Miao Chu

Chapter 59 Sensible
With so many officials on duty around the clock, Han Li was naturally among them.

If it's just for a day or two, it's fine, but if it goes on for too long, no one can stand it.

Song Miao had originally thought that she might be able to help make some snacks.

But then I thought, snacks are hard to resist, and besides, it's not very convenient to eat while on duty.

After thinking it over, I realized I could make a refreshing drink.

Drinking tea alone is too bland and makes one hungry easily. Since Han Li is from Guanzhong, his dietary preferences are likely to lean towards the Shaanxi-Guanzhong region.

Just now I saw these wild oats and barley, which are perfect for making a Guanzhong-style drink called sweet fermented oats.

Oatmeal is also called barley, and at this time, barley has another name, called barley.

Barley is neutral in nature and sweet in taste. It can strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, while oats nourish the liver and improve eyesight. Both are good things.

Based on this, just add a little tea leaves and it can keep you energized for half a day.

Song Miao stepped forward and asked the price.

The price was also very reasonable, especially the oats, which are a type of horse feed and are very cheap.

With this cost, you could easily make more at once and add a sweet drink to your breakfast stall.

She simply bought a large bag and carried it home.

As soon as they entered Suanzao Lane, thunder rumbled in the sky, followed by a torrential downpour.

Since she didn't have an umbrella with her, Song Miao had no choice but to hold the bag of grain on her head. As she held it up, she suddenly remembered the scenes of going out to play with her mother when she was a child.

They originally went to the lotus pond behind the mountain to find lotus roots. The mother and daughter went into the pond and got covered in mud and dirt. In the end, they only found a few broken lotus roots, but they still found it fun and looked at it like a treasure, and were very happy.

On their way home, they encountered a heavy rain, so the two turned around and picked large lotus leaves to shield themselves from the rain.

Mother jokingly called herself a mud monkey, and also said that she was a little mud monkey. She added that the rain came suddenly from heaven to help them wash off the mud.

The past is like a dream, vivid in my mind, and even just thinking about it brings me joy.

My mother loves lotus root, especially fried lotus root meatballs, stir-fried lotus root tips with vinegar, lotus root sandwiches, and pork rib and lotus root soup.

It's a pity it's not lotus root season yet, otherwise she could make them one by one when she misses home.

Lotus root balls are oily, fragrant, and sweet; stir-fried lotus root tips with vinegar are crisp and appetizing; lotus root sandwiches are crisp and fragrant; and pork rib and lotus root soup is rich, flavorful, and delicious. All of these are worthy of being enjoyed by heaven, earth, and parents.

Thinking about the past, Song Miao did not stop walking. Just as she was about to take out her key, she saw a woman with a child sheltering from the rain under the eaves at the entrance.

Upon seeing Song Miao return, the woman quickly pulled her sitting daughter aside and apologized, "We're sorry to have disturbed you, young lady. We'll leave once the rain subsides a bit."

Judging from her accent, she seemed to be from the south. She was soaked to the bone, her head and face covered in rainwater, looking very disheveled. Her clothes were tattered, and even her shoes had holes in the toes.

The daughter standing beside her looked to be only four or five years old. She was short, thin, and had very sparse hair. Although she was being pulled by her mother, she was still very flustered, hanging her head and not daring to speak.

There was a carrying pole at the woman's feet, which didn't look like goods she was going to sell in the city, but rather like a bundle of valuables.

Song Miao then said, "It's alright, you can take shelter from the rain here as you please, there's no need to rush."

As she spoke, she put down the bag on her head, opened the door, and then took the bag back inside.

Living alone, and with darkness falling, she might have hesitated more under normal circumstances, but with government officials in the house, she didn't need to worry about her safety.

Song Miao first went into the storage room, quietly greeted the patrolmen inside, then came out of the main hall, picked up a bench, opened the door and went out, intending to give it to the mother and daughter to sit on.

However, as soon as they stepped out the door, they saw the little girl standing there with her hands clasped in front of her, looking like she wanted to knock but was too afraid to.

Song Miao squatted down and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

The little girl still didn't dare to look up or speak. She just raised her hands even higher and held them in front of Song Miao, then turned to look at her mother.

The woman beside him said, "Fool, you tell me yourself."

The little girl hesitated for a while before raising her hand again and saying to Song Miao, "Here you go."

Song Miao was taken aback. She reached out with both hands to scoop it up, only to find that she had received half a handful of oats.

"It fell on the ground just now, and I picked it up." The little girl pointed to the ground, then squatted down again and carefully searched the ground.

Song Miao turned around and saw that the bag of oats behind the door was indeed loose.

It seems the binding wasn't tight enough to begin with, and after being carried on her head the whole way, the binding had come undone, but she didn't notice. When she was put down, a small handful of grain accidentally spilled out.

At this moment, the little girl touched the ground for a while, then picked up another twenty or so oats, and held them up as if they were precious treasures, as if she had mustered up a lot of courage, and whispered, "This oatmeal, people can also chew and eat it. I picked it up and ate it on the way."

As she spoke, she swallowed hard, looking at the oatmeal in her hand with obvious reluctance, but she still gave it to her in the end.

Hearing this, and seeing her daughter's reaction, the woman was very embarrassed and quickly called out, "Xiao Lian!"

The little girl shrugged, gave a timid smile, and ran back.

Her face was very thin, almost bloodless, and her lips were dry, as if she hadn't eaten in a long time, but her movements were very obedient, both tentative and cautious.

Song Miao's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by a small animal.

She's so sensible; it makes one feel sorry for her.

She thanked them, put the oats back into the original cloth bag, and took the stool out.

The woman held her daughter's hand and thanked her profusely before finally sitting down.

Seeing that the mother and daughter were soaking wet, Song Miao took out a clean cloth to wipe their hair and clothes.

The woman thanked her almost incessantly, but pushed the cloth back, saying, "No need, my daughter and I are dirty, don't let such a nice cloth get dirty."

He added, "I have one too, I brought one with me."

As he spoke, he took out a coarse cloth from the carrying pole.

The coarse cloth was torn into shreds, but it was washed very clean.

She suppressed her embarrassment, first wiping her daughter's head and face, then wiping the water off her clothes, before wiping herself. After quickly finishing, she thanked Song Miao again and finally asked, "Young lady, is this the Imperial Academy? I've been knocking on the door for half a day, but for some reason, no one answers."

Song Miao immediately realized that the mother and daughter had most likely taken the wrong route, so she replied, "This is Nanlu Academy. The back gate is usually locked, so you can't go in or out. The Imperial Academy is across the street; you have to go out through this alley..."

She gave the other person directions, then asked another question, "Are you looking for someone?"

The woman nodded and said, "I've come to visit relatives."

After speaking, he seemed extremely ashamed and unwilling to say another word.

Song Miao didn't ask any more questions. She went back and fetched two bamboo tubes of rice water, as well as a small plate of fried dumplings for them to eat and drink.

The mother and daughter sat until the rain stopped. The woman then took a cloth from her carrying pole, wiped the bench clean, moved it to the door for Song Miao, thanked her through the door, and then took her leave.

Only after the two had walked away did Song Miao close the door.

The two bamboo tubes were also placed on the bench. The rice water inside had been completely drunk up, but the fried dumplings were eaten very restrainedly, barely touched.

Song Miao couldn't help but sigh before finally putting everything away.

Seeing that she had closed the door, the patrolman on duty in the outhouse came out and said, "Miss Song, we left you some food in the back, it's still warm."

Song Miao thanked him and was about to go to the backyard when she heard someone cough twice in the storeroom. The patrolman first touched his nose, then his chin, and finally coughed as well before asking, "Young Miss Song, are you... are you still cooking tomorrow?"

After he finished speaking, he seemed embarrassed and quickly said, "Actually, what you make outside is far inferior to what you make, young lady!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "I originally wanted to add two more dishes, since it wouldn't be right to keep eating Qin Guanye's food for free. But I was afraid he would think I was being disrespectful and would be unhappy." As soon as Song Miao finished speaking, a person practically leaped out of the storeroom.

"I'm just too embarrassed to trouble Miss Song, how could I be unhappy! I'm overjoyed!"

It was none other than Qin Zong.

As he spoke, he reached for his purse at his waist, adding, "Cooking is both time-consuming and expensive, I'll help out..."

Song Miao hurriedly took a step back, about to refuse, but Xin Feng came out from the storeroom and said, "If you pay, how can Miss Song accept it? You don't need to pay. We'll collect it by the headcount, and the yamen will settle the accounts together later."

He then said to Song Miao, "Young lady, please don't refuse. If you don't accept the money, we'll feel embarrassed to eat here. We're afraid that if word gets out, people will gossip about us."

The two men beside him quickly chimed in, saying, "What's there to be embarrassed about accepting money from the government?"

Since that was the case, Song Miao agreed.

The two sides agreed that she would prepare two additional dishes for everyone each day, depending on the situation, regardless of whether they were meat or not. If anything happened, they could just let her know in advance.

Now that this matter is settled, she had originally promised Han Li that she would share meals with him for the next few days as a way of thanking him. However, now that the government has settled the accounts for this thanking, it seems a bit unreasonable.

However, I was supposed to repay him in the future, but for now, I can only wait and see.

After dinner, Song Miao took out the oats and barley.

The grain in the grain shop had already been dried in advance. She simply washed it, soaked it in water, and was preparing the ingredients for tomorrow's stall when she heard someone knocking on the door.

It was already dark, and the officials all left through the back door. There shouldn't have been anyone leaving through the front door. She was wondering what was going on and thought it was the mother and daughter returning when she heard the person knocking on the door say, "Miss Song, it's me, your Aunt Zhu."

Song Miao was taken aback. When she opened the door, she saw that it was indeed Zhu Shi.

Zhu took the oil-paper umbrella and carried a large bundle on her back, smiling broadly.

Song Miao quickly ushered her in and asked, "Why are you here so late, Auntie? Is it still raining outside?"

Zhu said, "It's okay if it's sometimes big and sometimes small."

He then laughed and said, "Old Sun said your place was recently robbed, and you're probably scared being home alone. He told me to bring some bedding to keep you company for a few nights."

Her voice was always full of energy, and this shout was even more powerful, making it clear to everyone inside and outside the village.

Song Miao was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized what she meant and smiled, saying, "I appreciate your kindness, Auntie!"

As he spoke, he closed the door.

As soon as she turned around, she saw Zhu smiling and saying, "I'll sleep with you tonight."

After Zhu finished speaking, she quietly took her hand and said, "Your Uncle Sun was told that there are officials here to handle a case. There are quite a few of them, and they are all men. It's not very convenient for you, a woman, to be alone. So he asked me to come and keep you company."

Song Miao felt a warmth in her heart, took the other person's arm back, and whispered "thank you." She then led the person to the back yard, opened her own room door, and helped set out the bedding.

Seeing that Zhu's hair was wet, and her skirt and shoes were also wet, he quickly took a cloth to wipe her down and asked her if she was cold and what she wanted to drink.

Zhu said, "You don't need to worry about me, just go and do your thing."

He then chased her out and packed his things without saying another word.

Song Miao didn't waste any more words and turned to go back to the front hall, when she heard a "sneeze." It turned out that Zhu had sneezed inside.

The weather is just starting to warm up, but it's still cool in the mornings and evenings. Getting caught in the rain can easily make you catch a cold.

Actually, it's best to drink some ginger and brown sugar water to sweat it out, but if you drink too much water before bed, you're more likely to wake up at night.

As Song Miao was thinking, she saw someone open the back gate and come in from outside, carrying a lantern.

What a coincidence, it's that village head, Sun.

She hurried forward to greet her, thanked her, and then pointed to her room, saying, "Auntie has arrived. Thank you so much, Uncle Sun, for taking such good care of me."

Sun Lizheng laughed and said, "How could I have thought of such details? It was Young Master Han who gave me the instructions at noon."

He added, "Indeed, scholars are very thoughtful."

After saying that, he asked, "Is there enough time at home to boil two pots of water? It rained heavily just now, and some of the brothers couldn't find shelter and got soaked."

As they were talking, two more people came in one after another, looking completely soaked.

Song Miao hurriedly said, "There's hot water on the stove, use that first, I'll add some more later."

She went to the front to boil water, and while it was boiling, she also set up a small pot, smashed some ginger, and threw in a piece of brown sugar.

The patrolmen and constables had to take turns on duty. Those on duty for the first half of the night could drink more ginger soup without any problem, but those on duty for the second half of the night didn't like it.

For things that promote sweating and dispel cold, ginger is naturally the best choice. If you can't drink too much water, then make something else.

Today, the northern branch sent over a large bamboo tube of milk. Since milk can't be kept for long, we might as well use it together with ginger juice to make ginger milk curd.

Ginger milk curd relieves external symptoms and dispels cold, promotes blood circulation and stops coughing. It doesn't fill you up or make you feel full, which is perfect for her needs. Besides, the ingredients are simple: just ginger, milk, and granulated sugar.

Since the ginger and brown sugar water needs to be boiled for a while to release the ginger flavor, Song Miao took out several large pieces of old ginger, peeled and chopped them, wrapped them in gauze and squeezed out the concentrated ginger juice, which she then divided into small bowls. She also added granulated sugar to the milk.

Milk is prone to burning, and she didn't have time to stir it constantly, so she put it into a long, narrow-mouthed pot and steamed it over water until it was thoroughly steamed before opening the lid.

Once the milk cooled slightly, she could see tiny bubbles at the edge of the pitcher through the spout. She then wrapped it in a cloth, lifted it high, and poured it into the small bowls filled with concentrated ginger juice. After covering the bowls with lids, she went to attend to other tasks.

After a short while, the ginger and brown sugar water was just ready.

At this moment, Zhu changed into clean clothes and shoes and came out, saying, "What are you busy with? Let me lend a hand!"

Song Miaodu finished making the ginger milk curd, and handed a bowl to Zhu Shi, saying with a smile, "I don't have much to do, so I just made some ginger milk curd. Auntie, try it; it can help ward off the cold."

As she spoke, she lifted the lid of the small bowl, took a porcelain spoon, and casually placed it in the bowl.

When Zhu heard that Song Miao had made some food, her face immediately lit up with a smile. When she took the small bowl, her smile widened even more as she said, "I'll drink this first and then help you!"

Without Song Miao's prompting, he walked to the bench, stretched his neck, then his shoulders, and finally shook his legs. He coughed twice, sat down properly, and muttered to himself, "The things made by Miss Song should be eaten properly and not carelessly."

Song Miao laughed and said, "It's not that mysterious, it's just a sweet snack!"

Mrs. Zhu was even happier: "I love sweet things the most!"

As she was about to take a spoon to scoop it up, she suddenly exclaimed "Ah!"

The spoon didn't sink to the bottom of the bowl; instead, it lay comfortably on the so-called ginger milk curd, with only a thin layer of the spoon's bottom embedded in it—the milk had actually solidified.

The white porcelain bowl and spoon, along with the milky white ginger milk curd, resembled a perfectly sized piece of mutton fat jade resting in the bowl. The surface was as smooth as a bronze mirror, without a single bubble or crack—it was absolutely beautiful.

Zhu had previously heard that it was ginger milk curd, and as the name suggests, she thought it was made by mixing ginger juice with milk and that it was meant to be drunk. She was quite surprised and couldn't help but gently scoop out a spoonful.

It's so delicate that it breaks apart almost with the touch of a spoon.

It doesn't break into a completely solid shape; instead, it first forms a block, and then slowly collapses within a few breaths. The texture is delicate and soft, somewhere between solidified and semi-solidified.

It looks so tender and smooth.

Zhu Shi forcefully shoved this tender, smooth bite into her mouth.

Many thanks to the bookstore and my cat, Egg, for the spark of inspiration I received, and to Wangxing for the small token of my appreciation. ^_^
Thank you to reader Xiaoxiang835512 for the sachet, and to Feifeia for the amulet :)

Thank you to reader 20250308195026824 for sending me a lucky charm! =3=
Thank you everyone for your monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and all kinds of votes! I'm also very happy that you all came to the comments section and the end of the chapter to chat with me~ Mwah!



(End of this chapter)