The Feast

Please read this at kitchennovel dot com

"It\'s just cream and you\'re already this happy? Have you forgotten the tiredness in your arm?" Su Nuan Nuan smiled. Everyone loves to hear flattery, and she was no different. Moreover, this little marquis was very good at b.u.t.tering up people. On his side, the little marquis practically lit up at the comment as he flexed his arms lightly. This was practically doting behaviour from his wife, ah. He was nearly overwhelmed by this great favour.

He was just about to take advantage of this rare indulgent moment to sneak more food when Su Nuan Nuan said, "Alright, everyone have a little taste. We must save the rest. I\'ll using those to make Snow Cream. Summer is the best time to have Snow Cream." Naturally, she was referring to ice-cream, but that name was just too weird in this era, so let\'s go with Snow Cream.

[Gumihou: Hyoko, you\'re right, they ARE making ice-cream. But, I\'m still curious why the b.u.t.ter? Do people make ice-cream with b.u.t.ter?]

Duan Tingxuan swallowed, since Su Nuan Nuan had put it this way, he could only squash down that gluttonous worm living in his stomach. Soothing it with promises of Snow Cream. He also did not forget to extract a promise, "I\'ll be going to the government office tomorrow, be sure to save some for me, ah."

"Relax, considering how much effort you\'ve poured into this, I will not neglect you." Su Nuan Nuan promised willingly. Without modern era\'s beaters and electrical tools, it\'s better to have this conveniently strong little marquis around. She should nurture this tool properly for future use.

There\'s a small ice-house just behind the kitchen, and Su Nuan Nuan bade Hong Lian to place the pot of cream there. She\'ll deal with it tomorrow. A glance outside showed that it was getting late, it was time to make dinner. Because she had pretty much exhausted herself at the palace kitchen that day, today\'s dinner was a pot of Eight Treasure Congee, with a few small side dishes: Bruised Cuc.u.mber Salad with Peanuts, Pig\'s Ear with Sauce[1], Five Spice Duck Eggs[2], and Century Egg Tofu[3]. Everything had been arranged on the table when Qiu Ling appeared with a winsome smile, "Old madam had been thinking of madam. The old madam wished to invite the master and yourself to her place, but then changed her mind thinking you might be tired from today\'s visit. This one had been sent to convey her feelings. Since dinner has been prepared, do please come and visit the old madam after your meal. The old madam dearly wishes to hear news about the empress."

Su Nuan Nuan noticed that as Qiu Ling\'s mouth move to deliver her lengthy speech, her eyes never left the bowl of Eight Treasure Congee[4]. There was no doubt about it, all that talk about tiredness and what not, her true intention was to investigate their dinner. Well, there\'s no need to point this out. Su Nuan Nuan graciously stood up, and smiled, "Very good, would this sister please inform old madam that I shall visit her after dinner. Ah yes, since I\'m a little tired today, we\'ve only prepared a simple Eight Treasure Porridge. Do you think old madam would be interested in trying some?"

"Oh my, as it turns out, old madam suffered from a lack of appet.i.te this afternoon. A bowl or two of sweet congee would be just the thing."

Qiu Ling smiled so widely that her eyes turned into crescents. The master of the house sneered, "Enough, Qiu Ling. There\'s no need to put on such show in front of me. You\'re clearly here under old madam\'s orders to raid the kitchens. With Eight Treasure Congee in sight, old madam has a sudden craving for sweet congee. If we happen to have steamed bread, old madam would crave sweet breads, is it not?"

Qiu Ling\'s smile remained perfectly professional. "This maid has no answer to master\'s remarks. Perhaps it is best for master to convey the message directly to old madam, is it not? However, since this maid has been made to shoulder the t.i.tle of kitchen raider, would madam please allow this sc.u.m of a maid to carry off some side dishes as well? Our old madam really enjoys madam\'s duck\'s egg with its unique fragrance."

[Gumihou: This maid is bada.s.s, me likey.]

Su Nuan Nuan\'s face twitched in several different directions. Finally, her ire fell upon Duan Tingxuan as she gritted out, "What\'s the use of your meddling, huh? Useless thing, now we have to hand over side dishes as well as the main dish. We don\'t have many duck eggs to begin with, since it\'s your fault, you may show your filial consideration to the old madam and forfeit your share!"

Duan Tingxuan leapt up in fright, with a swift movement, two of the eggs on the table disappeared up his sleeves like magic. His head shook like a rattle as he cried, "No, no, no, aren\'t there some left? You give yours to the old madam, I shall command the kitchen to send 100 eggs over tomorrow."

Su Nuan Nuan snorted, but still bade Hong Lian bring food boxes and bowls over. She personally packed up the porridge and side dishes, handing the loot over to a smiling Qiu Ling. Once that little drama was over, she settled down to eat, only to be treated to the sight of Duan Tingxuan wolfing down the eggs he had hidden away. After swallowing his prize, he said casually, "In five day\'s time, it will be old madam\'s birthday. See if you can come up with something special to congratulate her? Old madam really enjoyed the Milk Rolls[5] from last time. Surely making the same thing in the shape of peaches would be easy for you. Well, what do you think of this idea?"

"Old madam\'s birthday, is it?" Su Nuan Nuan stroked her gold and jade bracelet thoughtfully. This old madam had treated her really well, even during the time when she was Su Meng Nuan. While this relationship was forged upon their similarities as foodies, she still need to repay the old woman\'s kindness to her. She nodded, "Very well, I\'ll know what to do. I shall make my own arrangements, there\'s no need for you to know too much. Oh yes, in three day\'s time, send for more milk. Make sure you\'re here to make cream for me."

"Of course, as long as you are willing I shall be willing too." Duan Tingxuan grinned winsomely. "Since you\'re sincere in your filial consideration towards the old madam, how could I not a.s.sist you? If it is my birthday in five days time, would you give me similar consideration?"

"If you wish it, I shall give it. It is but a trivial matter. You are my main source of labour after all. If there is no such consideration between friends, what kind of friendship is that? We might as well call ourselves enemies." Su Nuan Nuan smiled enigmatically.

Duan Tingxuan sighed, he muttered, "You know exactly what I\'m talking about. You know what? It\'s fine, it\'s all fine. It\'s just me being greedy, for a scoundrel like me, having the privilege of calling you friend is too good for me, isn\'t that right?"

Su Nuan Nuan continued to smile, "The lord has improved much."

"Where have this lord improved?" Duan Tingxuan was actually shocked by this positive comment.

"The lord understood his position in life and his own personality, ah." Su Nuan Nuan\'s smile grew even more mysterious, even as Duan Tingxuan\'s face stiffened. Then, he turned around to yell at Si Ping, "Just eat! Can you not be quiet when you eat?"

Si Ping\'s face turned into n囧shape. He thought, master, ah. This slave has nothing to do with what comes out of big madam\'s mouth, ah. How could you turn your ire not upon the source, but on this slave instead? This slave knows that you\'re angry, but… but, isn\'t it a little unreasonable to lash out on this lowly one? This slave is just standing behind you, I don\'t even have a chopstick or spoon in hand, so how can I eat? This lowly one felt wronged, ah. Although, to be fair, this one felt worse for you. For a great master to display such ungentlemanly behaviour, even Hong Lian and Xiang Yun are trying not to laugh at you, ah.

… please read this at kitchennovel dot come …

"I just made this Snow Cream today, please try some, sister."

In a small sitting room just next to the sleeping quarters, Su Nuan Nuan and Concubine Jiang were seated on the kang bed together. After Cong\'er and Hua\'er served tea, Hong Lian personally carried a porcelain tray over. Concubine Jing looked on curiously as Su Nuan Nuan gave directions to her personal maid.

"Snow Cream? Just the name itself is curious, but it certainly sounds refreshing, especially on such a hot day."

The tray was brought over, and when the lid was taken off, a little bowl was revealed. A light mist lifted, and three little b.a.l.l.s were revealed. Concubine Jing closed her eyes, and leaned in to take a sniff, "How sweet and refreshing it smelt, old madam and elder madam would certainly love this. The colour is wonderful too, white, light green and lemon yellow, just looking at it makes me feel cooler."

[Gumihou: The little marquis being bullied is always a good day for me. Also, since Chinese language 雪糕 and 冰淇淋 translates as ice cream… let\'s just go with Snow Cream since 雪 means snow ] [Gumihou: Also, I found a recipe for , lol! It uses pretty much the same ingredients as Su Nuan Nuan\'s ice-cream. Although she didn\'t melt her b.u.t.ter, or separate her eggs (as far as we know…)]

Do click on the food pictures for the translated recipes ^_^

[1] 醬豬耳朵 – Pig\'s Ear with Sauce

[2] 五香鴨蛋 – Five Spice Duck Eggs

[3] 皮蛋豆腐 – Century Egg Tofu

[4] Eight Treasure Congee – There are actually loads of English language site for this recipe, so here\'s a link from Medicine Tradition for your information. It has 6 sample recipes and even a table on the type of things you can mix together

[5] 牛奶饅頭 – Milk Rolls

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Translated by Gumihou from kitchennovel dot com.

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