Miao Chu

Chapter 333 revised
The most troublesome part of making these steamed buns is the filling; it's not difficult to make, just tedious.

Salted duck eggs are made by taking only the yolks, washing off the layer of egg white that sticks to the outside, sprinkling a little rice wine to remove the fishy smell, baking them in a small oven until they are cooked and fragrant, then taking them out and mashing them—they must be sieved three times through a fine sieve to leave no lumps, sifting them until they are fine and dense.

Slowly stir-fry the milk with a little granulated sugar. It is not advisable to use an iron pot at this time; a clay pot should be used instead to avoid ruining the color. Stir-fry until it becomes a thick, flowing consistency.

Once both are prepared, add chopped egg yolks, thick milk, sugar, frozen crystal sashimi (without any other ingredients), and lard. Stir carefully with chopsticks until well combined, then sift twice more. Place the mixture in a flat, concave-bottomed porcelain dish and freeze.

Dabing, who had been quite happy to hear that there was a new way to make steamed buns, started to feel uneasy as he worked on it. He couldn't help but ask, "Wife, this takes so much time and effort. We need to use ice, lots of salted egg yolks, milk, and sugar. How much will we have to price it to break even?"

Zhang Si Niang, who was shoveling ice, chimed in when she heard this: "It's better in winter—if you take it out to freeze in winter, you don't need ice, and it will harden in no time, which saves you money on ice. But the ingredients aren't cheap either, and I don't know if it's easy to set a price."

Having made steamed buns for so long, she was no longer the novice she once was and was quite confident in her skills. She couldn't help but ask, "Wife, if we don't freeze them, can we wrap them more carefully?"

"This filling melts when heated, making it impossible to wrap. You can try wrapping some that haven't frozen properly in a bit and you'll see. It's not that it's completely unusable, but it takes more time and effort, and it's more likely to burst open and leak filling."

As Song Miao spoke, she gently scooped up a spoonful, and sure enough, when the spoon was tilted, it was like scooping thick soup, unable to take shape at all.

"These steamed buns are best suited for the elderly and children. If you have a sweet tooth, you'll probably like them too. Like the crispy steamed buns, they're best eaten fresh. We'll just charge the normal price. Those who like them will come and buy them. They're only for dine-in, no delivery, and we don't sell them at our stall."

She thought for a moment and then said, "Let's come up with another way, such as pricing it at seven coins each, or if you come to the restaurant and spend a certain amount, you can get a free steamed bun with a human head on it—set this a higher price, or you can spend a certain amount and then use your money to buy it—set this a slightly lower price, such as three or four coins each."

"Even seven coins is too cheap, isn't it?" Big Pancake hurriedly interjected.

Song Miao laughed and said, "It may not be seven coins, but seven coins is quite appropriate. These are small steamed buns. What did you expect? They're only about the size of a baby's fist—they have salted egg yolk inside and sugar added. If they were made too big, they wouldn't be sweet enough!"

Upon hearing Song Miao say she was tired of it, both Da Bing and Zhang Si Niang exchanged a glance, and surprisingly, both pouted.

"I don't believe you no matter what, my wife says you're tired of me!"

"Exactly! Anything my wife finds fault with, I've never found bad after eating it myself—you even said the black char siu was greasy last time! I just wish I had a bigger stomach so I wouldn't have had a chance to say it was greasy!"

"Roasted pigeon and crispy steamed buns too! My wife says she'll find them too oily if she eats too much—but where's the oiliness?!"

One of them spoke up for the black char siu, while the other defended the roast pigeon and the broken flaky bun.

They chatted and laughed in the kitchen, while watching the time to knead and proof the dough and prepare the ingredients.

Zhang Si Niang then asked, "Madam, what should we do with all this leftover salted egg white?"

People's love for salted duck eggs was distinct. In terms of taste, most people preferred the salted yolk, while only a few liked the salted egg white. This large basin of salted egg whites couldn't be thrown away, but it was also difficult to deal with.

Upon hearing this, Song Miao turned her head and glanced at all the ingredients in the kitchen, saying, "Use them to cook. If there's any left over, we can use it to make noodles for you镖爷 (bodyguards) at noon. When kneading the dough, add salted egg whites instead of water, and the noodles will be more chewy. If there's still some left over, we can use it to make pancakes, which are also very delicious."

Besides ordering food from Master Cao, Song's restaurant also had other guests who booked a table for lunch. Song Miao, along with Zhang Si Niang and Da Bing, and several other women helping out, were busy at the restaurant.

Meanwhile, Wu Gongshi and his group on the riverbank outside the city were also busy wiping away sweat and looking around.

This year's rainfall is really strange; even in autumn, the floods continue.

The recent heavy rains upstream caused the river outside the capital to swell dramatically. The day before yesterday, the river almost overflowed its banks several times in one night. Only by repeatedly releasing water into the slow-flowing river and closing the sluice gates to stop the water flow was the safety of the city not affected.

Now that the floodwaters had subsided slightly, Wu Gongshi had just caught his breath and dozed off for a moment when, just as dawn was breaking, he received news that the Emperor was about to arrive.

Without any warning, it came suddenly, without giving any time to prepare. Wu Gongshi couldn't very well scold the current official for adding to the chaos, so he could only hurriedly summon his subordinates.

After explaining all the various matters one by one, he summoned Han Li and first told him about the emperor's upcoming visit. Then he said, "I really can't spare the time right now. You are most skilled in bail work and carpentry, and you just finished repairing the dike together. Quickly take some people to help with the inspection. I will go and check it again after I'm done with my work!"

Once he had a free hand, he led his men to inspect both sides again. Sure enough, everyone was doing their job properly. The brooms, carpenters, and so on were all in good order. What needed to be patched was patched, what needed to be repaired was repaired, and even the replacement materials were prepared. The records of the use and replacement were also clearly remembered.

Seeing that everything was ready and he no longer needed to worry about anything, Wu Gongshi breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly went to report to his superior.

As soon as he left, a group of students who had been temporarily transferred gathered around him. Seeing that their superior was not there, they all rushed over to ask questions.

"Brother Han, will the Emperor really come?"

"Young Master Han, do you know whether the Emperor only inspects the river embankment or also asks questions of people during his inspections?"

Han Li shook his head and said, "I have only received the news. I do not know whether His Majesty will come or when he will come."

He added, “However, people nowadays are very concerned about their own affairs and value students. If they really come here and see that there are students on temporary assignment, it is only natural that they would ask them a few more questions. You should all prepare yourselves well, there is no harm in it.”

Among the students happened to be one who had been to Huazhou with him before. They spoke with a more familiar and intimate tone, and he asked, "Leader, if His Majesty really comes and asks us questions, how should we answer? Are there any rules?"

Han Li said, "I am just a student too. But since we are students, we won't be too demanding these days. As long as we are familiar with the things at hand, we can answer any questions. Even if they don't ask us, it's already quite remarkable if we can answer them without stuttering. That's half the battle won."

The students, who were initially quite nervous, couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

"Brother Han, please teach me how to speak without stuttering!"

“Exactly! Leader, quickly teach us how to speak as fast and eloquently as you, babbling away…” The man had only just begun, making a few “babbling” sounds, when he suddenly stopped stuttering.

The crowd laughed even harder.

After two busy days, seeing that the water level had dropped considerably, everyone was no longer as nervous as when they first came to the dam. Now, hearing that the emperor was coming, although they knew it probably had nothing to do with them, they were still somewhat excited.

—What if!
If I perform exceptionally well today, and the emperor remembers my name and appearance, in the future…

I heard that during the palace examination, the emperor himself will inspect the candidates and examine their papers—and the names will not be kept secret!

Hehe!

A group of students on temporary assignment were familiarizing themselves with their duties here. The Director of Water Conservancy, the Grand Supervisor of the Bianhe River, and others had already set off early to greet the emperor.

Halfway there, they encountered one person after another, and then many others, including Prefect Zhao and Prefect Zheng from the capital city government, as well as a group of other officials.

Before the emperor arrived, everyone began to whisper among themselves, discussing the severity of the flood. Despite the lack of rain in the capital, the floodwaters came on strong and unexpectedly, leaving no one with any chance to react.

“My family is still asking why there is no flooding in the city, it seems like the water is just a little muddy, but there are rumors everywhere that the flooding outside the city is severe.”

"If this happens again, I'm afraid even the flood diversion channel of the Huanhe River won't be usable—I heard that too much water has been released, and farmland outside the city has already been flooded..."

The officials whispered among themselves in the back, while the highest-ranking officials at the front greeted each other and exchanged a few pleasantries before gradually falling silent.

Unlike the students below, the officials who came to greet them showed no excitement whatsoever. Some were even yawning or resting with their eyes closed, while others stood there with their subordinates constantly running over to ask questions. Still others were chatting or discussing matters with those around them.

The people had already lined up and taken their places to speak.

As they talked, a large group of people gradually gathered in one spot.

"Have you heard? The King of Lu has had another son."

"They're really good at having babies!"

"It's been so many years, why haven't you gone to your fiefdom yet?" "It's not under our jurisdiction. The Censorate has impeached us countless times. The memorials are submitted, but they are all kept in the dark and not issued. After seeing this for a long time, most of them just don't want to pay attention to it anymore."

"It seems that both Councilor Li and Prefect Feng have gone to Liutahe. The canal project in Chanzhou has been underway for almost a year without any results, and now it's being stopped just like that. They're even bringing Lü Zhongchang back. I don't know what's going on."

"He might not be willing to go back! Lu Zhongchang used to work at the Water Conservancy Bureau for a few years. He has a terrible temper and a stubborn mouth. He can't stand losing face. With his personality, he might stop the river today and open it up tomorrow—what's done is done, there's no use stopping him!"

Those present naturally didn't take the remark seriously, and even the speaker wasn't being serious; it was just a joke.

As the group was talking, a person rushed in from outside to deliver the message. Not long after, the emperor's entourage finally arrived.

Upon arriving at the destination, Zhao Yu immediately dismounted from the imperial carriage, excused himself from all the formalities, and without a moment's delay, went to inspect the dikes and the water level.

The Director of the Water Conservancy Bureau hurriedly led the way, explaining to the Emperor the current situation regarding flood control and dike repair, and also summoned Wu Gongshi to check for any shortcomings.

It was supposed to be a checklist to fill in the gaps, but once Wu arrived on official business, he ended up doing all the introductions himself.

As Zhao Yu walked, he listened and asked questions. He walked halfway up the embankment, but then suddenly stopped.

Instead of following Wu Gongshi's directions, he found a slope, pointed to the path leading down, and asked, "Can we go this way?"

As soon as the emperor gave the order, imperial guards immediately cleared the way.

Zhao Yu walked down the slope.

Below, dozens of laborers were carrying sand on shoulder poles, surrounded by many people above, including a group of officials who were flanking one of them.

The man wore a soft headscarf, a narrow-sleeved robe, a belt with rhinoceros horn and gold and jade rings around his waist, and a pair of black boots. He looked very kind.

As soon as he stepped forward, he began to ask everyone questions, such as when they arrived, what duties they were performing, whether they were there last night, how the water situation was these past two days, whether they could cope, what kind of work they usually did, and whether their service here would delay the farming season.

Although the other party did not provide much introduction, the commoners had already been informed by the officials that the emperor was coming. However, they did not think it would have anything to do with them. When they saw the person coming and saw many people in purple and scarlet robes respectfully greeting him, and heard the question, they were not stupid. They could easily guess who the person was and rushed to answer.

After a flurry of answers, one of them couldn't help but ask, "You...you are the current emperor?!"

Zhao Yu responded, reached out and patted the other person's shoulder, saying, "I cannot personally guard the dike. It is all thanks to your hard work day and night that the safety of the capital has been protected—if the water were to breach and flood the city, the consequences would be unimaginable."

The man who had just asked the question was a man in his early thirties. Hearing the answer and being patted on the shoulder by the Emperor himself, he was filled with fear, excitement, and exhilaration. For some reason, his eyes reddened and tears welled up in his eyes.

He hurriedly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and said, "No...no trouble at all! Your Majesty...Your Majesty!"

He wanted to learn a few auspicious phrases, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't utter a single one.

Other laborers nearby chimed in, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhao Yu sighed deeply and said, "If I were truly wise and sagacious, how could there have been such a flood!"

"If it's going to rain, it's because Heaven is in bad shape, what does it have to do with the Emperor!"

Let alone the fact that he is kind and generous and has a good reputation among the people, even if he had a bad reputation, ordinary people would still help carry the sedan chair if a living emperor stood in front of them.

After this person finished speaking, the others quickly echoed his words.

Zhao Yu shook his head, a hint of tears welling up in his eyes.

He paused for a few moments, then pointed to the two loads on the shoulders of the laborer opposite him and asked, "What are you carrying? Sand and gravel?"

Everyone agreed.

"They're sandbags, used to block water!"

"Our superior told us to carry the loads to the side of the shovel!"

"Your Majesty, these sandbags are very effective at blocking water!"

Zhao Yu reached out and took the carrying pole, saying, "I'll carry it for a bit too."

He had indeed carried loads before, and although many years had passed, he tried again and soon picked up the skill again. He wasn't very skilled, but he had a certain flair for it.

A group of laborers split into two groups. One group led the way, while the other group escorted Zhao Yu to the shovel work site. The guards on the side were so flustered that they had to fight for a place to stand.

Zhao Yu took the blame more than once.

He carried the sand and gravel back and forth four times, a total of sixteen bags, before he finally stopped.

A group of laborers tearfully saw the emperor off.

A group of officials followed behind, their expressions unreadable.

Wu Gongshi hurried forward and began to introduce the situation on the river embankment.

Soon, they arrived at the shovel.

Zhao Yu wasn't a stranger to patrolling the dike, and he quickly noticed the difference, saying, "The dike work this time is very well done, much more solid and stable than before! To achieve this in such a short time, it's clear that they really put their heart into it!"

Wu Gongshi said, "I dare not claim all the credit. The broom and carpentry work was done by borrowing a group of students, led by Han Li, a student of the Imperial Academy, who worked with Guo Hong, Fan Yimin, Hu Dajing and more than ten others. That's how we achieved such a result."

Zhao Yu was taken aback for a moment before laughing and saying, "So it's Han Li!"

He added, "This man has accomplished much in Huazhou, and now he's merely leading students to assist with sweeping and carpentry work—it's just a small test of his abilities!"

After he finished speaking, he asked, "Where is he?"

The emperor inquired, and soon Han Li came out, taking over the position of Wu Gongshi. He introduced each place in turn, and a group of students and craftsmen came to take charge.

He explained everything in great detail, including who each person was, what they were responsible for, where they came from, and what role they played.

As Zhao Yu listened, he slowed down, first praising the students and craftsmen, and then saying to Han Li, "Although you are a student, you are already capable of great use and can share my burdens."

"This student dares not—I study at the Imperial Academy, where I am taught by learned scholars, receive a monthly stipend, and am provided with delicious meals every day. It is all thanks to Your Majesty's care for the students that I enjoy such generous treatment. Moreover, Your Majesty has always cared for the people, which is known to everyone. Although I am not a subject, it is my duty and conscience to eat the emperor's food and bear the emperor's worries. It is nothing to boast about."

The floodwaters had receded from the river, and everything was in good order. The laborers were united, the craftsmen were capable, and even the students were now employed. Zhao Yu left with great satisfaction.

On the way back, Zhao Yu couldn't help but savor what Han Li had said. Seeing that the imperial carriage was halfway there and the Vermilion Bird Gate was just ahead, he suddenly called over the head of the imperial guards and ordered the carriage to stop.

“Go to the Imperial Academy,” he said.

It's been a while since the last time, and I didn't want to ask in detail in front of everyone—I wonder if the steamed buns have been improved, and if the students are really having a good meal!

(End of this chapter)