The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

Chapter 210: The Girls in Pursuit Line Up (Third update, Alliance Hierarch additional release 8/22)
“Steamed buns, ferment the flour, knead it with water into dough, then steam it in a pot.”

After breakfast, Liszt took a piece of thick parchment and began organizing the methods for making dough-based foods as he remembered them.

Most dough foods were very simple, and even though he didn’t eat them much, he knew the basic methods: “The most important part of making dough is fermentation, which is good since bread also requires fermentation, so what’s left is a matter of creativity.”

But on closer reflection,

It might not just be a matter of creativity.

Here, despite the existence of magic and Dou Qi, food preservation was a serious constraint. Bread had a long shelf life, especially the dark bread eaten by commoners, which could probably last for half a year. However, steamed buns and filled buns would probably start to mold if left uneaten for two days, and even if commoners could think up such delicacies, they would be reluctant to make them.

Leaving food uneaten would be a significant waste.

“Knights on campaigns should still rely on bread as their main food, as it’s convenient to carry and doesn’t spoil easily… At the very least, they should bring some biscuits or pies; they can’t possibly rush to the battlefield carrying dumplings or dough sticks,” he concluded, then felt he might be taking it for granted, “Flatbreads, noodles, and cornmeal mush have a pretty long shelf life too. Just add water, and they can be eaten anywhere.”

Thus,

In the end, it was poverty that limited the locals’ imagination.

He continued to write with his pen, documenting the limited dough-based dishes he remembered.

“Buns, ferment the flour, wrap it around a vegetable filling, then steam it in a pot.”

“Dumplings, ferment the flour, roll the dough into strips, cut them into small pieces, use a rolling pin to roll out dumpling wrappers, wrap them around a vegetable filling, then boil them in a pot.”

“Noodles, ferment the flour, keep pulling the dough, and stretch it into long strands.” He didn’t finish writing this entry; he suddenly felt that this method seemed similar to making pulled noodles, “There should be a difference between pulled noodles and noodles… Ugh, I can’t think of any, forget it, let’s combine them into one entry.”

After writing down these recipes, Liszt thought it over; introducing too much all at once would be a bit ostentatious.

So he picked the simplest steamed bun and planned to give some pointers to Mrs. Abbie and the baker Reynard, to have them “invent” it. With steamed buns, filled buns would be easy to make.

Of course.

Dough food was not Liszt’s favorite, and he was just preparing to make it to improve the taste variety. So, to say he was enthusiastic wouldn’t be quite accurate; his true loves were authentic Sichuan and Huaiyang cuisines. Unfortunately, these cuisines required high precision in knife skills, ingredients, and seasonings—beyond what Liszt could provide.

Teaching Mrs. Abbie to make fried eggs and egg soup had already been quite challenging.

Right away, he ordered someone to summon Reynard and Mrs. Abbie, telling them that he had acquired the method for a type of dough food from abroad and described the general appearance of a steamed bun to them.

“Mrs. Abbie, Reynard, research steamed buns when you have the time.”

“Just leave it to me, sir,” Mrs. Abbie, with the demeanor of a star chef since she “invented” several new types of bread along with fried eggs and egg soup, was brimming with confidence. “The method sounds very simple, and I’ll be able to steam the buns in no time.”

Reynard, too, was quick to nod in agreement: “I’ll do my best to assist Mrs. Abbie.”

He had heard from others that Mrs. Abbie had invented egg soup and fried eggs, and that chefs from Coral City were learning to cook from her. Consequently, he greatly admired her and was willing to assist, eager to cooperate with Mrs. Abbie in culinary research.

…

Having instructed them about the steamed buns,

He read some books and wrote some letters.

The brief morning hours were quickly passing by.

Just when Li Si Te thought it was going to be another leisurely day, a knight rushed over from Coral City, “Baron, the Tulip Caravan has returned. Sir Frank requests that you send someone to Coral City to take care of the business exchange.”

He didn’t explicitly say the serfs had arrived.

But Li Si Te understood naturally, “I will send someone immediately, you go rest first.”

“Thank you, Baron.”

A moment later, Goltai hurried over, and upon receiving instructions from Li Si Te, he immediately organized how to take over the serfs. This time was different from the last; the temperature had just dropped with fresh snowfall, and without care, the serfs could freeze to death. Fortunately, they were prepared, commandeering the caravan’s carts and loading up a heap of items to combat the cold, ready to set out for Coral City.

Li Si Te had planned to go personally, but he was preoccupied with the mineral deposits of Black Horse Island, estimating that Marcus would return by ship this afternoon, possibly bringing news of the Fire Attribute Condensation Core Vein.

He handed over the three hundred Gold Coins he had saved up these days to Goltai, “Consultant Gao Ertai, I bought this batch of serfs with two hundred and ten Gold Coins, a total of one thousand individuals. A loss number not exceeding one hundred and fifty is acceptable, but any more than that, and compensation will be needed.”

“I will explain the details to Frank,” Goltai assured.

“Those three hundred Gold Coins are for buying a new batch of serfs; try to lower the price of the serfs as much as possible. War will definitely bring an influx of serfs, and I believe there is still room to push the price down further. How the negotiation goes is up to you.”

“Rest assured, Baron, I am acquainted with Frank, and even if I can’t find his bottom line, I won’t let him take too much advantage… By the way, may I use…something to my advantage?” Goltai hesitated, embarrassed to speak outright.

Li Si Te prompted, “Say what’s on your mind.”

“Your charm is unmatched on Coral Island, and many noble ladies see you as an ideal marital match. I can tell that the Frank family is very eager to gain your favor. Perhaps I can use this to our advantage to bargain down to the baseline price and buy more serfs.”

While nobles are certainly graceful, it is normal for them to use every available resource for their benefit.

Thus, Goltai came up with this scheme of “beauty trap.”

However, Li Si Te couldn’t overcome his own moral reservations and rejected the idea outright, “Frank is a noble who discerns right from wrong, and I believe he has his own code of conduct; therefore, do not involve Sherry. Do your best in the negotiation. A difference of a few or even a dozen Gold Coins is tolerable.”

He was indeed short on liquid assets, but not on fixed assets; there was no need to be unscrupulous.

Especially in matters of the heart, he hoped to retain a sense of purity.

“Sigh, in my last life, I was still single at thirty, full of worries. Now in this life, scarcely sixteen, girls line up to pursue me, giving me the same headache.”

…

As Li Si Te had surmised.

When the snow stopped in the afternoon, the Fresh Flower Vessel returned from the sea.

Besides bringing back half a ship of Fire Dragon Bone Fragments, Marcus also brought information about the Fire Attribute Condensation Core Vein, “Baron, this is a rock I unearthed from the crevices of a stone pillar while digging for bone fragments. It’s very strange; I faintly sensed the presence of Magic Power in it.”

He handed over a piece of red-brown irregular rock.

The surface of the stone was smooth, and on the fractured face, one could see regular concentric patterns, similar to the shell surface of a clam. Overall, it had a glass-like texture, and the edges even exhibited a degree of transparency, although nowhere near as clear as a gemstone or crystal. The rock felt lighter than average when held, and upon close inspection, numerous bubbles could be seen within it.

Such shape and characteristics immediately made Li Si Te think of a type of volcanic lava—Volcanic Glass.