Chapter 326

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Song Miao

Making ginger mince is delicate work.

After Song Miao finished giving instructions, she first had the rice put on to cook, made a round, brought out various ingredients, let Da Bing tidy them up, and she herself found a small broken pot to stir-fry coarse salt.

The two most critical points for salt-baking are heat control and saltiness.

If the fire is too strong, it easily burns; baking too long first overcooks it, second makes it too salty.

If the fire is too weak, it cannot draw out the aroma of the ingredients, cannot drive off the moisture, and the flavor will fall short by more than a notch.

This time it is baking crab; so as not to steal the crab's flavor, Song Miao only put in a tiny bit of spices.

While stir-frying the salt here, Song Miao took a moment to check the prepared ingredients, saw the male crabs had long been scrubbed clean and put on to steam, everything else proceeding in orderly fashion, so she specifically instructed: "This ginger mince is still not dry enough, Fourth Niangzi put another layer of gauze on, wring it tighter, wring out all the ginger juice."

She also said: "Keep the ginger juice, preserve it with ice, we'll use it this afternoon to make ginger milk pudding, first for ourselves to eat, second those several tables of guests have booked top-grade banquets, giving it as a complimentary dish is quite good too."

Zhang Siniang hurriedly agreed, then asked: "Madam, what are we using the ginger mince for?"

"Old Master Cao dislikes the spiciness of old ginger, but today one of the main meats is crab, which is ultimately cold in nature, so it's best paired with ginger; old ginger juice is spicy, so I had to find a way to process the ginger mince — simply stir-fry a rice dish."

"Ginger mince can also make fried rice?"

"Yes, it comes out very fragrant."

Although Song Miao is not picky, when she was young she didn't much like ginger flavor either; the various households on the mountain tried making all sorts of things, some sweet and sour ginger slices, some ginger milk pudding, also pickled young ginger, ginger mince fried rice, and so on; right now time is tight, the others can't be made in time, and she feared the ginger flavor in the ginger milk pudding would still be a bit strong and Master Cao might still dislike it, so fried rice is better.

After all, over these several months she has come to understand this person's taste quite well — loves meat, loves oil, loves fragrance.

Since Song Miao said it could be done, the rest of the kitchen staff had no more doubts, just followed orders nimbly without further mention.

It was also just by chance that at this moment a short-term hire woman came in bringing scissors and copper skewers, overhearing everyone's conversation.

This person was originally new, having just come out the back kitchen door, she couldn't help but quietly seek out another long-term hire, Duan Niangzi.

She first repeated what she had heard, then said: "I was dying to ask! Using ginger to make fried rice, can it really be eaten?"

"I saw that Zhang Siniang took a lot of ginger, both patting and scraping it, making the ginger mince so fine, if it's really stir-fried, you couldn't even pick it out! You know I don't like eating ginger either, just looking at it makes my heart pound!"

"These few days I've been here, the proprietress's skill is of course beyond reproach, but this one dish, I really can't understand — normally when we eat dishes, ginger is only used to remove fishiness as a complement, and when eating you have to pick it out; if you put too much, won't even the fried rice turn spicy?"

The long-term hire Duan Niangzi opposite listened and laughed uncontrollably, saying: "You also know the proprietress's skill is beyond reproach — you just haven't been here long, look at this room full of people, is there a single one questioning it?"

"Of course we can't question! When the proprietress cooks, no matter how strange it seems in her heart, you can't talk back to her face, right? Look, I also waited until I came out to find you to talk!"

"Our food shop doesn't stand on that kind of ceremony! It's always speak if you have something to say, raise it if there's a problem, the madam doesn't put on airs, whatever it is you can tell Cheng Erniangzi, or directly tell the madam... after a while, once you're familiar you'll understand!"

Duan Niangzi saw the short-term hire woman looking like she wanted to say something but stopped, so she added: "Why don't you believe it? Hey! If it weren't good here, would I have called you to come?"

"I naturally know! What relationship do we two have! If it weren't truly a good position, you wouldn't have thought of me!" The short-term hire woman hurriedly swore a few oaths, "Although I've only been here a few days, I can see everyone here gets along well, top to bottom the relationships are good, everyone is reasonable, there are more rules, and the work is more tedious, but the wages are truly not a little higher."

She hurriedly said: "The day I came Cheng Erniangzi already explained, right now this food shop doesn't easily hire from outside, all require acquaintance introductions — I could get in because you praised me over and over, if I don't perform well, it would completely lose your face!"

"Rest assured, I remember it all, normally if you see me do anything wrong, just point it out, I'm just afraid I'll accidentally mess something up, look this time I also only dared to hide and find you after coming out!"

Duan Niangzi instead said: "Next time if you feel something is strange, you must speak up more, ask more right then, precisely because you're new is when you should show yourself, you must do more work, speak more — look at that Li Saozi up front, she actually only came a month or so ago, now she's already managing the five people making steamed buns in the morning, her monthly wage has increased quite a bit, and also, when the madam usually makes steamed buns, baked cakes and such, besides bringing that Xiao Liu Shifu, she also brings her, letting them go instruct the lower staff!"

"Don't think it's a small matter, back then she just encountered things she didn't know, asked about everything without fear of losing face, asked more, corrected faster, did things better, making the proprietress and Cheng Erniangzi feel she was careful and diligent, when promotion time came, clearly there were others ahead, but she was the one promoted!"

The short-term hire woman opposite couldn't help but let out an "ah", saying: "She actually came later?"

And enviously said: "The steamed buns made in the food shop are so delicious! She's learned them all, even if she doesn't work here in the future, if she goes out and sets up her own stall, can't she make a living?"

Duan Niangzi only heard "not work here in the future", shook her head saying: "Perfectly fine, only a fool would leave, how could business outside be that easy? Look from spring opening until now, the capital's water has risen for over two months, if you set up a stall to sell, relying entirely on that stall to eat, you'd starve to death, staying here, drought or flood you're guaranteed income, and later when the food shop opens, if you do well, you can even get a dry share in the food trade!"

She explained the food trade shareholding matter, and finally said: "Work hard, I'm thinking of staying here until I retire — best if before I can't work anymore I can enter that food trade, if I can really get into our food shop's dry shares, monthly profit sharing, even when old I won't fear having no coffin money!"

The two acquaintances chatted a bit here, then hurried back to their own posts to do their own work without further mention.

In the back kitchen, Song Miao selected several female crabs with the most bulging abdomens and deeper color, covered them with crushed ice to freeze them first.

She stir-fried the coarse salt until hot, then added bay leaves, Sichuan pepper, star anise and such to stir-fry together, stir-fried until the aroma fully came out, at this time the crabs were just about seven or eight parts frozen, so she wiped the moisture off the crab bodies with a clean cloth, wrapped them in two layers of dried lotus leaves, and buried them whole in the salt to slow-bake over low fire.

Song Miao was stir-frying salt here, and before she even added the spices, it attracted Zhang Siniang and Da Bing who were washing and prepping vegetables on the sides to turn their heads and look.

"Smells so good!"

"This pot is really expensive! Never mind the rest, just the salt alone costs how much money!"

"So salt can be this fragrant! I always thought salt had no smell."

Song Miao smiled: "When the crab is done, wait for the salt to cool then clean it well, store it separately, it can still be used later — it's not a one-off deal!"

In the back here those picking crab meat picked crab meat, those watching the fire watched the fire, those prepping ingredients prepped ingredients, and Song Miao wielded the ladle, everything orderly and unhurried; in the front hall, an uncle and nephew rarely getting a moment of leisure, were already chatting idly.

The food shop originally didn't have many tables, plus it wasn't meal time, no other outsiders, very quiet, the two sat behind the screen, drinking the cool drink comfortably.

That Cao family nephew sat down and couldn't help but take an extra look at the screen placed beside him — the embroidery was truly exquisite.

After looking at the screen, he looked at the various dish signs hanging on the wall, the menu booklet on the table, and the main hall behind — even though he is a capital official, considered knowledgeable, he still found himself a bit amazed.

"Uncle... the main hall behind, why does it seem like Han Li's handwriting? And the menu booklet, the paper inside, I look at this pattern, why does it look so much like the flower-patterned paper you treasure? And the handwriting on top, is it your handwriting?"

Looking plain from the outside, how is it so "extravagant" inside? The hung items, the painted items, all are famous masters' work!

Cao Fuzi slowly sipped the cool drink, saying: "Your eyes are indeed sharp — they all say Xiao Song's character and conduct are both excellent, we old fellows often come here to eat, privately treating it as our canteen, she only had to mention it, and everyone scrambled to contribute, don't look at this menu booklet as inconspicuous, actually once the food shop opens it will be very useful, I and Lao Chen, Xiao Jiang, Cheng Lin and a few others argued for half a day before snatching it!"

Cao's nephew flipped through the menu booklet in hand, curiously asking: "I see the dish signs on the wall seem more conspicuous, why did Uncle only make the menu booklet, not write and paint that one?"

He was about to say more, but Cao Fuzi, who was drinking the cool drink, suddenly choked, coughed several times in a row, only after a good while calmed down, then said displeasedly: "Han Zhengyan's mouth is foul, he scolds the vulgar ones outside, your mouth is foul, how come you only turn it on your own people!"

Cao Fuzi unwilling to admit he couldn't out-snatch that surnamed Chen, hurriedly changed the subject, saying: "Your aunt ever since eating this house's stuffed river snails, every three or five days urges me to bring some food back, if not for the family's recent miscellaneous affairs keeping her busy, she couldn't leave, she would have come herself long ago!"

Cao's nephew hurriedly asked: "Wanted to ask long ago, how is Second Brother in Chan Prefecture? Last time I heard Uncle say he encountered many troubles, tossed about for a long time, running everywhere for transfer and transport..."

Cao Fuzi laughed heartily: "It's settled — also thanks to this Song Xiaoniangzi..."

He briefly told the matter of Song Miao and Han Li introducing Wang Shuji, and said: "Just get through this month and it'll be fine, heard these few days the river will open, once the river opens, though there are still matters, the main burden is no longer on him."

The two spoke a bit more about Chan Prefecture, then pulled the topic back again.

Cao Fuzi said: "I've already sung your praises again and again before Song Xiaoniangzi today, saying you do things solidly and give proper reports. Whatever happens, whether you can do it or not, once you've looked into it clearly, be sure to send word in time—tell me too! So I don't lose face without knowing, and in the future I won't even dare to come to your door for a meal!"

Cao's nephew was about to reply when he heard footsteps, turned his head, and saw a person carrying a tray coming out of the Second Gate.

Just as the dishes were about to be served, Cao's nephew hurriedly turned to Cao Fuzi and asked: "It's rare to have a small gathering; let me pour wine for Uncle—but I don't know what wine you'd like?"

Just as he was asking, Cao Fuzi acted as if he hadn't heard at all. Seeing someone coming out of the Second Gate, he first pushed aside the drink in front of him, then neatly arranged the clean bowls and chopsticks just delivered, half-lifted his buttocks, dragged the armchair he was sitting on back nearly a step, adjusted his position and posture, then took his chopsticks and tapped the chopstick tips on the table twice with a "dok dok" to straighten them, and only then raised his head to look at the tray drawing ever closer.

This series of movements was done in one breath, so smooth it was frightening.

For a moment, Cao's nephew even felt his eyes were playing tricks on him.

To say something inappropriate, his uncle at this moment really seemed like a dog kept at home, waiting by the rice bowl at mealtime for food!

After being called "Uncle" two more times, Cao Fuzi finally reacted and asked: "What is it?"

Once he learned it was about wine, he immediately shook his head and said: "I'm not drinking anymore. In the past half year or so, us old folks, unless it's necessary for official greetings, have given up wine. Xiao Song says that no matter how much, drinking for long will numb the tongue, and many flavors in the dishes she makes can't be tasted as finely!"

Xiao Song on the left, Xiao Song on the right.

Having just sat down and chatted with Song Xiaoniangzi for a good while, though the impression was indeed excellent, seeing his own uncle keep mentioning her, even giving up wine just to taste the flavors of her dishes, Cao's nephew, who was usually fond of wine, suddenly felt a surge of unwillingness to be outdone.

—Let me see, after all, what skill!

Cao's nephew had just made up his mind to pick out flaws properly when the auntie serving the dishes finally arrived.

She first placed a plate of dishes in the center of the table, then served each of them a small bowl of white rice, saying: "Let the two of you know, the young lady says this dish is Crab Meat Braised Winter Melon, best eaten mixed with white rice—but there will also be another fried rice later, so best leave some room in your belly, otherwise you won't be able to eat that fried rice."

As soon as the dish was on the table, Cao's nephew felt something was off.

It was something anyone with eyes could tell would be delicious at a glance.

This dish is called Crab Meat Braised Winter Melon, true to its name: the crab meat, crab paste, and crab roe are taken out and simmered and boiled together with the winter melon. There is plenty of broth inside, already covering more than half of the ingredients.

The broth was thickened with an extremely thin starch slurry, and one could see snow-white crab meat, either in strands or in large chunks, depending on which part it was. There was rich crab roe, not much, but half-translucent crab paste, and also winter melon chunks that had absorbed the broth color, looking like white jade dyed with color, simmered until somewhat translucent.

The broth was deeper than orange-yellow, slightly lighter than orange-red, looking very rich and mellow. The surface was half-congealed, carrying a layer of half-translucent golden-orange grease, thin and bright, but as soon as you ladled a spoonful, you'd find it could still flow very well.

Cao's nephew watched and watched, his large Adam's apple couldn't help but roll up and down—yet it was the saliva inside being swallowed again and again.

Such a plate, I dare not imagine how fragrant it would be mixed with rice!

He ladled the first spoonful and first offered it to his own uncle.

But this spoonful was scooped too full.

Cao Fuzi saw his nephew's hand trembling slightly, with a large chunk of crab roe perched on top of the spoon, rich and oily, shining with an enticing luster, trembling at this moment, as if it would fall at any moment.

He was extremely nervous, afraid the other would really drop it, so he hurriedly took a bowl to catch it, shouting: "Don't offer it, don't offer it! I'll eat my own!"

After saying this, he couldn't wait a moment longer. He hurriedly took his own spoon, mixed the crab roe and crab paste with the broth, stirred it with the rice, and took a big mouthful into his mouth.

Just as unable to wait a moment longer was Cao's nephew.

Seeing his uncle spoon after spoon sending mixed rice into his mouth, too busy to even speak, Cao Family Nephew couldn't help but quickly ladle a spoonful for himself.

He was also quite good at eating. This spoonful had no rice, only whole chunks of crab claw meat and large pieces of crab roe, heavy and substantial.

As soon as it entered his mouth, he was struck dumb again.

?? Thank you to Book City Smoke and Freedom for gifting me one Light of Spirit and two Small Gifts, and to Wu Yu for gifting me one Codeword Tool: )

? Thank you to Cultivating Immortals While Staying Up Late!!!, Wan Shi Xing_EB, Book Friend_dc, Occasional Relaxation, Butterfly_cB, I Love Nong Nong, six people, for each gifting me one Small Gift=3=

? Thank you to Lively Tang Tang Tang and Vivi Qi Da Da, two people, for each gifting me one Peace Talisman^_^