Chapter 26

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Someone who hasn't eaten scallion pork filling with just the right proportion and perfect doneness on a morning when they're starving can hardly imagine this flavor.

Pork is different from mutton; it lacks mutton's rich aroma and isn't as firm as mutton, but its meat is more tender and its flavor more mild.

In other words, it doesn't overpower other flavors.

If in mutton and scallion filling the scallion plays a supporting role, helping to bring out the mutton's aroma and also cutting the greasiness, then in this scallion pork filling, scallion and pork complement each other, each supporting the other.

The cooked white part of the scallion has a slight pungency, just right for enhancing freshness; the cooked green part mixes thoroughly with the minced pork, even and well-blended, you in me, me in you.

The shaomai skin is thin yet tough, wrapping abundant juice—the wild scallion contributes its scallion fragrance, and the pan-fried pork gives all its meaty aroma.

That foreleg meat is three parts fat, seven parts lean; the meat quality is more delicate, the meat flavor richer, yet because it carries sinew and membrane, it has its own chew, and that slight greasiness of the fat is nicely wrapped by the scallion flavor.

One bite down, the still somewhat scalding juice almost burst in He Qi's mouth.

A mouthful of sweet, fresh, fragrant juice is the result of scallion and pork working together.

He Qi first chewed quickly, because it was still hot; not long after, he changed to chewing slowly, afraid to swallow it whole and waste such good flavor.

But no matter how carefully he chewed and swallowed, that scallion pork shaomai was ultimately just one, and soon he had eaten it clean.

Not to mention lingering aftertaste, he couldn't even get his fill.

For a moment, the reproach in He Qi's gaze toward Wang Geng grew even heavier.

The latter had no choice but to play dead, and hurriedly sent the bamboo tube over.

He Qi took it, still a little worried about being scalded again, and only dared to sip a mouthful of soup carefully.

The pork rib clear soup in the bamboo tube had spilled some, and had been open for a long while; at this moment the temperature was just right.

He took a small sip, tasted the flavor, and soon took a big gulp.

The soup was light but not bland.

The bone broth was clear, the radish cut into slices, each slice only one Portion thick, but since it was added last, eating it still had some bite, not melting in the mouth.

Because its shape remained and it wasn't overcooked, the white radish's own flavor was better preserved; one bite down, clear and sweet, and the radish flavor also cut the floating oil rendered from the bones.

Some scallions were sprinkled on the soup; besides the fresh bone broth meat aroma and radish fragrance, there was also a faint fresh scallion fragrance.

The soup's saltiness actually wasn't quite enough; the taste leaned light, but that missing bit of salt was just right to make one finish a whole bamboo tube of soup in one breath without feeling thirsty in the mouth.

Actually it was just an everyday stewed soup, but because the seasoning and pairing were just right, drinking it was especially light and comfortable.

This soup was completely meant to go with glutinous rice, especially paired with that mutton scallion, pork scallion, shepherd's purse bamboo shoot dried tofu shaomai!

Mutton scallion and pork scallion flavors are rich; after eating them, it's just right to use this soup to cleanse the palate.

But He Qi himself had only eaten one pork scallion shaomai, so what palate was there to cleanse?

How could Wang Geng fail to see the accusatory gaze from the person opposite? He hurriedly slipped away, and not daring to leave the matter unattended, he had to go to the rear gate.

Before he even reached the place, he felt the road getting darker and darker, as if the weather was about to change.

By the time he reached the gate, the wind outside was already howling, as if rain or snow would fall at any moment.

Outside the gate quite a few young scholars were gathered; among them two were attendants who usually followed Wang Geng, come to bring their young master breakfast; seeing him come out, they hurried forward.

Wang Geng took the breakfast but wasn't in a hurry to leave.

He didn't mention He Qi's name, only saying that today he had eaten a kind of food, shaped roughly like a pouch, with two meat and one vegetarian variety; what the meat filling was, what the vegetarian filling was, what the main seasoning was, what it tasted like, how fresh and fragrant it was, what the texture of each skin was, how thin it was—talking and talking, he actually made himself crave it, reminiscing about the two shaomai he had just eaten, and even came to somewhat understand He Qi's feelings.

After describing the shaomai's appearance, he then spoke of the glutinous rice—how soft and glutinous, how salty and fragrant, what rich condiments were paired inside, including fried bits for aroma, salty-sour bits for cutting greasiness, and also mung bean paste...

After finishing, he felt that the glutinous rice really did have something to it, and wasn't as simple as he had originally thought.

After reporting each item one by one, Wang Geng then instructed: "Please have Mother arrange the kitchen to make some according to this and send them over; I want to use them to entertain friends—at the latest by tonight, don't delay, I've already promised!"

The two attendants heard him say all this; although none of the ingredients were expensive, they felt making them wouldn't be simple, and where would they dare to delay? They hurriedly rushed back to the manor to report.

Besides the usual kitchen shifts, the Wang family also kept several old cooks with decent skills; seeing the attendants hurry away, Wang Geng's heart finally settled back into his belly, only waiting for the food to be sent home tonight, hoping it would be a bit tastier than what he ate today, so it could count as making amends to that He Qi.

While Wang Geng here saw off the attendants, Song Miao in Suanzao Alley welcomed an unexpected guest.

She had originally been about to go out to buy provisions, but didn't expect the sky outside to be low and cloudy; in a short while, a strong wind was already howling.

Afraid of encountering rain or snow halfway, she changed her plan, lit a good fire, and slowly made the crispy fried noodles for the glutinous rice.

This thing took some time, but too much couldn't be made at once; otherwise, if kept too long, it would easily change flavor and go stale, so Song Miao made them fresh every day.

She had just fried one basin when she heard someone knocking at the door; going out to answer, it was actually Sun Lizheng.

The other party had obviously come braving the wind; his half-white beard was blown into disarray.

Seeing this, Song Miao hurriedly greeted him and ushered him inside, wanting to pour him tea.

Sun Lizheng didn't stand on those red-and-white taboos; he strode in, first stopped Song Miao, exchanged a few pleasantries, then said: "Yesterday my wife came back and gave me quite a few contract deeds, saying you, a young girl, are very promising; I looked, and indeed you are promising, so I picked out familiar names and sent these contract deeds over; they looked at my old face and were willing to listen to a few words, with no objections; after sending them over, there are still these left..."

As he spoke, he handed over a stack of official documents.

"The remaining ones—I'm not very familiar with those people, and they're also far away; I'm just a Lizheng, with no power or influence; when I meet strangers I can't get a word in; a few days ago Liao Qingjiao even sent someone to find me, saying he had received some Yuanzai's order, specially telling me to mind less of other people's business."

"Child, let me lay it out for you: as for the matters behind, it's not that I won't help, I really can't help; if you have a way, use it quickly, don't delay—I know you've been selling breakfast at the Taixue end these past few days, selling well; in a few years, maybe you could really pay off the debts, but others might not give you this opportunity."

Song Miao took back those documents; there weren't many left, only seven or eight, with amounts large and small.

She had a clear idea in her heart, and understood even more that Sun Lizheng and his wife being able to repeatedly bring this up to remind her was great kindness; naturally she thanked them without ceasing.

As for Sun Lizheng, after delivering the documents he wanted to leave immediately; Song Miao's earnest pleading was useless; then when the other party was about to go out, the wind outside didn't stop, and rain sounds were added—actually it started raining and snowing mixed together.

The wind and rain were very strong, and Sun Lizheng hadn't brought an umbrella; this time he really couldn't leave.

Song Miao then moved a stool out, asked him to sit and wait in the front hall, poured tea water, and sent over some parched rice, crispy fried noodles, and such snacks.

Sun Lizheng didn't refuse; he sat down and ate, and also asked some questions about difficulties with food and clothing.

Song Miao answered a few sentences, but suddenly said: "Last time Auntie came, she only said you two both really like to eat savory things."

Sun Lizheng then said: "There is indeed this matter — I find these fried wraps of yours very flavorful."

Song Miao rose and looked at the weather, saying: "Yesterday Auntie sent over many taro and yams; I was just about to return a gift, only I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Now that Uncle Sun has come, taking advantage of waiting for the sky to clear, I'll make them all together and have them brought back — wouldn't that be good?"

Sun Lizheng naturally hurriedly refused.

Song Miao only smiled and said: "It's also frying things anyway; the oil is ready-made, the rest is just borrowing Buddha's flowers to offer to Buddha..."

Speaking, she indeed went to the back and brought out the oil pot.

The front stove still had leftover fire; she added firewood, opened the stove door, and before long it had blazed up.

Taking advantage of the fire slowly burning, Song Miao didn't use anything else, just took out two of the taro Zhu Shi had sent.