Chapter 296

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Ham stewed soup, nothing is more famous than salt-cured umami.

But it is neither spring nor winter now, and there are no bamboo shoots, missing the most crucial fresh element—besides, to eat salt-cured umami, the soup and ingredients stand equally, being both soup and dish, ultimately not quite suited to the present situation.

Doctor Lin is Xiao Lian's master; this time he charged no consultation fee, and specially made a detour to come in his spare time—a person of such high prestige and virtue, Song Miao felt no amount of care was too much.

She looked around; among the fresh goods on the back kitchen counter there was nothing suitable, so she went to each dried-goods jar and examined them one by one: silver ear fungus, dried scallops, dried abalone, dried clams, bamboo skewers, dried yellow croaker, and so on—there were plenty of things, but none matched the cured ham.

Song Miao thought for a moment, then simply walked out of the back kitchen.

At this time the others were each busy—some wrapping pork, some dried fish, some preparing ingredients—and there were not many people in the courtyard.

She went to the well and brought out the bucket inside that was splashing—inside was half-rehydrated shark fin.

The fin was top-grade Golden Hook Fin, a gift Han Li sent before going to Hua Prefecture, and had never been used.

It happened that in a few days a scholar would be celebrating his birthday; she had originally thought to stew the shark fin into soup to serve as the main dish at everyone's noon meal table. It had been soaking for two days already, and since it was urgently needed today, she simply moved it here first; when the time came, preparing another soup for the scholars' side would not be too late.

Song Miao had been here half a year and had seen the menus of many great wine shops and great restaurants, rarely seeing shark fin.

Thus, although shark fin was still a rare treasure at this time, people of the era felt it had little freshness; among sea and river flavors, they preferred dried scallops, dried clams, dried abalone, and such.

But precisely because this ingredient itself was tasteless, using it to make soup could better absorb the soup juices, and it also had a rare mouthfeel.

Wuzhou pickled ham, Golden Hook Fin, plus an old hen and a piece of lean pork, and one could make a kung fu soup.

She called Zhang Siniang and Big Pancake over, and the three entered the back kitchen together. First she took the cured ham, and with the two of them she spoke of Doctor Lin coming tomorrow, and said: "Because I want to stew an old soup, called Ham Shark Fin; cured ham has rarely been used before. Rarely having this opportunity, I called you both to come see the ingredients."

Zhang Siniang hurriedly asked: "Young Lady, is Ham Shark Fin cured ham?"

Song Miao simply laid the cured ham flat in her hand and carefully showed the two of them each part and its usage.

At this time hams were divided into Yunnan ham and Wuzhou ham; compared with the Yunnan ham commonly used for cooking, Wuzhou ham was richly fragrant, better suited for stewing soup and enhancing freshness, and could also be steamed or boiled.

The two hams Shen Xingniang sent were both five-year winter hams. Because when curing ham in other seasons, to prevent the meat flavor from spoiling, more salt was often added; but in winter the weather was cold, so even with less salty salt it would not spoil, and naturally the saltiness was slightly lighter, the flavor better.

Song Miao pointed to the place on the cured ham above the knee and below the elbow, saying: "This place is called 'Ham Shark Fin.' It is said that overseas in places like Ryukyu there are mountains that can spout fire and thick slurry, finally forming this mountain-heel shape, looking very similar to this place, and thus named."

Speaking, she took a bamboo skewer and deeply pierced three skewers in succession at the ham's knee, hip knot, and hip bone, letting the two of them smell the bamboo skewer scents separately.

"Selecting Wuzhou cured ham commonly uses the three-skewer method: deeply pierce three times into the ham, then take them out to smell the scent. If used for stewing soup, it is best that all three skewers are fragrant; if absolutely necessary, at least two must be fragrant, otherwise it will have only saltiness and not a bit of sweet fragrance—using such a ham, one would easily taste off-flavors; better not to salt it."

The three skewers were divided into upper, middle, and lower positions. When piercing the last skewer, that was the lower skewer, near the three-fork bone; this place was between the lumbar vertebrae and the coccyx, where the meat was thickest, salt hardest to penetrate, and fragrance hardest to develop.

When the bamboo skewer was pulled out, Zhang Siniang had just sniffed it and couldn't help but say: "This place is fragrant too!"

The ham Shen Xingniang gave was truly a good ham; all three skewers smelled very clean, with not a bit of off-flavor.

The ham was sealed with salt mud; Big Pancake and Cheng Erniang washed and scrubbed for half a day before getting it clean.

When Song Miao took a knife and cut it open, the cross-section of the cured ham was even oozing oil; the lean meat was red and brilliant, like a deep salted duck egg yolk, like the rosy light of a sunset over a summer seaside; the fat was ivory white, and when pressed it would quickly rebound. A light wave of the hand, even without getting close, one could smell the rich ham aroma, and also a very special fruity fragrance.

"So red! So fragrant!"

"This color! Actually this flavor!"

Hearing Zhang Siniang and Big Pancake both sighing with admiration, Song Miao answered with a smile: "So this cured ham also has another name, called ham, referring to how its inside color is like fire."

The ham was washed, a basin of charcoal was lit, and a small fire slowly roasted the outer skin, burning off all the outside off-flavors and rancid oil smells. Then it was washed and scrubbed again, and by then the sky was half dark.

Seeing the time was not early, Song Miao told the two to go home first, and the rest could be discussed tomorrow.

But Zhang Siniang said: "Young Lady, why not have Sanlang take them home first? If this ham still needs to be dealt with tonight, I can lend a hand—after all I am a woman; even if it's late, spreading a straw mat and staying overnight here is nothing to fear!"

She added very eagerly: "The first time making such a laborious soup—just this one cured ham takes so much effort. I want to learn more from Young Lady; if in the future this soup is put on the menu at the food shop, without Young Lady watching every moment, I could make it myself. Isn't that good?"

Big Pancake, hearing this, immediately said: "Young Lady, I'm not in a hurry to go home either—the sky is still so early! Why not have Third Brother Zhang send the others back first, and I'll stay here to help deal with this cured ham, and leave after it's done!"

"There's no rush for now; we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Song Miao sent them off in a few words, urging the two to follow the cart together. Seeing that Sanlang Wang's cart had not gone far, at the time of half-darkness, someone outside walked over carrying a lantern, with heavy footsteps, and a hint of having run and hurried.

The newcomer drew near and saw Song Miao was inside the door, so he took two steps at once, calling out: "Song Xiaoniangzi!"

"Young Master Xu?"

It was Xu Erlang of the Xu Family Martial Hall.

Seeing someone arrive, Song Miao first had him enter, and asked: "Is it Young Lady Xu who sent Young Master to come take the dried meat?"

Xu Erlang nodded like pounding garlic: "When I returned to the city I happened to pass by, so I asked my aunt for this errand."

Song Miao responded, and had Cheng Erniang help take out the various items Xu Family had ordered.

Xu Erlang sat down, not busy with other matters, but first put down the lantern in his hand, then raised the thing in his other hand and presented it before Song Miao, awkwardly saying: "On my way here I heard someone selling fresh flowers. I thought, that... since I'm going to visit, I might as well buy a few stems, just right as a gift!"

Saying "might as well" and "just right," but after only two or three sentences Xu Erlang stumbled several times. While speaking, his eyes dared not look at Song Miao; instead, he glanced at the water clock in the wall corner one moment, and at the table legs on the ground the next. When he misspoke, even looking at the table legs didn't help, and his face unconsciously turned red.

Song Miao looked closely and saw that the other person was holding several lotus flowers, all still just flower buds. Whether the flowers were picked too young or delayed too long on the way, at this moment every blossom was already drooping.

She hurriedly took them, smiled and thanked him, took a long bamboo tube to fill with water, first arranged the lotus flowers, then placed it on the table before her, and said: "Trouble Young Master to take such care. Next time there's truly no need to bring such gifts—too polite, making me feel uncomfortable accepting them."

Xu Erlang immediately asked: "What's so polite about it? Just a few flowers—does Song Xiaoniangzi not like flowers? Then what do you like?"

He asked very directly. Song Miao thought for a moment and smiled: "It's not that I don't like them, but right now I'm busy minding the shop and have no time to tend to them; I'm afraid I'd waste such fine flowers."

She added: "Besides, a guest visiting should be attended to according to the guest's preferences—does Young Master like flowers? If you come to dine at the shop another day, I'll have someone prepare a vase of flowers for your table in advance. How about that?"

Xu Erlang couldn't hide a word, and hurriedly said: "I don't usually grow flowers. Because Auntie said young ladies mostly like flowers, I thought you liked them too, so I specially bought them. Since you have no time to arrange flowers, I won't buy them next time."

He secretly thought: Next time I'll buy something else, buy several times, try them one by one; surely I can find something to please Song Xiaoniangzi.

He asked again: "I was just about to ask Young Lady—I'm going to Luoyang to escort a delivery in two days. Is there anything you want? I can bring it for you!"

Song Miao looked up and saw the person opposite sitting on a backless chair, one hand resting on his knee, the other on the chair leg, picking at his pants and the chair nonstop, looking very awkward.

The sky was already half dark. Xu Erlang trained at the drill ground and ran about outside all year round, so his complexion was darker than ordinary people. Even so, by the light of a single oil lamp, one could see both his ears were swollen red.

Very clear, a very good intention.

Song Miao unconsciously lowered her voice by a third and said, "Young Master, escort missions are exhausting; where would you have the energy to attend to other things? It would only be a burden. If you have spare time, just bring things back for family and old friends—I have nothing I want."

She added, "Though my shop is small, there are plenty of miscellaneous affairs; normally I have no leisure at all, my heart is entirely fixed on making money—Young Master, such beautiful fresh flowers, and other fine things, left here with me would be like a cow chewing peonies, truly a great pity..."

Xu Erlang had been sitting upright; hearing this, he wilted entirely, his shoulders slumping halfway down, and was about to speak when Cheng Erniang came out carrying two large winnowing baskets on a pole, saying, "The dried meat and dried fish Lady Xu ordered are here, just packed up—I was planning to send them tomorrow morning—but there's so much, can Young Master Xu carry it alone?"

Song Miao then asked, "How will Young Master return?"

Xu Erlang said, "My family has an escort bureau on Fu Lin Street; I'll just go fetch a horse later."

Hearing it was on Fu Lin Street, Song Miao said, "With so many things here, how can you carry them on horseback? If you're not in such a hurry, why not let us deliver them to your door tomorrow?"

Xu Erlang immediately hesitated.

While speaking, another person came from outside, dressed as a patrol officer; seeing Song Miao inside, he immediately called out, "Song Stall Owner!"

This man was about to speak, but seeing Xu Erlang inside, he swallowed his words back, did not enter the door, and simply stood at the doorway, asking, "Song Stall Owner, are you free or not?"

Song Miao then said to Xu Erlang, "Young Master, think it over again?"

She gestured to Cheng Erniang, then went out.

The patrol officer at the door was an acquaintance; seeing Song Miao come out, he lowered his voice and said, "Song Stall Owner, I want to buy that 'Song Ji Paper' from your shop—can I buy it for someone else?"

"What do you mean buy it for someone else?"

"I mean I pay the money, but in the end that 'Song Ji Paper' is given to someone else, with someone else's name written on it!"

He explained at length.

But it turned out this man had recently received a letter: because of excessive rain, river water flooded, his old home in the countryside collapsed, his father had a leg crushed, and Old Lady was frightened.

He hurriedly took leave and went to Chan Prefecture once to bring people to the Capital.

After entering the Capital, because his own house was too small, renting new rooms, finding Eldest Sister, getting medicine, and so on, he had received much help from the brothers in the Xunpu, and another official had also lent a hand; now everything was finally settled, and he wanted to give some gifts, but couldn't afford expensive ones, and cheap ones were too shabby to produce.

"I was thinking, since they all eat Song Ji's food, buy a 'Song Ji Paper' worth three hundred wen, and for that official's portion buy five hundred wen; I'll pay, just write their names—would that work?"

Such a gift was neither too light nor too heavy; others wouldn't refuse it, and he wouldn't feel too much heartache—very suitable.

Song Miao thought for a moment and said, "I'll register their names first; ask them to wait until the 'Song Ji Paper' is made, then I'll prepare it for the official—just don't let it spread outside, otherwise I fear everyone will imitate them, and it'll become a mess."

The Chai Guan was delighted and laughed, "I'm no fool! I'll definitely keep my mouth shut!"

He added, "Not just me; those few who heard this news are also keeping it from outsiders, for fear that if too many people know, everyone will come to snatch them, and there won't be a share for us!"

The two were speaking here; inside the room, Xu Erlang was also speaking with Cheng Erniang.

He had come here twice before and already recognized some faces; after exchanging a few idle words, seeing Song Miao outside, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Cheng Er Niangzi, last time I came with my aunt, I saw a Young Master here... who is that?"

Cheng Erniang was stunned for a moment and asked, "We have many guests coming and going here; I don't know which Young Master you mean?"

Xu Erlang then described Han Li.

Cheng Erniang immediately laughed and said, "You mean Han Li, Young Master Han, right? He's a Taixue Xue Shi..."

Xu Erlang said, "So he's a scholar Young Master..."

He muttered again, "Strange, why does it sound a bit familiar..."

"He's a talented man, very famous; how could Young Master not have heard of him?" Cheng Erniang laughed heartily, "He has written many articles; last time my brother brought some for me to practice writing: 'Baozhu Fishermen,' 'Yellow Dog Fights Chicken,' and also the recent 'Xin Feng Brick'—I don't know if Young Master has heard of it?"

Xu Erlang exclaimed "Ah," his complexion changing somewhat, and said, "So he's 'Han Good Brush'!"

After speaking, he couldn't help but ask again, "Is this Young Master Han also a regular customer who comes often?"

"Of course!" Cheng Erniang seized the opportunity and immediately said, "You don't know; my brother back then relied on our Song Ji's steamed buns, shaomai, and glutinous rice to catch that Young Master Han's attention, and finally received much teaching and help—Young Master Han especially likes Lady's craftsmanship, and almost every day comes to patronize the business."

"Young Master Han is truly a good person! Back when the food shop had a leaking roof and broken windows, he couldn't stand to see it, and even..."

Cheng Erniang said to this point; her hand was about to point to the armchair under Xu Erlang's seat, reaching halfway, when she suddenly thought of something, the smile on her face froze, her hand also stopped in midair—neither pointing nor retracting; that sentence "He even kindly came to the door to repair tables and chairs—the armchair you're sitting on was made by him!" had already reached her throat, but was still forcibly swallowed back.

Did Young Master Han come yesterday?

What about the day before yesterday?

She couldn't help but look toward the left side of the doorway.

Whether he came or not, she seemed unable to remember clearly; but the sheep's milk came every day without stopping.

Even if the person didn't come, a wooden box had already been placed there; he would put the sheep's milk inside, and also give ice—the ice was given in such abundance that one could probably buy two more portions of sheep's milk!

One portion was truly large; not only did Lady herself have it, but even she and Xiao Lian shared in the light...

When she drank, she only thought of telling Xiao Lian to remember to thank him; her mind was full of milky fragrance and how to remove the fishy smell, with no room for anything else; now that it was mentioned, she suddenly woke up as if from a dream.

The person was naturally a good person, but this conduct—seemed... how... somewhat... overly attentive and considerate... not quite right?

?? Food Friends, although the updates this month haven't been good, I still come thick-skinned to say a word—if everyone has extra monthly tickets and is willing, can you leave them for our Xiao Miao? This month the 29th-31st has double monthly tickets; you can hold them for two days before voting, or vote early if you can't hold them—it's all fine, thank you very, very much!