Chapter 111: Wonderful Cook Chapter 110: Support

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

The previous chapter had a "Lian" character Easter egg image; Qidian friends can flip back, click the image to enlarge to get it, friends on other platforms if interested can also go to the Qidian comments section to see the image. (Rest assured, not looking doesn't affect anything~)

Cooking first requires selecting rice.

Song Miao this time selected glutinous rice, tiny grains, first soaked in water, then another pot of water was started, brought to a boil, then boiling water was used to scald those many yellow eels.

Yellow eels naturally carry slime on their bodies, which is where the fishy smell is heaviest; upon meeting heat it congeals, at this time simmered for a moment, indeed the water was full of milky white semi-solidified matter, shaped like boiled scattered egg white.

After washing the eel bodies clean, another pot of ginger slice water was started, cooked over medium-low heat.

At this time the water cannot be too hot, because the yellow eel's gallbladder membrane is extremely thin, overheating would break it, and the eel meat would carry a bitter taste.

Wait until the yellow eel flesh and blood are cooked, the blood in the bones and organs has already congealed, the meat has also set its shape, then separate the two.

Remove the organs, place meat and blood aside, Song Miao started another pot with a bit of lard, stir-fried with ginger strips the separated bones until fragrant, then poured in the previous ginger slice water.

Plenty of bones, just enough water to cover them, a bit of Sichuan pepper, high heat vigorously boiled into a small pot of golden yellow floating oil, rich enough to slightly yellow bone soup—at this moment the eel bone concentrated soup was filtered into clear soup, poured into the soaked raw rice to cook rice.

Wait until cooked to eighty or ninety percent, then add a small circle of lard at the pot edge, to make the rice scorched.

She saw the rice was about done, then went to heat the pot, stir-fried ginger strips, dried tangerine peel strips, and pepper with lard, stir-fried until the aroma was fully released, then added the yellow eel meat.

A small bucket of yellow eel stripped out, even after removing bones and organs, the meat still had a large full bowl, stir-fried over high heat, seasoning only added salt, soy sauce, a spoonful of crushed pepper, stir-fried well then shoveled out, leaving the base oil, then added a bit more oil, uncovered the pot lid and served out the sand pot rice cooked with bone soup to stir-fry.

This time stir-frying rice, the bottom layer of scorched rice remained unmoved, stir-fried until grain distinct, sauce evenly coated, then put back into the sand pot, topped with the just stir-fried yellow eel meat, covered again, left to simmer for half an incense stick's time to absorb flavor.

While simmering the rice, Song Miao called Xiao Lian to the side, saying: "Help sister go invite your mother and that Young Master Han to come eat."

Xiao Lian smelled the aroma, couldn't help but glance at the stove, agreed in one breath, stepping on two short little legs quickly ran to the back courtyard.

When Cheng Erniang and Han Li, busy in the back, came out, on the bench already sat a steaming sand pot, a large basin of just out-of-pot chicken intestine vegetable poached egg soup, also with scallion granules, cilantro and such, for people to take as needed.

Seeing everyone gathered, each took their seats, Song Miao then uncovered the sand pot lid, used a wooden spoon to gently mix the yellow eel meat strips on top with the rice below.

As the rice spoon turned and mixed, the pot bottom was still sizzling, the sound of hot oil frying the scorched rice at the pot bottom, heat carrying that aroma, pounced head-on onto the faces of those sitting around the bench.

Added lard to make scorched rice, then used yellow eel base oil to stir-fry rice, finally laid a thick layer of stir-fried yellow eel meat, this pot cannot be described with the two words "fragrant to the extreme."

Thus a whole room, big and small, all said nothing, just smelled this aroma, even Song Miao couldn't help but inhale several breaths.

Han Li was a guest; after mixing, Song Miao first served this guest a large bowl of yellow eel rice with scorched rice, then served him another large half bowl of vegetables and soup together, then gave Xiao Lian and Cheng Erniang each a bowl.

Finally, she served herself a bowl according to preference; just as she sat down, she couldn't help but take a big bite.

The aroma hit the nose first, then entered the mouth.

Song Miao specially tore the yellow eel meat unevenly, with chunks of meat and very fine meat strips, the proportion held; after mixing, one bite down, neither would one fail to find meat in the mouth, nor would the meat flavor steal the rice's fragrance.

Eel back meat is firm, with a crisp and springy feel; eel belly meat is soft yet crisp, very plump.

Both stir-fried over high heat, cooked just right.

Before the Dragon Boat Festival, yellow eels are relatively small eels, meat slightly thin, especially the belly meat, already burst into slight curling, edges carrying charred aroma, their own plump oils forced out, mixed with lard, carrying the sauce's fragrance, clinging to the meat body, then gradually seeping into the sweet fragrant rice, completely without earthy fishiness, wonderfully sweet, wonderfully fragrant, wonderfully fresh.

The rice itself was cooked with yellow eel concentrated bone soup; millet grains made the fresh sweet taste easily seep into the rice core.

Eel bone soup values essence over quantity; slightly less water than usual cooked rice, the rice not at all sticky, and absorbed the stir-fried yellow eel meat's meat juice and sauce; picked up with chopsticks, it was loose, unable to form clumps, quickly sliding down.

Such a bowl of rice, eaten plain is already full of flavor, very fragrant; let alone there are fresh sweet eel meat strips and eel meat chunks mixed within.

The rice gave full rice fragrance and bone soup fresh fragrance; yellow eel meat offered its unique meat sweetness, carrying the sauce's salty freshness; chewing and chewing, the root of the tongue had Sichuan pepper, pepper, ginger's pungent slight spiciness lingering; then with scallion and cilantro to enhance fragrance; swallowed down, then from the throat came up a very comfortable dried tangerine peel fragrance, making the mouth's dryness completely gone.

After eating the rice, then eat the scorched rice.

The bottom thin layer of scorched rice, golden yellow, crisp and oily, is truly where the essence lies; soaked with fresh sweet soup juice, and with high heat and sesame oil frying out charred aroma; chewed in the mouth, crackle crackle, snap snap; the taste within is wonderful; once eaten a bite, hard to forget.

This pot of rice has quite complicated steps to make, but eaten in the mouth, Song Miao felt it was worth it.

A bowl of rice quickly went down the stomach; adding lard twice more, no matter how not greasy, still needed to cleanse the mouth.

Song Miao then found time to eat the dishes.

Although chicken intestine vegetable is a wild vegetable, it is tender to eat, with a grassy aroma, a very refreshing texture, and a hint of sweetness; it is especially good for cutting through grease. Inside the poached egg is a century egg, cooked just through, with a rich egg fragrance and no other off-flavors.

Eating vegetables and soup half a bowl, Song Miao already had strength to fight again.

Without needing to be called, on the table everyone had already gone to add rice themselves; even Xiao Lian ate almost burying her head in the bowl, facial expression not cared to make.

A quiet meal finished; on the bench the sand pot bottom scraped clean, vegetable soup also drunk up.

Everyone then gradually had leisure to praise.

Cheng Erniang said: "In the past when I got yellow eels, I only knew to boil them into soup, always had a muddy taste; never expected they could be made this delicious!"

Song Miao smiled: "This dish costs oil and firewood and is very troublesome; not only do ordinary people not like making it often, but even ordinary restaurant cooks don't like making it—but since we eat it ourselves, we naturally don't mind the trouble, seeking only taste."

Again said: "Also must thank Young Master Han for sending such good yellow eels over."

Han Li however said: "Much obliged to Stall Owner Song's hospitality, letting me eat such a good meal today; I shamelessly came to the door, I should be the one to thank."

He didn't sit here long; stood up to collect bowls; seeing Xiao Lian snatched them, he could only clasp hands in salute, then returned to the back courtyard room to continue repairing those tables and chairs.

Cheng Erniang in the front cleaned the stove, washed pots and scrubbed bowls; Song Miao freed her hands, brewed a pot of wild chrysanthemum tea for Han Li, carried it over on a tray.

Inside the room, Han Li had already changed into a coarse cloth short jacket, rolled up sleeves, repairing chairs and stools.

At this time the ground was full of stool and chair legs, also stool seats and chair seats; to the side placed various tools.

Na Han Li's movements looked not very fast, but especially smooth; one moment changed a tool, one moment changed a wooden leg.

He didn't use much force, but the tool in his hand was simply like something growing out of his hand forward; with just a few light taps, the wooden leg was either reshaped or had wood patched on; stool seats and chair seats were joined or sawed, looking very easy; several materials put together, protruding parts fitted into concave empty spaces; what should be inlaid was inlaid, what should be joined was joined.

Song Miao holding tea, fearing disturbance, stood at the door for a moment; then saw him Scrubbed Scrubbed Scrubbed, attaching stool seats to legs on the ground, sitting upright, then knocking twice.

That force and angle were just right; a pile of originally discarded wood, in the blink of an eye, right before her eyes, quickly assembled four or five small low stools.

After finishing all materials on the ground in one breath, Han Li then stood up, called out "Stall Owner Song."

Song Miao entered the door and put the tea beside him on the ground, saying: "Because I feared Young Master would need a nap in the afternoon, I brewed wild chrysanthemum tea; don't know if you're used to drinking it?"

Han Li said: "Naturally."

Speaking, he washed that hand clean in the basin nearby, wiped it with a cloth, walked over, took the tea cup, and drank it dry in one breath.

Song Miao poured him another cup.

He drank that one clean as well.

Seeing this man drink water like a cow, Song Miao was also startled, and hurriedly asked: "Was it because my lunch was made too salty that Young Master is this thirsty?"

Han Li's hand paused for a moment, he shook his head, and said: "This wild chrysanthemum is very clear and bitter, drinking it brings a returning sweetness, I couldn't help but drink an extra cup."

He was silent for a few breaths, then suddenly said: "Just now outsiders were present, I originally had words I wanted to say, but feared Song Stall Owner would be put in a difficult position — if in the future outsiders give some things, I'll send them over again, I wonder if that's convenient or not?"

With such a good person, both sides already had affection, not to mention all that previous help, just now he came to the door and helped make several stools, and in a while still has to make tables and chairs, how could Song Miao not be convenient.

She smiled and said: "You just send them, how to make, how to eat, don't worry about it, just bring a mouth over."

Han Li laughed at once, his expression and bearing becoming extremely gentle.

He said: "I'll finish the tables this afternoon, tonight we can have proper tables and chairs to eat — just calculated, the remaining scrap materials here aren't much, at most can piece together two square tables, one round table, twelve or thirteen chairs..."

Song Miao smiled and said: "Thanks to Young Master Han, with so many tables and chairs, I save who knows how much, no different from getting a huge windfall."

This time, Han Li's eyes also smiled along.

He didn't know what he thought of, put down the tea cup in his hand, fished out a small packet from his sleeve, opened it and handed it to Song Miao, saying: "Last time I heard you say you like to taste fresh things, when outside seeing rare foods I always can't help but try — recently in the city there are peddlers selling meat jerky, many people ate and got serious illnesses, I got some samples from people, you take a look, if you see them outside, don't buy randomly."

Song Miao was stunned, took it and looked, very similar to the meat jerky that Sun Lizheng sent yesterday.

She broke off a small piece of meat and smelled it, then pinched it, confirmed it was the same thing, then said: "Many thanks Young Master, yesterday the Lizheng also came, I remembered, in the future I'll definitely be careful."

Also wondered: "Still haven't caught the person?"

Han Li hearing that Sun Lizheng came yesterday, only nodded a little, then hearing Song Miao ask, answered: "Heard those caught are all the lower-level selling peddlers, the yamen wants to find the source, but for the moment still no progress."

Song Miao couldn't help but frown.

Han Li then asked: "How come?"

Facing this Young Master Han, naturally there was nothing that couldn't be said.

Song Miao then said: "Yesterday I gave a clue, don't know if the xunpu reported it up, the yamen went to look but didn't find, or didn't go look."

She told the situation that the roe deer jerky and venison jerky tastes were quite similar to the dirty stench on Xiao Lian's pants last time, and also said: "But it's just my own blind guess, Er Niangzi and Xiao Lian both say it's not like."

"Others' five senses, how can they compare to yours." Han Li shook his head and said.

Also said: "If you say it's like, then it must be like, only the yamen xunpu report countless clues every day, afraid they won't be that serious to go look, just search perfunctorily and pass it off — wait until I return tomorrow night, find a chance to ask."

The two were still speaking, when saw outside a person poking their head in, just not daring to enter, precisely Xiao Lian.

Seeing the child came at just the right time, Song Miao hurriedly called her over, first gently comforted a few sentences, only then asked the day's situation, and also asked where she was kicked.

Han Li then also asked how big that courtyard was, what kind of stench.

Hearing Xiao Lian answer slowly here, Song Miao suddenly thought of the kitchen horsehair she mentioned when saying she wanted to make brushes yesterday, then told this matter to Han Li again.

Han Li became even more solemn, again asked Cheng Erniang to come, carefully asking the day she was fired situation.

Mother and daughter two seeing he asked this seriously, somewhat apprehensive, waiting until answered one by one, that Cheng Erniang then asked: "Is it that some crime was committed?"

Han Li said: "For now just asking first, still can't say."

Also asked Song Miao how she spoke with that Sun Lizheng and patrol soldiers that day.

Learning she only mentioned a few sentences, and didn't mention Cheng Erniang and Xiao Lian, he then seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, said: "This approach is very correct, also don't know what the exact situation is, this matter you all first keep tight-lipped, don't leak out, protecting your own safety is paramount."

In Suanzao Alley, several people were talking about this roe deer jerky and venison jerky, in the Capital Prefecture Office, that Left Army Patrol Envoy Zhang Zheng, was also talking about this roe deer jerky and venison jerky.

His subordinates' censors brought people and caught many small merchants and peddlers, but still couldn't find the source.

If it were an ordinary case, slowly investigate openly and secretly, at most just waste some time, not worried.

But as the event fermented, the death toll broke twenty, the sick even more countless, even many officials' family members, and even officials themselves were hit, so court and countryside in an uproar.

Above every day chasing him to question seven or eight times, every time unable to give a proper reply, even Zhang Zheng who has been on the battlefield and fought wars, somewhat can't bear the pressure.

He sought out Prefect Zheng Boqian and Right Army Judge Qin Jie.

"Current situation, this official suggests thorough search, just like the previous Lantern Festival Missing Persons Case, if investigation not thorough, equals not investigated — propose to request transfer of patrol soldiers, city defense soldiers..."

He listed a pile of titles, finally also said: "Also need to request Judge Qin to support a bit, lend me thirty people, best to allocate twelve or thirteen censors."

Qin Jie's face changed at once, said: "Zhang Xunshi, Right Courtyard still has two major cases, really can't lend this many people!"

"Wasn't it said the day before yesterday, already settled?"

"Really many loose ends not yet concluded, South side also came several messages, Jingji also replied, Zhang Xunshi wants this many people in one breath, this official isn't unwilling, really unable, three or five would be fine..."

Zhang Zheng raised his eyelids, actually didn't bargain with him, but straightforwardly said: "Also fine, since so, also don't need three or five, you lend me that Han Li for a few days — last time you searched, wasn't he also mediating assistance? Just right my side still lacks a helper."

Qin Jie a mouthful of old blood nearly sprayed out.