Chapter 167

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Her family fished for a living, and Zhang Siniang had originally eaten river delicacies until she no longer wanted to eat them, but at this moment, looking at the plate of food before her, she couldn't help but reach for those little river shrimp again and again with her chopsticks.

At first she still tasted them one by one, savoring that crisp and crunchy texture, and the pleasure of the shrimp oil and sweet shrimp meat bursting from the shells and rolling on her tongue; afterward she couldn't help but shovel in a whole chopstickful at once — inevitably eating a few chives in the process.

The chives were small-leaf chives, more fragrant than ordinary broad-leaf chives, and picked tender; when they entered her mouth, her upper and lower teeth were meant to crack the little river shrimp, but with one bite, caught off guard and by a fluke, her jaws accidentally squeezed out a mouthful of stem and leaf juice.

The stems had a very distinct crisp-tender texture, thick juice and sweet flavor; the leaf parts were likewise fragrant and tender, with slightly less juice than the white stems, but the chives' pungent flavor was richer and heavier, carrying a more pronounced fibrous quality.

Whether stem or leaf, the outside was coated in a thin layer of oil.

That oil was the shrimp oil obtained from flash-frying the little river shrimp; the shrimp redness had already infused the oil with endless umami, intertwining tenderly and inseparably with the chive leaves and white stems, like a pair of mandarin ducks bound by a sweet fate unwilling to be parted — you have my umami, I have your sweetness.

Only now did Zhang Siniang realize that the usually dirt-cheap chives could actually be this delicious!

The shrimp carried the shrimp's flavor, the chives had the chives' deliciousness; both stuffed into the mouth at once created yet another kind of stacked wonder.

She alone polished off nearly half a plate on an empty stomach — in truth that one plate wasn't all that much — and ate until she was a bit dazed; when she came to her senses, her face flushed red in an instant, she hurriedly withdrew her chopsticks, and said sheepishly, "Let the Young Lady laugh at me; I truly never expected river shrimp and chives could be stir-fried this delicious — how come mine turn out so far inferior?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Your hands are actually very meticulous; you pick the vegetables very clean, wash the shrimp seriously, and you properly know how to stir-fry; it's just some small details that need more attention."

"The most crucial thing for this dish is a hot wok, fast hands, and separate stir-frying; not only this one dish, but for all combined stir-fries, if you can stir-fry separately first and then combine, the flavor is completely different."

"Stir-fry the shrimp first, to draw out that umami from the shrimp oil; here you must drain off the residual water, otherwise just stir-frying dry the water vapor will waste a long time, and by the time it's fragrant the shells will be overcooked, the shrimp meat inside is already tiny, the outside stir-fried dry, the inside turns hard, and not a bit of tenderness can be tasted — after dishing out the shrimp, stir-frying the chives alone follows the same principle, for the sake of heat control and wok hei."

"Stir-frying chives also requires separate stir-frying; if you throw them in together, by the time the white stems are cooked through, the leaves will be overcooked — once this dish goes past the mark, it easily releases water, the fragrance fades, and the texture worsens; it becomes coarse, not to mention losing that fresh brightness of just-cooked perfection."

"Both ingredients must be left slightly underdone when stir-fried, so they can absorb flavor when combined — the proportions also matter; a just-right ratio is best: too many chives and the shrimp's sweet umami can't penetrate through, too many shrimp and you lose the chives' pungent-sweet fragrance, again reducing the flavor."

"If this dish had chive flowers, swapping chives for chive flowers would be even more delicious; it's just a pity it's not the season yet."

"Whether ingredient ratios or seasoning ratios like oil and salt, all require being just right; some dishes need heavy flavor, some pursue light flavor; this time the dish showcases the ingredients' own fresh sweetness, so the seasonings are just simply……"

One two three four five, Song Miao explained in meticulous detail, and Zhang Siniang listened without even wanting to blink extra, as if one more blink and her brain would fail to retain it in that split second of closed eyes.

Once she finished explaining, Song Miao added, "Chives are easy to buy; if your household gets river shrimp recently, you can try this dish again, and see if paying attention to the points just mentioned changes the flavor when you re-stir-fry it."

Zhang Siniang had apprenticed under a master before; when following others, some disliked her age and unwillingness to teach an apprentice closely, some were willing to teach but didn't know how to explain, and some could teach but their own cooking was ordinary and couldn't teach the why and how.

Precisely because she had seen so many people before, now encountering Song Miao with such patience, skill, and most importantly holding nothing back while being able to teach effectively, Zhang Siniang was simply like a starving person finding food.

Hearing Song Miao put it that way, she hurriedly said, "When I go back tomorrow I'll tell Second Brother to help keep some little river shrimp — when I work tomorrow, I'll bring the shrimp, and also bring firewood, and then stir-fry a plate for the Young Lady to see, alright?"

Then with some timidity she added, "Just afraid I'll stir-fry and stir-fry and still can't get it right; wasting oil, salt, and firewood aside, there'd be no one to eat it……"

Song Miao smiled and said, "As long as you nail every step, it won't turn out bad; besides, there are quite a few young masters here, how could we still worry about no one eating it?"

She also asked, "From your bearing, you seem to have studied cooking for a few days; wonder what you've learned to make?"

Zhang Siniang accounted for them one by one, then said, "Actually it's only been this past month or so learning bits and pieces; two days learning here, two days learning there, mostly just helping as an assistant — without doing three years as an apprentice, where would one learn any real proper skills!"

Song Miao asked curiously, "I heard you're close with Chef Zhang; why not learn from him?"

Zhang Siniang was far more reticent than her sister-in-law Ma Shenzi, and more honest; at this moment, though somewhat embarrassed, she didn't put on any pretense at all, and repeated the words exactly as they were: "Cousin Uncle said his skills are ordinary; if not for landing this official relay station kitchen post, he couldn't get a good meal outside; he now has a paternal nephew to bring along, no room to make space for me, and fearing it would delay me, he didn't dare ask me to come learn."

Getting along with a straightforward person like Ma Shenzi is naturally relaxed, but getting along with an honest person like Zhang Siniang also has a different kind of comfort; words between them can be direct and straightforward, say whatever comes to mind, without even needing to engage the brain.

Song Miao simply pointed at the basin nearby and said, "Since you've studied the White Kitchen for a couple of days, you might as well help knead tonight's dough."

Zhang Siniang hurriedly waved her hands and said, "I only make household pancake and noodle dough; I just went outside and studied for two days, didn't learn anything to bring back; the dough I knead is really not presentable; if I ruin it……"

Song Miao smiled encouragingly, "No matter; you do it, I'll watch."

Zhang Siniang knew the opportunity was rare, and no longer declined, instead asking what to make and how to knead.

Song Miao considered briefly and said, "Let's make spring pancakes."

Sure enough she taught Zhang Siniang how to knead the dough, how to let it rest after kneading, then how to divide into portions and cook them.

She only oversaw the cooking of a few sheets, then stepped aside to watch Zhang Siniang do it herself; when seven or eight sheets came out and she saw the other had gotten the hang of it, she stopped hovering.

Just as she stepped aside, Dabing came in the door, called out "Song Niangzi," and added, "Our yamen people have returned."

Upon hearing this, Song Miao didn't delay and started stir-frying dishes right away.

Stir-fried river shrimp with chives is an extremely quick dish; Dabing had just got the fire blazing and gone out to carry in more firewood, and Song Miao's first plate was already out of the wok.

She also packed the spring pancakes Zhang Siniang had cooked, had Dabing send the first batch out, then timed it and stir-fried a second plate, had Zhang Siniang send it out, and only then took over cooking the spring rolls herself.

She had just cooked twenty or thirty sheets when Zhang Siniang returned, urgently saying, "Song Xiaoniangzi, out there they're snatching it up like crazy; those two plates of shrimp had just been served and the bottoms were already visible!"

This dish goes well with rice, and wrapped in pancakes it's also delicious; plus it's fresh out of the wok; compared to the stewed dishes the relay station prepared, anyone with eyes and a functioning tongue knows which one to fight for.

Song Miao unhurriedly stir-fried another large plate.

Not long after Zhang Siniang sent it out, Dabing came in again and said, "Wu Gong says Young Master Kong won't be back this early today; asks the Young Lady, if convenient, to leave some food for him."

Song Miao agreed, asked about the front situation, learned they'd eaten about seventy or eighty percent, then called Zhang Siniang in, yielded her spot, and taught her to stir-fry.

This plate wasn't for the front people to eat, but was shared by the three of them.

Zhang Siniang was after all an unmarried young lady, and a stranger; Song Miao feared she'd be reserved, so specially stayed in the back kitchen with Dabing and her to eat.

Having received Song Miao's hand-in-hand teaching, the flavor compared to Zhang Siniang's first attempt was completely like a different creature reincarnated.

If the first attempt was a randy wild boar uncastrated for five or six years, this time it became a little fragrant pig; though both are pigs, looking, smelling, eating — they're not the same flavor at all.

At this moment, bringing out spring pancakes to roll, the pancake was thin and tough, soft, apart from a simple, plain wheat aroma, without any other off-flavors, neither competing nor grabbing, honestly serving as a base to carry, just holding the fresh fragrant shrimp oil and that bit of chives, river shrimp stir-fried out essence juice.

Zhang Siniang had Song Miao stay to eat rice, at first she declined, only saying she would go back to eat again, until she couldn't resist, she meaningly ate one, although she had expected it early, it was precisely knowing such a result that she had always dared not to keep, after all she still couldn't help her mouth opening and opening, already only able to stuff food inside, then she no longer mentioned any words of "going back to eat again", she couldn't stop.

The three people finally ate nearly thirty River Shrimp and Chive Spring Pancake Rolls—Zhang Siniang ate the most.

After eating, she didn't leave, but instead very hard helped carry bowl and chopsticks, wiped table washed dishes, snatched the big pancake's work not to mention, after everything was properly arranged, she also had to sit down again and shaved half a frame of Lettuce Stem.

Song Miao advised her without stopping, she could only say: "Later the sky will be dark, you one person not good to walk Night Road, come again tomorrow, only us few people, overnight also can't finish that many things."

That Zhang Siniang responded: "I shave these few then I'll leave."

Again moved a basket, then picked a small stool to sit at the Door seriously seriously according to Song Miao's requirements shaving Lettuce Stem Skin.

As the sky grew dark, Zhang Siniang had still not left, yet Kong Fuyang had returned.

This man needed no one to call him; he ran straight into the back kitchen to find Song Miao, and upon entering said, "I'm so hungry I'm dizzy, my eyes can't even make out the characters — clearly it's 'vast and flowing soup,' but as I read, my brain turned it into 'good good drink soup' — Stall Owner Song, whatever's left today, hurry and give me a bite to tide me over!"

Seeing his pitiable state, Song Miao hurriedly said, "Young Master Kong, put your things down first, wash your hands, I'll make you fresh noodles — they'll be ready in a flash."

She had the noodles prepared long ago, the water in the pot was hot too; waiting for him to return, she opened the stove door, blanched the noodles, and specially stir-fried a plate of river shrimp with chives, adding only a pinch of salt, dropped in two eggs to boil for soup, and used that soup to ladle the noodles.

By the time Kong Fuyang came in, the noodles were just perfectly served.

The noodles were fine, lying half-submerged in the soup like a fish's back; the bowl was also covered with half a thick layer of stir-fried river shrimp with chives, staining a thin layer of red shrimp oil floating on the soup.

Fragrant enough to make one dizzy.

He had no time to speak, didn't even mind the heat, and just started slurping the noodles.

Zhang Siniang was nearly done, but seeing someone return, she slowed her movements, just waiting for this last returning student to finish eating so she could go collect the bowls and chopsticks.

While slowing her pace, she couldn't help but keep glancing back to observe the situation inside, ready to rush in and snatch the big pancake work at any moment.

A large bowl of noodles — the noodles themselves were clear and bland, smooth, with only wheat aroma, precisely to support and wrap the fragrance and delicious flavor of the stir-fried river shrimp with chives, and with that bright red shrimp oil, once in the bowl it had already melted into the noodle soup, making the originally plain soup color instantly beautiful, and even more delicious upon entering the mouth.

Kong Fuyang slurped and slurped, and before long finished eating, rubbing his belly and thanking her profusely.

Song Miao pointed to the two small bowls of dishes on the other side of the table and said, "Wu Gong also left Young Master two stewed dishes, both pure meat, with mutton inside too, saying to supplement Young Master a bit."

While eating these two small bowls of dishes, Kong Fuyang suddenly became refined, his sitting posture straightened, his movements became proper; after only a couple of bites, he put down his chopsticks first and said, "I'll rest a bit, eat more in a while."

Seeing he had leisure, Song Miao told him the morning's events, and added, "Now Young Master Han is away, though he said I can make decisions, I still want to ask Young Master Kong a word — the yamen-sent kitchen laborers are unreliable, I dare not trust them; after all, there are only a thousand days to be a thief, no thousand days to guard against a thief; I've already asked people to help recruit some sturdy women to manage the cooking, wondering if Young Master has any guidance?"

Kong Fuyang wore a look of sudden realization and said, "No wonder this morning I heard a ruckus in the yamen, something about incontinence and poisoning; just too busy, no time to come ask in detail — turns out it's actually such a matter!"

He added, "Since Zheng Yan has entirely entrusted everything to Song Xiaoniangzi, I naturally follow his lead! Just one sentence of nonsense — though I know you've surely considered it — after all it's a construction site kitchen, extremely hard; inside there's moving and lifting, and big-pot rice, all relying on strength; if using so many young ladies and aunties, with their slender arms, who knows if they can handle it?"

Song Miao replied, "The ones I invited are all sturdy young ladies, who normally also do heavy labor — why would they fear this little bit — not necessarily are the yamen-sent kitchen laborers stronger than them."

Just as they spoke, a voice at the door called "Song Xiaoniangzi" — it was Zhang Siniang carrying a basket of lettuce stems entering.

This basket she had originally moved out; now she deliberately took a deep breath early on, one hand forcibly lifted the middle rope, held that half-basket high, and while entering asked, "Where to put these twenty jin of lettuce stems?"

Song Miao hurriedly pointed to the ground nearby and said, "Just put it there!"

And was about to step forward to take it.

But Zhang Siniang deliberately stepped aside and said, "No need, no need, Young Lady step aside first, careful not to bump you; it's only twenty-some jin, I can lift it with one hand — compared to wringing dry quilts in winter, the effort is far less!"

Once finished speaking, she indeed placed the basket at the indicated spot, and pointed out to Song Miao a winnowing basket of lettuce stem peels inside, saying, "The peels are also peeled clean; following the big pancake instructions, all white silk removed, only outer skin kept, washed five times with well water, already cleanly eaten — Young Lady just look, any place needing rework?"

Song Miao inspected a round, extremely satisfied, smiled and praised, "Done extremely well, not a single bit needing rework."

And in a chorus urged her to go home.

Zhang Siniang agreed, saying, "Leaving now."

Before leaving, she specially made two more trips carrying water, filling that vat full.

On that last trip, she even carried two large buckets of water circling around Kong Fuyang once, only then pouring into the vat, loudly telling Song Miao, "Song Xiaoniangzi, you rest assured, we laundry-bat users won't drag you down a bit — whatever those laborers can move and lift, we can move and lift just the same!"

She even stretched out her arm, making an exerting pose, and said to Kong Fuyang, "This Young Master, only asking for a chance — once in the kitchen, try it and you'll know if these thick big arms are reliable or not!"