Chapter 370

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Song Miao strolled leisurely outside for half a day, looking and buying, filling that small bag of hers to the brim.

In the afternoon, she hired a mule cart and went to the courtyard Cheng Erniang had mentioned in the morning to admire the chrysanthemums; seeing the hour grow late, she then headed back to the residence.

She had instructed everyone in the morning to rest early, so the food shop closed an hour earlier than usual; thus when she arrived home, the other long-term and short-term hires had already finished work, only Cheng Erniang sat alone in the front hall tallying accounts.

Seeing Song Miao, Cheng Erniang immediately set down the account book in her hand, came forward to take the bag from her, and said with a smile: "I was just thinking the hour is not early, Madam should be returning too!"

She added: "Zijian and Wang Chang both came, bringing two basins of flowers; Madam can go take a look later, they are in the back splitting firewood!"

"There is also a young one — Liang Yan is also off today; in the afternoon he brought back a few small lamb legs from the Zhu family, and also brought quite a few pig tails, saying he had something to make; couldn't be stopped, and is right now scraping the hair off those tails by burning!"

Hearing "pig tails," Song Miao couldn't help but laugh, and said: "He still remembers!"

Back when she was in Hua Prefecture, she had said that once she returned to the Capital, the food shop would still be waiting for Liang Yan to split wood and water; at the time it was naturally said in jest, but as a comfort, this young one took it to heart.

The martial hall's rest time is not plentiful; when he gets a spare moment, he runs over to Suanzao Alley, and never empty-handed — because the Zhu family are butchers, he brings some pork and mutton to the door from time to time, occasionally even beef.

Last time he came and chatted idly, the talk turned to the Zhu family's naming; because Zhu Shi's younger brother's wife had just gotten a little daughter, her milk name is called Zhu Weiba.

Everyone listened and couldn't help but joke a round; Song Miao then said pig tails are in high demand, in summer and autumn they make a great cold dish, not greasy at all, most appetizing.

Zhang Siniang was also there at the time, and chimed in a sentence: a pity a pig only has one tail; make too little and it's not enough to eat, make too much and scattered purchasing is also somewhat inconvenient.

Who would have thought, Liang Yan was listening at the side, and actually remembered it; this time he even brought some.

Although she didn't know how much he brought, lamb legs are not cheap, and pig tails are hard to buy; hearing this, Song Miao hurriedly untied that small bag and went to the back courtyard.

Entering, she saw Wang Chang and Cheng Zijian splitting firewood; seeing her enter, one after another they called out "Song Xiaoniangzi" and "Madam."

There was also Liang Yan sitting on a small stool, squatting by the well, holding a cleaver scraping the skin of those fire-scorched pig tails seriously; hearing the calls from behind, he was a step slower to raise his head, and also called "Song Jiejie."

Song Miao greeted them one by one; seeing the basins on the ground half full, at least eleven or twelve pig tails, she was genuinely startled, and said: "Why did you bring so many!"

Liang Yan shrugged his right shoulder, wiped the sweat from his face with his clothes, and said happily: "When I went back, I heard Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle talking, and learned that today a restaurant had ordered a lot of meat; originally for a banquet, I don't know what happened, the guest suddenly cancelled the order, so the restaurant also came to return the meat."

"Great-Uncle said the guest cancelled urgently, hard to sell it all; the butcher shop ate some themselves top to bottom, the rest divided among people, and still quite a lot left; I knew there were many pig tails inside, so I said to leave them for Jiejie — Great-Aunt shouted for me to hurry and take them over, lest they sit long and lose freshness."

Finished speaking, he raised a pig tail high in his hand for Song Miao to see, and asked: "Jiejie look — does this count as scraped clean? I followed what Second Aunt Cheng Erniang did before, didn't slack off one bit!"

Song Miao lowered her body and head to look; originally at the slaughterhouse the hair had been burned off with a torch, and now after Liang Yan seriously washed and scraped for half a day, they were truly white and clean, very clean.

She knew Liang Yan's personality, so she didn't stand on ceremony with him, nor tell him not to work; she just sincerely praised a couple of sentences; seeing the basins were already mostly tidied, she said: "When it's done later, you take some back in the evening for Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle to eat as a late-night snack — do they eat cilantro?"

Liang Yan hurriedly said: "Eat! Eat! Great-Uncle loves cilantro most! He always sprinkles a handful when eating pig head meat!"

He added: "Great-Aunt likes spicy! Great-Uncle can't really handle spice — but he also loves it, every time he steals Great-Aunt's dish and has to turn away with a runny nose!"

Song Miao smiled and replied: "Then I'll make two boxes for you, one spicy, one not so spicy."

She saw Liang Yan knew Old Zhou Shi and Zhu Butcher's preferences like the back of his hand, his tone very intimate, and his familiarity with their mannerisms and movements showed they clearly spent no little time together daily.

Besides that, this child has grown taller very fast these past two months, talks more, laughs more, and does things with more confidence.

Song Miao felt even more gratified, and couldn't help asking: "Is martial training tiring lately? If anywhere you can't keep up, tell Shifu and them, don't force yourself — I'm not afraid you won't improve, I'm only afraid you improve too hard..."

Liang Yan heard this string of questions, endured and endured, finally couldn't endure anymore; seeing no one close on either side, he couldn't help but put down the pig tail in his hand and stand up.

Although he didn't walk out from behind the basin, he leaned his body forward a bit, moved two inches closer toward Song Miao, and said softly: "Jiejie, I just learned the Thirty-Six Forms of Taizu Long Fist a few days ago, and archery can hit fifty paces now; Cheng Shifu said he's taught many years, rarely sees aptitude like mine, and knows to work hard himself! Even if no great prospects in future, being a guard for someone, I could be a head guard!"

He added: "Shifu also said, said my fist has a bit of posture now — wait until evening when others leave, Xiao Lian returns, I'll perform for you all, okay?"

As he spoke, his face flushed slightly, his ear roots reddened too, looking very bashful.

Song Miao immediately played along, also softly: "Pity there's no bow here, no target, and the space is smaller, not good for archery — I heard Xu Niangzi say, Xu Family Wuguan has a grand competition every year, and performances; when that time comes, can we family members go watch?"

Hearing her call herself "family," Liang Yan was originally pursing his lips smiling; now his mouth couldn't help but grin wide, showing eight teeth, and he asked a bit embarrassedly: "Jiejie's food shop is so busy, will you have time to go watch?"

"Of course!" Song Miao smiled, "Just look at who's shooting arrows, who's performing! Best if there's advance notice then, I also want to ask Er Niangzi if she can spare time, bring Xiao Lian along — heard Xu Niangzi from your martial hall say your performances are mostly in spring, not only can watch you perform martial arts, but also enjoy a spring outing!"

Liang Yan immediately said: "Then I'll go ask — ask as soon as I get back!"

Finished speaking with Liang Yan, Song Miao then walked to the back corner; there she saw Cheng Zijian and Wang Chang splitting firewood, and smiled: "Young Master Cheng is one thing, caught by Jiejie with no choice — but Young Master Wang, why are you also here selling hard labor?"

She added: "Go sit in the front? Rest a bit, warm up your books?"

Hearing this sentence, Wang Chang was so startled he didn't dare raise his axe; he hurriedly set it down, and with a bitter face waved his hands randomly: "Absolutely not! Finally finished the exam — I don't want a single character stuffed in this brain anymore, Song Xiaoniangzi, just let me split firewood in peace, do something comfortable!"

He pointed to a spot under the eaves: "There are also two basins of Epiphyllum over there..."

As he spoke, he elbowed Cheng Zijian beside him: "Zijian, you tell Song Xiaoniangzi about that Epiphyllum!"

Cheng Zijian said in a muffled voice: "You go tell her."

Wang Chang said: "I'm splitting firewood!"

Cheng Zijian had been enduring, but now took two elbows from him and got this sentence; even an honest man finally couldn't restrain himself.

He kicked the firewood on the ground with his foot: "You split firewood into this state, I can't even help you redo it! One piece big, one piece small! That's not all — your movements are this big! Clearly one person, standing by the wood pile, like you have three heads and six arms! Such a big space, you make it so I have no room to stand! Hurry up, go tell Song Xiaoniangzi about that Epiphyllum!"

Song Miao heard and looked at the ground; she saw it was literally distinct as the Jing and Wei rivers — the patch nearer Cheng Zijian had firewood split evenly in thickness, size appropriate, very suitable for burning; the other patch was a scattered mess, big ones big, small ones small, calling it rough would be giving it face.

She knew Wang Chang's family had some foundation, presumably he never did this kind of work since childhood, and couldn't help finding it a bit funny.

Not only Song Miao laughed; even Liang Yan, who was scraping pig tail skin, couldn't help turning to look.

Unfortunately he couldn't hold back like an adult; he "pfft" laughed out loud, then hurriedly stifled it, making the laughter muffled; others hearing it found it even harder to hold back, and wanted to laugh along.

Wang Chang grew anxious and said: "Finally got a job from my sister, clearly it's you, this Shifu, who didn't teach well, how do you have the face to criticize this disciple!"

But though he complained with his mouth, he ultimately stepped out and led the way, guiding Song Miao to those two basins of Epiphyllum.

Two large basins, connected by large sections of leaf pieces, bearing many small flower buds.

Song Miao only felt surprise, and asked: "Where did the flowers come from?"

"Chen Fuzi told us to deliver them!" Wang Chang circled the two basins once, counting out roughly how many buds total for Song Miao, smiling and scratching the back of his head: "Because Zijian went to Fuzi to look at essays, but he has to enter the hall to grade papers tomorrow; I originally went to sponge some comments; Fuzi said these flowers have formed buds, afraid he won't have time to see them, let them bloom in vain — told us to send them here, wait until they finish blooming then send them back!"

He also vividly described Cheng Zijian's trembling caution before Chen Fuzi, looking like he faced a great enemy.

It was a matter of a few sentences, but Wang Chang had a loose tongue and talked for half a day.

Song Miao knew the night-blooming cereus flowered quickly — from bud to bloom often took only a few days — and since the flower had already been moved over, she did not decline Chen Fuzi's kindness, merely smiling and saying, "Since it's come, how about staying for dinner before going back?"

Wang Chang rubbed his hands, hehe-ing, "If I said I didn't want to, it would be too against my heart — I couldn't bring myself to say it!"

He added, "There's just us few people; two or three dishes will do — absolutely don't make too many! Otherwise, even with my thick skin, I'd be too embarrassed!"

He also asked the price.

Song Miao smiled and pointed at Cheng Zijian, saying, "You two just take your time splitting firewood; work off your debt in exchange for the meal."

As she spoke, she went to the well, drew water and carefully washed her hands and face, changed into a set of work clothes, and called Er Niangzi to enter the kitchen together.

Wang Chang was left outside, muttering nonstop.

"Hey, Zijian, you teach properly!"

"Never mind that you won't split wood for me — you split it yourself, split it better! Don't let it fly everywhere; what if it hits me!"

His voice drifted through the back courtyard, making the whole yard merry; Er Niangzi heard and laughed too, saying, "Zijian's luck to make a friend like this — this Younger Brother Wang has a lively personality, and he's a good person!"

Song Miao smiled in reply, "Both of them have excellent character and temperament!"

While chatting idly, she told how that day the creditors had come to smash things up, and it was entirely thanks to Wang Chang's quick wits — he feigned injury and scared them off — and how after he returned to the Taixue, he spoke with a cascade of words, so that afterward he even got a nickname, called "Wang the Storyteller."

Just a few people's meal, the stove was already hot, hot water was ready, the fire was burning, and amid the two's idle talk and laughter, all the food was done.

By the time the last dish came out of the wok, Xiao Lian happened to return.

The two children met; though not like when Zhu Jie'er was there — you say yours, I say mine, mouths can't keep up with words — they were still very happy, with many things to chat about, but once the dishes were set on the table, not a single one could bother to speak.

The staple was rice; this time it was non-glutinous rice, fragrance to spare, texture slightly weaker by three parts, but paired with these dishes, it was just right.

One dish of Liang Ban Zhu Wei; because there were two children at the table, one plate was made non-spicy for them, the adults ate the spicy one.

Although pig tail skin is thick, it differs from the rest of the pig — because it must swat mosquitoes and insects, it swings a great deal, moves most frequently, so both skin and flesh are very lively, with many tendons, and the meat is tight; the closer to the tail tip, the less greasy the skin — the greasiest part is near the sitting buttocks.

After blanching, Song Miao took scallion, ginger, star anise, aromatic leaves, etc., prepared a braising liquid to boil it in; after braising, she not only passed it through cold river water, but also soaked it in ice water — fortunate that Song Ji makes liusha bao, so ice is always on hand.

When she tossed it with her sauce, the whole basin sat in ice, letting it slowly absorb flavor; eating now, pick any section at random — each about a fingertip thicker; because the cooking heat was good and the ice-water soak was good, the two rows of upper and lower teeth meet, first stopped bit by bit by the outermost toughness, then slowly knock all the way down, simultaneously biting skin, meat, and the innermost cartilage.

That epidermis is extremely tight, with a very obvious spring; in the middle there is a layer of tight and crisp skin texture, giving the teeth a distinct break sensation; further down, between bone and thick skin is lean meat — though little, it is all bone-seam meat, exceptionally fine and tender, yet also chew-resistant.

The meat has fully absorbed flavor, even into the bone; that sauce carries a very rich garlic fragrance, salty-fresh as base, also used two kinds of aged vinegar, one kind of white vinegar to blend, used Sichuan pepper oil, Xun Guan to add spice and fragrance; one plate has cilantro, one plate has none, only a handful of scallion flowers.

This seasoning is heavy on sour and thick on salty, spicy-spicy, very fresh-fragrant; although pig tail has thick skin and little lean, relying on the vinegar sourness and spiciness, plus garlic paste, cilantro, and because it sat in ice for half a day, eating it is still very cool and refreshing, stirred and coated by the sauce, not greasy at all, setting off that texture — smooth-slippery combined with fragrant-chewy, extremely satisfying.

A table of people ate one piece, mouths not yet swallowed, couldn't help but reach for a second piece, only feeling it was very addictive.

But others eating just focused on eating; only Wang Chang, having swallowed the meat in his mouth, still didn't forget to insert a needle in a crack — finding a moment when his mouth had no food to praise Song Miao, one moment saying "Home cooking able to produce this flavor, I fear even those famous dishes and expensive dishes are no more than this," the next saying "Song Xiaoniangzi with such skill, what fate do I have to eat it often, heaven has eyes!"

His mouth going jili-gulu, at this time the paired drinks were sweet embryo and hawthorn leaf tea, both very refreshing and grease-cutting; Cheng Zijian placed a large cup each before him, and with many meat dishes, still couldn't stop that mouth.

Everyone eating, atmosphere just right, outside a Guan Cha hurried over.

He knew the way well; reached the door, saw the door open, opened his mouth and called "Song Xiaoniangzi"; only after stepping over the threshold inside did he see many people eating inside, paused a moment, and actually retreated a step backward.