Considering the taste preferences of the villagers in the fishing village, Li Ying rarely cooked Western cuisine that made heavy use of milk. However, thinking that the young girl might very well be a princess from a southern foreign country who had come for a political marriage, she secretly made up her mind. This baked lasagna should surely be a sure - fire hit.
Li Ying brought out the plate, skillfully grated some cheese and herb flakes, and placed them in front of the girl. She said softly, "Please enjoy."
The young girl raised an eyebrow and glanced at her dismissively from the corner of her eye. Although the rich smell of milk whetted her appetite, the lasagna looked rather ordinary. She couldn't help but let out a disdainful snort.
"So this is your best dish?..."
Before she could finish her sentence, her pupils suddenly dilated, and her face was full of disbelief.
The taste of this lasagna was so rich!
The meat sauce had been cooked for a long time. The vegetable dices were almost soft. The sweetness of the radish and the sourness of the tomatoes just right balanced the greasiness of the minced beef, leaving only a mellow flavor without any fishy smell.
The thick cream sauce provided the lasagna with enough moisture during baking. A bit more would make it too mushy and sticky, while a bit less would make it dry and hard. The lasagna was smooth and chewy. At first, the red sauce and the white sauce vied for dominance on the taste buds. In the end, they left a faint, sweet aftertaste of wheat.
It was just an ordinary meat - sauce lasagna, yet it had such a lingering aftertaste?
The hint of contempt that had been in her heart disappeared instantly. Her already growling stomach became even more restless. She picked up the plate and devoured the food ravenously.
Li Ying remained calm and just gave a gentle smile.
It seemed that this time, her bet had paid off.
She had also made a square piece of puff pastry with butter and wrapped it around a soup tureen. Now it was baked to a crisp. She carefully carried it out and placed it in front of the little princess.
The puff pastry was layered and as thin as a cicada's wing, locking in the steam of the creamy mushroom soup in the tureen. The spiciness of the pepper was mostly neutralized by the mildness of the milk, leaving only a unique aroma that made the mushrooms stir - fried with butter taste even more tender and delicious.
The little princess used a soup spoon to break the golden crust and dipped it gently into the soup. The hot soup and the pastry accidentally burned her delicate lips and tongue.
"So hot, so fragrant!"
She was like a cat, involuntarily blowing on the hot air. But her bright eyes were firmly fixed on the plate and she couldn't look away.
After a long while, the little princess finally stretched comfortably, pushed away the messy plates in front of her, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"It seems that the waiter in the capital city didn't lie to me. Li's Restaurant is really something."
She came from a southern country and had traveled a long way to the capital. The journey had been tiring and it was difficult for her to adjust. Moreover, the food didn't suit her taste, which made her quite irritable.
Unexpectedly, Li Ying's cooking had a taste similar to that of her hometown, and was even better!
After eating her fill, she felt sleepy. She lazily waved her hand and ordered Li Ying, "Clean up these leftovers. Later, bring some different dishes!"
Li Ying didn't mind and just nodded. She picked up the plates and left. But A Man couldn't help but feel indignant.
"Sister, even if she is the so - called princess from the southern country, she's putting on too big of a show! How long do we have to wait on her?"
Li Ying was unhurried. She jiggled the pair of black pearl earrings in her hand and said cunningly, "She's paid. We just need to treat her as an honored guest of Tianzifang."
For three consecutive days, Li Ying personally arranged the little princess's three meals a day.
Although she was petite, she had an incredibly good appetite. On the first day, she only ate a serving of lasagna and a bowl of soup with puff pastry. But from the second day on, she could finish the appetizer, main course, staple food, soup, and dessert.
Even A Man was stunned by her appetite.
"Sister, this princess from the southern country must be the reincarnation of the glutton!"
Li Ying scraped the tip of her nose and smiled.
"Since you're so curious, why don't we go and see for ourselves?"
She took A Man and headed straight for the oyster - shell house. As soon as they reached the door, they heard some faint voices in the room, indicating that someone was feasting.
A Man peeked through the crack in the window lattice and saw several burly men wolfing down the slow - roasted lamb shoulder she had just sent in. They were babbling something incoherently.
She was anxious. The little princess was staying in the female guest room, and men were definitely not allowed to enter.
After all, it was inappropriate for the female residents in a deep courtyard to be seen by strange men.
Before the resort opened, Li Ying had repeatedly emphasized that security was of the utmost importance and had to be airtight.
The little princess had brought several foreign men into the room to eat and drink. If this got out...
She held her breath and carefully glanced at Li Ying, not daring to act rashly.
Li Ying just winked at her, then quickly pushed open the door and looked at the little princess with a half - smile.
The situation was sudden. The people in the room were so busy feasting that they never expected Li Ying, an unexpected guest, to appear. They stood there stunned.
"You... How did you get in? Usually, you just leave the food and go. You... You're so bold!"
The little princess stood up nervously. The burly men also dropped the lamb bones in their hands and stood in front of her warily.
Li Ying remained calm and simply said, "Miss, before you checked into this room, I already told you repeatedly that no outside men were allowed. Your actions are really making things difficult for me."
The little princess said angrily, "These are just my servants! They're not outside men!"
"Servants?"
Li Ying looked at them with interest and retorted, "If I heard correctly, what these gentlemen were saying just now didn't seem to be our Central Plains dialect. It sounded more like the language of the southern foreign countries."
"For the safety of the other guests in the resort, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble these gentlemen to come with me to the yamen and explain their purpose clearly."
She looked at them with a flickering expression. A Man was afraid that the little princess might lash out and harm Li Ying, so she guarded her menacingly, ready to fight at the slightest sign of trouble.
Seeing that the little princess still just gritted her lips and refused to speak, Li Ying thought for a moment and then casually said, "I once heard from the officials in the capital that the southern princess who came for the political marriage is missing..."
Sure enough, before she could finish speaking, the little princess's face changed.
"What exactly do you want?"