Miao Chu

Chapter 220 Plucking Hair
Upon seeing the visitor, Song Miao quickly stepped forward, smiling as she welcomed him in, saying, "You just returned yesterday and have only had a night's rest—Young Master He, your timing is perfect!"

This person was none other than He Qi, the Imperial Academy student who once cried his eyes out over a meat-filled shumai and then used an excuse to go home to avoid taking the exam.

He kept saying he wanted to come every day, but three months have passed and he hasn't been able to eat there even once.

Upon hearing the word "coincidence," the other party was clearly overjoyed, even the corners of their mouth turned up, and they said, "That's right, it must be coincidence! It shows that I have a great affinity with stall owner Song!"

Song Miao first offered him a seat, noticing that his nose and forehead were covered in sweat. She then looked outside and saw the blazing sun, so intense that the sunlight seemed to bend. She asked, "What would you like to drink, young master? If you'd like something hot, a perilla drink would be perfect for cooling you down in this season. If you'd like something cold, I have some freshly made plum syrup that I haven't had a chance to taste yet—you can also dilute it with warm water, depending on your preference."

"Drink it cold! Drink it cold!" He Qi shouted almost immediately. "I'll drink it hot when I'm old—I hate eating hot food in the middle of the day in summer! It makes my head and face hot!"

With a long face, she said, "It's been so hot lately, my head is about to explode from the heat. When I go home, they all want to teach me about summer health, saying things like using heat to relieve heat! They make a bunch of super-nutritious and hot foods. The chef and the kitchen are fine, but they force me to make medicinal dishes all day long. I feel hot just smelling and being near them, and I have no appetite at all!"

Song Miao couldn't help but chuckle and said, "That's not entirely unreasonable. Although the stomach likes cold, the lungs and internal organs are afraid of cold. If one is cold and weak, eating too much cold food now will probably cause them hardship in the future."

He added, "I've heard people say before that summer is the perfect time to nourish the body and dispel cold..."

"My uncle said I was as strong as an ox, and my grandmother praised me as being as hot as a furnace. If I weren't given some ice to cool me down, I would have burned to a crisp by now!"

As he said this, he seemed to remember something and asked expectantly, "Then the plum syrup must be sweet and sour, right?"

Seeing Song Miao nod, he said happily, "I love sweet and sour drinks the most!"

In a panic, he immediately turned to the door and called out, "Beizhi! Beizhi! Don't rush to tie up the horse! Get me some ice!! Hurry up and bring some back—have a sip yourself before you go back!"

A voice immediately answered from outside the door.

He Qi then said to Song Miao, "Miss Song, after you've finished making the plum drink, wait a bit while I make the ice!"

Song Miao smiled and agreed, then got up and went to the backyard.

As soon as she left, He Qi suddenly stood up and chased after her out the outer gate. He stopped Bei Zhi, who had just mounted her horse and hadn't gone two steps, and asked, "Where are you thinking of getting ice? Get a lot, make some drinks, and let Miss Song keep some for herself. This weather is unbearably hot!"

Bei Zhi hurriedly reined in his horse and turned around, saying, "Young Master, don't worry. I think Qin Fang Garden is the closest, only two streets away. It just so happens that the eldest young master is going to hold a banquet there tonight. The garden must have enough ice, and who knows, there might even be some rare ingredients."

"I'll go in and say a few nice words, that since you want it, young master, you can definitely get something from the kitchen. We've come so many times, but we never expected to be so lucky this time, that we actually bumped into Miss Song. I didn't have time to prepare a gift for you in advance, so I just happened to get it from the garden!"

He Qi was overjoyed and exclaimed, "I knew you were clever!"

He added, "Don't bring those things that can't be kept for long—Miss Song only came back last night. I'll just sit with her for a while and then leave, so we don't run into mealtime and make her cook herself instead of getting a proper rest!"

Finally, he said, "It's hot, hurry back!"

Beizhi readily agreed and rode off on his horse.

After seeing the people off, He Qi returned to his room.

In the backyard, Song Miao didn't fetch the plum juice. After a short while, she brought out the pot, poured a cup for He Qi, and said, "This was originally prepared in advance for Second Mistress—she went out on business. This tea has been sitting in the well for a long time and is quite cold. The ice hasn't arrived yet, so please make do with this to quench your thirst, young master!"

He Qi first took a sip, savored the flavor, and then immediately gulped down the whole cup, exclaiming, "So refreshing—what kind of tea is this? Though not frivolous, it's quite deep and clear! Perfect for summer!"

"It's hawthorn leaf tea that I brought back from Huazhou," Song Miao said with a smile. "Although it's a common plant, it's very effective, especially for quenching thirst and promoting salivation."

He added, "If you like the taste, may I bring you a packet back?"

He Qi immediately agreed, then asked how to brew the tea. He memorized Song Miao's instructions, repeated them, and finally smiled and said, "I'll go back and teach them!"

He then asked Song Miao if her trip to Huazhou went smoothly and when she planned to resume her stall.

Song Miao answered them one by one, and finally said, "I just got back and I still have some things to do. I'm thinking of taking a break and resting for a while, and then I'll think about trying some new food—maybe in a few days, but I'm not sure yet."

"If you have some free time these days, and if you want to avoid the heat, you are welcome to come over for a casual meal. I've mentioned it many times before, but we haven't had a proper meal together yet."

He Qi, who was standing nearby, was startled when he heard the word "change" and asked, "What do you want to change? Why do you want to change it out of the blue?"

“I was just thinking of changing the shumai,” Song Miao said. “In the sweltering heat of summer, eating meat shumai is a bit too much, and bamboo shoots are long past their season. Without them, the vegetarian shumai just doesn’t have the same freshness—what do you think, young master?”

"Is the sticky rice okay?"

"Sticky rice is great, it's suitable to eat all year round."

He Qi breathed a sigh of relief, pondered for a moment, and said seriously, "I just thought about all the dishes I've eaten recently. Because of the hot weather, I really don't have much of an appetite. It's good to replace the shumai. After the hot summer is over, I'll bring these dishes back. I love Song Xiao Niangzi's mutton shumai and bamboo shoot vegetarian shumai so much in the cold weather!"

Then they asked what new food items they planned to introduce.

"I'm still thinking that the weather is too hot, and some of them might go bad if left out, which would be a problem if people get sick."

For example, the dried tofu in vegetarian shumai is very easy to spoil in the summer. Because it is made from soybeans, it is not good to leave it in the open when the weather is hot, and it is even worse to put it in a pot. If you can't keep the pot boiling, it will turn sour in less than two hours if you cover it. It is also not good to simmer it in dried lotus leaves for too long.

"The common, easy-to-make, and easy-to-sell foods are all sold in the food alley. I'm just afraid that the new ones I have here may not be as popular as the original ones—it's best if you don't think too much about it, lest you be disappointed in the future."

Upon hearing this, He Qi immediately shook his head vigorously and said, "How could Miss Song talk such nonsense! I have never tasted any food that I didn't like!"

He added, "Actually, you can make steamed buns, like sauerkraut and pork steamed buns. I see that many students love to eat them!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Someone has already made them. The stall owner's mutton buns taste pretty good."

"With your skills, even if a hundred or so people worked together, they still couldn't compare! What are you afraid of!"

“Everyone has their own skills, so it’s best to keep to ourselves and make money together.” Song Miao smiled. “I just want to thank Young Master He for his favor.”

He Qi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's right, I was wrong."

As the two were talking, Liang Yan came out from behind carrying fresh seasonal fruits and snacks.

Song Miao stepped forward to take it and placed it on the table.

He Qi hurriedly stood up as well, saying, "I didn't have time to ask earlier—but I didn't know this person..." "He is Liang's younger brother whom I knew before. We happened to meet again in Huazhou. This time he came to the capital to study martial arts at a martial arts school."

After a few words, Song Miao introduced He Qi to Liang Yan.

Liang Yan immediately stepped forward and bowed.

He Qi quickly helped the person up, then reached around his waist and rummaged around for a while before finally untying the sachet he was wearing and handing it to him, saying, "This is the first time I've seen this. There's nothing else inside, just two small ingots..."

Liang Yan dared not accept it, he was so frightened that he hurriedly dodged and looked anxiously at Song Miao.

Song Miao had handled Zhu Jie'er's sachets before, and when she saw He Qi's sachet again, she knew that although the design and size were slightly different, the embroidery was excellent, and there were gold or silver ingots inside, so its value was even higher.

Liang Yan was terrified of owing favors and not being able to repay them. Although she knew that He Qi meant well and was only giving without expecting anything in return, she still didn't want to burden him too much. So she smiled and stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Young master, please don't make things difficult for him. His family isn't around, and he's well-mannered, so he wouldn't dare accept it."

He added, "Xiao Yan is still searching for a martial arts school and a martial arts master. If you find a suitable one, please keep an eye out for him and tell us his name. That would be a great help!"

He Qi had genuinely intended to give a gift, but upon hearing Song Miao's words and seeing Liang Yan's flustered appearance, he realized he had made a mistake.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally took the sachet back and said, "Alright, but I wonder what kind of martial arts you want to learn?"

He then introduced the various masters he knew, such as the stick and staff master, the sword master, the boxing master, the horse and archery master, and so on.

Song Miao listened to Liang Yan's explanation for a while, thinking it was just to broaden her horizons. Liang Yan, however, was filled with longing and finally sighed, "They are all masters; I'm afraid I won't be able to become their disciple."

"You can choose whichever one you like. While I can't guarantee you'll get accepted, I can still give you a recommendation," He Qi said.

Liang Yan quickly waved his hand, about to refuse, but Song Miao gently patted his back and then smiled and said, "I don't know what the situation is yet. Once we've settled down, if needed, I'll bring people to find you, young master."

Then Liang Yan was asked to add tea for He Qi.

As they were talking, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside; it was Beizhi returning.

He excitedly called out from outside, then came in carrying a large basket on his back, a large bundle on his shoulder, and a cage in his hand. As soon as he entered, he said, "Let the young master and Miss Song see what good things I've snatched!"

First, the cage was placed on the ground, and as soon as it touched the ground, it started clucking. When the cover was lifted, a chicken's head popped out.

The rooster's head was steady, its feathers were like silk, and as soon as it poked its head out, it looked left and right, full of energy.

Song Miao recognized it immediately and exclaimed, "What a spirited black-boned chicken!"

Bei Zhi immediately said, "My lady has good insight! It was just sent from Lueyang. I asked the kitchen to pick the fiercest one—I figured the fiercer the chicken, the more it would run around, the tastier the meat would be!"

As he spoke, he unloaded the bundle and basket from his back.

The basket contained a whole square block of ice, wrapped in layers of straw, cloth, and oil paper. As soon as you got close, a chill would hit you – it was also equipped with ice picks and ice chisels.

The contents of the bundle were far more complicated. First, there was a thick layer of moss, and when it was opened, a complex smell wafted out.

The smell should be pleasant, but it's too mixed and strong, making it impossible to distinguish the aromas at first glance, and only causing dizziness.

Beizhi was about to speak when she smelled the odor, looked down, and her face changed. She exclaimed, "How can there be so much grass!"

He Qi stepped forward and examined it, saying, "It looks like it's for adding fragrance. This looks like coriander, but it doesn't seem to be coriander."

Beizhi quickly realized what was happening, turned the bundle over to look at the pattern on the cloth, and exclaimed, "Oh dear! Because I didn't want to handle it myself, I had someone hang it on my shoulder—I actually took the wrong one!"

He hurriedly apologized to He Qi, saying, "It was originally a lot of dried mushrooms. I heard that Shan Chan had just sent them. There was a big basket of fresh ones and a big basket of dried ones. I even took some dried ones. Who would have thought... I was careless!"

Then he asked, "Why don't I go back and get it again?"

He Qi shook his head and said, "What my elder brother has, we must have more at home. We'll bring some more for Miss Song next time we come."

Then he said to Song Miao, "I have something to do. I'll go back after I finish my plum juice. I'll come back another day!"

Reminded by Song Miaode's words, he quickly turned to look at the water clock in the corner and said, "I was just about to ask—did you finish school early, young master, and rush home?"

He added, “It’s almost noon. Even if you’re in a hurry, you should eat, right? Although it’s hot and I don’t have much of an appetite, since you’ve come all this way, and my house is a restaurant, I really don’t want you to leave on an empty stomach. What would you like to eat, Young Master He? I’ll make something quick and easy, it’ll be ready in no time!”

He Qi stammered and thought of a reason for a while. Just as he was about to find an excuse from the school, he heard a voice outside. A moment later, two people came in, wiping the sweat from their heads and faces.

—But it was Cheng Erniang and Cheng Zijian.

The two were taken aback when they entered and saw how lively it was inside.

When Song Miao saw that Cheng Zijian was coming over in the midday sun, she knew he must have something to say. However, since He Qi was there, she couldn't ask first. So she greeted him and asked, "Young Master Cheng, what's the latest you'll be going back?"

Cheng Zijian glanced at the water clock and gave a time.

Song Miao then said, "I've been so hot these past two days that I haven't had much of an appetite and haven't eaten much. I was just about to start cooking—let's have a meal together before you go."

Cheng Zijian turned his head and glanced at Cheng Erniang first. After receiving her nod, he immediately nodded vigorously.

Song Miao then went to ask He Qi.

Seeing that Song Miao was going to do it anyway, He Qi couldn't help but think: Doing it alone is the same as doing it with two or three people. Alas, God didn't let me be a compassionate person! Who told me to have such a greedy mouth!

He sighed and said, "I'll go with Brother Cheng too!"

He added, "There's a chicken here—kill it! I learned how to pluck feathers from chickens and ducks when I went back to my hometown last time, so I'll do it!"

　Many thanks to Scorpio Palace for the two sachets. And to the nitpickers who sent the extra-large sachet. And to Qingmeishou and McDull Loves Little Du for the sachet each. They smell so good, is it the scent of osmanthus?
　　Thank you to Zhenzi and Book Friend 20210301105364913388 for sending me two peace charms each, and to Book Friend 20251003145054246 for sending me one peace charm :)

　　Thank you everyone, and thank you to all the foodies for your votes! =3=
　　(End of this chapter)