Gluttonous Crown Princess

Gluttonous Crown Princess Chapter 10.2

Tao Ti also ignored him and looked at Pei Yan, "Your Highness, have you had lunch? I made Hulatang and shuijian baos, they’ll be ready soon, would you like to try them?"

Pei Yan gazed into the clear and bright eyes in front of him and said softly, "I've already had lunch." After a short pause, he added, "But I would like to try your cooking.”

"Sure thing, wait a minute, it’ll be ready soon." Tao Ti smiled at him and went back to the stove.

Seeing that the consistency of the soup was just about right, she scooped it into a white porcelain soup bowl, sprinkled a layer of chopped green onions, then dripped a few drops of golden sesame oil.

The cooks at the side couldn't resist craning their necks to look over at the stove. This soup didn’t look very appetising; it was sticky and goopy, and wasn’t elegant nor refined, but it was rich in ingredients—there were golden-yellow shredded eggs, shredded tofu, shredded scallions, tender lamb, shredded wood ear fungus, and crystal-clear vermicelli. Hot and steaming, it was truly enticing.

Then, Tao Ti placed the shuijian baos on a plate, and sprinkled a layer of finely chopped green onions and black sesame seeds. Twelve on a plate, the small, plump baos were white and tender on the surface, yet had bottoms that were pan-fried till golden brown and crispy.

Tao Ti had originally planned to take them back to eat, but now that Pei Yan was here, she asked, "Your Highness, will you try them now, or go back to Yaoguang Hall with me to sit down and savour them?”

Pei Yan said, “I’ll go back to Yaoguang Hall with you."

This was more than Tao Ti could’ve hoped for; she smiled brightly, "All right!"

Seeing the crown princess lure the crown prince away with just a bowl of soup and a plate of baos, the crowd in the kitchen thought, Well played, Crown Princess!

Zhan Ping curled his lips, unimpressed, Tch, what sorts of delicacies had His Highness not eaten before? How would he fancy that goopy soup and baos? It's just that His Highness is good-natured and can't bear for her to lose face in front of everyone.

Chief Steward Sun saw that there was still some Hulatang in the pot, and, driven by curiosity, scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

In the next second, his big round face froze.

The crowd rushed forward and talked all at once, “Old Sun, how is it? Is it good?”

“Yes, yes, how does it taste?”

“Hey, what kind of expression is that? The crown princess is far away already anyway, just tell us whether it’s good or not.”

Chief Sun swallowed the mouthful of soup in his mouth and sighed with emotion, "The meat is tender, and the soup is fresh. Fragrant and spicy, once swallowed, my stomach is all warm and cosy, how soothing!”

The crowd was astonished, Is it that good?

Before they could react, they saw Chief Steward Sun move as swift as lightning, scooped a bowl of soup at top speed, and also took a piece of sesame flatbread—alternating between bites of flatbread and mouthfuls of soup, the spiciness made him gasp for air, but his mouth never stopped.

The crowd: !!!

Those who were quick to react also hurriedly took a spoon to taste the soup, then showed the same expression as Chief Steward Sun.

Zhan Ping’s mouth twitched as he watched from the side, It’s just a bowl of soup, must they be like this?

As he thought, that spicy and refreshing aroma rushed into his nose, causing him to glance reflexively at Chief Steward Sun’s bowl.

Chief Steward Sun was startled, then silently cradled his bowl and turned his back.

Zhan Ping, "......"

He didn’t care for it one bit!!!

****

[ Yaoguang Hall ]

With a pair of sparkling eyes, Tao Ti stared straight at Pei Yan opposite her, full of expectation, "Your Highness, how does it taste?"

First, Pei Yan tried the shuijian baos. When he bit down, the first thing his teeth came into contact with was the soft dough, then, the crisp but not hard golden-brown bottom. The savoury fragrance of sesame oil mixed together with the rich filling, and the flavourful juices bloomed on his tongue. It was deliciously rich, refreshing and not greasy.

Shuijian baos were small in size; after eating one, he put another one into his bowl. With a relaxed expression, he said softly, “These shuijian baos are crisp on the outside and refreshing on the inside, the mouthful is really good.”

"When preparing the filling, I added scallops, shrimp and mushrooms to the minced beef, so the freshness of the flavour is enhanced." Tao Ti smiled and scooped him a small bowl of Hulatang. "This this Hulatang too… but don’t drink too much, this one has a heavier taste and a lot of chillies, you always eat light, I'm afraid your stomach can't stand it. You can just try a little, for a new experience.”

Pei Yan took it and took a sip.

The moment the soup entered his mouth, his tastebuds were stimulated by a burst of intense spiciness. The aromatic soup was thick but not sticky. After carefully tasting the ingredients enveloped in the soup, the tofu was tender and silky, the wood ear fungus was soft and chewy, and the fresh mutton, mixed with the unique flavour of pepper, all served to enrich the tastes and textures of the dish.