It was dinnertime, and the kitchen was bustling. My sudden appearance caused all the kitchen maids to panic, asking if there was a problem with the dishes.
When I reassured them that I wanted to make pastries for Qi Chenxuan, they calmed down and returned to their work.
I couldn’t cook at all, let alone make pastries. My task was just to tell Zui’er the main shape, ingredients, and color of what I wanted; the production process was left to her.
Though ancient pastries had fewer varieties and were less flavorful than modern ones, the skillful hands of ancient maids surpassed modern methods.
I told Zui’er what I wanted, and she used simple flour, red beans, green beans, and various flower petals to create a heart-shaped pastry the size of a modern cake, with five flavors and six colors, which left me amazed.
Zui’er placed the pastry into the steamer and steamed it for nearly half an hour, filling the air with an enticing aroma. She carried the freshly steamed cake to me and asked, “Madam, is this the one you mentioned?”
I looked at the cake with satisfaction, nodding repeatedly, “Yes, yes, this is it! Miss Qinghan should be arriving soon. Quick, take this to the Crown Prince and his companions!”
The two maids stared at me blankly, asking foolishly, “Why do we have to go? What are you going to do, Madam?”
I couldn’t help but give them a stern look, “If you don’t go, am I supposed to deliver it myself? What would people think? How would the servants view me?”
Seeing them still standing there, I rolled my eyes and urged impatiently, “Hurry and deliver the cake while it’s still hot!”
Zui’er looked at the item in her hand and hesitantly asked, “But what should we call this cake?”
“Let’s call it the True Heart Cake.”
Zui’er couldn’t help but exclaim excitedly, “What a lovely name! I’m sure the Crown Prince and Miss Qinghan will love it!”
I rolled my eyes again and urged her patiently, “If you want to know if they like it, then hurry and deliver it!”
Zui’er nodded and hurriedly left the kitchen with the cake…
