Chapter 327

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Song Miao

(The following word count is not charged)

Because frequently annotating at the end of chapters somewhat affects the layout and everyone's reading fluency, starting tomorrow I will no longer annotate separately.

Actually this story is a plain daily life piece, without any plot or rhythm, only eating and drinking; the original intention was simply to make everyone's rice go down easier. It belongs to the kind you can read or drop anytime without heartache. If friends who only want to watch the plot don't see a separate reminder written by me after the chapter title, it means this chapter has no key content, can be skipped, and not subscribing won't affect anything ^_^

I especially understand friends who only like watching stories, and also understand why friends would feel this text is watered down or uninteresting (especially in the later stages). Thank you very, very much for your tolerance and support of Xiao Miao.

Friends who like watching food and daily life need not be puzzled either; because everyone's preferences differ, let us seek common ground while reserving differences:)

Please friends, don't leave messages here. I will retain the above few paragraphs of explanation for a period of time; subsequently, depending on the situation, they will most likely be deleted. After the paragraphs are deleted, the comments will also disappear together.

What crab isn't delicious?

Fresh green crab, after steaming, the crab meat is picked out; the picking is also done meticulously, not a single fragment of shell is missed or mixed in. One bite down, eating slowly, the Cao Family Nephew's nose inexplicably lets out a sigh, sighs once, then sighs again.

That sound is somewhat beyond his own control, but while his nose sighs, the breath sound clearly carries a very satisfied emotion.

Truly fresh and sweet.

One could even coin a word for it, called "clear-fresh."

The soup juice is high broth; because there are guests booking a banquet in the evening, the broth was started early in the morning. Inside were placed a whole chicken, pork bones, and other ingredients, simmered together with winter melon and crab meat. Early on, the winter melon's refreshing quality and the crab meat's fresh sweetness were completely infused out. It is a kind of extremely refreshing freshness.

Live crab, the meat is very firm, strand by strand, filament by filament, distinct in every mouthful. The crab paste is red paste, thick and richly mellow. Biting down, it sticks to the teeth and clings to the throat. The thick paste sensation coats the mouth, rich and mellow to the extreme, naturally carrying a kind of richness and intense fragrance.

But that thickness lasts only an instant; very quickly it is suppressed by the crab meat's clear sweetness and the winter melon's water sweetness.

When eating the crab paste, his mind would marvel that the crab paste's fatty fragrance is truly too beautiful. When eating the crab meat and winter melon, he is conquered by the boundless fresh sweetness.

Especially that winter melon...

The Cao Family Nephew's originally suspended hand unconsciously headed toward the winter melon in the plate.

He fiercely scooped up a spoonful, putting a large piece of winter melon into the spoon in his own bowl.

Eating with elders, he was originally sitting properly. As a nephew, at this moment he suddenly seemed to forget what he came here to do today, and who else was at the table. Subconsciously he leaned back, his whole body leaning against the armchair back, elbow resting against the table edge, half-lifting that spoon. All his brain's attention had already completely converged between lips and tongue.

This fellow originally had somewhat squinty eyes; at this moment his eyes narrowed even more severely.

The winter melon was already simmered to extreme tenderness. Eating it into the mouth, the texture is divided into two parts.

One part is the position closer to the inner flesh — soft and limp, fundamentally unable to be picked up with chopsticks. Fortunately a spoon was used; otherwise it would definitely have fallen back into the plate.

It is especially flavor-penetrated. It is purely soft and fluffy, vacuously condensed, but once it enters the mouth it melts on its own, becoming fresh juice. It completely bears the crab meat's sweetness, the crab paste's richness, and the high broth's deliciousness.

The other part is the position closer to the outer skin. It still has a complete shape. Eating it even has a slight firmness, but that firmness is completely all bark and no bite.

Whether the teeth are young or old, dealing with it requires not the slightest effort. Even without teeth, just using the upper and lower tooth beds can crush it, squeezing out the crab's essence fresh sweetness together with the high broth's flavor. The sweetness comes endlessly.

This dish Song Miao thickened with starch.

Starch means gorgon fruit starch.

Gorgon fruit starch made into powder, thickened extremely thinly. Relying entirely on the thickening to protect all the winter melon's juices. At this moment the juice is too abundant, completely continuous and unceasing. Press once, a mouthful flows out. Press again, another mouthful flows out.

But compared to the inner flesh winter melon that has already completely "crab-ified," this part's main flavor is still winter melon.

Winter melon originally has a bland taste; sometimes it even gives people a kind of tasteless, insipid feeling.

But for some unknown reason — perhaps the ingredient's own texture is good enough, perhaps the chef's handling is truly ingenious, or perhaps both — in any case, using this supremely fresh and sweet crab meat to simmer actually draws out its own unique refreshing sweet taste.

It is not overbearing at all, nor is it rich. It has the feeling of flowing water not striving to be first; what it strives for is the sense of ceaseless flow.

Normally eating crab, eating a few more: first it's troublesome; second, the fatter the crab the more delicious, the easier it makes people feel greasy. But this one dish, with winter melon as a base, no matter how you eat it, it won't be greasy.

Simply born for mixing with rice.

Unconsciously, the Cao Family Nephew had already lifted the bowl at his side and started ladling rice.

Rice grains round and short and plump, steaming hot, rolling inside this absolutely beautiful soup juice. The rice fragrance together with the crab sweetness and that winter melon refreshing quality are truly a match made in heaven. As long as one has tasted a single mouthful, one is unwilling to accept the taste of eating them separated again.

As if in just the blink of an eye, when the Cao Family Nephew swallowed the food in his mouth and was about to continue with another mouthful, he suddenly froze.

——Huh? This bowl, how did it become empty?

I clearly haven't eaten much... right?

He turned his head to look at Cao Fuzi, and saw his own uncle also lift his head from an empty bowl, blinking his eyes at him.

Two pairs of squinty eyes gazed at each other. Worthy of being uncle and nephew, almost simultaneously they called out to the short-term hired woman at the side for rice.

That woman busily brought another bowl over, but couldn't help adding a suggestion: "The proprietor said, please both of you leave a little stomach room — in a moment there's still fried rice, and other dishes."

One uncle, one nephew acknowledged with a sound, yet it was in one ear and out the other, without prior agreement.

The younger one actually knew seniority order, actively giving the elder an extra helping of rice first.

But the elder, looking at that rice, kept offering opinions.

"Less! A little less! Not this much! Just a small half bowl is fine. Ah, too little again! Add a bit more!"

Back and forth, picking and choosing. This old man said: "I want two mouthfuls of crab meat and winter melon paired with one mouthful of rice. Too much soup-vegetable makes it greasy; too little makes it insipid. Forget it, you're too young, ultimately you don't know the doctrine of the mean between plenty and scarcity! Old man will serve himself!"

Just as they were eating, the next dish had already been served up.

A very pretty small plate of Hand-Grabbed White Strip.

Sheep neck meat, with skin on. The fat-to-lean ratio is particularly good. Freshness can be tasted. Truly not a trace of mutton smell. Even the salt taste is very light. The meat quality is extremely fine and tender. Biting down it doesn't get stuck in the teeth at all; there's only a very distinct meat juice sensation, carrying a milky fragrance.

Beside the meat were two small saucers of chive flower sauce, but the two people didn't dip at all. They finished it eating plain.

Crab meat is white meat; together with this red meat's richness, they are completely not the same kind. Eating them in rotation, it truly is satisfaction upon satisfaction.

Eating to here, actually it's already about seventy percent full.

But almost as the last mouthful of mutton was swallowed down, the next dish came up.

This time the one serving the dish was Zhang Siniang.

She was already quite familiar with this old customer Cao Fuzi, first introduced the dishes once, then said: "Young Lady says this dish is actually best buried directly in salt, without anything separating it, so it's more fragrant. It's just that this is the first time making it, and I don't know how salty or bland this coarse-salt-baked crab will be..."

"The crab meat braised winter melon up front already used two large crabs and one small crab; after all, crab is cold in nature, Young Lady says don't eat too much. Though this salt-baked one made four crabs, the two guests need not finish them all; if you can't finish, you can take them back."

Cao Fuzi just laughed hehe and said: "Rest assured! Old man is careful—tell Song Xiaoniangzi not to worry!"

Though Cao's nephew said nothing, looking at a plate of salt-baked baby crabs, he couldn't help but think to himself: though not big, if one were left and taken back to the yamen, when busy and tired in the afternoon, slowly eating a bite with tea would actually be quite good!

Four salt-baked baby crabs, crab shells red and bright; as soon as they hit the table, they gave off an extremely strong fragrance.

But even without smelling with the nose, just looking with the naked eye already made one unable to resist the fragrance.

Old Cao and Middle Cao, their minds in a mess calculating how to take them back, each took one in turn.

Especially hot; just as the crab lid was lifted, white steam already rose from inside.

Also surging out was golden-yellow crab oil; when pried open from the middle, the meat was almost only as thick as a copper plate, and the plump crab roe completely filled the entire crab shell and crab abdomen.

At this moment crab oil mixed with crab roe flowed even more fiercely, almost worthy of being called surging, making Cao Family Nephew's eyes widen, and he hurriedly leaned in and took a breath.

This breath made his head immediately buzz.

If the crab meat braised winter melon just now was a gentle stream flowing unknowingly into the heart, then this mouthful of crab roe was a stormy wave smashing the shore, striking his heart with bangs, with nowhere to hide and no path to escape.

Such an exquisite texture.

It was semi-solidified, flowing very slowly, like salted egg yolk, but fresher, more fragrant, richer, smoother, denser than salted egg yolk, carrying an overwhelming creamy aroma, filling the mouth completely, making one almost reluctant to swallow, only constantly sucking, letting the full flavor and texture fill the mouth more and more.

Salt-baking drew out all moisture; because dry, and because of the saltiness, the crab's fragrance became stronger, the crab meat tighter and more elastic, the freshness and sweetness concentrated again and again; once in the mouth, it exploded again and again.

Cao Family Nephew ate with great focus, unwilling to let go of any crab meat in corners or any bit of crab roe. When he finally finished one crab, seeing no one around and his uncle opposite too busy to look up, he finally relaxed, and rather sneakily sucked his fingers, eating clean the crab oil accidentally stuck on them.

Just as he wiped his hands with a wet handkerchief and looked up, seeing the two remaining golden-red small crabs inside, his heart was simply itching.

——Why wait until afternoon?

Eating now versus eating back at the yamen in the afternoon or evening, what difference would it make?

It's all the same day; a few hours earlier, a few hours later, don't they all go into the belly?

His belly was clearly very hot; where was the cold?!

Moreover, it's hot now; borrowing the salt-baked heat, most of the crab's coldness had already been driven away seven or eight parts. Not eating now, waiting until it cools, it would again absorb the coldness of heaven and earth, which would not be good!

Thinking this way, Cao's nephew's hand unconsciously reached out—almost colliding with the opposite person's hand in midair.

"Uncle! Crab is cold, shouldn't eat too much! If you get diarrhea when you go back, what would Song Xiaoniangzi do?!"

Cao's nephew advised with a serious expression.

After advising, he couldn't help but block those two crabs, and said: "Nephew can take the trouble for Uncle!"

Old Cao almost laughed in anger, saying: "All surnamed Cao; does this crab only make me cold?! Is your stomach not cold?!"

"Nephew is after all younger; moreover Song Xiaoniangzi said she'll prepare ginger tea later; I'll drink a few more cups, the two will offset each other. If Uncle can drink ginger tea that's naturally best; otherwise if you're truly uncomfortable, when Aunt asks, I greeted the family early this morning, and she specially instructed..."

Hearing his nephew bring his own old wife into the matter, Cao Fuzi also became somewhat nervous.

These days he hadn't been able to come to Song Ji, and all day was locked up with the neighboring law school making exam questions; he really ate rather pitifully. When he returned home, hot and tired, he inevitably picked up some fruit to eat.

As a result, these past few days, not knowing if he accidentally ate too much chilled sweet melon or drank too many iced drinks, his stomach and intestines were indeed somewhat unwell.

His wife had warned him again and again that if his just-settled stomach and intestines were affected by cold again...

It's just one crab, clearly not much to look at; where did it lack just this bit?!

Thinking and thinking, he couldn't help but fiddle with his nephew's hand, saying: "Just two, each eats their own!"

Just as he was speaking, Song Miao had already come out carrying a plate of fried rice.

Seeing the look of the fried rice, Cao's nephew, who was about to say he was already full and didn't need to eat more, suddenly closed his mouth.

A plate of golden-yellow fried rice, sprinkled with a small handful of scallion flowers on top, yellow with green, grains loose and separate, wonderfully fragrant; the fragrance had an especially full smell of cooking smoke. Looking closely, mixed in the golden yellow of the fried rice were countless deep golden colors...

Is the deep golden color egg?

How fragrant this must be!

"Is this fried with eggs?"

Cao Fuzi visibly became eager.

Song Miao hurriedly said: "There are eggs inside, but I added a lot of ginger—though I know Mr. doesn't eat ginger, after all today there was quite a lot of crab, you don't like drinking ginger tea; this ginger minced fried rice can be endured; try a taste?"

So considerate and thoughtful; even if a bowl of ginger tea were really sent over, Cao Fuzi had already planned to grit his teeth and drink two sips.

He immediately took a spoon, ladled a small spoonful into his own bowl, saying: "Let me taste—ai, blame me! Actually there's no need for such trouble; bringing ginger tea would be fine too! After all I'm not a three-year-old child... but just ginger fried with rice, how big a piece is the ginger? Can it be picked out?"

Just as he was speaking, Cao Fuzi frowned, rummaged in the bowl for a while, saw no ginger chunks or ginger slices, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and took a bite.

His furrowed brow immediately relaxed.

Truly a mouthful full of wok hei.

Very strong fragrance; compared to ordinary egg fried rice, soy sauce fried rice, etc., it was more fragrant by at least three or five parts, warm and toasty; as soon as it entered the mouth was ginger fragrance, exceptionally rich and full, but truly achieved only ginger fragrance, without ginger spiciness.

When chewing, the whole mouthful of rice was dry fragrant and roasted fragrant; the aromas of rice, egg, ginger minced, and a bit of pepper fragrance intertwined, without a trace of greasiness; what stood out was just dryness. Chewing and chewing, there would be a very obvious crispness between the rice grains—it was the fried ginger minced.

As soon as the fried rice entered the belly, from the stomach slowly rose a warm heat, but without any spicy feeling; soon sweat appeared on his head.

Even so, Cao Fuzi couldn't help but ladle another big spoonful for himself.

"This fried rice, how is it made without any ginger spiciness at all? And fragrant, with a fresh flavor!"

"It's all thanks to Young Lady Si Niang's hard work in carefully patting the ginger minced and squeezing the ginger juice!"

Seeing he could accept it, though it was expected, Song Miao still breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled at once: "The ginger minced is fried; when stir-frying, besides ginger minced and eggs, I also added dried scallop shreds and used fish sauce—with ingredients like this, it would be strange if it weren't delicious!"

Meanwhile, opposite, Cao's nephew had long been eating the fried rice facing his bowl, all five senses engaged, so focused that he couldn't spare any attention to listen to what his uncle and Song Miao were saying.

Soon, a whole table of rice and dishes was almost eaten clean.

Cao's nephew was actually already full to his chest, but seeing there was still some soup from the crab meat braised winter melon, he couldn't help but scrape it into his own bowl, and paired it with two bites of fried rice—this time truly very full, full to the throat.

Middle Cao, having eaten and drunk his fill, first sent his uncle back, then hurriedly returned to the Censorate himself.

He carefully protected many manuscripts, hurrying into the room while already calculating in his heart how to investigate the evidence afterward, and roughly drafting a document.

——Must pay more attention!

First, acting on rumors to impeach officials and supervising the Hundred Officials is originally the Censor's duty; second, the sooner this investigation uncovers more details and evidence, the more it will likely require verification with the parties involved — at that time, one will inevitably have to make more trips to Song Ji.

If the work goes smoothly and one hurries, perhaps one can make a trip tomorrow at noon; at noon, after both sides verify, one can still continue to verify at various government offices in the afternoon, wait until dinner... no, it's afternoon... in the afternoon one must go once more, and only after reconfirming would it be good...

In the Censor's memorial, the content naturally must be as precise as possible; the more solid the evidence, the better the effect!

— Ah! That crab is truly fragrant! One also doesn't know if there will be any tomorrow...