The cruel little princess

Because they were exhausted today, having fallen and dug a lot of dirt from the mountain, they ended their morning training and returned to the barracks, making an appointment to go again tomorrow. On the way back, Shen Youyou still rode on the snow.

After returning to the tent, Shen Youyou ordered the guards to fetch some water. Chuntao saw that her young lady was in a state of disarray and kept nagging, "Young lady, how did you get this? Did you fall?" Then she saw her young lady holding a few lumps of dirt and laughing foolishly. She suddenly wondered if the young lady had gone mad again. Just as she was debating whether to report to the master and ask the military doctor to come and help, her silly young lady said, "Chuntao, let's wash these."

"Okay, miss!" Chuntao felt relieved. As long as the miss is okay, she's glad!

After washing the lumps of dirt, Chuntao looked at them and wondered what they were. They treated them like treasures. "This is a sweet potato, or you could call it a yam!" Even Chuntao didn't recognize it. Could it really be that it hadn't been discovered yet? She was a little unsure, so she immediately called over a few guards and told them to take the cleaned lumps and walk around the barracks, asking if anyone knew what they were or what they were used for. She asked everyone in the barracks, but no one knew what they were.

Shen Youyou thought, her hands moving non-stop. "We're in for a treat today! We're having steamed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, and sweet potato pancakes!"

"Is this thing edible?!" Chuntao was a little surprised.

"Of course, this can be used to make many things. It can also be made into starch, vermicelli, and in short, a lot of delicious things!" Shen Youyou's foodie nature was exposed at this moment. Chun Tao also sipped her saliva, "Miss, hurry up and make it! I also want to try those delicious things you mentioned!"

Shen Youyou asked the guard at the door to take some and throw it into the wood ash under the kitchen stove. They should have started preparing lunch at this moment, and they would dig it out and bring it back after lunch was done. The guard obeyed the order.

"What about the others?" Chuntao asked her mistress, this is the same, how to make the others?

"We have to make those things ourselves!" Shen Youyou smiled at Chuntao's greedy look and said, "Let's go! Let's make them ourselves!"

"But I don't know how to make it! I don't even know what it is." Chuntao was a little unsure. What if she didn't make it well and it was wasted?

"It's okay, I can tell you, and you can do it!" Shen Youyou said confidently. After all, when she was bored in modern times, she often watched food bloggers' vlogs. Although she had never tried it herself, she had seen a lot of it! Chuntao was also very good at making it, so she thought the two of them could make it too... right?!

Each of them brought a large basin of washed sweet potatoes to the small stove in the kitchen. They were not needed for the time being, so they didn't want to waste everyone's time.

"Steaming sweet potatoes is the simplest way. Just add water to the pot, put a grate on it, and steam the sweet potatoes!" Shen Youyou said, setting up the stove. Except for a small portion left for making candied sweet potatoes, the rest were steamed. Coincidentally, An Er also rushed over from His Royal Highness Prince Jin's residence. "Miss, if you have anything, just tell me." An Er consciously acted as a tool and followed orders one by one.

"Sweet potato pancakes also require steamed sweet potatoes, so let's make the candied sweet potatoes first!" Shen Youyou was a little impatient thinking about the delicious treat she hadn't eaten for a long time. First, prepare a few sweet potatoes, peel them, and cut them into evenly sized dice. Then, put some water in a pot, light the fire, and boil the sweet potatoes for two or three minutes. This will shorten the frying time and improve the color. After the sweet potatoes are cooked, remove them and rinse them with cold water. Then, coat them with a little starch. However, Shen Youyou didn't know if there was starch available, so she used a little flour to coat the sweet potatoes evenly. Pour lard into the pot and, when the oil is 50% hot, add the sweet potatoes. Deep-fry for about two or three minutes. When done, remove the sweet potatoes and drain them in a colander. Pour out the excess oil in the pot, leaving some for the base. Add half a tablespoon of water and sugar. Since she only had brown sugar, she used brown sugar. Slowly simmer the sugar over medium-low heat on the stovetop until the sugar color develops. Remove the wood and continue to heat while it's still warm. Then, pour the fried sweet potatoes into the pan and quickly stir-fry until the sugar liquid evenly coats each piece. Remove from the pan and serve! This sweet and crispy candied sweet potato is ready, and the technique isn't difficult. Chuntao completed it all by herself, following Shen Youyou's instructions.

Shen Youyou gazed at the translucent sweet potato chunks in the pot, their enticing aroma making her mouth water. She eagerly picked up her chopsticks, grasped one, and pulled at its long golden thread. The thread trembled slightly in the air, as if showcasing its unique charm. However, at that moment, Shen Youyou suddenly realized her hand had stopped, caught by the long golden thread. With a sudden inspiration, she quickly dipped the sweet potato in a half-filled bowl of cold water and placed it in her mouth.

"Hmm..." Shen Youyou sighed with satisfaction. This sweet potato had a sweet texture, crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, sweet but not greasy, just the right amount. "Wow, it's delicious!" Shen Youyou said excitedly to Chuntao and An'er as she savored it, "Try it now!"

Chuntao and An'er took the chopsticks Shen Youyou handed over and picked up a piece of sweet potato. As they took a bite, their faces lit up with happiness. Chuntao said excitedly, "Miss, I never knew such a seemingly insignificant thing could be made into such delicious food!" An'er nodded in agreement.

Shen Youyou smiled as she watched them enjoying their meal, feeling quite pleased. However, she also noticed the large amount of lard used in the pot and frowned, saying, "Alas, this dish is so oily." Although she loved it, she still felt a little distressed considering the cost.

"All good food comes at a price!" An Er concluded.

Okay, An Er, you are good at summarizing things, Shen Youyou thought.

"Chun Tao, put the remaining ones on a plate and send them to His Royal Highness Prince Jin. Just give some to my father and my brother, Doctor Xu. My brother is not suitable to eat too much oily food right now. Oh, send some to Doctor Feng as well." Shen Youyou gave orders in an orderly manner.

Just then the sweet potatoes were steamed. An Er took out the hot sweet potatoes, looked at his scalded hands and quickly pinched his ears.

"Come and try some!" Shen Youyou excitedly called to Chuntao and An'er. "After you try a little, we'll make sweet potato cakes!" She eagerly picked up a small sweet potato and carefully peeled off the skin, revealing the golden flesh. She took a gentle bite, and a sweet aroma immediately filled the air. Chuntao and An'er curiously followed her steps, savoring this fresh delicacy.

"Wow, so sweet!" Chun Tao exclaimed, her eyes shining, as if she had discovered a new world. As she chewed, she praised it endlessly: "This is delicious too, Miss! I have never eaten anything so delicious!" Chun Tao's curiosity was opened again, and she was full of admiration for Shen Youyou.

Shen Youyou said with a smile, "Eat quickly! After we finish, let's make some sweet potato pancakes!" So, the three of them quickly set to work. Shen Youyou was in charge of verbally explaining the recipe, Chuntao carefully followed each step, and An Er focused on heating the pan. The tacit understanding between the three of them made the whole process very smooth, and soon, golden and crispy sweet potato pancakes were out of the pan.

"Wow, they look so delicious!" Chuntao's mouth watered. She couldn't wait to pick up a sweet potato pancake and took a bite. She was immediately intoxicated by it. "It's really delicious! Miss, you are amazing!" An Er also nodded in agreement. They both praised the sweet potato pancakes. The world of foodies is so easy to satisfy!

Next, they divided the sweet potato cakes into several portions and gave them to different people according to the previous method. However, before lunch time came, the three of them had already eaten so much that they could no longer eat any more.

"Miss, this sweet potato is so delicious!" Chuntao rubbed her stomach which was a little full. "I just don't know when I can eat it again after I finish this time..." Chuntao said a little dejectedly.

"That's easy. I see there's a lot of vacant land next to the barracks. Let's reclaim it and plant some sweet potatoes there. Then we can eat them whenever we want!" Shen Youyou thought and acted. She ordered An Er to go dig up all the sweet potatoes from the mountains and bring them back to plant seedlings and cuttings. She remembered a blogger saying that sweet potatoes prefer warmth and dislike cold weather, are relatively drought-tolerant, and can grow as long as the temperature is above 15 degrees Celsius, and mature in about three or four months. They require a lot of fertilizer, but in a barracks, there's no shortage of fertilizer. It was early April in the lunar calendar, neither too hot nor too cold—just the right temperature. After arranging for An Er to dig sweet potatoes, Shen Youyou went to see Shen Duanfang. After taking her father's pulse, she gave him a prescription for his health. Before leaving, Shen Duanfang praised his daughter's delicious sweet potato cakes and candied sweet potatoes. Shen Youyou then mobilized a few soldiers, saying they would help her plant the sweet potatoes and satisfy his cravings when the harvest was ready! Shen Duanfang naturally agreed to his beloved daughter's request!