Chapter 19

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Song Miao had several more types of food to make today, taking longer, so by the time she reached Food Alley it was naturally much later than usual.

This time, she did not see Cheng Zijian at the alley entrance, but at the spot where she usually set up her stall in the previous two days, she saw many familiar students.

One must know, the choice of stall location also has its considerations.

Since she came early the previous two days, she naturally got a good spot.

What is meant by good is that it is closer to Nan Lu Academy's Dog Hole and Taixue's Rear Gate, making it convenient for them to find.

Coming late today, Song Miao thought she would have to find another spot, but who knew that just as she entered Food Alley, someone shouted "Coming!", and the students who were originally chatting in twos and threes or looking down at their notes all raised their heads in unison.

Before Song Miao could react, everyone's eyes lit up and they called out one after another.

"Song Xiaoniangzi, over here!"

"Here! Here! We've saved you a spot!"

"Can we have salty soup today?"

"Salty soup can be paired, but that Chenpi Mung Bean Drink also has to be made—I even promised to bring two portions back for someone!"

"Song Xiaoniangzi, did you make extra Glutinous Rice today! I bought two portions yesterday, intending to save one for lunch, but a scoundrel snatched it away. He said he'd come buy some today too, but he can't get up this early—can you save him two or three portions? I'm bringing too much for others, I can't take his portion!"

Everyone talked at once, and while speaking, someone eagerly came forward to actively help Song Miao set up her stall.

When the steamer basket lid was lifted, the shaomai aroma spread everywhere, and the students who were making a racket fell silent all at once. For a while no one spoke, and even the stall owners on the left and right—one collecting money, one frying youtiao—looked over in unison at this moment.

After a long while, someone at the back shouted: "What is that smell!"

What smells so good?

Naturally it is the scallion and meat aroma.

Song Miao hung up the signboard and pointed to it, telling everyone: "Today we've added Scallion Lamb Shaomai and Scallion Pork Shaomai, and also Shepherd's Purse Bamboo Shoot Dried Tofu Shaomai, all sold individually, and there is also Pork Rib Clear Soup. Those who like meat or salty soup can try these."

Scallion Lamb Shaomai is five coins each, four for nineteen coins; Scallion Pork Shaomai is two for seven coins, four for thirteen coins. As for that Shepherd's Purse Bamboo Shoot Dried Tofu Shaomai, though it has no meat, shepherd's purse and spring bamboo shoots are just in season now and are very expensive, so in the end it sells at the same price as pork.

As for Pork Rib Clear Soup, eight coins per Bamboo Tube, each Bamboo Tube contains three ribs and seven or eight slices of radish.

The prices of these several newly made foods are set rather high, because the cost is indeed high—meat is expensive, and scallions and all spring vegetables are expensive too.

Song Miao was originally a bit worried the students would have opinions about these prices, and was about to explain a few words about the cost, but before she could open her mouth, the first student in line had already quickly ordered from the signboard.

"I want lamb and pork shaomai, four of each, plus two portions of rib soup and two portions of glutinous rice!"

While speaking, halfway through he couldn't help but swallow, biting his teeth as he took money from his purse. Halfway through, he suddenly thought of something and said: "Then... give me four Vegetarian Shaomai too!"

Speaking, he untied the money string in his hand, counted it out, and placed a small string of copper coins into Song Miao's small plate for collecting money.

Song Miao hurriedly served him glutinous rice, then took lotus leaves to pack the shaomai. After packing, she made a weighing gesture, motioning for him to be careful when taking it, explaining: "The shaomai skin is thin with lots of soup. If you don't mind the trouble, Young Master, best be careful, don't press on it, otherwise the soup inside will leak out and that would be a pity."

The man nodded quickly, imitating Song Miao's manner, but his hand gesture was even more careful.

He held several lotus leaf packages, hung the bamboo tube's carrying cord on his wrist, and even his footsteps were much lighter than usual. As he walked, he called to those behind: "Come come come, brother, brothers, make way make way make way, please give way, don't bump into me, don't spill my lamb shaomai!"

Those behind couldn't help but laugh.

Someone who knew him happened to be in line too, and took the chance to joke: "Just eating breakfast, do you need to be so nervous? Those who don't know would think you're holding your family heirloom!"

The man raised his head, glared at his classmate, stuck out his leg as if to kick him, but just as he lifted his leg, his hand shook, and he hurriedly stopped his foot movement, pulling it back quickly, afraid of affecting the delicate shaomai in his hand.

At this moment he could only resentfully say: "Just wait for me to find a chance to see if you have any family heirloom!"

That classmate laughed hahaha, bending over with laughter, nearly falling.

But soon it was this classmate's turn.

When it was this classmate's turn to stand in front of the steamer basket himself, truly facing that aroma, and personally watching Song Miao use chopsticks to gently lift one lamb shaomai after another from the pot, the smile on his face slowly faded away.

One decreases as the other increases.

His nervousness, together with the saliva in his mouth, both slowly increased together.

Damn, it smells so good!

This scallion lamb and scallion pork flavor is too domineering, too unreasonable!!

Especially the lamb and pork shaomai skin is excessively thin, not much different from Xuan Paper.

The pleats of the opened shaomai mouth are fine and dense, like a half-bloomed flower, very pretty.

The dough skin is thin, and after steaming it is almost translucent, almost able to see the plump meat filling inside—lumps and grains of lamb, interspersed with some scallion segments, possibly stir-fried, and one can even see the charred color on the lamb's surface, don't know how it's just so mouth-watering.

The meat is supported by the shaomai skin, soaked by the steamed-out, swaying soup juice, trembling.

Such scallion meat shaomai, he dare not imagine how happy he would be when eating it in his mouth!

Although he clearly knows Song Xiaoniangzi's movements are already extremely gentle, this classmate still couldn't help but hold his breath, afraid that if he exhaled too heavily he would scare the Song Stall Owner, and finally ruin his own shaomai.

When the lotus leaf package reached his hand, this person involuntarily became all thumbs and fingers.

He gently held the lotus leaf package, his steps slowed, his stride became smaller, he didn't dare use force with his hands. Turning around, he said softly to those behind: "Brothers, brother, can you give way, don't bump my lamb shaomai..."

However, as he walked, after a few steps, he suddenly felt someone blocking the way ahead. He raised his head to speak, and saw the classmate he had just teased about "holding a family heirloom" standing in front, holding several lotus leaf packages, mockingly looking at him.

"You were just lecturing me, my little thing, how can it compare to your ancestral family heirloom treasure!"

This person got hit with a boomerang, but he hehehehe laughed. However, having food in hand, thinking of the aroma, he felt face wasn't that important anymore, and hurriedly said: "I have a bad mouth, I have a bad mouth!"

Not long after, there were many more students in Taixue and Nan Lu Academy holding lotus leaf packages, bowing their heads and lowering their bodies, each looking like they couldn't even walk properly.

Among them, the Nan Lu Academy students were the most pitiful. Holding shaomai, they couldn't drill through the Dog Hole, and even after squeezing through, they had to carefully check the wind, for fear of being caught red-handed by the instructors.