Perhaps the successful making of peach jam had given Qi Xuanxuan confidence.
Hearing Qi Zhenzhen mention making flatbreads, she was immediately eager to try.
"Second Sister, will you teach me how to make flatbreads?"
Seeing her expectant look, Qi Zhenzhen could only agree.
From mixing the dough to kneading it and rolling it into flat rounds, she spoke as she worked, while Qi Xuanxuan followed along, her hands busy.
Qi Zhenzhen once again witnessed Qi Xuanxuan's culinary talent. Kneading dough was difficult; beginners usually ended up with either too much flour or too much water. But with Qi Xuanxuan, there were no such problems. The dough was kneaded to a perfect consistency, though her rolling was a bit clumsy.
After more than half an hour of work, a batch of palm-sized flatbreads came out of the pan.
They were golden brown on both sides, with a texture that was both crispy and soft.
Sweat beaded on Qi Xuanxuan's forehead, her eyes shining, "Second Sister, I'm so happy."
They had made forty flatbreads in total. Their group consisted of eight women, so ten were more than enough.
Flatbreads were best eaten fresh from the pan, so Qi Xuanxuan divided the remaining thirty into three portions. Ten were sent to Xie Chen's side, accompanied by a small jar of peach jam.
Twenty were sent to Yuanjue, with two small jars of peach jam. How Master Yuanjue distributed them was his own affair.
Xie Chen sent a return gift: dried termite mushrooms brought from the southern border.
From Yuanjue, they received a jar of green tea.
Termite mushrooms were a delicacy. Stir-fried with diced meat and sauce, the resulting dish was incredibly flavorful. Unfortunately, this was a place of Buddhist tranquility, and there was no meat.
As for Yuanjue's green tea, Qi Xuanxuan declared she didn't like tea, so it all went to Qi Zhenzhen.
Qi Zhenzhen shared half of it with Madam Da Qin and kept the other half for herself.
Feeling immensely satisfied with her culinary achievements, Qi Xuanxuan announced that during their stay at Taihe Temple, she would take charge of the group's meals.
What young lady of good breeding cooked meals every day?
But Qi Xuanxuan was stubborn, believing there was nothing wrong with her cooking.
Qi Zhenzhen couldn't dissuade her and had to compromise.
The young girl, having discovered a new skill, seemed eager to live in the kitchen. From pastries to dishes to desserts, not only was their group well-fed, but even Master Yuanjue and Xie Chen no longer wished to eat the temple's vegetarian meals. This left the cooking monks feeling a bit resentful, wondering why their renowned vegetarian cuisine was being shunned by their own master.
"Your spring rolls are excellent, and the filling is seasoned just right," Master Yuanjue praised with a beaming smile.
Qi Zhenzhen found him utterly bewildering. Wasn't a master, perceived as omnipotent by outsiders, supposed to maintain a cool and aloof demeanor at all times? Was being so down-to-earth really appropriate?
However, the young girl Xuanxuan felt a great sense of pride that her cooking was favored by the master, and she became even more dedicated to it.
"Master Yuanjue, don't you need to lecture your followers? Even if not, shouldn't you be chanting scriptures before the Buddha? You're constantly coming over to our side. It's not proper. This courtyard is full of women."
"This humble monk is a man of the cloth and does not have so many scruples."
"But you can't treat my sister like a kitchen maid!"
"This humble monk always gives a return gift to Benefactor Qi."
Beads, rare Buddhist scriptures, bodhi seeds – Qi Xuanxuan was not interested in any of them and passed them all on to Qi Zhenzhen.
"Xuanxuan is a young lady of good breeding. Which well-bred lady cooks every day? If this gets out, it will be bad for her reputation."
"Madam Gu is worried about your sister's marriage prospects?" Yuanjue hit the nail on the head. "If that's the concern, Madam Gu need not worry. Your sister's marriage star is ascendant, and good fortune is near. Furthermore, your sister's marriage will be blissful, with a loving union, an excellent match. She also possesses the destiny of a phoenix, and her future will be incredibly noble."
The destiny of a phoenix? Qi Zhenzhen was stunned. If she understood correctly, the phoenix destiny was that of an empress. The current Emperor already had an Empress, and the Emperor was older than their father. This seemed unlikely.