Miao Chu

Chapter 282 Favor
In the restaurant, Song Miao saw Han Li and couldn't help but smile. She pointed to the table behind her and said, "Please sit down, young master—we're only staying for a meal today, so we didn't prepare anything special. You'll have to make do with this!"

Just then, Cheng Erniang came out and was about to go back to fetch water. Han Li saw this and said, "Second Sister Cheng, don't rush. I'll take care of it myself."

After he finished speaking, he followed them into the backyard.

Knowing the way well, he fetched water to wash his hands and face, then took the copper kettle filled with hawthorn leaf tea and returned to the front hall. Seeing Song Miao and Cheng Erniang setting out the dishes, bowls, and chopsticks, he said, "No need to trouble yourself, I can do it myself."

As he spoke, he poured himself tea and water.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Erniang turned to look at Song Miao. After receiving her nod, she stepped aside and went to tidy up the stove and pots.

There were four or five small plates and bowls on the table, with different dishes, which were obviously prepared in advance. There was also a small cup with a lid on it, so you couldn't see what was inside.

He went to serve the rice first, but as soon as he picked up the rice scoop and opened the pot lid, before he could even serve the rice, he could already smell a very pleasant aroma of aquatic plants.

The rice was glistening and plump, with many white, tuberous pieces sunk into it. I removed the outer layer, leaving only the center, and cut it into pieces.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "What is this?"

Song Miao smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Let me do it."

He further explained, “It’s a seasonal vegetable called rice-covered water bamboo shoots. It’s rare to get some water bamboo shoots today. This kind of thing is rarely sent from the south, and it’s almost out of season. Every time we eat it, it’s one less time we can have it. Although it’s not as tender as when it’s freshly picked locally, it’s still good to eat it for the taste.”

She took chopsticks and a plate, carefully picked out the stems and tubers of water bamboo, poured a little soy sauce and sesame oil on them, mixed them slightly, and placed them in front of Han Li. She also served him a bowl of rice.

Han Li first ate what was called "rice covered with water chestnuts".

The sesame oil was used sparingly, and the soy sauce was also lightly seasoned. Both ingredients brought out an extremely simple salty and savory flavor, with everything taking a backseat to the natural taste of the water bamboo.

The water bamboo shoots are crisp and sweet. Although Song Miao said they were out of season and not fresh enough, she only took the core. They were tender and without any residue. Not only the surface was covered with rice, but when you bite into them, the water bamboo shoot flesh is also full of rice aroma. It is thoroughly infused with the rice flavor. The juice does not burst out, but slides into your mouth along your teeth. Before you know it, you have a mouthful of sweetness.

The rice was kept warm by the residual heat of the stove, so it wasn't very hot anymore, only lukewarm. The water chestnuts on top were the same, but it was precisely at this perfect temperature that the freshness was more easily felt—the rice grains were all infused with the aroma of water chestnuts.

Han Li ate a bowl of rice just by eating this "rice covered with water bamboo shoots" with a few pieces of water bamboo shoots.

Besides water bamboo shoots, there was a small plate of chilled lotus root and a dish of spicy and sour lotus root cubes on the table.

It wasn't autumn yet, and both dishes featured crisp lotus root. The chilled one relied entirely on the selection of ingredients and the knife skills. Song Miao made the cuts herself, and the ice was chilled thoroughly. When chewing, there was no feeling of the lotus root being broken or connected. No seasoning was needed; all you could clearly feel was the lotus root juice—the sweet juice overwhelming your mouth.

The spicy and sour lotus root cubes were only half-warm, still sitting in the pot. They were already cut into even, small cubes, which made them easy to absorb the flavors when stir-frying. Now that they had been sitting for an hour or so, the sour and spicy flavors seemed to have grown together with the lotus root cubes.

The sourness comes from a blend of aged vinegar, white vinegar, and pickling liquid, which is very refreshing and makes your nose feel clear. It's also very spicy, with plenty of dogwood and mustard seeds, but the natural sweetness of the lotus root makes everything milder. This dish is enough to make you want to eat half a pot of rice.

Besides the vegetarian dishes, there were two meat dishes, but the portions were not large.

One dish is poached chicken. The chicken skin is thick, but it is bouncy and crispy. Between the skin and the meat, there is a very thin layer of chicken juice and chicken fat essence that has been condensed into a semi-transparent jelly.

The chicken is poached to perfection, perfectly cooked, firm, and incredibly flavorful without a trace of fishiness. The dipping sauce is made with sand ginger, scallion oil, ginger paste, and Worcestershire sauce. A light dip in the sauce and the chicken flavor bursts forth with every bite.

Another dish is a small steamed meatloaf, filled with red dates, ginseng, goji berries, and soaked dried shiitake mushrooms. The shiitake mushrooms are then chopped and added to the pork.

The meat is very fresh, and it has a simple and homely nourishing flavor. After being steamed for a long time, the natural sweetness of the ingredients such as ginseng, goji berries, and red dates has been infused into the pork patty, making it very palatable. After finishing a bowl, drinking the essence of the soup will make you feel your energy and blood being revitalized.

Indeed, none of the dishes are made fresh, but none of them are afraid of being left out for a long time. In fact, they can even develop a bit of flavor when left out, remaining lukewarm and just right for eating.

The portion sizes were just right, making for a very comfortable dining experience.

The small plates of dishes on the table were quickly devoured by Han Li along with the rice.

Just then, Song Miao came over to refill his tea. He quickly put down his chopsticks and asked, "Is Mr. Song free right now?"

Song Miao paused for a moment and said, "Please speak, young master."

Han Li moved the plates and bowls on the table to the right, clearing half a square of space on the table to his left. He then took out a few thin sheets of paper and a small cloth bag from his sleeve, placed them in the empty space, stood up, pulled the chair to his left out a little, and then looked up at Song Miao.

His movements were very natural, and he looked like he was asking a question. He moved the chair, then moved it aside, then put it down, then pulled out the chair, and finally looked up. Song Miao naturally followed his movements and sat down on the chair.

Han Li then sat back down, pointed to the paper and cloth bundle on the table, and said softly, "My senior brother said that he has been relying on you to take care of his meals all this time. Everyone who has seen him says that he looks much better. I am also grateful for your help in going to Huazhou with me. I would like to give you a gift."

He pushed the cloth bag towards Song Miao.

“It’s a piece of raw jade that I obtained a long time ago. He told me to carefully polish and carve it into a jade pendant to hold down the hem of your skirt when you come of age. I’ve drawn a few designs. You can choose one and see which one you like.”

Song Miao almost immediately thought of the white jade that Master Chen insisted on giving her when she went to deliver the letter that day.

She opened the cloth bag layer by layer, and sure enough, the white jade inside was flawless, translucent and smooth, its shape and size still the same as before, lying comfortably in the cloth bag, with a small, familiar pointed corner protruding from the outside, looking very much like a rabbit's three-lobed mouth.

If it could talk, it would probably be grinning and greeting you right now—Hey, didn't expect that, did you! It's me again!
Looking at the rabbit-like mouth, Song Miao couldn't help but sigh and said, "I'm running a business, and you're doing me a favor by coming here. There's no reason for me to accept such a generous gift. Young master, you didn't even try to persuade him. Where did your mouth go?"

Upon hearing this, Han Li smiled and said, "It's such a big day, I'd like to give a gift, but I haven't chosen anything suitable yet."

Then they showed him the drawings on paper.

Seeing that Song Miao seemed about to refuse, he said, "I also have something else to ask you today—I heard that the shop is not big enough and they are looking for a yard to dry meat. Is that true?"

Lately, she has been looking for courtyards and houses everywhere. Many old customers and acquaintances know about this and are helping to offer suggestions. Song Miao was not surprised that the other party knew about it and casually replied, "Yes, that's right. Does the young master know where there is a suitable place?"

"I think the other side is fine, and it's not that difficult. Why don't you come and tell me?"

He had been smiling and his voice carried a faint chuckle as he spoke, but his expression suddenly turned serious after asking this question.

Seeing his seriousness, Song Miao also said seriously, "I know that you must have a way, but the Department of Building Affairs and the Ministry of Revenue are powerful places, and in the future..." She paused, thinking about how to say it more appropriately, when she heard Han Li say, "I used to say that you looked down on me, but now I want to say that you think highly of me—do you think that I would do something that is not certain and not beneficial to myself?"

He shifted a little to the left and said softly, "Let me lend a hand—the stove isn't working properly, so we shouldn't be stopped from finding a yard, should we?"

Song Miao chuckled for a moment and said, "Young Master, what you're saying..."

Han Li then said, "I see that the shop is currently only two courtyards in size, how can that be enough? The opposite side is so close and convenient in every way, why don't we just buy it?"

“I’ve saved up some spare money, and I’ve told you before, but you wouldn’t take it—now that we have this rare opportunity, I shouldn’t say those distant things again, right?”

As he spoke, he took a letter from his pocket.

Song Miao didn't need to accept or open the package; she knew it mostly contained banknotes. After thinking for a moment, she simply confessed, "I really don't want to take your money, young master."

Han Li paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, then said, "Then I'll buy it, and you can rent it—how about that?"

Song Miao shook her head and said, "It's too important to repay favors. Favors are harder to repay than money. I know you will say that you don't need to repay me, but we are just doing business. I am a businesswoman and I hate dragging things out."

Han Li was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "In Mr. Song's eyes, am I mud or water?"

Song Miao found it difficult to respond.

The two sat quietly facing each other.

After a few moments, Han Li looked up and asked, "How much did you do in Huazhou? Why didn't I say I was afraid of owing you a favor back then?"

"Let's put that aside for now—how much effort are you most willing to take from me right now?"

"We can't possibly have fewer than Xin Feng, Sister Cheng, Zhang Si Niang, and Sun Lizheng, can we?"

This was a tricky question, breaking the tension between the two of them. Song Miao couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Does the young master really have a way to get the building management to release the house across the street—so that we can continue to scold them in the future?"

Han Li glanced at her and said, "If I don't scold them, am I supposed to scold you?"

There was a hint of anger in his words.

It was rare to see the person opposite her get angry, and Song Miao felt a strange mix of emotions, yet it also made her feel inexplicably amused.

She said, "I'll trouble you, young master—I'll owe you a big favor in advance. If the house can really be bought, I plan to mortgage this restaurant. If I'm still short, I'll ask you for a loan then, and I'll pay you back slowly in the future, how about that?"

Han Li finally agreed, then pointed to the jade pendant on the table, gesturing for Song Miao to look at it. He then stood up, slowly cleared the table of dishes, and took them to the backyard.

After their previous conversation, Song Miao felt awkward about leaving the dirty bowls and chopsticks behind. Although she felt she was in the right, his question, "Am I cursing you?" made her feel guilty. So she slowly flipped through the papers and carefully examined their contents.

After a while, Han Li washed the dishes and chopsticks, sat back down, took out clean teacups, poured tea for the two of them, moved his chair half a step closer, and explained to her one by one the meanings behind each style.

As they were talking, Song Miao heard a faint noise from behind the second gate.

She turned her head first, and then Han Li, seeing this, also turned his head. The two of them looked at each other and saw a small head pop out from inside the door, with small eyes blinking and a small bamboo hairpin stuck in its hair—it was Xiao Lian.

Good kids are so cute.

Song Miao smiled and waved to her. The child shyly lowered her head and ran over, leaning against Song Miao. As if she had gained courage from this, she turned to Han Li and said in a soft voice, "Brother Han, thank you for the hairpin, comb, and mirror. I want to give you a gift in return. My sister said I can ask you. What should I give you?"

Han Li raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Song Miao first, then looked at Xiao Lian, pondered for a moment, clearly thinking hard, and finally said, "There is indeed something I would like to ask you for a favor."

He said, “I just returned to Beijing from out of town. When I went to my senior brother’s study today, I found that there were more bookworms and insects than in previous years. Could you please think of a way to make some medicine packets to help me get rid of the insects and ants?”

Xiao Lian immediately stood up straight, grabbed Song Miao's sleeve with one hand, and asked, "What kind of insect is it?"

Han Li said, "I saw two or three kinds..."

He gave a brief description.

Xiao Lian immediately ran back to the backyard. A short while later, she brought out paper and pen and wrote it down in a serious manner, solemnly promising, "I will ask Master tomorrow and make sure to get a good deworming sachet for my brother!"

He added, "If it can't be driven away all at once, I... I can make a new one!"

Having accomplished a major task, she happily returned to the backyard with the notes she had made.

After having a meal and some conversation, and spending half a day choosing jade pendant styles, Han Li realized it was getting late and, not wanting to linger, had to get up and take his leave.

Before leaving, he said, "Stadium owner Song is going to do big business in the future, why be so overly cautious? Just give it a try—some mud and water can actually be dragged along."

He added, "I have my own reasons, and I'm not afraid of owing you favors. In fact, I feel the bigger and more I owe you, the better—do you even have such thoughts?"

After saying that, he took a few steps, then turned back to look at her slowly before bowing slightly and leaving again.

Song Miao stood inside the door, not in a hurry to close it. After a moment, she finally stepped out, stood in the middle of the alley, and looked up.

A crescent moon hangs in the sky, and countless stars resemble a river.

She stood there for a while, thinking of mud one moment and water the next. After a long while, she went into the house, closed the door, bolted and locked it, and returned to her own room. Just as she was about to close the door, she suddenly paused, went out again, took the lamp, and walked to the water vat under the shed.

In such darkness, it was impossible to see the fish swimming in the water. She stared at it for a long time, but only a dim yellow candlelight was cast on the water's surface, swaying and being dispersed by the fish swimming inside.

There was some thought involved—how could there not be? That's why I didn't want to owe such a big favor.

(End of this chapter)