Chapter 100: Restaurant (3) (2/2)

Since she had to send gifts to quite a few houses this time, Chu Lian had made plenty of desserts.

There were kidney-shaped ones, fist-shaped ones, and even bat-shaped ones. She carefully placed them one by one into the bamboo basket before adding a freshly plucked peony that was in the midst of blooming. She scattered a few drops of water on the flower petals before putting it in an empty space inside the basket.

Thus, she finished arranging one set of Eight Confections.

The various flavours of desserts were arranged artfully in the exquisite little bamboo basket. They were already pretty by themselves, but since they all had crispy pastry skins made of flour, their colours looked a little uniform. Adding the vibrantly red peony made the arrangement of desserts a feast for the eyes.

The basket of desserts carried an elegant, subtle fragrance of flowers, hooking the appetite of anyone who looked at it, especially in this particularly scorching hot summer.

Jingyan’s eyes were as wide as they could possibly be. She gulped and mumbled, “Third… Third Young Madam, these are beautiful! This… This servant can’t bear to eat these.”

Chu Lian smiled before glaring playfully at her. “Remember, arrange the rest of the baskets like this. There are still plenty remaining; when you’re done, take some to try for yourselves too!”

When Xiyan and Jingyan heard that there was a share of desserts for them too, they grinned from ear to ear.

The desserts meant as return gifts were sent to Chu Lian once they were arranged properly. Chu Lian then picked out suitable packaging for them, placing black velvet on the insides of the gift boxes. She then put in the bamboo baskets and closed the lid. After that, she brought out the accessories she was going to return and placed them into suitably sized wooden boxes, which were all handed to the steward.

The steward sent out the more quick-witted manservants to each of the noble estates. They also passed on the message that there were desserts within the boxes that had to be eaten within the day.