Chapter 94 Picky Despite Having Food

Chapter 94: You’ve Got Food, Stop Being So Picky

For the remaining pound of mushrooms, Ji Yuntang slowly pan-fried them in the pan, planning to make a dish of pan-seared mushrooms.

The round mushrooms were fried until golden brown on both sides, all the juices cooked out, sizzling and smelling amazing.

Ji Yuntang placed them one by one into a bowl, sprinkling green scallions on top, making them look incredibly appetizing.

Luo Qingge, who didn’t know how to cook, watched in awe on the side, drooling like crazy.

“Whoa, Third Sister-in-Law, you’re incredible! These mushrooms look so delicious.”

“Qingge, wanna try one?”

Ji Yuntang picked up a mushroom with chopsticks and held it up to her mouth. Luo Qingge, not even minding the heat, quickly took a bite.

Instantly, a rich, savory broth burst in her mouth, so fresh it made her tongue tingle.

As she chewed, she instantly squealed like a groundhog.

“Ahh! It’s even tastier than meat! I’ve never eaten such fragrant, delicious mushrooms. Third Sister-in-Law, you’re incredible!”

Manager Liu, stoking the fire, was drooling like crazy too.

Man, he wanted a taste too!

Having worked in the imperial kitchen for fifteen years, he could tell just from the smell that Ji Yuntang’s cooking was bound to be delicious.

No wonder Luo Qingge was acting like she’d never seen anything in her life.

If it were him, he’d be howling too.

Ji Yuntang smiled and said, “If Qingge likes it, come by Prince Ye’s mansion another day, and I’ll cook you a whole table of food so you can eat your fill.”

Luo Qingge nodded like crazy, “Okay, okay! Third Sister-in-Law, I love you!”

She almost wanted to follow Ji Yuntang to Prince Ye’s mansion that instant.

But Luo Qingge knew that today’s palace banquet was the main event, and Ji Yuntang’s dishes were limited, or she’d have snuck a few more bites.

Next, Ji Yuntang made a dish of blanched okra, drizzling it with a secret sauce that instantly brought out the okra’s flavor.

“Third Sister-in-Law, what are the eggs for?”

Luo Qingge looked at the eggs she had been asked to beat, now stirred into a thick, gooey consistency—she’d never seen this done before.

She thought Ji Yuntang was going to make boiled eggs, but it turned out totally different.

“This is the final main dish,” Ji Yuntang said, walking over to a pot and lifting the lid, revealing a lot of leftover white rice.

She scooped out the leftover rice and said to Luo Qingge, “I’m gonna use this leftover rice to make a fried rice dish you’ve never tried. I bet you’ll love it after you taste it.”

Fried rice was one of Ji Yuntang’s specialties. In her past life, she loved making ham and egg fried rice, paired with a plate of spicy and sour shredded potatoes—so good she’d want to lick the plate clean.

But since coming to ancient times, Ji Yuntang found that local chefs had pretty limited cooking skills; they couldn’t figure out the best ways to cook each ingredient.

They just made the same few dishes over and over, and eating them too much got boring.

Ji Yuntang poured oil into the pan, added the beaten eggs, then some diced carrots, a pinch of salt, and scallions, stir-frying until the eggs were golden and crumbly, then set it aside.

She then added the rice to the pan with some oil, stir-frying until each grain was separate, then added the cooked egg bits, a spoonful of light soy sauce and two of dark soy sauce, and a bit of chicken bouillon, finally topping it with scallions before serving.

Manager Liu couldn’t help walking over, swallowing his spit. “Princess Ye, is this the fried rice you mentioned? It looks amazing.”

In all his years, he’d never thought leftover rice could be used like this.

It looked super appetizing.

“Yeah, from now on, if there’s leftover rice, don’t toss it. You can make it like this, adding a little salt and scallions for flavor—it’ll taste great too.”

“Thanks for the tip, Princess Ye. This servant will remember.”

The skill Ji Yuntang showed today really impressed Manager Liu, making him wonder if everything he’d cooked before was garbage.

No wonder the masters always left so much food.

If every meal could be as varied as the dishes Ji Yuntang made, would there be any leftovers?

As they chatted, the potato and long bean dish was ready, and Ji Yuntang began plating.

She had the maids bring out the dishes: five plates in total—spicy and sour shredded potatoes, potato and long bean dish, carrot stir-fried with mushrooms, pan-seared mushrooms, blanched okra, and a pot of fried rice.

Each dish was divided into ten small portions, totaling sixty servings.

At that moment, back at the palace banquet.

The drum-and-flower game was still ongoing, but without Ji Yuntang, many found the feast dull.

It was the same old routine of music and dance performances, seen countless times before.

In comparison, Ji Yuntang’s talent showcase seemed far more interesting.

Everyone’s anticipation grew, wondering what kind of dishes Ji Yuntang would create.

Suddenly, a sharp-eyed young man spotted something and exclaimed, “Look! The palace maids are coming.”

Everyone turned to see dozens of maids carrying trays, with what looked like colorful dishes on top, though not clearly visible.

Everyone shuddered with excitement—had the food they’d been waiting for finally arrived?

The maids placed the dishes on the tables: one each for the Emperor and Empress, one for the imperial consorts, one for the princes, one for the princesses, and the rest for the guests.

Ji Qingqing glanced at them disdainfully and sneered.

“Sister is really too stingy. With so many young ladies and gentlemen here, she’s making eight of us share one dish? Each person might get a bite, and that’s it. How is that enough to even fill the gaps between our teeth?”

Looking at these ordinary, unremarkable vegetables, her worries finally eased.

That fool Ji Yuntang—the imperial kitchen had everything, even if she couldn’t get venison or bear paws, there were always chicken, duck, and fish.

But Ji Yuntang deliberately avoided all that, choosing only humble vegetables like potatoes and mushrooms. Not a trace of meat in sight.

And she dared to serve this to the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince? Was she insane?

What status did they have? The Emperor, Empress, and princes were used to delicacies from land and sea—why would they care about her dishes?

Ridiculous!

Xie Liuzheng, however, found Ji Yuntang’s creations refreshing. After eating so many rich foods, a change of pace was welcome.

Besides, he’d never seen these cooking methods before, and just the smell made him drool.

Hearing Ji Qingqing mock Ji Yuntang again, Xie Liuzheng retorted bluntly, “Second Miss Ji, just shut up, will you? Having food is already a blessing, and you’re still being picky.”

“Princess Ye isn’t an imperial chef; this is just her talent showcase. She’s not obligated to fill everyone’s stomach, is she?”

------------