The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

After nine days of hard work and submitting their papers, the haggard scholars dragged their exhausted bodies out of their dormitories. Many scholars did not even take their bedding rolls with them, but left them in their dormitories, waiting for their servants to come and take them, because they were too exhausted to pack them up.

Some of them are unruly, with unkempt hair and dirty faces, and they don't look like gentlemen at all. Of course, it is also possible that they simply don't know how to comb their hair, because they are served by servants on a daily basis.

The term "weak scholar" was well-deserved in the Ming and Qing dynasties, but Min Xi and Yun Ji were not among them.

Although Min Xi was also extremely tired, he still slowly packed up his things, then walked out carrying the exam basket in one hand and the bedding roll in the other.

Before he even left the examination room, Yun Ji called him, "Ninth brother!"

Min Xi couldn't help but smile when he saw Yun Ji. Not bad. Even though he had been in the dormitory for nine days, he still kept himself clean and shaved clean. He was always the outstanding Yun Qilang: "Qige! I'm finally done with the exam. I'm so tired."

"Give me the luggage." Yun Ji took Min Xi's bedding roll and put it on his shoulder.

Min Xi helped him lift the exam basket, and they walked out of the court together.

Yun Ji asked, "How did you do on the test?"

Min Xi yawned: "We have done our best, and we will leave it to fate!"

Yun Ji couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "Go back and have a good rest for two days."

When Tao Xing met them outside the venue, he quickly took the bedding roll and the examination basket and put them on the carriage. The Tao family's carriage was next to theirs. The three Tao brothers had already come out, but they didn't take the bedding rolls. They were waiting for the servants to go in and get the bedding rolls.

Min Xi and Yun Ji went to say hello to the three brothers of the Tao family. The three of them looked listless and looked as if they had been hollowed out.

Tao Yuan was a little better: "Brother Ji, Brother Jiu. Brother Jiu, when are you free to cook for me? I want to eat the food you cook."

This boy was quite sensible. He didn't ask how he did in the exam, but was only concerned about eating. Min Xi smiled and said, "Come over tomorrow." After eating dry food and pickles for nine days in a row, he couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to eat a pig.

"Really? I can eat it tomorrow? That's great, thank you Brother Jiu!" Tao Yuan suddenly became excited.

Tao Shu and Tao Yu also came back to their senses: "Is there a share for us?"

"Yes, just come." Min Xi yawned lazily, "I'll go back first. I'm hungry and sleepy. You guys wait patiently."

"Okay, you guys go first, we'll wait for them to move the things out." Tao Yuan waved goodbye to them.

Tao Xing drove away in a horse-drawn carriage, but there were so many carriages on the road that it was almost impossible to get through. When he returned home, it was already dark. If it weren't for the fact that it was too cold and Yun Ji had patted his face to stop him from sleeping, Min Xi would have insisted on falling asleep in the carriage.

After dinner, the two took a shower, got into bed, and slept until the next morning.

Min Xi vaguely heard someone talking outside, which sounded a bit like Tao Yuan's voice. He remembered that the three Tao brothers were coming over for dinner yesterday afternoon, so he got up quickly. Yun Ji was no longer in the room, and the temperature of the place where he was lying was also low, so he must have been up for a long time.

Min Xi came out dressed and saw the three Tao brothers playing the game of pitching pots with Yun Lin. Yun Lin turned around and saw Min Xi, and shouted happily: "Second brother! Come and help me with pitching pots!"

Everyone turned to look.

"You play first. I'm going to wash my face." Min Xi raised his hand and greeted the Tao brothers. "You guys are here so early! Are you here to have lunch so early?"

Tao Yuan smiled and said, "Is it still early? It's almost noon."

Min Xi smiled: "Sorry, I slept until I woke up naturally."

While Min Xi was washing up, Yun Ji came out with a plate: "The steamed buns are ready, come and eat them."

When Tao Yuan heard this, he ran over quickly: "Great, there's food!"

Yun Ji raised the plate in his hand high up: "Wash your hands first!"

Yunlin was the most obedient, and had already run to Minxi who was washing his face to wash his hands. Seeing this, the Tao brothers had no choice but to wash their hands first.

Min Xi finished washing up and ate baked buns with everyone. He had breakfast while the others had snacks.

"I didn't expect Brother Ji could cook." Tao Shu was surprised while eating the delicious baked buns.

Min Xi said: "Seventh Brother and I opened a restaurant together in Europa. Baked buns are the staple food. I cook the dishes, and he makes the staple food."

"Wow! No wonder it tastes so good." The three Tao brothers were amazed.

Yunlin said proudly: "My eldest brother cooks delicious food, and my second brother cooks even better. I am the most blessed one!"

Everyone went to scratch his little nose: "Yes, what an enviable little lucky guy!"

Min Xi ate two steamed buns, clapped his hands, and said, "I'll go make lunch. But it looks like I can only make some home-cooked dishes. If you want to eat a big meal, wait until tonight."

"There's more in the evening?" Tao Yuan said in surprise.

Tao Shu sighed, "There is a curfew at night."

"Then let's spend the night here and come back tomorrow," said Min Xi.

Tao Yuan chuckled: "Then can I still eat Brother Jiu's cooking tomorrow?"

"If you don't want to go back, that's fine." Min Xi said and went to the kitchen.

Tao Yuan looked at his cousin and his brother and laughed, "I'm staying here for the night anyway. If you don't want to stay outside, go back first. I'll eat more for you!"

Tao Shu and Tao Yu were both married. In order to prepare for the imperial examination, they had left their wives alone at home for several months. After finally finishing the exam, they felt bad for not going home just for a meal.

At noon, Min Xi showed off his cooking skills and made some home-cooked dishes, including eight dishes: boiled chicken, braised spareribs, sweet and sour pork, old duck soup, lamb stewed with radish, stuffed tofu, spicy and sour shredded potatoes, and pickled cabbage.

The three brothers of the Tao family were all enjoying the meal. Tao Yuan praised as he ate: "How come our chef only knows how to cook a few dishes? He always cooks the same things and we are tired of eating them. Why don't you teach him, brother Jiu? Even if he can only learn a little bit of your skills, we will also have a good time."

Tao Yu glared at him and said, "A Yuan, stop talking nonsense. Brother Jiu doesn't have time to teach him how to cook." This kid is really tactless. He can say anything. Min Xi is not a cook.

Yun Ji said, "Ninth brother really doesn't have time to teach people how to cook. But if you want to learn, you can ask your chef to go to Yunxiang Restaurant. The chefs there were also taught by Ninth brother."

Tao Yuan chuckled: "I think it's okay!"

After eating and drinking, several scholars gathered together to chat. They all avoided the imperial examination and talked about their study tours. Tao Shu and Tao Yu had been to Suzhou, Min Xi and Yun Ji had gone to Songshan, but Tao Yuan had not been anywhere. He felt that he was too miserable: "I can't even participate in your topic. I am too pitiful!"

"What does it matter? Just listen." Tao Yubai glanced at his brother.

Tao Yuan muttered, "Brother Ji and Brother Jiu are so disloyal. They promised to take me to climb Mount Tai, but they didn't go to Mount Tai, and went to Mount Song without taking me. You don't keep your word!"

Min Xi said, "It's not that we don't keep our word, but we really can't take you with us. At that time, the Prime Minister asked us to accompany a distinguished person on a trip, and the itinerary was no longer under our control."

Tao Yuan looked at them in confusion: "Grandfather and uncle are not as good as letting me go, who is so grand?"

"You don't need to know who he is. Just know that he is of noble status and not someone we can afford to offend." Yun Ji said.

"Who has such a noble status? It can't be the emperor!" Tao Yuan muttered.

As soon as he finished speaking, Min Xi and Yun Ji fell silent.