Miao Chu

Chapter 355 Remember
As people age, they are more prone to spleen and kidney deficiency, and getting up at night becomes a frequent occurrence.

But this doesn't mean you can't drink any soup at all.

Song Miao said, "I'm about to make a nourishing soup to replenish deficiencies, nourish blood and yin. I originally planned to prepare it for an acquaintance. If you're free to come tomorrow, I'll stew a pot of it separately. Let's try it out with a small portion first."

Madam He immediately asked, "Is it a medicinal meal?"

He added, "I really dislike medicinal cuisine. The kitchen has actually put in a lot of effort to research and develop many medicinal soups, but I'm getting harder to please as I get older. I lose my appetite just from the smell of medicine."

Song Miao replied, "It's not a medicinal dish, it's pork tripe and cuttlefish soup. This soup is warming and nourishing, and I've heard it's very good for strengthening the kidneys. I'll add a lot of white pepper to dispel internal cold—would the old lady like to eat pork tripe?"

It was pig's stomach, not intestines. Old Madam He wasn't too bothered by it, so she nodded, but then added, "If it's too much trouble, then forget it! It's alright if you don't drink the soup."

Clearly, they are still somewhat hesitant about drinking soup or water.

Song Miao asked a few more questions and finalized the menu for the following day.

Seeing that Song Miao asked detailed questions, Madam He couldn't help but laugh and said, "I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but I'm very fussy and picky about food. I don't want to eat this or that. The kitchen staff in the mansion must be having a lot of headaches."

Song Miao smiled and said, "We chefs are actually quite afraid that diners won't make any requests. Firstly, we can easily guess wrong if we just make assumptions, and secondly, how can we show off our skills if the diners don't make any requests?"

She added, "Besides, the old lady is so generous and considerate. The last time I met Aunt Tian from the kitchen, she said that in addition to the monthly allowance, if you do a good job, you often get extra rewards. Apart from money, the most important thing is that she treats people kindly. Any cook who has a master like you would only be happy, how could they bear to have a headache?"

Although she didn't respond, Madam He was beaming with joy at the praise.

She forced a smile and asked, "When I came here, I heard that there are long queues all day long, all for steamed buns. I also heard that the Empress Dowager has bestowed a house across the street upon you. When will your restaurant officially open? Even if Sister Zhu doesn't sing, I'll still find some time to come and join in the fun."

"It will be a while before I can get the shop ready. I'm having someone come and look at the place. There are still many places across the street that need cleaning and renovation. I'm thinking of doing a little tidying up so I can open the shop as soon as possible. Once it's all set up, I'll really invite you to come and visit!"

Knowing that Madam He was a busybody, very patient, and didn't mind being long-winded, Song Miao explained her plans and asked if there were any taboos associated with renovating such a house.

As expected, Madam He was very concerned. She listed many points, and finally said, "I will ask the Taoist priest of Sanqing Temple to calculate the auspicious dates for you, to see which day is suitable to start construction and which day is suitable to open for business. For business people, regardless of whether it has any effect or not, these auspicious signs cannot be ignored."

He sighed again, "It's a pity Xiao Qi isn't here. He's been destined to be close to that abbot since he was a child. If he were to help, he might even be able to bring you back a few wealth-attracting talismans!"

Song Miao then said, "I was just about to ask. When Young Master He came last time, he said that he had been temporarily transferred to a troublesome job and would not be able to come out for a while because he had to do his work. I thought it would only be for a short while, but I haven't seen him for quite a while now. I wonder what's going on?"

Madam He waved her hand and said, "Don't mention it. I just asked his older brother, and I heard that the job is a bit troublesome. They're holding people back from leaving. He finally got a letter home yesterday, but he's just ordering food from afar. He Ying is both angry and amused. She can't do anything about her younger brother. She said he won't be able to come out for a few more days. You just wait and see. The He family kitchen is very good for health. When he comes out, I'm afraid the first thing he'll do is run here!"

He sighed again and said, "His older brother said the letter was written like a starving ghost reincarnated! His mouth is starving, he's suffering terribly!"

Upon hearing this, Song Miao couldn't help but ask, "Where do you work? Can't we send food to your home?"

He added, "If that really doesn't work, I'll send some to him from my restaurant, okay?"

Madam He shook her head and said, "I asked her too, but He Ying was vague and didn't say anything directly. I suppose it's a bit inconvenient for her."

As the two were talking, they saw Zhu Jie'er run out of the second gate from the backyard.

She first smiled at Song Miao, looking somewhat embarrassed, then moved closer to Old Madam He, touching her knees, tugging at her sleeve, pulling her grandmother's head down, and whispering something in her ear.

After listening, Madam He smiled and said, "Let's talk about it later. Your sister Song is too busy lately and definitely won't be able to find the time."

Zhu'er blinked her eyes, lingered for a while, and then asked, "When the weather gets cooler, will Grandmother still make me eat iced food?"

Madam He was taken aback for a moment, then laughed again, and couldn't help but pat her granddaughter's head, saying, "You little glutton, you're so young, and you already need to explain yourself like this?"

Hearing her name called, Song Miao, though unsure what it was about, asked, "What's going on? Is it my business?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jie quickly turned around and whispered to Song Miao, "Sister Song, I heard the aunties behind us say that the restaurant used to make a kind of milk jelly, which was served with crispy biscuits and was very fragrant and rich—what kind of jelly is it? Will they make it again in the future? If they do, will I be able to catch it and still have some to eat?"

He added, "I asked Xiaolian, and she said she'd only eaten it once! She often thinks about it!"

Song Miao recalled for a moment and smiled, "That was because someone from the restaurant sent over a lot of milk. We couldn't finish it all at once, so we made this. We don't sell it to outsiders. If you want some, I can make it for you separately in a while, okay?"

Intrigued, Madam He asked, "Is it the same as milk curd? If it's so delicious, why isn't it sold?"

Song Miao then explained the process to her, adding, "This stuff doesn't keep well. If it's not placed on ice, the texture will spoil in a day or two. Besides, the cost is high, and it's quite troublesome to make, so it's really hard to price it."

But upon hearing that it might take three or four pounds of milk to produce one pound of ice cream, and that there were so many steps involved, Madam He immediately became curious and said, "You're always so busy, and such troublesome things can be discussed another day when you have time—at that time, you might as well make a lot at once, and I can give some away or distribute them among the people in the mansion, and they'll be eaten up, so they won't go bad!"

Song Miao agreed and was about to say a few more words when she caught a glimpse of Zhu Jie'er looking longingly at her. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "If you're worried about the cold weather and not being able to eat ice cream, although there's no milk shaved ice right now, you can still have some milk shaved ice. If Zhu Jie'er wants some, while we still have a little time, I'll take it out and you and Xiao Lian can make some for fun—want to play?"

What child doesn't love to play?

Zhu Jie'er immediately nodded like a chick pecking at rice, and while nodding, she didn't forget to imitate Madam He's way of speaking.

She said, "Sister, I love everything you make! If that milk pudding is too difficult to make, then forget it, you can make it next summer—I know you're very busy right now! I've heard that there are always long lines outside the restaurants every day, all wanting to eat the steamed buns you make!"

Song Miao smiled and agreed, then turned to explain to Madam He, "The milk shaved ice is made from cow's milk. Nothing else is added except a little granulated sugar. It's a bit cooling. When it's done, please keep an eye on it and see how much Zhu'er can eat."

With Madam He's approval, a wooden bucket was quickly brought out. Ever since Song Ji started making custard buns, ice had become a staple in the restaurant. The bucket was filled with ice until it was more than half full, and a large hole was dug in the middle. Inside, two copper buckets of different sizes were placed, one inside the other. The larger bucket was filled with coarse salt, while the smaller bucket was filled with half a serving of milk and a little sugar.

Seeing something to play with, the two children quickly gathered around.

With everything prepared, Song Miao found a clean copper pestle and began to stir the milk in the small bucket.

Although it's physically demanding work, it's actually quite simple to do.

She stirred it for a while, and the milk closest to the wall of the small copper bucket partially solidified, turning into a very thin slush-like substance right before everyone's eyes.

Although it was only a little bit, it already made Zhu Jie'er's eyes widen and she cried out softly. Xiao Lian, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but open her eyes wide and lean over to look.

Seeing that there was more and more shaved ice, Zhu Jie'er became very anxious and hurriedly said, "Sister! Call me! Your hands must be sore and tired! Let me help you!"

This was originally meant for children to play with, so Song Miao stepped aside and handed over the bronze pestle.

The two children took turns stirring the pestle, having a great time. Several times, the maidservants tried to help, but Zhu Jie'er held onto the pestle and wouldn't let go, only allowing Old Madam He to stir it a couple of times so she could play with it too.

A little over fifteen minutes later, the two children had churned the small bucket of milk into a slush-like consistency.

After working so hard for so long, Zhu Jie'er only got a small bowl, but she wasn't unhappy at all. Like a little bee, she carried the bowl of milk shaved ice to her grandmother, then to Song Miao, and even to Cheng Erniang.

Finally, she and Xiaolian, carrying small spoons and bowls, went to the backyard.

Song Miao held the bowl and also took a taste.

Milk shaved ice, as the name suggests, is a shaved ice made from milk, but the shaved ice is very fine, with a slightly creamy texture similar to cream cheese, only more refreshing and "shaggy".

It melts extremely quickly. When you scoop it out, the spoon sinks into the shaved ice on its own. By the time you scoop out a small spoonful and put the shaved texture into your mouth, a small part of the edge has already melted back into milk.

When it enters your mouth, it's icy cold, like a spoonful of very fine, polished ice crystals that will gently melt in your mouth—at this moment, the clarity of the ice and the milky aroma of the milk will slowly flow down your throat, very smoothly.

The milk has a very slight sweetness, and a tiny bit of granulated sugar has been added, which makes the aroma and sweetness of the milk even fuller.

Even Song Miao felt that eating this bowl was as good as not eating anything at all.

She was still not satisfied, so she served herself another bowl. After she finished eating, she cleared away the plates and dishes on the table and took them to the backyard.

As soon as she entered the second gate, she heard Sister Zhu behind her sighing incessantly.

"Xiaolian! This milk shaved ice is so delicious! It must be thanks to Sister Song and the two of us who put in so much effort to make it! We're so amazing!"

After praising it once, she took another sip, sighed again, and said, "It's so delicious! Tell me, when will we grow up? I see those adults eating two bowls of shaved ice in one go, and nobody cares! We can only have a small cup of milk shaved ice!"

Xiao Lian said, "Actually, two bowls are a bit too much. My master said that these icy, cold things don't feel like it when you're eating them, but they actually deplete the warmth of your internal organs. If you eat too much, it will harm your spleen, kidneys, and many other parts of your body..."

"However, she also said that people don't actually live for many days. If you have to be careful about this and that, and you can't eat anything or do anything, then living is just a waste of time!"

But then Xiaolian quickly added, "We two certainly can't live in vain, but we can't eat too much or get sick, otherwise we'll have to take medicine when we get old—when we grow up, we'll eat a big bowl of milk shaved ice, that way we'll protect our kidneys and spleen and get to eat good things!"

Zhu Jie hesitated for a moment, then slowly ate another spoonful of milk shaved ice before asking, "How big is the bowl? It can't be too small, or we'll be losing out big time!"

The two of them studied it carefully, comparing the sizes of the bowls they would use to eat milk shaved ice when they grew up. They even took out a piece of paper, placed it on the bench, drew the agreed-upon size of the bowl on it, wrote some words on it, and signed and sealed it together, declaring that when they grew up, they would use bowls of this size to eat milk shaved ice.

While enjoying their milk shaved ice, the two children, who hadn't seen each other for many days, had a lot to say, especially Zhu Jie'er, who always chatters away, one of them being as talkative as ten Xiao Lian.

But every time she finished speaking, she would leave room for the latter to interject.

The two talked about this and that, and Song Miao had only walked a dozen or twenty steps from the second gate when she heard Zhu Jie'er change the subject several times.

As she approached, they began to talk about the Empress Dowager's previous reward.

"Oh! Why wasn't I there that day! You should learn from them! Learn how the palace bestowed the rewards that day!"

Xiaolian said with great regret, "I didn't see it either. When I came back that day, I heard my mother and the others talking and I chimed in a few words. They said it was very lively. The official from the palace had a very loud voice. When he handed the contract to my sister, the people outside didn't even bother to queue up anymore and all rushed in to watch the excitement!"

"It's a pity I don't know how to tell stories like Brother Bingzi—when you come tomorrow, I'll ask Brother Bingzi to tell you! He imitates it so well! He said that a customer saw that the Empress Dowager had really sent someone to give him a reward, and his eyes widened and his mouth opened wide. Luckily, our restaurant is clean, otherwise, if he were outside, he wouldn't even know if a big fly flew into his mouth!"

"There are so many customers in the restaurants now! When I went back to the clinic, a lot of people came to ask me about it, wanting to order steamed buns again—oh my, my sister is amazing! She's even been given a nickname outside, 'Song Steamed Bun,' alas, it's a pity that the nickname doesn't sound very good!"

"That sounds nice! It's so easy to remember!" Zhu Jie'er quickly chimed in. "Tell me, when will we ever get a reward or praise from the Empress Dowager? I really hope that in the future I can grow some amazing flowers, and the Empress Dowager will praise me, and then people will give me a nickname... like 'He Lianhua' (Lotus Bloom). Does that sound nice?"

He added, "Back then, your medical skills were exceptionally high. I wonder if you could have a nickname? How about I give you one? 'Cheng the Divine Needle'!"

"But I haven't even memorized the acupoints yet!"

(End of this chapter)