Miao Chu

Chapter 131 Hemp Cloth
As soon as she got home, Song Miao soaked the white kidney beans in water before packing her luggage.

When going out to work, the priority is naturally to keep things easy.

She estimated the weather, picked out a few sets of clothes, and tidied up the ingredients that Han Li had sent yesterday. She made sure to keep some easy-to-cook items at home. She briefly explained to Cheng Erniang how to cook them, especially mentioning the dried scallops, saying, "If you're too lazy to move in the morning, just cook some porridge with these. Just add a small handful and a little salt, and the porridge will be extremely delicious."

Cheng Erniang waved her hand and said, "I overheard a few things last night when I was packing. It's too expensive! Young Master Han bought it as a favor to invite his wife to do hard work in such a faraway place, saying they would eat together. It's just a token gesture. If I take it, what would I be doing?"

He added, "Take them all with you, no need to keep any! When our shop prospers and we make a lot of money, we'll grit our teeth and buy them anyway!"

If Cheng Erniang was originally worried that the flood would affect her business and cut off her livelihood, after seeing this for a while, she has changed her mind and changed her tone.

Even with the water so high, a group of police officers and officials still squeezed into horse-drawn carriages to eat a bowl of noodles.

As for the respected teachers at the Imperial Academy, they would wear long boots or wooden clogs and wade through the water every day to eat at the small dining table in the rain. To be honest, she was a little worried that they would fall and get hurt. She would always advise them to walk slowly and not to come if the water was too deep or the rain was too heavy.

Now, Song Xiaoniangzi has been invited to work in another prefecture. Although she knows it will be hard work, the pay is really generous.

Having eaten there for so long, and seeing the long queues of diners in the two food alleys, and considering all the other things happening behind the scenes, Cheng Erniang had long since gained confidence in Song Miao's culinary skills. She was no longer as worried as before, but instead hoped that the restaurant would open soon and that the business would boom in the future.

Furthermore, having personally witnessed Song Miao's character and demeanor, she was convinced that unless God was blind, there was no reason why this business would fail, and it would surely grow stronger in the future.

When the shop did well, Song Xiaoniangzi was kind and generous, and as long as you did a lot, she would never treat you unfairly.

So Cheng Erniang worked diligently every day, not only assisting Song Miao, but also learning to read and write, and to do arithmetic, for fear that although she was in the lead now, she would fall behind in the future and be overtaken by others who might expand their influence at any time.

Meanwhile, Xiaolian, standing on tiptoe, observed the many ingredients on the table. When Song Miao mentioned scallops, she quickly looked at the unusual scallops, her eyes glued to them. But when she heard her mother speak, she nodded vigorously and said, "Sister, I also find plain porridge delicious!"

Song Miao smiled and patted her head, leaving a little of each item behind before returning to her room.

Just as they were tidying up, Cheng Erniang knocked on the door and came into the room, bringing over a package. She said somewhat apologetically, "My wife is going on a long trip, and I can't help with anything else, so I just made some cloth towels out of hemp."

He added, "They're all sewn shut. You can use them to wipe your hands and feet, or to wring your hair after washing it. Don't mind, my wife. Although they're cheap and a bit rough, they dry easily, and you won't feel bad if you throw them away after they get dirty or worn out..."

Song Miao hurriedly took it.

The linen cloth was a thick stack, more than ten pieces in total. Although it felt rough to the touch, all four sides were hemmed. The stitches were not exactly even, but they were very dense, showing that it was made with care.

She exclaimed, "With all this rain lately, I was worried that the cloths on the road wouldn't dry and would become smelly. Second Sister, you've really helped me out!"

He then carefully wrapped the burlap cloth again and put it into his bag.

Seeing this, Cheng Erniang smiled so broadly that her teeth almost showed. She then took something out of her sleeve and said, "My handiwork is really rough, and I was a little embarrassed at first. But I measured you a while ago and made two pairs of cloth shoes for you. Try them on to see if they fit!"

He added, "These shoes are made of clean, soft scraps of cloth. They're not expensive or very nice, but you can wear them indoors."

Song Miao sat on the edge of the bed and tried them on. They did look a bit ugly, but they fit her feet perfectly and were very comfortable. The insoles were especially soft, and they were easy to walk in.

She was pleasantly surprised and looked up, saying, "It's very comfortable!"

She added, "When did you make these, Second Sister? So many stitches, it must have taken so much time and effort..."

Cheng Erniang watched her try on the shoes and, seeing that they fit, chuckled and said, "You take such good care of us, mother and daughter, and I only do some needlework in my spare time. What's there to brag about!"

She said shyly, "To be honest, even though I'm supported by my wife and am just an employee, I actually consider you just like Xiaolian."

Song Miao couldn't help but laugh and say, "Second Madam is so young, yet she couldn't have given birth to a daughter as big as me."

She carefully put the shoes away, knowing that the sentiment and effort behind them were the most important, and the price was secondary. She thanked them sincerely, without mentioning money or silver. She only planned to bring back more local specialties and gifts for the mother and daughter this time.

After quickly packing their things, seeing that it was almost time, the two hurried to the front hall to prepare the dishes.

The white kidney beans had been soaked thoroughly. Song Miao first boiled them to remove the beany smell, and then went to prepare the pig's trotters—she planned to stew them into a soup.

The stewed pig's trotters are fatty but not greasy, and soft and tender, just the taste that those scholars expect.

This dish is not difficult to make, especially since the ingredients are simple, with only two main ingredients: pig's trotters and white kidney beans. It's just that it takes a lot of time and effort.

This time, Song Miao bought only pig's forelegs, as this part moves the most, bears the heaviest weight, and has the thickest skin. After stewing, the soup will be the most milky white and thick.

If you use the hind trotters for stewing, the skin is only a thin layer and the tendons are also very fine, making it difficult to make a rich broth.

The stall owner had already cooked the pig's trotters for her, but Song Miao was afraid that the skin wouldn't be cooked thoroughly enough to retain the gamey smell, so she scalded them again with fire. After cleaning them, she put them in a pot of cold water with plenty of ginger, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns, and added a little white vinegar to blanch them.

Wash the pig's trotters with warm water. After washing them clean, put them in boiling water until they are completely submerged. Add ginger slices, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns that have been roasted in a dry pot, along with a few slices of angelica root, a few slices of angelica sinensis, and half a piece of dried tangerine peel, and stew them together.

The water was already boiling, so after adding the ingredients, I brought it to a boil again over high heat, then turned it down to a simmer. The heat should ideally be very low, and I should check on it from time to time. While simmering, the soup should only have small bubbles rising to the surface, not be boiling vigorously.

After simmering for two hours, add white kidney beans and simmer for another half hour. Add salt just 15 minutes before taking it off the heat.

Timed it down, Song Miao cooked rice and kneaded dough. She then asked Cheng Erniang to catch a young chicken, cleaned it, boiled it in boiling water, and rinsed it twice with cold water.

She shredded the chicken, mixed it with soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic, scallions, and other seasonings, chopped the bok choy hearts, added mustard seeds, and quickly stir-fried a large plate of it.

After the dishes were prepared, voices could be heard outside—as expected, the group of teachers arrived on time.

Once everyone was seated, a large clay pot was placed directly on the table after a wooden board was placed on it.

While Cheng Erniang was serving soup to the guests, Song Miao said, "Several gentlemen have mentioned wanting to eat fatty meat recently, so I've made a pig's trotter soup. The meat is very fatty and tender, but fortunately not too greasy. Please try it. If you like it, we can make it again sometime in the future."

The gentlemen nodded vigorously.

After the soup was served, Song Miao was still serving the dishes when she saw everyone rushing to their own bowls and starting to eat the pig's trotter soup.

When the customers at Song Family Restaurant were eating, they were usually very focused and rarely spoke. However, there were still some casual remarks about the food, such as "Please pass me that dipping sauce dish," "I want more soup! Where is the soup spoon?" "My bowl is empty, and there is one less pair of serving chopsticks!"

But today, the table was unusually quiet.

Among those who wanted to eat fatty meat earlier, Master Chen was naturally one of them. He ate in a daze.

I wanted to eat fatty meat, but I never expected it to be this kind of "fatty meat"!
The pig's trotter was cut into four pieces, each a large, plump piece, and was soaked in the soup until it was translucent.

Before he could even pick it up with his chopsticks, his hand accidentally touched the edge of the bowl, and the meat began to tremble violently in the thick, white broth. The skin and flesh shook, and the broth swayed with it—the broth was completely milky white, very rich and mellow, with a mild aroma, the fragrance of meat intertwined with the aroma of beans—it was simply tempting one's tongue.

Master Chen swallowed a mouthful of soup and pig's trotters together, and because he swallowed it so quickly, he almost thought he was going to chip his teeth.

To his surprise, before he could even dodge with his teeth, he heard a "clatter." Looking down, he saw that the pig's trotter bone had fallen back into the bowl—but there was still flesh and skin in his mouth!

It turns out that as long as there is one more point of leverage, the flesh will separate from the bone on its own, and it will almost melt in your mouth, giving you a sweet and rich meaty texture.

It was clearly a piece of pure meat, but it didn't taste like ordinary meat at all. It tasted like a big piece of sweet, plump, tender tofu—but that tender tofu didn't taste like tofu. It was full of the aroma of oil and meat, with only the feeling of fatness and richness, but no fat taste, let alone being greasy—it was simply not greasy at all.

After swallowing the melted "meat tofu," Master Chen chewed it and tasted the sticky, gelatinous texture—the skin and tendons of the pig's trotter.

The skin is soft and chewy, but unlike "meat tofu" which falls apart at the slightest touch, it holds on. However, if you press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, it will surrender and roll into your stomach, filled with the aroma of meat and skin.

The front trotter of a pig has a large tendon running through it. Now that it has been stewed long enough, the tendon and skin have released their gelatinous substance, making it tender yet slightly chewy. You can even eat it without using your teeth.

Then there's the lean meat. The lean meat from the front trotters is never tough no matter how you cook it. At this point, it's so tender that it falls off the bone with a single suck. Coated in a thick but not sticky, yet very smooth broth, it lazily rests on your tongue.

White kidney beans were added to the soup. The beans had already split open and become sandy, soft, and creamy. After simmering over low heat for a long time, the rich flavor of the pork bone marrow was extracted. A sip of the soup was both sweet and mellow. Taking a sip, your lips would feel slightly sticky from the gelatinous texture, giving you an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

Master Chen ate with his eyes half-closed, and without any instruction, picked up the other half of the piece that had fallen back into the bowl and dipped it in the sauce in front of him.

He had just taken a bite of the pig's trotter dipped in sauce when he couldn't help but let out a snort through his nose.

These sounds rose and fell on the table, seemingly meaningless, yet everyone understood what the other was trying to say.

Pig's trotters are delicious, but they are bland. After being dipped in the sauce, they are instantly filled with flavor.

Master Chen ate cilantro, which contained stir-fried spicy dogwood pieces, savory soy sauce, a touch of fragrant vinegar to cut through the greasiness and enhance the flavor, as well as minced garlic, chopped cilantro, and other unidentified seasonings. The combination of fragrance, spiciness, saltiness, and freshness, along with the light and delicious pig's trotters, made it irresistible.

The soup with pig's trotters comes with rice and a side of cold shredded chicken noodles.

Needless to say, the rice was piping hot, soaking up the rich broth, with a gelatinous texture and the aroma of meat. Add a little dipping sauce, chew and swallow, and the taste is truly satisfying.

Cold chicken noodles offer a different flavor altogether. The shredded chicken still has the skin on, making it very tender and smooth. The seasoning is a blend of sour vinegar, spicy mustard seeds, numbing Sichuan peppercorn oil, salty soy sauce, and fragrant minced garlic. A small spoonful of sesame paste harmonizes everything. It also contains blanched tender lettuce shreds, spinach shreds, and tender carrot shreds. After mixing it all together, the noodles are smooth and chewy...

Paired with the pig's trotter soup, this is yet another kind of "dipping sauce".

The people at the table were completely absorbed in their food, so engrossed that they even scraped out and sipped the last slightly sticky white kidney bean from the broth.

When Song Miao came back to ask for feedback, almost immediately someone covered their mouth and burped and said, "Young lady, there's no need to say 'if you like it,' you definitely like it. And don't 'stew it again,' this soup can be stewed often, stewed many times—I think we can stew it again tomorrow!"

For a moment, the rest of the people at the table nodded their heads, like chickens pecking at rice.

Song Miao then explained the follow-up arrangements, only saying that she would no longer accept restaurant reservations starting from today, and that they would discuss it again when she returned. She also mentioned that she would need to settle accounts with everyone and calculate the money that had been deposited there.

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table looked up. Some people, who were sweating from eating and were wiping themselves with their headscarves, were so startled that they dropped their handkerchiefs to the ground.

"What??"

"The business is doing so well, how can you just abandon it now? What will happen to all this stuff if you leave?"

"Didn't they say it would be a while longer? Why are they quitting tomorrow? That's too fast! How could they do this?"

"Wait a minute, Lao Cao, pinch my thigh and see if I'm deaf—how can I hear such strange things!"

Not only were the others extremely dissatisfied, but even Master Chen couldn't help but feel resentful, wishing he could send a few other cooks to Han Li to take away, so that Han Li wouldn't try to take over his small restaurant.

But in any case, it was a done deal, and the teachers could only accept their fate with blank faces. No one wanted to settle any scores, they just urged Song Miao to come back quickly, and that once she returned, they should send someone to inform the school as soon as possible.

When the group of teachers arrived, they were all hungry, but they were all in high spirits and walked with a brisk pace. When they left, they were all clearly full and satisfied, but they were all dejected and had no energy at all.

The group bid farewell and left in silence. When they reached the alley entrance, one of them, Master Cao, suddenly exclaimed, "Oh dear, I think I've lost my umbrella in the restaurant."

He added, "You all go first, don't wait for me—I'll take the umbrella and go back by myself."

No one thought much of it, nor did they have the energy to pay attention to him, so they let him be.

Master Cao turned around and went back to the end of Suanzao Alley. He walked and ran back to Song Family Restaurant, and the first thing he did upon entering was to call out, "Young Lady Song!"

He didn't mention the umbrella falling down, but only said, "Do you accept birthday banquets? It's just a family dinner, two or three tables, the price is negotiable!"

When Song Miao saw that the person had returned, she was a little surprised at first. When she heard the other party ask a question, she nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Cao. My family is hosting a birthday banquet, but I don't know when it will be held. I will be going out in the next two days, so I'm afraid I won't be able to make it."

They asked for detailed menu preferences and also inquired about whose birthday it was.

Master Cao then said, "It's my old wife; she's celebrating her birthday at the end of May."

He first mentioned his wife's preferences and the banquet arrangements, then took out a small cloth bag from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and said, "This is the deposit—let's reserve it first, and we'll talk about it if there's not enough time."

After saying that, he coughed and asked, "I wonder if the young lady will be back in May—you might not be leaving tomorrow, so will you have time to make a pot of stuffed snails? The price is negotiable. I told my wife about this dish before, and she complained that I only care about myself and not my family when I have good food..."

As they were talking, they heard another cough from the doorway, followed by a series of coughs.

Song and Cao looked up and turned around, and saw several teachers standing outside in twos and threes.

"Old Cao, so the umbrella you dropped was a snail-shaped umbrella?"

　Thank you everyone for your monthly tickets, Xiaoxiang tickets, and all kinds of tickets! Thank you so much!
　　(End of this chapter)