Chapter 37: Wonderful Kitchen Chapter 37: Helpless (Three-in-one, extra chapter for madoka1013)

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Cheng Zijian and that Xiao You came out of the door one after another.

He had only walked a few steps, but because he was worried about Han Li, he couldn't help but stop, turn around, and wait for Xiao You to catch up, perform a salute, and then ask: "May I ask, sir, if Brother Han truly has urgent business and cannot come, will Master Chen... blame him?"

Seeing him so serious, Xiao You had thought he wanted to do something, but upon hearing this question, he immediately laughed and said: "No, don't worry. Not to mention the teacher is always easy to talk to; even if he weren't, he wouldn't easily be able to pin anything on him..."

Speaking here, he seemed to realize something was wrong, immediately stopped his mouth, then changed the subject: "Are you going to get food alone? Can you carry it? Do you want me to call someone to help you?"

Cheng Zijian hurriedly waved his hand to refuse.

What a joke, asking someone to help—how would he thank them then?

Would he thank them with food?

If there wasn't enough leftover pig trotter rice, he would have to grit his teeth and give up his own portion; how could he produce another portion for the person helping him carry food?

He didn't dare chatter anymore, hurriedly performed a salute to thank him and ran off, returning to the Xue Zhai as if chased by a dog. He was about to find someone to carry the pig trotter rice together, but before he even entered the door, he saw inside the door three layers deep and outside three layers deep, surrounded by who knows how many students, all peering inside.

Cheng Zijian was like a monk of two zhang who couldn't figure out what was happening. With difficulty, he pushed through the crowd into the door, smelled the lingering braised aroma and meat aroma in the front hall, and saw a group of people crowded in the middle, not knowing what they were fighting over. Someone was stopping them, saying: "Don't fight, don't fight! You're all Taixue students; have you learned manners in vain?!"

"There are so many classmates outside; don't let people see and laugh at us!"

Someone then said: "Don't rush, make way, I'll distribute it!"

The crowd then reluctantly made way a bit.

This person indeed began to distribute it.

It was too crowded to see what was being distributed, only that someone kept speaking.

"How come his piece looks bigger?"

"Nonsense, clearly your piece is thicker!"

"Your piece is in the middle position; the middle position tastes better than the head or tail!"

"I also want the middle!"

"I want that piece, the head position, the head position..."

"How come the head seems bigger? Then I also want that head position..."

"Hey! How can you give it to him and not me?"

Hearing everyone arguing inexplicably, Cheng Zijian became even more confused. He hurriedly walked into the crowd and asked: "What are you distributing?"

As soon as he appeared, everyone called out at once.

"Zijian! You're finally back!"

"Zijian, where did you go? We saved some for you. Hurry and eat, otherwise the pig trotter rice will get cold!" The person speaking said this while swallowing saliva.

Another person jumped for joy and said: "Zijian, there's still a pot here. Wang Chang said he'd wait for you to come back before deciding how to divide it!"

"Right, right! We've waited for you for ages! What did Master Duan keep you for? Nothing wrong, right—how do we divide this pot?"

Having lived this long and studied at Taixue for nearly three years, Cheng Zijian felt for the first time what it was like to be surrounded by thousands of people, as if overnight he had become a figure who could summon a crowd with a single gesture, whom everyone bowed to; without him, Taixue would disperse!

He was pushed into the middle and only then discovered that what everyone was dividing was actually a food box of vinegar-sour white radish.

And that pot everyone expected was passed from person to person. When opened, inside were layers upon layers, one pressing on another, all fist-sized pig trotter tibial bone sections.

The meat still had bones, braised until extremely flavorful and fragrant, making one's mouth water at first sight.

Cheng Zijian immediately realized this was the "Four Ounces of Gold" Song Miao had previously told him about, with an extremely small quantity.

He hurriedly took out the written list from his sleeve and said: "Stall Owner Song said this is Four Ounces of Gold. One pig only has two, and even if stretched, there are only four. It's really not enough to divide. I thought of giving it to the fourteen people who copied the most books—is that alright?"

Dividing it this way by labor, naturally no one had anything to say.

So Cheng Zijian read a name from the list, and one person came up to scoop one out.

Those Four Ounces of Gold were taken out of the pot one by one, quivering, the outer layer all gelatinous, skin and meat together, the amber color especially deep, the fragrance even stronger, especially with the bone. Just looking at them gave a feeling of the pleasure of eating meat heartily and domineeringly.

Those on the side could only envy from the edge.

Someone regretted: "If I had known, I would have copied a few more characters. That day when I went back, I didn't do anything else, just slept—sleep can be done any day!"

Someone else sighed: "I'm not doing it for those Four Ounces of Gold. My handwriting is beautiful and neat; it's just that I didn't copy enough. If I had copied more, Stall Owner Song might remember me, and in the future I could get familiar with her!"

For a moment, inside and outside the house, everyone booed him.

When the distribution was finished, only two Four Ounces of Gold remained.

Cheng Zijian then specifically explained that one was his own, and the other was left by Young Lady Song for someone who had helped a great deal among the Shangshe.

Everyone had no objections.

After dividing the Four Ounces of Gold, they divided the remaining pig trotter rice.

Song Miao had originally made thirty-five portions. Everyone took one portion, and twenty-five portions had already been eaten. At this time, ten portions remained—but almost everyone could still eat more. At this time, everyone looked at Cheng Zijian expectantly.

Cheng Zijian had no choice. He first took out five portions from the middle, saying only that the teachers knew about it and had specifically requested a few portions, which was hard to refuse. He also had his own. The remaining five portions, everyone could divide together.

After explaining, he hurriedly took the food box to pack rice, then went to pack soup and drinks. Finally, after packing everything, he immediately ran all the way to the Teaching Hall.

After Cheng Zijian left, the remaining people looked at the vinegar-sour white radish and five portions of pig trotter rice left in the house. They were quiet for a few breaths, then became noisy again.

"How do we divide the remaining pig trotter rice?"

"Divide it equally?"

"How to divide equally? Some are fatty, some are lean. The tofu skin and dried tofu inside aren't enough to divide, and the eggs aren't enough either. What if they're cut into different sizes?"

Wang Chang couldn't bear to watch, and besides, he felt a bit guilty. He hurriedly said: "We've all learned manners. Don't be so calculative! As long as we get on good terms with Young Lady Song, will we ever worry about not having these good things to eat in the future?"

However, someone in the crowd shouted: "I've not only learned great and small manners, I've also learned Yanzi: Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors!"

The hall erupted in laughter.

Inside the Lower Hall, they were still laughing and quarreling over dividing things, but Cheng Zijian had already heaved and puffed while carrying two huge food boxes back to the Upper Hall Teaching Hall.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw Han Li standing in the front hall, speaking with several teachers.

"I still have plenty of things to do on my hands and can't free up time for a while; besides, asking me to give lectures—are you not afraid I might lead others astray?"

He refused so bluntly that the two teachers, Duan Fuzi among them, were both somewhat surprised.

Hearing these words, Cheng Zijian's heart gave a start; he dared not take another step forward and only stood at the doorway.

Another teacher hurriedly went to look at Chen Fuzi, and seeing that the latter said nothing, he quickly added: "Zheng Yan, why be so modest? I've seen the articles you annotated for Cheng Zijian—penetrating and incisive, far superior to Old Duan and me..."

Han Li shook his head, but there was not a trace of modesty; instead he said: "My method isn't suitable for everyone. Putting it bluntly, an article needs revising again and again, with draft after draft rewritten—how many can endure that? Change to anyone else, and their enthusiasm would long be gone; they'd surely be perfunctory."

"I put in all this effort because I see that Cheng Zijian can endure hardship, has patience, and is wholeheartedly devoted—among the people of the Lower Hall, is everyone able to revise like this without a single complaint?"

The two teachers had originally been full of enthusiasm, but hearing him say this, they each looked at Cheng Zijian's articles in their hands and dared not speak.

Han Li was not entirely making excuses.

One of Cheng Zijian's manuscripts had been rewritten six full times, all within two days.

The changes were so extensive it was hardly different from rewriting it entirely.

No matter what was written, being so willing to endure hardship—how many students could do that?

Duan Fuzi put himself in Cheng Zijian's place and thought for a moment; he felt he himself might not be able to do it, and dared not guarantee it for his own students.

Cheng Zijian stood at the doorway, hearing Han Li say this, his nose felt sour, his eyes felt swollen, his feet felt light as if stepping on clouds—so in Brother Han's eyes, I actually have these merits?!

Han Li waited a moment, seeing the two teachers say nothing, and added: "I won't chase after people to feed them. I put in one part of effort, and the learner must put in at least ten parts; otherwise, why should I labor?"

The two teachers dared not speak at all.

Cheng Zijian stood far away, feeling somewhat proud, thinking to himself: That's right, I've already given all my effort, but... how is it that I still can't catch up to Brother Han at all?

But looking at the scene before him, he felt somewhat dazed—as if their identities had been reversed; Brother Han speaking to the two teachers seemed like a teacher instructing students.

At this point, Han Li changed the subject and said: "However, though I am not suitable, I have a suggestion—among the students of the Upper Hall, there are a few whose learning is passable; why not ask them if they want to give lectures to their classmates? Such a good thing, mutually beneficial, surely someone would like it."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Fuzi.

Chen Fuzi coughed, immediately took up the conversation, and hurriedly said: "Zheng Yan makes sense; he is currently organizing the master's manuscripts and can't free up so much time. Besides, Zheng Yan's writing has always been hard to imitate and impossible to learn from; it would be better to change the person. I think Master Kong is quite suitable—his writing style is upright, and he is mild-mannered."

As soon as he mentioned Master Kong, everyone knew he was referring to Kong Fuli of the Four Sons of Taixue.

Hearing this, Duan Fuzi had already changed his mind and felt this made perfect sense; he quickly added: "I think Cai Xiu's writing is also very good—flourishing talent, quick-witted, eloquent. Could we ask him to help too?"

Chen Fuzi glanced at him, waited a breath, then said: "You've taken a fancy to Cai Xiu, have you? Fine; I'll find him and ask him in a moment."

After speaking, he asked Han Li: "What do you think of Cai Xiu?"

Cheng Zijian, standing at the doorway, felt his heart skip; recalling his interactions with Cai Xiu, he actually had many things to say but couldn't say them, and hurriedly looked at Han Li too.

Han Li said: "Such a rare opportunity—if spoken well, fame is sure to follow. Cai Xiu's learning is not bad, and he is good with words. This time, several masters have invited him; he will surely prepare well. With his talent, he won't lose his standing before his classmates. He is a good choice."

Chen Fuzi immediately slapped the board and said to the two teachers: "You go and pick; whoever you choose, I'll help greet them."

With his influence, as long as he speaks, apart from certain people, ordinary students wouldn't refuse.

The two teachers thanked him repeatedly.

But Han Li had already turned and saw Cheng Zijian standing at the door, asking: "What are you standing there for?"

At once, the other three in the room all turned around; seeing the food boxes Cheng Zijian was carrying, they knew the pig trotter rice had arrived, hurriedly made room, and asked questions.

"Is there a lot?"

"A few more portions? Enough for us?"

"If it's really not enough, Zheng Yan's portion is mine!" Chen Fuzi waved his hand and eagerly cleared a space on the table before him for the food.

"There's enough, plenty enough!" Cheng Zijian dared not look at Han Li; he hurriedly put down the food boxes and presented the pig trotter rice before each person one by one. "Today I had good luck; the Song Stall Owner made some extra."

After dividing the rice, he divided the soup and chopsticks, but toward the end, two lotus leaf wraps remained. Opening them, he found two Four Ounces of Gold inside, but didn't know how to divide them.

Cheng Zijian looked up at the four people in the room; his brain couldn't cope, and his scalp went numb all at once.

He definitely had no share, but Brother Han had to eat one!

And there was Chen Fuzi—how could he not get one?

But if he gave one to Brother Han, what about the two teachers?

Even if they said they didn't want one, could he really not give them?

But he stood there motionless for a long while and was already noticed by Duan Fuzi, who had just taken the pig trotter rice, asking: "Zijian, what's wrong?"

Cheng Zijian had to say: "There are still two Four Ounces of Gold..."

Though Duan Fuzi didn't know what Four Ounces of Gold meant, seeing the fist-sized pig tibia bone in the lotus leaf wrap and the glistening, appetizing skin and meat, he could guess it was a rare delicacy.

He feared Cheng Zijian would be embarrassed and said: "Only two? That's perfect—you two students eat them."

But as soon as these words were spoken, Cheng Zijian was even more embarrassed.

Han Li said: "Give them to me."

He stood up as he spoke, went straight to a set of wooden cabinets to the side, pulled out a wooden cabinet beside it, took a small knife from inside, then went to the side, picked up a water kettle, poured water to wash the knife.

—Familiar with the place, as if in his own home.

Chen Fuzi, meanwhile, acted as if he hadn't seen, only busying himself opening the bamboo tube lids, arranging the lotus leaf wraps, and wiping the chopsticks with a handkerchief, while saying: "I won't wait for you; I'll eat first!"

As he spoke, indeed his eyes were only on the pig trotter rice before him, his mouth already stretched wide: "Aiya, these pig trotters, braised until truly rotten!"

He first used chopsticks to pick up food, but then found he couldn't pick up meat and rice together; anxious beyond measure, he called back: "Zheng Yan, Zheng Yan, quick! Quick, bring me my rice bowl."

Once he got the bowl, he placed the whole lotus leaf wrap into the bowl, and in two or three bites, he was already sending rice into his mouth.

While eating, he couldn't stop smiling, shaking his head and body, eating both hurriedly and slowly.

Hurried, because he was anxious to eat a few more bites; slowly, because he couldn't bear to swallow too fast.

Soon the two teachers could no longer bear it and also picked up lotus leaf wraps to eat.

The room was soon filled with the aroma of brine and meat.

Cheng Zijian had originally wanted to help and was about to step forward, but seeing Han Li shake his head, he could only sit back down in his place and honestly eat his rice.

He sat restlessly, actually wanting to spare some attention for the several masters, but having just tasted a bite, he first encountered the soft, glutinous texture of pig skin gelatin, then the pig trotter meat that was fatty but not greasy, fragrant beyond measure, with fat and lean interlayered, the braised aroma soul-stirring; his brain simply was not under his own control, entirely focused on the rice in his hand, and he could hardly lift his head.

After only two bites, he saw a quarter of a Four Ounces of Gold placed on the lotus leaf wrap in his hand — that Four Ounces of Gold happened to be four bones, divided by Han Li with a knife into four pieces each, and Cheng Zijian received a relatively larger one.

Chen Fuzi, eating with great enjoyment, got three pieces, and for a moment the old wrinkles on his face nearly laughed into a chrysanthemum; he hurriedly said, "I alone get this many? Not right, is it?"

Yet even as his mouth said so, his hand was already remarkably honest, tearing off a corner of lotus leaf, gripping the bone through the lotus leaf, and stuffing the whole thing directly into his mouth.

That Four Ounces of Gold was almost a layer of thick skin, entirely gelatin, braised until even the innermost bones were fragrant beyond measure, let alone the meat.

Skin-and-meat with bone compared to pure meat was yet another kind of marvel.

More tender and smooth, more delicate.

Even without using teeth, Chen Fuzi could strip that skin-and-meat clean using only his mouth, only feeling his whole mouth full of oil fragrance, meat fragrance, skin fragrance, braised fragrance, completely not greasy, but the gelatin inside almost stuck his upper and lower lips together; chewing it produced an extremely thick, rich fragrance.

He ate until he could only sigh, truly reluctant to swallow it down.

There was only one portion of Four Ounces of Gold; when it was finished it was gone, and he finally sucked the marrow from inside the bone before stopping.

Chen Fuzi felt some melancholy; seeing the meat in his bowl had been eaten by him seven or eight parts full, he also couldn't bear to swallow it all in one go, so he picked out a triangular piece of Tofu Dried and a round slice of meat unrecognizable in make, originally holding no expectation, but the moment he lifted it, he saw the Tofu Dried rapidly squeeze out a lot of braised juice, permeating the rice.

This Tofu Dried was also saturated with soup juice, but the taste was lighter, and splashed with a bit of very refreshing vinegar flavor.

That vinegar flavor differed from other vinegars, more fragrant, carrying an obvious garlic fragrance, yet not pungent, and without garlic stench; the whole mixed with rice and meat slices chewing in the mouth was yet another kind of eating experience.

Most importantly, he could chew all of it!!

Past seventy years of age, Chen Fuzi's appetite was still very good.

He was the first to sweep clean all the rice and dishes, not leaving a single grain of rice.

After eating, he was actually truly full; holding that bamboo tube he originally wanted to pick a few leaves to eat and be done, but who knew the mustard greens were boiled extremely soft and tender, carrying only a trace of negligible bitter taste, that thread of flavor suppressed by the salty fragrance of the Salted Duck Egg Yolk until it disappeared.

The pork slices were very tender, not taxing on the teeth, the soup drink even more refreshing, with the unique clear fragrance of mustard greens, cleansing his whole mouth once over.

Paired with the Pig Trotter Rice, simply couldn't be more suited.

The several people finished eating one after another; after a while, Duan Fuzi suddenly asked, "Zijian, will this Song Stall Owner make Pig Trotter Rice tomorrow?"

Cheng Zijian shook his head and said, "Only one person, probably won't have time to make it, right?"

For a moment the room unanimously let out sounds of regret.

Chen Fuzi said, "If you see her tomorrow, you tell her; I'll also find someone to tell her; even if she can't deliver it herself, we can go pick it up."

"Exactly!" Duan Fuzi immediately perked up, "We can send someone to fetch it back together too!"

And indignantly: "If we could have such good rice, attending classes would have so much more spirit; what on earth does the Canteen give us to eat every day! Unpalatable would be fine, but it's not even clean — last time I ate it, I ran seven or eight times in half a day……"

He spoke to here, suddenly felt it improper, and only then slowly stopped his mouth.

The meal already finished, matters also settled, the two masters had no reason to stay further, only waiting for Chen Fuzi to give a greeting, then went to arrange for Upper Hall students to come to Waishe to share insights.

The two having left, Cheng Zijian naturally had to follow; only before he left, he couldn't help looking at Han Li, several times wanting to explain, but not knowing how to speak, and feeling the timing and occasion were both inappropriate.

The latter's soup had actually not yet been finished; at this moment he held the bamboo tube in his hand, slowly drinking; seeing Cheng Zijian's appearance, he opened his mouth and said, "What are you looking at? Have you finished revising your essay?"

Cheng Zijian's heart gave a start, then settled greatly; he hurriedly said, "No, no! I'll go back and revise right now!"

Finished speaking, he again bowed haphazardly to those in the room, and happily went out the door.

For a moment only Chen and Han, the two, remained in the room.

Chen Fuzi saw the people had all left cleanly, the smile on his face only then gradually withdrew; he helplessly asked, "Zheng Yan, you clearly know going to Lower Hall to lecture is a good opportunity to gain reputation, why are you unwilling to agree?"

"What use is this kind of reputation to me?" Han Li laughed, "Reputation good among scholars, connections increase; later people climbing connections come knocking, wouldn't even scolding people require looking at face?"

"Better to have a bad reputation, making everyone keep far away, using this to broaden oneself, so later it's good to do things."

"You steady and solid, step by step rise; in twenty or thirty years you'll equally enter the hall and academy; why take this shortcut?"

"Me steady and solid, still need several decades to enter hall and academy, but just one person, how much can one do?" Han Li patiently answered.

"With my current reputation, later entering court, scolding a few more years, who would not dread three parts? If even a small half of people are scolded into conducting themselves more cautiously, the benefit within, who knows how much it surpasses me alone bitterly working hard — since there is a shortcut, why not take it?"

Chen Fuzi couldn't persuade him, instead somewhat shaken in heart by his words, could only say again: "Wait until you enter hall, enter academy, you'll naturally have disciples; everyone pooling strategies and strength, doing things together, wouldn't that be good?"

Han Li however disapproved, saying: "How about Cao Xiangong's disciples? With his ability, still cannot penetrate; how could I be any better?"

And said: "Moreover as soon as one shows one's head, there will be people coming to recruit; factions and cliques, verbose beyond measure; currently in prime years, also need face; I'll be a remonstrant official and won't lose out; if truly have future, then choose other roads."

"Worldly matters, how can they be this simple!" Chen Fuzi scolded a sentence, "I can't out-argue you, you just be careful, spare some offense-giving, lest this old bone of mine can't walk the road later, and still have to go fish you out!"

Han Li laughed heartily, but said: "Senior brother rest assured, if that day truly comes, I'll offend a big one no matter what, to avoid losing your face!"

Finished speaking, he tidied the things in the room, also washed Chen Fuzi's rice bowl clean and put it back, holding that bamboo tube filled with mustard greens Salted Duck Egg soup, and walked away slowly.

Chen Fuzi had no choice; seeing him walk far, only then stroked his beard and laughed scolding: "Little rabbit brat, this belly full of schemes, calculating whom exactly!"

Not to mention Chen Fuzi's helplessness here; separated by a wall in Nanlu Academy, Lin Yiwen was instead helpless and irritable.