Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Aromatic Jade Milk Posset

Little Tiger asked quizzically, "Sister Ming, are you out of milk tea?"

Ming Lingyi replied, "We have some, but the eatery is launching a new item today."

"What is it?" Little Tiger had an inexplicable faith in Ming Lingyi. Everything he had ever eaten at Sister Ming’s shop was the most delicious food on earth, so the moment he heard there was something new, his eyes widened in anticipation.

Ming Lingyi pointed to a wooden sign that was now hanging on the wall. Three large words were written on it—

Jade Milk Ambrosia

This was the new breakfast drink Ming Lingyi had come up with: Fermented Rice with Milk and Egg.

She had only recently finished brewing the fermented rice wine. Because the weather wasn’t warm enough, the rice had taken longer to ferment. It took a few extra days, but the result was a sweet mash that had also produced plenty of rice wine.

Ming Lingyi loved the flavor. When she was young, she used to crave a taste of her father’s wine. But her family was strict, and with her delicate health, they would never dare let her try such things.

Her brother, on the other hand, was bold and couldn’t bear to see her look so disappointed. One evening after dinner, he snuck into the kitchen, dug out a spoonful of the fermented rice mash the cook had made, and fed it to her.

But her brother hadn’t realized at the time that this particular jar of rice mash had been brewed by the cook over two weeks ago. The wine that seeped from it not only had a rich, alcoholic taste but was also quite intoxicating.

So, as luck would have it, Ming Lingyi took one bite and passed out drunk.

’That incident caused quite a stir at home back then.’ Ming Lingyi recalled that while she was laid comfortably in her bed, her brother was punished according to family law and forced to kneel in the ancestral hall for several nights.

Later, seeing how much she craved it, her mother had the cook make a fresh batch of fermented rice. Then, during breakfast preparation, the cook would bring milk to a boil, pour in a beaten egg, and finally stir in a large spoonful of the sweet fermented rice. Ming Lingyi could never forget that fragrant aroma.

’After all, her brother had endured a beating just to satisfy her craving.’

The most difficult step in making Fermented Rice with Milk and Egg was that adding the fermented rice could cause the milk to separate, ruining its creamy flavor.

Before adding the sweet fermented rice, Ming Lingyi remembered her family cook’s advice: add a bit of water with plant ash first. This way, the milk would maintain its original flavor after the fermented rice was mixed in.

Furthermore, to enhance the aroma and enrich the flavor profile, Ming Lingyi had also set out numerous jars and pots in front of her stall, each containing different "toppings."

There were walnuts, red dates, sesame seeds, raisins, dried apricots, crushed hawthorn, and more.

She had been inspired by the rose and red date milk tea she made earlier.

The Fermented Rice with Milk and Egg she had in the past was always one-dimensional. If her eatery sold such a simple version, it would be too easy to copy, and customers could just buy the same thing elsewhere.

After explaining all this to Little Tiger, Ming Lingyi prepared a serving.

Steam swirled upwards, carrying the enticingly sweet and heady aroma of cooked rice wine. There was a faint sour note, but when blended with the creamy fragrance of the milk, the scent became richer, as if a single whiff could leave one intoxicated.

Little Tiger had already closed his eyes, his nose twitching as he breathed in deeply. "Ah, that smells so good."

Ming Lingyi chuckled. "So, what toppings would you like? It’s twenty wen without any, and one extra wen if you add them. But since you’re our first little customer of the day, and a regular at that, I’ll waive the extra charge. You can add as many toppings as you want!"

Little Tiger’s eyes lit up when he heard this.

"I want them, I want them!" Of course he wanted the so-called toppings. Sister Ming had placed all the dried fruits in transparent glass jars, and each piece looked crystalline and tantalizing. Just looking at those beautiful glass jars made him gulp.

Ming Lingyi was very generous. When she said Little Tiger could have all the toppings, she really meant it, digging a large spoonful out of every single jar.

Little Tiger happily held his bowl and sat down in the shop, slurping it down noisily.

"Oh, right, Sister Ming, I’ll need another one later to take home!"

Zhang Hu genuinely felt that it was a wonderful thing for Sister Ming to have opened her shop near his home.

His mother used to forbid him from eating out, saying the food sold outside was expensive, unappetizing, and unhygienic—not nearly as good as home-cooked meals.

But ever since Sister Ming arrived, his mother herself had grown to love eating at her eatery. Now, their family bought breakfast from Sister Ming almost every morning.

In his mother’s words, the food at Sister Ming’s eatery was expensive, so it must be clean and hygienic. Buying it once in a while was fine.

’But Little Tiger felt there was more to it. It was obvious his mother also thought Sister Ming was an excellent cook! That’s why she couldn’t stay away!’

Before long, the eatery started to fill up.

Most of the residents from the surrounding Huaided Fang were familiar faces, and the shop quickly became lively.

Xiao Chun had already learned how to fry spring rolls. She had been planning to take payments and hand out spring roll wrappers at the same time, but then Shi Mingyue emerged from the courtyard.

Shi Mingyue, who had been ordered to rest in her room, came out to help, her face still a little pale beneath her veil.

"Didn’t I tell you to rest?" Xiao Chun frowned upon seeing her.

Shi Mingyue was conscientiously ready to work. "It’s not like it’s a life-or-death battle. I can still handle this kind of work."

"Why are you wearing a veil?"

"I’m afraid I’ll scare the customers away."

Xiao Chun was speechless.

Yesterday, she and her lady had bought Shi Mingyue from the slave market and taken her to a clinic. Her lady had wanted the doctor to heal the wound on Shi Mingyue’s face—after all, how could a young woman have a scar on her face?

But the doctor at the clinic said the scar was vicious, nearly injuring her eye. It was so deep that healing without a mark was impossible. In fact, because the gash was so severe, even with the best scar-removing ointment, the scar would likely become distorted as it healed.

The doctor’s exact words were, "The scar will be raised and as hard as an earthworm."

The thought of it made Xiao Chun worry for Shi Mingyue, even though she was just a chubby girl who usually only cared about eating and drinking and paid little mind to her own appearance.

Shi Mingyue herself, however, was quite philosophical about it. "It’s just a face. It’s not like I lost my life."

Though she said that, when she came to help at the eatery, she still considered the customers and proactively put on a veil.

With a new person in the shop, the customers naturally asked a few questions, and Xiao Chun and Ming Lingyi took the opportunity to introduce her to the patrons.

"Miss Ming, since you’ve hired an employee, shouldn’t you expand your shop? There are too few seats, and we always have to wait for a while when we come."

"Exactly, Boss Ming! Your business is doing so well, you should open another location. Or find a bigger shop so you can serve more customers!"

Hearing these words, the smile on Ming Lingyi’s face deepened.

’Who in business doesn’t want their wealth to grow and their enterprise to flourish and boom?’

"Then I’ll take your auspicious words to heart. If I really do expand the shop, I’ll be sure to offer plenty of discounts for the first three days. Everyone is welcome to come!" Ming Lingyi said cheerfully.

In truth, she also felt her shop was a bit too small. After all, it was formerly a tiny bookstore; how could it possibly accommodate dozens of people? It was a good thing Ming Lingyi had bought all the bookstore’s remaining books back then, so at least customers didn’t have to wait idly by the door.

Today was a rest day for both students and officials.

Ming Lingyi hadn’t expected to see another familiar customer at noon.

The moment she saw Li Yun appear, Ming Lingyi’s eyebrow twitched.