"Madam, I’ll go pick the chrysanthemums now." The Yang Family pretty much became wealthy through their culinary skills, and Xiu’er, the servant girl who had been with the family for several years, also picked up the habit of loving to eat. Hearing that there was a new dish, she naturally became excited.
"Look at you, so happy. Hurry up and go." Yang Chuxia let Xiu’er go first, then remembered that there was some fine flour specially reserved for making pastries at home, so she also asked Sister-in-law Li to bring some.
By the afternoon, the sweet fragrance of the pastries indeed wafted out of the kitchen.
"How does it look? Can we eat it now?" Seeing Yang Chuxia entering the kitchen, the two women were startled. Perhaps word of Yang Chuxia’s incident at the Yang Family had traveled here, making everyone at the Ye Family somewhat nervous and more careful in their tasks.
They couldn’t help but feel anxious when they saw her come into the kitchen.
Yang Chuxia smiled, "Everyone should just continue with their work. I was just attracted by the fragrance. I used to sneak into the kitchen every day at my parents’ house. Our family and the Yang Family are similar; we have few rules, and as long as everyone works diligently, I won’t be difficult to serve. I’m not the type to cause trouble for no reason." She explained with a smile as she squeezed a piece of chrysanthemum pastry in her hand.
Upon hearing her words, everyone did indeed seem to relax a little.
"Sister-in-law Li, your culinary skills are really good. The pastries look like chrysanthemums, and they taste good and look good too."
"Thank you for your praise, Madam. I may not be as good as Mother Li and my mother-in-law in the kitchen. One of them specializes in daily meals and the other in banquet dishes, while I have a knack for making snacks and pastries." Sister-in-law Li knew how to talk, promoting her own expertise while flattering her mother-in-law and Mother Li.
Her words were both pleasing and sincere.
Yang Chuxia took note of her talents and thought of the pastry shop in Wangshui Town, but she didn’t say anything more for the moment, deciding to wait and see.
"Do we have enough chrysanthemums? Make more." Yang Chuxia saw that there were many chrysanthemum pastries on the bamboo sieve and went to get a plate. She filled it with pastries and handed it to Xiu’er. "Pack it in a food box and send it to my husband and parents to taste."
"Yes, I’ll go right away."
"There’s enough chrysanthemum. Although it’s called chrysanthemum cake, only a little is used, just for the symbolism."
Yang Chuxia nodded and suddenly thought of other types of flowers, so she asked, "Since chrysanthemums can be baked into cakes, can we use osmanthus flowers and roses as well?"
"Of course!" Mother Li laughed at this and boasted proudly, "Not to praise myself, but when it comes to making flower pastries, my daughter-in-law’s best ones are these chrysanthemum cakes followed by osmanthus cakes."
"Really?" Yang Chuxia’s eyes lit up. "Don’t we have osmanthus flowers at home right now? Can we make them together? Will there be enough time to prepare them for tomorrow’s Double Ninth Festival? I’m planning to give them as gifts."
"Since it’s for a gift, we’ll definitely have it done in time," Mother Li said. "I’ll go pick and wash the osmanthus flowers, and ask Elder Sister here to help with the fire."
With that said, everyone got busy with their tasks.
Yang Chuxia carried a plate of pastries out of the kitchen and saw that Qingrui and his brother had arrived.
Both brothers had grown taller. The older one was now thirteen, and the younger one was eleven, but with their height, they looked like fifteen or sixteen-year-olds. Wearing white robes, they gave off a strong scholarly air.
"Why are you two back? Isn’t it not the end of the month yet?"
These two boys had returned for her wedding and went back to school the next day without waiting for her to come back from her parents’ house.