Miao Chu

Chapter 313 Craftsman
Song Miao went out upon hearing the sound and saw the old lady next door standing outside the door with two teenagers.

"I was shelling beans at the door when these two little ones came over to ask for directions, saying they were looking for something called 'Lady Song' or 'Song's Shop,' so I just led them over—they were clearly two young scholars, and they even bowed to me!"

Song Miao looked up and saw a familiar face—it was the youngest son of the Zhang and Yuan families who had done a great deal of work on the Huazhou River to send their son to the capital and study under Master Chen.

One was Zhang Yong, an adopted son of the Zhang family, and the other was the son of Yuan Xueguan and Madam Zhang.

"Madam Song!"

"Sister Song!"

The two of them shouted, one after the other.

Zhang Yong was more familiar with her and addressed her more affectionately, while the young man from the Yuan family was less familiar, but he grinned with all eight teeth, looking very happy.

Song Miao immediately laughed and asked, "Why are there just the two of you? Did you come alone? Didn't you bring anyone with you?"

Zhang Yong said shyly, "We came by ourselves."

Yuan Xiao'er replied, "We're all grown up now! It's only two streets; we don't need anyone to follow us anymore. We can find our way here ourselves!"

The two then turned to thank the old woman, their manners impeccable and their actions quite serious.

Song Miao went to the side, took out a rope, filled a small bag with fruit, and handed it to the old woman while thanking her.

The other person didn't refuse at all and took it with a smile. But then he picked up a basket from the ground, lifted the cloth covering it, pointed it out to Song Miao, and said, "These are cucumber seeds sent by my niece from my maternal family. They were grown by herself, but everyone in her family has taken jobs in Chanzhou and won't be back for a while. They might spoil, so I gave some to each family—this is for you!"

Song Miao accepted the gift with both hands, thanked them, and then asked, "I wonder when they will be back from Chanzhou, and whether they will be able to make it in time for our opening? I was originally planning to invite your family to come and have a feast together."

The old woman complained, "Oh, I don't know when they'll be back. Once the older ones leave, they all leave, leaving only the younger ones for us old folks to take care of. We must have owed those two brothers something in our past lives! We raised them when they were born, and now we have to raise their youngest! It's such a hassle for my old bones!"

This family makes bamboo crafts, such as bamboo weaving and ware making. They run a small shop and also set up stalls in various places on market days.

"Getting a job means having income, which is always a good thing!"

The old woman couldn't help but curse, saying, "Good my foot! Who knows how much money they'll lose after coming and going? I'm afraid they'll even have to pay out of pocket—they've all been forced to go by the guild! They won't let us not go! They say it's an official dispatch, and that place in Chanzhou urgently needs craftsmen!"

Upon hearing this, Song Miao also found it strange and asked, "Aren't we craftsmen from the river works here?"

"That's exactly right! The four of us in the family usually just make baskets, boxes, hampers, and hats. We've never done any broomwork or woodworking before, we're not even carpenters! But they just randomly assigned us some tough jobs, and we can't even avoid them!"

Although the old woman was furious, she only complained a few times before saying, "There are still several mouths to feed at home. My husband's cooking is like boiling paste. I'm leaving now—if you need anything, just come and find me! Although there are only two old people in my family, we've been through a lot and can definitely keep things under control for you!"

Song Miao quickly thanked them and saw them off a few steps. As soon as she turned around, the two children each put a small bamboo basket down from their backs.

Zhang Yong said, "Sister Song, a lot of things were sent from the south yesterday. The master has been very busy these past few days and has no time to spare, so he asked me to send these salted duck eggs to you first."

The young man from the Yuan family almost immediately replied, "The school clerk originally arranged for someone to come, but my cousin and I took the job—Madam Song, where do you want to put her? I'm strong, I'll carry her in for you!"

As he spoke, he raised his little arm to show Song Miao his "chubby cheeks".

Song Miao lifted the bamboo basket and took a look inside. There was a layer of cloth lining the inside, with layers of mud-sealed salted duck eggs stacked on top of each other, and then filled with rice husks. She reached out and weighed it; it was surprisingly heavy. It was hard for the two little ones to carry it across two streets.

She carried the bamboo basket inside, pointed to the corner, and said, "Thank you, two strongmen, for moving it over there for me, okay?"

It was only a distance of twenty or thirty steps, but the two boys worked together and shoveled it to the corner.

Hearing Song Miao express her gratitude, Yuan Xiao'er said smugly, "If there's anything else that needs moving, just give it to me, Madam Song. I'm the best!"

As he was speaking, he saw Zhang Yong clapping his hands. Although he didn't know why, he felt that Zhang Yong looked very impressive, so he belatedly followed suit and clapped twice as well.

Since the two people delivered the items to our door, we naturally couldn't be negligent.

Song Miao glanced at the tea on the table and asked if they had eaten yet.

Both of them rushed to eat.

Zhang Yong said, "We ate before we came. Let's have some tea and leave while it's still light."

Song Miao went to fetch some snacks, and pointed to a small plate of pastries, saying, "On the left is egg pastry, and on the right is mung bean cake. They're fresh out of the oven and smell very good. You should eat a little bit—they're all deep-fried, so be careful not to get a sore throat."

The person opposite thanked them and, as expected, ate the food politely.

The Yuan family boy's eyes widened when he tasted the so-called egg pastry.

One bite is incredibly crispy and crumbly, with an exceptionally rich and flavorful taste. It crumbles on its own with just a gentle tap of the teeth, leaving crumbs all over the mouth and the floor.

Yuan Xiao'er hurriedly reached out to take it, chewing it as she did so—it had a strange, crumbly texture. At first bite, she thought it would be solid, but it turned out to be incredibly fragile, full of air pockets and extremely light.

Almost as soon as it enters your mouth, it softens rapidly, becoming incredibly smooth, with the aroma of eggs and wheat overwhelming you, making it incredibly sweet.

Who can resist such a smell?

Yuan Xiao'er kept clearing her throat, then pulled Zhang Yong, blinked rapidly, pointed at the plate, and gestured for him to eat.

Zhang Yong was eating a mung bean cake, fresh out of the pan, still steaming hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a subtle sweetness and a rich mung bean aroma. His cousin pulled him along, and he quickly pointed at the cake, covering his mouth with his hand and whispering, "Eat this! This is delicious!"

Seeing this, Song Miao simply got up and went to the back to make room for the two of them to eat and drink without worry. She also packed some snacks in a food box and brought them out.

She looked down again and saw that she had eaten a little of everything on each plate. She had been very restrained with the mung bean cakes and egg pastries, but she had still eaten most of them, which showed that she really liked them.

She knew that the two children must have been instructed by their families on proper etiquette when visiting others before they went to Beijing, so she didn't try to persuade them further. She simply placed the two food baskets on the table, pointed to the larger one, and said, "This is for Mr. Chen." Then she pointed to the smaller one and said, "This is for the two little strongmen who helped me deliver the salted duck eggs from afar—don't eat them all at once, or you'll get a sore throat and I won't dare to make them again!"

He added, "They're still roasting pork neck and ribs in the back. Once they're done, we'll take a food box back with us and share a bite with you, sir. But we'll have to wait a little while."

The two children exchanged a glance, grinned from ear to ear, and quickly thanked him.

Seeing that it was getting late, Song Miao did not keep the guests. She also thought that the restaurants had been rather unsettled lately and was afraid that her son would be implicated. So she called Wang Sanlang out and asked him to help take the people home.

Just as they were waiting for the barbecue, the two younger ones said they needed to use the restroom, so Wang Sanlang led them to the back.

The dried meat and other items that had been drying in the backyard had long been taken down, and two tables were set up in the open air. In addition to the staff of Songji Restaurant, there were also people from Xu's Martial Arts School, each sitting around a table of food and enjoying their meal.

Most of Song Ji's hired men were straightforward and efficient. Several of them had previously delivered steamed buns, glutinous rice, and dried meat to Xu's Escort Agency and martial arts school. While they weren't all familiar with each other, many of them had a friendly face. Even those who hadn't been there before had become somewhat acquainted after spending the day with the group of escorts. This time, after serving dishes and tending to the tables, they became even closer, greeting each other at the dinner table.

"Master镖! ​​The safety of this restaurant depends on you! My wife supports a dozen or so people, it's not easy for her, and it's not easy for us sisters to make a living either! We mustn't let some unscrupulous people from out there ruin this hard-earned business!"

"Eat more! Drink more! If there's anything I can't take care of, just let me know. We're all very generous people, don't be shy!"

Seeing that Song Miao was not there, Cheng Erniang knew that she had to say a few words in this situation, so she rolled up her sleeves, raised her cup, and said, "Although it is not convenient to drink alcohol, we have good drinks here. Escorts, eat and drink to your heart's content! Today, all the food was cooked by our wife herself. Everyone, eat and drink well!"

As they were talking, Da Bing opened the oven door, and with a gust of wind, the whole backyard was filled with the aroma of meat in the blink of an eye.

Large strips of pork neck, half-rows and whole rows, all roasted to a deep red amber color, dripping with oil, and still bubbling with oil when placed on the table.

This dish made everyone at the table salivate.

Someone sensible had already pushed it towards Madam Xu, who was in charge of the accounts, saying, "Sister! You go first!"

Then he sent Chief Qi and Second Brother Xu.

Without hesitation, Madam Xu didn't even use chopsticks. Instead, she wrapped a long pork chop and a large piece of pork neck in a lotus leaf and put them into her bowl, saying, "Let's all eat together! No need for all this polite refusing!"

As she spoke, she blew on the pork neck meat several times, not caring whether it was hot or not, and put it in her mouth.

When you take a bite and the juices burst out in your mouth, you're a little stunned.

—I'm so angry! #%! ! ! ! ! !

That was so much fun!!!
This bite is indescribable in terms of texture. It's crisp, firm, tender, and chewy. If you cut it open while it's raw, you can see the beautiful marbling of fat and lean meat. Now that it's been roasted, you can't see the fat and lean meat anymore. But when you bite into it, the oily and fatty parts explode with aroma, mixed with the fragrant, chewy, and crisp texture of the lean meat. When you close your jaws, because the meat is so fresh, there is obvious resistance, so your teeth can only slowly, slowly reach the bottom. The rich and wonderful meat juice gushes out, seemingly endless, fragrant but not greasy.

The oven was lined with pine needles; it wasn't hung to roast, but rather laid out to roast. As the meat was forced to release its oil by the high temperature, the oil soaked into the pine needles, which were also forced to release their own aroma by the high temperature, giving the meat a fresh and invigorating woody fragrance.

The outer layer of the meat is roasted until it's half-charred. Because it's brushed with maltose, the caramelized crust is exceptionally fragrant and slightly sticky. It's marinated with light soy sauce, and because the marinating time is short, it won't be too salty or overpower the meat's flavor. Instead, it will bring out the meat's own fresh and rich taste.

As you chew, the oil and meat juices melt in your mouth, releasing a rich and mellow flavor. The hint of pine needles adds a refreshing touch to the richness, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

So satisfying!
But Chief Qi was gnawing on ribs.

It was piping hot, almost scalding. It was roasted to a crispier and more fragrant crust than pork neck, lacking the richness of pork neck but offering a more pronounced chewiness. With each tear, the crispy outer shell broke open, and the juices inside burst out. In his haste, Chief Qi didn't even have time to grab a bowl, and hurriedly used his hands to catch the juices. After catching them, seeing that no one was looking at him, he quickly sucked the juices off the back of his hand, not wanting to waste a single drop.

The meat closest to the bone is the most tender and juicy, with an unusually fragrant aroma. When chewing, it contains fat and tendons, offering the richest texture. After long roasting, the lean meat, tendons, and fat have blended together, forming a crispy, soft, and firm texture along with the outer crust.

All good meat in the world should be like this!!
Besides the barbecue, dish after dish was served on the table.

The lotus root cubes are stir-fried. After dicing, wash off the excess lotus root juice, blanch them for a while, and drain them. The most important thing is to drain them dry enough so that the flavor of the seasonings is not diluted and the lotus root cubes can fully absorb the sauce. Add salt, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and stir together with the hot oil from the peppercorns, mustard seeds, garlic cloves, and Sichuan peppercorns.

The lotus root cubes prepared in this way have a tangy, spicy, and numbing flavor on the outside, and when you chew them, they are exceptionally crisp. Inside, they are still full of juicy lotus root flavor, sweet, refreshing, and appetizing.

Another appetizing and refreshing dish is the raw salad.

This dish is even more lively, with carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, cabbage, Sichuan pepper leaves, wood ear fungus, dried bean curd sticks, mung bean sheets, etc., either cut into sections or shreds, mixed with seasonings, the first taste is sour, then sweet, followed by salty and spicy, the crunchy parts are crunchy, the soft and chewy parts are soft and chewy, the thick parts are thick, the taste is exceptionally rich, and everything exudes the word "fresh".

Especially carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, cabbage, and other wild vegetables, which are clearly freshly prepared and mixed immediately without being exposed to the elements, have no lingering taste. Each bite is juicy and refreshing, giving one a strange feeling of spring returning to the earth on the tip of the tongue.

Then there's the pork kidney, cut into thick slices, almost chunks, cut with such exquisite skill that it truly resembles blooming flowers, with petals that are vertically elongated and diamond-shaped. Picking up a piece, it looks like a cluster of plump ears of wheat, covered in glistening sauce.

One bite reveals a remarkable wok hei (wok aroma), a result of intense stir-frying over high heat, bursting with savory sauce. The textures are a delightful interplay of soft, smooth, crisp, and tender, a complex blend of flavors. I don't know how it's prepared, but the only distinct sweetness and richness comes from the offal, with a lingering sweetness of meat, and absolutely no unpleasant taste whatsoever.

Besides these, there are also fried lotus root balls, each one a bite-sized treat, incredibly fragrant, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with the savory aroma of meat and the refreshing sweetness of lotus root. You could easily eat a whole plate of them as a snack...

There were also steamed buns, mantou (steamed bread), and a kind of mantou-like thing I'd never tasted before, which looked like a mantou but wasn't quite; it was said to be called "broken crisp mantou," and then...

The group of people were eating and didn't have time to pay attention to anything else. Some of them heard the commotion outside, turned around and saw that it was Wang Sanlang leading people in, so they ignored it and continued eating.

As the two children went in and out, they saw many people in the backyard. Although they were told not to look at or listen to anything improper, how could they resist glancing at the dishes on the table?

When they returned to Master Chen with several food boxes and baskets on the cart, the boy, being a blabbermouth, couldn't help but recount what he had seen and heard in the restaurant.

"So many people! What a huge table!! The food smells amazing!!"

"They said it was Sister Song who made the dishes!"

"Madam Song asked us to bring these snacks back for you, sir. Please don't eat them all at once, or you'll get a sore throat!"

Since they were coming back by carriage, which wasn't far and was quite quick, the roasted pork neck in the food box was still piping hot. Master Chen didn't need anyone's help at all; he personally took a small knife, cut off a few pieces of meat, gave two bites to each of the two errand boys, and ate the rest himself.

As he chewed, his scalp tingled, and his mind went blank. He was completely bewildered, wondering what era it was. He had no idea about the Han Dynasty, let alone the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Just as he was in a daze, he heard a knock on the door. A person stepped in and called out, "Senior Brother."

(End of this chapter)