Miao Chu

Chapter 179 Invitation
Wang Shuji said slowly, "These shackles are quite heavy, and they can be used to practice your hand strength. Besides, you're wearing them so hard, there's no need to rush to remove them—let's wait until your Prefect Cen arrives."

The officer kept crying and pleading, but inwardly he almost wanted to curse.

Why would a perfectly respectable official with a silver fish-shaped pouch wear a cloth robe and cloth shoes, without even a crown?
Looking back now, everything seems to have a traceable pattern.

This corrupt official spoke in a condescending manner and seemed quite familiar with the procedures for arresting people in the government. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have been so easily caught out.

Unfortunately, the place was in chaos today, with a bunch of old women buzzing around and using considerable force. If you took a few steps forward, they would start pushing and shoving you. In addition, the woman surnamed Song kept asking questions, which annoyed him. Provoked by the official, he accidentally made a mistake.

Now that he has clearly regretted his actions and has humbly apologized, he is still relentless and insists on seeing the magistrate!

Cen Tongpan is easy to deal with. Even if he makes a mistake, he will only be given a few words and it won't matter. But this time, the matter was assigned by Qian Kongmu. He did not handle it well and caused trouble. He must be punished!
The constable was filled with trepidation. When he saw Song Miao carrying the tray, a thought struck him, and he hurriedly called out, "Young lady, I really only asked you to come back to the yamen to ask a few questions. I had no other intentions. I accidentally offended my superior. Please help me persuade him! I'm sorry you've offended me!"

He then shouted, "If this gets out of hand, you'll be dragged into the government for no reason, and you won't get away with it! It's better to let it go and make it a small matter!"

Song Miao walked to the table.

When Wang Shuji saw the person arrive, he didn't bother with anything else. He quickly put down his chopsticks and hurriedly moved several plates of food on the table with one hand to make room in front of him.

Song Miao took the soup bowl from the tray and placed it down. Then she looked up at the constable opposite her and said, "Sir, you are joking. You came to arrest me with so many people without any evidence or order. If it weren't for Lord Wang's righteous intervention and the help of all the ladies and aunts, I would be in the yamen now, crying out to heaven and earth in vain. I don't know what kind of situation I would be in. And now you have the nerve to ask me to persuade you—didn't you see that I washed my hands and made soup to thank Lord Wang?"

The constable's face darkened upon hearing this, and he wanted to curse, but seeing Wang Shuji with his hands in shackles opposite him, he didn't dare to raise his voice.

But these words sounded incredibly pleasant to Wang Shuji. As soon as he heard them, his sparse beard couldn't hide the smile on his face at all.

Even if it weren't for this young lady Song, if anyone else had tried to forcibly take him away without orders in front of him, he would have spoken up and taken action.

If he ignores it, firstly, he will feel guilty later, and secondly, this behavior violates the law and is very domineering. If he does nothing, and it is discovered in the future, although he is not an imperial censor, he is still a scholar, and it will not look good on his reputation.

But who wouldn't like to do a good deed and immediately receive a reward that suits their wishes?
This reward is not excessive, it doesn't involve money or profit, it's just cooking a dish or making a soup, and in the future, it will be a wonderful story to tell!

Just thinking about it makes me realize that in the future, when I'm sitting with my classmates, friends, and colleagues over tea, I can casually mention that I had a bowl of delicious soup in Huazhou that day, the most wonderful soup in the world.

People inevitably ask what kind of soup it is, why it's delicious, and who made it.

He'll learn them all then, and explain a bit more—"An innocent young lady was almost arrested by the yamen runners. I found out what happened and helped her out. I even got shackled by the yamen runners for it. The soup was something she made for me later as a reward—alas, a dignified scholar-official, reduced to such a disgrace!"
The satisfaction I feel is simply from thinking about it right now!
Being handcuffed is shameful, but if it's for the sake of innocent and vulnerable people, or for the sake of legal justice, then one might as well invite a few more writers and poets to read it from beginning to end and write ten or eight articles to spread the word!

Even if you're covered in dust and dirt, you're still covered in dust and dirt with a golden sheen!

Thinking this, he saw the soup placed in front of him, with thin, wispy white steam carrying a mushroom aroma that was already wafting into his nostrils. Wang Shuji felt that the aroma had become even stronger.

He thanked them first, then, unable to wait any longer, immediately reached for his chopsticks—his first bite was of oyster mushrooms.

Oyster mushrooms are very tender, with a slightly slippery outer cap. By squeezing out the oil before stir-frying, they become less slippery and instead have a tender, smooth texture that doesn't feel slippery to the bite.

The part where the mushroom stem meets the cap is thick and fleshy, yet incredibly fresh, juicy, and full of flavor. The inner cap, in particular, has raised ridges, making it the perfect spot to simmer in soup.

Song Miao deliberately tore the pieces diagonally along the grain, making the cross-section larger and less neat, and easier for the soup to absorb the flavor.

So Wang Shuji took a bite and found the texture wonderfully smooth. Before he could even bite into it, he was overwhelmed by the delicious flavor of the soup.

So fresh and delicious!

Unlike shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms are not as fragrant, but they have a stronger fresh mushroom flavor. When stir-fried with a little lard, the woody and earthy smell of fresh mushrooms during their growth is removed, highlighting the mushroom flavor. Boil them in hot water to bring out their umami flavor, and then simmer them with fresh pork.

The pork was incredibly fresh, still warm to the touch when it arrived. It was from a prime location, seasoned only with salt, without any other unnecessary marinating or seasoning. This resulted in its own solid, natural flavor, making the soup look clear but taste sweet and savory.

With another bite, the thick cap of the oyster mushroom kept oozing out the broth it had previously indulged in. Not only that, but thanks to the locals, it also perfectly preserved its own fresh mushroom flavor.

The oyster mushrooms are delicious, and the sliced ​​meat is tender but not slippery. It is not only a good mix of lean and fat, but also has a juicy texture and the unique freshness of meat.

Pork shoulder, sliced ​​to the perfect thickness, is added last and taken out of the pot as soon as it's cooked. Salt is also added last to prevent the meat slices from becoming dry too early. It's tender yet has a crisp and chewy texture that only fresh meat can produce when cooked, clearly letting you know that you're eating meat.

This bowl serves as both a dish and a soup.

Wang Shuji ate one bite after another with his chopsticks, and then simply picked up a spoon and shoveled meat and mushrooms into his mouth, completely absorbed in the meal.

When people are focused on eating, they eat very quickly.

When Song Miao came out, ready to ask how the food tasted, she found that the soup bowl was already empty.

She was taken aback and quickly asked, "Has Your Excellency finished eating?"

Wang Shuji wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, still savoring the delicious food, and said, "I'm so satisfied, it was really delicious—what kind of mushroom is this, and how was it prepared?"

Song Miao said, "It is a type of fungus called oyster mushroom. If it weren't for the road being blocked in Huazhou, preventing it from being delivered to the capital, we might not have been able to buy it. This was a tribute from Yichuan in the past, and King Tang of Shang bestowed upon it one of the 'Six Flavors of Oyster Mushrooms.' It's delicious no matter how you cook it!"

Wang Shuji was somewhat surprised and asked, "Is this the 'Six Flavors of Peak Fungus' mentioned in the Book of Han?"

Song Miao smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right."

He added, “Oyster mushrooms are slightly warm in nature and can nourish the spleen and stomach and dispel dampness. Eating a little bit every day is good for the spleen and stomach. It’s just a pity that this stuff is rare, otherwise Your Excellency could eat it often, but you should drink less soup.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Does my husband usually eat this fast?"

Before the host could speak, a servant chimed in, "Young lady, that's a good question! My master often eats haphazardly, sometimes not even knowing where his next meal is coming from, and no amount of persuasion can stop him! Now his stomach and spleen are all damaged!" Wang Shuji quickly tried to save face, saying, "Oh dear! You've been nagging Ji'an, haven't I listened to everything? Lately, I've been eating three proper meals a day—in many places, we only get two meals a day. When I was a child, I'd sometimes go hungry for a whole day. It's not like we're so precious!"

The servant didn't openly humiliate his master, but let out a snort to indicate his disagreement. He then turned to Song Miao and said, "Thank you for your help, young lady. My husband has been eating your food these past two days, and he hasn't had any more belching or hiccups at night."

Song Miao then told him some recipes for nourishing the stomach, and said that "food is worse than medicine." She advised Wang Shuji to eat less oily, fried, sweet, and spicy food, and even less food that is hard to digest, and not to drink too much soup.

The servant listened carefully and, after hearing everything, said, "Young lady, please wait a moment. I'll go get some paper and pen. I can't remember so much all at once."

Song Miao then said, "I'll write it down when I have time tonight. I'll think of a few more recipes with readily available ingredients and simple cooking methods, and I'll send them over tomorrow."

Finally, she said to Wang Shuji, "When your spleen and stomach are in bad shape, you have no energy to do anything. And this is something that can only be nourished. Even if you are very busy, you should pay more attention to it. When you are focused on doing something, the things you do are different from the things you do when you are listless, right?"

Hearing such kind words, Wang Shuji smiled and agreed, then thanked him again.

He had no choice but to stay here, but he met the imperial student surnamed Kong last night and took a liking to him. Today, when he met this young lady Song, he felt that they were both compatible and agreeable.

She's a good person, a good cook, and it's rare to find someone with such a good temperament and so considerate.

The dishes for the past two nights were light yet flavorful, and very delicious, perfectly suited to his taste.

If you could eat this every day, it would definitely be good for your stomach! It's much more reliable than memorizing recipes!

A thought occurred to him, but he didn't want to be presumptuous, so he asked, "Young lady, are you from the capital, coming here with the Director of Waterways? What is your family situation, what kind of business do you do? Why have you come to Huazhou?"

There was no point in hiding it, so Song Miao told him about her family situation, concluding, "Now that the capital is severely flooded, it's not easy to set up a stall, so Young Master Han kindly invited me to come..."

Wang Shuji had gone through the recruitment process with others today and knew that most of the arrangements were Song Miao's doing. He couldn't help but sigh, "I thought the Water Conservancy Bureau invited you, but I didn't expect you to be a student too. That student surnamed Han is really lucky. He was lucky to find someone as dedicated as Xiao Kong to help him. After all, they were classmates. How could he find someone as good as you when he invited a cook?"

He added, "With your skills, once you go back and reopen your family's restaurant, it will surely be packed with customers, won't it?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "I've also been thinking about reopening, but my house is located at the end of an alley. Even the best wine needs advertising. I'll save up some money first and set up one or two tables to serve some regular customers. Whether I can actually make it work is still unknown!"

Wang Shuji immediately said, "I'll also extend an invitation; young lady, you may consider it."

“You know I am the deputy commissioner of the Sixth Route Transport Office. My office is always busy with many canal transport matters. It is in charge of the six routes of Jiang, Huai, Liangzhe, and Jinghu. Just like this time in Huazhou, if things don’t go well, we have to dig rivers and open canals. We travel along the river, going south and north. We don’t have to worry about the other laborers, but we do have to provide food for the craftsmen, skilled boatmen, and us officials in charge.”

"Originally, we would travel along the river, arrange for people to arrive at the destination first, and then find cooks to provide meals. This method was certainly convenient for us, but the food was good along the way but bad along the next. The canal transport and river management were hard work, and even the food was not guaranteed, so many people complained."

"I saw your cooking skills today, and I also asked Xiao Kong and the others. I also saw how you arranged all the ladies and aunts in a very organized manner. After the Huazhou River incident is over, would you be interested in trying your hand at cooking at my shipping company?"

Song Miao was quite surprised to receive such an invitation. After a few moments of hesitation, she said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I still have many debts to repay and it's the perfect time for me to make money..."

Wang Shuji laughed and said, "We can make money here too!"

He added, "The Sixth Route Transportation Office can still provide some official funds, and there are also a few of us with official positions who can contribute as well, so the young lady won't suffer any losses—how will the Water Conservancy Bureau calculate the amount for you this time?"

Song Miao poured some tea into an empty teacup, dipped her finger in it, and wrote a number on the table.

Seeing this, Wang Shuji was clearly surprised and said, "When did the Water Conservancy Bureau become so extravagant!"

But he quickly realized what was going on and said, “We can afford it too! If you have any other requests, just say so and I’ll talk to the transport commissioner. But this time I’m the one who invited you. Whether it works out or not will be up to your superiors to decide. You’ll have to try it out a couple of times.”

Song Miao had already sensed the hesitation in his words, smiled, and said, "This time, it was Prefect Cen who personally subsidized me out of his own pocket; it wasn't just the Water Conservancy Bureau that paid for it."

He added, "Thank you for the invitation, sir. Let me think about it some more."

The two men were talking, and across the table, several constables felt like they were being pricked by needles.

It was lunchtime, and there was food in front of them, but no one dared to eat. They didn't dare to leave, and they didn't dare to speak. They just watched Wang Shuji finish his meal. They had never felt so awkward before.

Just as he was worrying, he heard a commotion outside. When he turned around, he saw a constable who had been guarding the gate hiding by the door and giving him a meaningful look.

The man in charge knew things were going badly, so he quickly made an excuse to go to the outhouse, apologizing profusely and saying he would be back soon before rushing out the door.

Not long after this man left, the other constables also hurriedly made excuses to leave.

The group left and never returned.

Wang Shuji was also a little puzzled. He turned to the servant beside him and said, "Go and see what's going on outside."

The servant agreed and hurried outside. Just as he was about to leave the courtyard, he saw someone walking quickly towards him from outside.

This man was very tall and walked very fast, with a faint whistling sound as he moved. When he saw the servant opposite him, he moved slightly to the side, giving up half a body of space.

Just as the servant was about to express his gratitude, he saw the man suddenly stop and look straight at a spot in the backyard—the very spot where his master's dining table was.

But following the man's gaze, what he saw was clearly not a sparse-bearded, balding man, but a kind, smiling young woman.

　Thank you everyone for your monthly tickets, Xiaoxiang tickets, recommendation tickets, and all kinds of tickets.

　　I'll organize the thanks for everyone's recent donations tomorrow when I have some free time. Thank you so much! :)
　　(End of this chapter)