When she arrived at the bright, spacious dining hall, Jiang Zhuozhuo finally took her proper human form and sat down.
With a little bird’s stomach, she couldn’t fit more than a few bites of good food—being a round little bird just wouldn’t do!
Of course she had to switch to a human belly to eat her fill.
Anna led the other Maids in bringing out tonight’s dinner.
There was a wide variety of wines here as well. Jiang Zhuozhuo had studied all kinds of winemaking ingredients, picking out crops suitable for making yeast and vinegar.
During this period, she’d already made plenty of jars and bottles, sorting the many ingredients into categories, hoping that time magic would transform them into more palatable flavors.
It was hard to imagine that in an era capable of making glass, there wasn’t even proper vinegar for dipping dumplings, nor had anyone thought to turn wheat into mantou, baozi, or bread!
Not to mention soft and delicious cakes.
The fruit Jiang Zhuozhuo used to make Natural Yeast was called Wind Chime Fruit.
It was a local vine fruit used for winemaking, hanging in clusters that looked like wind chimes from afar. Each individual fruit resembled a bell, and when ripe, its skin turned a beautiful blue. The fruit was plump and juicy, but its only flaw was… it was extremely sour.
Even the wine brewed from it was very sour, making it unpopular. Only sailors would take it with them on long voyages; it was said that drinking a few sips could enhance eyesight and help them watch the course.
However, drinking too much could accelerate aging. There was once a ship that got lost at sea, and the crew drank sour wine frequently to find their way. By the time they safely returned to port, many had faces full of wrinkles, and their lips were so dry that not a trace of color remained.
Among sailors, there was a saying: “No more than three sips of sour wine a day.” Only at crucial moments when they needed to sharpen their vision would they take it out to drink.
When Jiang Zhuozhuo wanted to use Wind Chime Fruit to make yeast, Mei Yin and the others were worried, afraid this stuff would be harmful.
It was only after learning that the amount of yeast used for leavening would never exceed three sips when distributed, that Mei Yin stopped trying to talk Jiang Zhuozhuo out of it.
Today was the day to uncover the first successful batch of Natural Yeast. Previously, Jiang Zhuozhuo had been talking nonstop about baozi, mantou, bread, and cake, but now she suddenly changed her mind and said she wanted to eat Meat-stuffed Bun.
Under Jiang Zhuozhuo’s guidance, the cook Helena learned how to make the flatbread for Meat-stuffed Bun.
The process was still very complicated: knead the dough, let it rest, knead again, rest again, then roll the dough into long strips, coil them up, and finally use a rolling pin to flatten them into little round cakes half a centimeter thick before putting them on the griddle to bake.
She also had to consider the proportions of flour, yeast, animal fat, and water.
It could be said that the two little round buns filled with meat that were served up in front of them took a lot of effort to make!
As the adjutant, Mei Yin also sat down to eat with Jiang Zhuozhuo. She wasn’t as fussy as Lu, so she copied Jiang Zhuozhuo and picked up the bun for a big bite. The bread was fluffy and delicious, and the savory filling inside was bursting with flavor—it was a taste she had never experienced before.
When Lu saw Jiang Zhuozhuo and Mei Yin both eating, and Mei Yin—usually stiff as a puppet—looked like she was about to cry from how delicious it was, he skeptically picked up his own Meat-stuffed Bun and took a bite.
Just one bite, and he couldn’t help but speed up, his taste buds—accustomed to countless noble delicacies—waking up all at once, prompting him to devour the whole Meat-stuffed Bun in a thoroughly un-gentlemanly manner.
Why was there only this much?
Their little lord was really too stingy!
But Lu was prideful; he couldn’t complain about not having enough when treated by others, so he could only cover it up by picking up the hot soup beside him for a sip.
The soup was good too—seemed to be made with some kind of seaweed, light and sweet, perfect for soothing the throat without overpowering the main dishes.
Jiang Zhuozhuo also picked up her soup and gulped it down.
This was edible seaweed she’d carefully selected at the docks, the perfect replacement for that all-purpose, free soup—Nori Soup!
Jiang Zhuozhuo truly wasn’t picky; ordinary food was enough to keep her going, and in her eyes, even the canteen cooks’ skills were decent.
It was just a shame that the food here was so hard to describe—it couldn’t even be called “ordinary,” forcing her to be self-reliant.
Life wasn’t easy—a little bird sighs!
Before Jiang Zhuozhuo could finish lamenting her hard life, Handheld Braised Bone was brought out.
This was also a dish Jiang Zhuozhuo personally picked out, made from a beast similar to a wild boar.
This beast liked to laze around, eating once and then lying down for three days, so its meat was tender and fatty. Unfortunately, it had a gamey smell that many couldn’t stand, so it was usually made into jerky for emergencies. The locals called it the Hulu Beast.
But this Handheld Braised Bone was different—the aroma was incredible.
It looked great too: the exposed leg bone was cleaned spotless, perfect for gripping. The meat on it had soaked up all the sauce, and just the bright color was enough to make one’s mouth water, while the savory aroma brazenly tempted everyone to try it.
It was nothing like the unpopular Hulu Beast meat everyone remembered.
The famously picky and sharp-tongued Master Architect, Lu Eri, once again abandoned all gentlemanly airs… grabbing the braised bone with his hands to enjoy this unheard-of, never-before-seen delicacy.
Before good food, who cares about face or manners!
The meat on the Handheld Braised Bone was tender and juicy, melting in the mouth. Lu ate all the easily accessible meat, but still felt empty inside, completely unsatisfied. It was just too tasty—he’d eaten too quickly to savor it properly.
Without being taught, Lu instinctively sucked the meat from between the bones. Only after he finished did he realize what he’d done.
…How disgraceful!
But why did the meat between the bones taste even better than the big chunks?!
Lu quietly looked up, only to see Jiang Zhuozhuo—now a little round bird—had also cleaned all the meat off her bone and was now… going for the bone marrow?!
Lu didn’t get it. He was utterly shocked.
He looked at his own bone, picked clean, and struggled internally: I’m a renowned Master Architect in The Empire, how could I do something so embarrassing? If my old rivals saw this, they’d laugh at me for a lifetime!
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
I, Lu Eri, have eaten all the best things—how could I not go for the bone marrow!
But if the meat in the bone crevices was so tasty, wouldn’t the marrow hidden deep inside be even more delicious?
In the end, Lu couldn’t resist the temptation. He picked up the braised bone and tried sucking out the marrow.
The moment the marrow touched his tongue, every taste bud was conquered by the unique flavor of fat and protein.
And the texture was completely different from meat—soft and silky, as if it could slide straight into the stomach.
Lu couldn’t help but suck out a few more mouthfuls, quickly emptying the entire bone.
Still, he wasn’t satisfied.
Seeing that Jiang Zhuozhuo had no intention of serving him seconds, Lu had to set aside his pride and ask, “Is there any more? I’d like another helping.”
Whether it was Meat-stuffed Bun or Handheld Braised Bone, he could eat another serving!
Jiang Zhuozhuo said, “There’s no more, you can’t eat any more.”
She glanced at Lu’s white hair, remembering he was a few hundred-year-old old bird, and immediately gave him a health lecture: No matter how tasty something is, you can’t eat too much at once!
Then she reminded Lu that there was too much fat in the bone marrow; next time he ate braised bone, he couldn’t suck the marrow.
Although not sucking the marrow would take away at least half the joy, older people were prone to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol—how could they double up on fatty foods!
Lu stubbornly refused to admit he’d fallen in love with sucking bone marrow, his mouth as stubborn as a dead duck: “I only tried it because you were eating it that way, it’s not like I wanted to. When you return to the Royal Capital, don’t do such disgraceful things, or you’ll become a laughingstock.”
Jiang Zhuozhuo seemed to ponder this.
Ding!
Keyword detected: laughingstock!
Looks like Lu really cares about his image.
Especially his reputation in the Royal Capital!
Jiang Zhuozhuo’s eyes lit up at once.
For some reason, Lu suddenly had a very bad feeling.
He just knew this bright-eyed fellow was up to no good.
Lu trusted his instincts, so he stood up and excused himself on the spot: “Since dinner is over, I’ll take my leave.”
Jiang Zhuozhuo didn’t try to keep him.
After all, Lu wasn’t going anywhere—he was basically a fixed npc on the castle map, always easy to find when needed.
Besides, she’d already thought of a way to handle Lu.
It was guaranteed to work!
Once Lu was far away, Jiang Zhuozhuo sidled up to Mei Yin, eyes dancing with excitement. “I have a brilliant idea!”
Mei Yin smiled. “What idea?”
Jiang Zhuozhuo turned into a little round bird, flew eagerly onto Mei Yin’s shoulder, and excitedly shared her fresh idea: “Soon, I’ll whip up some paints and make a painting of ‘Lu Sucking Bone Marrow.’ Then he’ll have to do whatever I say! Otherwise, I’ll take the painting to auction in the Royal Capital!”
She, an art student, right in her field!
She could definitely paint Lu vividly and true to life, so that everyone who saw it would recognize him sucking on a bone!
The dignified Master Architect, not even letting the bone marrow go when eating Handheld Braised Bone!
As she spoke, the little round bird put on the cocky grin she’d learned from Lu.
The whole bird looked smug beyond belief.
Mei Yin: “……….”
What a ruthless little bird—she could kill without even using a knife!
If she really painted such a picture, Lu Eri would probably want to erase himself from existence.
Mei Yin smiled and advised, “Then, Mistress, you mustn’t let Master Lu Eri know your plan before you finish the painting.”
“And, Mistress, you should practice flying more, at least enough to fly faster than Master Lu Eri.”
—Otherwise, pulling a stunt like this is asking for a beating!
Jiang Zhuozhuo: .
Mei Yin really deserved to be the top graduate (by a landslide) of the Royal Maid Academy—her advice was always so practical.
She’d definitely practice flying more starting tomorrow!
As the saying goes, in all martial arts, speed is the key!
As long as I fly fast enough, no one can catch me!
Brilliant!