Birthday Cake

Tang Jinghong glanced at Chu Qingzhi and, after a moment, smiled and asked, “What do we do next?”

Chu Qingzhi replied, “The next step is to wait until the cake base is baked before we can proceed.”

It wasn’t long before the hourglass ran out, and the cake base was ready.

Chu Qingzhi took out the cake base and placed it on the cutting board. She began to spread cream, decorate, and place fruits, doing all steps slowly while teaching Tang Jinghong alongside.

Tang Jinghong was a good student with strong learning abilities. After being told once or twice by Chu Qingzhi, he got the hang of it. Although the final cake he made was not as exquisite as Chu Qingzhi’s, it was not far behind.

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “General Tang, you have a natural talent for being a pastry chef.”

Looking at his own fruit cake, Tang Jinghong modestly said, “It’s not that I have the talent, but you teach well.”

Chu Qingzhi brought plates and spoons, divided her cake into pieces, placed them on the plates, and offered some to taste, “Try this.”

After tasting a bite, Tang Jinghong sincerely commented, “The cake has a strong egg aroma, the roasted scent of wheat, sweet but not greasy, delicious.” Chu Qingzhi said, “Later, I’ll bake some mini cakes for you to take to the capital to eat.”

Feeling pampered by Chu Qingzhi, Tang Jinghong couldn’t help but smile, “I’ll learn and bake some for you to eat.”

“I’d like that.”

Tang Jinghong ate half of Chu Qingzhi’s cake, full of praise.

Then, Chu Qingzhi taught Tang Jinghong how to bake mini cakes.

The ingredients for the mini cakes could be the same as those for the cake base, with some butter and sesame added. Additionally, some cup-shaped molds were needed.

After some thought, Chu Qingzhi found a piece of scrap iron, transformed it into the shape of cups using a refining technique, made thirty of them, cleaned the cups, then cut some oil paper into circles to line the cups. She poured the cake batter into the molds until it was level with the top of the cups and baked them in the oven.

Throughout the process, Tang Jinghong watched calmly but was still amazed inside, “Is that all it takes?”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “Yes, they’re ready to eat once taken out.”

Tang Jinghong looked forward to it…

Chu Qingzhi brought some fruit juice from another workshop, and they each had a cup, “When are you returning to the capital?”

Tang Jinghong paused his drinking, pressed his lips together, “The day after tomorrow, early morning.”

“I see.” Chu Qingzhi didn’t say much more.

Tang Jinghong quickly finished his juice, then holding the cup, fell silent for a while, “Qingzhi, after I return to the capital, I will go to the frontier to reward the troops. I won’t be back until New Year.”

“That long?” Chu Qingzhi turned to look at Tang Jinghong, the atmosphere becoming somewhat somber.

“Yeah.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled, lightening the mood, “Actually, it’s fine. We can contact each other using the phoenix.”

Tang Jinghong put down his cup and gently hugged Chu Qingzhi, saying in a coaxing tone, “There are many things at the frontier that we don’t have here. I’ll bring some back for you.”

Chu Qingzhi happily replied, “Mhm.”

As they talked, the mini cakes were ready, and a mixed aroma of wheat and eggs spread out, tantalizing.

Chu Qingzhi took out the mini cakes and casually gave one to Tang Jinghong, “Try this.”

Tang Jinghong eagerly took the mini cake, “With added butter and sesame, it has a different flavor.”

“Do you like this flavor?” Chu Qingzhi also ate one, finding it deliciously soft and aromatic.

Tang Jinghong nodded, “I like it. I think whatever you make is delicious.”

Chu Qingzhi looked up, jokingly said, “Then do you want to take me as your master?”

Tang Jinghong agreed readily, “I’d rather marry you as my wife.”

After becoming a disciple, they could not be together.

The two stayed at the workshop until after ten before returning home.

Chu Qingzhi saw that the lights in Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao’s rooms were still on, so she went over to knock on the door, “Do you want some late-night snacks?”

Chu Xuyao opened the door and smiled sweetly at Chu Qingzhi, “Fifth Sister, I was just getting hungry.”

Chu Qingzhi handed a box of small cakes to Chu Xuyao, “Here, eat this. Eat early and go to sleep, or it will affect your performance tomorrow.”

Chu Xuyuan came out a step later, his face sour, “Fifth Sister, thinking about tomorrow’s child student exam, I’m feeling nervous.”

Chu Qingzhi asked with concern, “Why are you nervous?”

Chu Xuyuan shook his head, somewhat at a loss, “I don’t know, suddenly I just felt anxious.”

Chu Qingzhi touched Chu Xuyuan’s head, “Go to the main room and eat the cakes, I’ll make you a fruit juice. Drinking it will make you feel better.”

“Thankyou, Fifth Sister.”

Chu Qingzhi went downstairs, made two glasses of fruit juice in the kitchen, then went to the medicine garden to pick some poria that could calm nerves to add to the juice, and brought it upstairs for them to drink, “After eating the late-night snack and drinking the juice, go rinse your mouth and hurry to bed.”

Chu Xuyuan nodded, “Yes, Fifth Sister.”

Chu Qingzhi flipped through the lessons prepared for the four girls, while accompanying them for the late-night snack.

Ge Lihua heard the sound of flipping through books and came out of her room, sitting beside Chu Qingzhi, “Qingzhi.”

Chu Qingzhi asked, “How are the children? Are there any outstanding ones?”

Ge Lihua objectively said, “There are several, but all the children are very hardworking. Qingzhi, if they all score above ninety, would you keep them all?”

Chu Qingzhi thought for a moment, “If it’s as you said, it’s fine to keep them.

The business will expand in the future, and we will need a lot of hands.”

Ge Lihua understood, “I got it.”

Chu Qingzhi gratefully said, “Lihua, you’ve been working hard these days.”

Ge Lihua smiled, “As long as I can help you, I don’t mind the hard work. I’m just afraid of not being able to help.”

Wu Yaqing came out of her room, and for her, who loves snacks every ten minutes, seeing the small cakes made her forget about the serious matters, “Wow, what are you guys eating?”

Chu Xuyuan quickly handed a piece of small cake to Wu Yaqing, “Sister Yaqing, here you go.”

Wu Yaqing chewed on the small cake and looked at Chu Qingzhi with admiration, “This is so delicious, Qingzhi, can you sell these small cakes in my bookshop?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “I didn’t plan to sell them.”

Wu Yaqing waved her hands, “No, no, how can we not sell such good things? We must sell them.”

Chu Qingzhi thought for a moment, “I’ll talk to Ruyue about it tomorrow.”

Wu Yaqing stuffed her mouth full of cake and could only nod, “Mmm.”

After drinking the fruit juice, Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao’s anxiety gradually subsided, “Fifth Sister, we’re going to rinse our mouths and then go to bed.” “Okay, go ahead.” Chu Qingzhi was still looking at the lesson content. The girls were very smart, and the prepared courses were very appropriate.

Wu Yaqing licked her fingers, “Qingzhi, how is it? Is there anything that needs to be changed?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “No, the course is well done.”

Everyone was relieved. They had spent more than an hour preparing the lesson, and it would be too bad to start over.

Chu Qingzhi said, “Let’s go to sleep, it’s quite late.”

‘Sleep, sleep.” Wu Yaqingyawned and went back to her room, and the others went to their rooms as well.”