Miao Chu

Chapter 205 Bee
The small fish were fried in batches. Once you've done it once, you can leave it to two helpers to watch the pot. Song Miao only needs to check the heat from time to time.

Whenever she had free time, she would take care of another dish.

There were two large mandarin fish weighing around four pounds each. Zhang Si Niang said they had few bones and tender meat, so Song Miao originally planned to steam them. But when she saw the size of the fish and weighed them in her hand, she felt something was wrong—they shouldn't be this heavy for their size. Upon closer inspection, she found that the fish's belly was indeed extremely large.

Song Miao had been looking forward to seeing fish milt inside, but when she cut open the fish's belly, she found it was full of intestines and liver, thick chunks of fat. The fish's belly was even thicker than that of a regular whitefish, especially the tip of the belly, which was so fat and thick that it looked like a piece of oil, almost transparent – ​​clearly a lazy fish that didn't like to swim, was fat and bloated, and never lacked food or drink.

She dared not steam such a fat fish. After thinking for a while, she asked Zhang Si Niang again and learned that the fish was tender but not sweet enough. She took stock of the ingredients she had and decided to change the way she cooked it.

It was still steamed, but with a different flavoring added.

She took out the fermented black beans, crushed them with the back of a knife, soaked them in water for a while, drained them, and then slowly stir-fried them in a hot pan with cold oil over low heat until they were fragrant. Then she added minced garlic, crushed dogwood, and mustard seeds, stir-frying until they had that spicy and pungent aroma. Finally, she added soy sauce and a very small amount of sugar.

The fermented black beans are from Liuxian County, Tanzhou. They are dark, shiny, and soft. Compared to other fermented black beans, they have a milder saltiness and highlight the umami flavor of the beans after fermentation. They also have a faint sweet aroma. The soy sauce used is fresh soy sauce, which is less aged and has a lighter saltiness and umami flavor.

After stir-frying, the fresh soy sauce evaporates its moisture and is infused with the aroma of fermented black beans, making it even richer and more fragrant. The saltiness, umami, and spiciness of all the seasonings are brought out more clearly.

Clean the gills, scales, and internal organs. Cut the whitefish in half horizontally, split the spine, but leave a section of skin and flesh connected. Finely slice ginger and place it at the bottom of the plate. Open the fish in the middle, coat it with salt to let it absorb the base flavor, and then lay it flat on thick slices of ginger with the belly cavity facing down.

A thick layer of ginger at the bottom serves two purposes: firstly, it removes the fishy smell, and secondly, it slightly lifts the fish so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the plate. This also allows the steam to penetrate the bottom evenly during steaming, ensuring the fish cooks more evenly.

Because the fish had been thoroughly salted and its belly was extremely thick, almost the same size as the meat on its back, Song Miao didn't need to worry about different cooking times. She simply laid out plenty of ginger slices and steamed it.

Even if a four-pound fish has been cut open, it still needs to be steamed for a full fifteen minutes.

Once the fish is steamed, remove the ginger slices, pour out the steaming water, cover the fish from head to tail with the previously prepared fermented black beans and evodia, add chopped green onions, and pour hot oil that is smoking loudly over it. With a "whoosh," the aroma of green onions, fish, fermented black beans, and evodia fills the entire kitchen.

Meanwhile, all the pots of crispy fried small white fish had been fried.

While he was mixing the seasonings, Dabing, having received instructions from Song Miao, hurriedly ran out to announce that it was time to eat.

Like a little bee, he buzzed from house to house in the backyard, calling out here and there. At each place, he would only say "Dinner's ready!" before even finishing the last word, and he would open the door, luring the people inside out by their hungry mouths.

Upon hearing the voice and seeing the person, the crowd responded while hurriedly locking the door, and also busy thanking them or asking questions.

The man asked, "Our pancakes, with so much fish tonight, how did Miss Song prepare it?"

The one asked, "What are we having for dinner tonight? We really enjoyed the cold porridge yesterday. Little Pancake, could you ask Miss Song if she can make porridge tomorrow too?"

Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "Porridge is fine too, but it would be even better if you could bring some flatbread with it. The three-layered flatbread and pancakes from last time were absolutely delicious. Could you ask Miss Song when she'll be making them again? So I can be prepared and come back early. I absolutely can't let them delay me!"

Another person said, "Is there any fish broth left over tonight that I can use to make rice porridge? I'm not good at eating fish; I always get a bone stuck in my neck..."

Every time Dabing opened a door, two more mouths would come to ask questions.

He was in a hurry to answer, and in a hurry to knock on the door of the next room. He had never practiced speaking, so he just mumbled incoherently, as if he wished he had ten more mouths. He said "Yes, yes!" here and "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid!" there, answering in a jumbled mess. He thought he had covered everything, but in fact, no one knew which sentence was in response to him.

However, the people were just asking questions to get the gist of it. Once the door was locked, they saw the big pancake jumping around, which amused everyone, but they didn't stop and hurried forward.

Sure enough, as soon as we sat down, dishes were served one after another.

Besides the two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes prepared by Chef Zhang, there was also a bowl of pickled vegetables and a basin of fried small fish on each of the two large tables. Finally, Song Miao and Zhang Si Niang each carried a tray and served a large steamed fish.

When the people sitting at the serving table saw Song Miao and her companion bringing over the dishes, they quickly made way for them, then urging them and Dabing to come and eat together.

Song Miao only said that she had left some food in the kitchen as usual. Just as she was about to leave, she heard Lu Wenming's voice. She turned around and saw that, sure enough, Old Lu was in the corner, trying to persuade the two people, one big and one small.

“Sir, please have a meal before you leave. Since you’re already here, Leader Han won’t be too late today. He might arrive right after you leave.”

"No need at all. It's my fault for not giving you a heads-up beforehand. I was just passing by today, and since the kids are here too, I figured we could get to know each other, exchange visiting cards, and then schedule another day!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Wenming was quite embarrassed and quickly said, "You're not afraid for yourself, but are you going to let the children go back hungry? We brought back a lot of fish today. The locals said they came from the old irrigation canal, and the big ones can be three to five feet long. They're plump and tender. Miss Song cooked them herself. It's rare for you to encounter such a coincidence..."

The man quickly waved his hand and pulled the child to leave.

Song Miao recognized his voice and decided not to rush back to the kitchen. After a while, she saw Zhang Fu turn around and walk out.

Many things in the kitchen were purchased with the help of the Zhang family, and even the warehouse was guarded by Zhang family employees. Zhang Fu also frequently led people to the river, contributing manpower, labor, and money. Song Miao had a lot of contact with him and was quite familiar with him.

The two met face to face, recognized each other, and greeted one another.

Song Miao knew the inside story, so she asked, "Did Master Zhang bring his child to find Young Master Han?"

Zhang Fu nodded and said, "I came in a hurry today. I only entered the city through the North Gate this afternoon. My luggage is still in the carriage outside. I was just passing by and thought I would bring Zhang Yong in to take a look. Zhang Yong, come and see Miss Song."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yong immediately stepped forward and solemnly bowed to Song Miao, his movements displaying great order and discipline.

Zhang Fu added, "He will be going to the capital in a month. I don't know if he will be traveling with you, Madam. If he is, that would be best. Even if he is not, we will still have to see each other when we arrive in the capital. My son is young and inexperienced, and lacks experience. I would appreciate it if you, Madam Song, could take a look and give me some pointers if you see him in a bad light!"

Song Miao didn't refuse and readily agreed.

Seeing the earnestness of the person opposite her for the future of the younger generation, Song Miao thought of Xiang Yuan and Liang Yan and couldn't help but sigh. Seeing Lu Wenming's anxious appearance, she knew that he was not good with words, so she simply spoke up to persuade him: "If Master Zhang wants to find Young Master Han, he might as well wait a little longer. Starting tomorrow, Wu Gong will need to see him about the irrigation canal for several days in a row, so he may not be able to return early."

"Given Han's usual way of doing things, once he meets Zhang Yong, he might give him a test in advance to probe his abilities. If we miss tonight, who knows when it will be delayed—it would be good to get some feedback sooner, as Han is very good at teaching people."

She then told the story of a student she knew who, with the guidance of Han Li, his own hard work, and the help of other teachers, was promoted from the outer dormitory to the inner dormitory in his final year, and how his writing improved.

This example made it seem as if a layer of paste had suddenly seeped out from the sole of the attached shoe, sticking firmly to the ground, making it impossible to take another step. He couldn't help but say, "That's right, Mr. Tingqing is famous throughout the world for his knowledge of the classics, but Young Master Han is also widely known for his literary talent. I usually see him doing a lot of work and just think he's capable. I was so foolish that I forgot he also has a talent for writing!"

Zhang Fu had gone to great lengths to send his younger brother to the capital so that he could study and pursue knowledge. Now that he had the desire to seek guidance from Han Li, he readily agreed without any further persuasion, looking quite embarrassed as he said, "In that case, my son and I will trouble you!"

As soon as he sat down at the table, there was no need for introductions; everyone recognized him and greeted him.

Thinking of the money, effort, and help the Zhang family had given, some students were already drooling as they brought a bowl of crispy fried fish from the table to Zhang Yong, saying, "This smells so good, the kids will definitely love it!"

As he spoke, he casually picked up two more pieces and put them into his own bowl.

Someone else, suppressing their heartache, moved the large plate of steamed mandarin fish with fermented black beans and dogwood to Zhang Fu's side, saying, "Master Zhang, please eat this. The fish steamed by Miss Song is absolutely delicious!"

Zhang Fu thanked him and generously put a piece of rice into Zhang Yong's bowl. He exchanged a few pleasantries with everyone, told the child to eat slowly, and then quietly got up to go find the courier to buy two jars of good wine.

After the adults left, only a ten-year-old child was left at the table.

The table was full of students. Seeing that Zhang Yong wasn't touching his chopsticks and was just sitting upright, they all took care of him, saying, "Eat up, what are you afraid of! There's a big bowl of food here!"

"It smells delicious! It's just been fried. Miss Song said it won't be as crispy when it gets cold!"

"Are you afraid of bones?" Someone picked up another fish from the bowl and ate it to show him. "Just don't eat the small fish head and the big bone in the middle. I have good teeth, and I can chew the big bone!"

The moment the person moved their chopsticks and started chewing, someone with sharp eyes immediately noticed something was wrong.

"Hey, we agreed on a per capita distribution, why are you stealing from the public school???"

"Master Zhang is here. Are we still dividing it by headcount? Didn't Lin Er steal two pieces just now too?"

"You know what you're doing is stealing?"

"Pah! I misspoke, it's 'take'! It's 'take'!"

Lin Er immediately clarified, "I already told Brother Feng to remove those two of my statements!"

"Then mine...mine too...sigh! The one I just ate was a small fish, I used it as an example to show this kid! Isn't deducting one a bit too much? Two of them are only as big as the one next to it!"

"You're the only one who can give examples, why can't I?"

A group of people were fighting over the fish, and Zhang Yong didn't dare to look up too much, so he could only stare at his own bowl.

As he stared at it, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

A fish, fresh out of the fryer, was two fingers wide and three inches long. Though its size was rather delicate, its aroma was so bold and unrestrained, carrying the fragrance of meat and the scorched smell of fish, along with the warm and spicy scent of Sichuan peppercorns, which kept wafting towards his face, making him feel all warm and cozy.

The fish was clearly fried to a crisp over a high flame, its skin still slowly oozing tiny oil bubbles and making a very faint sound. Its entire body was covered in mottled tiger stripes, with light yellow, golden yellow, and charred yellow hues intermingling. Only in the very center of the fish's belly remained a small patch of barely clinging white, which was fried until it was bumpy and had a crispy crust.

Although it wasn't coated with batter, under high heat, there were already a few spots where the fish skin had separated from the flesh. The skin was extremely light and thin, almost translucent, revealing the delicate white flesh underneath. The raised edges were actually thicker, bubbling and glistening with oil. You could imagine how crispy, crunchy, and fragrant it was just by looking at it, without even tasting it.

What child doesn't like fried food?

Zhang Yong was extremely restless, as if a thousand fish bones were sticking out of his buttocks.

Zhang Fu finally returned, bringing a courier and several jars of wine. After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, he went back to his seat and noticed that the fish in his nephew's bowl was untouched. He sighed inwardly, quickly put a few more pieces of food on his nephew's plate, and said, "Eat quickly, don't go hungry!"

Only then did Zhang Yong dare to make a move, and hurriedly put the fish into his mouth.

He took the initiative and tentatively bit into the fish's back.

The first thing you taste is naturally the seasoning.

The Sichuan peppercorns are freshly roasted and ground, making them exceptionally fragrant and numbing, full of a distinct roasted aroma. Mixed with fine salt, they are evenly and lightly coated. If five parts is just right, then this seasoning is six parts. Master Song goes even further, leaving one's mouth feeling warm, numbing, and salty.

But before your mouth can fully react, the aroma of fish from below bursts out.

Frying fish in lard or other animal fats naturally makes it even more fragrant.

The fish skin was fried until extremely dry and fragrant, and the fish meat was also fried thoroughly. Even the bones, big and small, were fried until crispy, so you could just chew them and swallow them.

The tail section, including the bones, is charred and fragrant, but further in, the layer of flesh along the spine stubbornly retains its delicate tenderness, carrying the unique sweetness of freshwater fish, constantly tantalizing your tongue—"Ahhh, I'm a fish! I'm a fish!"

　The structure of this chapter actually needs some revision; part of it should be from the next chapter, but I'm too tired to write tonight and I don't have time to eat… I'll see how to rearrange it in tomorrow's update. I'm sorry I've been so busy lately and the updates have been so disorganized, affecting everyone's reading experience. I'll try my best to get it right tomorrow QAQ
　　(End of this chapter)