Miao Chu

Chapter 166 Strength
Zhang Si Niangzi, who was a fisherwoman at home, had already grown tired of eating river delicacies, but when she saw the dish in front of her, she couldn't help but keep picking at the small river shrimp.

First, try them one by one, savoring their crispy and crunchy texture, and enjoying the sweetness of the shrimp oil and meat bursting out from the shells and rolling on your tongue. Then, you can't help but shovel a whole bunch of shrimp into your mouth with your chopsticks—at which point you inevitably end up eating a few strands of chives.

The chives are small-leaf chives, which have a stronger aroma than the common broad-leaf chives. They are also very tender when picked. When you take a bite, your upper and lower teeth are meant to crack small river shrimp, but unexpectedly, by some strange twist of fate, your jaws squeeze out a mouthful of juice from the stems and leaves.

The stems have a distinctly crisp and tender texture, with a rich and sweet juice. The chive leaves are fragrant and tender, with less juice than the white part of the stem, but the chives have a stronger and more intense pungent flavor and a more delicate texture.

Both the stems and leaves are coated with a thin layer of oil.

The oil was shrimp oil obtained from stir-frying small river shrimp. The shrimp's red color, carrying endless freshness, had melted into the oil, intertwining with the white of the chive leaves and stems, like a pair of sweet, inseparable lovers, each with their own freshness and sweetness.

Only then did Zhang Si Niang realize that even the cheapest leeks could taste so delicious!
Shrimp has its own flavor, and chives have their own deliciousness. When you eat them together, it's another kind of wonderful combination.

She devoured almost half a plate by herself—it wasn't a large dish, really—and was a little dazed while eating. When she came to her senses, her face flushed red, and she hurriedly put her chopsticks back, saying awkwardly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, young lady. I really didn't expect that river shrimp and chives could be stir-fried so deliciously—how come my cooking is so much worse?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "You are actually very careful. You pick the vegetables very cleanly, wash the shrimp carefully, and you can cook the dishes properly. It's just that you need to pay more attention to some small details."

"The most important thing about this dish is to heat the wok, be quick, and stir-fry the ingredients separately. This applies not only to this dish but to all stir-fried dishes. If you can stir-fry the ingredients separately first and then stir-fry them together, the taste will be completely different."

"First, stir-fry the shrimp to bring out their oil and freshness. It's essential to drain off any excess water, otherwise it will take a long time to just stir-fry until the moisture evaporates. By the time they're fragrant, the shells will be overcooked. The shrimp meat inside is already small, and if the outside is overcooked, the inside will become hard, and you won't be able to taste any tenderness at all. The same principle applies to stir-frying the chives separately after taking the shrimp out of the pan, all for the sake of controlling the heat and achieving the wok hei (wok aroma)."

"When stir-frying chives, they should be cooked separately. If you stir-fry them together, the white stems will be cooked while the leaves will be overcooked. Once the chives are overcooked, they will release water, lose their aroma, and have a poor texture. They will be coarse and will not have the freshness of just-cooked chives."

"Both of these dishes need to be cooked with a little extra heat so that they can absorb the flavors when stir-fried together. The amount of ingredients is also important; the ratio should be just right. If there are too many chives, the sweetness of the river shrimp won't be fully absorbed, and if there are too many river shrimp, the pungent and sweet aroma of the chives will be lost, which will diminish the flavor."

"If this dish had chive blossoms, and you could replace the chives with chive blossoms, it would actually taste even better, but unfortunately it's not in season yet."

"Whether it's the proportions of ingredients or seasonings like oil and salt, it's all about finding the right balance. Some dishes need a strong flavor, while others need a lighter one. This dish is all about the natural sweetness of the ingredients, so we'll use very simple seasonings..."

One, two, three, four, five, Song Miao explained in great detail, and Zhang Si Niang listened so intently that she didn't even want to blink, as if if she blinked even once, she would forget what she had just remembered.

After finishing her explanation, Song Miao added, "Chives are easy to buy. If you have some river shrimp at home recently, you can try this dish again. See if you pay attention to the points I just mentioned and stir-fry it again. Will it have a different flavor?"

Zhang Si Niang had apprenticed with masters before, but when she apprenticed with others, some disliked her because of her age and felt she wasn't close enough to them; others were willing to teach but didn't know how to explain it; and still others were good at teaching but their own cooking skills were mediocre, so they couldn't teach anyone anything meaningful.

Having met many people before, Zhang Si Niang was now eager to learn from Song Miao, who was patient, skilled, and, more importantly, unreserved and willing to teach and guide her.

Hearing Song Miao say this, she quickly replied, "When I get back tomorrow, I'll talk to my second brother and ask him to save some small river shrimp for me. When I go to work tomorrow, I'll bring these shrimp and some firewood, and then I'll stir-fry a plate for you to see, okay?"

Then, somewhat timidly, she added, "I'm afraid that no matter how much I stir-fry it, it won't turn out well. If I stir-fry it too much, not only will I waste oil, salt, and firewood, but no one will eat it..."

Song Miao smiled and said, "As long as everything is done well, it won't be badly cooked. Besides, there are many young gentlemen here, so why worry about not having enough to eat?"

Another question was asked: "Judging from your posture, it seems like you've studied cooking for a few days. I wonder what you've studied?"

Zhang Si Niang explained everything one by one, and then said, "Actually, I've only learned a little in the past month or so. I learn a couple of days here and a couple of days there, and most of the time I'm just helping out others. Without being an apprentice for three years, how can I learn anything worthwhile!"

Song Miao asked curiously, "I heard that you are close to Chef Zhang, why don't you learn from him?"

Zhang Si Niang was much more reserved and honest than her sister-in-law, Aunt Ma. Although she was a little embarrassed, she didn't try to embellish her words and simply repeated what she had said: "My uncle said his skills were mediocre. If he hadn't gotten this job as a cook at the official post station, he wouldn't have been able to find good food outside. He has a nephew to train now and doesn't have room for me. He's afraid of delaying my learning, so he doesn't dare to ask me to come and learn."

It's easy to get along with someone as straightforward as Aunt Ma, but there's also a unique comfort in getting along with someone as honest as Zhang Si Niang. You can speak directly and frankly, saying whatever comes to mind without even having to think.

Song Miao simply pointed to the basin next to her and said, "Since you've learned how to make pastry for a couple of days, why don't you help knead the dough tonight as well?"

Zhang Si Niang hurriedly waved her hand and said, "I only make some homemade pancakes and noodles. I went outside to learn for a couple of days, but I didn't learn much. The dough I kneaded is really not presentable. If I mess it up..."

Song Miao smiled and encouraged her, "It's alright, you do it, I'll watch over you."

Knowing that this was a rare opportunity, Zhang Si Niang no longer declined and asked what she wanted to make and how to knead it.

After a moment's thought, Song Miao said, "Let's make spring pancakes."

Sure enough, he taught Zhang Si Niang how to knead the dough, how to let it rise after kneading, and then how to divide it into portions and bake it.

She only brought a few sheets to make before letting Zhang Si Niang watch her make them herself. After she had made seven or eight sheets, seeing that Zhang Si Niang was already quite skilled, she stopped watching her.

Just as he stepped aside, Dabing came in, called out "Madam Song," and said, "Our people from the yamen are back."

Upon hearing this, Song Miao didn't delay and immediately started cooking.

Stir-fried river shrimp with chives is a dish that can be cooked very quickly. The flatbread had barely lit the fire when they went outside to bring in some more firewood, and Song Miao's first plate of stir-fried shrimp was already ready.

She packed up the spring pancakes that Zhang Si Niang had made, sent one batch out first, then cooked a second batch and had Zhang Si Niang send it out before taking over making the spring rolls herself.

Just as they finished making twenty or thirty shrimp, Zhang Si Niang returned, anxiously saying, "Young Madam Song, it's like everyone's scrambling for them outside! Those two plates of shrimp were gone as soon as they were served!"

This dish goes well with rice and is also delicious in wraps. It's fresh out of the pot. Compared to the stew prepared by the official post station next door, anyone with eyes and a decent palate would know which one to grab.

Song Miao calmly stir-fried another large plate.

Zhang Si Niang had just seen him off when Da Bing came in again and said, "Minister Wu said that Young Master Kong won't be back this early today. If it's convenient for you, young lady, please leave him some food."

Song Miao responded and asked about the situation at the front. After learning that they had eaten most of the food, she called Zhang Si Niang in, made room for her, and taught her how to cook.

This plate wasn't given to the people in front; it was shared among the three of them. Zhang Si Niang was, after all, an unmarried young woman and a stranger, so Song Miao was worried that she might feel awkward. Therefore, she specially stayed in the back kitchen with Da Bing and Zhang Si Niang to eat.

After Song Miao taught him step by step, the taste was completely different from Zhang Si Niang's first time cooking it; it was as if it had been reincarnated from a different species.

If the first time it was a wild boar that hadn't been castrated for five or six years, this time it's a miniature pig. Although they're both pigs, they look, smell, and taste completely different.

At this moment, take a spring pancake to roll it up. The pancake is thin yet chewy and soft. Apart from the simple and rustic wheat aroma, there are no other off-flavors. It neither competes nor fights, but obediently serves as a base, just holding the fresh and fragrant shrimp oil and the essence of the stir-fried chives and river shrimp.

Zhang Si Niang invited Song Miao to stay for dinner, but at first she declined, saying she would eat at home. When she finally gave in, she ate a bite. Although she had expected this, she knew this was the outcome and that's why she hadn't dared to stay. In the end, she couldn't help but open her mouth again and again, stuffing food into it, and she never mentioned "eating at home" again. She just kept eating.

The three of them ended up eating nearly thirty stir-fried river shrimp and chive spring rolls—Zhang Si Niang ate the most.

After she finished eating, she didn't leave. Instead, she worked very hard to help clean up the dishes, wipe the table and wash the dishes. She took over Dabing's job and, after everything was in order, she sat down and peeled half a basket of lettuce.

Song Miao couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she said, "It'll be dark soon, and it's not good for you to walk alone at night. Come back tomorrow. There are only a few of us, and we can't finish all that work in one night."

Zhang Si Niang replied, "I'll leave after I finish shaving these."

He moved another basket, picked up a small stool, and sat at the door, carefully peeling the lettuce as Song Miao had instructed.

As dusk approached, Zhang Siniang had not yet left, but Kong Fuyang returned.

This person didn't need to be invited at all. He ran into the kitchen to find Song Miao and said as soon as he entered, "I'm so hungry that I'm dizzy. My eyes can't even see the words clearly. It's supposed to be 'vast and turbulent,' but as I read it, it turned into 'delicious soup' in my mind. Vendor Song, do you know what's left today? Please give me a sip!"

Seeing his pitiful appearance, Song Miao quickly said, "Young Master Kong, please put down your things and wash your hands. I'll make you some noodles right away, it'll be ready in no time."

She had prepared the noodles long ago, and the water in the pot was hot. When the person came back, she opened the stove, scalded the noodles, and then specially stir-fried a plate of river shrimp and chives, adding only a little salt. She also boiled two eggs in the soup and used that soup to serve the noodles.

When Kong Fuyang came in, the noodles were just served.

The noodles are thin and lie half-reclined in the soup like a fish's back. The bowl is also covered with a thick layer of stir-fried river shrimp and chives, which dyes the soup with a thin layer of red shrimp oil.

It smells so good it's intoxicating.

He didn't even have time to say anything, nor did he care that it was hot, before he started slurping the noodles.

Zhang Si Niang was almost finished cooking, but seeing someone return, she slowed down, waiting for the last student to finish eating so she could clean up the dishes.

As she slowed down, she kept glancing back at the room to keep an eye on things, ready to come in and grab the pancakes at any moment.

A large bowl of noodles. The noodles themselves are light and smooth, with only the aroma of wheat, which is meant to complement and absorb the fragrance and delicious flavor of the stir-fried river shrimp and chives. There is also the bright red shrimp oil, which melts into the noodle soup as soon as it enters the bowl, making the original soup color beautiful and the taste even more delicious.

Kong Fuyang slurped his food down and finished in no time, rubbing his belly and thanking everyone profusely.

Song Miao pointed to two small bowls of dishes on the other side of the table and said, "Minister Wu also left two stewed dishes for you, young master. They are all pure meat, and there is also mutton in them. He said it's to help you nourish yourself."

While eating the two small bowls of food, Kong Fuyang suddenly became more refined. He sat up straight and behaved politely. After only a couple of bites, he put down his chopsticks and said, "I'll rest for a bit and eat later."

Seeing that he had a moment to spare, Song Miao recounted what had happened that morning, and then said, "Now that Young Master Han is not here, although he said I could make the decision myself, I still wanted to ask Young Master Kong a question—the cooks sent by the yamen are unreliable, and I don't trust them either. There's always a saying that you can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days. I've already asked someone for help, and I'm thinking of hiring some strong women to manage the cooking. I wonder if you have any suggestions?"

Kong Fuyang looked as if he had just realized something, and said, "No wonder I heard a commotion in the yamen this morning, talking about urination and poisoning. I was just too busy to find out the details. So that's what happened!"

He added, “Since Zhengyan has already entrusted everything to Miss Song, I will naturally follow his lead! I only have one point to make, although I know you must have considered it—after all, it’s a construction site kitchen, which is very tough. There’s a lot of moving and lifting inside, and it’s all communal cooking, so it all depends on strength. If we use so many women and aunts, with their thin arms, I don’t know if they can handle it.”

Song Miaoying said, "I have hired strong and healthy women who are usually hardworking. Why would they be afraid of this? The cooks sent by the government may not be as strong as them."

Just then, they heard someone at the door call out "Young Lady Song". It turned out to be Zhang Si Niang carrying a basket of lettuce as she entered.

She had originally intended to carry this basket outside, but now she deliberately took a deep breath, forcefully lifted the rope in the middle with one hand, and carried the half-basket high as she came in, asking, "Where do I put these twenty pounds of lettuce?"

Song Miao quickly pointed to the ground to the side and said, "Just put it there!"

He had to go forward to receive it again.

Zhang Si Niang deliberately stepped aside, saying, "No need, no need, young lady, please step aside first. Be careful not to bump into you. You're only a little over twenty pounds. I can lift you with one hand. It's much less strenuous than wringing out a quilt in winter!"

After finishing speaking, he put the basket down in its place and pointed to a winnowing basket of lettuce peels inside, saying, "The peels are all done. As Da Bing instructed, all the white fibers have been removed, leaving only the outer skin. They've been washed five times with well water and are now clean. Young lady, please take a look and see if there's anything that needs to be redone?"

Song Miao inspected it and was very satisfied. She smiled and praised, "It's done very well. There's nothing that needs to be redone."

They urged her to go home again and again.

Zhang Si Niang agreed and said, "I'll be going now."

Before leaving, he made two more trips to fetch water and refill the tank.

On that last trip, she even carried two large buckets of water around the hole and shoveled it once before pouring it into the vat. She then loudly told Song Miao, "Young lady Song, don't worry. We who use washing sticks won't hold you back at all. What those laborers can carry, we can carry too!"

He stretched out his arm again, making a gesture of exertion, and said to Kong Fuyang, "Young master, please give us a chance. Once we get into the kitchen, we'll see if this big arm is reliable!"

(End of this chapter)