Chapter 234

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

After Wang Geng picked up a rice noodle roll, he had already yielded his spot and gone to sit in the back; at this moment he looked up and happened to make eye contact with that "I'll just taste one bite" classmate who was waiting for his family to send breakfast over to share.

The other man was chewing in his mouth.

The man had already turned around, one hand holding a dried lotus leaf, the other a bamboo skewer, looking every bit like he was about to throw the trash away after tasting one bite; he was just swallowing the rice noodle roll in his mouth, and right at that instant of one chew, one swallow, one turn, one eye contact, he suddenly spun back, the bamboo skewer in his hand swift as lightning, whoosh whoosh two jabs, already probing toward the table.

Wang Geng's heart instantly cried "bad," and he hurriedly shouted: "Leave some for me!!!"

In his flustered haste, he also belatedly realized this sentence of his really lacked direction, making it impossible to tell what kind of "leaving" he meant, so while shouting he quickly stepped forward, but when he squeezed in and looked, his heart turned cold.

——Everyone was not only eating with their mouths, but also holding pieces with their hands; as for those three opened lotus leaf wraps, sure enough only a pitifully lone rice noodle roll remained!

Seeing him come up, someone early pointed at that remaining one and said: "Don't panic, don't panic, saved one for you!"

Another said: "Knowing you don't like greasy flavors early in the morning, specially saved you a stir-fried bean sprout one — I just ate one, truly refreshing!"

Wang Geng stared at that solitary rice noodle roll and couldn't help exclaiming: "How come only one left!"

"Wasn't it you who said to leave one?"

"You said it yourself — one is enough!"

Wang Geng blanked for a moment: "I didn't say that did I? I... I just said it casually, that 'one' wasn't the literal meaning of 'one'!!"

"Never heard 'a few' used as vague reference, first time hearing 'one' is also vague." A classmate beside him laughed at him, and after laughing still asked with ill-concealed mischief, "If you look down on this as leftovers, how about I help you eat it?"

Wang Geng didn't dare wait another moment, hurriedly took that last rice noodle roll on the table.

For a moment everyone in the room showed regretful expressions.

The stir-fried bean sprout filling rice noodle roll had fried garlic sprinkled on the outside.

The garlic was chopped very fine, rinsed with water to wash away the sticky garlic juice, drained dry, then taken with low heat and clear oil slowly fried through and fragrant.

When frying, seeing the garlic bits slightly change color, one must immediately remove from fire; at this point the fried garlic is fragrant but not burnt, eating it there is absolutely no pungent garlic bite, after eating the mouth also has no need to worry about garlic breath, only garlic fragrance, crisp and flaky, with a touch of crunch, one bite down and it can make a person fly up with fragrance.

The sauce was also different from just now, the salty taste lighter, also returning sour, but that sour is vinegar sour, no fruit flavor; in this sauce the fried garlic aroma is very prominent, wait until you bite down, the bean sprouts inside are both crisp and tender, full of sprout vegetable juice.

These bean sprouts Song Miao stir-fried clear, also stir-fried light, almost just put down and tossed twice, completely not cooked through and already out of the wok, therefore because the weather was hot, the large bowl holding the filling also had a cover added, relying on the residual heat all the way to just barely warm the bean sprouts cooked.

Thus even though the bean sprouts had waited all the way, eating them into the mouth they surprisingly still had sprout bodies straight and upright, sprout leaves perky, one bite one mouthful of clear distinct sprout vegetable juice, carrying a clear sweetness.

The fried golden garlic granules used clear oil, but this time stir-frying bean sprouts used lard, very rich, extremely extremely lightly coating the bean sprouts all over.

All of this either adheres outside the rice noodle skin, or wraps inside the rice noodle skin; the rice noodle skin is the key link connecting them.

And this rice noodle skin's rice fragrance is truly very full, texture smooth and slippery, slightly resilient but not hard, thickness also just right.

Any thinner, there wouldn't be this good rice fragrance, eating it the mouth would also lose this harmonious feeling; any thicker, the rice noodle skin would steal the show too much, not only bad for sauce penetration, but also easy to make people unable to focus on the bean sprouts' crispness, instead producing a sticky paste feeling.

And at this very moment, the rice noodle skin is right there, just right letting you eat its rice fragrance and soft smoothness.

The rice noodle skin was made before setting up stall, the filling also stir-fried before setting up stall, but because the weather was hot, both were still warm, brought back, entering the mouth neither cold nor hot, most suitable.

Wang Geng naturally didn't know this was merely one breakfast, how much effort Song Miao had put into it; he only felt Song Ji's rice noodle rolls were exceptionally palatable, making him unable to help doubting himself.

——Are things made of rice this delicious?

Eating made him want to sigh, also regret, heart's flavor turning a thousand times, for a moment his mind surprisingly only thought of one person.

——Xiao Qi, that day I was wrong!

Being snatched from eating, truly unbearable.

Why was he so generous! Should have left a few more, at least taste one of each flavor himself!!

Wang Geng's heart was stifled, the others in the room also not necessarily comfortable, each had eaten, finished eating, still couldn't help exclaiming.

"Alas!"

"Still too few, one person can't even get two, if only we had swapped eating just now, each eat half, all different flavors could have been tasted!"

"Buy again tomorrow, tomorrow I'll go queue!"

"Can you get up?"

"Grit my teeth, anyway have to take private exam — last time tested too badly, went home nearly beaten to death by my father, alas!"

"Your mother doesn't speak for you?"

"She hands the whip!"

Another came to provoke Wang Geng: "Lao Wang, you say why don't you like eating rice or flour things like this! Wheat food may be good, the Capital is where north and south converge, you're not an outsider, we scholars should broadly accept flavors from all regions, shouldn't limit ourselves — clearly this rice noodle skin is this delicious! I taste it, not a bit inferior to that shaomai!"

"Exactly! I also feel winter spring is fine, summer eating shaomai too greasy, even earlier I loved that shepherd's purse spring bamboo shoot dried tofu flavor more than the rest, later no more spring bamboo shoots, I never bought again!"

Immediately someone laughed at him: "Can you buy it? Before wasn't it your servant boy queuing? Given your daily wake-up hour, afraid you haven't even gotten up before that young lady closes stall."

"Ever since Master Deng said not allowed to bring servant boys attendants reading companions, requiring us all to send them back, have you eaten any? — You just want to get tired of it!"

The exposed student instantly reddened face, clamored: "Alas, can't get up just can't get up, not just a shaomai, I'm not to the point of no knowledge to get up early for it!"

While speaking, he lowered head and ate that last bite of rice noodle roll carefully, waited until food swallowed down, then shook head saying: "Such street food, made well, also has unique flavor — alas, ever since Master Deng spoke, wanting family to send some food in, all have to hide it, still have to tell elders, annoying to death!"

Wang Geng heard, also annoyed to death, holding that dried lotus leaf in hand, heart cold and discouraged, wanted to speak but felt no strength, no meaning.

——Where is he really not liking rice-made flour!

He clearly just hasn't eaten one that suits his appetite!

It's fundamentally very delicious!! Not the same kind of delicious as wheat food!!!

Not necessarily stunningly amazing, but delicious in a way that makes you unknowingly finish it all, still want to wipe the sauce clean! Eat it, next day still want to eat it!

Whimper whimper!

He hates!!

Several students without servant boys to go help buy breakfast, families also unable to send food in every meal, sighing here; in Food Alley, a whole group of latecomers who didn't buy any were even more collectively indignant.

Not only was the rolled rice noodle unavailable, it seemed that just by arriving slightly late, even the glutinous rice and snow steamed cake were gone, let alone the yinzi that was never plentiful to begin with, almost never available for purchase.

Seeing the stall cart already packing up, indeed not a scrap of food could be scavenged, the crowd could only surround Song Miao, some venting anger, some expressing welcome, some building rapport, and more complaining she had been gone too long...

"Why go to Hua Prefecture! Doesn't Hua Prefecture have cooks and cook's wives? Why must Song Xiaoniangzi travel thousands of miles? This torments people, leaving us old customers stranded in the Capital! We think of Young Lady day and night, has Young Lady ever thought of us for a single day?!"

"Exactly! Exactly! Once the water receded, I came out before daybreak every time to wait, at first thinking she only needed to rest a couple days, then heard Song Xiaoniangzi went to Hua Prefecture, a bolt from the blue couldn't have struck so painfully, so loudly — my heart felt like it would be shattered!"

"Stall Owner Song, don't travel far again, so many of us here can't bear it!"

The crowd spoke one after another, yet knew to leave gaps for speech, taking turns one by one, not snatching each other's words.

This bunch spoke with truly superb delivery, praising Song Ji's food to absurd heights; how much was exaggeration and bias, how could Song Miao not know.

She could only suppress a smile, thanking and answering each person across from her one by one.

Just as she answered a few sentences, someone in the crowd chimed in: "Young Lady saying these thanks is really just face-saving; if you're sincere, why not do something concrete, not just pay lip service — you tell us, what time tomorrow will you set up stall, how many portions of rolled rice noodle, can you make enough for all of us to eat, all of us to taste?!"

For a moment, responders gathered like clouds.

Just now they praised Song Miao to the skies, practically ready to enshrine her, but in the blink of an eye they switched to a mob-raising-banners posture.

Song Miao wanted to laugh yet dared not, hurriedly saying: "Gentlemen, it's not that I'm unwilling to make more, truly manpower is insufficient, I can only make this much; moreover rolled rice noodle differs from others, the rice noodle skin and filling aren't suited for long storage, make more and the time spent naturally increases, right now the weather is hot, the skin easily spoils, then everyone eats and finds it bad, next time won't come again, not only do you lose out, I lose future money; worse, if someone gets a stomachache, what a pity!"

"Just this short while, would it really spoil that fast?"

Yet ultimately no one dared say they weren't afraid of stomach trouble, and the crowd instantly grew much quieter.

After a while, someone said: "Make more, just make a bit more! Right now didn't you add this Big Pancake Little Brother? Wasn't there also a Sister-in-law before? With two extra pairs of hands, you should be able to prepare more for us, right?! Rolled rice noodle doesn't keep, but glutinous rice and snow steamed cake surely aren't afraid?!"

Song Miao smiled, replying: "Let me go back and think it over."

She didn't dare explain further, clarify that she intentionally limited the quantity at Taixue Back Alley, and that Cheng Erniang still had to deliver glutinous rice and snow steamed cake everywhere daily.

Though only a few days since returning, breakfast subscribers had already trickled back, and even with Big Pancake added, plus that outside stall business, it was still a bit too busy to handle.

Another said: "Then I'll reserve tomorrow's rolled rice noodle now, come pick it up when the time comes, will that work?"

"Rolled rice noodle must be rolled fresh and eaten immediately, this dish really isn't suited for pre-order..." Song Miao helplessly, "If pre-order were possible I'd want to, but the filling has its own broth, if made early and soaked long, first the skin turns mushy, second it still easily spoils..."

"Then tomorrow still limit twelve per person? That's too many!"

Song Miao said: "Truth is today's first time selling rolled rice noodle, just testing, so temporarily set that quota; tomorrow will change, tomorrow one person one round can only buy four..."

With her explanation, the other side finally quieted down, no more words, so only sighs and groans remained on site.

Seeing the hour not early, the crowd spoke a few more sentences, then took leave, each scattering.

Song Miao then brought Big Pancake, greeted the Aunties at the two neighboring stalls left and right, thanked them, and pushed the cart hurrying home.

When arriving home, Cheng Erniang was still outside delivering breakfast.

Breakfast had been eaten before setting up stall; at this time Big Pancake needed no instruction, already actively tidying things — rubbing green bean skin, washing and soaking pickled cowpeas, preparing crispy fried noodles, grinding rice flour, busy nonstop.

With him here helping, Song Miao finally got a bit of breathing room; she took today's earnings to the room, counted once, recorded accounts, roughly calculated, then compared costs, and joy instantly rose in her heart.

Previously the shaomai meat was given very solidly, naturally materials were expensive; though price wasn't cheap, calculating actual profit margin wasn't high.

Now switched to rolled rice noodle, ingredients all seasonal, especially the cowpeas and bean sprouts inside extremely cheap, meat quantity also reduced considerably; though pricing not high, fortunately overall cost leaned low, final profit in hand turned out six to seven tenths more than shaomai.

If there's a downside, it's a bit labor-consuming, compressing all time that could have pre-made shaomai into that half-hour before stall opening; after finishing, arms and shoulders faintly ached.

But now seeing these many extra copper coins before her, Song Miao instantly felt that ache didn't count for anything.

Today was first time selling rolled rice noodle, time too short to gauge situation, but already quite a few students bought and ate, then specially ran out again to praise the rolled rice noodle's flavor.

Observe two more days; if no mishap, rolled rice noodle counts as established in Food Alley, doing a season no problem, swap out when weather turns cold.

While Song Miao tallied accounts here, inside Taixue Teaching Hall was another scene entirely.

Taking advantage of the bell not yet rung, Master Cao Du and a party of seven or eight hurriedly turned into Chen Fuzi's room.

The crowd shouted at the door and entered; upon entering, seeing Xiao You, they all asked questions.

"Where's Lao Chen?"

"Is Elder Chen in?"

Xiao You hurriedly pointed to the back, saying: "Sir is inside."

Thus the group, mouths babbling shouts, rushed toward the back.

Upon entering, they saw Chen Fuzi holding some unknown object in hand, palm-length, glittering gold, slender cylindrical shape, a plate padded on the table, eating facing the plate.

Seeing the crowd enter, he was so startled the object in hand fell into the plate, hurriedly moved the plate away, cleared his throat, and asked: "Early morning, why so anxious?!"

"Lao Chen! Song Xiaoniangzi returned, set up stall today, do you know?!"

"Since she set up stall today, can't we send someone to ask when she can restart the small dining table, it's time to eat!!"

"Aiyo! Finally waited for her!"

Chen Fuzi then said: "Fine! I'll have Xiao You help run a trip — just this small matter, need so many of you to come together?!"

"There's another matter." Cao Du stepped forward, tone consultative, "Right now we eat at home in evening, changed to eating small dining table at noon, that leaves one meal unsettled — that's morning, wasn't it discussed before, saying wait for Song Xiaoniangzi to return then go tell Minister Deng, see if can give her a stall in the Canteen, make some meat and vegetable buns daily to sell, then we'd have food without queuing outside, she'd also earn."

Another Master at the side said: "Lao Chen, as long as you speak, Minister won't refuse — why not you take lead, bring us along?"

A group waiting, looking like a sure thing, who knew Chen Fuzi shook his head, saying: "I'm not going, you go."

"Ah? Why?"

"Don't you want to eat Song Xiaoniangzi's meat buns, vegetable buns? Last time that Evodia Crushed Tofu Bun, you didn't like it best?"

Chen Fuzi sighed, saying: "Can't say now, later you'll know — you go, I can't go!"