Miao Chu

Chapter 9 Help
The character "福" (fortune/blessing) was actually embedded inside!
Or rather, the filling inside forms the character "福" (fortune/blessing).

It's so exquisite that anyone who sees it for the first time will take a second look!
The outer skin of this pastry is glutinous, and because it is a very thin layer, it does not stick to your teeth and can be easily bitten through.

The fillings inside are distinct and each has its own flavor, but the flavors go together harmoniously. They are light and sweet, but not too sweet, making you want to eat more.

Once Zhu started eating, she couldn't stop. She tasted three or four in a row and couldn't help but praise, "I never expected that the young lady of the Song family had such skill. I think it can even rival the Eight Immortals Cake from Dexianju!"

Upon hearing the name "Dexianju", Sun Lizheng scoffed, "You're giving her too much credit. What kind of place is Dexianju? She's just a little girl."

Zhu snorted and said, "Then don't eat it! Why are you fighting with me for it—you've almost finished this whole box!"

Sun Lizheng immediately shut up.

Madam Zhu then said, "If I were to give you a choice, would you prefer something bought from Xianju or something made by Miss Song?"

Sun Lizheng paused for a moment, then muttered, "Then let's choose the Song family's place. Dexianju is too expensive!"

Besides, he had eaten the food from Dexianju before. It was delicious, of course, but even the most delicious snacks were still just snacks. Eating them wouldn't get him to ascend to heaven.

If he really had to choose, he seemed to prefer the "Fu" character cake.

It's not cloying, it's novel and ingenious, and it brings good fortune.

Zhu could see through her husband's stubbornness, but she was too lazy to argue with him. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly asked, "This young lady Song can embed the character '福' (fortune), can she embed other characters?"

Sun, the village head, was taken aback and asked, "What characters are embedded? And what's the purpose of embedding them?"

Zhu said, "How about we embed the character 'longevity'? Isn't Chief Li's mother's birthday coming up soon? Even though he's in the thick of things right now and doesn't dare to show his face, it wouldn't be too much to send him some snacks or clothes, would it?"

Sun Lizheng was immediately interested.

The Kyoto Prefectural Government recently replaced its left and right military patrol judges. This position is responsible for matters related to public security, interrogation, detention, and arrest.

This new official was very strict in his duties, and his subordinates dared not even openly host banquets. Naturally, Chief Li had also made it clear that no one was allowed to bring gifts to his office.

However, the two families have always been close, and it would seem too distant to not show any concern at this time.

Madam Zhu continued, “I’ve already asked Er Ya to make a headband and shoes, and I’ve also made two sets of clothes. When the time comes, I’ll add a few boxes of fruit and pastries, and that should be enough. Instead of buying them outside, it’s better to ask this Miss Song to make them. They’re beautiful and taste good. It’s also a way of taking care of her, an orphan.”

Seeing that her husband was still hesitating, she said, "I think she has something important to talk to you about today. Anyway, she has to go to the street to set up her stall tomorrow morning. Just tell her on your way. If it's anything, I'll lend a hand."

Sun Lizheng sighed and said, "Am I really that heartless? If I go to her like this and she begs me to help her keep the ancestral home or help her hide from that Master Wu, what should I say? How can I help her?"

He added, "You think Liao Qingjiao really came to thank me this time? She's actually targeting me!"

Zhu immediately shut her mouth.

Liao Qingjiao and his men have been monopolizing the waste and filth around the Zhuque Gate for the past few years.

While the name "excrement" may sound disgusting, countless people profit from it. To establish oneself in such a line of work, one must have cultivated connections in various places and gathered a group of thugs to secure a stable territory. Moreover, one has the backing of Master Wu.

Although she felt sorry for the young lady from the Song family, she didn't want to get involved in any of the mess. If she were to cause trouble for her own family because of her good intentions, that would be the real problem.

Sun Lizheng glanced at the food box on the table and finally said, "Never mind, I've been busy these past few days. If I happen to pass by and she's still there, I'll ask her if I can help. If not... well, it's just bad luck for her." He repeated the same thing.

Are there few people in this world who have bad luck?

***
Song Miao was unaware of all the circumstances surrounding Sun Lizheng's home.

Because making the jujube paste and red bean paste takes a long time, it's not worth it to just make one steamed cake. So she made a lot of fillings in one go in the morning, and there was still more than half left. On her way home, she bought some millet flour and sorghum flour to take with her to make yellow steamed buns.

Making yellow steamed buns isn't difficult; the trouble lies in the filling. Now that the filling is readily available, as long as the proportions of various flours are right, you can just throw a dough into it, without even needing to pleat it, and steam it.

However, she always felt that most of the teachers and students at Nanlu Academy and Taixue preferred savory food, especially meat-based food, while these yellow steamed buns were purely sweet, which might not suit their tastes.

But it doesn't matter. If they're really hard to sell, just walk a few steps towards Baokangmen on your way back. There are quite a few embroidery shops and cloth stores in that area to the east.

There are naturally many embroiderers near embroidery workshops and cloth shops. They often bring their families with them, including the elderly and children.

Yellow steamed buns are neither greasy nor sticky, and have a soft texture. They are perfect for breakfast for embroiderers, the elderly, and children alike, so they shouldn't be too hard to sell.

She had been busy for half a day and didn't even have a moment to rest after returning. She was busy preparing ingredients, and by the time she had almost finished, it was already dark. She felt like she had only managed to close her eyes briefly before she had to get up.

When I woke up, it was bright daylight. The wind and snow had stopped, and the orange sun was shining brightly in a corner of the yard, peeking out with only a small half of its head. It was quite adorable.

Song Miao stood in the courtyard washing up, looking at the sun while taking a deep breath, feeling as if the cool air had cleansed her nose and lungs.
The weather was lovely today. She went out at the same time as yesterday, and when she arrived at the food alley, it was already crowded with people. The spot where she used to have was now occupied by another stall selling rice cakes.

This place was first-come, first-served, so she pushed her cart a little further in and found another open space.

Just as she stopped the car and before she could even set up her stall, Song Miao heard someone call out from ahead, "She's here! Isn't that the young lady? She's here!"

She looked up and saw a group of students standing in twos and threes not far away. They had just been standing there, but when they saw her looking at them, their eyes lit up and they rushed over as if they were a madman.

"Young lady, are you selling glutinous rice?"

"Miss Song! I ordered five large servings of glutinous rice yesterday, and also five servings of tangerine peel and mung bean drink. I don't need your bamboo tube; bring your own pot to fill it up today!"

"Hey, don't you know about first come, first served? I was here first!"

"I booked it yesterday! I'm in a hurry to get back to class!"

"Who isn't in a hurry to get to class? You're the only one in a hurry! Line up! Line up! Where did you come from? Have you ever learned any manners?!"

"Where did you come from! I'm a regular customer!"

"I've only been open for a day, how can I expect to have any new or old customers? Don't old customers have to wait in line? Go to the back!"

A dozen or so students, all young and middle-aged, surrounded each other, inevitably pushing and shoving, and tensions quickly rose.

Seeing that a large crowd had gathered and was blocking the way, Song Miao glanced around and quickly said to the young man standing at the head of the crowd, "Excuse me, sir, could you do me a favor? I'd like to bring you a breakfast."

(End of this chapter)