Tang Dynasty: Slacking off in the Imperial Kitchen, exposed by Si Zi

Chapter 12: Delicious Soup Dumplings, Gently Lift and Slowly Move Them Open the Window to Drink the

At 3:45 AM, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

There was still no movement in the front yard of the imperial kitchen, but white smoke was already rising from the dilapidated woodshed in the back yard.

Su Mu did not sleep in.

In the ingredient package provided by the system, there was a piece of pork skin jelly that was crystal clear and trembling like freshly solidified amber.

This thing is the soul of soup dumplings. Last night, the system was thoughtful and saved him the trouble of making aspic.

Mince the pork belly, but not too finely; leave some texture.

Use ginger water to remove the fishy smell, adding it in three batches so that the meat can fully absorb the water.

Finally, mix in the diced aspic and add the special seasoning to complete the filling.

Next up is the noodles.

With his divine pastry skills at his fingertips, Su Mu felt his hands were developing their own ideas.

The flour was high-gluten flour provided by the system, and it was dazzlingly white.

With the water temperature just right, kneading and resting the dough were done in one go.

There was a "thud" on the cutting board.

Su Mu's wrists flew, rolling the dough into a long strip and pinching it into uniformly sized pieces. The rolling pin spun in his hands, producing sheets of dough that flew out, thick in the middle and thin at the edges, glistening with light.

Fill with stuffing.

With a deft pinch and twist of the fingers, eighteen pleats were instantly formed, with a tiny hole left at the top, like an open fish mouth.

Once placed in the steamer, each one is round and plump, exuding an adorable charm even before steaming.

"Squeak—!"

The dilapidated wooden door, which could only be hung on the frame, was pushed open.

Su Mu knew who it was without even turning around.

At this hour, apart from those two greedy cats, even the mice in the imperial kitchen haven't gotten up yet.

"Brother!"

Sure enough, the little rhinoceros rushed in.

Today she changed into a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with two little pigtails tied with matching ribbons, which bounced as she ran.

She didn't have time to exchange pleasantries with Su Mu; her eyes were fixed on the steaming basket on the stove, and she sniffed hard through her little nose.

"It smells so good! It smells like meat!"

Li Lizhi followed behind, carrying an exquisite food box in her hand.

She had some dark circles under her eyes, clearly indicating she hadn't slept well last night, but the smell of this scent seemed to have given her a lot more energy.

"So early?"

Li Lizhi placed the food box on the edge of the cutting board, trying her best to appear reserved: "Sizi woke up early and insisted on coming. I... I was afraid she would fall on the way, so I came along to check on her."

Su Mu didn't expose her, and pointed to the two newly made recliners next to him—

He made that for those two bastards last night, just to stop them from always taking over his territory.

"Sit for a while, it needs another 15 minutes to cook."

The firewood crackled and popped in the stove.

Steam rose from the steamer, and the aroma of flour mixed with meat grew stronger and stronger, eventually domineeringly filling the entire woodshed.

The flavor is not greasy, but has a refreshing freshness that makes your stomach rumble.

Li Lizhi sat on the recliner and shifted uncomfortably.

This chair... is surprisingly comfortable? It supports my back perfectly, much better than those hard, stiff folding chairs in the palace.

She stole a glance at Su Mu.

The man was still dressed in coarse linen clothes, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his smooth and strong arms. He was holding a palm-leaf fan, casually fanning the fire in the stove.

Who would have thought that these hands could create such an unforgettable flavor?

"alright."

Su Mu threw down the palm-leaf fan, got up, and lifted the lid.

call--!

A large cloud of white mist rose into the air, instantly blurring their vision. When the mist dissipated, Li Lizhi and Xiao Sizi both stared wide-eyed.

Is this what you call a steamed bun?

This is hardly worthy of being called a steamed bun?

What lay in the steamer were nothing like the thick-skinned, dry dough balls I usually saw. These were practically works of art!

The skin is as thin as paper, crystal clear, and you can even see the tender pink meat filling and flowing broth inside through the skin.

Each bun rests flat on the steamer, like a blooming white chrysanthemum, with clearly defined folds, so delicate that one dares not touch it.

"Wow--!"

Little Sizi's mouth gaped open in an "O" shape, and drool involuntarily streamed down her face. "Lanterns! Guoguo made little lanterns!"

Su Mu picked one up and placed it on the white porcelain plate.

The steamed bun, once removed from the steamer, instantly sank, transforming into a round, teardrop-shaped form, with the broth inside sloshing around, looking quite heavy.

"Don't rush to speak."

Su Mu stopped the little rhinoceros's outstretched paw, "This thing is hot, you have to be careful."

He picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a steamed bun, but didn't put it directly into his mouth.

"Look closely, this is called a soup dumpling. Remember the rhyme: lift gently, move slowly, open a window first, then drink the soup."

Su Mu muttered to himself as he used his chopsticks to gently lift the bun by the pleats at the top. The bun's skin stretched out, with soup dripping from the bottom, looking incredibly precarious, yet it didn't break.

He put it to his mouth and gently bit a small opening in the side of the bun.

A thick stream of hot air instantly gushed out from that small opening. Su Mu leaned closer, his lips pressed against that "window," and gently inhaled.

Slurp—!

The broth enters the mouth.

Su Mu closed his eyes, looking completely relaxed.

The aspic was cooked to perfection; once it melted, it was incredibly delicious and not greasy at all.

The scalding hot broth slid down my throat, soothing my entire body. After slurping up the broth, I swallowed the noodles and meatballs, now infused with the aroma of meat, in one gulp.

Absolutely!

"Did you learn it?" Su Mu swallowed the steamed bun and looked at the two sisters who were already stunned.

Little Sizi nodded vigorously and picked up his chopsticks, ready to learn.

Unfortunately, her little hands weren't very cooperative; she tried to pick it up for a long time but couldn't, and she almost resorted to grabbing it with her bare hands in frustration.

Su Mu sighed and placed one in her small bowl: "Just lie down and suck it, don't burn your tongue."

Little Sizi didn't care about her image anymore. She buried her face in the bowl and, imitating Su Mu, bit a hole in the bun.

"Hiss—ha! It's hot!"

Even though she was complaining about the heat, she wouldn't let go of her mouth.

The moment the sweet and savory broth entered her mouth, the little girl's eyes narrowed into slits, and her eyebrows trembled.

"So fresh duck! Even fresher than fish soup! It's so juicy!"

The little ox was panting and slurping wildly.

The soup dripped down her chin, and she quickly licked it clean with her pink little tongue, looking completely satisfied.

This isn't eating steamed buns, it's practically drinking nectar!

Li Lizhi watched from the side, her throat bobbing.

This is so tempting!

But this way of eating... is truly uncivilized. How can a princess, slurping and sucking on her food like this, be so improper?

She is Princess Chang Le, who has received orthodox royal etiquette training. How could she be like this vulgar servant and ignorant younger sister?

Li Lizhi took a deep breath, put on airs, and picked up a pair of chopsticks.

"I...I'll do it myself."

She picked up a steamed bun.

The movements were elegant, carefully placing it on the plate.

Su Mu glanced at her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, but didn't offer any advice.

Looking at the translucent bun, Li Lizhi thought to herself: It's just a noodle dish with soup, right? As long as I take small bites and chew slowly, it should be fine.

She gracefully picked up the plate, brought it to her lips, opened her cherry-like mouth, and gently bit into the edge of the bun.

It didn't have the texture of the pastry I expected.

The moment the teeth touched that thin, cicada-wing-like outer skin—

puff!

The simmering broth inside the bun, which had been accumulating for a long time, instantly transformed into a water jet and sprayed out without mercy!

Precise direction and powerful force.

It sprayed directly onto Li Lizhi's face!

The scalding soup splashed onto her nose, cheeks, and even a few drops clung to her long eyelashes.

"ah--!"