It was still early in the morning, but the capital was bustling with people going about their business and activities.
As Mingyue reached the market, she could hear the hawkers were shouting to promote their goods. She entered a tavern and picked up a seat at a corner.
Soon, a worker came over with a pot of tea. The worker lowered his head to a bow when he saw her. He spoke a few words to her and retreated inside.
Mingyue poured herself a cup of tea and took a sip.
A few minutes of waiting, the owner of the restaurant appeared, carrying a plate of sweet cakes and pastries. Mingyue stood up and smiled. "Are you sure you're not too busy to see me, Zifu?"
Yan Zifu placed down the delicacies on the table and waved a hand. "What's the point of employing staffs if they can't look after this restaurant when I'm not around." Her lips curved into a smile. "Come. Sit down. I brought some new pastries for you to try."
Mingyue laughed. She wiped her hands on the wet towel and took a sweet cake from the plate. She was immediately attracted to the way the cake decorations.
The yellow cake looked like it was adorned with red jewels. The top was decorated with white sugar syrup and sprinkled with some nuts.
She inhaled, and the smell of butter and sugar filled her nose. Mingyue took a bite, and the sweetness and fragrant flavor burst into her mouth.
It was a bit sweet and sour. The taste was gentle to her palate. The red jewels in the cake gave a slight texture to the cake.
"What do you think about it?"
She nodded again. "It's delicious. What is that red thing in the cake? Candied fruits? It's tasted sweet and sour. I like that it gives a bit of texture to the cake and it looks pretty. Like small jewelry. I love it."
"It's a type of flower." Yan Zifu said. "I bought them from a Westerner's merchant. I heard the Westerners would usually make them into tea. They're pretty good as a tea. But I tried to preserve them into candies and adding them into the cakes."
"Are you planning to sell the cakes?"
Zifu smiled. "Of course. Now that I get your approval, how can I not take the chance to make more profit?"
"I guess your shop will be fully booked again once you start selling the cakes."
Yan Zifu laughed at her words. "Don't worry. Even if the restaurant is fully booked, I will leave a table for you. So you can come over whenever you wanted."
Mingyue drank a mouthful of tea. "Have you heard anything new about the herbs?"
Her smile faded, and Yan Zifu shook her head. "I've asked around. But I haven't heard any news regarding the last ingredients."
Mingyue patted her on her hands. "Don't worry about it. Keep your ears open. We might hear anything soon."
Yan Zifu nodded. She poured herself a cup of tea. There was a glint in her eyes when she looked at Mingyue again. "I heard the bandits in Mountain Lao went caused trouble again. Have you heard anything about it?"
Mingyue shook her head. "What did they do this time?"