Chang’an Small Restaurant

[CSR] Chapter 6: Sending the Summer Desserts out

Translated by: Milky

The first day of summer, when the evening bell rang, Lin Yan came back from his workplace. His grandmother was waiting for him to have dinner.

After cleaning his hands and face and changing into his homely clothes, Lin Yan went to his grandmother's courtyard.

“Brother, you're back!” Old Madam Jiang showed a joyful smile.

Lin Yan smiled and said, “I told you not to wait for me, don't starve yourself.”

“How can I not wait? Ah-Ye and mother are not here, it’s quite meaningless for me to eat alone.” Old Madam Jiang first pouted, then smiled again.

Lin Yan's eye shape was long and thin with the end of his eye slightly up yet the middle section is too straight, it was an atypical Dan Feng eyes, he seemed a little unapproachable when he was not smiling but now his eyes curved and his whole face were softened up, “What did you do at home today?”

“I sewed a scented bag with Ah-chang, today is the first day of summer.”

“Oh, is that so?” Lin Yan gave his grandmother a bowl of green vegetable egg flower soup.

Since there were only two of them eating, they did not share the food for the sake of liveliness but gathered around a large food table as in the latter days.

“I knew you were too busy!” Old Madam Jiang moved two plates of desserts over, “This is the red date cake we steamed, and this is given by others. I picked two each, come try and see which one tastes better?”

Food was given during today's early court meeting. The emperor gave festive desserts to them, and when he went back to Jingzhao Fu, the public chef also served desserts as lunch, now back home again there were two plates of them in front of him. Meeting his grandmother's eager gaze, Lin Yan smiled and picked up a piece.

“Our red date cakes this year are good. Yeah, just a bit too much buttermilk.” Not only was there too much buttermilk, too much sugar was added too. His grandmother’s tastebud was dull as she was getting older, so the cook made the taste heavier in order to satisfy her.

Lin Yan silently took a sip of fresh tea to cover that overly sweet taste, then picked up another one with a white round shape. He took a bite. The glutinous rice skin was quite chewy with a delicate red bean filling, it had a slightly similar taste with the palace’s rouge cake, but not too sweet, it was surprisingly delicious, “Who sent this?”

The servant behind the dowager Lady answered: “It was from the Light Convent at our back gate.”

Old Madam Jiang smiled again, “Their Master Ciming was good at making assorted wontons, but I didn't expect their desserts to be good too.”

No one corrected Old Madam Jiang that the Light Convent’s abbot was Master Yuanjue, Master Ciming was from Hedong Jingxin Convent, and that was already 20 years ago. Just as no one told her, the one in front of her was her grandson, not her brother she thought he was.

Old Madam Jiang then talked about the carp in milk soup made by Master Ciming, “The soup was fresh and creamy, with a bit of tender onion ends floating in it, it was delicious.”

“Let them make fresh crucian carp soup for you too if we get them someday.” Lin Yan put some shredded bamboo shoots in his grandmother's small plate.

After eating, Lin Yan accompanied his grandmother to talk for a while before he left.

In the study, Housekeeper Zhou handed over the gift list of each family that sent gifts today and the gift list of their own family in return. It was a long list of things.

Housekeeper Zhou was familiar with these kinds of work, he managed them in a measured manner. Lin Yan gave it back to him after he roughly flipped through the list.

Housekeeper Zhou smiled again and said, “Two other temples and convents also sent cakes, I gave them basket money according to the rules.” Since his master neither revered Buddhism nor believed in Taoism, he only followed the rules of the capital for these monks who came to him.

Lin Yan nodded indifferently, “Just take care of it.”

Housekeeper Zhou, who was friendly and close to his master, continued saying, “Lord, you should find a wife soon. It’s better if a housewife manages such affairs.”

Lin Yan made a “mhm” sound and lowered his head to read.

Housekeeper Zhou was slightly confused by his master’s answer, did he actually listen or was it just a random reply?

Shen Shaoguang ate different desserts the whole day too. There were prayers who came to burn incense and provide offerings, after all is done, the offerings were naturally left for the Buddhist nuns in the convent. At the same time there were other summer cakes in return for the cakes they sent so the convent received and kept all kinds of desserts that day.

Jingqing picked up the best and most meticulous of them and divided into two plates to be reserved, she then personally sent them to Shen Shaoguang, smiling as she said: “Thank you for your guidance these two days so we could make excellent summer cakes and help keep our convent’s pride. The Madam of the *Luguogong and the Madam of Ye *Shilang both praised them personally, saying that it was quite like the quality of the desserts made for the imperial banquet in the palace.” What was not mentioned was that the money given for the lucky basket was also more generous than in previous years.

*Luguogong’s position is almost equal to a duke, while Shilang is an official working as a close attendant of the court

The temple and convent sent food to people during the New Year holidays, it was to maintain relations and also to use as a guise of soliciting money from rich people. How would high-ranked families let them return with empty baskets? They would have to put some money in the basket, called “lucky basket money”, also counted as a temple’s conventional way to make money.

Shen Shaoguang naturally said that Jingqing should not mind it.

“We ate countless great delicacies made by Young Lady Shen before. Today I reserved a few of the best offerings for young lady to try them out.”

Shen Shaoguang smiled: “Then I must try and see which one tastes the best, perhaps I can follow it and make it out to eat next time.”

Jingqing smiled: “I’m not boasting, but to me, none are better than the ones we made.”

Shen Shaoguang smiled more and more. She knew that this was the gratitude Jingqing showed because she helped her. Jingqing, a Buddhist nun, may not have a great understanding in Buddhism, and even not a shrewd person, but she was loyal and sincere, and the Buddhist nuns in the convent all believed in her.

Shen Shaoguang made tea with a bit of the pickled peony left. She drank tea and ate cakes with Jingqing.

“These desserts, are you sending them off on your own?”

“No, how would that be possible? I just went to a few families around the square, and some that we’re familiar with. The rest were sent by the others.”

Shen Shaoguang nodded.

Perhaps Jingqing was very happy today, she started talking about the gossip in those families.

“Lu Guogong's family has become more and more lavish, if not for the relations we had before, I'm afraid we cannot even enter his family's door now. It can be seen that Imperial Concubine Shu is really favored in the palace.” 

Shen Shaoguang nodded, the Imperial Concubine Shu was really favored.

“I wonder what kind of beauty she is?” Jingqing lowered her volume, “Seeing that although Luguogong’s wife is dignified, her face isn’t very beautiful. Though his second daughter is a beauty.”

The tabooest thing about talking gossip was to listen but not saying a word, so Shen Shaoguang told her what she knew: “The current Luguogong’s wife is a stepfamily, Imperial Concubine Shu was a daughter the former wife left behind, but I do not know who the mother of the second daughter is though.”

Jingqing was enlightened and said: “Looking at their faces, they are not like a mother and daughter, but they seem very intimate and get along well.” She also sighed, “Luguogong’s wife is really benevolent, virtuous, and ladylike!”

Shen Shaoguang said along with her, “She truly is.”

“The second daughter has not only grown better, but also has become more enthusiastic about Buddhism. After hearing that we are in Chongxian Square which is not far from their residence, she said she wanted to come and stay for a few days to worship Buddha and pray for blessings.”

Shen Shaoguang continued to agree with her words: “She’s a lady with good faith.”

Within two days, Shen Shaoguang became a neighbor with this lady of good faith.