Reunion with the Emperor Emeritus

Chapter 107 Reunion with the Emperor Emeritus

In late autumn, the wind in Chang'an seemed to carry a knife-like chill.

The old locust tree in the backyard of the imperial kitchen had long since lost all its leaves, its bare branches trembling in the north wind. The fallen leaves on the ground were swept up by the wind, rustling along the bluestone pavement.

Su Mu placed the large iron pot against the wall at the entrance of the courtyard, where it was sheltered from the wind.

The firewood under the pot was burning brightly, the flames licking the bottom of the pot and making the black iron sheet glow faintly red.

Su Mu was carrying a large iron shovel that was half the length of a person, and he poured half a bag of coarse sand into the pot.

He had someone specially sift the sand from the riverbank; the grains were all roughly the same size. After stir-frying it in a hot pan for a few seconds, steam rose up.

There were about ten pounds of chestnuts in the bamboo basket next to him.

They're not very big; they're all wild chestnuts sent from the Yanshan Mountains. Although they're not as big as the cultivated ones, they're sweet and have a glutinous texture.

Su Mu made a slit on the back of each chestnut with scissors, revealing the pale yellow flesh inside.

Splash—splash—!

The sound of a shovel turning over gravel carried far through the quiet back alley.

Su Mu grabbed a handful of maltose syrup and poured it down the edge of the pot.

The sugar water melts instantly upon contact with the hot sand, releasing a plume of sweet, caramelized white smoke.

The smoke wasn't pungent; it had a captivatingly sweet quality that, when blown by the wind, drifted two miles along the palace walls.

Put the chestnuts into the pot.

Black iron filings coated reddish-brown chestnuts tumbled in the pot.

Su Mu swung his arms wide, using his waist strength for every shovel strike.

This is hard work. If you stir-fry it too lightly, it will be undercooked; if you stir-fry it too much, it will be burnt. You have to make sure that the sugar syrup coats each chestnut shell evenly, but it can't seep into the meat and spoil the flavor.

At the alley entrance, a slightly hunched figure slowly made its way over.

Li Yuan was wearing a slightly worn dark brown round-necked robe, with a gray squirrel fur coat draped over it. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and his face looked even more ashen than the late autumn sky.

He hasn't been here for almost a month.

Since the last Mid-Autumn Festival, the palace has become increasingly deserted.

Although Li Er would come to pay his respects every now and then, it was just a formality. The father and son would sit together, staring at each other, and couldn't manage to say a single warm word for a long time.

The Da'an Palace is so big that you can hear an echo if you cough at night.

He wandered around the palace aimlessly today, not intending to go this far, but his nose just wouldn't cooperate.

The aroma of caramel mixed with chestnuts seemed to have grown hands, forcefully dragging him to the back door of the imperial kitchen.

"Oh, old man?"

Su Mu was shoveling with great effort, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead.

Looking up, he saw Li Yuan standing two steps away, staring blankly at the chestnuts in the pot.

"What a rare guest."

Su Mu stuck the shovel into the sand pile, straightened up, and said, "It's been a while since I've seen you. I thought you had gone back to your hometown to enjoy your retirement."

Li Yuan didn't respond to the joke; he simply sniffed and looked at the chestnuts rolling in the black sand.

"What's there to enjoy? I'm an old man, I can't walk anymore."

Li Yuan's voice was a little hoarse, and he sounded listless. "It's cold outside, and my legs aren't very strong, so I'm just staying indoors."

.

Su Mu didn't ask any further questions.

He understood the desolation of the old eunuchs and maids in the palace, who were mostly plagued by illnesses in their old age and had no children.

"Please sit down when you arrive; we just caught the first batch coming out of the oven."

Su Mu flicked his toe and kicked the small stool next to him that was worn smooth and shiny.

Li Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. He tightened his cloak and sat down by the stove.

The firelight warmed my knees, and the chill that had seeped into my bones subsided slightly.

The sounds coming from the pot have changed.

What was just a dull rustling sound has now been mixed with crackling and popping sounds.

The chestnut shells expanded when heated, and the pre-cut opening split open even wider, revealing the golden-yellow flesh inside, which looked very appealing.

Su Mu took a large sieve, sifted through the sand, and poured the chestnuts into a bamboo winnowing basket lined with straw paper.

Steaming hot.

Each chestnut is shiny and glossy, with a thin layer of caramel on its shell, and the sweet aroma hits you right in the head!

"While it's hot."

Su Mu grabbed one, not caring about the heat, and tossed it around in his hand for a couple of seconds before handing it to Li Yuan. "Try this cooking. How does it compare to what ordinary people make?"

Li Yuan pulled his hand out of his sleeve, his fingertips trembling slightly.

He pinched the scalding hot chestnut, intending to put it in his mouth, but found himself unable to put it down.

This thing is all shell; if you try to bite it with your teeth, you're bound to get a mouthful of bits of bits, and it'll wear out your teeth too.

"Tsk, look at my brain."

Su Mu dusted off his hands and picked up another one to demonstrate.

"This thing has a unique way of being eaten."

Su Mu pinched the chestnut at both ends with two fingers, applied a little force, and said, "Aim at this opening and press it towards the middle first."

With a soft crack, the chestnut shell shattered instantly.

"Pinch it to both sides again."

The hard shell, along with the fuzzy inner skin, peeled off smoothly, revealing a whole, plump, golden chestnut in the palm of your hand.

Li Yuan found it fascinating.

He also imitated Su Mu, pinching the chestnut at both ends with his thumb and forefinger.

"Ouch!"

He didn't control his strength well; the chestnut shell did crack, but the hot air suddenly burst out, scalding his fingertips, and the chestnut rolled to the ground.

Li Yuan looked at the chestnuts on the ground with some annoyance and sighed, "I'm getting old, my hands are too weak, I can't even handle a meal."

His tone was full of the desolation of a hero in his twilight years.

Back in the day, he was a man who could shoot eagles from horseback. These hands had wielded swords, reviewed memorials, and brought order to the world.

Now, they can't even peel a small chestnut.

Su Mu didn't say anything, but bent down, picked up the chestnut, threw it into the stove, and then grabbed a handful and stuffed it into Li Yuan's hand.

"It's no big deal."

Su Mu peeled one and popped it into his mouth, chewing it with a crunching sound. "This first one is for offering to the Kitchen God. Try it again, but don't use brute force, use skill."

Li Yuan pursed his lips and began to struggle with the chestnut in his hand.

This time he moved a little slower, held his breath, and applied slight pressure with two fingers.

click!

The shell is cracked.

Squeeze gently again.

The steaming chestnut meat landed perfectly in his palm.

Li Yuan looked at the small, golden-yellow thing, and a glimmer of light appeared in his cloudy eyes. He carefully put the chestnut into his mouth.

hot.

That was my first impression.

Then comes the sweetness!

The unique powdery and glutinous texture of chestnuts melts on the tip of the tongue, carrying a hint of caramel smokiness, and slides down the throat into the stomach.

My stomach, which had been feeling a bit cold, was instantly soothed by this warm bite.

"Um----

Li Yuan chewed twice, let out a long breath, and finally some color returned to his wrinkled face. "Sweet."

"That's right."

Su Mu was about to stir the sand in the pot again. "This has honey in it. If it's not sweet, you don't have to pay."

Li Yuan peeled off three pieces in succession.

Although his movements were still slow and his fingers were covered in dark sugar stains, he ate with great care. Each time he peeled one open, it was as if he had accomplished something extraordinary.

The pent-up frustration that had been building up in my heart for the past month seemed to dissipate along with the cracking of these chestnut shells.

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