Miao Chu

Chapter 222 Salute
Song Miao turned to look at Liang Yan.

The latter looked up, waiting nervously for her to speak.

"Let's ask Aunt Zhu to go over and ask the Zhu family what they think. If it's alright, then we can come back and pack our bags?"

Liang Yan visibly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded hurriedly.

Song Miao thought for a moment and then said, "We're going to visit them, so it's not good to come empty-handed. Buy some fresh fruits and local specialties on the way. If you see anything suitable, buy some trinkets for the children you haven't met yet—do you have enough money on you?"

“That’s enough!” Liang Yan hurriedly said, “I haven’t spent a single penny of the self-defense money Uncle Sheng gave me!”

Things should be done sooner rather than later. It was still noon, and because the sun was too strong, Song Miao decided to wait until after 1-3 PM, when the sun was less intense, before going out. She would then hire a mule cart to go directly to Sun Lizheng's house to find Zhu Shi and go to Zhu's house together.

The matter was settled. Everyone else was fine, but Xiaolian was extremely disappointed to learn that her companion was leaving so soon. She wanted to say something about how reluctant she was to part with him, but she saw that Liang Yan was restless. He had even washed his hair and changed into a new set of clothes. Not only that, he seemed to be in a daze.

When she was in Fuzhou, her old house was occupied, and she had lived under someone else's roof. She understood the tension in the situation and offered a few words of comfort. However, since it was just childish talk, it didn't have much effect. So she secretly came to find Song Miao.

Seeing that it was still early, Song Miao knew that saying anything now would be pointless. After a moment's thought, she called Liang Yan over and said to him, "This is my first time visiting. Although I'm here to buy something, it's better to express my feelings by making something myself. Also, I need to visit an old gentleman, and my gift isn't enough. I'll make you some batter, and we can make some egg rolls ourselves. You can deliver one and make one for me, how about that?"

Liang Yan quickly agreed.

Then Song Miao called Xiao Lian over and asked her to help Liang Yan.

Egg rolls are extremely simple to make. As long as the batter is prepared well, even if the heat is slightly off, the taste won't be too bad.

She stir-fried the flour until cooked, then mixed it with eggs, lard, milk, maltose, and other ingredients to make two pastes.

One was for Master Chen, because he had bad teeth, so the egg rolls had to be extra crispy and crumbly. Therefore, more mung bean flour was added, and only egg whites were used, without egg yolks. The other was for the Zhu family, so the batter had to be even crispier and more fragrant. Therefore, not only were there more egg yolks, but also more black sesame seeds were added.

Once the egg batter is mixed and the griddle is heated, there's no need to brush on any oil—the batter already contains lard, adding more oil would just make it greasy.

She scooped a spoonful of batter onto the griddle, scraped it with a small wooden scraper, and spread it into a thin circle. She then covered it with a hot griddle filled with charcoal, pressed it down, waited a few moments, opened the lid, and saw that the batter had changed color slightly. She quickly rolled it up with chopsticks into a cylindrical shape and put it into a bowl. That was one of her creations.

When making egg rolls, a low flame is used. Even so, with enough eggs, enough lard, and freshly ground, sifted, and cooked flour, the aroma gradually wafts out from the griddle and the egg rolls as the batter slowly takes shape.

With fire and heat, the aroma naturally spreads faster.

Before I knew it, the whole house was filled with a warm and sweet aroma of eggs, lard, and wheat.

No child in the world can resist such a fragrance.

Let alone a child, even an adult like Song Miao couldn't refuse.

Having tasted it herself, the aroma made it easier to imagine the texture and flavor. As she rolled it up in her hands, her mouth watered uncontrollably.

As for Xiaolian and Liang Yan, they both swallowed hard, especially the latter, whose head and neck were larger, so the sound of him swallowing was louder.

Song Miao made several in one go, and after they cooled down a bit, she gave one to each person.

Egg rolls are soft when they are hot, but they naturally harden when they cool down a bit.

The first batch was made for the Zhu family. It didn't contain mung bean flour, but instead used vegetable oil, which made it crispier.

Song Miao liked it when it was just hardened and still a little warm, as it was more flavorful at that moment. Sure enough, with one bite, the egg roll, which was twice as heavy, broke apart in her mouth, filling it with the aroma of eggs and sesame seeds, as well as a slightly charred fragrance, making the flavor even richer.

This serving has a higher proportion of eggs, especially more egg yolks. The egg aroma is extremely rich. After finishing one, the eggy and milky fragrance and caramel sweetness in your mouth and at the back of your tongue keep swirling around and around, so enticing that it seems to be constantly urging you to eat another one.

Liang Yan was rather reserved and dared not raise his head. Xiao Lian, on the other hand, had been resting overnight after Song Miao's return. She had developed a little courage in speaking and acting in front of her. At this moment, she kept staring at the remaining egg rolls on the plate. Although her eyes were small, the emotions in them were very obvious. It was as if she had changed her surname and was now called Sima Lian.

Song Miao smiled and gave each of them another one. She then called Cheng Erniang over from behind, handed her one first, taught her how to roll it and how to watch the fire, and asked her to supervise the process.

After all, the griddle was hot, and she was worried that the child would hurt her hand or that the child would eat too much and hurt her stomach. With the little girl's bright little eyes staring at her, she really couldn't say no, so she had to ask her mother to do it.

When Song Miao finished packing and came out, there were two griddles and three people, and they had already made a large basket of egg rolls.

Song Miao made some more, kept some for herself, and packed several other portions, carefully wrapping them in food boxes or oil paper and carrying them away.

After the arrangements were made, and seeing that it was almost time, she led Liang Yan out. Since she needed to pick up Aunt Zhu and had a child with her, and the place was a bit far, she simply went to the main road and hailed a mule cart. She negotiated a price with the driver and booked it for half a day.

When they arrived at the Zhu family's house, they knocked on the door, and Madam Zhu came out to answer.

Since Song Miao came to this place, she has received much care from Village Chief Sun and the Zhu couple. The two sides have frequent exchanges and are very close. Now that they have been separated for two months, she is naturally happy. After a long time of reunion, she hurriedly presented the gifts she had brought.

Aside from the local specialties from Huazhou, she specifically mentioned the egg rolls, saying, "Xiao Yan made them herself."

Then he introduced Liang Yan to Madam Zhu.

When Xiang Yuan arrived in the capital that day, Master Zhu hosted a banquet, and it was Zhu who introduced him. Naturally, Master Zhu knew a little about the inside story, so he didn't ask any more questions. He thanked him and praised him, saying, "He looks like an honest boy!"

She accepted the gift, gave some instructions to her family, and then got into the car with them.

On the bus, they inevitably shared their recent news.

"Everything else is fine, except for the gambling den case, which has been decided." Madam Zhu sighed. "I was worried that if my second son went to jail, it would tarnish the family's reputation. Both of our families have children, and when they are asked to marry, people will inevitably point fingers. I was also worried that the two elders wouldn't be able to handle it. Now, the result is in. He was sentenced to a hundred lashes and two years in prison."

"That beast cried and begged for forgiveness, saying he would definitely change his ways once he got out, and that he was sorry to my younger brother and sister-in-law, and sorry to my family—alas, what's the use of saying all this now!"

At this point, seeing that Liang Yan was still standing beside her, and fearing that it might offend the child's ears, she quickly changed the subject, saying, "Let's not talk about this, it's just adding to the trouble!"

She added, "Since you've been gone for two months, people know that our two families are close, and they keep coming to ask about us. Last time, someone even wanted to make some paper cakes for my family and came to my door several times to ask!"

"And then there's my dad. In the past, whenever we asked him what he wanted to eat on special occasions, he would say he wanted scallion pancakes. But now he's changed his mind and says he wants your shrimp dumplings and chicken feet! He certainly knows how to eat, but it's a pity you're not coming back all the time. He can't eat them, and his mouth is watering. He's been grumbling about them every day!"

Then I asked, "When will your shrimp dumplings be available for sale? Can I buy some?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "This stuff needs to be made and eaten fresh. If you leave it for a while, the flavor will completely change, and it won't taste like the same thing at all. Besides, it's not bamboo shoot season now, so it's less sweet. If you really want to eat it, wait until the new water chestnuts come out in the fall, and I'll use water chestnuts as a substitute. Although they're not as good as bamboo shoots, they'll be passable."

Zhu sighed with regret, saying, "I had hoped to benefit from this, but it turns out that the better the product, the rarer it is, and everything has to be perfect—no wonder what you made is completely different from what I made!" Then she asked about the affairs of Huazhou.

Song Miao did not mention the river or any other experiences, but only talked about the culture and customs of Huazhou, as well as its local food and specialties.

She told captivating stories, vivid descriptions of scenery, and humorous conversations about people. When she talked about food, she mentioned that she had actually found such a rare delicacy as oyster mushrooms there, which made an exceptionally sweet and delicious soup. She also mentioned the black and red shrimp from Huazhou, with their large heads and plump roe, which were used to make a wonderfully delicious dish of boiled shrimp.

Inside the carriage, Zhu and Liang Yan, one big and one small, initially listened with great interest, but by the end, they were both drooling with anticipation.

Zhu grabbed Song Miao's sleeve and said, "When will your restaurant open? I don't live far away. Once it opens, I won't have to worry about what to eat every day. I can just eat at your place!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "It's hard to say. I also want to open sooner, but I still have debts to pay off. I'll wait until they're paid off before I start. It's not good for my creditors to take care of me and make things convenient for me while I only think about myself."

As they spoke, the mule cart slowed down and then stopped. The driver outside knocked on the carriage door and said that they had arrived at their destination.

The three got off the bus one after the other.

The coachman was very attentive, helping everyone unload their belongings from the cart. Just as he was about to tie up the mule and stop the cart, he suddenly called out to Song Miao, looking scratching his head, and asked, "Young lady, when will your eatery open? What will you sell? Will the prices be high? Will it be suitable for us laborers who work all day?"

She then asked, "The hawthorn leaf tea you mentioned earlier, does it use any kind of hawthorn leaf? As long as it's dried?"

Smiling, Song Miao answered the driver's question, then carried the basket and gift box on her back, and followed Zhu Shi into the house with Liang Yan.

The Zhu family lived in a remote area, but the place was very large. The front was a slaughterhouse, and the back was their own residence.

The group entered from the back and walked for a while. When they saw the front hall not far away, Song Miao gave Liang Yan a large food box and told him to hold it with both hands. She then took the original small and light food box from him herself.

Liang Yan was a thoughtful person and immediately understood the good intentions. He thought to himself: Sister Song treats me so well. If I don't behave well enough, Uncle Zhu won't accept it. Wouldn't that disappoint her?
Thinking of this, he followed closely behind Song Miao, even counting his breaths and keeping them light, not daring to raise his head too much, for fear of appearing frivolous and restless and not likable.

Before long, Zhu the butcher, having received the news, hurried out.

Upon seeing Song Miao, he exclaimed "Oh my!" in a booming voice, "Young lady Song is finally back! My shrimp dumplings and chicken feet are sorted out now, aren't they?!"

Song Miao greeted him with a smile and replied, "If Uncle Zhu wants to eat, just call me. The shrimp dumplings are a bit troublesome as they need to be made fresh, but the chicken feet are fine."

After exchanging a few words, Butcher Zhu pointed to Aunt Zhu behind him and said, "Auntie said earlier that the young lady wanted to see me, but I don't know what help I can offer?"

Song Miao carefully took out the letter from the Xiang family steward and handed it over.

The document contained several pages of paper. Zhu the butcher, who was not very literate, only glanced at it before sending someone to fetch the accountant.

Just then, the accountant arrived and was about to read the letter aloud in front of everyone. Seeing this, Song Miao gently tugged at Zhu's hand, and the latter immediately reacted and said, "Father, let's talk in the room."

Also known as Song Miao.

Song Miao nodded reassuringly to Liang Yan at the table before following him inside.

In the side hall, the accountant had already begun reading the letter.

In his letter, Uncle Sheng only briefly mentioned Xiang Yuan's matter, and said that he wanted to use the deposit money hanging at the Zhu family to pay for Liang Yan's meals. He also said that Liang Yan was an honest and kind man, and he only hoped that Master Zhu would take good care of him.

Upon hearing the news, Butcher Zhu sighed and said, "Xiang Yuan... alas, he was always very bold in his actions, who knew that in the end it would be this boldness that caused his downfall!"

He added, "Don't worry, young lady, the money is still in the account. I, Old Zhu, am not so greedy as to covet such money! My house is big; it's just a matter of moving a bed and adding a set of chopsticks. I agree!"

Song Miao quickly thanked him, and as soon as the accountant left, she hurriedly told him the cause of Xiang Yuan's death and the cause of her father's death that Liang Yan had mentioned.

The father and daughter inside the house were stunned.

Butcher Zhu sighed repeatedly, saying, "Why bother! Alas! Why bother!"

He added, “Recently, there have been many abducted people being sent home by the government, causing quite a stir in the city. This morning I heard someone say that a major abductor from another prefecture was caught during the last Lantern Festival. Who would have thought—I’ve seen Lü Mao twice! Who would have guessed it was him! Xiang Yuan, sigh! How could he do such a thing!”

Song Miao said, "After all, it's a major human trafficking case, involving too many people and a wide range of connections. Although the dead should be respected, the government won't hide the fact that Master Xiang acted that way. I'm afraid the news will reach the capital soon. Since he's staying there for a long time, I'm afraid that Xiao Yan has already fallen into trouble because of him, and will be dragged down by him in the end."

Butcher Zhu said, "Such a good child, and with such a righteous father, how can we let him be implicated by such sordid matters!"

After the three discussed it, someone soon summoned Aunt Zhu's mother, Zhou, the wife of Butcher Zhu.

Zhou, who had always been in charge of the accounts, was very decisive in his words and deeds. After listening to the whole story, he glanced at Butcher Zhu and made a decision: "What bad luck! Don't mention that damned Xiang family! I'll handle it!"

***
Inside the hall, Liang Yan sat stiffly, his hands on his knees, his back tense. The tea in front of him had gone cold, and the fruit and snacks remained untouched.

After hearing footsteps outside, several people soon came in.

He quickly stood up, and only after seeing who it was and noticing that Song Miao was among them did he feel relieved.

Song Miao stepped forward first, introduced Liang Yan to the Zhu couple, and then gestured to Liang Yan, saying, "Little Yan, come and meet your Uncle Zhu and Aunt Zhou."

Following Song Miao's introduction, Liang Yan bowed and was about to call out to someone.

Zhou stopped him and said, "Although your Uncle Zhu and I are businessmen, we only earn what we should earn. I will not accept the deposit from the Xiang family and will return it to them later. However, I like your family's righteousness and am willing to help you grow up. Our family's good life is only for the next few years. Things change, and business can go up or down in an instant. We don't know what the future holds."

“If you are willing, I have a younger brother whose daughter is married into a family with the surname Liang. You can recognize me as your great-aunt from that branch of the family.”

"If the Zhu family business falls into ruin in the future, and the descendants are useless, but you are the only one who is successful, you must take care of us in our old age and see us off when we die. Even if you can only make ends meet, you must pay for our coffins and visit our graves every year. Do you agree?"

Without a second thought, Liang Yan immediately nodded and loudly agreed.

After answering immediately, he subconsciously looked at Song Miao. Seeing that she was looking at him and had no intention of stopping him, he took two steps forward and knelt down in front of the couple, performing a truly grand ceremony.

　Many thanks to Xiaoxiang Caterpillar MT for the sachet, and to Jiangfeng Danxia and Book Friend 492850 for the amulets! :)

　　Thank you, thank you~
　　(End of this chapter)