Chapter 28 — Jam Milkshake
“Heh… Shopkeeper Zhang must be a busy man, so I won’t beat around the bush,” Ling Jingxuan said with a light laugh. “I happen to have a recipe for a novel and rather rare delicacy—one that’s especially suitable for weather like this. I wonder if Shopkeeper Zhang might be interested?”
No matter the era, the sons and daughters of wealthy families always suffered from all kinds of so-called ‘rich people’s ailments.’ Today, he was targeting one of those precisely, planning to sell his jam.
“Oh?” The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. “You surely know, sir, that anything served at Xinyuan Restaurant is considered a fine delicacy. We can’t put ordinary food on the table.”
There was no hint of condescension or insult in his tone. Xinyuan Restaurant was not only the best in Datong Town, but also the best in the entire Qing Dynasty, with branches spread across nearly every prefecture, county, and town. Every dish they served was impeccable in color, aroma, taste, and presentation—and naturally, the prices were far from cheap.
“That I do understand,” Ling Jingxuan replied. “May I borrow your kitchen for a moment?”
“Please.”
Seeing how confident he seemed, Shopkeeper Zhang thought briefly before agreeing. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ling Jingxuan and his two sons followed the shopkeeper into the back of the restaurant.
It wouldn’t be long before the dining rush began. Inside the kitchen, the chefs and helpers were all working up a sweat. When Shopkeeper Zhang entered, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed. Seeing Ling Jingxuan and the two children behind him, they couldn’t help but feel puzzled. However, Xinyuan was no ordinary restaurant—even in the kitchen, from the head chef to the dishwashers, everyone had been carefully selected. Since the shopkeeper hadn’t spoken, none of them dared to ask questions.
“Sir, will this do?” Shopkeeper Zhang asked as he stopped in front of an unused small stove. To be honest, he was genuinely curious about what kind of dish this man was going to present.
“That will be enough. Please help me prepare a few elegant plates or large cups, several small spoons made of pure silver, a bowl of fresh milk, a small pinch of jasmine tea, a clean cloth, and a… hmm, a small iron hammer. Lastly, I’ll need a piece of edible ice.”
Ling Jingxuan didn’t even glance at the stove as he casually rattled off a string of strange requests, leaving Shopkeeper Zhang full of questions—though he still made sure to order people to prepare everything.
“You two stand to the side and wait,” Ling Jingxuan said gently. “Daddy will be finished soon.”
As expected of Xinyuan Restaurant, everything he had asked for was prepared in no time. Taking the jar of jam from Big Bun’s hands, Ling Jingxuan immediately got to work. Ling Wen stood quietly to the side, holding his younger brother’s hand. No one noticed that the two small hands clasped together were already soaked with sweat.
He first poured the milk into a small pot and brought it to a boil, then added the jasmine tea. When the milk had taken on a light brown hue, he strained out the tea leaves and poured the milk into small bowls, chilling them in cold water. Next, he wrapped the ice in a clean cloth and crushed it with the small iron hammer. Only after the ice had been completely reduced to fine shards did he portion it onto white porcelain plates, piling each into the shape of a small mountain. By then, the chilled milk had cooled. Ling Jingxuan poured a little onto each plate, then finally opened the jam jar and ladled out a spoonful, drizzling it from top to bottom over each ice mound. Several plates of icy, refreshing jam milkshakes were soon finished.
“Shopkeeper Zhang, please have a taste.”
Stepping back, Ling Jingxuan offered him a silver spoon, the calm, confident smile on his face unchanged.
The pale brown milk tinted the ice mounds the same shade, while the red jam flowing down from the peak provided the perfect finishing touch. The dish was mouthwatering just to look at. Shopkeeper Zhang eagerly took the spoon, scooped up a mouthful, and tasted it. The cool, slightly tart flavor spread instantly, and the stifling heat of the kitchen seemed to drop away at once. His entire body relaxed. This dish was, without a doubt, worthy of Xinyuan Restaurant.
“You should all try it too.”
Only after savoring it for quite some time did the shopkeeper set down the spoon and turn to the chefs who had already gathered around.
“Excellent. The color pairing and the cool, mildly sour taste are both wonderful. It could be sold as a pre-meal drink—an absolute temptation for customers suffering through the summer heat.”
“Head Chef Lin is right. Who would have thought something as plain as ice could be turned into such a delicacy?”
“Cooling, thirst-quenching, appetite-stimulating—very good…”
“Very good…”
The chefs who had tasted it all voiced their praise. The curve of Ling Jingxuan’s lips deepened slightly—this business deal was likely a success.
“May I ask, Ling Gongzi, are you planning to sell the recipe for this dish, or…?”
Seeing this, Shopkeeper Zhang turned to Ling Jingxuan, his attitude growing a bit warmer. His intuition told him that this young man probably wasn’t selling the recipe. After all, everyone had watched him make it, and the process was simple. Many people present could already reproduce it; he could do so even without paying.
“The method for this dish is free,” Ling Jingxuan said, lifting the previously opened jar of jam. “What I’m selling is this.”
“This jam is something I made myself, using fruit and several herbs that stimulate the appetite and strengthen the spleen. That dish must be paired with this jam to achieve its full flavor. Besides that, the jam can be mixed with water, used in pastries, or incorporated into cooking.”
After so much buildup, he had finally reached the key point. Shopkeeper Zhang and the chefs all shifted their gazes to the jar of jam. One of the chefs even scooped out a little with a spoon and tasted it. The slightly sour, sweet flavor instantly won him over, as could be seen from the satisfied smile on his face.
“Ling Gongzi, let’s discuss this outside.”
Glancing at the chefs, Shopkeeper Zhang made a polite inviting gesture. Ling Jingxuan didn’t stand on ceremony—he picked up the jam, took the two children by the hand, and led the way out.
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal. A little support goes a long way! If you’d like to help me keep creating, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/lazyhermitgal
