Chapter 11: Wonderful Kitchen Chapter 11: Knocking on the Door

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

For Guanzhong students, Huang Bobo was naturally good, but if there could be meat, it would definitely be even better.

Besides Huang Bobo, she also prepared to make some mutton buns.

Mutton was expensive these days, and compared to pork and beef buns, it was more impressive.

Song Miao took out various ingredients, dividing the mutton leg and pork leg into two halves each, cutting half into small pieces the size of a fingertip, mincing the other half into meat paste, and cutting carrots into short shreds, and scallions and green onions into small sections.

Once everything was ready, she did not rush to mix the filling, but only cut a bit of fatty pork down and rendered lard with ginger, then put half of the processed mutton and pork into the pot with the lard.

As soon as the meat entered the pot, it was pan-fried over high heat, and the aroma simply had nowhere to hide.

A cook who doesn't steal means the five grains are not abundant.

Song Miao seasoned while frying, and before she had even added salt, the aroma tempted her to involuntarily pick up a piece of mutton with the ladle, hold it with chopsticks, and taste it, only to feel the meat was just right from the oil burst, with a good balance of fat and lean, the outer skin half-burnt, the inside tender, and as she bit down, the meat juice burst in her mouth, truly incredibly fragrant, so she couldn't help but taste another piece of pork.

This piece of pork she ate was quite lean, but because it was lean, it was fried even more fragrant, actually having a slightly crisp shell.

Song Miao couldn't help but sigh while eating.

Such good meat, its original flavor was already very fragrant; if at this time it could be wrapped with perilla leaves or extremely tender mustard greens leaves, those who could eat garlic could add two small slices of garlic, paired with some pickled sour radish...

The meat juice fragrance, the oil fragrance, the radish sourness, the garlic spiciness, all relieved greasiness; perilla was wonderfully fragrant, mustard greens leaves were crisp and tender. If it weren't that her purse truly couldn't afford pepper at this time, being able to add a bit of pepper to enhance the flavor...

Song Miao dared not think further, fearing that if she couldn't help herself once, she would eat the gift Cheng Zijian was going to give.

She hurriedly added half of the carrot shreds again, and once they were stir-fried until just cooked, she took them all out, only then starting to truly mix the filling.

Food has a thousand flavors for a thousand people, especially mutton buns, such an extremely common staple food, every family has their own way of making it, and no one can say whose is more delicious.

Song Miao's method emphasized combining raw and cooked, using both mutton and pork.

Only taking half of the mutton and pork to stir-fry: first to bring out the aroma, second to enrich the texture, of course, there was also one more point: mutton was too expensive, and mixing in some pork made the purse hurt less.

The same went for carrots.

Carrots were originally beautiful in color; once they passed through oil, that red-yellow color seemed to melt into the oil, naturally bringing sweetness and beautiful color, but half also had to be left raw to relieve greasiness and keep shape, so that once mixed, they wouldn't lose their form.

Of course, scallion, ginger, and Sichuan pepper water were indispensable, mixed in to remove the gamy smell.

After she mixed all the meats and side dishes well, she then lifted the lid of the large pot to one side.

Inside were two large basins, both dough that had risen last night, one basin was barnyard millet flour, one was ordinary dough; because the weather was cold, the dough rose slowly, and at this time, upon checking, it was just right.

Song Miao divided the portions and began wrapping buns.

She did not make small buns; those she pinched out were all adult fist-sized, nor did she pursue excessively thin skins, but she paid great attention to thick filling. Once wrapped, the eighteen pleats on the buns were like gathered flower petals, each one beautiful, lying in the pot.

After wrapping the mutton buns, she wrapped Huang Bobo.

The Huang Bobo filling did not need to be mixed fresh like mutton buns, to avoid water seeping out if left too long; it was just date paste and red bean paste, relying on the cold weather, prepared before bed, and at this time, after a short while, it was all kneaded properly.

After both things were done, she checked all the prepared ingredients once, saw that the time was about right, placed the steamer baskets respectively on the two small pots to one side, and put the small pots onto the stove on the cart, then she set off.

Today she arrived quite early, but as soon as she reached the place, Cheng Zijian was already standing at the alley gate waiting; seeing her cart come, he hurriedly came up to meet her.

Song Miao nodded at him and smiled, saying, "Young Master, don't be anxious, it's already done."

Indeed, after setting up the stall and lifting the lids of the two small pots, steam surged out from inside, and surging out with the steam was an indescribable aroma—along the way, the mutton buns and Huang Bobo had both finished steaming.

To avoid mixing flavors, she specially used two small pots.

The aroma of meat buns was completely different from that of glutinous rice; the mutton flavor was so overbearing—those who loved it called it fragrant, those who didn't called it gamy, and no one could escape it.

However, this was the Capital, not the South; more people loved this mutton, and besides, scallions and green onions had been added inside. At this moment, upon opening the lid, it was so fragrant it shot straight to people's heavenly caps, and those nearby all looked over.

Several people had already been preparing to line up to buy glutinous rice, naturally all craning their necks; one of them even couldn't mind the heat, involuntarily poked his head into the steam, and asked anxiously, "Song Xiaoniangzi, these are mutton buns, right? Why are they so fragrant? You're selling buns now? How many cash each?!"

While speaking, he had already started to swallow saliva.

Song Miao, taking advantage of the steam not yet dissipating, hurriedly put the mutton buns and Huang Bobo into two food boxes respectively, handed them to Cheng Zijian beside her, and smiled at the student who had asked in front: "I don't sell buns. If you want to eat mutton buns, the Auntie over there sells buns. I tasted some this morning; thin skin, large filling, very good flavor!"

After speaking, she specially gave Cheng Zijian a look, signaling the other party to leave quickly.

Doing business most taboo is to cut off others' livelihood.

Everyone in this Food Alley had always lived in peace, each selling their own. When she came, she had specially chosen varieties, fearing duplication with others would cause disputes. Naturally, she refused outright now.

Cheng Zijian was not stupid either; carrying two food boxes, he left in a flash.

This time, Song Miao prepared a large quantity: a full three large pots of glutinous rice, plus another eighty portions of tangerine peel green bean drink. In less than half an hour, it was all sold out.

Even so, there were still those who didn't get any and came to complain, asking her to make more tomorrow.

Song Miao was so busy she didn't even have time to drink a sip of water. Hearing this, she only smiled and said she was small in strength and couldn't make that much.

Once these words were spoken, she clearly noticed the stall owners of several surrounding stalls looking over, but she only pretended not to know.

Counting today, Song Miao had actually only set up a stall for three days, but she sold more each day.

There were only so many students who often came out to buy breakfast. She sold more, so naturally someone sold less.

Fortunately, she controlled the quantity every day, sold out and left, never being greedy for more, so she wouldn't affect others' business too much.

Cheng Zijian carried two food boxes and went around into the Neishe Xue Zhai.

It was still early before the bell would strike; Inside there were already only two people, One person sat in a corner, book never leaving hand, head not Looking Up, Ling Wai there was one person tidying the desk.

Although he had studied at Taixue for two years, this was his first time entering Neishe. At this time he gently knocked on the door. Seeing no one inside paid attention, he had to step forward and find the one arranging the desk, asking softly, "May I ask, brother... is there someone here named Cai Xiu?"

That person turned his head and said, "I am he."

This person was quite tall, born with a fine appearance. Because he wore a dark brocade robe, his face looked even whiter. His demeanor was suave, truly like a scion of a prominent family, full of grace.