Chapter 180: Wonderful Kitchen Chapter 181: Invitation

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Wang Shuji said slowly, "These handcuffs are quite heavy; they can train your hand strength. Besides, since you've been cuffed so hard, there's no need to rush to unlock them—let's wait until Prefect Cen arrives."

The yamen runner kept begging with his mouth, but in his heart he almost couldn't help cursing.

An official with a silver fish bag for no reason, why wear a coarse cloth robe, a pair of cloth shoes, and not even wear a hat!

Actually, looking back now, everything had traces to follow.

This dog official spoke condescendingly and was quite familiar with the yamen's arrest procedures; if it were usual times, he himself wouldn't have been so easily pecked in the eye.

But today this place was chaotic, a bunch of old women buzzing in their mouths, with great strength in their hands; stepping forward a few more steps, they pushed and shoved, and coupled with that woman surnamed Song asking one, two, three, four questions without stopping, making him annoyed, and then this official provoked him again, and he lost control at once.

Now he clearly regretted it and apologized humbly, but he refused to let go, insisting on seeing the prefect!

Prefect Cen was easy to deal with; even if a mistake was committed, at most a few words would be said, and it wouldn't matter much. But this time the matter was handed down by Head Clerk Qian; if not done well, it would also bring trouble, and he would certainly be punished!

The yamen runner was uneasy in his heart. Seeing Song Miao coming with a tray, he had an idea and hurriedly called out, "That young lady, this time it is truly just to invite you back to the yamen for a few questions, with no other intention. You accidentally offended a superior official; please help persuade him! I apologize for making you angry!"

He also shouted, "The matter has blown up. If it spreads, you, a young lady, being dragged into the yamen for no reason, won't end well either. Better to make a big thing small and a small thing nothing!"

Song Miao walked to the table.

Seeing someone arrive, Wang Shuji didn't care about anything else. He hurriedly put down his chopsticks and, with one hand, hastily pushed several plates of dishes on the table aside, clearing a space in front of him.

Song Miao took the soup bowl out of the tray and set it down, then raised her head and looked at the chaitou opposite, saying, "Official, you're joking. You have no decree or order, yet you brought so many people to arrest me. If it weren't for Official Wang stepping in, and with the help of a group of young ladies and aunties, right now I would have entered the yamen, calling heaven with no answer and calling earth with no response, not knowing what state I'd be in. Now you're actually embarrassed to ask me to persuade him—haven't you seen me washing my hands to make soup? I don't even have time to thank Official Wang!"

Hearing this, the chaitou's face turned black. He wanted to curse, but seeing Wang Shuji opposite wearing handcuffs, he dared not make a sound.

But these words were extremely pleasant to Wang Shuji's ears. As soon as they entered his ears, the few sparse hairs on his face could not hide the smile on his face.

Even if it weren't this young lady Song, if anyone else in front of him were to be forcibly arrested by a yamen runner without an order, he would speak up and take action.

If he didn't care, first, his conscience would not be at ease in the future; second, this conduct violated laws and discipline and was very tyrannical. If he ignored it, and if it were investigated in the future, although he was not an imperial censor, he was ultimately a scholar, and it would not sound good for his reputation.

But—who doesn't like doing a good deed and immediately getting a satisfying return?

This return was not about money or benefits; it was just making a dish, making a soup. Speaking of it in the future would be a fine story!

Just thinking about it, when sitting with fellow scholars, friends, and colleagues drinking tea in the future, casually mentioning—back then in Hua Prefecture, I ate a bowl of delicious soup, the most beautiful under heaven.

Others would surely ask what soup it was, why it was beautiful, and who made it.

He would learn it all by then and explain a few words—an innocent young lady was almost taken away by yamen runners. I asked about the situation behind it, lent a hand, and was even handcuffed by the yamen runners below because of it. That soup was specially made by her afterward to repay me—sigh, a dignified scholar-official, actually ending up so embarrassing!

The pride in it—just thinking about it with his brain at this moment made him feel refreshed!

Being handcuffed and embarrassed, but being handcuffed for the innocent and weak, for law and justice, he wished he could invite several literati and guests to come and watch from beginning to end, each writing ten or eight articles to spread!

Even if covered in dust and dirt, it was a shining, glittering dust and dirt!

Thinking this way, seeing the soup placed before him, white mist light and faint, carrying a mushroom fragrance, already drifting straight into his nostrils, Wang Shuji felt the fragrance was even stronger by three points.

He first said thanks, then couldn't wait and immediately reached with his chopsticks—the first move was straight for the mushrooms.

The mushrooms were very tender. The outer mushroom caps were slightly slippery. Stir-fried after squeezing dry, they were not slippery at all, but a kind of tender smoothness that didn't stick to the teeth.

The part where the mushroom stem connects to the cap was fat and thick, full of meaty texture. Eating it was extremely fresh, plump and juicy. Especially on the inner mushroom cap, there were raised small ridges one by one, which were best at holding soup.

Song Miao specially tore them along the grain into small pieces and slices, making the broken surfaces larger, more uneven, and easier to absorb soup and flavor.

So Wang Shuji took a bite, feeling the texture was wonderfully smooth. Before he could even bite, he was made dizzy by the freshness wrapped in the soup.

How fresh and clear!

Unlike shiitake, these mushrooms weren't as fragrant, but the fresh mushroom taste was stronger. Now stir-fried with a little lard, it removed the woody and earthy smell of fresh mushrooms when they first sprout, highlighting the mushroom aroma. Boiled with hot water to bring out the freshness, and boiled together with fresh pork.

The freshest pork, when delivered, still felt warm to the touch. A very good cut. Only salt was added, no other messy pickling or seasoning. What came out was its own solid, down-to-earth base flavor, making the soup look clear, yet fresh and sweet in the mouth.

Another bite. The thick mushroom caps kept flowing out the soup they had greedily absorbed. Not only that, they even lost themselves, cleanly handing over their own clear fragrance and mushroom flavor.

The mushrooms were fresh and delicious, but the meat slices were tender yet not slippery. Not only were fat and lean evenly distributed, but biting into them also brought an oily moisture, with the unique fresh fragrance of meat.

Mei Tou Meat, cut to just the right thickness, added last, and taken out of the pot as soon as cooked. Salt was also added later, so the meat slices wouldn't become dry too early. Eating it was tender with a bit of the crisp and chewy texture that only fresh meat quality can bring out, very clearly letting one know they were eating meat.

Such a bowl was both a dish and a soup.

Wang Shuji took chopsticks after chopsticks, then simply used a spoon, shoving meat and mushrooms into his mouth, completely immersed.

When a person eats with all their heart, the speed is very fast.

When Song Miao turned around, preparing to ask how the dishes tasted, she saw the soup bowl was already empty.

She was stunned and hurriedly asked, "Official Wang, have you finished eating?"

Wang Shuji wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, still unsatisfied, and said, "Finished. Truly fresh and delicious—what mushroom is this, and how is it made?"

Song Miao said, "It is Sea Peak Fungus, also called mushrooms. If Hua Prefecture hadn't blocked the road and it couldn't be sent to the Capital, you might not be able to buy it. This was a tribute formerly presented from Yichuan. Shang Tang bestowed it as one of the 'Peak Fungus Six Flavors.' Cooked casually, it's delicious!"

Wang Shuji was a little surprised and asked, "Is this the 'Peak Fungus Six Flavors' in the Book of Han?"

Song Miao smiled and nodded, saying, "Exactly."

She continued, "Mushrooms are slightly warm in nature. They can tonify the spleen and stomach and dispel dampness and evil. Eating a little normally is good for the spleen and stomach. It's just a pity this thing is rare. Otherwise, Official could eat it often, just with less soup."

She hesitated a little at this point, but still said, "Official, do you usually eat this fast when you have meals?"

Before the master could speak, the attendant beside him hurriedly said, "Young lady asks well. My master often eats haphazardly, with one meal and no next. Persuasion doesn't work! His spleen and stomach are already injured!"

Wang Shuji hurriedly picked up his face and stuck it back on, saying, "Ay! You're as nagging as Ji'an. Haven't I listened? Recently I eat three proper meals a day. Some places can only eat two meals a day. When I was young, there were times I went hungry all day. Where am I so precious!"

The attendant ultimately didn't embarrass his master in front of him again. He only snorted from his nose to show his disagreement, then said to Song Miao, "Thank you, young lady. Master has eaten your dishes for these two days. At night, his stomach no longer burps, nor does he hiccup."

Song Miao told him some dietary recipes for nourishing the stomach, and said "medicinal supplementation is not as good as dietary supplementation." She asked Wang Shuji to eat less greasy, fried, sweet, and spicy things, and even less hard-to-digest things. Don't drink too much soup and water either.

The attendant listened carefully. After hearing it all, he said, "Young lady, please wait a moment. I'll go get paper and brush. I can't remember so much at once."

Song Miao said, "I'll write it out when I have time in the evening. I'll also think of a few ingredients that are easy to get and simple to make, and send them tomorrow."

Finally, she said to Wang Shuji, "Once the spleen and stomach are bad, doing anything lacks energy. Unfortunately, this thing can only be nurtured. Official, even if you're busy, you'd better pay more attention. Isn't there a difference between doing things when spirited and when listless?"

Hearing such kind words, Wang Shuji laughed heartily and agreed, then thanked him again.

He had originally been stuck here out of necessity, but he had taken a liking to that Taixue student surnamed Kong last night; today, seeing this Song Xiaoniangzi, he felt even more that they were kindred spirits and that she suited his taste.

The person was good, the cooking was good, and it was rare that her temperament was also so good and considerate.

The dishes these past two nights were light but not bland, and very delicious, especially suiting his taste.

If he could eat like this every day, it would surely nourish his stomach! Far more reliable than memorizing recipes!

A thought arose in his heart, but he felt it was too presumptuous to bring up directly, so he asked: "Xiaoniangzi, you came here following the Water Supervisor—are you from Jingcheng? I don't know your family's situation, what do you do for a living? How did you come to Hua Prefecture?"

There was nothing to hide, so Song Miao told him about her family matters, and finally said: "Now Jingcheng is severely flooded, so it's not good to set up a stall; Young Master Han kindly invited me to come here..."

Wang Shuji had followed along outside today and gone through the entire recruitment process for laborers, and he already knew most of the arrangements were Song Miao's handiwork. He couldn't help but sigh: "I thought it was the Water Supervisor who invited you here, but I didn't expect you were also a student—that Han student is really lucky, finding an assistant; meeting someone as devoted as Master Kong is one thing, after all they are classmates, but how could he invite a chef household and meet someone as good as you!"

He added: "With your skills, once you reopen your family's food shop back home, surely customers will come like clouds!"

Song Miao smiled: "I also want to reopen it, but my family's location is at the end of the alley, and even wine fragrance fears a deep alley. Let me first save some silver, set up one or two tables, take some regular customers—whether it can last is still unknown!"

Wang Shuji immediately said: "I'll also send an invitation; Xiaoniangzi can consider it."

"You know I am a Vice Commissioner of the Six Routes Transport Commission. My department always has many grain transport matters to be busy with, overseeing the Jiang, Huai, Liangzhe, and Jinghu six routes. Just like this time in Hua Prefecture, when things go badly, rivers must be dug and channels opened. Along the river, going south and north, the other laborers don't need to be managed, but the craftsmen and skilled trackers, as well as us officials in charge, must be provided with food."

"Originally, people would be sent ahead along the river to arrange things at the destination, and then a chef household would be found to supply food. This method is certainly convenient for us, but the food is good on one route and bad on the next. Grain transport and river affairs are hard work, and even the meals have no guarantee, so many people have complaints."

"Today I saw your skills, asked Master Kong and the others, and saw how you arranged a group of Young Ladies and Aunties—very orderly. Once this Hua Prefecture river affair is over, are you interested in coming to my Transport Commission to try your hand at cooking?"

Song Miao hadn't expected to suddenly receive such an invitation; she was very surprised. After pondering for a few breaths, she said: "Thank you, Official, for your kindness, but I still have many debts to pay off, and this is exactly the time to earn money..."

Wang Shuji laughed: "You can earn money here too!"

He added: "The Six Routes Transport Commission can still provide some official funds. Besides, a few of us with official identities will chip in ourselves, so we won't let Xiaoniangzi lose out. How did the Water Supervisor pay you this time?"

Song Miao poured a little tea water onto an empty teacup, dipped her finger in, and wrote a number on the tabletop.

Wang Shuji saw this and was visibly surprised, saying: "When did the Water Supervisor become so generous!"

But he quickly reacted and added: "We can afford it too! If you have any other requests, just say them, and I'll bring them up to the Transport Commissioner. It's just that this time I was the one who invited you, and whether it succeeds or not still needs to be decided by the higher authorities—you'll also need to cook a couple of times for a trial."

Song Miao had already detected a hint of hesitation in his words. She smiled and said: "This time, Judge Cen paid out of his own pocket and privately subsidized me; it wasn't just the Water Supervisor providing the money."

She added: "Thank you, Official, for the invitation. Let me think it over."

The two were speaking here, facing each other across the table, and several chayi felt as if they had thorns in their backs just listening.

It was already mealtime, with food and dishes before them, but no one dared to eat, nor to leave, nor to speak. They watched with wide eyes as Wang Shuji finished eating, feeling more embarrassed than ever.

Just as he was worrying, he heard a noisy commotion from outside. The one in front turned around and saw that a chayi who had originally been guarding outside was now hiding by the door, urgently making eye signals to him.

The one in front knew something was wrong. He hurriedly made an excuse to go to the toilet, apologizing incessantly, saying he would be back soon, and hurried out the door.

Not long after this person left, several other chayi also hurriedly made excuses and left.

Once everyone left, none of them came back.

Wang Shuji also found it strange. He turned to look at a servant beside him and said: "Go see what's happening outside."

The servant agreed and hurried outside. Just as he was about to leave the courtyard gate, he saw someone walking quickly toward him from outside.

This person was very tall, with very fast steps. As he walked, there was a faint sound of wind. Seeing the servant facing him, he slightly stepped to the side, making room for half a body's space.

The servant was about to thank him when he saw that person suddenly stop, his eyes looking straight at a place in the middle of the back courtyard—exactly where his master's dining table was.

But following this person's gaze, what was clearly visible was not some sparse-bearded, thinning-haired fellow, but that gentle, smiling Xiaoniangzi.

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