The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Time flies, summer slipped away and Mid-Autumn Festival came in the blink of an eye.

The autumn in Beijing was very strong. The green had completely faded. The autumn wind was bleak, and the sky was full of flying yellow leaves. The bed became particularly comfortable. Not to mention Yunlin, even Min Xi was a little lazy to get up.

Wenchang Academy gave the students a rare day off to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The teachers probably wanted to go back home to celebrate the festival, so they gave them a day off in the middle of the month.

Tao Family Academy was also closed for the holiday. When school was over the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Tao Hong said to Min Xi, "Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Wenchang Academy will probably be closed as well. It's meaningless for you three brothers to celebrate the festival at home, so why don't you just come here to celebrate the festival?"

Min Xi replied respectfully: "Thank you, Master. When Brother Seven comes back, I will ask for his opinion. We will spend the night wherever he says."

As soon as they came out of Tao's house, they met Yun Ji who had just returned from the academy. He was alone this time because the provincial examination was in August and Tao Yuan had returned to Suzhou a month ago to prepare for the exam in order to adapt to the environment in Suzhou. Changing the environment is very easy to get sick due to acclimatization. For candidates, getting sick is a taboo, which means that all the hard work of studying hard for many years is wasted.

Yunlin quickly climbed onto his brother's neck like a little pendant, chattering non-stop.

Min Xi said, "Tomorrow is the festival. Should we celebrate at home or come to my grandparents' house? My grandparents just invited us."

Yun Ji asked, "Where do you want to live?"

"I'm fine with either." said Min Xi.

Yun Ji understood: "Then let's stay at home. With the three of us brothers and the servants at home, there will be quite a few people and it will be lively."

Min Xi smiled and said, "Okay, I want to roast a whole lamb."

Yun Ji said, "No problem. I'll ask someone to buy a sheep tomorrow and roast it in the yard. There's no curfew tomorrow night, so we can go out to the streets to enjoy the lanterns and guess lantern riddles."

"Really? I haven't experienced it yet. Let's go enjoy the lanterns tomorrow night." Min Xi said with a smile.

"Okay. Take Lin'er to enjoy the lanterns!"

Yunlin was very happy: "Oh - oh - we can go enjoy the lanterns now!"

They were about to board the carriage to leave when someone came out of the Tao Mansion and said, "Young Master, please stay!"

Yun Ji turned around and looked at the person who came out quickly from the gate. It was Aunt Liu who was beside his grandmother: "Auntie Liu, what can I do for my grandmother?" She didn't just send a little maid, but asked Aunt Liu to call him. Naturally, it was very serious.

Aunt Liu smiled like a chrysanthemum: "My cousin, the old lady asked you brothers to come over for dinner tomorrow night, and then you can go to enjoy the lanterns with your brothers and sisters."

Yun Ji glanced at Min Xi, who nodded helplessly, and Yun Ji responded, "Okay."

"Then come early tomorrow. The old lady said that you don't need to prepare anything, just come and eat." Nanny Liu added.

"That's a relief!" Yun Ji agreed. Of course, it was impossible for him to be completely unprepared.

After getting on the carriage, Min Xi asked, "Are you still roasting the whole lamb?"

"Let's grill at Tao's house. It will be nice for everyone to have some fun together."

"Okay!" Min Xi smiled.

Yunlin didn't know what roasted whole lamb was: "Second brother, is roasted whole lamb delicious?"

Min Xi smiled and said, "Yes, I'll roast a lamb for you to eat, okay?"

"Good!" Yun Lin clapped happily.

The next morning, Yun Ji asked the cook to go to the market to buy a whole lamb. He and Min Xi prepared the necessary items for roasting the lamb at home. After buying the lamb, Min Xi marinated the whole lamb at home and then brought it to Tao's house. In addition to the whole lamb, they also brought moon cakes from Aunt Luo's pastry shop.

Min Xi also taught her how to make these mooncakes. In addition to the common five-nut mooncakes, there are also mooncakes with red bean paste, lotus seed paste, egg yolk, ham and fresh meat fillings. The rich variety of mooncakes set off a new mooncake craze in the capital city and became all the rage. Everyone was proud to be able to buy mooncakes from Yunxiang Dim Sum Shop.

When Min Xi went to teach her how to make mooncakes, Aunt Luo couldn't help asking about Diego. Min Xi said, "He should be in Beijing around the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"Will he come to my shop to help when he comes?" Aunt Luo asked expectantly.

"It depends on what he likes. If he's willing to make snacks, let him go to your place."

Everyone in the Tao family was shocked when they saw a whole sheep being carried down from the carriage. Was he going to eat a whole sheep? Or a whole sheep? Was he going to roast it like the Tatars?

It can be said that people in Beijing are knowledgeable. When they see a whole lamb, they know what roasted lamb is. However, they themselves have never roasted a whole lamb.

Min Xi and Yun Ji directed people to light a fire in an open area in the yard, lit the charcoal, then put the marinated lamb on the fire and began to roast the lamb.

After returning to the Ming Dynasty, the seasonings were naturally more complete. The sauce made by Min Xi tasted better than before. Once the sauce was applied and grilled over charcoal, it was so fragrant that it was unbearable.

Young people are looking forward to the roasted whole lamb and come over to help, brushing oil and seasonings on it themselves. The most interesting thing about barbecue is the sense of participation, and the taste is secondary.

Even Tao Hong and Old Madam Tao came over to take a look, found it interesting, and said that they young people knew how to have fun.

The children stayed by the bonfire and were reluctant to leave. Min Xi asked, "Aren't you afraid of getting all covered in the smell of pickled meat?"

"We are not afraid!" Tao Lan answered loudly. The little girl was cheerful and chattering. She was a playful and cheerful girl.

"Well, when you go out to see the lanterns, if a dog follows you following the scent, I won't care!" Min Xi brushed oil on the meat with a wicked grin.

"You are lying! There are so many delicious foods on the street, the dog will not follow me." The little girl wrinkled her nose and squatted by the fire, refusing to leave.

"Lin'er, come this way. Don't go downwind. The smell of smoke is strong." Yun Ji called his brother over.

Yunlin quickly moved to his brother's side.

Tao Shu and Tao Yu are now both candidates preparing for the imperial examination. They are going to take part in the imperial examination next spring. They usually study hard in their study, but today is a holiday, so they gave themselves a day off and came together to have a barbecue.

Tao Lizhi followed the aroma and came over. Seeing the younger generations were all here, he smiled and said, "I can smell the aroma of meat from a long distance away. It turns out that a bunch of greedy people are grilling meat here. Min Xi is busy, and you are just watching. You don't even know how to write a poem to liven up the atmosphere."

Tao Yu said with a smile: "Uncle, why don't you take the lead?"

Tao Lizhi looked at him, puffing his beard and glaring: "How dare you tease me!"

Tao Yu quickly said, "No, no, no, I know that my uncle is very talented, and as a junior, I want to learn from him!"

"You little brat, you're still saying you're not making fun of me! You don't want to use your brain, you just keep cheating!" After saying this, Tao Lizhi turned around and left.

After he left, Tao Yu patted his chest and said, "I was so scared. I thought he was really going to write a poem. Uncle is the same. It's so hard to have a day off, but he won't let me relax for a bit."

Tao Shu silently gave him a thumbs up. He didn't dare to resist his father, as he thought he was really going to write a poem.

In the evening, the whole family gathered around the table to eat, and it was very lively. In fact, the young people had almost finished their barbecue and mooncakes, so they sat around the table and ate a little, just to show their appreciation and reunion.

After dinner, Mrs. Tao said, "You guys go shopping and enjoy the lanterns. Keep an eye on your brothers and sisters, and don't let them be kidnapped by kidnappers."

When they went out, there were already several carriages waiting outside, one was for Yun Ji and Min Xi, and the other two were from the Tao Mansion.

Min Xi was a little surprised. There were only three brothers and sisters in the Tao family. Why did they need two carriages? After a while, he finally understood why they needed an extra carriage. Their carriage did not go to Qianmen Street, but turned to another street and stopped outside a yard.

Min Xi and Yun Ji felt the carriage stop. They opened the curtain and looked out the window. They found that it had not reached Qianmen Street. They asked, "Why did it stop?"

The driver said, "We have arrived at the He residence. Let's pick up the young lady from the He family..."

Min Xi asked in confusion: "Who?"

Yun Ji said: "She should be Tao Shu's fiancée."

"Then why do you let us come? We can just go separately." Min Xi said.

Yun Ji shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

After a while, the carriage curtain was opened, and Tao Lan stood outside and said, "Cousin, I'll sit in your carriage."

Yun Ji reached out and pulled her up: "What's wrong? Is there no room in the front?"

"Yes, Sister He took one, and her brother got on my brother's carriage. I'll take your car." Tao Lan said.

Not long after, the car finally started moving again.

Tao Lan chattered about gossip. Three sisters from the He family came with a maid. The four of them sat in a carriage. She and two of her brothers came with them to enjoy the lanterns and sat in her brother's carriage.

"Doesn't the He family have a carriage?" Min Xi asked.

Tao Kan shook his head: "I don't know, but not today anyway."

When they were almost at Qianmen Street, the driver stopped the carriage in an alley. Qianmen Street was so busy and crowded with children and young men and women who had come out to admire the lanterns that the carriage would not be allowed to pass.

They got off the car, and Tao Shu came over with several young ladies in fancy dresses to greet them: "Cousin, Brother Min, this is Miss Ruixiang. These two are Miss Ruixiang's cousin, Miss Ning Er, and her cousin, Miss Zhuo."

Min Xi and Yun Ji quickly greeted them: "Hello, three girls!"

Tao Shu introduced them to the three girls: "Miss Ruixiang, they are my cousin Yun Ji and his adopted brother Min Xi who came back from Europe."

He Ruixiang was not very pretty, but she was dignified and decent. She greeted Min Xi and Yun Ji generously: "Hello, cousins. I have heard of your legendary stories a long time ago. You are real heroes!"

Yun Ji said, "You are so kind! I don't deserve it. Tao Shu, you can go shopping with the other girls. I will take my brothers and sisters to see the lanterns."

Tao Shu was about to try to persuade them to stay, but Yun Ji and Min Xi each led a little kid away. Min Xi carried Yun Lin on his shoulders, while Yun Ji held his little cousin's hand to avoid being squeezed away by others.

Tao Shu opened his mouth, wanting to call Yun Ji to say something else, but in the end he just said, "Let's follow along." Does this cousin know why his grandmother asked him to come and watch the lanterns today?