Miao Chu

Chapter 103 Just right
When Kong Fuyang carried the thick stack of documents back to his seat, he felt lightheaded.

It's like drinking wine; the aroma is refreshing and not spicy, only leaving a lingering aftertaste that makes you feel pleasantly tipsy.

He first tidied up the things at hand before sitting down and slowly looking through the materials in front of him.

But a short while later, someone came and knocked on the door.

"Xiao Kong, we'd like to order some more locust flower powder from that Miss Song tomorrow. Do you want some?"

Kong Fuyang hurriedly said, "Yes! Yes! Zhengyan too! No need to ask him again—Also, ask him to add another serving, no, add a large bamboo tube of strong sweet tea, the stronger the better!"

The visitor clicked his tongue and said, "Aren't you afraid you won't be able to sleep?"

Then, puzzled, he asked, "I only asked one question, why are you grinning like an idiot?"

Kong Fuyang looked bewildered: "Hehe, huh? Am I grinning like an idiot?"

He hurriedly rubbed his face and then realized that his mouth was stretched wide open, and the flesh on his face was chubby from smiling.

***
Kong Fuyang, his chubby cheeks pouting, grinned blankly. But Xiao Lian, sitting in the front hall peeling garlic with a small basket and a low stool at the end of Suanzao Alley, couldn't manage a smile.

She peeled the garlic carefully, wanting to avoid hurting a single piece of the garlic so she could show it to her sister and get some credit. But just as she was peeling off the innermost layer of tender garlic skin, she suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats. Her hand slipped, and she accidentally pinched a piece of white garlic, leaving a fingernail mark.

She exclaimed "Oh dear!" feeling both annoyed and regretful. As the sound of horses' hooves grew louder, she looked up and saw three riders stop in front of her house.

The mother and daughter had been living there for some time, and customers would come to place orders from time to time. Xiaolian had become more experienced and, while she still easily became nervous and anxious around strangers, she wasn't as timid as before. She just still didn't dare to greet them.
She quickly put the basket down, turned around and ran to the backyard, calling for her sister as she ran.

When Song Miao heard this, she came out and saw a man in a brocade robe and jade crown, followed by two familiar servants, standing properly and orderly outside the door.

Upon seeing Song Miao, the man's initial embarrassment vanished, replaced by a wide laugh, and he exclaimed, "Shopkeeper Song!"

It turned out to be He Qi.

Song Miao greeted him with a smile, invited him into the house, offered him a cushion to sit on, served him tea, introduced him to Xiao Lian who was peeking out from the second gate but dared not come out, and added, "There is also the second daughter of the Cheng family. She has gone out to deliver goods. She will wait for people to return later. You may run into her there."

He Qi was delighted to hear that Cheng Zijian's sister and niece had moved in with Song Miao and were helping with chores. He quickly said, "In that case, you'll be able to free up your hands to think about other delicious food. We're the ones who benefit!"

After chatting for a while, Song Miao said, "The Imperial Academy finished its exams a long time ago. I hadn't seen you for many days and I was worried that you had gone somewhere. I made almond tofu during the Cold Food Festival and was thinking of saving some for you, but since I couldn't find you, I had to eat it myself."

He Qi's smile vanished instantly. He cried out, "I can't stand this! Stall owner Song, please stop talking!"

He pressed further, "When will you do it again? I'm going back to the Imperial Academy in a couple of days. Remember to include my share in everything, and don't forget to include me!"

Song Miao hurriedly promised to do it when she had time, and that she would definitely give him a share. She also asked him if he wanted to stay for dinner.

He Qi, who always struggled with his stutter, shook his head and sighed this time, saying, "I came here today because I have something I'd like to ask Mr. Song for help with."

It turned out that He Qi had gone back to his hometown with his family to sweep the tombs early in the morning. By the time he returned to Beijing, the Qingming Festival had already passed. After resting for a couple of days, he had to have a small gathering with relatives and friends before returning to the Imperial Academy for classes. Who knew that he would receive such news.

—That girl, Zhu, whether she caught a chill while out for a spring outing or encountered something unclean, vomited and had diarrhea when she got home, and developed a high fever.

The He family was terrified. They not only sought medical help but also sent people to the place where Zhu Jie had gone on her spring outing to burn paper money and send off the spirits.

Children's illnesses are difficult to cure, let alone Zhu Jie'er's weak constitution. We dared not use strong medicines, and it took seven or eight days for her to slowly recover.

"She was so sickly, but she had no appetite after taking the medicine and couldn't eat anything. Everyone in the family was worried."

"Since I've always gotten along well with her, the child secretly told me this time that she wanted to eat the wasabi shrimp you made last time. I was thinking, why don't you make another plate for me, and I'll have someone send it back..."

Song Miao thought for a moment and said, "It's easy to make, but wasabi and mustard seeds are spicy. Although the spiciness will be reduced a lot after cooking, Zhu Jie is sick, and the shrimp is fried in hot oil, which is too greasy. I'm afraid it won't be suitable for her to eat."

"I won't let her eat too much, just a taste," He Qi said hastily. "It's enough to fulfill her wish."

Song Miao shook her head and said, "Shrimp meat is hard to digest. Besides, if I cook it now and send it back, it will be stewed all the way, and the meat will be tough and not tasty."

He added, "Zhu Jie'er is already in good health. What if she gets sick again after eating what I make? Young Master He won't be able to explain it to her."

As they were talking, Xiao Lian, who had been hiding by the second gate, slowly emerged and whispered, "Sister, give her some salted bone porridge—I'm not sick anymore, give her half of the porridge... give her most of it..."

At this point, Xiaolian looked very pained and said, "Give her half of the bone too."

He Qi was somewhat surprised. He first glanced at Xiao Lian, who was hiding behind Song Miao and only had her head showing, and then glanced at Song Miao.

Song Miao then explained to him about Xiao Lian's previous illness, and added, "This little one has just recovered from her illness. She had a fever for five or six days. I'm currently cooking her some salted bone porridge. Why don't you take some porridge back to Zhu Jie'er?"

As she spoke, she turned halfway around, bent down, reached out and touched Xiaolian's head, saying, "This time we've pickled a lot of bones, enough for us to eat our fill, you don't need to offer any."

He then said to He Qi, “This porridge doesn’t use fresh vegetables. It uses dried vegetables, which clear lung heat and benefit the stomach and intestines. The salted bones have been pickled in salt for a day. Salt enters the kidneys and is very good at reducing internal heat. Although it can’t be used as medicine, people in the south often eat it when they have a fever or internal heat.”

After hearing Song Miao's explanation and the name, He Qi immediately nodded and couldn't help but ask, "Can I eat it if I don't have a fever?"

Song Miao said, "Of course!"

He added, "If Zhu'er's family is not comfortable feeding their child this, then Young Master He can share it with others."

As she spoke, she went to check on the pot.

White porridge is cooking in the pot, and the rice grains have already split open.

A large bowl of bones was placed in a bamboo woven cover on the side—this time, pork neck and pork spine bones were used. The bones had been marinated for a day and a night, and after being washed, they were placed in the bowl.

Dried vegetables were also soaking, and by this time they had softened.

Song Miao cut the dried vegetables into sections, first heated a pan, added a little oil, and fried the salted bones until they were golden brown. Then she added them to the porridge pot along with the dried vegetables and ginger slices. She then turned to He Qi and said, "It will take another quarter of an hour. Young Master He, please sit down and wait a moment."

He Qi naturally had no objections whatsoever.

Song Miao beckoned Xiao Lian over and whispered, "Can you do me a favor? Go inside and bring out some food to serve the guests?"

Xiaolian nodded immediately and hurried over. A short while later, she returned with a plate laden with a variety of things—a few extra pieces of rice cake, two handfuls of fried dough twists, a dish of fried dough sticks, and a bowl of locust flower powder. It looked quite a feast. She presented it to He Qi without a word, simply placing it on the bench in front of him. She then picked up the basket she had just thrown down and retreated to the side, obediently peeling garlic, like a little rabbit darting through a hole, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

Looking at the snacks in front of him, He Qi resisted his craving and stood up first to go to the stove. As usual, he first asked Song Miao what help he could do.

Song Miao really had nothing else to ask him to do, so she could only say, "There are no bamboo shoots for you to peel today..."

As she spoke, she looked around and saw Xiaolian sitting in the corner.

Seemingly noticing their gazes, Xiaolian quickly hid the small basket between her stomach and legs, whispering, "Sister, you said you'd peel garlic for me!"

Song Miao smiled and turned to He Qi, saying, "Young Master He, have some snacks. This porridge will be ready soon."

Having received his instructions, He Qi finally felt at ease and sat back down on his prayer mat.

Seeing the tray of food, he couldn't resist and took a bite of the locust flower powder. After tasting the fragrant locust flower flavor mixed with the light sweetness of the sugar water, he couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"

He then asked, "Do you have any extra? Can I take some back with me?"

Song Miao replied, "This stuff is hard to carry. It's very humid and stuffy outside right now. Without ice to keep it, it might spoil if it's kept in a container all the way. Just eat it here. Next time I make it, I'll save some for Young Master He."

He Qi then went to eat Fu Gao (a type of rice cake).

The mung bean and red bean cakes, made this afternoon, have a milky aroma and a soft, glutinous outer layer. Each small piece has a subtle, sandy mung bean flavor that lingers on the tongue. It takes two swallows to finish. Then, a sip of locust flower powder blends the fragrance of locust flowers with the taste of the cake, leaving your mouth feeling delicious.

—It's a pity that Sister Zhu can't have any.

He Qi finished all the lucky cake, and also ate half of the fried dough twists and half of the fried dough sticks. Since he was a guest, he was afraid of appearing too gluttonous, so he slowly drank the locust flower powder, and dared not put any more food into his mouth.

Seeing that Song Miao was busy, he didn't want to disturb her, afraid of causing trouble. He also didn't want to look around, but when he turned his head, he saw Xiao Lian holding a basket and couldn't help but glance at what she was doing.

Xiaolian quickly noticed and, seeing him staring curiously at the garlic bowl, asked softly, "Don't you know how to peel garlic?"

He Qi would naturally not.

He nodded.

Xiao Lian hesitated for a moment, then walked over with the basket, took out two cloves of garlic and placed them in front of He Qi. She then sat a little further away and said, "This is very simple. You can learn from me."

So when Song Miao finished cooking the porridge, she saw the two of them peeling garlic with great concentration. They even laid out two rows of peeled garlic cloves on the bench in front of them, competing to see who could peel them cleaner and more completely.

***
He Qi is a truly remarkable person.

Sometimes he acts like a child, and other times he speaks and acts much more mature than his actual age.

Song Miao finished making the porridge, found a food box for delivery, filled the bottom with charcoal, and placed a small covered pot on the top. The pot was tightly wrapped with oilcloth to prevent spillage. She then handed it to He Qi and asked him if it was convenient for him to take it.

The latter thanked her, saying it was convenient and that everything was arranged. She also ordered food from Song Miao for the next two days before leaving with the food box.

Before they even left Suanzao Lane, a carriage was already parked not far ahead, with Dongzhi standing by.

—It turned out that when He Qi heard that Song Miao was going to make porridge, he ordered Dongzhi to quickly rent a carriage, and that's when they picked her up.

Because everything went smoothly, by the time he arrived at the He family's house with the porridge, it was just dinnertime.

He Qi first greeted the old lady of the He family, and then mentioned that he had a favorite restaurant where Zhu Jie had been before and liked it very much. Seeing that the child was sick this time, she felt very sorry for her, so she asked for a pot of porridge to bring back. This porridge is called salted bone and dried vegetable porridge, which is perfect for people with fever.

Upon hearing that it was food from outside, the old lady of the He family was somewhat displeased, but out of respect for He Qi, she couldn't say anything. She could only say, "Since it's just porridge, I'll have a taste too, to let my little Zhu'er try it."

This was exactly what He Qi had expected, so he wasn't surprised. Upon hearing this, he handed the food box to a maid from the He family and instructed her, "Give me a bowl too—I'll let Zhu Jie try it."

Soon, two trays were brought out, each with a bowl of porridge on it, and many small dishes on the side, filled with celery bits, scallion bits, coriander segments, and crispy fried dough sticks, each only the size of a fingernail—all of which Song Miao had individually wrapped in lotus leaves.

The porridge had been simmering on the fire, piping hot. When it was served, its aroma filled the air, and everyone in the room couldn't help but sniff it more quickly.

Smelling the aroma, Madam He, who hadn't paid much attention before, couldn't help but sniff it a few more times. She quickly added some celery and scallion pieces according to her own preference, wrapped them with the bits of cooked meat, and put them in her mouth.

The porridge was still very hot, and she only tasted a little bit. She only planned to make a show of it before asking someone to put the porridge away, saying that her granddaughter didn't like it. But as soon as that small mouthful of porridge touched her lips, the aroma was already there.

It has a very unique fragrance.

Madam He was quite old and had long been experienced in drinking porridge, especially bone and meat porridge, but this was indeed the first time she had tasted anything like it.

The rice was very fragrant, but even more so was the umami and savory flavor of the bones in the porridge. The saltiness and umami had completely blended into the porridge, and she didn't know how it was done. It was much more fragrant and rich than any porridge she had ever eaten before.

Whether you're making soup or porridge with bones, if you want the bones to have a rich flavor, it's best to use pork bones, but pork bones are also quite oily.

There are clearly no pork bones in this porridge, and there isn't much oil floating on top, yet the porridge base still has a rich and sweet flavor.

The porridge was smooth and creamy. The bones had been salted, which locked in the meat's freshness. Even after long cooking, the meat was not tough and the aroma was even stronger. Madam He had only touched the porridge with her lips before, but now she couldn't help but swallow the whole spoonful.

It was a very smooth and full bite, not too thin or too thick, just right. She was also quite lucky to get a small piece of meat close to the bone.

The meat was extremely tender and especially fragrant. Even though it was only a small piece, biting into it felt like a large chunk of meat bursting with juice on your tongue—it was a concentrated burst of meaty flavor.

If the meat in the porridge is flavorful enough, the porridge tends to be too salty. If the porridge is just the right amount of salt, the meat tends to be bland, unless they are cooked separately—but then the meat and the porridge are just porridge.

But this bowl of salted bone and dried vegetable porridge is completely different.

The saltiness of the bones, meat, and porridge was just right. The aroma of the bones and meat was fully infused into the porridge, and the smoothness and fragrance of the rice were infused into the bones and meat. The dried vegetables were also very fragrant, slightly sweet, and had a lingering sweetness. After being cooked until soft, they still had a slight chewy texture, but you didn't really need to chew them. Together with the spiciness of the pepper and the fresh aroma of the celery and scallions, they neutralized the slight greasiness of the bones.

Grandma He ate one spoonful after another, originally just to help her granddaughter taste the porridge. She tried it and tried it, and before she knew it, she had finished the whole bowl of porridge.

　Duoxie Bookstore's Furuanruan kindly gifted me a writing aid, and Ann_AC kindly gave me a small token of my appreciation :)

　　Thank you to Qidianhongleyingtao9555 for the lucky charm!
　　(End of this chapter)