. “Give them water first, then try feeding them some moist millet flour.”

A Yuan looked doubtful—after all, the grain shop owner’s wife had always fed chicks plain millet. But trusting her young mistress, she obediently went to the kitchen and mixed some moist millet flour in a dish, placing it in the wooden box.

“Put a bowl upside down in the water dish to prevent the chicks from falling in and catching a chill,” Shen Shaoguang instructed further.

A Yuan nodded. The young mistress was so thoughtful! She immediately placed the bowl as instructed.

“Estimate the chicks’ appetite—don’t put too much food at once. As the weather warms, it might spoil and upset their stomachs.”

“In a couple of days, chop some weeds and vegetable leaves finely and add them to their feed.”

...

Shen Shaoguang had indeed raised chicks on her balcony as a child, though she was far from an expert. The chicks never lived long enough to become biological weapons polluting the indoor air, let alone reach the age where they could be slaughtered for food. But that didn’t stop her from dispensing advice.

A Yuan never questioned her young mistress’s instructions and nodded obediently to each one. From inside, Yu San snorted in amusement.

Under the tiled roof and paper windows, with a gentle breeze blowing, Lin Yan sat before a table adorned with delicate spring-themed pastries and tea. Yet his ears were filled with the incessant “cheep cheep” of chicks and Young Lady Shen’s “chick-rearing expertise.” He couldn’t help but smile. The melancholy of bidding farewell to spring was one thing, but chick feed and water dishes with overturned bowls? Young Lady Shen, you truly are...

“Once they grow a bit bigger, we can let them roam in a fenced area. Make sure the fence is tightly woven, or they might escape and wreak havoc in the vegetable garden.”

“But if there are bugs in the garden, wouldn’t the chicks eat them?”

“The chicks might do more damage than the bugs. Oh, remind me later to thin out the amaranth seedlings and set up trellises for the cucumbers in advance.”"Young Lady, the grapevines you transplanted have sprouted new leaves. Will we get to eat grapes this year?"

"Not likely. We'll have to wait a bit—probably two or three years."

"Two or three years is fine."

"Grapes can be mixed with sugar to make wine. I’ve never tried it before, but if we get a good harvest, we can give it a go. Cooking meat with grape wine makes it incredibly delicious."

……

Listening to the idle chatter between the mistress and her maid, Lin Yan took a sip of his Arrowroot Drink and glanced at the rustic painting of a countryside inn hanging on the wall. It reminded him of Meng Haoran’s poetic line about "raising a glass to talk of mulberries and hemp."

"Young Lady Shen—" The ward officers Liu Jin and Wang Qing entered.

Shen Shaoguang went to greet them.

"We’ve come about your household registration—" Liu Jin caught sight of Lord Lin sitting by the window and immediately tugged at Wang Qing’s sleeve, stepping forward to bow in respect.

"What brings you here?"

"Reporting to the Deputy Chief, we’ve come to deliver Young Lady Shen’s household registration records," Liu Jin replied respectfully.

"Young Lady Shen recently purchased these two properties, so it’s the perfect time to settle her registration," Wang Qing added with a simple smile.

Liu Jin shot a sidelong glance at his companion. Couldn’t he read the room? Did he really think Lord Lin wouldn’t already know about Young Lady Shen’s property purchase? It confirmed his earlier suspicions—that Liu the attendant had clearly been acting on his master’s behalf. The one with ties to Young Lady Shen was none other than this Deputy Chief.

Lin Yan looked at Shen Shaoguang, genuinely surprised she had settled in the capital so quickly. While household registrations did pass through the Office of the Capital, there was no need for the Deputy Chief to personally stamp each one—specialized clerks handled such matters. He couldn’t help but recall the day he had run into her at the palace gates…

Liu Jin glanced up, then quickly averted his gaze. Tsk, tsk—the way they were exchanging looks? The Deputy Chief was clearly smitten.

Once the conversation between the high-ranking official and his subordinates (several levels removed) concluded, Shen Shaoguang thanked the two ward officers and took her household registration booklet. She had intended to invite them to stay for lunch at her tavern, but with Lord Lin present, they likely wouldn’t dare. So she simply offered a polite invitation for another time.

Liu Jin hastily declined, urging her not to stand on ceremony.

After bowing to Lin Yan and taking their leave, Liu and Wang bid Shen Shaoguang a courteous farewell. At the door, they even greeted A Yuan, who was tending to the chicks, before finally departing Shen’s Tavern.

Shen Shaoguang marveled at how well-trained the capital’s grassroots officials were. Was it due to good leadership? If flattery were needed, she’d attribute it to the Deputy Chief—but in truth, the two ward officers had probably been in their posts far longer than he had. Officials in the capital changed frequently…

She sincerely hoped Lord Lin would stay in his position a while longer. Though he had a poker face, he was a decent man. If he completed his term, it would mean the Emperor’s approval. And given his youth, if he climbed higher, he might even become Chancellor one day.

While Shen Shaoguang was fretting over Lin Yan’s career, he was contemplating whether to give Young Lady Shen a housewarming gift—then caught himself, surprised at the thought. After all, they were merely a familiar shopkeeper and customer.

Shen Shaoguang tilted her head, noticing Lin Yan’s slight frown and pensive expression. Ah, the burdens of high office—even a meal couldn’t be enjoyed in peace. Who knew if he was pondering state affairs or political maneuvering? Ordinary folks like us, living simple lives, don’t have such worries!Shen Shaoguang then reconsidered, No, I want to be a commoner who wears fine silks, eats roasted meats, owns a villa on Zhongnan Mountain, and preferably has a grand residence in the city as well!

Before Lord Lin left after the meal, Shen Shaoguang presented him with a small jar of Honey-preserved Wisteria Flowers. "Grand Madam Jiang is advanced in years, after all, and shouldn't consume overly greasy foods. These can be steeped in water or given to the kitchen to make pastries—just a little seasonal novelty."

That very day, Shen Shaoguang received a return gift from Grand Madam Jiang—a Xuanzhou Tapestry, about seven or eight feet long and over three feet wide. The tapestry depicted a spring scene in Jiangnan: apricot blossoms in misty rain, a yellow ox with a shepherd boy, framed by an elegant brown Su brocade border. It looked like an antique.

In the palace, Shen Shaoguang had seen larger Xuanzhou tapestries of peonies, more opulent but not as refined as this one.

Gazing at the shepherd boy on the tapestry and then at the children she had painted in front of the rustic village inn, she had to admit—there was a certain resemblance.

Grand Madam Jiang—no, Lord Lin—this return gift is rather extravagant...