Miao Chu

Chapter 238 Stance
Hearing my granddaughter talk about the dishes at Song's Restaurant today, especially the sweet and sour pork that was icy on the outside and hot on the inside, and the soft, fragrant perilla cucumber that was bursting with juice with every bite, the little girl, without any particular intention, just rambled on and on without any rhyme or reason. Little did she know that the more she praised it, the more it would inspire the adults' imaginations.

None of the dishes were anything special, and most of the ingredients were inexpensive and readily available. But upon hearing about the combination and the cooking method, Madam He, who had been suffering from the summer heat for a long time, could guess the taste of the dish in an instant as she watched Zhu Jie'er swallow her saliva. She couldn't help but swallow her own saliva as well.

However, Madam He was not an elder who would spoil the child.

She advised, "Your seventh brother has just returned. He has many things to do at home and also needs to go back to school. Listen to me, sister, and don't disturb him while he's doing his important work."

Zhu Jie'er's happy little face immediately darkened, and she said, "Alright!"

But she immediately perked up and asked, "Then when Seventh Brother has a holiday, can we go?"

As soon as she said it, she immediately changed her mind and said, "I don't know when Seventh Brother's holiday will end. I have a little hungry worm in my stomach. It just told me that it really wants to eat that gurgling meat. If I can't eat it, my stomach will hurt. Grandmother, can I go and play with Xiaolian by myself?! Zhujie is a big girl. She can visit our house by herself!"

Although her nephew was with her, Madam He still inquired about the Song family before letting her granddaughter out, so she naturally knew about their situation.

She said, "The older sister you went to is out selling her wares during the day. You're so young, and you're going to her house by yourself without an adult. They'll have to take care of you, which will only cause them trouble."

He added, "Besides, if we go without informing anyone, people will say that our family doesn't follow the rules."

Zhu Jie let out a muffled "Oh," clearly feeling quite dejected.

Madam He coaxed, "It's not a difficult dish. Tell the kitchen to make another one for our Zhu'er tomorrow!"

"That's different! Sister Song isn't home! Xiao Lian isn't here either! I was even thinking of bringing her a medical book!"

She loudly proclaimed again her ambition to build a garden and Xiaolian's determination to study medicine.

Madam He had long known that there was a mother and daughter who had come to the capital to visit relatives. Now, hearing that the young girl was so ambitious and was even learning to write, and even more so that the young lady was actually teaching, she was very pleased with her spirit, even though she didn't know how she would teach or how well she would learn. So she said, "Next time, we'll go again in a few days!"

She added, “Your seventh brother is busy, so Grandmother will take you over when she has time. You can pick out a few medical books yourself first—but our Zhu’er can’t just pick randomly. If you want to make friends, you have to be sincere. After you pick them out, you have to come over and tell me why you chose them. Only after you convince me can we go together.”

One moment Zhu Jie was so happy she almost jumped for joy, the next she was unhappy, her lips pouting so much they could hang an oil bottle, and she complained, "I'm supposed to choose carefully one book at a time! Grandmother's words make it sound like I only realized how hard I had to work after being reminded! That's so mean! I won't do it!"

Madam He could only hug her granddaughter's head and rub it apologetically. She then called over a servant and instructed, "Send an invitation to the young lady at Song's Restaurant. Ask her when she'll be available. Tell her that my granddaughter and I would like to book a table and come over as guests. See if that's alright!"

Zhu Jie'er immediately beamed with joy and kept praising, saying, "Grandma is the best grandma in the world," "I love Grandma the most," and so on, which made the old lady so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. Only then did she happily go back to her room to rest.

After her granddaughter fell asleep, Madam He called over the nanny who had come with her that day and asked her in detail about what had happened at dinner.

The old woman described her for a while, and finally said, "The young lady is very prudent and seems very capable. She is also very open and honest, but we have only met once, so we don't know her true character."

He added, “The mother and daughter are both diligent and clean. What’s remarkable is their energy. The little girl is two months younger than our Zhu Niangzi. She can’t sit still for a moment. No one urges or calls her, and she’s always eager to wash the bean sprouts.”

Hearing this, Madam He sighed and said, "A widow with a daughter and a young woman all alone, life is not easy for either of them!"

As he spoke, he called over his personal maid and said, "Tell them to be polite when they deliver the invitation. Don't make a big show of it. Zhu'er is going to visit her friends. Don't let people think she's showing off."

She couldn't help but complain, "That little Qi, I asked him to bring me back some good food if he ever came across any—I've always treated him so well, and he hasn't done a single thing!"

The maid smiled and said, "Didn't the young master bring a lot of freshly picked melons and vegetables? The old lady praised him for being considerate earlier!"

"He didn't know they were having so many fresh dishes tonight. Putting everything else aside, surely he could have taken some mochi with him? He clearly knows my family is from Yuyao, and we've always loved mochi, rice cakes, and all kinds of glutinous foods!"

The old nanny had no choice but to speak up for He Qi, saying, "The old lady has misunderstood the young master. He originally wanted to bring it, but because that young lady Song said that the glutinous rice cakes couldn't be left out and would harden when they got cold, he gave up."

Then she described how Song Miao used gauze to knead glutinous rice into rice cakes.

“I watched our little girl eat it. It was so soft and fluffy that she didn’t even need to wash it with water. She swallowed it all in one go. She was even asking for more, but since it was glutinous rice, I didn’t dare let her eat more, so I quickly stopped her.”

Madam He, an expert in glutinous rice dishes, became somewhat uneasy upon hearing this and couldn't help but ask, "Is it this soft?"

Although the old woman had never eaten it before, she answered with certainty, saying, "The seventh young master kept praising it, saying that it was like eating nothing at all, and it just slid into his stomach in no time! He's such a picky eater, so what he says must be reliable!"

Madam He couldn't help but say, "Then I have to give it a try!"

He added, “Ever since I came to the capital, although I can find chefs from the south, the rice cakes and glutinous rice cakes they make are nothing like the ones I remember from my childhood. I don’t know what’s wrong with them—I always feel like there’s something wrong with the water, even the way they breathe is off!”

She hurriedly said to the maid, "When you deliver the invitation, ask the young lady again. Just tell her what the dishes are for today. Nothing else matters, but I really want to try the glutinous rice cakes, perilla cucumber, and chilled sweet and sour pork. See if she can prepare them!"

Zhu Jie'er was young and naturally had little experience. When she saw a cucumber in a straw raincoat, she found it both strange and interesting. When she ate the pork slice soup with night-blooming jasmine, she praised it repeatedly because she liked the flower, and she was extremely fond of it.

At her age, Madam He had seen countless exceptional knife skills and wasn't particularly interested in new flavors or fancy tricks. Because her teeth weren't very strong, she preferred dishes that were easy to chew but not just steamed, braised, or stewed. She hoped the chef could make familiar, everyday ingredients taste and feel good, especially something nostalgic. So, after listening to the chef's suggestions, she preferred the soft and ripe perilla cucumber and glutinous rice cakes, as well as the sweet and sour meat that was both hot and cold, yet not at all tough.

Of course, I'm most interested in mochi.

Although she didn't know what the Song family's food would taste like, or whether it would suit her taste, the thought of her sisters gathering around the stove to bake glutinous rice cakes when they were little filled Old Madam He with anticipation.

It's not suitable for baking in the summer, but if it really tastes like it did when I was a kid, even if it's only six or seven tenths as good, I'd still smack my lips!

***
While the He family was preparing the visiting cards, Song Miao was listening to Cheng Erniang's reply.

She had always been satisfied with the Second Madam's way of doing things. After returning to the capital from her two-month trip, seeing how meticulous and methodical the Second Madam was in her work, she valued her even more.

Since she had made up her mind to find a coachman, and since the coachman usually only picked up and dropped off flatbreads at the restaurant and transported the purchased ingredients, he spent most of his time accompanying Cheng Erniang to deliver various kinds of food, she let the other party choose a suitable coachman for the job.

Cheng Erniang completed her task very quickly.

"Originally, I wanted to ask a middleman to recommend someone, but after looking at quite a few, they were either too young and inexperienced, too careless in their work, or couldn't even speak clearly. I thought it was better to use someone familiar than someone unfamiliar, so I went to the place where we usually look for drivers. There happened to be a Master Xu soliciting customers."

"I remember calling him a few times. This time, when I asked, he knew we wanted to hire a car for half a day, so he said he'd come himself. We asked about the price and the start and end times, and he agreed immediately." "This man is thirty-nine this year, quite tall, and also from the capital. He boasted that he knows the streets and alleys very well, and that he has a family of six..."

Cheng Erniang explained the situation of the coachman Xu.

Song Miao didn't recognize the words.

Cheng Erniang added, "Actually, it might not be the most suitable, but fortunately, he is from the capital, knows the way, and lives nearby. He is just a bit talkative, but the coachman is only concerned with driving, so it's not unbearable. We are a bit early, and some people are not willing to agree and want to bargain."

There's some truth to what they said, and Song Miao agrees with it.

She charges the market rate. Although she can usually finish the work by mid-morning and doesn't work for long, as she only needs to pick up Dabing in the afternoon to take him home, she needs to use the car very early.

—To pick up the flatbread, and to buy and transport fresh meat and vegetables for the day, we definitely have to set off early, otherwise what will our family use to set up the stall?
After a moment's thought, Song Miao said, "Since this matter has been arranged for Second Madam, you are in charge of the rest—if there's enough time, ask him to start work tomorrow so he can pick up the pancakes!"

Cheng Erniang originally wanted to ask Master Xu to come and take another look at Song Miao. If he was not suitable, she would find another one. If he was suitable, she would ask him to start working again. However, when she heard the words "It's all up to you," she felt an invisible burden on her shoulders. At the same time, she was also full of ambition and hoped that she could handle things well on her own.

She hurriedly said, "Once the person arrives, let's use them for a few days and see how they are. If they're really not good, we can always find someone else!"

And so the matter was settled.

Sure enough, the next morning, Master Xu brought the flatbread over in a mule cart.

It was too dark and time was of the essence, so Song Miao was busy preparing to set up her stall and didn't have time to pay attention to anything else.

By the time the carriage went with Cheng Erniang to deliver breakfast to various places, the sun was already high in the sky. It was so bright that Song Miao immediately saw the face of Master Xu, who was about to set off.

It looks very familiar.

She didn't speak until everyone left, then asked about Dabing's morning situation, and then asked, "Was the mule cart's latch broken today, and you ended up using a tree branch as a latch?"

Dabing nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, how would my wife know that the mule cart's door was secured with a tree branch?"

Song Miao shook her head and didn't say anything more.

She hadn't known before, but now that she saw the man's face clearly, she remembered that she had called for his chariot a few times. Her impression of the driver was rather ordinary; she thought he was a chatterbox who liked to talk big and ask a lot of questions.

Last time, she was in a hurry, so she called the other party's car to help deliver a few boxes of "Fu" character cakes to Caomen Street. Along the way, the person kept asking her questions, such as the price of the cakes and whether she could earn a lot by setting up a stall in a day, and whether she could tell him how much she earned.

He also said that he wanted his eldest daughter-in-law to go out and set up a stall to earn money, but as her father-in-law, he couldn't say anything. He wished his daughter-in-law could be as capable and earn money as Song Miao.

The journey was far from pleasant.

But that was the only time; on the other occasions when I called their car, this never happened.

Since Song Miao had handed the task over to Cheng Erniang, she wasn't in a hurry to get involved. She figured that since it was a trial period, she should observe for a few days first.

Besides, no one in the world is perfect. I'm just looking for a driver. As long as he can drive well and has no major flaws in his character, that's enough. I'm also paying a normal price, so it's not good to be too picky.

***
Although the rice noodle rolls sold out quickly yesterday, there has been no feedback yet. Song Miao couldn't tell whether it was because of her good foundation from the past or because the rice noodle rolls were really selling well and people liked them.

However, she still prepared 30% more today, and with the limited supply of rice noodle rolls, she believed it would be much better than the previous day when there wasn't enough to sell.

Unfortunately, Song Miao was unaware that overnight, numerous rumors about the fans of the two schools had spread between them.

The rice noodle rolls are a new dish, with meat, vegetables, and rice noodles all included. It's not greasy at all, even in the hot summer. The ingredients are plentiful, the taste is good, and most importantly, the price is very reasonable.

A vegetarian roll costs three coins, and a meat roll costs five coins. The price of one meat roll and one vegetarian roll together is actually the same as a large serving of glutinous rice. Although it doesn't keep you full for as long as glutinous rice, it doesn't make you feel bloated or sleepy. With so many advantages, it's no wonder that more people like it and fewer people don't like it.

The first day's limit was twelve volumes per person, but not many people actually managed to buy them. By noon, the news had spread like wildfire.

—Song Xiaoniangzi is back. She set up her stall this morning, but she's out of shumai this time!
—We've added a new dish called rice noodle rolls!
—What?! I haven't even had a few shumai yet! And it's all gone already? What's a rice noodle roll?

—How was that rice noodle roll? What did it taste like?
When discussing the information mentioned earlier, everyone could chime in with a few words and have a discussion, but when it came to the taste and texture of the rice noodle rolls, the number of people qualified to express their opinions suddenly decreased.

At first, almost everyone praised it, saying how soft and smooth the rice noodle rolls were, how delicious the fillings were, how carefully the sauces were made, and how different fillings were paired with different sauces, each with its own unique flavor, and that it wasn't greasy at all.

By the afternoon, public opinion about the rice noodle rolls gradually reversed. Someone started saying bad things about them.

Negative reviews are getting worse.

—Oh dear, Song Xiaoniangzi's glutinous rice is delicious, and her shumai is delicious too, but I really can't get used to that rice noodle roll, the sauce is not good!
—That sauce was weird, I can't quite put my finger on it, it was sour and salty!
—The rice noodle sheets weren't good either; the texture was too ordinary!! Sigh, even Lady Song makes mistakes sometimes!
Brother, listen to my advice: if you're going to buy something, don't buy rice noodle rolls, buy glutinous rice instead!

—I heard there's a limit! Each person can only buy four volumes!

—Sigh, I advise you not to try it. If you really want to try it, just buy a roll and give it a taste!
A group of people are here earnestly and sincerely trying to persuade others; only they themselves know their true purpose.

But the next morning, as dawn broke, when they saw more and more people heading towards the food alley, everyone felt something was wrong.

How come there are more heads than before?
And there are many more of them!! Look at those people carrying basins, baskets, and books; they're clearly preparing to assemble Song Ji.

"Old Liang, what brings you here? Didn't you say yesterday you didn't want to wait in line and weren't going to eat?"

"Sigh, I was thinking that even if I lined up, I wouldn't be able to buy any and it would just be a waste of time—but didn't everyone say yesterday that they didn't like those rice noodle rolls? Since nobody likes them, if I line up, I should be able to buy some, right?"

(End of this chapter)