She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 304 - 303: The Prescription Spread

Chapter 304: Chapter 303: The Prescription Spread

Xu Deng was even more surprised as he received the two pieces of cheese wrapped in greasy paper. After examining them carefully, he asked, "Uncle Wan, are you implying that this flavored cheese is rarer than the butter cheese used for pastry desserts?"

Wan Yan nodded, "Yes, this cheese has undergone numerous meticulous processes to achieve a consistency that not only stands up to long-term storage but also offers a smooth and supple taste. The method for making cheese powder is much simpler. Anyone who has spent time in the Northern Barbarians would know more or less how to make it, so naturally it’s not as unique in flavor or texture as our soft cheese."

"I see." It was only then that a few men realized that the widely acclaimed butter cheese was not actually the best kind, and this peculiar-tasting cheese, which had received mixed reviews, was probably what His Highness Prince Yu truly intended to market.

A few days later, not only did Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion and a few residences of officials like Minister Huang know that the strangely-flavored cheese was extremely precious, but many other households that ate cheese also began to respond. They found that this uniquely flavored cheese was indeed a delicacy worth tasting.

Novelties along with high prices are always able to attract more wealthy people. Although there were already many noble and official residences that had bought and tried the cheese once, finding its flavor average or even unpalatable, some would still repurchase it. But these households did not include Duke An’s Mansion.

Ever since Duke An learned that his granddaughter was under the protection of Prince Yu, he became more wary of Prince Yu. Even if his granddaughter acted as a steward for Jinrong, she was merely known for her resemblance to his own granddaughter, and since a woman held the steward position, even if it implied taking sides, it did not reflect on him, so it was not a major issue.

What he needed to ensure was that there was no excessive entanglement between himself and Prince Yu.

As for the products created by Prince Yu the Sixth, no matter whether they were good or not, he did not intend to get involved too early. As for the future, if the cheese business did well, the servants from Duke An’s Mansion purchasing supplies from shops would just be a normal commercial transaction, without involving anything else.

That was what Duke An thought, but it did not mean that other people in the mansion thought the same way.

The recipe for pastry desserts made with butter cheese first leaked from Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion on a small scale, then spread rapidly among the large houses of the capital, including the Imperial Academy Libationer Ji Mansion.

Ye Xinyi, the fourth madam of Ji Mansion, held the two pages of the copied pastry recipe. While looking at them, she discussed with her mother-in-law, Madam Zhou, "Mother, wasn’t it said that pastry desserts made with cheese are exquisite delicacies? But looking at this recipe, aside from the cheese powder and butter, there seems to be nothing special."

Madam Zhou was very fond of her daughter-in-law from the Ye family. Although Lady Ye was born to a concubine, she didn’t fall short of any legitimate daughter from other families, being gentle and virtuous, measured in her actions, without showing the slightest hint of pettiness. She was far superior to the legitimate granddaughters of Duke’s Mansion.

Madam Zhou looked at Ye Xinyi with loving eyes and said, "The creativity in making pastries is indeed exceptional, allowing people to create all sorts of patterns. If you want novelty, you might have to focus on the ingredients. Cheese pastries stand out because of their extraordinary ingredients and the rich milky fragrance. I’ve heard that the pastry chefs in the palace have already begun to work on variations to present cheese pastries in a multitude of styles."

Ye Xinyan’s beautiful eyes widened as she said, "But I heard that the cheese powder and butter in this recipe are not rare and can be bought from the Northern Barbarians. If they can be easily bought, they can’t be considered top-grade ingredients, right?"

Madam Zhou patted Ye Xinyi’s arm and chuckled, "You still need to be able to buy them, after all. Given the lengthy journey and the merchant’s profit, by the time ordinary cheese from the North arrives in the capital, the price is already high. However, since this recipe has spread so quickly, it’s likely that cheese and cheese powder will be on sale in the market soon. It just depends on the price and whether ordinary families can afford it."

Ye Xinyan nodded obediently and gave back the recipe to Nanny Huang beside Madam Zhou, changing the subject to talk about the upcoming first birthday banquet at Vice Minister Qin’s grandson’s residence in a few days.

The next morning, Ye Xinyi’s personal nanny returned to Duke’s Mansion to bring some homemade almond cookies and osmanthus cakes to Maternal Aunt Liu.

Maternal Aunt Liu was in charge of the affairs of Duke’s Mansion’s inner house. If she kept quiet and specially contacted the servants from Maternal Aunt Liu’s side door, naturally no one else would notice. But by evening, the heir of Duke An casually strolled towards Madam Yin’s courtyard.

Nanny Huang found the Crown Prince’s visit quite unusual, as he rarely came to the wife of the heir apparent’s courtyard, and hurried to announce the arrival inside. However, the Crown Prince’s steps did not halt, and he went straight into the main house, almost reaching there at the same time as Nanny Huang’s announcement.

Madam Yin was sitting upright on the couch, perusing the account books. When she heard Nanny Huang’s announcement, she reluctantly lifted her gaze, only to see Ye Hongyang stride in. Her face instantly turned cold, and without bothering to rise, she said pointedly and without courtesy, "What brings the Crown Prince to my quarters, when he could be relishing the tender comforts of Maternal Aunt Liu’s embrace? Surely, there is nothing in this concubine’s room worthy of your grace’s presence."

Ye Hongyang’s expression stiffened, and he sat down on the chair in front of the couch, instructing Cui Bai, "How can you be so lacking in awareness? Haven’t you gone to make tea yet?"

Cui Bai glanced at Madam Yin, and upon seeing her nod, he left to prepare the tea.

Nanny Huang deftly moved the dish of dried fruits from the kang table to the desk beside Ye Hongyang’s chair, mentioning, "These were sent over by your uncle. They’re good for digestion and stimulating the appetite. Please try some, my lord."

Ye Hongyang cast a glance at the dried fruits. He’d seen these kinds in both his mother’s and Maternal Aunt Liu’s quarters; it seemed that Marquis Zhongyong’s Mansion must have sent a generous amount, enough for each court to receive some.

Madam Yin watched him for a moment before returning to her account books. The family business had just started, and she was determined to manage it well, not to let down Ah Yan’s kind intentions.

Only her daughter truly cared for her, understanding her difficult circumstances and finding her something to do. Indeed, since she started managing the business, her spirits had lifted, and the dissatisfaction and lack of interest that once consumed her were gone. Now, she only wished to make Ah Yan’s Pastry House successful and earn more silver for Ah Yan to spend. Everything else was secondary, negligible in comparison.

As for this man..., Madam Yin only spared Ye Hongyang a disdainful glance from the corner of her eye. Such a man was more absent than present.

She marveled at how she could have been so blind over the years. If a man’s heart wasn’t with her, what was the use of all her cares and concerns? It was better to live a good life with her daughter, which was the most tangible thing.

Even after Ye Hongyang had sipped half a cup of scalding tea, Madam Yin still hadn’t finished with the account books, nor did she show any intention of putting them down to exchange a few words with him.

He frowned slightly, thinking that he should make idle conversation as a prelude to the matter at hand, making it easier to segue into his actual purpose. But seeing Madam Yin’s disposition, she seemed entirely unwilling to speak. What was he to do? Surely he couldn’t just state his goal outright?

Ye Hongyang cleared his throat and asked, "Madam, you are reviewing the accounts of the Pastry House, aren’t you?"

"Yes," Madam Yin responded absently, barely lifting her head as she flipped to the next page. In her mind, she mused that if the recipe for the cheese pastries could spread quicker among the various residences, Ah Yan’s Pastry House might be able to sell them soon.

She had already asked her elder brother to inquire among the officials and traders traveling to the Barbarian Lands to bring back some cheese and butter. If the items arrived early, they could be sold after a few diversions to other shops. The key was to make cheese widely available as an ingredient so that Ah Yan’s Pastry House could run this line of business smoothly.

Madam Yin paused, the account book in hand, pondering deeply. Perhaps, she thought, it was time to have copies of the pastry recipes widely distributed. If everyone knew and could make cheese pastries, wouldn’t the Duke stop fearing that her shop would compete with the palace’s renown and thus not mind her business selling these pastries?

Madam Yin was also anxious, holding the methods for making cheese and butter cheese and the recipes for cheese pastries in her hands, yet unable to use them. She deeply understood the feeling of impatience.

So when she learned that Marquis Jingyuan’s and several other mansions had the cheese pastry recipe and had even shared the pastries with close acquaintances, she promptly rode on the coattails of these families, making numerous copies of the already limitedly distributed cheese recipes to share with a few familiar households.

Madam Yin was pleased with her own shrewdness. Maybe now she could consider buying more dairy cows to raise in the nearby farms. This way, apart from supplying the milk for the Pastry House’s soups and broths, any surplus could be used to make cheese and butter. Even if she didn’t buy cheese from the North, her cheese business could still begin.

Ye Hongyang watched as Madam Yin was clearly lost in her thoughts, as if there was no one else in the room. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed.