Miao Chu

Chapter 60 is procrastinating
The moment it entered her mouth, she didn't even need to use her teeth or tongue; the small spoonful of ginger milk pudding melted on its own in Zhu's mouth.

She had never tasted anything like it before. It was many times more tender than tofu, almost shapeless, yet had a semi-solid texture.

The first taste is milky and sweet.

It had a strong milky flavor and a distinct sweetness, but before she could even swallow it, the ginger flavor had already begun to permeate her throat.

Old ginger is normally very spicy, but that spiciness is now enveloped by milk and tempered by the sweetness of granulated sugar, making the spiciness that stimulates the tongue extremely mild, yet very mellow. It melts on the tip and back of the tongue with the solidified milk, rich, fragrant, and sweet, but not greasy.

The flavors of ginger and sweet milk intertwine and neutralize each other.

Once swallowed, the ginger flavor slowly rose from the stomach, bringing a warm feeling that spread throughout the body.

Zhu ate one bite after another, initially trying to eat slowly and savor the food. But as she ate, it seemed she was only tasting the flavor. The white porcelain bowl was scraped clean, down to the bottom, with not a single grain left.

She swirled the spoon around the inside of the bowl again, put it in her mouth and sipped it for a long time. After she could no longer taste anything, she finally realized what it meant.

—This bowl is so small, it's not enough to eat!
The bowl was empty, but her mouth was still craving more, and her stomach could still hold more. Zhu couldn't help but look at the stove.

There were also many bowls there, which looked exactly like the one in my hand, and even had lids!

It should still be full and freshly cooked, not completely empty, right?

But Zhu was too embarrassed to ask for more, so she could only try to get the information indirectly: "This ginger milk curd is really delicious! I ate some, and my feet, which were freezing, are now half warm! How is it made? I'll try to learn how to make it when I get home!"

Song Miao then told her how to make it, and added, "Actually, it's best to use buffalo milk, but buffalo are rare in the capital, so ordinary cow's milk is enough. As long as the ginger is old enough and the milk is heated just right, it will be ready."

"The spout of the milk jug should be raised higher, preferably with a smaller spout, so that the ginger juice and milk can be mixed evenly when it is poured into the bowl from a height, making it easier for the milk to coagulate."

"If it doesn't solidify, there's another way to fix it. Heat the steamer, remove the firewood, leaving only the embers, and steam the ginger milk curd over a very low heat for about fifteen minutes. It will solidify into a cheese-like consistency and taste just as good."

Zhu listened carefully, her eyes unconsciously glancing at the porcelain covered bowl on the stove.

If I could, I'd love to have another bowl...

This thought was like a hundred claws scratching at her heart. Just as she was about to speak, her husband came out from behind her.

Sun Lizheng had just dried himself off the rain and was about to come and relieve his wife when he saw her sitting there with a bowl in her hand. He asked curiously, "What are you eating here? Why are you eating all by yourself?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Ginger milk curd."

He added, "Seeing that everyone had gotten wet in the rain, I made some ginger milk curd to help warm you up. This is a bowl with heads, so everyone gets a share."

As she spoke, she pointed to a small pot on the side and said, "I've also boiled a pot of ginger and brown sugar water. I'll put it on the stove to keep it warm later. Whenever you want to drink it, just help yourself to a bowl. It's just as good for warming up."

Everyone has drunk ginger tea, but ginger milk curd was something Sun Lizheng had never heard of before. He couldn't help but ask, "What is this ginger milk curd?"

Song Miao then served him a bowl.

He hurriedly went forward to take it, but before he even got close, he suddenly saw a pair of hands reach out and snatch the bowl away like a tiger snatching food from its mouth.

Sun Lizheng was taken aback. He looked up and saw Zhu holding a bowl in both hands, smiling so broadly that her eyes were almost closed.

"Old Sun doesn't like sweets, so I'll eat this bowl of human heads for him!"

As she spoke, Zhu pointed to the pot on the stove and said to Song Miao, "He'll be fine with that ginger and brown sugar water! I'll get him some in a bit!"

He added, "You go about your business, don't worry about it, leave this to me!"

“Who says I don’t like it…” Sun Lizheng had only said half of his sentence, before he could even utter the word “sweet,” when Zhu Shi’s glare forced him to swallow it back. He dared not utter another word, and looked on with a wronged expression as the bowl, now bearing the new name, slowly moved into the inner room.

When the couple were arguing, Song Miao naturally wouldn't get involved. She would just smile and go back to the backyard to keep busy.

As soon as she left, Sun, the village head, jumped out from the inner room again.

"You woman!" he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Even Miss Song said it was a human head bowl, you not only ate your own, but you also tried to steal mine!"

"Who stole the candied taro that Miss Song made for me last time? I didn't get to eat a single piece! Let me tell you, this isn't over. If you don't return it, I'll remember this for the rest of my life and I'll bring it up every now and then!" Madam Zhu retorted on the spot.

Sun, the village head, immediately extinguished the fire, glanced at the outhouse, and whispered, "Keep your voice down, the officials are all inside!"

Only then did Madam Zhu let it go. She asked how many people were inside, took a tray, filled it with ginger milk curd, and asked her husband to take it in. She added, "When they're finished eating, remember to help clean it up. Don't make Miss Song have to clean it up herself in the end."

Sun Lizheng sighed and carried the tray inside.

He entered and counted the heads. Sure enough, there wasn't a single extra bowl on the plate. He felt a pang of bitterness, but still asked with a glimmer of hope, "Miss Song made some things to warm you up. There's ginger and brown sugar water, which isn't too sweet, and another dish with lots of sugar in it—is there anyone here who doesn't like sweets?"

Whether it was the patrolmen or the yamen runners, they had all eaten Song Miao's cooking at noon, and everyone knew about her culinary skills.

Moreover, Zhu's voice was loud, and with only a curtain separating them, nothing could be blocked. Everyone heard it and had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Sun, the village head, come in, they all smiled at him.

There were also sarcastic remarks.

"It's just that you, Old Sun, don't like sweets; we all love them!"

"Exactly! Whether it's sweet or savory, everyone loves what Miss Song makes. Even if it's bitter, I'll still try it!"

As they were talking, the others didn't wait for him to divide the bowls; they stepped forward and grabbed their respective portions.

The ginger milk curd was even smoother than soft tofu. The group ate it while winking and making faces at Sun, the village head.

"Oh dear, I'm just a roughneck, like Pigsy eating ginseng fruit, I only know it tastes good, but I can't explain why!"

"It's so warm and cozy, it feels really comforting to eat here!"

"Tender, soft, spicy, and delicious!"

"In the cold wind and rain, having a place to sit and being able to eat this ginger milk curd, oh my, this life is like being in heaven!"

Sun Lizheng wanted to cover his ears and not listen, and urged angrily, "Hurry up and eat, why are you talking so much nonsense!"

He added, "Let's see how long you can keep eating!"

A small bowl of ginger milk curd was not enough for many people to eat, and soon, their joy turned to sorrow.

"How could it all be eaten up!"

"Old Sun, is there any more? Another bowl, please!"

Sun, the village head, cursed, "There's more in my dreams, a hundred bowls in my dreams! If there really were more, I'd eat it myself, why would I just stand here and watch?"

As he spoke, he angrily collected the bowls and had only taken a few steps out of the main hall when he saw his wife stand up from the bench and hand him the bowls again. Sun, the village head, reached out the tray to take them, but Zhu didn't put it down; instead, she handed it to him, saying, "Take it."

"I'm busy right now, and you still have to act all high and mighty outside!"

Sun Lizheng had no choice but to use his right hand to take it.

As soon as he took it, his left hand felt light; it was Zhu who had taken the tray from him.

Zhu carried the tray and walked towards the backyard without looking back, saying only, "You'll have to wash your own bowl later!"

Sun Lizheng was a little stunned at first, but when he looked down, he saw that the ginger milk curd in the white porcelain bowl had only been eaten on one side. A white porcelain spoon was placed in the empty space, and the other half of the creamy white milk was trembling in the bowl, tender and fresh, with the aroma of milk and ginger that went straight into his nose.

"Ah! Ah!"

Sun Lizheng didn't know what to say for a moment, and exclaimed "Ah!" several times.

"Oh dear, hurry up and eat it while it's hot!"

—But when Zhu heard the voice, she turned around and glared at him from afar.

Sun Lizheng grinned for a while, picked up the spoon to scoop the food, but suddenly stopped, turned around, and quickly slipped into the storeroom.

"Miss Song's cooking skills are truly superb. This ginger milk curd is so tender and sweet, and it warms you up nicely. No wonder you all want more after you've tried it!"

While eating, he would pretend to look out the window at the house across the street, shifting positions and walking back and forth in the small storage room.

The other night watchmen never expected that their slash would actually backfire, and they were so annoyed that they chased him away.

"Go! Go! Go."

"Go aside!"

"You're on duty, so hurry up and finish your meal and get back to work!"

Here, Sun Lizheng made a hundred and twenty noises while eating ginger milk curd, which annoyed everyone, but let's leave that aside for now.

In the backyard, Song Miao prepared all the ingredients for the next day and arranged everything properly. Seeing that it was late and she had waited for a long time but still hadn't seen Han Li return, she had no choice but to go to sleep.

Meanwhile, at the Kyoto government office, Han Li saw Song Miao off, took the many copies she left behind, and borrowed the management regulations for places like the cabinet storehouse and the building administration office.

He was personally led by Qin Jie to see Prefect Zheng, and many people saw this, so naturally they didn't make things difficult for him and readily found all the necessary items.

After studying these things carefully for half a day, Han Li finally knocked on Qin Jie's door.

After he went in, he didn't say anything else, but asked, "With Brother Qin's abilities, although you haven't been in the capital for long, you should have already found a few capable people in the government office, right? Could you spare one or two?"

Qin Jie was taken aback, then overjoyed, and asked, "Has Zheng Yan finally come to his senses and is willing to help me with the process?"

He added, "Don't even mention one or two, five or eight would be enough—Awen is with a few kids following us. I'll call them over, and they'll be at your disposal."

Han Li shook his head: "I don't want to come in with you. I want the veteran officials who have been in the government office for many years."

He paused, then said, "I don't care about the procedures, I just have some questions to ask."

"You can do whatever you want," Qin Jie replied readily. "If you need people, I'll call them for you, but no matter what, you still have to bring my men with you. Those clerks in the Military Patrol Office are all old hands; they won't leave even if you urge them, and they won't budge even if you beat them."

Han Li could easily see through the other party's intentions.

But he simply didn't have the time to train one new person after another for the Qin family, so he said, "Then we don't need anyone else. Would it be convenient for you, Mr. Qin, to spare me a few hours?"

Qin Jie knew he never spoke without reason, so he replied, "Since you've asked, you'll have to move it even if you can't."

He then asked, "What exactly is it?"

Han Li said, "You keep urging me to streamline the process, and when I tell you to make an example of someone, you go easy on them..."

"Do you think this is my first time being an official?" Qin Jie shook his head and laughed. "Zhengyan, you're only here on loan. After a while, you'll go back to your studies at the Imperial Academy. In the future, you can serve in the Censorate and the Hanlin Academy as you please, advancing or retreating at will."

"I still have several years left to serve in this government office. If I overdo it, I'll be seeing my subordinates all the time. What will they think of me? Who will be willing to work for me?"

"We had already arrested two groups of people, but we only taught them a lesson once. Then my colleagues came to mediate. I didn't want to pay attention to them, but then Prefect Zheng stepped in to smooth things over, saying this and advising that."

“The Kyoto government office is different from other prefectures and counties. You never know who is behind any official. If I make any big moves, I might get myself into trouble before I even have a chance to settle down.”

Han Li remained unmoved by this explanation, and said in a flat tone, "Then you chose the wrong chicken, and you killed it wrong too."

Qin Jie found it even funnier.

Young people are often full of vigor and ambition, showing off their talents without knowing how to be respectful. They always think that the world is so big that they can do whatever they want, and they speak and act as if it's all taken for granted.

He had heard many elders praise Han Li, and he had also seen the man do things; he was indeed capable and quite intelligent.

But no matter how clever he is, he's a newcomer and hasn't even met two people yet.

The reason for inviting him here this time was to use his abilities to mentor the younger staff. Who would have thought that he would start pointing fingers at me, a judge who had served two terms and risen through the ranks to the capital.

Do you really think that doing things is as simple as swearing?
However, since they were practically fellow disciples and of a much higher seniority, even for Master Chen's sake, some face had to be given to him.

"Then, according to your suggestion, how should I choose this chicken, and how should I kill it?" Qin Jie asked with a smile.

Han Lixian did not reply immediately.

He used to travel around with his teacher, visiting academies and government offices in different places. He had seen many people and things and was very familiar with Qin Jie's attitude.

But this time was different from the past. He didn't have time to take his time, nor was he too lazy to do so. He only wanted to borrow a knife—Shopkeeper Song was still waiting for him.

He thought for a moment, then said slowly and deliberately, "I'll catch one for you, Brother Qin. You can hold it in your hand and then see if it's suitable to kill, how about that?"

Qin Jie believed he had no cost to him, but he still felt that Han Li was different from what he remembered and even more different from what he had imagined; he was somewhat unruly.

He agreed at first, then added, "If it doesn't work out, Zheng Yan, please don't keep making excuses. Be patient and help me train the people and streamline the process, okay?"

Han Li did not agree, but said only, "Hurry up, if you keep dragging your feet, we won't be able to catch him tonight."

Qin Jie almost burst out laughing at the young student's naivety, but he managed to hold back and, as Han Li had suggested, ordered someone to invite three long-serving clerks from the storeroom to come over.

(End of this chapter)