She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 281 - 280 Different Noodles

Chapter 281: Chapter 280 Different Noodles

Zhang Baokui was extremely disappointed with the results of the cheese tasting today. Despite having used so much cow’s milk, energy, effort, and time, the final product did not meet expectations—in fact, it could even be said to be rather bad. However, the Chief Steward instructed to continue fermenting the cheese, without any mention of making improvements.

Zhang Baokui exclaimed in amazement, "Ah? Continue fermenting and keep using the same methods?"

Ye Xinyan looked at Zhang Baokui with approval. Faced with the less-than-ideal taste of the cheese, Zhang Baokui thought of improving the methods, truly someone who strives for perfection in his work.

"For now, let’s stick with it. The winter weather is cold, and humidity is hard to control. Next year, depending on the situation, we will build a few different fermentation chambers and make improvements then. For a short while, we’ll continue using the original methods," Ye Xinyan said.

But that wasn’t what he meant to say. "Chief Steward, what I mean is, if we keep making cheese the same way, won’t the cheese still have that strange taste?"

"Whether the taste is strange, let’s try eating it for a few days and see," Ye Xinyan said with a smile. "Moreover, since everyone is not used to it, there’s no need to make things difficult for everyone. For the next few days of tasting, just you stewards will do."

Zhang Baokui left to check on the curd draining workshop with a particularly sorrowful turn. Since the Chief Steward had given the order, he could only follow it, being extra careful with the draining process, which could easily lead to spoilage during fermentation.

For lunch the next day, a normal meal was served, accompanied by a dish of cold mixed vegetables with shredded cheese. Looking at the potato slices and cabbage mixed with what was meant to be high-priced cheese, Ye Xinyan felt like crying. It was such a waste. But now, having entered winter without any other fresh vegetables available, what to do?

Ye Xinyan wanted to cry, yet the results of the tasting surprisingly exceeded everyone’s expectations—or could be said to be within Ye Xinyan’s expectations. Small dishes were placed in front of each person so that it was clear at a glance who had or had not eaten and how much, a sort of small-scale survey, one might say.

The reactions of others were fine, but Cheung Wusi, upon tasting his first bite, let out an "eh" and, after swallowing, said, "It’s still yesterday’s flavor, but how come today I can taste the aroma and a much richer milky flavor?"

Ye Xinyan smiled proudly, pleased that the taste of the cheese had been so easily accepted. "If you eat it regularly, Grandfather Cheung, you will fall in love with cheese."

Qi Younian, who had detected the rich taste yesterday, had a rather muted response. "The taste has improved a lot. I never thought that cheese really could be prepared in so many different ways."

Qi Jiaer expressed that today’s cheese dish wasn’t as tasty as yesterday’s and even offered a suggestion, "Sister, let’s use this cheese to make meatballs tomorrow. It will definitely taste better."

Wong Qiao, as always, refrained from expressing any opinion, simply savoring the cheese mixed with the vegetables in detail.

He was not like Cheung Wusi, who in his prime managed a big construction industry with Qi Younian’s seven brothers and had lived a few good years. Although they couldn’t compare with the real wealthy families, they had indeed spent quite a bit of Silver Coin.

Wong Qiao was different. Although he had become a very good craftsman, he had lived a hard life since childhood. Later, working for a construction industry in Hezhou, he had remained a low-ranking craftsman. Even though he made a bit more than the average laborer, it was not by much. It was only after coming to the Qi family that he had the best years of his life in the past two decades, with substantial progress in construction and a significant broadening of experiences in food and dress.

So even though he still wasn’t accustomed to the taste of fermented cheese, seeing that Ye Zi had such high status and great insight, and she said that fermented cheese was a food with great potential, he was willing to slowly accept this peculiar taste.

The next evening, they skipped a meal without serving the cheese dish.

On the third night, the main course before everyone was a bowl of cheese noodles. Indeed, these noodles were served in a ceramic bowl, baked with both top and bottom fires. To cater to the taste of our ancestors, they were served with sour pickles and stir-fried bean sprouts with shredded pork as two refreshing side dishes.

When Nanny Zhou led the cooking, Qi Younian and others were astonished. Even though we, the common folk, could not afford to eat such noodles more than a few times a year, we had seen all sorts of different ways to eat them. And noodles had become a staple food for us nowadays, but who could have imagined that noodles could be baked and eaten?

When the cheese noodles were served, the golden brown crust stimulated the appetite, and considering the increasingly delicious taste of the cheese meals over the past two days, this novel way of eating noodles must be exceptionally tasty.

Before Qi Younian started eating, he asked Ye Xinyan while holding his chopsticks, "Just eat it like this?"

Ye Xinyan, holding her own bowl, appeared very uncertain and said, "Noodles, they should be eaten like this, right? Lift them and eat. Or should I try them first?"

Qi Younian lifted the noodles with his chopsticks, which also brought up the layer of cheese on top. After tasting a mouthful, he kept nodding, "Of all the fermented cheese you made, this is the best tasting." Then he gestured to Cheung Wusi, "Try it, the taste is really good, excellent."

Cheung Wusi hardly needed reminding; as soon as Qi Younian took a bite of the noodles, he began to eat, nodding as he did so. His big brother’s granddaughter was truly worthwhile, and he felt his life’s hardships were all worth it. He believed his big brother was even more worthwhile, even when they faced disasters in the past, he felt it was worth it, let alone now, living such a good life.

In the large dining hall of the workshop, various craftsmen, long-term laborers, and junior workers, holding their large stew bowls, vigorously bit into their fluffy two-grain steamed buns, casting sympathetic glances at the shopkeepers eating the good-looking noodles.

Despite the noodles looking appealing and being quite novel, there were no envious people. Just the thought of the strange-tasting ingredient stuffed in the meat pies on the first day made it clear that any good food eaten together with it was a waste.

The junior workers thought to themselves: it was merely because the Chief Steward had ordered to taste test, and the stewards dared not refuse.

While the craftsmen and junior workers enjoyed their oily stew and two-grain buns, they pitied the shopkeepers’ wretched plight, savoring their own wonderful lives.

Who would have thought that working for someone else, apart from wages, could also yield three full meals a day? Although the wages were mediocre, the substantial daily meals were nowhere else to be found. Those from out of town had no choice but to eat alone here. The local workers always packed their meals to take home, mixing them with their own thin soups, providing a feast for the whole family every day.

The stewards from the three industries could not care less about all that; they thoroughly savored the novel and delicious lunch. They all knew that only because of the Chief Steward’s consideration could they enjoy such cheese meals. Once the fermented cheese was truly launched for sale, given the increasingly delicious rarity, it simply would not be affordable for ordinary households.

On the morning following the baked noodles treat, while Ye Xinyan was still at the dairy farm inspecting the affairs, a junior worker came looking for her, mentioning that Steward Xie from the Dairy Products Store had an urgent matter to discuss with the Chief Steward.

Ye Xinyan gave Fan Zhengyuan a few instructions and walked out with Biyao.

On such an early morning, Xie Chun’s urgent request must mean something important.