Miao Chu

Chapter 325 Finding Fault (The entire chapter is related to food and has no plot)
Making ginger paste is a delicate task.

After giving her instructions, Song Miao first had the rice cooked. Then, she took out a number of ingredients and had Dabing prepare them. She then found a small, broken pot and used it to stir-fry coarse salt.

The most important aspects of salt-baked food are the heat and the saltiness.

If the heat is too high, it will easily burn; if it's baked for too long, it will either be overcooked or too salty.

If the heat is too low, the aroma of the ingredients cannot be brought out, and the moisture cannot be forced out, resulting in a significantly inferior taste.

This time it's baked crab, and in order not to overpower the crab flavor, Song Miao only added a very small amount of spices.

While salt was being stir-fried, Song Miao took a moment to check on the prepared ingredients. She saw that the male crabs had already been cleaned and steamed, and everything else was being prepared in the proper order. She then gave a separate instruction: "This ginger paste is still not dry enough. Fourth Sister, put another layer of gauze over it and wring it tighter to squeeze out all the ginger juice."

He added, "Keep the ginger juice and keep it on ice. We'll use it to make ginger milk curd this afternoon. We can eat it ourselves, and the other table of guests has booked a high-end banquet, so it'll be nice to give it away."

Zhang Si Niang quickly agreed, then asked, "Madam, what are we going to do with the ginger paste?"

"Old Mr. Cao doesn't like the spiciness of old ginger, but one of the main dishes today is crab, which is cold in nature, so it's best to pair it with ginger. Old ginger juice is spicy, so I had to find a way to make ginger paste—I simply fried rice."

Can ginger paste be used in fried rice?

"Yes, it smells delicious when stir-fried."

Although Song Miao wasn't a picky eater, she didn't really like the taste of ginger when she was little. So, the families in the mountains tried to make all sorts of things, like sweet and sour ginger slices, ginger milk curd, pickled ginger, ginger fried rice, and so on. But now, time was tight, and there wasn't time to make anything else. They were also worried that the ginger flavor in the ginger milk curd was a bit too strong, and Master Cao still wouldn't like it. Fried rice would be better.

After several months, she had come to know this man's tastes quite well—he loved meat, oil, and aroma.

Since Song Miao said she could, the rest of the kitchen staff had no more doubts and simply followed her instructions to do their work efficiently.

Just then, a hired hand delivered scissors and copper skewers, overhearing everyone's conversation.

This person was new. After leaving the main kitchen, he couldn't help but quietly approach another long-term employee, Madam Duan.

She repeated what she had overheard before saying, "I'm so suffocated! Can you really eat fried rice with ginger?"

“I saw that Fourth Sister Zhang took a lot of ginger, slapping and scraping it until it was so finely minced that it was hard to pick out after frying! You know I don’t like ginger either, and just looking at it makes me nervous!”

"I've been here for a few days now, and the owner's cooking skills are undoubtedly excellent. But this one dish is really incomprehensible to me. When we eat vegetables, we usually use ginger to remove the fishy smell and as a side dish. We also pick it out when we eat it. If you put too much ginger in, I'm afraid even fried rice will become spicy, right?"

The woman opposite, who was a long-term employee, couldn't stop laughing and said, "You know the master's skills are impeccable—but you haven't been here long enough. Look at all the people in this room, has anyone asked a question?"

"Of course you can't ask! Even if you find it strange that the boss is cooking, you can't talk back to him, can you? See, I only came out to talk to you because I wanted to!"

"We don't stand on ceremony in our restaurant! We always speak our minds and ask questions. Madam doesn't put on airs. If there's anything, you can talk to Second Madam Cheng or directly to Madam Cheng... You'll understand once you get to know her better!"

Seeing that the hired maid looked hesitant, Madam Duan said again, "Why don't you believe me? Hey! If this place wasn't good, would I have called you here?"

“Of course I know! What kind of relationship do we have! If it weren’t such a good job, you wouldn’t have thought of me!” The short-term hire woman quickly swore an oath. “Although I’ve only been here for a few days, I can see that everyone here is easy to get along with, and the relationships between superiors and subordinates are good. Everyone is easy to talk to. There are a lot of rules, and the work is a bit tedious, but the wages are really good and not too bad.”

She hurriedly said, "The day I came here, Madam Cheng told me that this restaurant is not easily hiring outsiders anymore, and it all requires introductions from acquaintances—I was able to get in because you praised me so highly, and if I don't perform well, I will really embarrass you!"

"Don't worry, I remember everything. If you see me doing anything wrong, just point it out. I'm just afraid of accidentally making a mistake. See, I only dared to hide and look for you this time because I came out!"

Madam Duan said, "Next time, if you find anything strange, you should ask more questions and speak up. Since you're new here, it's your time to show your abilities. You should do more work and speak more. Look at Sister Li in front. She's only been here for a month or so, but she's already managing five people who make steamed buns in the morning, and her monthly salary has increased quite a bit. Also, when you're making steamed buns and pancakes, besides taking Little Liu with you, you also take her with you so they can instruct the others!"

"Don't think this is a small matter. She was just asking questions back then, not afraid of losing face. The more questions she asked, the faster she corrected them, and the better she did things. The landlord and Second Madam Cheng thought she was meticulous and diligent. When it came time for promotions, there were clearly many people ahead of her, but she was the one who got promoted!"

The woman opposite her, who was working a short-term job, exclaimed, "Ah!" and said, "She arrived later?"

She added enviously, "The steamed buns made in the restaurants are so delicious! She's learned how to make them. Even if she doesn't work here in the future, can't she set up her own stall outside and make a living?"

Madam Duan only took the part about "not working here in the future" to heart, and shook her head, saying, "Only a fool would leave for no reason. Business outside is not that easy. Look at this year, from the beginning of spring until now, the water level in the capital has been rising for more than two months. If you set up a stall and rely on that stall for food, you will starve to death. Staying here, you are guaranteed a good income regardless of drought or flood. In the future, if the restaurant opens and does well, you can also get a share of the restaurant business!"

She explained about investing in the food business, and then added, "Work hard! I'm thinking of working here until I'm old—ideally, I can get into the food business before I can't work anymore. If I can really get a stake in our restaurant, I'll get a share of the profits every month, so I won't be afraid of not having enough money for my coffin when I'm old!"

The two acquaintances exchanged a few words here, then quickly returned to their seats and went about their business without further ado.

In the large kitchen, Song Miao selected several female crabs with the most bulging bellies and the darkest color, covered them with crushed ice, and froze them first.

She heated the coarse salt, then added bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other ingredients to stir-fry until the aroma was fully released. Just then, the crab was almost frozen solid, so she took a clean cloth to wipe the water off the crab, wrapped it in two layers of dried lotus leaves, and slowly baked it in the salt over a low flame.

When Song Miao was frying salt here, before she even added the spices, Zhang Si Niang and Da Bing, who were washing and preparing vegetables, turned to look.

"It smells so good!"

"This pot is really expensive! Putting everything else aside, just the salt alone must have cost a fortune!"

"So this is what salt smells like! I always thought salt had no flavor."

Song Miao laughed and said, "Once the crabs are ready, we'll clean them thoroughly after the salt has cooled, and pack them separately. They can still be used later—it's not like we're just doing one-off business!"

In the back, some were selecting crab meat, others were tending the fire, and still others were preparing the dishes. Song Miao was in charge of cooking, and everything was done in an orderly manner. In the front hall, the uncle and nephew, who rarely had a moment of free time, started chatting.

There weren't many tables in the restaurant to begin with, and since it wasn't mealtime, it was quiet and peaceful with no one else around. The two of them sat behind the screen and comfortably drank their beverages.

As soon as Cao's nephew sat down, he couldn't help but glance at the screen beside him—it was exquisitely embroidered. After looking at the screen, he looked at the various menus hanging on the wall, the menu on the table, and then at the central hall behind—even though he was a well-informed official in the capital, he was still quite surprised.

“Uncle…the central hall in the back, how come it looks like Han Li’s handwriting? And the menu, how come the paper inside, the pattern looks so much like the embossed stationery you treasure? And the handwriting on it, is it yours?”

It looks so simple on the outside, but how can it be so "lavish" inside? The hanging decorations and paintings are all the work of masters!

Master Cao slowly sipped his cool drink and said, "You have a sharp eye—everyone says that Xiao Song is a person of excellent character and conduct. We old men often come here to eat, secretly using it as our kitchen. As soon as she mentioned it, everyone was scrambling to help out. Don't underestimate this menu; it will be very useful once the restaurant opens. I fought with Old Chen, Xiao Jiang, Cheng Lin, and a few others for ages before finally managing to snatch it!"

Cao's nephew flipped through the menu in his hand and asked curiously, "I think the menu on the wall is more eye-catching. Why does Uncle only make menus and not write or draw pictures?"

He was about to say something more when Master Cao, who was drinking a refreshing beverage, choked and coughed several times. After finally calming down, he said irritably, "Han Zhengyan's foul mouth is used to criticize those who are ignorant outside. Why is your foul mouth only directed at your own people?"

Master Cao was unwilling to admit that he couldn't compete with the one surnamed Chen, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "Ever since your aunt ate the snail stuffed food from this place, she has been urging me to bring some food back every few days. If it weren't for the many things to do at home lately and her inability to leave, she probably would have come to our door herself long ago!"

Nephew Cao hurriedly asked, "I've been wanting to ask for a long time, how is Second Brother doing in Chanzhou? Last time I heard from Uncle that he encountered a lot of trouble, went through a lot of trouble, and was looking everywhere for a transfer and shipment..."

Master Cao chuckled and said, "It's all done—thanks to this young lady Song..."

He briefly recounted the story of Wang Shuji that Song Miaotong and Han Li had introduced, and then said, "Things will be better once this month is over. I heard that the river will be dredged in the next few days. Once the river is dredged, although there will still be some things to do, the main burden will no longer be on him."

The two talked about Chanzhou again before bringing up the topic again.

Master Cao said, "I've already praised you to Miss Song today, saying you're reliable and responsible. Regardless of whether you can do it or not, once you've investigated it thoroughly, you must send someone to tell me—and tell me too! Otherwise, I'll lose face without even knowing it, and I won't even be able to come over for a meal in the future!"

Just as Cao's nephew was about to reply, he heard footsteps. Turning around, he saw a person carrying a tray coming out from the second gate.

Just as the dishes were about to be served, Cao Nephew hurriedly turned to Master Cao and asked, "It's a rare occasion for us to get together, so I should serve you the wine, Uncle—but I wonder what kind of drinks you would like?"

As they were asking the question, Master Cao seemed completely oblivious. Seeing someone come out from the second gate, he immediately moved the drink in front of him aside, then arranged the clean bowls and chopsticks that had just been brought to him. He half-lifted his bottom, moved the chair he was sitting in back a step, adjusted his position and posture, then picked up the chopsticks, tapped the chopsticks twice on the table to straighten them, and then looked up at the tray that was getting closer and closer.

This series of movements was executed so smoothly and seamlessly that it was almost frightening.

For a moment, Cao's nephew even thought he was seeing things.

To put it bluntly, my uncle right now really is like a rambunctious dog kept at home, waiting for its food bowl at mealtimes!

After being called "Uncle" twice more, Master Cao finally realized what was happening and asked, "What is it?"

Upon learning that the question was about alcohol, he immediately shook his head and said, "I won't drink anymore. In the past six months or so, the older folks of us have given up alcohol unless it's for necessary social occasions. Xiao Song said that no matter how much or how little alcohol you drink, it will numb your tongue if you drink it for a long time, and you won't be able to taste the subtle flavors in her dishes anymore!"

One little Song on the left, one little Song on the right.

Having just sat down and chatted with that young lady Song for quite a while, and having indeed made a very good impression, seeing his uncle talking about her so much, and even giving up alcohol in order to taste the flavor of her cooking, Cao, who was used to enjoying alcohol, suddenly felt a sense of resentment.

—Let me see what kind of skill this is!
Just as Cao nephew had made up his mind to find fault with the dishes, the aunt who was serving the food finally arrived.

She first placed a plate of dishes in the center of the table, then served each of them a small bowl of white rice, saying, "Just so you two know, my wife says this dish is called crab meat braised with winter melon, and it's best eaten with white rice—but there's another fried rice dish coming up later, so it's best to save some room, otherwise you won't be able to eat that fried rice."

As soon as the dishes were placed on the table, Cao felt something was amiss.

It's something that anyone with eyes can tell will taste good just by looking at it.

This dish is called Crab Meat Braised Winter Melon. As the name suggests, the crab meat, crab roe, and crab fat are extracted and braised together with winter melon. There is a lot of broth in the dish, which covers most of the ingredients.

The soup was thickened with an extremely thin cornstarch slurry, revealing snow-white crab meat, either in strands or large chunks, depending on which part it was. There was abundant crab roe, not much but translucent crab paste, and also winter melon chunks that looked like dyed white jade because they had been soaked in the soup, and were simmered until they were somewhat transparent.

The soup was heavier than orange-yellow and slightly lighter than orange-red. It looked very rich and thick, with a semi-solid surface covered with a thin, shiny layer of translucent golden orange oil. However, once you scooped up a spoonful, you would find that it was still able to flow very well.

As Cao watched, his eldest brother's Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly—but he swallowed the saliva inside.

I can't even imagine how delicious it would be to mix with rice!

He took the first spoonful and offered it to his uncle.

However, this spoonful was too full.

Master Cao noticed that his nephew's hand was trembling slightly. The spoon, which held a large piece of crab roe on top of it, was plump, oily, and glistening with an enticing sheen. It looked as if it might fall off at any moment.

He was extremely nervous, afraid that the other person would really drop it, so he quickly grabbed a bowl to catch it, shouting, "Don't let me, don't let me! I'll eat my own!"

After saying this, he couldn't wait any longer. He quickly grabbed his spoon, mixed the crab roe and crab fat with the soup, and shoved a big mouthful into his mouth.

Cao's nephew was also impatient to wait any longer.

Seeing his uncle shoveling spoonful after spoonful of mixed rice into his mouth, too busy to even speak, Cao's nephew couldn't help but quickly serve himself a spoonful as well.

He has a good appetite; this spoonful doesn't include rice, but only whole pieces of crab claw meat and large chunks of crab roe, making it quite substantial.

As soon as it entered my mouth, I was left speechless.

　Many thanks to the bookstore fireworks and freedom for the light of inspiration and the two small tokens, and to the silent friend for the writing tool :)

　　Thank you to the following six friends for sending me a small token of my appreciation: 熬夜修仙!! 万事兴_EB 书友20230718673_dc 偶尔轻松 蝴蝶_cB 我爱侬侬
　　Thank you so much to the lively Tangtangtang and Viviqi for each of you who sent me a lucky charm! ^_^
　　(End of this chapter)