Miao Chu

Chapter 274 Come forward
Stir-fried over high heat, just off the stove, sizzling with oil, blow on it a couple of times before putting it in your mouth. The ribs are burning your tongue while they exude a smoky, meaty aroma.

The aroma carries a hint of smokiness. When you sauté the ribs in soy sauce, they become slightly charred, making them even more fragrant. The sauce coats the ribs, giving them a glossy, sticky, dark brown appearance.

Stir-frying the ribs removes the already limited moisture, naturally resulting in a crispy crust and charred edges. The crust is golden and fragrant, with a thin, crispy texture. When you bite into it, the rich meat juices locked in by the high heat burst out, making your mouth feel hot and fragrant.

The ingredients are all spare ribs with cartilage. When stir-fried, the meat is firm and tender. It can be easily separated from the bone without chewing, but it is also very fragrant. It is meaty and easy to chew without being too soft.

The piece of pork rib that Du Haoniang ate was with cartilage, making it especially tender. It had a little bit of fat that had been charred. With each bite, the locked-in fat was released, and with another bite, there was a crunching sound from the bone. Her mouth was filled with the aroma of soy sauce, charred fat, and fresh meat. The aroma was so good that her mouth and stomach were fighting each other. Her mouth wanted to chew a few more times, but her stomach wanted her mouth to swallow it quickly. Her mind was not in control and she was quite confused.

Pork ribs with rice are absolutely delicious.

But the dishes on the table weren't just stir-fried pork ribs.

Shaoxing-style stir-fried five shreds, each one different. The tender core of the water bamboo is taken and shredded. Although it is not as sweet and tender as the freshly picked ones from Jiangnan Second Road, it still retains a bit of its own sweetness. The shredded carrots also have a sweet fragrance. The shredded pickled mustard greens are salty and fresh. Soaking them in water makes the saltiness just right and the umami flavor more prominent. There is also the richness of the shredded pork and the bean fragrance of the shredded tofu. The last one is the one that absorbs the soup the best.

The broth is made from soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, which is very savory and not oily. It is almost entirely made up of the small amount of pork belly, which thinly clings to the various shredded vegetables. It is salty, fragrant, and mellow, with only the aroma of wine and no taste of alcohol.

With one bite, you'll find orange, white, pink, yellow, and green hues—a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. The carrot shreds are crisp and tender, the water bamboo shoots are soft and sweet, the shredded meat is smooth and tender, the pickled mustard greens are crisp and refreshing, and the tofu is slightly chewy yet soft.

—A variety of colors, textures, and flavors compete for attention in the mouth, each taking its turn without overshadowing the others. They complement each other perfectly, creating a harmonious and dazzling display. The broth, just the right amount, doesn't compete with the ingredients for flavor but adds an extra touch of delight.

This dish is perfect with rice; even the rice grains are coated with a little bit of the broth. Mixed with the shredded vegetables, you'll find yourself finishing a bowl before you know it. If you wrap it in a thin pancake, roll it up, swirl it around in your mouth, and it'll slide right down your throat.

As for the dried lettuce stir-fried with cured pork, it is dried in the sun and then soaked. The soaking is just right, making it both crisp and chewy. The sweetness is more than ten times stronger than that of fresh lettuce. Biting into it is like eating candy.

The cured pork slices are a mix of lean and fatty meat. After being boiled and then stir-fried, the fatty parts become even more translucent, with a crisp, glassy texture. They are not greasy at all, and there is no oiliness at all, only fragrance. The lean meat is even more satisfyingly fragrant.

The dried lettuce in this dish was excessively crisp, yet also chewy, making it difficult to bite through easily. Eating it resulted in a deafening buzzing sound in my ears, reverberating all over my head.

Then there's the exceptionally sweet and crisp stir-fried lotus root tips, freshly picked from lotus ponds outside the city. Sliced ​​diagonally into sections, the tenderest part is pinched off, and with a snap of your teeth, you can immediately hear a "pop" as the lotus root tip cracks open, filling your mouth with sweet juice. After a couple more chews, there's no residue left; it's so tender it's almost unbelievable.

At the end of the meal, have a bowl of the same refreshing vegetable and pork soup...

Du Haoniang was busy during the meal, serving rice and wrapping pancakes. She felt that every dish was good with rice and every dish was suitable for wrapping in pancakes. Her mouth and hands were never idle.

At Songji's dining table, there is never a saying that one should not speak while eating, but usually very few people talk – a person only has one mouth, and when eating, there is no room for conversation.

As they finished eating, seeing that things weren't going well, Song Miao quickly advised, "Sister-in-law, come another day, I'll cook again. Be careful not to overeat."

Du Haoniang reluctantly swallowed the last bite of pork rib, patted her belly and sighed, "If only I could live next door to you, and eat here every day after the restaurant opens, I'd rather live a little less... But, it's better to live a little longer! Every extra day I live means I can eat three more meals here!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, just come. If you really can't leave, I'll have someone deliver it over every few days. But with it being delivered back and forth, it always loses some of the wok hei (the smoky aroma from cooking), and it doesn't taste quite the same."

Hearing this made Du Haoniang even more regretful.

Knowing that Song Miao had already looked at all the houses for rent or lease in the vicinity with the middleman, she thought for a moment and said, "I'll go back and ask around to see if there are any houses available for rent recently. If they're nearby and in a good location, we don't necessarily have to rent them; we can buy them!"

He does not mean that.

Before Song Miao could speak, Cheng Erniang, who was tidying up the table, couldn't help but ask, "Madam Du, what do you mean by 'the released residence'?"

Du Haoniang replied, "These are the houses that weren't confiscated after various punishments. Most of them are houses where the owners were involved in cases or committed crimes. Some of them are even considered auspicious houses, so you have to go and ask the people inside to leave yourself. And because they're considered unlucky, the price is a penny or two cheaper than ordinary houses—I know Xiao Song doesn't care about these things, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to ask..."

As they were talking, Cheng Erniang exclaimed "Ah!" without realizing it, "Madam! Is the house across the street like this? I've been here for so long, and all I've seen is a seal; I've never seen anyone go in or out..."

Du Haoniang hurriedly asked, "What? What house?"

The four of them ate in the front hall, which was wide open. Song Miao simply pointed to the opposite side and said, "Second Madam is referring to that house across the street. It used to be a gambling den, but it was shut down by the Kyoto government at the beginning of the year..."

Du Haoniang had only come twice. The first time she came by carriage, and the second time was this one. She was caught in a downpour and hadn't paid much attention to the houses on either side. When she heard this, she turned around and saw that there was a house right across from her. She was quite happy and hurriedly said, "There's a house so close by! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"If it's good, and you like it, even if we can't rent it, we can buy it. We'll save some money here and scrape together some more from around here, and that'll be enough! Don't worry about not having enough money!"

Song Miao shook her head and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but this house is no good—when it was first seized, I asked the police and Inspector Xin, and they both said that gambling cases like this can't be resolved in less than half a year because of the entangled interests involved and the need to clarify who is in charge..."

"That's fine, but because this case is a serious one and is related to the Shangyuan trafficking case, after the case is closed, it will be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for review, which will take several months. Finally, it will be transferred to the Louwu Department—the Louwu Department is under the Ministry of Revenue, and it is extremely slow. Even if he can be released in the end, it will take at least three to five years. Therefore, when I was looking for a ward, I didn't dare to think about it."

Even so, it's right across the street, so it's close by. Not only is it convenient to help out, but it's also very cheap to add tables and expand the restaurant if it expands in the future.

As they talked, they unconsciously stood up and walked to the door to look at the house. Even Xiaolian couldn't help but peek out.

The seal was very tight, but even just looking at the gate and the area occupied by the outer walls, you could tell it was a large house.

Du Haoniang and Cheng Erniang had both managed households before, and they were quite envious.

"It seems even bigger than our house!" Cheng Erniang's tone was full of envy.

Du Haoniang couldn't help but ask, "I wonder if there's a backyard..."

“Yes,” Song Miao sighed. “It’s a huge courtyard—this house used to be a bookstore. When I was little, I used to go there with my brother to buy books. In the summer, the owner would move his collection of books out to the backyard to dry. The place was flat and clean…”

Du Haoniang said, "This place is so nice, it's far superior to the ones I've seen today—it's really unbearable. I'll try anything, even if it's a dead end. I'll go back and ask Lao Xin to find out what's going on with this house!"

Song Miao smiled wryly and said, "Sister-in-law, don't bother. I just found out, and the case isn't closed yet!"

Du Haoniang then asked who she had asked.

Song Miao gave a name. Du Haoniang was still not satisfied and said, "I'll go back and find Lao Xin and ask him to think of a way. Outsiders do things differently than our own people; they're not as dedicated—what if there's another way?"

Without a moment's delay, she hurriedly borrowed a raincoat, grabbed some rain gear, and went out.

As evening approached and darkness fell, Song Miao was about to close the door when she heard someone calling from afar, "Young Lady Song!"

She looked up and saw that it was Xin Feng.

Seeing the other person wading through the rain and water, Song Miao was startled. She quickly ushered him into the house and hurriedly asked Cheng Erniang to bring dry towels and tea. She asked, "Why did the inspector come? It's raining so hard. If your legs get wet, it will be troublesome!"

Xin Feng chuckled and said, "I'm almost fully recovered. I'll be going back to the yamen next month—I called a carriage to come, and even if I didn't, the physician would still make me walk a certain number of steps every day!"

He took the towel, wiped himself haphazardly for a couple of seconds, then sat down and gulped down several mouthfuls of tea. Wiping his mouth, he said, "Your sister-in-law has been urging me on like crazy. I was worried you'd be anxious, so I came to let you know first!"

"I just found out that the house across the street is stolen property and has already been confiscated. Actually, the gambling den and the kidnapping are two separate cases, which could have been closed separately. However, the person who took over the case didn't want to go through the procedures twice and wanted to close them together..."

Song Miao then said, "Last time I asked Officers Liu and Li, and they both said that based on past experience, it would take at least half a year..."

"That's true. Abduction cases involve too many people and there are many victims. If you're unlucky, new leads might emerge at any time, and it wouldn't be surprising if the case isn't closed next year. But it's not like there's no way to resolve it at all."

Xin Feng paused, then continued, "The person who's taking over now is surnamed Cao. He's someone Qin Guanren is familiar with; he's good at giving perfunctory answers and loves to talk in official jargon. I originally wanted to pass on a message, but this time, when I was asking for credit, I was going to promote him..."

"But because you captured Lü Mao and had Zheng Yan's article, I was summoned by the Empress Dowager and praised by the Emperor, which made it difficult for you, Qin, to report my name... I was too embarrassed to come to your door for a while!"

Upon hearing this, Song Miao was overjoyed and quickly offered her congratulations.

Xin Feng waved his hand and whispered, "I didn't dare tell anyone about what was just decided. I only told my own people."

Song Miao then said, "Inspector, you shouldn't get involved in this matter anymore. Right now, you're too busy protecting your reputation to worry about what others are watching. You need to be careful!"

"I'm not afraid of that. I'm not showing favoritism. What's wrong with me chiming in a few words?!"

Xin Feng snorted and said, "I'm just a little annoyed—even if I interrupt, it might not be of any use. That guy is really good at making excuses. After thinking about it, I realized that a hundred of my words are not as good as one serious statement."

He suggested, "I was thinking of sending a message to Zhengyan and asking him to mention it, since we'll need his help with things later!"

Song Miao was already hesitant, and hearing about the trouble involved made her even more reluctant. So she asked, "Do we still need to deal with the Provincial Judicial Commissioner and ask them to expedite the approval process?"

Xin Fengdao said, "We don't need him there. My face still carries some weight in the Judicial Commissioner's Office. The ones we need to urge are the Department of Building Affairs behind us, and the officials in the Ministry of Revenue. They are arrogant and don't easily pay attention to people."

"If we go through the proper approval process and let them write the same name for a year, it will take three to five years before the house is ready to be released. By then, it will be too late!"

"Zhengyan is, after all, a student of the Imperial Academy, and he has both literary and talent reputation. People are willing to think highly of him, and if you entrust a matter to him, there is nothing he can't handle. He is very reliable!"

Xin Feng spoke with great delight, but after a moment's thought, Song Miao realized something was amiss.

She thought for a moment and said, "Let's not rush things—it's best not to involve Young Master Han in this matter!"

"Whether it's the Department of Household Affairs or the Ministry of Revenue, they both hold money and property, making them lucrative positions and the easiest places for trouble to arise. Who knows when Young Master Han might start cursing at them? If we go to ask for help this time and gain benefits and face, what if we don't like each other in the future? Would we be able to curse them then?"

Xin Feng was taken aback.

Song Miao added, "Besides, it's currently the summer flood season, and we don't know what the water situation is like in Huazhou. They must be very busy right now, so let's not bother them with such a small matter. If the house across the street has one, that would be great. If not, we can find another place."

Xin Fengxian didn't think much of it, but after hearing these words, he sighed and said, "Yes, you've thought it through carefully, and it makes a lot of sense. I've known him for a long time and see him do things every day, but I always forget that he can also scold people..."

Song Miao smiled and thanked her, then said, "Thank you for your help, Inspector. I also owe you a lot for reminding me that there are still stolen goods to look at. Since we're not setting up our stalls these next two days, I'd like to do a quick sweep. Could you please put in a good word for me?"

This one is simple.

Seeing that he could finally help, Xin Feng raised his voice a few decibels and a smile appeared on his face.

He said, "The Louwu Division has set up a post in the prefectural government. I'll have someone put in a good word. When you arrive, just give them your name!"

The rain continued, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, and the water level kept rising.

The next morning, Song Miao went to the Kyoto government office and found the location set up by the Tower Affairs Department.

Perhaps because of the heavy rain, the place was very deserted. Apart from the clerk on duty, there was only one other person sitting on the side flipping through a booklet.

Song Miao introduced herself and explained her request. The clerk who received her was quite easy to talk to. He pointed to an empty seat next to him and said, "Wait here. They are scattered in several places. I'll go to the back to look for them."

Before long, they found a booklet and gave it to him, then continued searching for more.

Song Miao took the booklet and sat down to slowly flip through it.

There aren't many smuggled houses for sale near Zhuque Gate, and even fewer that are close to Suanzao Lane.

He barely managed to copy down a few locations, returned the booklet, and got a new one to look at. After several trips back and forth, he had seen most of the stolen goods in the vicinity, but still couldn't find a suitable place.

Song Miao was somewhat disappointed. She returned the booklet, thanked the staff, and was about to leave when she stopped in her tracks as she passed the table.

There sat a young man, flipping through a booklet for a long time. He was sweating profusely and muttering to himself.

(End of this chapter)