Miao Chu

Chapter 77 Hesitation
Han and Kong were still hurrying towards the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, the officer surnamed Dong, who had already prepared the food, was holding his chopsticks, staring longingly at the meat in front of him, seemingly caught in a dilemma.

The freshly cooked pork belly, with its perfect balance of fat and lean meat, is sliced ​​very evenly, almost all about three-tenths of an inch thick.

The skin is golden brown and crispy, and the whole thing is filled with the aroma of meat brought out by the hot pan, making it mouthwatering.

The fatty parts are almost transparent, and the lean parts are oozing oil. Just by looking at them, you can imagine how delicious they will be when you put them in your mouth.

But it was way too hot.

As soon as it came out of the pot, it was slicing into his bowl with just a few quick cuts. Even though he had counted to ten in his mind, and it felt like a very long time had passed, the meat was still slowly and steadily bubbling with fine oil.

He couldn't resist taking a bite several times, only to be burned and wince each time, but he just couldn't bear to eat anything else first.

After blowing hard several times and waiting for a while, Officer Dong finally managed to put the meat in his mouth.

The meat smells so good!

The outer shell is extremely brittle, not the kind of crispy, but rather a thick and chewy brittle texture. It takes a bit of effort to bite through it, and you have to work on the skin for a while before you can bite it through.

Once you bite into it, the fat and lean meat of the pork belly are already very clear, and you can tell the difference in the first few bites.

The fatty part is fragrant and smooth, and the fat is also slightly crispy. It has a very rich oily texture. Because the fat has been slowly fried over low heat for a long time, much of it has been rendered out. The remaining part is fragrant but not greasy. The lean part is not dry at all - how could the lean meat of pork belly be dry? But the meat is very firm and tender, but not delicate. It has a texture that is quite satisfying to eat.

After a few more chews, the smooth and tender textures combine perfectly. There are no other seasonings, just a touch of salt, which brings out the aroma of the meat—simple and pure.

One bite reveals the chewy, fragrant skin; another bite reveals the tender, fragrant meat. The fat and juices mingle together, along with the crispy, caramelized skin, creating a satisfying crunch between your teeth.

Meat is definitely best pan-fried! It's so flavorful and delicious!

Having just swallowed that bite of meat, Officer Dong couldn't resist reaching for his chopsticks again.

He ate one thick slice after another. Although they were delicious, he still felt unsatisfied. When he took another bite, he went all out and grabbed three pieces, stuffing them into his mouth in one go.

This time I was truly satisfied.

He had been busy for a whole day and night from last night to tonight, and now he finally sat down to steal a moment to eat meat.

The meat juices burst out between your teeth, filling your mouth with a savory aroma of caramelized meat.

There is no greater joy in life than this!
As Officer Dong was enjoying his meal, chewing with exaggerated movements to ensure the fat, lean meat, and crispy outer crust had enough room to mix thoroughly in his mouth, he was suddenly patted on the shoulder from behind and someone called out, "Old Dong!"

He turned around and saw several familiar faces standing behind him, who had obviously just come into the kitchen from outside.

One of them asked, "What kind of dishes are we having tonight? If it's the same as lunch, we might as well send someone out to buy some."

Officer Dong's mouth was full of meat, which he had only been eating for a short while and was enjoying. He was reluctant to swallow it so quickly, so he simply didn't say anything and just handed the bowl to everyone to see.

The three dishes and one soup looked like they were made with ordinary ingredients and had no complicated preparation methods, but Song Miao had specially put them together. She wanted to make them quick and also take the taste into account. Even if she used a large pot to cook them, it wouldn't affect the taste too much.

Whether a dish is made with care or not is very obvious.

At this moment, everyone had just glanced at the dishes and was about to leave, but upon seeing the menu, they began to waver one after another.

Someone noticed the soup and exclaimed, "It's just mushy cabbage soup! I haven't had this in ages! And those fried egg pieces are beautifully presented!"

Immediately, someone chimed in, saying, "This soup is great, much better than the boiled cabbage we had at noon!"

Another person took a liking to the braised tofu with minced beef and dogwood: "Is this braised tofu with pork? It smells so good, it's spicy and pungent. I like this kind of food. It's fine. With this dish to go with rice, I won't starve to death."

"These bean sprouts are stir-fried so fresh and crisp, and what kind of meat is that? Is it pan-fried? It looks and smells so delicious."

As they were talking, Inspector Xin and his brothers, who were at the end of the line, stood aside and overheard the discussion. They glanced over and said, "Is there any need to ask? Of course, it looks like pork! Besides, pork is cheap, and one person can get so much. Do you think there's any mutton for you?"

Just as I was making my comments, someone behind me interrupted and asked, "What pork?"

Everyone looked up and saw Kong Fuyang, who had come with Han Li.

Han Li had barely stepped into the kitchen when he was stopped by a clerk who rushed over and said that Qin Jie had something urgent to discuss with him and had been called back.

Kong Fuyang was the only one left, standing behind Inspector Xin and the others. Hearing them talking, he chimed in as if watching the fun.

Xin Feng was a straightforward person. Since he had already spoken his mind and benefited from it, he stopped arguing and explained a few words to Kong Fuyang while pointing to the pan-fried pork belly.

"Ugh, I don't like that pork because it's too gamey—are there any other dishes?"

Upon hearing this, Officer Dong, who had been eager to savor the food slowly, almost choked and hastily swallowed the large mouthful of meat.

Although he didn't recognize Kong Fuyang, seeing that this man was familiar with Inspector Xin and the others, he didn't stand on ceremony. He forced himself to swallow a few times and hurriedly said, "Yes! The dishes are great! Brother! If you don't like the smell of pork, get some fried pork later and come sit here. I'll help you eat!"

As he spoke, he tilted the stool he was sitting on under the table and said enthusiastically, "Come on, I've saved you seats, hurry up! Don't let the good food be taken by other people!"

"Then I'll go take a look."

The queue moved very quickly. As Kong Fuyang spoke, he walked forward rapidly, and it seemed that it wouldn't be long before it was his turn.

With backup, Officer Dong ate the remaining pan-fried pork belly with increasing lavishness, often stuffing three or five slices at a time into his mouth. He enjoyed it immensely, but soon finished the meat.

After swallowing the last bite of meat, he turned around and saw that Inspector Xin and the others were returning with bowls.

Thinking that another portion was waiting for him later, Officer Dong was full of anticipation and even moved the stool out.

However, once everyone was seated and he saw that everyone was there except for Kong Fuyang, Officer Dong's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Where is that young man from earlier? How come he disappeared after just getting some food?"

"He was just here a moment ago, I think he was talking to Miss Song when he was chopping meat. He'll probably be here soon."

Officer Dong was anxious and kept turning around. He even stood up, afraid that the man would not be able to find him. Even so, he still had to wait for quite a while before Kong Fuyang returned.

"Where did you go, young man? Why did it take you so long?"

He quickly moved over to make room on the far side, and only looked at the bowl after everyone had sat down.

However, the bowl contained braised pork with minced beef and tofu, stir-fried bean sprouts with vinegar, and another bowl of soup, but the pan-fried pork belly was nowhere to be found.

Where did this perfectly good meat go?
Officer Dong was struck dumb. But Kong Fuyang seemed equally stunned, as if savoring something, before finally saying, "The pork smells delicious!"

The group of people at the table were about to eat when they heard his seemingly random and incoherent statement, and they were all stunned.

Seeing that everyone at the table was looking at him, Kong Fuli seemed to realize something and said, "When I went to get the food, I casually mentioned that pork tends to have a strong, unpleasant smell. The young lady then told me to try it with the sauce and specially brought me a dish of sauce powder..."

"I originally thought that since she brought out the dipping sauce dish, I could just take a piece to try, just to show my respect. But who would have thought... this pork, when pan-fried and dipped in her unknown condiment powder, had no porky smell at all, and it was so fragrant—actually, it doesn't seem to have any smell even without the dipping sauce. The way the meat is cooked really does matter; you can't judge it by your preconceived notions!"

At this point, Kong Fuyang looked at Officer Dong with some embarrassment and said, "Brother, I was just... I was standing there, eating slice after slice of meat with the condiment dish, and I've already finished it all. It seems I don't need to trouble you for help..."

***
Kong Fuli was having dinner with a group of people at the table, while Han Li hurriedly followed a minor official to the main hall in the courtyard.

As soon as he entered, he saw two people sitting at the head of the table.

One of them looked familiar; he had seen him in another prefecture several years ago. His surname was Tao, and he was then the Commissioner of Judicial and Agricultural Affairs. He had heard the news last year that he had been promoted, and now he should be the Assistant Commissioner of Judicial Affairs of Jingdong Circuit.

The other person sat at the head of the table. He looked to be over sixty years old, dressed in casual clothes, and appeared quite well-off.

And sitting with him were, first, Prefect Zheng, and then Judge Qin Jie.

As soon as Han Li entered, Qin Jie stood up and introduced him to the two people at the head of the table: "This is Han Li, Han Zhengyan, a student of the Imperial Academy. He is currently on loan to my capital prefectural office. He has been very helpful in coordinating things this time."

He then introduced the man on the left to Han Li, saying, "This is Minister Tao, who is currently the Assistant Commissioner of Criminal Justice in Jingdong Circuit."

He then pointed to another person and said, "This is our Prefect Zhao."

Han Li bowed first, and then greeted the two men separately.

Tao Gongshi stood up with a smile and said, "I don't need to introduce myself. Zhengyan and I are old acquaintances. He even helped me out back in Dingzhou."

As he spoke, he turned to the person beside him and said, "Prefect Zhao is truly capable, managing to persuade Zheng Yan to come out of the Imperial Academy."

Prefect Zhao also laughed. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he looked at Qin Jie and asked, "What exactly happened this time? Now that you're here, tell us quickly."

"The trial only started today, and we don't have enough staff, so it's unlikely we'll have any results anytime soon."

Qin explained, then said to Han Li, "Zhengyan, tell the two officials what was found out in today's interrogation."

Logically, Qin Jie should be the one to make the introductions at this moment, but the collection and statistics are all in Han Li's hands. After a day of interrogation, he has only interrogated a few prisoners and has not yet submitted the report. Now that his superiors are urging him to do it, he has no choice but to call over the person in charge.

Han Li then gave a brief overview of the findings from today's investigation.

"Although last night's operation was supposed to be a crackdown on gambling, the interrogation at the yamen today yielded some unexpected results..."

He started by talking about the house opposite the Song family restaurant at the end of Suanzao Alley. Because Tao Gongshi, an outsider, was present, he concealed the fact that the land deed of the Song family's ancestral home had been altered by a minor official from the Kyoto government. He only said that he had obtained a clue, which led to the Liao family head. He then learned that the Liao family head owned many properties under his name and those of his confidants. After keeping an eye on them, he simultaneously launched a search operation and found that every house was a gambling den.

Today's statistics show that, including gamblers and those involved in the gambling den, the total number of people involved is 827.

The number was already large enough, but what was even more surprising was that more than ten women and children who had gone missing during the Lantern Festival were found in a house near Zhujiaqiao Wazi in the east of the city.

Upon hearing this, Prefect Zhao and Clerk Tao could no longer sit still. The former, in particular, bent forward and exclaimed in surprise, "What? They really found the person?"

He asked urgently, "Were they rescued? Were any people injured or killed? How many were there in total, and where are the others who got lost?"

"The search and rescue is still ongoing. We received news around noon that eighteen people have been rescued, including men and women, mostly women, and six children—four boys and two girls," Han Li said. "As for the whereabouts of the remaining missing persons, we will probably need to continue interrogating them to find out."

"However, based on the information we have now, the missing person has most likely been smuggled out of the capital—many thugs from gambling dens were found in that house. These thugs are also heads of the city's 'trafficking guild,' and although there was a city-wide search after the Lantern Festival, 'trafficking guilds' have never been restricted from leaving the city..."

Prefect Zhao hurriedly asked again, "Is it possible to bring the person back?"

"It may not be easy, but it's not entirely impossible either. It just requires more effort to complete the interrogation as soon as possible, to figure out a direction, and to send letters to various prefectures so that local governments can follow the clues and search one by one. This is not something that can be done overnight..."

Upon hearing that all that was needed was manpower and cooperation from various prefectures, Prefect Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and slammed his hand on the table, saying, "Then hurry up with the investigation, and once we have a result, quickly send a letter to send people to find them!"

Then, he looked at Master Tao and said, "Master Tao..."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I have already assigned two prosecutors and two clerks, all of whom are highly skilled and experienced. If you need anything else, just ask. If this case is not solved and no results are found, I will not have a single good day."

Qin Jie also said, "I must thank you, Lord Tao. When I and Prefect Zheng came to ask you for help this morning, you did not shirk your duty at all and immediately sent people out. If it weren't for the help of the capable officers from the Judicial Commissioner, we might not have been able to find those dozen or so lost women and children by now."

After exchanging a few polite words, several judges and staff members from the criminal investigation department who had received the news rushed over.

Seeing the haggard appearance of everyone with dark circles under their eyes, Prefect Zhao couldn't help but say to Zheng Boqian, "Although the matter is urgent, the officials from the Judicial Commissioner's Office who have come to our aid are all guests. You must arrange for someone to take good care of their food and lodging. Do not neglect them!"

"There's no need to be so particular," said Tao Gongshi with a smile. "We come here to do business, not to enjoy ourselves. Eating from the public kitchen is fine! If we're too particular, it will damage our reputation. What should be a good thing can turn into a bad thing—we can eat anytime, there's no rush!"

"This……"

Prefect Zhao couldn't help but look at Prefect Zheng Boqian.

Prefect Zheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "I was just about to report to the Prefect that the cooks under my command are all just average, but the young Zheng who is in charge of the public kitchen just came to see me and said that he has found a few good cooks who will come to taste the dishes tomorrow morning. In that case, why don't we have them cook a meal for lunch?"

Prefect Zhao naturally wouldn't concern himself with such a trivial matter, and was about to nod when a judge from the Ministry of Justice suddenly exclaimed, "Is this considered ordinary?"

As soon as he said that, everyone in the room turned to look at him.

The prosecutor was somewhat embarrassed, but could only explain, "While eating, I found the food prepared by the Kyoto Prefectural Government's kitchen to be exceptionally delicious—I just went with them, and the pan-fried pork belly was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, truly superb. The stir-fried bean sprouts were also very crisp and refreshing, with a tangy vinegar flavor that was both appetizing and invigorating. And then there was the minced beef and tofu... um..."

As he spoke, recalling the taste from earlier, he couldn't help but wipe the corner of his mouth with his hand, afraid that saliva might actually drip down.

"You're making me hungry!" said Tao Gongshi with a laugh.

Prefect Zhao laughed and said, "I'm hungry too. Since things have been settled, why don't we go and try this delicacy together?"

How could Prefect Zheng refuse? He had no choice but to send a minor official to find that Mr. Zheng.

However, after searching left and right, they could not find him. When they asked again, he only said that he had gone out to run errands. When the clerk returned to report the news, Prefect Zhao had already arrived at the kitchen with Tao Gongshi and his party.

My dream of perfect attendance is shattered...

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(End of this chapter)