Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 22 Weekly Pastries

The day after returning from Lou Mansion, He Yuzhu summoned Yangshi Lei to the courtyard.

"Master Lei, help me build a clay kiln."

Yangshi Lei was squatting against the wall smoking, not even bothering to take a picture of the ash falling on his pants. "A kiln? What are you kilning?"

"Baked bread, cream cake. Western-style pastries."

"Boss, you can do this too?"

"This is something anyone can do; it's much simpler than building your house."

Yang Shilei stubbed out his cigarette. "Okay. How big is the kiln chamber? How does the flue run?"

He Yuzhu squatted down and picked up a twig to draw on the ground. The kiln chamber was circular, with a layer of refractory bricks at the bottom, and the flue went up from the back. Yang Shilei squinted at it, gestured in the air with his finger, and nodded. "It can be built. Three days."

Three days later, the earthen kiln was completed. In the side room of the central courtyard, the kiln chamber, constructed of firebricks, was plastered with yellow mud. The kiln door was covered with sheet metal, and the chimney extended from the side wall. Yang Shilei patted the kiln door and asked, "Master, should this thing burn firewood or charcoal?"

"Burn charcoal first, then the temperature is easier to control."

He Yuzhu took out butter, cream, flour, eggs, and sugar from his spatial storage, all given to him by Lou Bancheng. The flour was low-gluten flour.

For my first serious attempt, I made a cream cake.

The stove was lit. He Yuzhu cracked the eggs, separating the yolks from the whites. The egg beater was homemade, made by bending several iron wires into a spiral shape and binding them to a wooden handle.

My wrists were shaking like a sewing machine. When large bubbles appeared, I added sugar in two or three batches and continued beating until the egg whites became as white and smooth as cream, and chopsticks could stand upright in the middle without falling over.

Continue beating the egg yolks, adding a small amount of sugar and flour, and mix well to form a thick egg yolk batter. Pour half of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk batter, and gently fold it in from the bottom up, like stir-frying vegetables. Then pour in the remaining egg whites and gently fold them in again.

Pour the mixed batter into a tin mold, smooth it out, and then put it into the oven.

A fragrance wafted out from under the door. It was sweet, milky, and the aroma of toasted flour. The scent was light and airy, lingering in the nostrils.

In the middle courtyard, Jia Zhangshi was sitting at the doorway sewing shoe soles, sniffing twice. She sniffed twice more. The soles were finally put down. Tan Xiulan came out of the east wing and stood under the veranda, her nose pointing towards the He family's house.

Yan Bugui came over from the front yard, carrying a teacup. "What does this taste like?" No one answered.

The window of the west wing was pushed open, and Jia Dongxu poked his head out. "Mom, what smells so good?" Jia Zhangshi ignored him. She stared at the He family's house and swallowed.

The cake base was baked. He Yuzhu opened the oven door, and a wave of heat hit his face. Inside the tin mold, the cake had risen, its surface golden brown. He inverted it to cool, then sliced ​​it horizontally into three layers.

Whip the cream. Pour the heavy cream into a bowl, add the powdered sugar, place the bowl over an ice bath, and whisk quickly. The thinner cream will thicken, and the thicker cream will stiffen, until stiff peaks form.

He Yuzhu used a spatula to scoop up a piece of cream and spread it on a slice of cake, smoothing it out. He placed a second slice, then another, and so on, until the entire cake was covered in cream. He smoothed it out with the spatula in a circular motion. The piping bag was made of parchment paper, fitted with a metal piping tip, and filled with cream. With a squeeze, cream was ejected from the tip, forming a flower with each rotation.

The cake has a ring of buttercream frosting around the edge, a wavy pattern on top, and red canned cherries.

Old Li peeked out from the doorway. He Yuzhu scraped the remaining cream from the piping bag and spread it on a scrap of cake base, then handed it to him.

Old Li took it, took a bite, chewed a couple of times, and his eyes widened. "Zhu Zi, this...this is a cake?"

"Hmm. How is it?"

Old Li stuffed the remaining half into his mouth. "I've never eaten anything so soft in my life. What's this white thing?"

"cream."

"Cream...cake," Old Li smacked his lips and left.

He Yuzhu packed the cake into a paper box. It was an exquisite box with a subtle floral pattern, custom-made. He closed the lid and tied a red ribbon into a bow. He then rode his bicycle towards the east side of the city.

Upon arriving at Lou's residence, I rang the bell.

The person who opened the door was Xu Damao's mother, Zhao Shufen.

"Pillar?"

"Auntie, I've brought you a cake."

He Yuzhu pushed the cart into the yard.

In the living room, Tan Yali was sitting on the sofa reading a book. Seeing He Yuzhu enter, she stood up. "Zhuzi's here?" Noticing the cardboard box he was carrying, she asked, "What's this?"

He Yuzhu placed the cardboard box on the coffee table, untied the bow, and opened the lid.

Cream cake. A circle of flowers is piped on the snow-white cream surface, topped with a wavy pattern, and the cherry blossoms are bright red.

Tan Yali paused for a moment, walked to the coffee table, and bent down to look. After looking for a while, she looked up at He Yuzhu.

"Did you do this?"

"Um."

Tanya reached out and touched the edge of the cardboard box, but didn't touch the cake. "Where did you learn to decorate like this?"

He Yuzhu couldn't say that the judge gave it to him. "I read it in a book. I practiced it a few times."

Tan Yali looked at him, her gaze changing—the look of an elder looking at a promising younger generation. She turned and called upstairs, "Xiao'e! Come down quickly!"

Footsteps echoed down the stairs. Lou Xiao'e ran down the stairs, her two little braids swinging back and forth. She ran to the coffee table, saw the cake, her mouth dropped open, and her eyes almost popped into the cream.

"Eat up." Tanya cut two pieces.

Lou Xiao'e took a piece, holding it in her two small hands. She took a bite, and cream got on the tip of her nose. She took another bite, and a ring of white cream appeared around the corner of her mouth.

Tanya laughed so hard she slapped the sofa.

He Yuzhu smiled and took a handkerchief out of his pocket, handing it to Lou Xiao'e. Lou Xiao'e took it and wiped her face, then continued eating.

From that day on, He Yuzhu went to Lou Mansion once a week.

I bring one dessert each time. Egg tarts, cream puffs, cookies—I make them in rotation. The cream puffs are hollow after baking, so I poke a hole in one with chopsticks and pipe in cream.

Lou Xiao'e ate a cream puff for the first time. She squeezed too much cream on it, and when she bit into it, cream splattered from the corner of her mouth and onto He Yuzhu's pants.

Unaware of her own ignorance, she was still earnestly munching on the cream puff, while Tanya smiled and apologized to Zhu Zi.

He Yuzhu waved his hand with a smile. He later told the story to the children, and Lou Xiao'e said that she was tricked into coming by the cake.

Lou Bancheng wasn't home often. But when He Yuzhu visited, if he was there, he would sit down and chat for a bit. He'd ask how business was going and what new dishes he'd learned.

On one occasion, Lou Bancheng said he wanted to invite some friends to his home for dinner and asked He Yuzhu if he could cook a meal of Tan family dishes, promising to prepare all the ingredients.

He Yuzhu agreed.

He arrived early that day. He brought a jar of thick soup and a jar of clear soup. Zhao Shufen assisted him, washing and chopping the vegetables.

The menu is ready. Braised shark fin, abalone with oyster sauce, braised sea cucumber, and bird's nest soup. Four Tan family dishes to start the meal. Add a pot of braised beef brisket, and a few stir-fried green vegetables imported from the south.

The guests had all arrived. Four or five of Lou Bancheng's friends, all dressed in suits. One of them, with gray hair, said he frequently ate Tan family cuisine. The dishes were served one by one. When the braised shark fin was brought out, the gray-haired man picked up a piece with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and then put the chopsticks down.

"Brother Lou, where did you hire your cook?"

Lou Bancheng smiled and glanced at He Yuzhu. "He's one of my juniors."

The braised beef brisket was served last. The earthenware pot was brought to the table, the seal lifted, and the rich broth of the Tan family, mingled with the aroma of meat, gushed out. Each guest filled a bowl, lowered their heads to eat, and no one spoke.

After finishing his meal, the man with gray hair pushed his bowl away. "This pot of beef brisket has a base of Tan Family Broth. I've had Russian-style beef stew in Harbin, which was sweet and sour, but it doesn't taste as good as this."

He looked at He Yuzhu. "Little Master, how did you come up with that idea?"

He Yuzhu said, "Tan Family Broth is already thick, and the beef, after being simmered for a long time, absorbs the full flavor of the broth, making it more mellow and richer in taste than Russian sweet and sour broth."

The man nodded and said to Lou Bancheng, "This child will be extraordinary in the future."

After dinner, the guests drank tea in the living room. He Yuzhu tidied up the kitchen utensils. Tan Yali came into the kitchen and handed him a paper packet. "Butter, cream. Aunt Lou gave you extra cheese; try making a pizza."

He Yuzhu took it. "Thank you, Aunt Lou."

Zhao Shufen was wiping the stove nearby, and said with a smile, "Zhuzi, your cooking skills are much better than your dad's."

He Yuzhu smiled.

Three weeks later. Sunday.

He Yuzhu returned from Lou Mansion and pushed his cart into the Central Courtyard.

Xu Damao grabbed his bicycle handlebars at his doorstep. "Brother Zhu!"

"What's wrong?"

Xu Damao lowered his voice, his face full of excitement. "Jia Dongxu is going on a blind date today!"

He Yuzhu parked the car. "Oh?"

"A pretty girl has arrived!" Xu Damao gestured with both hands in front of his chest. "Those breasts...that ass..." He clicked his tongue twice. "This bastard got a good deal."

"What's your name?" He Yuzhu asked.

"It seems her name is Qin Huai... Ru."

Qin Huairu.

He Yuzhu's hand tightened.

In her past life, she entered this courtyard around the same time, following the matchmaker. Everyone in the courtyard came out to see, saying that Jia Dongxu was lucky to have married such a beautiful wife.

Later, Jia Dongxu died. She remained a widow.

He was foolish; he raised her child, earned money for her, and supported her family. In the end, she schemed to take his house, his money, and his entire life.

That face, whether it's smiling or crying, saying "Zhu Zi, you're so kind," or "You should move to the back room," is the same face.

He Yuzhu stood at the door of his house, gripping the handlebars tightly.

"Brother Zhu?" Xu Damao noticed that his expression was off.

He Yuzhu relaxed his grip, pushed the car into the house, closed the door, and leaned against it.

Qin Huairu. You've arrived.

In this lifetime, you will repay what you owe, one by one.