Miao Chu

Chapter 247 Side Story
The voice tried to speak in a rough, muffled tone, but it still sounded very young, making it immediately recognizable as a baby's.

Song Miao looked up and saw a large one first, then a small one.

The older one was chuckling; he was an old acquaintance. The younger one was pretending to be an adult, looking like he had successfully stolen a chicken; he was actually a little acquaintance.

—It was He Qitong and Zhu Jie'er standing opposite them, greeting them from inside the door, with several nannies beside them, and two branches from the north and south.

"So it's our Zhu Jie'er!"

Song Miao couldn't help but laugh. She first responded to Zhu Jie'er before greeting He Qi and the others.

Zhu Jie cheered, let go of He Qi's hand, and ran towards Song Miao, tugging at her sleeve and saying, "Sister Song, Sister Song! Did I imitate Brother Qi's words just now and do it well?"

She added, "I want to eat that cucumber salad again today—but Seventh Brother said it's not on the menu!! Please take care of me! Please listen to me!!"

She was very anxious, busy coaxing Song Miao, and also stealing a moment to turn around and greet Dabing with "Good morning, Brother Dabing".

Song Miao looked up and saw that He Qi across from her was already chuckling.

One is disrespectful to the powerful, while the other is pretentious and tries to act innocent.

The smaller one is just so cute.

Song Miao bent down and straightened the sachet that Zhu Jie'er was turning over and over. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Seventh Brother is just joking with you. How could he bear to disobey you?"

The group chatted and laughed as they walked inside.

Although it was the He family's garden, He Qi was very familiar with it. As they walked, he introduced the rocks, flowers, and plants to Song Miao and Da Bing, highlighting the unique features of each place.

Zhu Jie'er was even busier now. After hearing He Qi's explanation, she added, "This whole area is full of late-blooming jasmine. They're not in bloom now, but they will be in autumn. I planted them along with the gardeners in the mansion. The flowers are purple, white, and pink—they're so beautiful! Sister Song, you must come and see them then!"

—The lotus seeds over there were stored in jars and dyed. They've already bloomed and are green. Sister Song, go take a look. I'll pick some for you when we get back! The pond has already produced tender lotus pods. Could you bring a few for Xiao Lian?

She chattered on and on, and for every sentence He Qi said, she would add three more, making everyone in the room laugh.

Zhu Jie'er said, "Don't laugh, it's still early. I've checked the time, there's no rush! I want to show Sister Song the flowers I planted!"

What normally takes less than a quarter of an hour took her almost half an hour to walk.

But Song Miaotong arrived at the pancake shop very early, which did not delay her work.

Upon arriving at the place, Song Miao greeted Madam He and exchanged a few pleasantries before being led to the kitchen by the maid Yuhe.

There were already quite a few people busy in the kitchen.

As Yuhe entered the door, she first greeted, "Sister-in-law Tian."

A woman in her thirties or forties immediately agreed and came over from the stove.

Yuhe introduced Song Miao to the other party and said, "The old lady asked Miss Song to come and help cook a few dishes. Please take care of her!"

Sister-in-law Tian readily agreed and said with a smile, "Did you make sweet and sour pork last time, madam? The way you made it was quite novel—I tried to imitate it, but it didn't turn out very well."

After the two sides got to know each other, Sister Tian led Song Miao around the kitchen.

She explained everything in great detail, pointing out where the various seasonings were, which pot was thicker and which was thinner, and that it was best to pick out the ingredients, label them, and put them away so that someone else wouldn't accidentally take them.

As they walked, they introduced the other people in the kitchen.

Although everyone was busy, they all greeted Song Miao with smiles when they saw her, and the atmosphere was clearly pleasant.

After they finished shopping, Aunt Tian said, "That's all. If you need anything, young lady, just ask me."

Neither of the two dishes Song Miao was going to make required much skill; even if she added Zhu Jie'er's "strawberry cucumber" dish, it would still be very simple.

Seeing that it was still early, she didn't rush to start cooking. Instead, she asked Aunt Tian for the menu, inquired about the order of serving the dishes, and finally, before Yuhe left, asked how many people were at the table and if she could find out the approximate ages and backgrounds of the guests.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Tian pointed to a piece of paper on the table and said, "The menu is over there, but not many of us can read, so it's been drawn on rather messily."

When Song Miao stepped forward to take a look, she saw that the drawings were indeed very elaborate. Each dish was labeled with a picture. For example, chicken was marked with a chicken foot, duck with a duck beak, and lamb, fish, and other items also had their own labels.

As expected, everyone has their own cleverness. Although this menu is nothing like the one Master Chen made for me back then, it is more than enough for me to identify.

Upon hearing Song Miao's question, Yuhe replied, "What is the purpose of Miss Song asking about the guests' origins?"

Song Miao knew that she had asked too many questions and the other party did not know her purpose, so she dared not answer. She said, "Since it is for banquet dishes, we need to consider the background of the guests. Some people like sweet, some like sour, some like strong flavors, and some like mild flavors. Taste preferences are related to background, place of origin, and origin. Although it may not be very accurate, it can still be taken into consideration."

Yuhe asked curiously, "How do we tell? For example, our old lady was born in Jiangnan East Road and only came to the capital later."

Song Miao said, “For example, my mother is from Jiangnan and prefers sweet flavors. So when I make sauce, I have to knead in several kinds of vinegar and add a little less salt.”

She was explaining that when she mentioned how place of origin and background affect taste, Aunt Tian initially thought it was just common sense, something anyone who had seriously studied cooking for a few years and paid a little attention would know, so she didn't take it seriously and was about to look at the dishes. But as she listened, she stopped and couldn't help but ask, "If you want it sweet, shouldn't you add more sugar? Why use vinegar to season it? And what does it have to do with salt?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Auntie knows that if you want it sweet, you should add salt first. Salt can enhance the sweetness. But if you add too much sugar, the batter will be too thick and will suppress the meat flavor. It will also stick to your teeth and tongue, making it unpleasant to eat. So you can't add too much sugar. It's best to use vinegar to balance the sweet and sour taste."

"But if you want to adjust the acidity, the more acidic the vinegar, the better. You need to choose a vinegar with the right acidity so that it won't irritate your mouth and tongue and can balance the sweetness. Vinegar already contains salt, so you need to reduce the amount of salt according to the amount of vinegar."

As the saying goes, laymen watch the excitement, while insiders watch the door.

Although Song Miao only said a few words, she explained it simply and the reasoning was very clear. Even those who didn't know anything about cooking found it novel and quite reasonable. As for Sister Tian, ​​she was a master cook and was even more moved by her words.

“Indeed! A stronger sweet and sour flavor isn’t always better, but we can only buy vinegar now, and it’s hard to find one with the right level of acidity—what will Miss Song do?”

"I usually use my own homemade fruit vinegar, which has a hint of fruit flavor and makes the dishes more fragrant. If you're eating out, you can get several kinds of vinegar to make a sauce. If you really have no choice, you can only adjust the sugar and salt according to the acidity of the vinegar."

As Song Miao spoke, she turned to look at the flatbread.

The latter was very clever and immediately took out a gourd from the small bag on his back.

Song Miao took it, leaned close to Aunt Tian, ​​opened the gourd, and fanned it towards her nose.

Aunt Tian immediately recognized the aroma and exclaimed, "This apricot vinegar? It smells so good with apricots!"

Song Miao nodded and said, "Vinegar that has been used to soak fruit won't last long. It's best to use it up within a month or two, the sooner the better."

He added, "However, the amount of vinegar in this dish is not that important. My mother taught me a concept called the sugar-salt ratio, which refers to the amount of salt and sugar used in the same dish. If this is adjusted well, it is difficult to make a sweet and sour dish wrong."

Aunt Tian sighed, "If you season the salt and sugar right, it's hard to cook any dish badly! Your mother must be a master chef!"

Song Miao smiled and said no more.

While the two were talking, many people nearby, though not gathering around to listen, were still busy with washing and chopping, so the conversation wasn't too noisy. They all overheard the discussion. Those working in the kitchen, even if not all were in charge of cooking, found it very informative, and many even turned around, straining their ears, waiting for Song Miao to continue.

But once Yuhe understood Song Miao's meaning, she didn't delay at all and immediately replied, "We've prepared two tables. One is for the main guests, a total of eight people, mostly around the same age as the old lady, mostly from the Jiangnan and Zhejiang regions. They ate a lot of rice and glutinous rice when they were young—the old lady really wants to let them try the mochi that you made, madam."

He added, "The other seat is for children, with a total of six seats, but it's common for one or two people to come more or less."

Not only did she answer readily, but she also took the initiative to ask, "When you asked about the number of people earlier, were you trying to estimate the number of people when cooking? It's best to prepare more rather than less, to avoid looking awkward."

Song Miao didn't explain much, just smiled and thanked her, then turned to Aunt Tian and asked, "Auntie, I think the mochi is served last, as it's a small snack after the meal. Could we discuss removing it? I think we already have a custard dessert and a white fungus and lotus seed soup, which is more than enough."

He added, “I know that the old lady and the others want to have lunch before going to admire the lotus flowers. Since the glutinous rice cakes are made of sticky rice, and most of the people at the table are elderly, I’m afraid they might get bloated and have trouble digesting them. It would be better if they ate them as a snack in the afternoon after they come back from admiring the lotus flowers—if they can eat them, they can have a bite; if they can’t, it’s fine to leave them.”

After saying that, considering the differences in taste, she suggested that the sweet and sour pork be moved to the next dish.

Aunt Tian said, "I originally wanted to put the sweet and sour pork fifth, but since it's a bit too far back in the menu, and you're a guest chef, I was afraid you'd have some reservations, so I moved it forward..."

If people respect me, I will naturally respect them in return.

Song Miao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Auntie. It's all for the sake of making this meal a good one. The kitchen in the manor knows the tastes of the old lady and all the guests best. I am, after all, an external chef, so I will follow everyone's arrangements and do whatever is appropriate."

Although it was only a short time, and a few words were exchanged, when Song Miao stood in front of the stove and worktable assigned to her, she could clearly feel the kindness of everyone in the kitchen towards her.

This was different from the politeness when we greeted each other earlier; it even carried a hint of eagerness.

While she was getting the vegetables, she was thinking of going with Dabing to get the basket and copper basin. Before she could even take two steps, someone immediately brought them over and said with a smile, "I just received these. Young lady, I'm using these. I've never used them before, and they've just been rinsed, so they're very clean. What's the story behind your choice of vegetables?"

While washing vegetables, some people even took the initiative to lead the flatbread to the well.

When it was time to chop the vegetables, just as Song Miao was about to step forward to tidy up, someone made room for her and helped her tidy up. Later, while chopping the meat, they kept an eye on Song Miao as she chopped the cucumbers.

***
The kitchen staff were preparing the dishes methodically, while the guests arrived one by one, accompanied by their grandchildren and young children.

He Qi and several servants greeted them outside.

When they saw him, almost every visitor would make fun of him.

"Hey, what brings Xiao Qi here today?"

"No class again today? Be careful, your older brother will yell at you if he finds out!"

"Don't let He Ying make things difficult for our Xiao Qi. If he scolds you, just say it was me who told him. I haven't seen you for days, so I asked you to come and keep me company!"

"Is Xiao Qi about to be promoted to an official position?"

"It's a long time ago. Two years ago, the two gentlemen took the lead in changing the system, and now you have to be over twenty-five to be eligible for a hereditary official position."

He Qi quickly led everyone inside.

There were quite a few children with me today, but most of them were little girls around seven or eight years old. They were all very quiet because they were out with their elders to meet guests.

After finally settling down, the old ladies, having not seen each other for many days, naturally took the opportunity to catch up, chatting about their own families, bidding farewell to their elders, and then discussing current affairs, inquiring about what good or bad things had happened in this or that household.

He Qi served him from the side without the slightest impatience. He was occasionally called by name or asked questions, but he was not uncomfortable at all.

When the food was served, the room was still buzzing – at their age, and with some wealth and status, they had eaten almost everything. The main purpose of this gathering was to get together and chat. As for the food, that was secondary, and the saying "one should not speak while eating" was not on their minds today.

Dishes were served one after another, and the people ate them half-heartedly while continuing to chat. There were more people talking than eating.

Until someone brought a huge bowl of ice to the table.

Walnut-sized ice cubes filled the bowl to the brim, and in the middle of the ice cubes, small, amber-like or glass-like foods, larger than quail eggs but slightly smaller than a newborn egg, were hidden away, seemingly trying to conceal their presence.

This time, almost half of the people picked up their chopsticks.

Someone casually picked up a piece, said a couple of words to the person next to them, and then took a bite without much thought.

It's hot outside, and some people are happy to see ice. Although they are too old to drink strong iced drinks, they can't help but take a bite of something chilled.

"Click."

"Click."

It's the sound of the crispy outer shell of sweet and sour pork being bitten through in your mouth.

Like a silver bottle suddenly breaking, the meat juices immediately burst forth, the sweet and sour icy shell and the rich, fresh meat juices, the ice and heat mingling in the mouth, the sour and sweet blending together.

It turned out to be meat.

The meat was still cooked quite well.

Soon, the same chopsticks were dipped back into the ice basin.

"Click" again.

Let's try it again.

It's not that the previous dishes were bad, but this one was truly novel.

On hot days, meat served in an ice basin, with its icy exterior and warm interior, is refreshing without causing any concern among the elderly ladies about the coldness affecting their stomachs. Moreover, the sweet and sour flavor is perfectly balanced, making it a guilt-free and enjoyable meal.

Half the people at the table who had been talking suddenly fell silent, and kept reaching for a bowl of ice with their chopsticks. It was so obvious that bystanders couldn't help but ask, "Is it that delicious?"

As he spoke, he also picked up his chopsticks.

Although this dish was served fifth, it was the first to be completely devoured—it was only left as a bowl of ice after a short time.

Madam He did not eat less just because she was the hostess.

At this point, someone finally couldn't help but ask, "What's the name of this dish? It's so crispy yet juicy, it tastes a bit like sweet and sour pork..."

Madam He immediately cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"What sweet and sour pork! Do you even know how to eat?! Your mouth and tongue are getting worse and worse—this is called chilled sweet and sour pork!"

"You think this meat is so crispy, juicy, and flavorful? It's because it's not solid meat. It's made by slicing meat, coating it in batter, rolling it up, and deep-frying it. It's all about the knife skills, the heat, and the seasoning. You can't tell the difference! Go home and practice your palate!"

She acted as if she were the creator of chilled sweet and sour pork: "You can only listen, you can't tell anyone! This method is a secret, it can't be spread!"

(End of this chapter)