Most people think mung bean soup was simply a soup made from mung beans, with a greenish broth, very popular. However, this mung bean soup was clear and transparent. Zhang Jiusi had expected a simple, unadorned mung bean soup, but this one in front of him wasn’t anything like that; it was simply overly fancy!

This tall cup of mung bean soup contained green mung beans, snow-white glutinous rice balls, amber candied dates, red and green candied peels… a colorful and wonderful sight. Zhang Jiusi roughly counted and found that there were more than ten different kinds of small ingredients!

Liang Hai was also surprised. Why did this mung bean soup look like a hodgepodge? How could he drink so many things?

The four people in the dormitory were stunned.

Zhang Jiusi wiped his face and said, “I was too impulsive. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have gotten angry at that person and ordered this weird mung bean soup. This mung bean soup looks so unappetizing.”

Zhao Jing agreed and was not happy at all, “This seems to be red and green silk, right? Damn, it reminds me of the fear I once felt when I’m faced with five-nut mooncakes. Please make red and green silk disappear from this world!”

Zhang Jiusi pushed the mung bean soup aside, not having the courage to try this mung bean soup which he thought was very strange.

Seeing this, Liang Hai was a little distressed, “Don’t waste it. Since you ordered it, just finish it.”

Although he also thought that the mung bean soup was a bit strange, his upbringing taught him to never to waste food.

Zhang Jiusi waved his hand, “Please help me solve it, I really can’t stand it.”

After hearing what he said, Liang Hai saw that he was serious, so he did not refuse and took the mung bean soup.

The mung bean soup was served in a huge transparent cup. The mung beans and glutinous rice had been steamed, so the soup was extremely clear.

He took a sip slowly and his eyes widened instantly. How could this mung bean soup be so delicious?

Although he had never tasted this kind of mung bean soup before, his taste buds honestly told him that this mung bean soup was amazing.

This mung bean soup, made with mint water, was clear and refreshing. After being chilled, just one sip was incredibly refreshing. The flavor immediately brought to mind Su Shi’s poem [Song of  the Cave Fairy]: 

“Skin as fine as ice, bone as delicate as jade, naturally cool and sweat-free. The breeze from the water palace fills the air with subtle fragrance.“

Furthermore, the various toppings weren’t just random additions as he’d first imagined, but it seemed to have been meticulously selected. The glutinous rice was chewy, the green and red silk, the candied fruit was savory and tangy… Every bite offered a new taste experience. What he’d once considered a garish combination immediately became a perfectly crafted match.

This quality is high, really high ah!

After drinking the mung bean soup, the other two roommates also exclaimed in surprise.

“Fuck, after drinking this mung bean soup, I feel like all the mung bean soups I drank before were just mung bean bath water. The green and red silk have become cute.”

“After drinking a mouthful of this exquisite mung bean soup, I have become an exquisite boy.”

They were actually very tired after a whole morning of training, but this mung bean soup has saved their bodies that had been dizzy from the sun where every pore in their body was clamoring for comfort.

Zhang Jiusi: “…”

Zhang Jiusi raised his eyebrows. “Surely it’s not that serious, isn’t it just a bowl of mung bean soup?”

Liang Hai immediately shook his head and said frankly, “This mung bean soup is absolutely amazing. This mung bean soup is crystal clear, chilled and sprinkled with sugar. After drinking a cup, I can’t find the words to describe the satisfaction I feel.”

Zhang Jiusi’s disbelief gradually disappeared, and he wanted to try the mung bean soup. Fortunately, although Liang Hai drank quickly, he has not yet finished his own portion so he hasn’t touched the one Zhang Jiusi gave him.

After Zhang Jiusi said something to him, he took it back and took a sip. As the cool mint water entered his mouth, he chewed the fragrant mung beans, and nibbled the red and green silk. The tangy and sweet taste played a melody in his mouth, with an extremely rich sense of layering, making him feel very satisfied.

Zhang Jiusi drank the Suzhou-style mung bean soup one sip after another. When the angle of the cup was almost perpendicular to the ground and there was no more soup left, he realized that he had finished it.

He felt as if he had opened the door to a new world. It turned out that ordinary mung bean soup could be so delicious!

Zhang Jiusi stared at the empty cup, savoring the taste of mung bean soup in his mouth. He immediately stood up and ran quickly to the window.

However, everyone had already discovered the wonderfulness of Suzhou-style mung bean soup, and the food window, which was once sparsely populated, was suddenly crowded with people. He waited anxiously at the back but soon heard Luo Huai’an’s voice calling out. Although the voice was crisp and pleasant, the content made everyone feel distressed, “Sorry, we’re out of mung bean soup!”

Zhang Jiusi felt like Zhu Bajie eating a ginseng fruit. Before he could fully enjoy the wonderful taste of the ginseng fruit, it was gone. And it was all his fault. Damn it, if he had known this mung bean soup had a special secret, he would have ordered a few more!

I regret it, I regret it all.

Mythical Beast Cafeteria translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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This is the more common mung bean soup. It’s mung beans boiled in water, with sugar to taste. The broth is green because the beans pop and ‘bloom’ mixing with the water.

Suzhou-style mung bean soup

The mung beans are steamed on its own, and all other ingredients (glutinous rice, plus a variety of nuts, candied fruits, and preserves) are prepared separately. Then they are all ladled in together in clear, sugared, mint water.  

Red and Green Silk

It’s julienned orange peels, papaya, radish, or other vegetables, soaked in water to remove bitterness, then marinated in sugar and some food coloring, then laid out to dry. The ancient recipe called for candied green apricots and rose petals. 

It’s a signature ingredient in traditional pastries such as five-nut mooncake. I imagine some people might not like its  tough, sweet and tangy texture amidst the crushed nuts.  

Zhu Bajie is a major character in Journey to the West with pig-like features, one of the disciples who do the pilgrimage to India. In one scene, he gulps down a ginseng fruit without tasting it, unlike his companions who savored it. The idiom means to do something hastily without gaining anything.

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Chapter 13.1 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup Part II
Chapter 13.2 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup Part II
Chapter 13.3 — Suzhou-style Mung Bean Soup Part II
Chapter 14.1 — Pepper Pancakes
Chapter 14.2 — Pepper Pancakes
Chapter 15.1 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.2 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.3 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.4 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.5 — Pepper Pancakes Part II
Chapter 15.6 — Pepper Pancakes Part II