Miao Chu

Chapter 361 By the way
Seeing that Guizhi was acting in a businesslike manner, Yuhe distributed the snacks she had brought to everyone.

She said polite words, and Guizhi responded with platitudes, going around in circles without ever saying anything substantial.

Being able to serve as Madam He's personal maid, she was naturally skilled at reading people's expressions and moods.

Yuhe immediately sensed the other party's coldness.

Although she knew it was understandable that one couldn't afford to eat when doing serious business, she couldn't bring herself to repeatedly offer her warm welcome only to be met with indifference. After explaining the situation clearly, she was about to leave when a clerk appeared outside the door.

The clerk entered and said, "Master He said there's a banquet tonight, so he asked someone to prepare some hangover drinks and send them in—make sure there are two extra!"

There were several people inside, and Guizhi was the first to step forward. She immediately became serious and asked the other party how many portions to prepare, when the banquet would end, who would be there, whether they had any requirements for the hangover drink, and whether they wanted to prepare anything else besides the hangover drink.

The clerks merely relayed the message; they knew nothing else.

But as soon as this person left, Guizhi immediately got to work. She first said that it was autumn and the mornings and evenings were chilly, so she arranged for one of the branches to go back to the mansion to get two outer robes. She also asked her to bring back some pills to treat dizziness and stomachaches. She then asked another branch to go outside and buy some hangover drinks. She also asked someone to prepare a carriage in advance, since the person had been drinking and would definitely not be able to ride a horse, and so on.

It's really reliable.

Yuhe had just stepped across the threshold when she heard all these words. She nodded in agreement and couldn't help but turn around to look. She saw Guizhi casually put the bundle and food box she had just given her on the ground, make room on the table, rummage through the table, find a few things she didn't recognize, quickly put them away, and then run out.

He ran very fast, and when he started running, he accidentally kicked the food box and bundle, making the food box shake violently. Although it didn't overturn, such a big movement would probably cause the soup inside to spill out.

Guizhi kicked something and naturally felt it. She turned around and saw that it was a food box. She frowned and clicked her tongue, showing slight displeasure at being blocked. However, she didn't stop walking and continued on her way.

He was so busy that he didn't even glance at Yuhe as he passed by.

Yuhe stopped in her tracks.

She's a young woman herself, and she knows that when people are busy, they can't really worry about so many things.

But seeing the other party's behavior, I felt really uncomfortable.

That bundle contained food given to me, but the other one belonged to the master of the house. How could they treat it so poorly? It was filled with roasted chicken and steamed meatloaf!

It smells so good!
Upon closer reflection, it becomes clear.

He Ying was an official and the eldest son of Guizhi, and he was a strict man, so naturally he kept a close eye on him.

He Qi was just a student, usually very amiable and kind to his subordinates, so everyone treated him with a certain ease.

But the seventh young master has a very good personality and has the most contact with the He family. Everyone in the mansion likes him, and Yuhe is no exception.

The more she thought about it, the more inexplicably uncomfortable she felt, both for herself and for the Seventh Young Master He. Seeing that there were still two people inside, she turned back, called out to her closest friend Bei Zhi, and then picked up the food box from the ground. She couldn't help but say, "This was made by Miss Song herself—the Seventh Young Master He used to talk about it every day! If you really can't get it in, just eat it. Don't waste such good food!"

Upon hearing this, Beizhi hesitated for a moment, then took the food box, greeted the remaining companions in the room, and winked at Yuhe.

After the two of them left, they found a quiet place. He said, "Young Master is craving Miss Song's hot cooking. But we can't get it in right now. Let's try another way."

He and Yuhe stood guard at the second gate for a while.

People were coming and going inside, and after a long time, a person who looked like the manager passed by.

Bei Zhi called out to the person, calling him "brother, brother," and pulled him aside. After saying something, she first handed over the food box, then took out two small packets and stuffed them into the other person's arms.

The man pushed it twice, but couldn't get it away. He opened the food box, carefully inspected it, and then left with a smile.

Bei Zhi turned around and said to Yu He with a smile, "He is the head cook of the kitchen in Sifang Pavilion. I used to come here often with the young master and I know him. We have some mutual ties. He said he would help send it to the young master along with dinner, and that this would only be this once, and not again."

"Who cares? We'll deliver it next time, and we'll deal with it then. Besides, the young master is probably almost done with his work here! Once he comes out, he'll be like a tiger entering the forest, and he'll go to Shopkeeper Song in Suanzao Lane and eat his fill!"

After saying that, he sighed again, looking quite regretful, and said, "What a pity, those two packets of Songji food were a gift from you—I didn't have anything else on hand, so I had to use them to help you out! I didn't even get to eat a bite myself, so I don't know what good stuff is inside!"

The two dishes in the food box were what Zhu Jie'er had told the old lady she wanted to send, which was originally her own proper task. The roasted perilla pigeon breast was a kind gesture from Song Miao.

Seeing that both matters had been settled, and regardless of whether they succeeded or not, she had done her best. Yuhe chuckled and said, "I have some extra left. I'll get you some separately later. The original bag contained pork jerky, and there was also a new one made by Shopkeeper Song called something like 'Balan Ren Tang'. I had it at Song's this morning; it was delicious, but the price was too high, so I didn't buy more. There were only a few pieces in the bag!"

Bei Zhi beamed and said, "You still have some? Then I won't be polite! Give me two to try—next time I go to Song Ji, I'll secretly buy some too!"

As they walked out, talking, they reached the He family's carriage. Yuhe climbed into the carriage, took out a small bundle, and handed it to Beizhi.

There were more than two packets of food inside; there were at least seven or eight small oil paper packets, including three packets of very expensive almond candy.

Bei Zhi opened it and read it, exclaiming "Oh dear!" for a while. She pushed it away a couple of times and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you. I've been very busy lately and can't go out much. This food is just in time; it will come in very handy!"

Yuhe was pleased to see the other party's support.

Since they were both employees, she casually asked, "It must be tough following the young master, right?"

Bei Zhi carefully held the bundle in her arms, sighed, and said, "Let's talk about this!"

He urged her to get into the carriage, saying, "Go back early—I'll keep an eye on things. When you see the young master, I'll make sure to explain to him that it was Sister Zhu and Old Madam He who asked you to deliver it!"

Yuhe quickly grabbed the car door and leaned out, hurriedly adding, "That roasted perilla pigeon breast inside! That's what Miss Song gave to Seventh Young Master to try!"

Beizhi waved to her and said, "I know! I know!"

He added, "Don't worry, I won't forget that line!"

Actually, I knew I didn't need to emphasize this here. Once Young Master He left Sifang Pavilion and arrived at Song's Restaurant, he and Miss Song would naturally clarify things. But Yuhe always kept her word, and now that she had received Beizhi's assurance, she could finally relax.

As evening fell and the kitchen served dinner, He Qi, who had been detained for many days, had a large food box placed in front of him in a courtyard behind the Sifang Pavilion, in addition to his usual meals.

The deliveryman was a minor official who whispered to him, "He said it was sent from your home—does your aunt's family have an old lady?"

He added, "They said there was another grilled item, a gift from a shop owner—that was a special instruction from above. I don't know what it means, I'm just passing on the message."

He Qi understood, and his originally wrinkled face immediately broke into a big smile. He quickly thanked him and grabbed a few fruits from the side and gave them to the other person.

The table in front of him was covered with documents, mostly in Sanskrit, with a few in Persian, a jumble of things. It was already half-translated. He glanced at it, then decided not to touch the table, instead lifting the food box onto an empty table. Upon opening the lid, he saw two lotus leaf packages, one large and one small, inside the first layer, their contents unknown.

He Qi immediately opened the larger one.

The dried lotus leaves were wrapped in several layers, one on top of the other.

The food box was already very hot because of the charcoal at the bottom. When the innermost part was opened, steam and aroma rushed into He Qi's eyes and nose.

The aroma was very impartial, not only hitting He Qi's face and head, but also quickly seeping into the mouths and noses of his roommates.

The chicken flavor is too strong.

Recently, the Sifang Pavilion has been hosting banquets for visiting envoys, and the head chef has been unable to spare the time. As a result, the other large-scale meals have had to be made perfunctorily, mostly steamed or stewed dishes, which do not require much attention to the fire and will not lose too much flavor even after being left for a long time.

Although it wasn't bad, the people in the house were already tired of eating the same ingredients and cooking methods over and over again every day. When they smelled the aroma, they all looked over.

Someone asked, "Xiao Qi, what's that?"

Two young men who knew him well approached him in a few steps.

The courtyard faces south and receives plenty of sunlight; even in the evening, the house remains bright.

Upon seeing what was inside the lotus leaf package, the two exclaimed "Wow!" one after the other.

The shout immediately attracted more people, who all came to see what was happening.

Inside the lotus leaf wrapping, a whole, plump chicken lay dignifiedly, its legs curled up, wings tucked in, and head tucked in. Its skin was a bright yellow, as if it had been steamed, but the color was darker than that of a steamed chicken, and it was definitely not roasted.

This chicken has no other flavor at all, just pure chicken meat aroma, and it's constantly steaming hot.

Such a large chicken must weigh at least three or four pounds. Although He Qi was usually generous and knew he couldn't finish it, he hesitated for a moment because he knew it was Song Miao's doing, and then opened the second layer.

The second layer was a plate of steamed meat patties, or rather, crab roe patties. The surface had been steamed until it had developed a golden-yellow crab roe oil, and it had a rich perilla aroma. Looking at it, one couldn't help but take another step forward to get a closer look.

Seeing that the steamed pork patty with crab roe and perilla was also a large plate, He Qi finally felt relieved and whispered to everyone, "Knowing that we've worked hard, our families managed to send this over—come on, let's all eat together!"

As he spoke, he washed his hands, pressed down with a lotus leaf for leverage, and then used the lotus leaf as a barrier to tear off a whole chicken leg with one hand.

The chicken skin burst open, and the meat broke off along the bone, gushing out its juices that flowed onto the lotus leaf.

The fragrance is so overpowering, it's practically bursting with energy, as if it's about to take over the entire nasal cavity.

"Everyone, please eat by yourselves. I won't serve you!"

As He Qi spoke, he took a bite.

With just one bite, his mouth had been bitter for so long that he had long lost his composure, and he almost burst out laughing while eating.

A very authentic and original bite.

This chicken wasn't seasoned with any other spices, just ginger slices and salt. Surprisingly, the skin still had a slightly chewy texture, but the overall taste was still on the softer side, especially the side closest to the chicken meat, where the fat was partially melted and the aroma of chicken oil seeped into the chicken leg meat below.

If you eat the chicken skin and meat together, the skin will be a little sticky in your mouth, and even the chicken meat will be a little greasy.

The chicken leg meat was quite impressive, having absorbed all the chicken fat. When He Qi bit into it, the meat juices and all the fat were returned to the chicken leg meat.

He Qi wasn't a man with a gaping maw, so he couldn't catch it all in time. The hot, clear chicken broth with a hint of yellow chicken oil—or, as it's called, chicken essence, the quintessence of chicken meat juices—flowed down his fingers to his wrist.

He didn't have time to pay attention, just grabbed a cloth and wiped it a couple of times before throwing himself back into the battle with the chicken leg.

The meat isn't very tender, but it's definitely not dry or tough either. It has the perfect texture for your teeth, and it bounces back noticeably when you bite into it. You're all about the aroma and texture of the meat. You can tell from just a couple of chews that the chicken is extremely fresh. It might even have gone into the oven while still warm and come out piping hot.

After all, these are large chickens that have been raised for a long time. Their chicken flavor is strong enough to prove themselves. The chicken meat itself is sweet enough, and seasoning with salt makes it even more fragrant, rich, and delicious. The aroma of the meat will also bring out a fresh and sweet meat flavor.

Once swallowed, because the chicken had absolutely no extra seasoning, the tongue, mouth, throat, and even stomach felt as if they had been cleansed by a natural deliciousness.

All the flavors and textures depend on the chicken itself, and on the chef's skill, leaving everyone in the house speechless with enjoyment.

When we went to eat the steamed pork patty with crab roe and perilla, the pork shoulder was finely chopped, with a good balance of fat and lean meat. It contained a lot of crab roe, but thanks to the perilla, its unique and rich aroma completely neutralized any fishy smell from the crab roe and also suppressed any excess greasiness from the pork.

When you chew it, you can taste the delicious pork, the unique aroma of perilla, and the crab roe.

The crab roe is chopped extremely finely, giving it a delicate sandy and glutinous texture within the meat, and it will ooze out a very rich and mellow crab roe oil.

Part of it is made up of half-whole pieces sandwiched inside the meat. It's thick, dense, and a little firm when you bite into it. It's like the most oily salted egg yolk, but it has a richer, more savory flavor, a more mellow and fragrant taste, and a unique crab sweetness...

This dish is slightly saltier than usual, making it a perfect match for rice, sandwiches, or steamed buns.

Everyone in the room was engrossed in eating, not saying a word.

As darkness fell and the banquet had ended, two officials from the Sifang Pavilion, accompanied by two foreign envoys, went to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, several people were on night duty in preparation for other arrangements made by their superiors.

The head clerk of the kitchen went in to check on the situation. Upon asking, he found that everything had been prepared. Seeing that everyone was sitting idly and drinking bland water, he casually took out two oilcloth bags from his pocket.

"What others gave you today, you should share and eat!"

So the foreign envoy's attendant, who came looking for hangover tea, also took a few pieces of dried meat and two pieces of candy with him.

Within two days, at the end of Suanzao Alley, the young woman working at Song's Pawnshop met the eyes of two foreign envoys with deep-set eyes and high noses. Beside them was an official from the Sifang Pavilion and several attendants.

Startled, she quickly turned around and cried out, "Is my wife here! Please, please come out!"

　This latest update has made me so afraid I don't even have the courage to open the comments section QAQ
　　I had been suffering from recurring fevers and went to the hospital several times without success. I also had a lot of work to do, and most importantly, I had to finish the series. I had privately rehearsed the ending a few times, and I felt that the final part of the story would be very ordinary and bland. I quite liked that, but my tastes sometimes don't quite match those of other people...

　　But whatever, I'll just grit my teeth and slide forward like a watermelon rind on its own. Otherwise, if I get stuck, it might really mean I'll stop updating altogether. Sorry, sorry o(╥﹏╥)o
　　(End of this chapter)