The attic connects the past and present; I became a tycoon and got rich overnight!

Chapter 5 Purple Chrysanthemum

The garden became lively from time to time, and Song Youan followed along, also taking the opportunity to admire the beautiful purple chrysanthemums in the flowerbed.

It was a chrysanthemum with a very peculiar color, one that Song Youan had never seen before. Its petals were a mix of purple and yellow, layered upon layered, making it extremely enchanting and dazzling.

Once everyone had arrived, they all sat down in the garden pavilion.

As soon as she sat down, Liang Wanjun, the daughter of the Minister of Rites, smiled and said, "Sister Ling, your sudden invitation must be more than just about flower viewing, right?"

The others exchanged glances. They all knew Zhu Ling's personality. How could she send them an invitation so suddenly for something as ordinary as tea tasting and flower appreciation? There must be another purpose behind it.

Zhu Ling raised her eyebrows triumphantly, then winked at Chu Tao, the maid standing to the side. Chu Tao clapped her hands lightly twice, and ten maids from the mansion slowly walked over carrying trays. On the trays were exquisite porcelain plates filled with various delicate little cakes.

Everyone present, except for Li Chuyou, stared wide-eyed with curiosity. The cake's exquisite and unique appearance alone was enough to attract the attention of these young ladies.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Zhu Ling became even more proud: "I found some new and good things, so of course I have to share them with my sisters."

"Little Ling, what is this?"

"Is it a dessert? It looks so good!"

"It's even more unique than the Manyuelou Restaurant."

Girls love pretty things, and food is no exception. The ten cakes were all different, and they were dazzled by the sight, unable to help but exclaim in surprise.

Zhu Ling raised her chin with a self-satisfied expression before saying, "This is called cake. Sister Chu You and I tasted it by chance at Sister Sang Qian's place yesterday and found it very delicious, so we specially brought it here for everyone to try today."

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to Li Chuyou, who nodded gently: "It is indeed delicious, everyone should try it."

Normally, people eat snacks directly with their hands, but cakes require utensils. Fortunately, each cake comes with a small spoon.

Zhu Ling and Li Chuyou, having tried it once before, knew that it couldn't be handled directly, so they used small spoons to demonstrate.

Seeing this, the other ladies followed suit, carefully scooping out a spoonful and putting it into their mouths.

"Hmm...it's delicious!"

"Such a soft and fluffy texture!"

"There's fresh fruit in the piece I'm eating."

"The cake I ate had a rich aroma and a slightly bitter aftertaste, but it wasn't as strong as the bitterness of Coptis chinensis or traditional Chinese medicine. It was a novel bitterness mixed with a faint fragrance, so unique. Sister Ling, what exactly is this cake? It's so different from the desserts we usually eat!"

Zhu Ling couldn't explain it either, so she turned to Song You'an and said, "Why don't you explain it to Sister Rong?"

Song Youan remained highly focused, afraid of making even the slightest mistake. Upon hearing this, she stepped forward and calmly said, "The cake that Miss just tasted is called tiramisu..."

Tiramisu?

Upon hearing this strange name, everyone's interest was piqued even more, and another person hurriedly asked, "And what about this one? What's it called?"

Song Youan said, "This piece is called Red Velvet."

"What about this piece?"

"This is called mango mille-feuille."

There are also Napoleon cakes, soufflés, taro snow cakes, and more...

The names of these modern cakes sounded novel and interesting to the ladies, and most importantly, each one was incredibly delicious! "Miss, did you make all of these?" someone suddenly asked.

Although Song Youan didn't want to lie, she couldn't tell the truth, so she had no choice but to nod reluctantly.

Everyone's eyes lit up, and someone said, "You're really amazing! You've even outdone the pastry chefs at Manyuelou. This cake is sure to be a sensation in Kyoto in the future."

"Thank you for your kind words, Miss," Song Youan said, bowing her head.

Fortunately, these young ladies didn't care how the cake was made. After all, they were people who never lifted a finger to cook. Even if Song You'an explained it clearly, they wouldn't understand at all, because most of the ingredients were nowhere to be found in Da Zhao.

Song Youan had already prepared her answer. If she was asked, she would say it was a technique passed down from her ancestors and not easily revealed. She figured the young ladies wouldn't make things difficult for her.

The ten cakes were quickly devoured by seven or eight people, who were still eager for more. Each person had different preferences and a different favorite flavor.

"Girl, I'm ordering tomorrow's cake from you in advance, exactly the same ten pieces as today's. I want my dad, my mom, and my brothers to all try this delicious treat!"

"I want it too, I want it too!"

"And me! My grandmother loves sweets, she'll definitely like it!"

"I'll have one too!"

Even Li Chuyou spoke up, "There's also one for me. I wonder if you can make so many tomorrow?"

Everyone present wanted to make a reservation with her, and at ten yuan per person, that would be eighty yuan!
“That’s fine. Tomorrow, you ladies won’t have to go to the trouble of leaving your residences. I can deliver the cakes to your homes,” Song Youan said.

“That would be perfect.” Li Chuyou said, looking at Zhu Ling, “Then I’ll trouble you, Sister Ling, to have someone write down the addresses of each household, so that this young lady can deliver the goods tomorrow.”

"Sister Ling is so generous, thinking of us first when it comes to such a good thing!"

"Yes, thank you so much, Sister Ling..."

When someone offered a compliment, Zhu Ling was very pleased and, in a moment of joy, ordered, "Give this young lady an extra hundred taels of silver."

"Thank you for your generosity, Miss. However, I have something else I wish to ask for your favor." Song You'an spoke calmly. The trepidation she felt upon first entering the manor had long since dissipated, and she was now much more composed.

Zhu Ling was in high spirits when she heard this and asked, "Oh? What do you want?"

Song Youan lowered her head slightly and said, "I am fortunate to have entered the manor with you, Miss. This is the first time in my life that I have witnessed the beauty of the Purple Chrysanthemum. May I ask you for a Purple Chrysanthemum? I will take good care of it."

Upon hearing this, the other young ladies all smiled.

Although the purple chrysanthemum is rare and precious among ordinary people, it is not hard to find in the gardens of noble families. Compared to one hundred taels of silver, a single purple chrysanthemum is not that expensive.

Li Chuyou then spoke up softly, "Sister Ling, these purple chrysanthemums are indeed a rare thing for ordinary people. This young lady is willing to spend a hundred taels of silver to exchange for one, so she must like it from the bottom of her heart. Why don't we give her one?"

"It's just a flower. If you really like it, I'll give it to you." Zhu Ling didn't care about the swathes of purple chrysanthemums in the flower garden at all. She immediately instructed her maid, "Go and dig up two purple chrysanthemums to give to this lady..."

Zhu Ling looked at Song You'an and asked, "What's your name?"

"The commoner, Song You'an."

Zhu Ling said, "Give this to Miss Song."

There are two plants, not one.

Song Youan was overjoyed, thinking to herself that this young lady from the Marquis family of Fuyang was not a bad person at all, at least she was generous!
(End of this chapter)