Lu Taobao didn't know martial arts, not because he couldn't, but because he disdained to learn.
Mainly, he hadn't seen many skilled martial artists. Moreover, as a merchant, martial arts skills would likely be of little use, so he simply never bothered to learn.
However, today, Shen Xiaoming woke up early and startled him. He, too, couldn't sleep due to something on his mind, so he got up with her.
Seeing Zheng Wei and the other two practicing boxing and then swordplay in the courtyard, he suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
He wanted to learn martial arts.
This sudden thought surprised even himself.
But it was definitely not a fleeting whim; he truly wanted to learn.
Therefore, when Shen Xiaoyan dressed Sanshengzi, handed him to the wet nurse, and then washed and tidied herself up before coming out, she saw this very scene.
Shen Xiaoming was practicing swordplay with Sima Han, while Zheng Wei was correcting Lu Taobao's horse stance.
"I want to learn martial arts, like Xiaoming, not just stand here in a horse stance," Lu Taobao muttered incessantly, but he didn't voice his complaint or quit.
"You must learn the basics first. Xiaoming practiced for two years," Zheng Wei said calmly, lightly kicking Lu Taobao's calf.
"Why are you kicking me?" Lu Taobao stumbled, almost falling, and couldn't help but ask loudly.
"Do you think you just need to strike a pose and you're done? I need to see if you're stable," Zheng Wei said with a serious expression, but Lu Taobao still felt that Zheng Wei was deliberately teasing him.
However, this time, his determination to learn martial arts was unprecedentedly strong, so he gritted his teeth and said nothing.
"Has Bai Ying not woken up yet?" Yue Qingxin walked over from the west wing room and sat on a stone stool beside Shen Xiaoyan, asking.
"She probably didn't sleep well. I'll go call her before breakfast," Shen Xiaoyan guessed. Given Bai Ying's deep infatuation with Lu Taobao, she might have stayed up weeping all night, so it would be strange if she were awake.
Indeed, just before breakfast, when Shen Xiaoyan knocked on Bai Ying's door, she opened it from the inside.
"It's time for breakfast. Seeing you weren't out yet, I came specifically to call you," Shen Xiaoyan said with a smile.
"Thank you, Sister, for your trouble. I was being lazy and slept in," Bai Ying said, giving a playful wink.
Shen Xiaoyan noticed that Bai Ying's complexion was ruddy and her eyes were bright, showing no signs of a sleepless night. She was slightly surprised but didn't say much more, walking with her into the main hall.
As soon as they sat down, Shen Xiaoyan noticed Lu Taobao's gaze fixed on Bai Ying. Lu Taobao's gaze was so fervent that it was difficult for Bai Ying to pretend not to notice, and it seemed she didn't intend to.
"Brother Lu, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something dirty on my face? Or is my hair not properly combed today?" Bai Ying asked Lu Taobao with a light smile, her tone cheerful and bright, and her smile perfectly natural.
"It's nothing. It's nothing," Lu Taobao was taken aback by Bai Ying's demeanor and quickly replied with a smile. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder inwardly, was this the same Bai Ying who had cried sadly behind him last night, asking for an explanation? It had only been one night; why such a drastic change?
Shen Xiaoyan and the others watched their interaction, their eyes glinting with amusement. These two were quite interesting.
After everyone finished breakfast, Shen Xiaoming hurried off to the study hall. Although tomorrow was the 15th of August, classes were still held today.
"Xiaoming, I'm making mooncakes this morning. In the afternoon, when you go, take some for your teacher and your classmates. Okay?" Shen Xiaoyan called out to Shen Xiaoming.
"Okay. Sister, I'm leaving now," Shen Xiaoming said and then dashed off.
"Sister-in-law, are you making food? Is there a portion for me?" Seeing Bai Ying was fine, despite feeling a little down, Lu Taobao quickly reverted to his foodie nature. As soon as he heard Shen Xiaoyan was making food, his mouth began to water.
"Does your family lack mooncakes?" Shen Xiaoyan asked him with amusement.
"What's so good about those mooncakes? They're the same every year, no effort put into them. How can they compare to what you, with your skillful hands, make? Your creations are truly delicious..." Everyone burst into laughter at Lu Taobao's fawning demeanor. Even Bai Ying's laughter was clear and bright, and she looked at Lu Taobao with surprise. She had never seen this side of Lu Taobao; perhaps she didn't know him as well as she thought.
"If you want to eat, you have to help," Shen Xiaoyan said.
"Okay, Sister-in-law, tell me what to do, and I'll do it. I promise to do it beautifully for you," Lu Taobao said, patting his chest with a guarantee as soon as he heard there would be food.
Shen Xiaoyan was making two types of mooncakes: one with red bean paste and the other with pineapple filling. Unlike her previous life where "making mooncakes at home" actually meant buying the skins and fillings, assembling them, and baking them in the oven, here, everything had to be prepared from scratch.
Shen Xiaoyan first mixed sugar, vegetable oil, alkaline water, and salt evenly, then added flour and kneaded it into a dough. She set it aside to ferment naturally. Next, she prepared the fillings. She boiled water in a pot, added pitted red dates, and cooked them for half an hour until soft, then removed them. When the dates were slightly cooled, she peeled the skin off each date, similar to peeling blueberries, and removed the pits. She returned the date pulp to the pot and continued to cook for another half an hour until the water evaporated. Then, she added sugar and gradually added vegetable oil while stirring until the date paste could be rolled into balls. The red bean paste was quite soft and sticky. For wrapping, she rolled the date paste into large balls, coated them in flour, and then cut them into smaller pieces. The pineapple filling preparation was similar.
Once both fillings were ready, the dough was also nearly done. She divided the dough into small balls, filled them with the paste, and rolled them into spheres. Finally, she used a pre-purchased mold to press them into shape. After all the mooncakes were wrapped, the remaining step was to bake them. They didn't have ovens, but ancient people's ingenuity was boundless. They used iron to create a stove where the mooncakes could be placed, and by burning wood underneath, they could be baked.
As time passed, the mooncakes slowly began to emit a fragrant aroma.
"It smells so good." Because the kitchen was hot, they were talking outside. Lu Taobao's eyes lit up upon smelling the mooncakes. Truly, he was still a foodie; nothing could affect his appetite. Last night must have been a rare exception.
When the mooncakes were baked, Lu Taobao was the first to rush in. Regardless of whether they were hot, he grabbed one and took a bite. He winced from the heat, but he still reluctantly chewed, his mouth open, taking bite after bite.
Madam Qu sliced two mooncakes and served them on a plate. Shen Xiaoyan and the others each took a piece and tasted them.
"The flavor is good. Aunt Qu, you've learned it now. Teach them later, and we won't have to buy mooncakes," Shen Xiaoyan said to Madam Qu after finishing her piece.
"Yes, I also think these are delicious, even better than those sold outside. If we were to sell mooncakes, we could satisfy everyone and earn money," Madam Qu said happily.
Shen Xiaoyan shook her head. "It's too troublesome, and we wouldn't earn much money." It was too much work and required a lot of ingredients. Even if they earned money, it would be hard-earned money, and they weren't lacking money now, so there was no need for that.
While they were talking, Lu Taobao had already eaten two mooncakes consecutively. Although mooncakes were delicious, eating too many could lead to discomfort. Therefore, Lu Taobao understood the concept of knowing when to stop. Looking at the still fragrant mooncakes, Lu Taobao shook his head. "I really want to keep eating."
"If you want to eat, eat. Who's stopping you?" Shen Xiaoyan said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
"Forget it. I'll take some with me when I leave later to eat slowly at home."