The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 81: Lotus Pastry

Tong Huaqiong went all out with Gu Taohua.

When the peach blossom pastries came out of the oven, the aroma wafted from Old Mrs. Huang’s courtyard and spread throughout the entire Huang Family.

All the guests who came to wish Old Mrs. Huang a happy birthday sniffed intensely.

The maids and servants staying in Old Mrs. Huang’s courtyard couldn’t resist the temptation of the smell and crowded around the small kitchen door, peeking inside.

What kind of pastries is this Widow Tong making that smell so good?

"Widow Tong’s skills are impressive; this scent is making my stomach rumble."

"The pastries smell even better than Taohua Dessert’s."

Two young maids started discussing.

The Huang Family has always been generous to their servants; these maids and servants earn decent monthly wages and often go to town to buy fresh treats.

Taohua Dessert has recently become the new sensation in Yan Guan Town, and naturally, they’ve tried it. Everyone who has tasted it has nothing but good things to say.

"You may not know this, but Taohua Dessert is actually Widow Tong’s." Said one of the maids who knew Tong Huaqiong’s background.

Upon hearing this, everyone was even more eager to try the pastries made by Tong Huaqiong.

The pastries sold at Taohua Dessert’s stall aren’t fresh out of the oven and are delicious, let alone these ones straight from the oven.

Tong Huaqiong was busy making lotus flower pastries when she looked up and saw a crowd gathered around the small kitchen, all of them smiling at her.

"Hey there, Sister Tong, need any help?"

Tong Huaqiong recognized the speaker as one of the three mothers left behind to help when she entered the small kitchen.

Before Tong Huaqiong could reply, other maids and servants chimed in.

"Sister Tong, I can roll out the pastry."

"Aunt Tong, I can tend to the fire."

"Sister Taohua, you take a break; let me help."

...

The enthusiastic stance nearly overwhelmed Tong Huaqiong.

She had to decline their help; otherwise, how could she sneak into the space to grab the cake?

Actually, these maids and servants weren’t genuinely offering to help; they just wanted to taste the freshly baked pastries.

She had already thought of this, so while baking the peach blossom pastries, she baked a batch of buttery biscuits as well.

They were now ready.

Tong Huaqiong smiled and swiftly brought out the buttery biscuits, handing them to the mother at the front, saying, "Here you go, ladies, enjoy these biscuits. No need to help, Taohua is sufficient. Allow me to be frank, we haven’t worked together before, and I’m unsure how we’d coordinate. It wouldn’t be good if the birthday pastries were delayed."

Tong Huaqiong made her point clear; they weren’t familiar enough, and if their help turned into a hindrance, it wouldn’t be favorable for anyone.

The maids and servant women in Old Mrs. Huang’s courtyard, naturally astute, understood her meaning right away.

Today is a major occasion for Old Mrs. Huang, and there’s no room for any blunders.

Thus, the mother at the front eagerly took the biscuits, and with a smile, said, "Sister Tong, then we won’t cause trouble."

With that, she grabbed a handful of biscuits and stuffed them into her pocket, causing dissatisfaction among the other maids and servants.

One maid, taking advantage of her height, reached out and hijacked the whole plate of buttery biscuits, which stirred up a hornet’s nest, prompting the maids and servants to chase after her for the biscuits.

Tong Huaqiong breathed a sigh of relief; this maid did a good deed, finally drawing the crowd away from the kitchen door.

Otherwise, the crowd gathering at the kitchen door would indeed affect her work.

"Mom, the oil’s hot." Gu Taohua stood up and checked the oil pot, telling Tong Huaqiong it was ready to fry the peach blossom pastries.

Tong Huaqiong carefully placed the prepared peach blossom pastries onto a bamboo rack and brought them near the oil pot, pinching a small piece of dough and tossing it into the oil to test the temperature.

Soon, bubbles formed around the dough and it floated up.

Tong Huaqiong knew the oil was at the right temperature for frying the lotus flower pastries.

So, she carefully used tongs to put the lotus flower pastries one by one into the oil pot.

"Add a bit more firewood." Tong Huaqiong watched the oil pot’s temperature and instructed Gu Taohua.

With more firewood added, the lotus flower pastries gradually floated to the surface.

Tong Huaqiong waited patiently.

With another batch of firewood, the floating lotus flower pastries gradually blossomed, the petals fully unfolded, floating in the oil pot like real lotus blossoms in a pond.

"Done. No more firewood." Tong Huaqiong told Gu Taohua.

Gu Taohua put down the firewood in her hand.

Tong Huaqiong used a skimmer to take the lotus flower pastries out of the oil pot, placing them in a sieve to drain the oil.

Gu Taohua stood up, her fair and delicate face sweat-soaked from tending the fire, and Man Er jumped down from a chair to soak the handkerchief Lu Zhaozhao gave her in the water basin, wringing it dry before handing it to Gu Taohua.

Gu Taohua took the handkerchief, wiped her face, and asked Tong Huaqiong, "Is there anything else to do?"

Tong Huaqiong replied, "Bake a few more trays of pastries, then we’ll wait for instructions on when to bring out the longevity peach and such."

So, the mother and daughter worked together, baking pastries, along with cake rolls aside from the traditional pastries.

In the end, Tong Huaqiong used the remaining ingredients to craft a lifelike giant koi fish.

They were busy all morning, utterly exhausted.

Tong Huaqiong instructed Gu Taohua to wash her face and hands, while she started arranging the longevity peach; they looked exceptionally festive.

The lotus, peach, and plum blossom pastries were arranged on white plates like real blooming flowers.

Tong Huaqiong was very satisfied with the morning’s achievements, feeling a sense of pride in earning a living through her culinary skills.

At this moment, not a person was to be seen in the courtyard; the maids and servants were either slacking off or had left to join the feasting in the main hall.

Soon, Yu Qin sent over two servant women carrying food boxes, saying it was a gift from Old Mrs. Huang to the family trio and reminding them to be ready to serve the birthday banquet pastries when summoned.

Being from a time of equality, the word "gift" sounded quite grating.

Tong Huaqiong couldn’t help but ponder, that despite sharing the widow’s fate, Old Mrs. Huang was hosting a grand birthday banquet, while Tong Huaqiong was merely a worker at the feast.

A stark contrast, much like Granny Liu and Granny Jia.

Thankfully, she didn’t need to play a social role deep within the Grand View Garden like Granny Liu.

With that thought, Tong Huaqiong unapologetically opened the food box.

Well, Old Mrs. Huang was indeed generous, the boxes were packed with roast chicken, marinated goose, beef, mutton...

Apparently aware of their impoverished rural status and their meat scarcity, she "gifted" them ample hearty meat.

Tong Huaqiong wasn’t shy, inviting Gu Taohua and Man Er to sit at the small kitchen door, eating meat while enjoying the breeze.

"Mom, wouldn’t it be wonderful if our family could eat meat like this every day, just like the Huangs?" Gu Taohua said, her mouth oily from gnawing on a drumstick.

"Soon, Taohua, aim high, daily meat isn’t much." Tong Huaqiong replied.

Gu Taohua added, "Not just eating meat, but also living in such a grand house, wearing fine clothes, and buying cosmetics in Pingchuan County."

And marry Fan Xiucai.

Of course, Gu Taohua dared not utter this last wish, fearing Tong Huaqiong would beat her with a rolling pin.

"Aim high, don’t just focus on Pingchuan, but on the capital city and Shengjing." Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Taohua’s mouth twitched; she felt her mother seemed to grow more ambitious since venturing into the pastry business.

The idea of moving from Qinghe Bay to the capital city and Shengjing, how bold a vision!