35 When the Fourth Miss Visits the Kitchens In the Middle of the Nigh

Despite being buried in numerous layers of cotton sheets, Yujia couldn't fall asleep for some reason.

She knew that it was a terrible idea to create bad relationships between the people in the household and herself. The last thing she wanted was for Yang Qingxia to think that she was mocking her by showing up with her wedding robes on.

Before she knew it, she was climbing out of bed, startling Hui'er, who was sleeping in a bed behind Yujia's.

"Miss, what are you doing?" Sleepily, Hui'er rubbed her eyes and clutched her blankets around her.

"Hui'er. Can you take me to the kitchens?"

"Kitchens?" Hui'er frowned. "Miss, what are you going to do in the kitchen?"

"I have an idea." In a rushed voice, Yujia began to dress herself with her daily wear. Seeing that Yujia was doing so, Hui'er walked a bit closer, assisting her Fourth Miss. "I want to do something for Yang Qingxia. As an apology gift."

"Miss…" Hui'er froze and warned, "I don't know how well the First Miss will take that."

"Well, it's worth a try."

Once the robes were on, Yujia headed out her room and away from the courtyard. If Hui'er wouldn't follow, then she would have to find the kitchens on her own, but she doubted that it would be too difficult. After all, when she was wandering around the previous morning, she did discover where the main servant's area was, and the kitchens couldn't be far from that.

However, Hui'er did decide to come, speeding up to Yujia and taking her to the kitchens, saving Yujia from walking any extra steps if she had to find the kitchens on her own.

By the time that they arrived, Yujia had what she wanted to do mostly planned out in her head.

Tang Yuan.

That was what she wanted to make, a traditional dessert that she thought had to be invented by this time period. The dessert could serve as both a breakfast and comfort food. And although Yujia barely knew how to cook, this was amongst the only recipes she knew how to make, right besides egg fried rice and spicing up her boringly packaged instant noodles.

Making Tang Yuan was one of Yujia's fonder memories of being taught how to by her mother, and having her fingers become sticky from rolling the small chunks of dough into balls and wrapping it around a filling of sesame paste. She always felt better after eating the food, and she hoped that it would be the same if she made some for the First Miss.

Truthfully, Yujia didn't even know if she was allowed in the kitchens, but she was certain that no one was about to enter the kitchens in the middle of the night. That was why she was fully confident that she could use all the supplies around her.

"Hui'er, can you help me find some rice flour?"

"Rice flour?" Hui'er widened her eyes. "Miss, rice flour is such a luxurious item… how would they just have it lying around in the kitchen?"

"Luxurious?" Yujia widened her eyes in disbelief as well. Back in the modern world, rice flour was not "luxurious" in any manner. It only cost a few dollars to buy a large sack. She didn't expect it to be considered a luxury in this time period, but perhaps that was reasonable as well, considering that it would be difficult to make it without machines.

"Miss, what are you even planning to make?"

"Tang Yuan, of course, Hui'er. What else can you make with rice flour?"

"Tang Yuan?" Hui'er looked at Yujia puzzledly. "What's that?"

How could Hui'er not know what Tang Yuan was? Yujia raised her hands to gesture the shape of a small ball. "Oh, you know. That sticky ball of rice, sometimes filled with sesame or bean paste, and served along with sweet soup…"

"Ah, Miss, do you mean Yuan Xiao?" Hui'er tilted her head.

Yuan Xiao? Right. That was another name for the dessert. Yujia was so used to calling it Tang Yuan that she forgot it had another name. Perhaps Yuan Xiao was the name they used for the time period. Yujia nodded a bit.

"Well, Miss, making that for the First Miss might be a little improper."

"How so?"

"Yuan Xiao is only served during the holidays. Perhaps that's different from where you came from… but in the capital, we only eat it during the Spring Festival. First Miss might think that you're making fun of her again if you serve that to her," Hui'er explained.

"Really?" Yujia's smile dropped. "Then, Hui'er… I don't know what I should do. How else am I supposed to show her that I'm sincere? I thought that making food for her would be a good idea, since food always cheers me up when I'm down, and the only thing I know how to make is…"

Yujia's voice trailed off. Surely serving egg fried rice would be not be a good idea. Painting the First Miss a nice painting of mountains didn't seem to be very comforting either. She needed something that she could make quickly.

Hui'er grabbed onto Yujia's hands in a comforting manner. "Miss, I get what you're trying to do. How about you let Hui'er help you? I have a good idea."