Miao Chu

Chapter 50 Acquaintance
Song Miao took the bamboo shoots handed to her by the porter and tried them in the same spot where he had pinched them.

It is indeed very tender.

Bamboo shoots are in season right now, and they're also needed for making vegetarian shumai. Besides, judging from the shape and size of these small bamboo shoots, they're perfect for making stuffed bamboo shoots.

This is a dish she has loved since childhood, but the season for fresh bamboo shoots is short, and the process of stuffing bamboo shoots is quite time-consuming, so she hasn't had it for a while.

These past few days have been filled with mishaps, and Song Miao has been feeling quite exhausted. Despite the trouble, she still plans to treat herself to her favorite foods to make up for the stress.

She looked through the bamboo basket and saw that although there were many bamboo shoots, they actually weighed only a little over ten pounds in total. So she negotiated a price with the porter and bought the whole basket.

Anyone who loves bamboo shoots knows that a pound of winter bamboo shoots is worth three ounces of meat, while spring bamboo shoots are a bit better, but you'd be lucky to get even half a pound.

This bamboo basket, after deducting the amount used for tomorrow's shumai, will probably only be enough for her to eat for two meals.

Having bought bamboo shoots and wolfberry leaves, Song Miao was too lazy to go back to put the stroller away first. So she simply took the stroller to the market, bought the meat and vegetables she needed, and then went home.

But they had only gone halfway when they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats ahead, and someone was shouting for them to make way.

The road was narrow, and the cart took up a lot of space. Knowing she was in the way, Song Miao quickly looked at the road and tried to move aside in advance.

The rider on horseback opposite had also spotted the cart early on. He slowed down, but as he got closer, the rider exclaimed, "Hey!" and called out, "Stall owner Song!"

The sound was incredibly delightful.

Song Miao looked up and saw that the person on the lead horse was indeed a familiar face—it was He Qi.

Why is a student running a horse in the street so early in the morning instead of attending class?
She was a little surprised, but returned the greeting.

Upon seeing Song Miao, He Qi's face lit up with a smile. He immediately dismounted and asked, "What are you doing here, Song? Are you alright?"

Song Miao sensed an underlying meaning in his words and became even more puzzled. She replied, "I'm fine, I was just about to go home—but why does Young Master He ask such a question?"

He Qi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that she was alright, and said with a smile, "You didn't set up your stall this morning, and the news spread throughout the Imperial Academy that you were taken away by several constables along with your cart. No one knows why you were taken away. Because they were afraid that you would be bullied in the patrol station, Cheng Zijian sent someone to find me."

“I happened to be at home for a few days, and when I heard the news, I was worried that something had happened to you, so I came over to check on you.”

He spoke casually, but Song Miao knew there was more to it than met the eye. She quickly thanked him and said, "Young Master He took a special leave, but I'm troubling you to come all this way. I'm afraid it might delay your important business."

He added, "I only encountered a small problem, but it has been resolved. Young master, please go ahead and attend to your business. I will come back to thank you properly when I have the opportunity in the future!"

He Qi chuckled and said, "What serious business could I possibly have? It's just some messy things at home. I finished them a long time ago, otherwise I wouldn't be able to come out."

He had a total of four riders, with three others following behind, who all dismounted and came over.

He Qi then casually handed the horse's reins to someone and said to that person, "Go back and tell Cheng Zijian from the Imperial Academy's lower dormitory that I saw the stall owner, Ms. Song, and she's safe and sound. I'll take her home in a bit, so they can rest assured!"

Song Miao hurriedly added, "If it's convenient, could you please also pass on a message to them? I have some things to take care of these days, so I can't go to the food alley to set up my stall for the time being. Please let them know so they don't make a wasted trip."

The attendant took the reins, readily agreed, and rode off.

After everyone left, Song Miao said to He Qi, "Young Master He, there's really no need to see you off. Even if you've finished taking care of things at home, you still have to go back to class. It's not good for you to linger here."

He Qi chuckled and said, "I finally got a leave of absence, but I'll stay home for a few more days until they finish their civil service exams before I go back to class."

Song Miao was taken aback, vaguely guessing what was going on, but dared not ask.

He Qi didn't need her to ask; he confessed on his own. He touched his nose, and seeing that his pursuers weren't following closely, he lowered his voice and said, "I used this as an excuse to skip the exam!"

He looked very pleased with himself.

After saying that, he touched his stomach and looked at the steamer on the cart that Song Miao was pushing, and asked, "Does stall owner Song have anything else? I'm starving, I haven't had breakfast yet!"

As he spoke, he took the initiative to grab the cart handle and said, "Let me push the cart for you, and you can get me some food, okay?"

Song Miao quickly stopped her, saying, "They're all sold out!"

She briefly explained the situation and then said, "There's a place up ahead that sells shredded chicken noodles. I've heard they're quite good. Shall I take Young Master He to try them?"

After listening, He Qi frowned and thought for a long time. Ignoring the chicken and shredded noodles, he asked, "Should I go back and find someone to think of a way to talk to the head constable in the patrol station?"

Song Miao didn't know He Qi very well, and judging from his tone and behavior, although his family background was good, he didn't seem like someone she could make decisions for herself, so she didn't want to trouble him.

She shook her head and smiled, "The police officers invited me to set up a stall in their back alley today. Besides, after the Imperial Academy's civil service exam, we'll have a holiday. The food alley will be empty for two days anyway. I'll change the location for now and we'll talk about the rest later."

“Those thugs dare to break into private homes, they probably have powerful backers. I’m afraid your troubles aren’t over yet.” He Qi was worried for her. “Besides, the people who asked you to set up the stall right now are just ordinary police officers. Their words may not carry weight. What will you do if someone from higher up comes and doesn’t call you back?”

"Besides, what if we were just trying to trick you into cutting ties with us first? If something happens to you later, no one will know, and we'd be at their mercy."

After analyzing the situation, He Qi concluded: "Let's just forget about it for the next few days. I'm still at home anyway, and I don't know what to eat... cough, after the exams are over in a few days, you should go back to our food alley and set up your stall!"

When people interact with each other, they actually have feelings of good or bad in their hearts.

Song Miao didn't think those police officers were plotting against her, nor did she need to—if they really wanted to do something, there were plenty of other ways.

But He Qi meant well, and what he said wasn't entirely unreasonable, so she agreed.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the shredded chicken noodle shop.

Song Miao then pointed to the shop on the right and said, "Look, that's the one. Today, I'll treat Young Master He to some shredded chicken noodles, how about it?"

He Qi looked in the direction he was pointing, but after only one glance, he turned back to look at Song Miao, hesitant to speak.

"Don't you like noodles?" Song Miao realized what he meant. "Then what would you like to eat, Young Master He? It's a pity that it's neither early nor noon, so many restaurants are probably not open yet. Otherwise, we could find a good restaurant and order some dishes."

Hearing this, He Qi couldn't hold back any longer and said, "What's so good about food outside? I'm too embarrassed to mention it—Shopkeeper Song doesn't care what he has at home, just give me a couple of bites!"

"I heard from the people Wang Geng sent that I haven't been able to eat the shumai and sticky rice you saved for me these past few days while I was on leave at home! I feel so bad!"

He added, "And what about all the braised pork trotters and taro with braised pork? I don't get any of it! I can't even beg for it, and I can't find it anywhere!"

He complained incessantly, and by the end, his lips were pursed.

Song Miao couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's the simplest thing for me to do, but it's a long walk back, and it takes time to make food. I'm afraid you'll be hungry."

"I'll starve to death anywhere!" He Qi hurriedly declared.

"What would you like to eat?"

"I'll eat whatever's available! Why be picky when you're getting something for free!"

He Qi then complained, “These past few days, while I’ve been back home, my family has been feeding me nothing but chicken, goose, and mutton. It’s so greasy. The kitchen manager, on my grandmother’s orders, is afraid I’ll get too hot, so they’ve mostly steamed or boiled the meat, wasting good meat. I’ve lost my appetite at all—my liver and lungs are perfectly fine, how could I possibly have any heatiness!”

Even so, Song Miao would never just offer any ready-made food to appease her.

She thought about it and realized that there was no time to cook rice, as it would take a long time, and steamed buns and mantou would take even longer.

As for noodles, He Qi didn't want to eat them just now. I don't know if he really didn't want to eat them or if he didn't want to eat noodles made outside.

Seeing a rice noodle shop in the distance, Song Miao asked, "How about I stir-fry some rice noodles for Young Master He? I'll use lard, stir-fry it with shredded lean meat over high heat until it's fragrant, and serve it with some tender cabbage hearts."

He added, “I’ll stir-fry it for you with fine rice flour, add more dogwood, make it spicy, and it won’t be so greasy. I’ll also add some bamboo shoots, which are perfect for stir-fried eggs. I’ll also serve it with a hot soup. It’s a bit slow, but it’s quick. It’s a pity I don’t have pepper, otherwise the stir-fried eggs would be even more fragrant.”

As she spoke, He Qi swallowed hard and hurriedly said, "It's all good, all good! It's not simple at all! It smells delicious!"

Upon hearing that there was no pepper, he nearly jumped up in alarm, exclaiming, "I have some at home!"

He quickly turned around and told the people following behind him, "Dongzhi, ride your horse fast and go back to get me some pepper! Hurry! Hurry!"

The man readily agreed, mounted his horse, turned around, and galloped away. Once the man was far away, He Qi suddenly stamped his foot and exclaimed, "I was so stupid! I should have told him to bring some other ingredients and seasonings!"

Even though Song Miao already knew that He Qi was particularly delicious, she was still surprised by his decisive action and quickly stopped him, saying, "No need, we have everything else at home."

The two walked and talked, but it was just idle chatter.

He Qi is not very old, but he is very lively and well-mannered. He knows how to speak and act with tact.

Unable to grab Song Miao's handlebars, he diligently helped push the bike from the side.

When they arrived at the rice noodle shop, Song Miao bought some pre-cooked rice noodles.

She specifically chose round rice noodles of moderate thickness, and because she was unsure of He Qi's appetite, she ordered two extra portions.

When they returned to Suanzao Lane, Song Miao opened the door and parked the cart. He Qi hadn't entered yet, but hesitated outside for a moment.

He brought three men with him, but two had already been sent away, leaving only one.

"Bei Zhi." Taking advantage of Song Miao's absence, he hurriedly called over the servant, "This is my first time visiting Song's stall, so I can't go empty-handed. Go outside and buy some useful things."

Bei Zhi readily agreed, found a place to tie He Qi's horse, and immediately rode off on his own horse.

When Song Miao brought out the stool, she saw that only He Qi was left outside.

She didn't ask any more questions, but simply served tea and brought out some fried dough sticks.

He Qi accepted the tea but refused to eat anything.

"I'm not hungry, I can hold it in!" he declared confidently. "I'm saving my stomach for the noodles that Vendor Song makes!"

Seeing Song Miao tidying up the ingredients, he stepped forward and said, "Let me lend a hand—what can I do?"

Song Miao then took out a small bamboo basket and asked him to help her peel the bamboo shoots.

Knowing he probably wouldn't know how, I demonstrated it twice.

He Qi had indeed never done this job before, but after watching it twice, he learned how to do it. Although he peeled slowly, he did it very cleanly.

He peeled one and showed it to Song Miao, asking, "How is it? It's correct, isn't it?"

Once Song Miao nodded, he became even more enthusiastic, abandoning his tea and instead lowering his head to peel bamboo shoots.

Seeing that he had something to play with, Song Miao stopped paying attention to him and busied herself with her own things.

She first opened the stove and lit a fire, then rinsed the fine powder several times with clean water until it was no longer cloudy. She then put it on a bamboo sieve to dry, and then took out various ingredients.

The pork leg meat should be lean, not fatty, and cut into strips. Carrots, scallions, and pickled mustard greens should also be cut into strips, but they should be cut slightly thinner than the pork leg meat. Ginger, garlic, and scallions should be minced. Then, the cabbage should be washed, and the tenderest core should be picked out.

Once all the side dishes were ready, she took out four eggs and whisked them with chopsticks.

When we looked at He Qi again, he had only peeled seven or eight small bamboo shoots.

Song Miao went over and lent a hand, managing to gather about ten pieces, which was roughly the amount needed for a dish.

By this time, the fire had grown large, and the water on the left side of both stoves was boiling.

She blanched the bamboo shoots in salt water for a while, rinsed them in cold water, then quickly chopped them into small, flat pieces with the back of a knife. She left them to dry, not frying them yet. Turning to He Qi, she said, "We don't need a little pepper—why don't we eat these to fill our stomachs first?"

He Qi, already so hungry he was drinking tea, couldn't resist any longer and quickly nodded, saying, "I'll come back another day when I have the chance to have the peppered version..."

Upon hearing this, Song Miao immediately put the lard into the pot.

Heat a pan with warm oil, first stir-fry minced ginger and garlic until fragrant, then remove from the pan. Next, add plenty of crushed dogwood.

The dogwood has a pungent and spicy flavor, and it quickly releases a spicy aroma. At this point, add the shredded meat, and wait until it changes color slightly before adding the shredded carrots and scallions, along with a pinch of salt for seasoning.

The vegetables were cut to varying degrees of thickness, and all were only three-quarters cooked. Song Miao then added the drained rice noodles to the pot, along with salt and soy sauce for seasoning.

With her left hand, she added vegetables and noodles to the pot one by one, while her right hand never stopped stirring the spatula. Because it was a large stove, she couldn't toss the pot, so she just kept stirring it.

Whether it's stir-fried rice noodles, regular noodles, or rice, the most important thing is to have a high flame and quick hands.

Only by stir-frying quickly enough can the heat be evenly distributed, allowing the seasonings to fully penetrate and locking in the aroma of the food.

The stove was hot, with a strong flame. Song Miao had added plenty of oil, and the aroma of lard mixed with the spicy and pungent smell of dogwood, as well as the fragrance of pork, scallions, and fried rice noodles. The rice noodles, forced by the hot oil, sizzled in the pot with the other ingredients, making it incredibly fragrant and full of wok hei (wok aroma).

She deliberately fried the rice noodles until they were slightly charred, just the right amount. With the addition of soy sauce, the flavor was incredibly fragrant. In particular, the rice noodles, fried over high heat, completely absorbed the lard and sauce, and were further enhanced by the spicy flavor of the evodia, making them truly pungent, spicy, and fragrant.

It didn't actually take much time to stir-fry this pot of noodles; it was just a matter of saying a few words. But by then, the whole house was filled with the aroma of stir-fried noodles and the smell of cooking oil.

Even Song Miao was choked and stepped back, but He Qi didn't back away. Instead, he swallowed hard and hurriedly went to the stove, exclaiming, "This smells so good!"

The aroma made him dizzy.

But the dazed person didn't stand there for long before being choked and coughing.

Song Miao quickly added half a shovel of scallions, stir-fried them a couple of times, and then put them on a plate, handing them to He Qi and telling him, "You eat this first."

He Qi held the plate, extremely excited, but still managed to ask, "Shopkeeper Song, aren't you going to eat?"

“I’ve already eaten, I’m not hungry right now, you can eat yours,” Song Miao said, handing him another pair of chopsticks.

When the stir-fried noodles were served, the pan was clean, with no excess oil or burnt bits.

Song Miao washed the pot, then used the same stove to add oil, and used the hot pot and cold oil to stir-fry the half-dried bamboo shoot pieces.

The bamboo shoots hadn't been dried long enough and were still moist, making popping noises in the pan. It took a while to dry them off, but once they were dry, the aroma of the bamboo shoots slowly emerged.

Song Miao added a little salt, stir-fried it evenly, then scooped out the small bamboo shoot pieces and poured them into the egg mixture. After stirring a few times, she immediately put them back into the pan when the oil in the pan was hot.

The beaten egg liquid, the extremely hot oil pan—the egg liquid expands instantly upon contact with the hot oil, sizzling and releasing the aroma of fried eggs.

The amount of bamboo shoots was not small, and they were divided equally with the egg liquid. They had been stir-fried in oil first, which brought out the natural aroma of the bamboo shoots. Now, when they were fried in hot oil, the aroma that had been partially released was released again.

The eggs were fried until golden brown, and the lard used in the frying gave them a rich aroma, but the egg flavor was a mellow fragrance. The aroma of the stir-fried bamboo shoots was delicate and refreshing, completely different from the fiery and sizzling rice noodles with dogwood earlier. It was more homely, yet equally tempting.

The egg and bamboo shoot pieces were pan-fried until fragrant on both sides. Song Miao used a spatula to cut them into six pieces, then put them back together on a plate.

At this moment, the water in the pot next to her also boiled. She first added oil and salt, and then put in the washed goji berry sprouts. As soon as they softened, she ladled out the soup.

He Qi, who was starving, brought over some fried noodles. He resisted the urge to eat and even washed a plate himself. Just as he divided the fried noodles into a small portion, Song Miao brought over a tray with vegetables and soup.

He smiled and pointed to the small plate that had been set aside, saying, "This fried rice noodle is so delicious! I can't possibly eat it all by myself, so I have to share some with stall owner Song so he can have a taste too."

Before he could finish speaking, his eyes lit up when he saw the tray placed in front of him.

It's a plate of fried eggs with bamboo shoots, as round as the full moon on the fifteenth of the lunar month. It's golden and crispy, with many small bamboo shoots showing in the middle. The tips of the bamboo shoots are white, the middle is yellow, and the ends are tender green. They all have a glossy sheen and a slightly charred color from frying. It's a feast for the eyes and the nose, making it very appetizing.

There was also a bowl of wolfberry sprout soup, which contained no meat or fish at all, and even the oil was just clear oil. It tasted exactly like wild mountain branches. The stir-fried dogwood powder and the fried egg with bamboo shoots were both very flavorful, and this wolfberry sprout soup was meant to clear heat and cut through the greasiness.

Song Miao smiled and said, "Young Master He, please eat first. I'm really not hungry. If you can't finish it, just leave it for now."

Having heard her words, He Qi couldn't wait any longer. He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a mouthful of fried noodles, and put it in his mouth.

Many thanks to Yellow Scorpio Palace and Miya Loves Ancient Words for the sachets I received, and to the beautiful and wealthy lady for the amulet! =3=
Thank you to Furuanruan from the bookstore for gifting me this writing aid! And thank you to my cat, Dandan, for the three little tokens of my appreciation! ^_^
Thank you everyone for your monthly tickets and recommendation votes, and thank you for your comments and chapter reviews! I may not have been able to reply to every single one, but I read them all. They're the best companions while I'm writing, muah~
Finally, although I update once a day, each update is a long, concise chapter, totaling several hundred to four thousand words. Recently, I've had six thousand words for the past few days, and today it's over five thousand! Please, fellow readers, be discerning! I'm really updating a lot and working very hard!

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(End of this chapter)