Miao Chu

Chapter 55 Suspicion
After Song Miaogang steamed the pomelo peel for a while, the food from the restaurant in the backyard was brought back.

She told everyone to eat first and not to wait for her, but not long after, Inspector Xin came over.

"There are several patrolmen from the Vermilion Bird Gate behind you, as well as a village head. If you have time, come and get to know them."

Song Miao lives here all alone. If she could get to know a few patrolmen in the vicinity, and if the officials of the capital city government could help introduce her, she would have someone she knows in the future, so she wouldn't be completely clueless.

She naturally wouldn't refuse Inspector Xin's kind offer and hurriedly followed him to the backyard.

A large table was placed in the center of the backyard.

The table was a piece of tabletop that Song Miao had cleared out from her elder brother Song Huaizhou's room. It was missing a corner, so it was placed on two benches to make it barely flat and was being used for the time being.

At this moment, ten people were sitting around the table, all using prayer cushions as seats. Han and Qin were to be ignored. There were also four patrolmen, three yamen runners, and a village headman who also served as a village headman—the village headman looked very familiar.

"Sun Lizheng," Song Miao greeted him.

Sun Lizheng quickly responded.

Inspector Xin was not surprised that the two knew each other. He stepped forward and said, "This house was lent to us by Miss Song. We are very grateful for her help this time, which is why we have a place to stay. Miss Song is a young girl. If she needs anything in the future, we brothers will help take care of her."

Immediately, several patrolmen and yamen runners patted their chests and agreed, then introduced themselves.

Sun, the village head, finally agreed, adding, "It's my duty, no need to say more!"

Song Miao then said, "I have always been very grateful for the care of Village Chief Sun. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that he is always dutiful. A few days ago, he even brought me a lot of food."

As she spoke, she looked at Han Li and said, "The taro and braised pork dish we had last time was made with taro that Sun Lizheng gave us."

Han Li was taken aback, then smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Sun Lizheng.

The latter quickly returned the greeting, saying, "It's just a few taro!"

But he was already grinning from ear to ear.

This is a way for me to save face in front of the Kyoto Prefectural Government Inspector and students from the Imperial Academy!

The former is directly under my supervision, and the latter has a bright future. If they can remember my name and be familiar with my appearance because of this, who knows when a casual word from them will be enough to make him run himself ragged!
Those taro were definitely worth the money!

After exchanging greetings, everyone made way for her, but Song Miao said, "Please eat first, I have two more dishes to add, I'll be there in a bit."

"There are so many dishes, how can we possibly finish them all!" one of the constables said. "Brother Qin bought this whole table of food, there's no way we can eat it all, Miss Song, don't bother!"

Qin Zong hurriedly replied, "There will be more tonight! It's all set, so everyone can eat as much as you want! It's all you can eat!"

He then pointed to the table and said to Song Miao, "Young lady, come quickly when the dishes are cooked. There's plenty of food here, so you don't need to cook tonight!"

Song Miao looked in that direction and sure enough, the table was full of elaborate dishes.

The meal included three whole roasted chickens, one braised duck, one eight-treasure duck, and half a braised goose, along with a braised goose intestine and heart, and a roasted fish. The main dishes included a large bowl of leek leaf pancakes, meat buns, a large plate of eight-treasure rice, as well as dogwood stewed tofu soup, braised bamboo shoots, a plate of stir-fried leeks and soybean sprouts, and a couple of cold dishes.

There were so many dishes on the table that they couldn't all be placed there; two pieces of meat were even on the floor. It was truly an extremely lavish feast.

She smiled and replied, "I'll be there soon."

Just as she was about to leave, Han Li called her back, took a lotus leaf, broke off a roasted chicken leg, put it in an empty bowl and handed it to her, saying, "While it's hot, stall owner Song, have a bite to tide you over."

Song Miao accepted it, thanked her, and then continued forward.

Since Qin Zong's food was brought so quickly, it's impossible that it was all freshly made.

Song Miao had the mindset of a chef. When she arrived at the main hall, she wasn't in a hurry to eat. Instead, she looked at the roasted chicken legs first.

It was still hot and smelled quite nice, with a shiny, oily skin. But when I took a bite, it was no longer crispy; it was chewy and hard, and my mouth was full of fat. It was supposed to be the best part of the chicken leg, with the tenderest meat, but it was actually a bit stringy.

The seasoning wasn't bad, and there were plenty of spices, but the skin was too salty and the inside wasn't flavorful enough. I suppose the marinade wasn't prepared well enough and the marinating time wasn't long enough.

It is common practice in restaurants to prepare a batch of food before mealtimes, set it aside, and then bring it out when someone wants to buy it.

If it sells out quickly, or if the customer arrives just as the roast chicken is fresh out of the oven, it will taste great. But if, like Qin Zong, you arrive at the wrong time, and the chicken has been sitting for a while and then sat for a long time on the way to get it, it will often taste much less appealing.

As Song Miao ate, she couldn't help but sigh.

Young Master Han meant well, but the chicken leg was quite large and really took up a lot of her stomach. It was a rare occasion to make stuffed bamboo shoots today, and she had originally planned to eat a few more bites.

The large, fat chicken has plenty of fat between its skin and meat. After being cooked, it will naturally release more fat over time, making it inevitably greasy to eat.

After finishing her meal, Song Miao took a couple of sips of water and quickly opened the stove, intending to make the stuffed bamboo shoots to cleanse her stomach.

This time, the pan was still heated with cold oil. Nothing else was needed. The stuffed bamboo shoots were placed directly in the pan and slowly pan-fried over low heat until they were set.

Once it was fragrant, she added the prepared soy sauce and fermented bean curd liquid to simmer.

Because the aroma of fermented bean curd needs to be infused and the sauce needs to be reduced, it will take some time. However, the stuffed pomelo peel on the side has already been steamed thoroughly, so Song Miao took it out first.

***
In the backyard, Qin Zong picked up a few vegetables and ate a few bites, but then he felt something was wrong and quickly said, "This restaurant doesn't taste very good!"

He added, "I was in a hurry because I was worried the brothers would be hungry, so I told them to find a place that could cook quickly. I don't know who did the wrong thing, but we won't be ordering from that place again tonight!"

The patrolmen eagerly cupped it in their hands, saying, "Isn't this delicious?"

"It's all solid meat, and it smells amazing!"

"Brother Qin is picky about food. We roughnecks don't have such refined tastes!"

Even Xin Feng said, "It's perfect! Plenty of meat, and it tastes great!"

Qin Zong spoke modestly, but he stood up diligently. Fearing that the people would be embarrassed to take food, he distributed it to them himself, breaking off a leg for one person and a wing for another, as well as fish and meat, and then distributing the eight-treasure rice and meat buns into each person's bowl.

However, when the bowl was placed in front of Han Li, he blocked it with his hand and shook his head, saying, "You distribute yours, don't worry about me."

"Brother Han, aren't you going to eat?" Qin Zong asked, somewhat surprised. "Is it not to your liking?"

Han Li said, "Food."

As he spoke, he moved his hand away again, letting Qin Zong see inside.

The bowl contained a chopstick of stir-fried chives and bean sprouts, a piece of braised bamboo shoots, and a piece of goose meat.

"Add some more! This isn't enough!"

Qin Zong was about to put a goose leg in Han Li's bowl, but before he could even bring the meat over, Han Li covered the bowl with his hand again and said, "I'll wait for Miss Song's dishes."

This time, Qin Zong actually detected a hint of helplessness in Brother Han's voice.

In front of everyone, Qin Zong couldn't offer any earnest advice, but in his heart he thought: Today is truly a day when the sun rises in the west! Everyone used to say that Brother Han had a sharp tongue and was not easy to talk to, but he was so kind and talkative to Inspector Xin, and they became like brothers in no time. Now he is so considerate to this Miss Song, even worried that no one would appreciate her cooking, and he would wait for her even if he was hungry!
Why are you never this nice to me?

Even with Fourth Brother, it was just a casual attitude.

Where exactly did the problem lie? He thought to himself, but his hands didn't linger, and he quickly handed out the next portion of meat.

But after only a few portions, when it came to Sun Li's turn, the other man hurriedly stood up and said, "Thank you, Brother Qin, but no need, no need. I've already eaten a roasted chicken leg and a lot of duck and goose meat. You can share this leg with the other brothers!"

Qin Zong glanced at the edge of his bowl and saw a clean chicken leg bone and some other bones, but compared to the others at the table, there were very few bones.

"There's plenty for everyone else too, so eat the good meat first!" He assumed the man was just shy about eating more, and stepped forward with a smile.

Sun Lizheng was not Han Li, and he couldn't refuse Qin Zong's forceful offer, so he had no choice but to accept. However, even though he tried very hard, there was still a hint of forced reluctance in his smile.

A patrolman who knew him well noticed and joked, "Old Sun, when did you learn to be so polite with your brothers? We didn't see you being so courteous to each other when we were fighting over meat at the previous table!"

He added, "If you're not going to eat such a good chicken leg, then give it to me!"

As he spoke, the patrolman made a move to snatch it.

Unexpectedly, instead of avoiding it, Sun, the village head, came forward and offered the chicken leg in his bowl, saying, "I'm not pretending. I had breakfast late today and I'm not hungry. I can't fit this much meat in my stomach."

The patrolman was only putting on an act, but he never expected to actually get a chicken leg. Since it was good meat, he said, "Then I won't be polite! I feel a little embarrassed!"

"I'm just a village head, I only know people, unlike my brothers who run around, I get hungry faster!"

Sun Lizheng chuckled, and as he looked up, he saw Song Miao carrying a tray coming out from behind. She immediately moved a plate of roast chicken in front of her to several patrolmen and said, "It's all good meat. Brother Qin is so kind, everyone should eat more!"

As Song Miao approached, Sun Lizheng quickly raised his right hand and called out, "Young Lady Song."

When Song Miao looked over, he pointed to the table in front of him and said, "Miss Song, put the dishes here. There's an empty seat here!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Han Li stood up and said, "Just leave it here. It's too much trouble to carry it back and forth."

As he spoke, he actually moved all the plates and dishes in front of him and even put a plate of fish in front of Sun Li.

Looking at the fish head in front of him, which was rolling its eyes and staring at him, Sun Lizheng had no choice but to accept it. He was disappointed, but he couldn't argue with it. He could only sigh to himself: This young master Han is indeed a scholar. He is meticulous in his work, not at all pretentious, and so hardworking.

But this diligence is just too ill-timed!

He couldn't help but look at the dishes that Song Miao had put down.

It was a large plate, with many stuffed dishes neatly arranged on its side.

The filling in the stuffed vegetable was of unknown origin, and the outer layer was also unrecognizable. It was a pale brownish-yellow color and looked quite ordinary, but as soon as it was placed on the table, the aroma of fermented bean curd wafted out.

"This is stuffed pomelo peel. I saw that the meal Mr. Qin prepared was quite substantial, so I made this to cleanse your palates," Song Miao said with a smile. "I made quite a lot. If you can't finish it, it's okay. It will taste even better tonight."

She put down the plate and went back to the front room to check on her stuffed bamboo shoots.

The table was full of dishes, and Qin Zong had stuffed the bowls full. When the stuffed pomelo peel was served, no one had time to pay attention to it yet.

But some people were waiting very early.

No sooner had Song Miao left than Sun Lizheng, sitting at the table, was already itching to eat as soon as he smelled the familiar aroma of fermented bean curd. He immediately grabbed his chopsticks.

He had tasted Song Xiaoniangzi's cooking several times and knew that nothing made by her was bad. Especially the taro braised pork last time, which left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth after eating it, and the couple almost fought over the last piece of taro.

This dish also has the aroma of fermented bean curd, but I don't know what it tastes like yet!
He was quite far from the stuffed pomelo peel, and his arms weren't long enough, so he quickly stood up to pick it up and used a bowl to scoop it out. He picked up several pieces and put them into the bowl before sitting down.

After eating roasted chicken legs, and taking a few bites of each meat and vegetable dish, and then finishing a meat bun, Sun Lizheng's stomach was already half full.

Upon learning that Song Miao had also cooked, he barely ate any more, deliberately leaving some food uneaten.

But after taking a bite of the pomelo peel stuffing, Sun Lizheng couldn't help but secretly cry out in alarm.

Too few empty spaces!

Song Xiaoniangzi wasn't lying; she said it was a dish to cleanse the intestines, and it really was.

As soon as it entered his mouth, he was about to bite it, but before he could, the soup dissolved directly in his mouth.

It's very fresh and sweet.

The broth was a clear and sweet pork soup. As soon as you swallowed it, the aroma of pomelo came back up, but it wasn't a strong fragrance; rather, it was a very refreshing aroma of pomelo pulp.

After chewing a few more times, he found that the grapefruit peel and pulp were very soft and did not require his teeth at all.

The outer yellow skin of the pomelo was peeled off, blanched, wrung out, and soaked in water that was changed several times. The original bitterness was completely removed, leaving only the fragrance of the pomelo peel.

The peel is incredibly absorbent, and the center is stuffed with pork and mushroom filling. It's then steamed on top of a pork and mushroom patty, absorbing all the pork juices, aroma, and the unique fragrance of the mushrooms. You can enjoy the juices without even biting into it. With one bite, the almost melt-in-your-mouth pomelo peel, mixed with the pork and mushroom filling, swims in the mouthful of broth.

The grapefruit peel has a refreshing aroma, the shiitake mushroom and pork filling is sweet and savory, and it also has the unique fragrance of fermented bean curd, making it extremely refreshing.

With this dish right in front of him, he wouldn't trade it for ten roast chickens and ten braised fish!

Sun Lizheng ate one, then another, and in the blink of an eye, he had finished the whole bowl of pomelo peel stuffing.

This stuff is so easy to slurp up, you can never get tired of it.

He couldn't help but stand up again to finish the job.

Sun Lizheng wasn't the only one replenishing the vegetables.

Han Li was also eating.

He ate slowly, but he kept eating, almost half a bowl at a time.

Moreover, he had another advantage: the plate of stuffed pomelo peel was right in front of him, making it easy to pick up the food. Almost without him noticing, he ate a corner of the entire plate.

They ate separately, occasionally exchanging glances while picking up food, but tacitly remained silent, simply looking away.

A short while later, the plate of stuffed grapefruit peels arranged in an O-shape was served, with two corners dented in the symmetrical parts.

Han Li's movements were very subtle, but Sun Lizheng's constant stopping was too obvious and quickly attracted the attention of those around him.

"What are you going to eat, Old Sun? Didn't you say you weren't hungry?"

"Oh my god, there's an empty space here, did you eat all of it?"

Sun Li was busy eating and could only smile. After a while, he finally took a break and said, "Brother Qin is so generous to buy so much meat. I'm so used to this, I'm full. Let me have something to cleanse my palate first."

This kind of talk can only fool children.

Cleansing your intestines and stomach? You've swallowed so much food? I think you're just stuffing your stomach!
The two people who asked the question became suspicious, and each of them also put one into their bowl.

Soon, the two stopped talking and began putting pomelo peel stuffing into their bowls one after another.

Thank you so much to my cat Eggy from the bookstore for the four little gifts, and to Fu Ruanruan for the three little gifts! Mwah! =3=
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(End of this chapter)