Chapter 244: Wonderful Cook Chapter 246: Before and After

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Song Miao said with a smile: "I was just about to ask Old Madam if she can eat right now—the glutinous rice has just been steamed; if simmered too long, it loses its flavor, and if left to cool, once it cools it turns hard immediately, completely different."

The desire of mouth and belly is hard for people to give up.

Although this time was to accompany her granddaughter to find new playmates, Old Madam He had also been thinking of that mochi and iced sweet-and-sour pork all along; hearing Song Miao ask, she immediately said: "Yes! I can eat! But not too much, just a little—I am old and cannot digest glutinous food well."

Song Miao agreed and immediately began making it.

As soon as the pot opened, the fragrance of freshly steamed glutinous rice spread with the white steam.

Although one was steamed rice and the other steamed glutinous rice, upon close examination they were not entirely the same, but Old Madam He immediately thought of making New Year cakes in the back kitchen when she was young, sneaking over with her sisters to watch the excitement.

The stove was right beside her, completely an open kitchen; she couldn't help but get up and walk over, watching Song Xiaoniangzi skillfully scoop the glutinous rice into gauze cloth, gently kneading through the fine gauze.

Kneading glutinous rice, stir-frying soybean flour, making condiments—the young lady of this food shop did not prepare them in advance, but made everything on the spot.

Soon Old Madam He smelled the aromas of roasted soybeans, fried egg powder, roasted walnuts, black and white sesame, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and other nuts.

Each was only a small amount, several pots opened at once, and with two helpers, her movements were truly like flowing clouds and running water.

Watching food quickly take shape or change form before her eyes, the fragrance gradually grew rich; the room was filled with rich fragrances, clear fragrances, nutty aromas, fried aromas, bustling and lively, as if a dozen or so martial male roles rushed onto the stage at once, with the orchestra below all starting together—clanging and banging, each playing their own tune, but to the audience below, it was truly dazzling.

Old Madam He was not only dazzled, but her nose was dazzled too.

Originally not yet hungry, watching the scene before her and smelling all those roasted aromas, she seemed to hear her own belly growling.

The assistant cooperated well, and the main force was that young lady; everything in her hands was especially smooth. After the food was cooked, her hands didn't even touch it again, yet there was no clumsiness or delay, no deliberate effort at all, as if she moved casually and the food knew to avoid her hands by itself.

Seeing one dipping sauce after another poured into small dishes, together with a small plate of mochi, placed on a tray and sent before her, Old Madam He still hadn't reacted.

She subconsciously blurted out: "How did it get done so fast?!"

I haven't looked enough yet!!

Song Miao said with a smile: "It's done—Old Madam, try some?"

Four small mochi the size of winter dates; Old Madam He raised her chopsticks and took a bite with a white mouth.

Soft, glutinous, smooth, not a hint of off-flavor inside, not even sugar added; kneaded just after steaming while still hot, there was only the pure fragrance of glutinous rice and the natural sweetness of rice products—very palatable, truly not sticking to the teeth—actually not sticking to the teeth? How was that done?

The first one she ate while curious about the texture.

The second bite was dipped in soybean flour.

The soybean flour was mixed with extremely fine rock sugar powder, fragrant and sweet; since it was ground fine and poured out right before her after roasting, Old Madam He had already put a halo on it in her heart; even if the taste was mediocre, she would give it high marks.

But once in her mouth, ay ay! It was truly too fragrant, not needing any biased high marks at all; it clearly could win on its own, yet she was here self-moved one-sidedly!

One could guess how powerful that dry, throat-choking aroma and roasted bean fragrance of freshly roasted soybean flour was; how could the taste be mediocre?

The second one she only focused on experiencing the taste and texture of the rock sugar soybean flour blending with the fine mochi; as if she hadn't tasted enough, that bite slipped into her belly by itself.

By the third bite... fourth bite...

Huh, how is the plate empty? Where are my mochi?

"One... one more, no, two more for me to try the taste?"

Old Madam He couldn't help but say.

She hadn't even gotten to try the two dipping sauces: black and white sesame brown sugar crumbs, and roasted almond walnut hazelnut crumbs!

Song Miao felt somewhat embarrassed and said: "Old Madam knows herself; this is after all glutinous food, very filling. You've already eaten four; eating more now, I'm afraid your stomach can't take it."

As she spoke, she looked toward the maid beside her.

The maid, hearing Song Miao say this, immediately cast a grateful glance and hurriedly said: "Old Madam just said to eat only a little; how did you go back on your word? If you like it, come again another day. Once you've eaten your fill this time, what if you upset your stomach at night?"

Old Madam He frowned and sighed, as if making a painful resolution.

But after the pain, not only did the resolution not come, she couldn't help but say: "I've been used to glutinous food since childhood and had a nickname as a child, called 'Glutinous in the Womb'; my intestines and belly long ago adapted. Today I only eat two more bites—how could that upset my stomach?"

She added: "Just two more; they're so small. I really only tasted a little flavor just now—it seems very similar to what I ate as a child, but I didn't get even half my fill before they were gone!"

Song Miao saw the maid persuade again and again, but Old Madam He still looked like she wanted to listen yet couldn't bear to listen, so she also said: "Glutinous rice really causes indigestion; Old Madam, used to it since childhood, surely knows best—if you like this mochi, I can make it another day. Besides, there's iced sweet-and-sour pork later; if you eat too much of other things, I'm afraid there won't be room in your stomach."

She paused, then said: "I don't know about others, but for my own family, whether eating mochi or New Year cake, I don't like summer; I prefer eating them when the weather is cold. If eating mochi, knead with thick gauze; if eating New Year cake, pound with a wooden pestle; both must be eaten while hot."

Saying this, she pursed her lips and smiled: "As I eat, I also breathe out from between my teeth to cool it; the white steam I breathe out carries the rice fragrance, hot and warm; the colder the weather, the warmer it feels to eat."

"Fresh New Year cake grilled, wrapped in sugar; the finer the cake the better, but the sugar should be a bit coarse; when eating, the sugar is half-melted by the heat, and you can bite into the grainy texture..."

Song Miao said here, and beside her Cheng Erniang, the large pancake, the maid, and the old woman standing on the other side all silently swallowed their saliva.

But Old Madam He kept nodding, saying: "Exactly! Exactly! I also most like eating in winter, best a few days around the New Year, slowly roasted over stove charcoal!"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but say to Song Miao: "When I was young, I could eat several New Year cake strips in one breath—summer doesn't have that flavor; not to mention summer, even spring and autumn aren't right; it always feels like something is missing!"

Song Miao smiled and said: "Best grilled until the outer layer is slightly burnt pale yellow; the New Year cake puffs up its belly and forms big bubbles—actually, grilled mochi is also delicious; stuff sesame brown sugar crumbs or sugar grains into the belly, or add red bean paste."

Old Madam He clapped her hands in praise: "That's exactly how we ate as children!"

She sighed again: "It's just a pity that since coming to the Capital, even though the cooks are good cooks and the methods follow our old ways, I don't know why, the flavor is so far behind it's not even comparable."

"Us few from the same place chatting together, we originally guessed it was because the water of our hometown is different from Jingcheng's water; one year we sent someone posthaste to bring some, made things and shared among families, but it still wasn't right; it's not the same taste as before."

Song Miao said: "Whether glutinous food or rice food, once left for a bit it easily loses flavor; even if kept in cold water, the taste still changes; if not winter, it spoils even faster."

She suggested: "Old Madam, if you like eating it, you might as well ask the kitchen to make it and send it over immediately, without delay—for this kind of food, the word 'fresh' surpasses all other skills and recipes."

Old Madam He listened and nodded; she didn't know which sentence touched her, and for a moment she seemed to be complaining for herself: "Speaking of this matter, back then my sisters and I ate grilled mochi together; I said the taste wasn't right. Though made from the same batch, a few days ago the rice fragrance was strong, but that time it was very bland... they just said I was picky!"

Song Miao smiled: "I suppose Old Madam's tongue has been sensitive since childhood. A sensitive tongue has its good and bad; if bad, others can eat everything fragrant and find everything delicious, but the one with a sensitive tongue always feels this is wrong and that is wrong, and it's very hard to find something to their liking."

"If good, a sensitive tongue can best taste good flavors, and will eat—if they encounter something delicious, that happiness, others cannot understand!"

Old Madam He nodded repeatedly; she had nodded so much today that her neck was almost sore.

Song Miao said a few more words to her, then said: "I always feel that iced sweet-and-sour pork is especially suitable for summer; once the weather turns cool, it won't taste good—this is a dish where, if the seasoning and heat are handled well, it will be delicious."

She finally asked: "Madam, won't you truly take advantage of this scorching heat to come and taste it properly, and help me give some comments?"

The way she had persuaded He Qi that day, she now changed her words to coax He Lao Furen, and it worked just as well.

Though one old and one young, their reactions were remarkably similar.

He Lao Furen hesitated no longer, saying at once: "Then as the young lady says, I will come another day to eat that mochi!"

In the front hall, He Lao Furen watched Song Miao cook with great interest; in the back courtyard, Zhu Jie'er and Xiao Lian likewise watched the fish with great interest.

It was hot, and it was afternoon; the fish swam little and floated dazedly much, so the two stood around a group of fish pointing and commenting, saying this one's mouth was long, criticizing that one's scales were sparse; if any fish suddenly flicked its tail and surged forward, it would immediately draw a chorus of exclamations from the two, chirping and cheeping.

Though Xiao Lian watched the fish, she had not forgotten her business; seeing that the time was not early, she said: "I'm going to rub the beans—I'll move the basin over; you tell me which fish looks fun, and we'll talk together, all right?"

Zhu Jie'er had never rubbed beans before; she immediately became interested and said: "What's fun about watching alone? We'll watch together when you're free! Let me rub the beans for you? How do you rub? What beans are they? Is it fun??"

"It's mung beans; rub off the skins to make Glutinous Rice—the green bean paste Glutinous Rice your sister makes is delicious!" Xiao Lian said while not forgetting to praise; after praising, her face fell again: "When I first started rubbing, I thought it was fun, but now that I rub so much, it's not fun anymore."

The two children indeed gathered together, some rolling, some rubbing the beans.

Zhu Jie'er held a rolling pin in her hand, learning to roll the beans, and her mouth did not forget to speak, with an air of showing off and seeking credit: "You don't know, I was determined to come play with you, and tried very hard!"

She recounted how she had wanted to come, how her family had stopped her, saying it was not proper to visit without an adult, how He Lao Furen had instructed her not to find good books, giving the reasons for choosing those books, and how she had refused to accompany her, one thing after another.

Xiao Lian hurriedly praised her, and said: "I've also been thinking these past couple of days, why haven't you come? Sister said last time there were some walnuts left, and made me some Amber Walnuts; I haven't been willing to eat them, thinking that when you came we could share them together!"

She asked again: "So you've chosen the books, thought of those reasons, and your grandmother agreed to let you come, right?"

Zhu Jie'er held her head high and puffed out her chest: "Of course! I chose them for you long ago; I chose a set of 'Ben Cao Jing' and 'Nei Jing'..."

She listed the five or six books she had chosen together, and said: "It just so happened that yesterday an elder in the household caught wind and coughed without stopping; the Fu summoned a doctor, and I especially went to intercept that doctor and ask him, and asked him what books one should read first if one wants to learn medicine at our age; he spoke while I noted, and when I went back I found them for you."

"It's just that there are some characters inside I don't recognize!"

Xiao Lian had thanked her again and again, and then worriedly said: "I haven't given you any good gift; you went to so much trouble to send me such suitable books—I'm too embarrassed!"

"Aiyo, even before you knew me, you let me eat the salted bone porridge—it was delicious! I haven't properly thanked you yet!"

She added: "Read those medical books well; hopefully become a particularly skilled doctor in the future; when I grow up, if anywhere feels uncomfortable, come find you to help me see a doctor!"

Xiao Lian hurriedly said: "If I become a skilled doctor, I'll definitely have money; then I'll come find you too, buy your flowers, and place them at home!"

The two talked and chatted happily; here they were still rubbing beans until water splashed all over the ground, while there they had already begun imagining the future.

Around the You hour, Song Miao had prepared all the dishes.

Since there were few dishes, they did not fuss over any order, and served them all at once.

He Lao Furen's eyes were captured by the Bing Zhen Suan Cu Gu Lu Meat at first glance.

It indeed looked good.

That layer of sugar vinegar shell was like glazed glass; because it was wrapped in sugar vinegar juice, it had a thicker, more flowing quality than glazed glass, like Amber, but with deeper color than Amber; at first glance, it actually had a crystalline, semi-transparent feel.

She had eaten it yesterday; the cook at home made it very deliciously, but indeed just as her granddaughter said, this portion from Song Ji, even just looking at it with the naked eye, was completely different.

He Lao Furen couldn't help but extend her chopsticks toward it.

The chopsticks resting on the Sweet and Sour Meat would make a "sususu" sound; before it even entered her mouth, she already felt the hard and crisp sensation.

Would it be too hard?

That thought flashed through her mind.

But as that piece of Sweet and Sour Meat entered her mouth, He Lao Furen had already forgotten what she had been thinking before.

A piece of meat that was cold and crisp had nothing to do with being hard; her teeth lightly scraped, and its shell cracked into pieces, immediately releasing a steaming hot pool of sour-sweet meat juice inside.

So "crisp" meant this, this texture.

The sour-sweet juice was sour but not harsh, sweet but not at all cloying; the sour-sweet balance was adjusted too well, too well, the thickness was also good, and within it burst forth plenty of fresh and rich meat juice; every chew was a full overflow of meat juice.

Chilled, the Sweet and Sour Meat was cold outside and hot inside; the meat quality was loose, crisp, soft, and tender, the four coming out in succession yet simultaneously combined; it was truly wonderfully marvelous.

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