Chapter 361

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

That soup was not a clear broth; its color was an extremely rich white, with only the finest specks of oil stars on top, the dots spaced so far apart they would not touch even after a long while, unable to merge into a larger drop. Just now ladled from the covered bowl, it was steaming with billowing white vapor.

Actually, even before the lid was lifted, He Ying had secretly taken a deep breath.

Compared to ordinary meat soup, this soup had an additional, very special flavor, like fish paste, yet not fish paste, comparatively more gentle.

——Indeed there was a hint of fragrance; looking at it, it appeared rich, yet not greasy.

He had drunk wine for half a day, actually hadn't eaten much, and had also sat a carriage ride over; his stomach was slightly churning. At this moment, seeing the cup he had lifted, he couldn't help but give rise to a bit of hesitation——earlier at the Four Directions Pavilion he had used two cups of brewed strong tea and they hadn't settled it down; would this clear tea be of any use?

He involuntarily raised his head and took another look at the soup bowl placed on the table before him.

——If the clear tea is useless, this soup……

But Zhu Jie'er opposite, who was blinking her eyelids, did not have so many hesitations.

She had slept a fitful sleep in the carriage, half-dreaming, half-waking; at this moment, smelling the aroma, she was finally awakened by the gluttonous bug in her belly. After rubbing her eyes and fixing her gaze, seeing the soup bowl before her, she smiled so broadly that several little teeth were revealed. Without waiting a moment, she immediately grabbed the spoon upon receiving her grandmother's nod and began to "eat" the soup.

To say she was "eating" the soup was not an exaggeration at all.

This soup was loaded with ingredients; a casual ladle brought up a spoonful packed full to the brim, containing every kind of ingredient.

Taking into account that He Lao Furen and Zhu Jie'er were one old and one young, this pot had been braised for an especially long time.

The pig stomach was cut into inch-long, two-tenths-of-an-inch-wide small segments, already extremely soft, but after all it was the large pig stomach carefully selected by Shentu Hu; a fat pig is greedy, so the stomach was large, thick, and firm. Even after long boiling, it still had not turned mushy; one could clearly eat a texture that was nearly springy yet not the least bit resistant to the teeth, very interesting, a sensation a child's teeth had never tried before.

The dried cuttlefish was cut into thin strips, had already been soaked and rehydrated earlier, then slow-braised over low heat; the flesh had also swelled thick, absorbing a bit of soup, but hindered by its texture it couldn't absorb much. When bitten, there was a slight tearing, pulling sensation, strand by strand, yet it was neither tough nor did it stick in the teeth.

Zhu Jie'er chewed and chewed and chewed, and felt that by the end, the pig stomach was also sweet, the cuttlefish also had a sweetness that gradually released in the mouth. That sweetness was different from the sweetness of sugar and fruit; it was a kind of meaty fresh-sweetness, salty-sweet.

Especially that cuttlefish, eating it had a flavor of having been sun-dried; although braised for a long time, inside it still carried a very heavy dried rich freshness.

When eaten together with the soup, it would not choke the throat or get stuck uncomfortably, impossible to swallow; it went down very smoothly, making her little face smile dimpled and her eyes smile dimpled.

"Grandmother, this soup! So delicious!"

After eating and drinking several spoons of soup in a row, Zhu Jie'er finally found a gap with no food in her mouth to speak.

She was a meddlesome sort; stealing a moment of leisure amidst the bustle, she reminded He Lao Furen: "Taste it quick! Grandmother, taste it quick!"

This time, looking up, she only then noticed another person sitting to the side, and for a moment she didn't quite react.

"Big Brother? How is Big Brother also here?" Zhu Jie'er was only blank for a moment, then craned her head to look all around, "Did Seventh Brother come? Where is Seventh Brother?"

Seeing her granddaughter scrambling up and down, He Lao Furen hurriedly said: "Your Seventh Brother is still on an errand, can't get away for a moment; Big Brother came to bring him things!"

But Zhu Jie'er was not like ordinary children who are easily fobbed off; she first gave He Ying her greetings, then immediately asked what important errand He Qi was on, and asked why he hadn't been seen for so long. She had saved up many tasty things and fun things, prepared to eat together with "Seventh Brother" and play together, and also thought about the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival going out together to stroll and watch, and furthermore whether Song Jiejie's new opening here could be caught up to in time……

Because she heard it was an urgent assignment, extremely busy, she regretfully let out an "Oh," and said: "Song Jiejie just made new candy, so delicious! Big Brother, take some back for Seventh Brother, give it to him secretly——he's guaranteed to like it!"

Just at this moment, Zhang Siniang carried a tray and brought up three more dishes.

Zhu Jie'er hurriedly added: "Big Brother, drink soup quick, eat rice quick——Song Jiejie's cooking is so delicious!"

——Coming and going, she only knew how to use the few words "so delicious" to describe it.

While speaking, she still didn't forget to point at that bowl and say: "Inside there are lotus seeds, soft and powdery, so delicious! So delicious!"

Simply as if she herself were the shopkeeper, greeting guests.

Hearing Zhu Jie'er speak childish words, He Ying very cooperatively took a spoon; because his stomach was uncomfortable, he did not ladle the so-called lotus seeds, pig stomach, nor did he want the cuttlefish, only drank a mouthful of soup.

The soup entered his mouth, and he couldn't help but slowly exhale a breath, then drank several more mouthfuls in succession.

What a rich, thick soup, even carrying a slight, mild sticky sensation clinging to the lips, formed from the pig stomach's gelatinous skin and fat boiled out; it would coat the "left and right walls" and "ceiling" inside the mouth, but upon entry, what was tasted first was not the pig stomach's meat flavor, but an obvious sea flavor, clear yet thick.

To say clear, it was that it would not be like those trotters soup, fish soup, old soups that paste the upper and lower lips so they cannot open; inside there was not a single flavor of piled-up ingredients; the quantity and pairing of ingredients were all just right; drinking it felt very harmonious and clear.

To say thick, yet it was not at all "thin"; beyond the meat flavor and sea flavor, red dates, wolfberries, lotus seeds, all three brought out a hint of sweetness to the soup.

Very fresh, richly fresh; the sea's fresh flavor settled in the soup, and merged with the pig stomach's meat flavor into a kind of unified, utmost fresh and rich taste; but once it entered the throat, the meat soup's base flavor quickly rippled out——after all, meat flavor goes down the throat more smoothly!

White pepper was used a lot, so the flavor was heavy; by the time the soup entered the stomach, the tongue root and throat would have a warm spicy sensation, but that spiciness was grasped very well, and with the rich soup as a base, it would not be overly stimulating.

He Ying spoon after spoon, very quickly the soup was drunk dry; the bowl bottom left was all ingredients.

He only hesitated for a moment, then heard a person at the side say: "If the master has drunk clear wine, that wine pierces the stomach; better to eat a bit of pig stomach, it can pad the stomach somewhat."

——It turned out to be that Song Xiaoniangzi also came out carrying a plate of dishes.

At this moment, her face was covered with a face veil; not only her, the person who served dishes earlier also had a cloth covering mouth and nose.

He Ying did not speak, only nodded his head.

His memory was actually very good, but for some reason, at this moment he completely forgot the "I have no appetite" he had said just a moment ago, merely honestly and unceremoniously picked up his chopsticks and began sending pig stomach into his mouth.

The pig stomach was soft and thick, the cuttlefish not tough but chewy, the lotus seeds soft-sticky and sweet; the textures were all of the soft category, eating them gave a feeling of being of the same breath and connected branches, not disjointed.

He Ying had seen and eaten many good things, and was not amazed to the point of heavenly soup, but after a bowl of ingredient-laden soup went down, he always felt that with pig stomach, cuttlefish, and thick soup padding it, his stomach seemed to be separated by a layer of something, warm and moist; the previous acid reflux also slowly subsided, very proper and comfortable.

Very settling to the stomach, very comfortable.

He couldn't help but look once more at that Song Xiaoniangzi's face veil, falling into thought.

——Why do they all wear face veils?

People always have to speak, breathe; when cooking, if a bit sprays out……

When I return, I must order the manor's cooks and cook's wives, and even the servers, that every single one of them had best wear face veils!

At this moment, the table already held four or five dishes; He Lao Furen and Zhu Jie'er were eating happily.

He Ying, having eaten pig stomach, couldn't help but look at the dishes.

Looking at them, they were all home-style dishes; the portions were not large.

A plate of stir-fried luffa with eggs——the gourd's color was pale green on the outside, tender white inside; the plate bottom carried quite a lot of milky white soup juice.

A plate of ordinary Lu Song Cai——stir-fried a glossy green, shining, white vapor steaming; one look and it was very tender.

A plate of steamed meat patty — the minced meat balanced fat and lean, mixed inside with a sunset-red ingredient, unknown what it was, and also a distinct perilla fragrance.

A plate of snow-white fish slices, unknown how prepared, each slice half-curled, accompanied by rich-sauce braised mutton and pickled-through cucumber cut into fine threads.

There was also a lotus-seed-pod-shaped vessel, its center holding an unspecified number of half-round, half-square block-shaped edibles.

Those edibles were slightly larger than dice, their surface a proper golden yellow, clearly battered and fried, the batter quite thick, and a small saucer of sauce placed at the side.

The stomach felt more comfortable, and the appetite came.

He coughed lightly and asked: "I wonder how many dishes were prepared? Enough for how many people to eat?"

This question struck exactly at Sima Yingzhi's heart.

He Lao Furen had just swallowed a piece of luffa when she heard this sentence, laughing so hard she nearly clapped her chopsticks, turning her head to look at Song Miao beside her.

Song Miao smiled and asked: "Does the gentleman want rice, steamed cakes, or porridge?"

He Ying had not yet spoken when He Lao Furen helped him answer: "Serve him rice!"

She also pointed at that luffa-and-egg stir-fry and said to He Ying: "This was sent specially from the south city at noon today; in this season, ordinary field luffa would long be old enough to wash pots with, eat! Things are simply not easy to come by, and Xiao Song stir-fried it even better — this thing is slippery and tender, you use it to accompany rice, eat it and it suits the stomach!"

She still wanted to say a couple more sentences, but unexpectedly, along with a small bowl of rice being brought up, that person held the bowl, fundamentally not needing any urging, chopsticks already extended out.

He Lao Furen's praise of Song Miao's luffa-and-egg stir-fry was not without reason.

This luffa was originally an ingredient from sheds specializing in off-season vegetables; although past the season, it was still very tender, not a trace of fibrous texture, the luffa seeds inside completely not yet formed.

Song Miao used a home-style method, the luffa cut into rolling-knife chunks, size appropriate, eggs stir-fried fragrant and soft, luffa stir-fried slippery and tender, the best point being the two had already thoroughly fused with each other.

Eggs golden outside, inside tender and fluffy, fully absorbing the soup — this was the soup stir-fried out from the luffa emulsified together with the eggs and oil, having a very special thick-smooth feel, but not to the point of slippery.

One bite down, the eggs, the luffa's internal soup, the juices, all burst and splashed out together, extremely sweet, relying on the luffa's natural sweetness and the eggs' fragrant sweetness, immediately giving the tongue a show of force — look clearly, our luffa really can be this sweet!

This dish used to accompany rice, the rice grains coated full by that fragrant-sweet soup, and also carried into the mouth wrapped by luffa-and-egg chunks, soft, tender, fragrant, sweet all complete, gently and softly killing off a whole bowl of rice.

Home cooking done to this extent, truly already beyond reproach.

Yet even so, He Ying still heard that so-called "Song Xiaoniangzi" answering from not far away.

"This luffa is ultimately off-season, both fragrance and texture are weaker by more than a notch; next year in season, if I encounter good luffa, Old Lady comes again, I'll stir-fry a separate portion, otherwise making a dish like this, truly would ruin my skill's reputation..."

Listening to that tone, it was seriously and properly regretting.

— Already such flavor and texture, yet still not enough, still must use such a severe word as "ruin"?

Even He Ying, who considered himself strict, hearing this, felt this cook's wife was somewhat overly demanding.

He picked up his chopsticks, eating through one dish after another.

The fish slices rich and fresh, processed with not a single bone, further highlighting the meat's fine tenderness; the pickled cucumber especially appetizing; those battered grain-by-grain turned out to be crispy-fried tofu, outside an extremely thin crisp layer, one bite, almost no sound of shell shattering heard, only the eater can feel the fragrant crispness.

But once the shell breaks, the tofu inside instantly explodes in the mouth, exploding out extremely rich and tender tofu slurry...

Especially unexpected was that steamed meat patty, turns out the ingredient inside was crab roe, crab roe perilla steamed minced meat — if Xiao Qi were here, he'd probably eat two more bowls of rice?

On the table, truly every dish was delicious.

Unlike his youngest brother, He Ying actually was not obsessed with eating and drinking, but at this moment tasting each in turn, he suddenly understood why his brother and He Lao Furen were both willing to run to this tiny food shop.

Truly good skill.

All ingredients exerted their maximum utility, just-right seasoning, just-right ingredient pairing, just-right heat control, when everything is exactly proper, out of the wok, into the mouth, the heart holds only one thought.

— So this dish can reach this flavor, this dish ought to be this flavor.

Indeed a good place.

The food shop though not large, quiet and still, those coming and going serving dishes only one or two people, tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks, utensils very clean, very tranquil.

The host's hospitality also very appropriate, not excessively attentive, not a trace of coldness.

He Ying was a new guest, but he sat down for a meal, only feeling at ease; if using one word to describe, it would be "guests arrive as if returning home".

A table of dishes eaten seven or eight parts full, Zhu Jie'er looking at that lotus-seed-pod-shaped small bowl, counting on her fingers how many tofu pieces remained inside, waiting until finished counting, then pushed that dipping saucer closer to He Ying, reminding: "There's sauce! Big Brother can dip in sauce to eat!"

The dipping sauce was salty-fresh as base, with a touch of faintly sour-sweet spiciness, looking semi-transparent.

But He Ying seeing her eager look, endured and did not pick any up, instead saying: "Zhu Jie'er, you eat."

Zhu Jie'er then offered to He Lao Furen.

Seeing the two adults both not eating, she then happily ate the rest, and sighed: "Why hasn't Xiao Lian returned yet — Song Jiejie said she also left a portion for her, if she can't eat in time, will it not be fragrant anymore!"

He Ying came with drunkenness, left with fullness, and also a large bundle of snacks.

When he came he walked into the alley; when leaving he first sent He Lao Furen and Zhu Jie'er onto the carriage, likewise also on two legs walked out of the alley.

Walking along, He Ying turned back to look at Song Ji's signboard, suddenly asking: "With this food shop's skill, at night only our one table of business?"

Bei Zhi following at the side, hurried forward to answer, saying: "Recently because of the Taixue steamed bun matter, Song Xiaoniangzi has already many days not taking evening business, only saying too busy to handle, needs to let the food shop staff catch their breath, wait until manpower filled up, the opposite house also fixed, then talk about this!"

Added: "Song Ji never worries about business — before this food shop opened, Song Xiaoniangzi pushed a cart to the food alley behind Taixue to set up a stall, that line queued frighteningly long!"

Master and servant speaking here, just as the carriage that had left Suanzao Alley, the maid Yu He also red-faced, somewhat awkwardly replied to He Lao Furen.