Miao Chu

Chapter 368 Daily Life
Song Miao wandered around for half a day, looking around and buying things, filling her small bag to the brim.

In the afternoon, she hailed a mule cart and went to the garden that Cheng Erniang had mentioned that morning to admire the chrysanthemums. Seeing that it was getting late, she headed back home.

She had told everyone to rest early in the morning, so the restaurant closed an hour earlier than usual. When she got home, all the other long and short-term employees had already finished work, and only Cheng Erniang was sitting in the front hall doing accounts.

Upon seeing Song Miao, Cheng Erniang immediately put down the account book she was holding, stepped forward to take the bag from her hand, and said with a smile, "I was just saying that it's getting late, my lady should be back soon!"

He added, "Zijian and Wang Chang have arrived, bringing two pots of flowers. Madam, go and take a look at them in a bit. They're chopping firewood in the back!"

"There's another one—Liang Yan is also off today. This afternoon he brought back a few lamb legs from the Zhu family and a lot of pig tails, saying he had to do something. We couldn't stop him. He's currently scraping off the hair from the tails himself!"

Upon hearing "pig's tail," Song Miao couldn't help but laugh, saying, "He still remembers!"

When she was in Huazhou, she said that when she returned to the capital, she would wait for Liang Yan to chop wood and water the plants at the restaurant. Of course, she was just joking at the time, but as a consolation, the little girl took it seriously.

There wasn't much time to rest at the martial arts school. Whenever he had free time, he would come to Suanzao Lane. He never came empty-handed. Since the Zhu family were butchers, he would bring some pork and mutton with him from time to time, and occasionally beef as well.

Last time we came here, we chatted about how the Zhu family named their children. Because the Zhu siblings had just had their youngest daughter, her nickname was Zhu Weiba (meaning "Zhu Tail").

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but joke around. Song Miao then mentioned that pig tails were in high demand, and they were often served cold in summer and autumn, not greasy at all, and were the most appetizing.

Zhang Si Niang was also there at the time, and she chimed in, saying that it was a pity that there was only one pig from each pig. If they made too little, it wouldn't be enough to eat, and if they made too much, it would be inconvenient to buy the pigs in small quantities.

Unexpectedly, Liang Yan, who was listening nearby, actually took notes and brought them with him this time.

Although she didn't know how much she had brought, lamb legs weren't cheap, and pig tails were hard to come by. Upon hearing this, Song Miao quickly let go of the small bag and went to the backyard.

When she went inside, she saw Wang Chang and Cheng Zijian chopping wood. When they saw her come in, they called out "Young Lady Song" and "Lady" one after the other.

Another person, Liang Yan, was sitting on a small stool by the well, diligently scraping the skin off a pig's tail that had been singed by fire with a kitchen knife. When she heard someone calling from behind, she hesitated for a moment before looking up and calling out, "Sister Song."

After greeting everyone, Song Miao was startled to see that the basin on the ground was half full, containing at least eleven or twelve pig tails. She exclaimed, "Why did you bring so many!"

Liang Yan shrugged his right shoulder, wiped the sweat from his face with his clothes, and said with a smile, "When I got back, I heard my aunt and uncle talking and learned that a restaurant had ordered a lot of meat today, which was originally for a banquet. I don't know what happened, but the customer suddenly canceled the order, so the restaurant came to return the meat."

“My uncle said that the customers left in a hurry, so it was hard to sell. Everyone in the butcher shop ate some themselves, and the others took some with them. There were still quite a few left. I knew there were a lot of pig tails left, so I said I wanted to save some for my sister. My aunt told me to hurry up and bring them over so they wouldn’t go bad.”

After saying that, he held up a pig's tail for Song Miao to see and asked, "Sister, look—is this considered clean? I did it exactly as Aunt Cheng did, without slacking off at all!"

Song Miao bent down and looked down. It turned out that the hair had been burned off with fire when they were slaughtered. Now, after Liang Yan had carefully washed and scraped it for half a day, it was truly white and very clean.

Knowing Liang Yan's personality, she didn't stand on ceremony with him or tell him not to work. She simply praised him earnestly. Seeing that the basin was almost finished, she said, "After you finish cooking, take some back tonight for your great-aunt and great-uncle to have as a late-night snack—do they eat coriander?"

Liang Yan hurriedly said, "Eat! Eat! Uncle loves coriander the most! He always sprinkles a handful into his braised pork head!"

She added, "My great-aunt likes spicy food! My great-uncle doesn't eat much spicy food—but he loves it too. Every time he steals my great-aunt's vegetables, he turns his back and snots all over his face!"

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

She noticed that Liang Yan knew Old Zhou's and Butcher Zhu's preferences like the back of his hand, spoke in a very intimate tone, and was very familiar with their mannerisms, which clearly showed that they had spent a lot of time together.

In addition, the child has grown taller in the past two months, talks more, laughs more, and is more confident in doing things.

Song Miao felt increasingly gratified and couldn't help but ask, "Are you tired from practicing martial arts lately? If you're falling behind in any area, just tell your master and the others. Don't push yourself too hard—I'm not afraid of you not being motivated, I'm only afraid of you being too motivated..."

Upon hearing these questions, Liang Yan endured them for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back any longer. Seeing that no one was nearby, he put down the pig's tail he was holding and stood up.

Although he didn't step out from behind the basin, he leaned forward slightly, moving a couple of inches closer to Song Miao, and whispered, "Sister, I just learned the thirty-six forms of Taizu Long Fist a few days ago, and I can shoot an arrow fifty paces now. Master Cheng said that in all his years of teaching, he's rarely seen anyone with my talent and the ability to work hard! Even if I don't achieve great things in the future, I can still be a head guard if I work as a bodyguard!"

He added, "Master also said that my boxing skills are starting to look quite impressive—when everyone else leaves tonight and Xiaolian comes back, I'll show you all, okay?"

As he spoke, his face flushed slightly, and the roots of his ears turned red; he looked quite embarrassed.

Song Miao immediately chimed in, whispering, "It's a pity there are no arrows or targets here, and the place is too small to shoot arrows properly—I heard from Madam Xu that the disciples at the Xu Family Martial Arts School have a grand competition and practice sessions every year. Will we family members be able to go and watch them then?"

Hearing her call herself "family," Liang Yan, who had been smiling with her lips pursed, couldn't help but grin, revealing eight teeth. She then asked somewhat shyly, "Sister, you're so busy at the restaurant, do you have time to visit?"

"Of course!" Song Miao smiled. "It doesn't matter who shoots the arrows or who practices! It would be best to have some news in advance. I also want to ask Second Madam if she can make time to take Xiaolian along. I heard from Madam Xu at your martial arts school that most of your practice sessions are in the spring. Not only can we watch you practice, but we can also enjoy the spring outing!"

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

After speaking with Liang Yan, Song Miao walked to the back corner and saw Cheng Zijian and Wang Chang chopping wood. She laughed and said, "It's fine if it's Young Master Cheng, but I caught him and there was nothing I could do—why is Young Master Wang also doing hard labor here?"

He then said, "Why don't you go sit down in the front? Take a break and review your books?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chang was so frightened that he didn't even dare to lift the axe. He quickly put it down, his face contorted in pain, and waved his hands haphazardly, saying, "Please don't! I finally finished the exams—I don't want to have a single word in my head anymore. Miss Song, please let me chop some wood in peace and do something comfortable!"

He then pointed to a spot under the eaves and said, "There are two more pots of epiphyllum there..."

As he spoke, he nudged Cheng Zijian beside him with his elbow and said, "Zijian, why don't you tell Miss Song about that epiphyllum flower?"

Cheng Zijian said in a deep voice, "Go and tell them."

Wang Chang said, "I'm chopping wood!"

Cheng Zijian had been holding back at first, but after being slapped twice and hearing this remark, even the honest man could no longer restrain himself. He kicked the firewood on the ground and said, "The way you chopped the firewood, I can't even help you redo it! One piece is big, one piece is small! That's bad enough—but you're making such a big fuss! You're clearly standing next to the woodpile as if you have three heads and six arms! This whole area is so big, I don't even have a place to stand! Hurry up and go tell Miss Song about the epiphyllum!"

Upon hearing this, Song Miao looked down at the ground and saw that the ground was clearly divided into two sections. The firewood on the section closer to Cheng Zijian was chopped evenly and appropriately in size, making it very suitable for burning. On the other section, the firewood was scattered and fragmented, with large pieces of wood and small pieces of wood. To call it rough would be an understatement.

She knew that Wang Chang's family had some resources, and she couldn't help but find it a little funny that he had never done this kind of work since he was a child.

Not only Song Miaoxiao, but even Liang Yan, who was peeling a pig's tail, couldn't help but turn around to look.

Unfortunately, he wasn't as good at holding back as the adults, and he burst out laughing. He quickly suppressed it, making the laughter muffled. Those around him found it even harder to hold back and wanted to laugh along.

Wang Chang was anxious and said, "I finally got a job from my sister, and it's clearly because you, the master, didn't teach me well. How dare you criticize your apprentice like this!"

Despite his complaints, he stepped forward and led the way, guiding Song Miao to the two pots of epiphyllum.

Two large pots, with large sections of leaves and many small flower buds.

Song Miao was surprised and asked, "Where did these flowers come from?"

"Master Chen asked us to bring these over!" Wang Chang walked around the two pots of flowers, counted out the approximate number of blossoms for Song Miao, and chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Because Zijian went to see Master Chen to review his essays, but he's going to grade papers tomorrow, I was just there to get his feedback. Master Chen said these flowers are budding, and he might not have time to look at them, so they'd have to bloom for nothing—he asked us to bring them over here, and we'll return them after they've finished blooming!"

It vividly describes Cheng Zijian's trembling and fearful demeanor in front of Master Chen, as if facing a formidable enemy.

It should have been a few words, but Wang Chang kept talking for ages.

Song Miao knew that the epiphyllum blooms quickly, often taking only a few days from bud to full bloom. Besides, the flower had already been moved over, so she didn't refuse Master Chen's kindness. She just smiled and said, "Since you're here, have dinner before you go back."

Wang Chang rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "If I were to say no, it would be too against my conscience; I just can't bring myself to say it!"

He added, "There are only a few of us, so just make two or three dishes. Please don't make too many! Otherwise, even I, with my thick skin, will feel embarrassed!"

Then they asked about the price.

Song Miao smiled and pointed at Cheng Zijian, saying, "You two just keep chopping wood. Doing this will pay off your debt and earn you food."

As she spoke, she went to the well, drew water, carefully washed her hands and face, changed into a set of work clothes, and called her second daughter-in-law to go into the kitchen together.

Wang Chang was left outside, muttering to himself.

"Hey, Zijian, you'd better teach him properly!"

"If you're not going to chop wood for me, at least chop it properly yourself! Don't let it fly everywhere and hit me!"

His voice drifted through the backyard, making everyone in the courtyard feel cheerful. Second Madam laughed as well, saying, "Zijian is so lucky to have such a friend—this young Brother Wang is lively and a good person!"

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

During their casual conversation, she recounted how the troublemakers had come to vandalize the place that day, and how Wang Chang had cleverly pretended to be injured to scare them away. She also talked about how, after returning to the Imperial Academy, he became incredibly eloquent, and according to some, he even earned the nickname "Wang the Storyteller."

However, with food for several people, a hot stove, readily available hot water, and a burning fire, the two chatted and laughed as they finished preparing all the food.

Just as the last dish was finished cooking, Xiaolian returned.

When the two children met, although they weren't as talkative as when Zhu Jie was around, they were still very happy and had a lot to chat about. But once the dishes were on the table, neither of them had time to talk.

The staple food is rice, and this time we used indica rice. It has a good aroma, but the taste is a little weak. However, it goes perfectly with these dishes.

There was a cold dish of pig tails. Because there were two children at the table, they shared a non-spicy plate, while the adults ate the spicy plate.

Although the skin on a pig's tail is thick, it is different from the rest of the pig's body. Because it needs to swat away mosquitoes, it moves around a lot and is the most active part of the body. The skin and flesh are very lively, with many tendons and firm meat. The skin is less greasy towards the tip of the tail—the greasiest part is the area next to the rump.

After blanching the meat, Song Miao prepared a braising sauce with scallions, ginger, star anise, bay leaves, and other spices. After braising, she not only rinsed it in cold water but also soaked it in ice water—thankfully, Song Ji always had ice on hand when making custard buns.

Once you mix it with the sauce she made, put the whole bowl in ice to let it slowly absorb the flavor. When you eat it, just pick up a piece at random—it's about a finger thick. Because it's cooked to perfection and soaked in ice water, your two rows of front teeth will first be stopped by the outermost bit of toughness, and then slowly push down to the bottom, biting into the skin, meat, and the innermost cartilage at the same time.

The skin is extremely firm and has a noticeable elasticity. In the middle, there is a layer of tight and brittle skin, giving the teeth a distinct breaking sensation. Further down, between the bone and the thick skin, there is lean meat. Although there is little of it, it is all meat between the bones, which is exceptionally tender yet chewy.

The meat was fully infused with flavor, even down to the bone. The sauce had a very strong garlic aroma and a savory base. It was seasoned with two kinds of aged vinegar and one kind of white vinegar, and seasoned with Sichuan peppercorn oil, dogwood, and mustard seeds for spiciness and aroma. One plate had coriander, while the other did not, only a handful of chopped green onions.

The seasoning is strong, sour, salty, spicy, and very fresh. Although the pig tail has thick skin and little lean meat, the vinegar and spiciness, along with the minced garlic and coriander, combined with the fact that it sat on ice for half a day, make it very cool and refreshing to eat. Coated in the sauce, it is not greasy at all, which makes the texture smooth and chewy, which is extremely refreshing.

The group of people at the table ate one piece, and before they could even swallow it, they couldn't help but reach for a second piece, finding it incredibly addictive.

While everyone else was busy eating, Wang Chang, even after swallowing the meat in his mouth, still found a moment to praise Song Miao when his mouth was empty. He said, "If home-cooked dishes can taste like this, I'm afraid even those famous and expensive dishes are no better than this." He also said, "With Song Miao's skills, what kind of life do I have to be able to eat like this often? Heaven has eyes!"

He was muttering to himself, and the drinks he was having were sweet fermented rice and hawthorn leaf tea, both of which were refreshing and helped to cut through the greasiness. Cheng Zijian placed a large cup of each in front of him, along with plenty of meat and vegetables, but it still couldn't shut him up.

The group was enjoying their meal in a pleasant atmosphere when a government official hurried in from outside.

He knew the way well, and when he arrived at the door, he saw that it was open and called out "Miss Song". But when he stepped over the threshold and came in, he saw that there were many people eating inside. He paused for a moment and took a step back.

(End of this chapter)