Miao Chu

Chapter 270 Sachet
Du Haoniang had heard of the Song family's restaurant for a long time, but this was her first time visiting.

She had always heard her husband say that the houses here were too simple, and when she saw them with her own eyes this time, she found that the exterior was indeed a bit old, but once she went inside, she felt that it was alright.

The layout and furnishings are naturally not comparable to those of formal restaurants, but it is very clean. The walls are painted snow-white, and the floors are spotless, which is only a slight exaggeration.

The room contained two large tables, one small table, and several chairs and benches, with screens separating the large tables.

Many bright and colorful menus hung on the wall, with words and pictures. Although she couldn't read, she stood by the wall and looked at the pictures on the menus for a long time, finding it very interesting.

Eating here is quiet, comfortable, and truly relaxing. Even if it wasn't owned by Miss Song, if there were such a restaurant near her home, she would be happy to patronize it more often when she had free time and spare money.

Du Haoniang was still looking at the pattern on the screen—it depicted seasonal fruits—when Song Miao, who had received the news, came out of the outer hall. Upon seeing her, she smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you've arrived! Quickly, sit down and rest your feet!"

He added, "It's hot. We have hawthorn leaf tea, plum juice, and bamboo sap at home. Which would you like, sister-in-law?"

In summer, Du Haoniang usually drank perilla, fragrant flowers, cardamom boiled water, and so on. Hearing Song Miao ask, she honestly replied, "I've never drunk any of what you're talking about—is plum drink like sour plum soup? And what is bamboo sap water?"

Song Miao laughed and said, "There is a difference. I'll serve my sister-in-law a cup, and she'll know the difference after just one sip."

Upon hearing this, Dabing immediately said, "I'll go pour it for you!"

He then dashed off to the backyard.

Song Miaocai then explained the bamboo sap to Du Haoniang in detail: "...Take fresh bamboo, cut it into sections, open the bamboo joints, burn one end, and water will come out from the other end. Mix that water with well water and drink it. It has the fragrance of bamboo and a faint cool taste. Drinking it in summer can nourish yin, clear heat, remove phlegm, open the orifices, and treat asthma and chest tightness. It is just a bit cold."

Du Haoniang slapped her thigh and said regretfully, "I've been feeling a bit short of breath these past few days, like I can't catch my breath! If I had known this would happen, I would have drunk this bamboo sap water!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "It's nothing, just serve another cup to my sister-in-law!"

But when Dabing brought out the teacups, Du Haoniang took a sip of the plum drink and no longer wanted the bamboo sap that could clear phlegm and open the orifices. She quickly grabbed the teacup and said, "I'll drink this—this is delicious. I'll try the others next time!"

She took a few sips, then put the teacup on the table and said, "Don't touch it yet, I want to drink more!"

She then quietly pulled Song Miao's hand and said, "Do you have a quiet, secluded room where no one is around? Your sister-in-law has something to tell you."

Song Miao led the person to her bedroom.

As soon as she entered, Du Haoniang locked the door behind her, took off the bamboo basket on her back—which she had been carrying the whole time when she sat down to drink tea—and untied the heavy bundle around her waist, finally coming out carrying a package.

Seeing Du Haoniang open the cloth bundle, even before it was fully opened, revealing a golden color inside, Song Miao immediately knew what it was. She hurriedly pushed it back, saying, "Sister-in-law, I really mean it! You really don't need it!"

“Listen to me, you have so much debt outside, you can’t even stand up straight. Old Xin said that you have to go door to door to explain to each creditor when you hire someone, and you also have to explain when you reopen the restaurant. You’re already busy, and going back and forth like this will only waste more of your time!”

Seeing that Song Miao wouldn't accept it, Du Haoniang simply put the bundle on the table next to her, opened it, and showed it to Song Miao, saying, "It's all pure gold. I've checked each piece. This money should rightfully be yours. If it weren't for you, that thief would have escaped long ago, and Old Xin would still be stuck in his room, unable to write his essay. Don't be shy about taking it. I've kept fifty taels of gold, enough for the two children's future marriages. Keep the rest as a thank you! Don't think about paying it back; it's yours!"

Yesterday, Xin Feng said it was "to take it and use it first," but this time, Du Haoniang said it was "to give it to her."

Song Miao refused to accept it. She rewrapped the gold and pushed it back, saying, "It's not that I'm disrespecting you, sister-in-law, but I was just paying off my debts every month. How can I explain this sudden large sum to others? If I say I borrowed it from your family, many people will go to Junyi Bridge Street tomorrow to ask the inspector and you for money. If I say I got it myself, there's no reason, and it will attract even more attention. The inspector has been in the capital's government office for many years, and you must have seen him more than I have. You know this without me having to say more."

She added, “Besides, the family needs money. If the eldest son comes back, he’ll be of marriageable age, right? And the two younger ones are at the age where money is needed. Now that we’re finally a little more financially comfortable, we naturally need to take better care of them. Also, the inspector will be back at the yamen soon. He has many brothers under him, and as the leader, he must take care of them. In my opinion, the Empress Dowager’s reward is timely. Otherwise, my sister-in-law would be struggling to manage the household!”

She firmly declined.

When it comes to eloquence and reasoning, Du Haoniang and Xin Feng are from the same family, so how could she possibly win against Song Miao? As she tried to persuade her, she herself felt that the other party was more reasonable, and her voice even became a little weaker.

Song Miao made the final decision, helping her to get the gold back, and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. If I ever run out of money, I'll come to you first to borrow from you. You should keep your money tight, there will be many expenses in the future. Right now, the inspector has gained fame, which is good, but also bad. Who knows how many people will come to your door with a clear conscience to ask for benefits!"

This statement resonated deeply with Du Haoniang, who then complained for a while, saying, "Distant relatives I haven't seen for thirty or forty years suddenly appear like weeds on the ground after a rain, all claiming to be related to me, and coming to my door demanding money. You can't even chase them away, or they'll accuse you of forgetting your roots! Old Xin is different now than before; many people are watching him. Sigh!"

After they talked for a while, Du Haoniang said, "I know you're busy, so I won't bother you any longer. If you need anything, just come find me!"

She took out many fruits and gifts from the basket. Song Miao didn't want anyone to leave empty-handed, so she went to the main kitchen and picked up some dried meat, dried cuttlefish, and seasonal fruits. She had Dabing register them to avoid messing up the accounts before preparing to see the person out.

Seeing that Song Miao had refilled the basket, Du Haoniang quickly waved her hand and said, "Why are you giving me so much? If you keep doing this, I won't dare to come next time!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "It's not much, just a little of everything. There's also a bottle of plum syrup that you tried today. It's delicious when you dilute it with boiled water. If you want to make the ribs sweet and sour, give me two plums for a better flavor."

He added, "When I'm short of money, I'll have to go and borrow from you. For now, I'll treat you like a benefactor, so you won't forget me later!"

Du Haoniang laughed so hard she almost showed her teeth, and said, "You little sister!"

He then said, "Alright, we're family, so I won't stand on ceremony with you!"

As she was speaking, just as she was about to go out, she turned her head and saw several bamboo racks in the backyard, with winnowing baskets on them, all filled with dried meat and other things, crammed into one corner.

Seeing that a rope and a piece of cloth were used to block the way in the restaurant, Du Haoniang became curious and casually asked what they were for.

Song Miao replied, "Since this is the backyard, even if we try our best to avoid it, it is inevitable that people will come and go. We use cloth to block it, firstly to prevent people from bumping into it when they walk, and secondly because there will always be people talking, sneezing, and dust and dirt being stirred up when they walk. It can help to block them, although it may not be very useful, it is better than nothing."

He added, "It's a pity that the courtyard and the house are too small, and we can't work out properly—there are so many orders that we can't keep up right now, and I'm worried about that too."

Du Haoniang's eyes lit up instantly, and she hurriedly said, "Us! Me! Us!"

She was so anxious she almost blurted it out, and after repeating it three times, she finally managed to say something coherent: "Our yard is big! There's a large open space in the back, perfect for drying things! Why don't you bring them here to dry!"

Song Miao smiled and thanked her, but shook her head and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but it's too far."

He added, “Steaming and drying meat is quite troublesome. You have to turn it over from time to time and keep out insects and rodents. So the most important thing is to be close by. It would be best if it were on the same street as a restaurant. If it’s far away, you can’t keep an eye on it. You have to keep an eye on it all the time, since it’s in your mouth and there can’t be any unauthorized people coming and going.”

Upon hearing this, Du Haoniang sighed and said, "That's true. It's too far away after all. Besides, Lao Xin has a lot of social interactions, so the house is often not peaceful."

He then suggested, "Why don't we rent a bigger place?"

Song Miao then said, "We have already asked Sun, the village head, to help us look around, and we have also found a middleman. There are a few neighbors who are willing to rent, but they also live there themselves. With relatives and friends coming and going, and children running around, it is really not appropriate."

Upon hearing this, Du Haoniang said, "Then I'll ask Lao Xin to find someone to inquire and see if there are any houses with courtyards on the nearby streets that want to rent out the whole house."

As they talked, they arrived at the front hall. Du Haoniang quickly sat back down in her original seat and said, "I'll drink this plum drink before I go!"

There was already a small basket of fruit on the table, and Song Miao took out a plate of fried dough twists and set them out, saying with a smile, "Sister-in-law, there's no rush to leave. Sit down for a bit and have something to eat—it wouldn't be good to go into a restaurant and go back on an empty stomach, would it?"

Du Haoniang immediately picked up a stick and said, "I'm straightforward, I won't stand on ceremony with you!"

The fried dough twists were fresh out of the pan, very crispy, with a slightly salty and fragrant aroma of flour. As she ate, she couldn't help but say, "Sister, your cooking is excellent. Everything you make is wonderful, even these pastries and snacks are exceptionally delicious. In March and April, when Lao Xin came back, he brought home some mung bean cakes from your place a few times. They were especially delicious. It's a pity that you stopped making them after the weather got hot, saying they spoil easily. Please let me know when you have them again. I'll miss them!"

Seeing how much she missed the mung bean cake, Song Miao felt a little pleased and chuckled, saying, "Lately, many people have been asking about it, and I've been thinking of changing the recipe to make it last longer—I was just trying it out in the oven. If you're not in a hurry, sister-in-law, wait a moment, and I'll take out a batch first so you can taste it."

"Is it really not troublesome?" Du Haoniang hesitated.

"It really wasn't troublesome at all!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "You just wait!"

The kitchen was already a hot stove, prepared for later use. She didn't call it a pancake. She opened the stove door herself, added firewood, and when the fire was almost ready, she left a small opening in the stove, put the large flat pan on it, and went to the back kitchen to bring out a large plate of food.

Du Haoniang couldn't help but move closer and ask, "Is this also mung bean cake?"

"It's mung bean cake. It's so hot that if you want to take it away, you can't make it the same way as in winter. It's a different kind of cake. Sister-in-law, try it first. If you like it, take more. If you don't like it, take less."

As they were talking, the pot was already half-heated.

Song Miao tested the temperature and found it wasn't hot enough, so she closed the stove door completely, brushed a layer of oil on the bottom, and then placed the raw mung bean cakes one by one into the pot. She covered the pot and let them fry slowly over low heat while she chatted with Du Haoniang.

Flip it over once, cover it again and continue to fry slowly. In just a moment, with a "whoosh," the moment the pan is opened, accompanied by the sizzling of oil, the extremely rich aroma of crispy crust and sweet fragrance of mung beans immediately overflows.

After letting it cool slightly and letting the oil drain, Song Miao used a small spatula to scoop up one and placed it on a dried lotus leaf. She then said to Du Haoniang, "Sister-in-law, would you like to try some?"

Without needing a second reminder, Du Haoniang quickly picked up the lotus leaf, sandwiched the mung bean cake between it, and brought it to her face.

She had only been away from the fire for a short while, but the heat and aroma made her reluctant to turn away. She blew on it twice, but fearing the heat, she decided to break the so-called "mung bean cake" in half first.

In that instant, the aroma of mung bean cakes filled Du Haoniang's nose.

Looking at the uneven cross-section, the layers of the flaky pastry are so numerous that they are impossible to count, yet they are stacked together like paper, making it appear extremely thin.

Du Haoniang couldn't resist opening her mouth and taking a bite.

It's too hot to eat.

There was no order of arrival, because they were so thin and clearly pan-fried. The flaky crust already had a hard shell, yet it melted in my mouth almost simultaneously with the extremely fragrant mung bean paste filling.

The pastry has a lard aroma and a perfect amount of oiliness; it's not dry at all, just the aroma of ghee and a hint of caramel.

The mung bean paste is so delicate, it has gone through three processes: steaming, sifting, and stir-frying, before finally being pan-fried through a ghee crust, turning into a sandy texture.

Slowly pan-fry over low heat, covered while frying, the steam creates a double-steaming effect on the filling, making it moist, dense, and soft. On the tongue, it carries the pure fragrance of mung beans, a faint sweetness, and a touch of saltiness—you can't really taste the flavor, only the aroma, used to enhance the sweetness of the mung bean paste—it's completely melted away, not even bothering to make a struggle.

Before I knew it, I had eaten a mung bean cake.

Du Haoniang stood there and ate three or four in one go. In the end, she took two large boxes home. If Song Miao hadn't said that once they got cold, they would only taste half as good, and it would be better to come back and eat freshly made ones next time, she would have wanted to take the whole pot with her.

She carried the things and went straight into the house as soon as she got home, still hiding the gold wrapped around her waist. Xin Feng heard the noise and followed her in. When he saw the bag of gold, he immediately laughed and said, "You still say I'm useless—you didn't give it away either!"

Du Haoniang glared at her husband and said, "What do you know! My sister cares about me!"

Xin Feng didn't even know what nonsense he had learned, and was about to argue his point when Du Haoniang hurriedly told him about Song Miao's desire to find a courtyard for drying meat.

“I’ll send someone to ask around.” He immediately took it to heart. “But she’s already consulted the village head and the middleman. If I ask around, it will eventually come down to the village head and the middleman.”

Du Haoniang was impatient and couldn't wait for her husband to stop pacing around. She hid the gold, pointed to the basket on the table outside, and said, "There are freshly made mung bean cakes inside. Each of the two girls can only eat one at most. You shouldn't eat too many either. My sister said that eating too many will cause internal heat. I'm going out for a bit!"

Upon hearing the first sentence, Xin Feng was already preparing to get the cakes, but upon hearing the last sentence, he couldn't help but turn around and ask, "Where are you going?"

"I'll ask around!"

Du Haoniang was decisive and efficient, running around and not wanting to spend the night. Around 3 PM that day, she arrived at the door carrying two bolts of cloth.

“There’s a house facing the street. It used to belong to an only son who inherited it. He was imprisoned for many years because he injured someone. It’s a coincidence that he just got out today. I heard from people that he’s asking how to rent out the house to get some money to make a living. I’ve sent someone to ask him. Let’s go and take a look together tomorrow.”

As she spoke, she put the two bolts of cloth on the table again and said with a smile, "I've already given you the gold, but I'm giving you two bolts of cloth. You should accept them, right? There are many people in the shop. Even if you don't wear them, you can make them a set of clothes."

She came happily and left joyfully.

Song Miao stood at the door, glancing at Du Haoniang's back and then at the cloth, her heart warming with emotion.

At the end of Shenshi (3-5 PM), Wang Sanlang drove his carriage back to the restaurant with Cheng Erniang and Xiaolian.

Xiao Lian jumped off the mule cart with a "thump".

She practically flew into the house, saw no one around, and then flew off to the backyard.

"elder sister!"

As soon as she found Song Miao, she raised her hand high, showing her a sachet in her palm, and said, "My master gave it to me, saying that if I wear this, mosquitoes won't bite me! She praised me for being so good at recognizing herbs!! It's all thanks to my sister teaching me to identify herbs from books that I'm able to recognize them so well!"

Her face was rosy and smiling, and her eyes were bright and sparkling.

Her voice was still soft, but she spoke with great force, saying, "Once I learn medicine, I will make sure my mother and sister never get sick again! I will cure you when you are still in the womb!"

(End of this chapter)