Chapter 90: Pan-fry the toon leaf noodles over low heat until golden brown on both sides, then serve...

In the kitchen, Chen Miao wore a floral apron with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing her lean and strong forearms. She blanched the toon leaves and then rinsed them in cold water. Afterward, she neatly arranged the toon leaves on the cutting board, picked up a knife, and began to chop them with a "clack-clack-clack" sound. In no time, a small pile of finely chopped toon leaves accumulated on the cutting board.

A unique and rich aroma also wafted out.

Xiangjie and Atao peeked out of the kitchen window and saw Shen Miaozhen making scrambled eggs with toon leaves as if nothing had happened. They couldn't help but squat down and exchange glances.

"My lady has already started performing the six rites, why is she so calm?" Atao asked, rubbing her chin.

"I don't know either," Xiangjie said, lifting her chin in her hands as well.

Just after Ning Niangzi left, Shen Miao excitedly announced that they would be having toon sprout salad and toon sprout scrambled eggs for dinner that night, adding that if you don't eat this fresh food in spring, you've wasted spring.

"Why do I feel like eating scrambled eggs with toon sprouts is more exciting for my wife than the wedding itself?" Atao asked Xiang'er, bewildered. "Is toon sprouts really that delicious?"

As a result, Sister Xiang slurped her saliva and affirmed, "Delicious."

Atao: "..."

She silently turned her head, recalling what had just happened—when Madam Shen was called back by the panting Tang Er from the fast food stall on Imperial Street, she saw the festive goose in Madam Ning's arms as soon as she entered the door, with a big red silk flower tied around its neck and red cloth strips tied around its feet.

Madam Shen understood immediately.

Before Madam Shen returned, Madam Ning had already been excitedly welcomed into the courtyard by A Tao, Fu Xing, Xiang Jie'er, Chen Chuan, and others, where she was served pastries and hot tea. They surrounded Madam Ning, chattering excitedly with many questions, such as: Did the Xie family come? Who came? Where are they? What did the Xie family say? They even asked where the Xie family caught the live goose—how thoughtful of them!

The questions came in rapid succession, leaving Ning Niangzi almost unable to answer them all.

The Book of Rites records: "For betrothal, a goose is used." This is a marriage custom that has continued from the Zhou Dynasty to the present day.

Geese are migratory birds, flying south in autumn and returning north in spring, coming and going at the right time, never missing their season; and they are steadfast in their loyalty, if one dies, the other will not choose another mate, thus giving rise to the auspicious meaning of fidelity and growing old together.

However, live geese have become increasingly difficult to find lately. Even if you ask someone to hunt them, it's very expensive. Nowadays, many families use geese or wooden goose carvings to fool people. Wealthier families will make a pair of bronze geese.

The goose sent by the Xie family was beautiful and large, with a brown head and a broad white eyebrow stripe extending from the base of its beak to both sides of its neck. Its feathers were full, and it was such a big goose. The way it flapped its wings showed considerable strength. It seemed to be the lead goose!

The group was overjoyed, but then Shen Miao came in and saw Dayan and Ning Niangzi, and just smiled.

She then curtsied gracefully and said, "Greetings, Madam Ning."

"This servant also offers her congratulations to Madam Shen." Madam Ning hurriedly rose to greet her. Seeing that Shen Miao was composed and without any affectation, she first praised her in her heart, and then explained gently, "Although Madam Shen has no father or brothers, she does have an uncle. This servant originally intended to go to the outer city to discuss this matter with him, but the person in charge sent by the Xie family from Chenzhou instructed me to come to Madam Shen's home to propose marriage... Therefore, I have taken the liberty of coming here today, and I hope Madam Shen will not take offense."

Atao's eyes lit up: at this time, the formal wedding ceremony didn't require the bride and groom to be present; only the matchmaker and elders were needed. But Madam Shen had no parents, so according to custom, Uncle Shen and Madam Ding should be invited. Even she, a servant hired later, knew that Madam Shen and her uncle's family had long since ceased all contact! The Xie family… no, it should be that Ninth Brother already knew about her discord with Uncle Shen and had specifically informed his parents, right?

Oh, Ninth Brother is so thoughtful, always putting Madam Chen first! When Atao realized this, her heart felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Sure enough, Madam Shen laughed and replied, "There's no need to complain. My parents are gone, and my uncle and aunt are not kind. I've already fallen out with my uncle's family. What's the use of letting them decide? They won't prepare a dowry for me either. What's wrong with me making my own decision about this marriage?"

So straightforward and sharp. Atao mentally praised her wife again, "My wife is so capable! No wonder she's used to being in charge! So open and honest!"

After hearing these words, Madam Ning understood Madam Shen's personality.

"Perfect timing, no need for further beating around the bush," Ning Niangzi immediately stood up, picked up the glossy, graceful goose with both hands, and handed it to Shen Miao. She said solemnly, "I have come today to propose marriage to the Shen family on behalf of the Xie family. This goose is a token of the Xie family's goodwill. I hope that you will accept it, Madam Shen, and let this goose convey our feelings and usher in a good marriage between our two families."

Shen Miao then reached out and took the wild goose, holding it in his arms. He then took out two strings of coins and handed them to Madam Ning, saying, "Thank you for making this trip, Madam Ning. Please accept this."

“The Xie family has already given their gifts.” Madam Ning pushed the gift away, then smiled. “That counts as the betrothal ceremony. Madam Shen, you can send someone to release the wild goose at Jinming Pond later. By the way, when it’s time to present the betrothal gifts, the Xie family will provide a list of betrothal gifts and send someone to carry them over. Madam Shen, you also need to provide a list of dowry and prepare the bride’s marriage certificate. We’ll exchange them together then. Finally, both families will hire a fortune teller who is proficient in Yin and Yang and the Five Elements to calculate the wedding date, and then the engagement will be considered complete.”

Atao listened more attentively than Madam Shen, her mind already filled with anticipation for the grand and lively arrival of the Xie family's betrothal gifts. She was so excited she wanted to stomp her feet and jump for joy. Madam Shen simply nodded, noted down the two things she needed to prepare, and thanked Madam Ning again: "Thank you for your advice, Madam Ning. Why don't you stay a while longer and stay for dinner later?"

"No, I still have a few families to negotiate with," Madam Ning politely declined.

"Then I'll see Lady Ning out." She then escorted Lady Ning to the door.

When she returned, she saw everyone in the yard, young and old, silently watching her. She asked curiously, "What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me? Are you hungry? How about we eat all kinds of toon later? Also, Tang Er, could you release the goose for me later? Don't let it keep its legs tied like this."

So Tang Er, still somewhat bewildered, took the wild goose and went out.

Atao always felt that Madam Shen was too calm and composed, even though this was her life's most important event!

“Sister, why do you look like you’re going to the yamen to do some errands?” Chen Chuan said, hugging Lei Ting.

Xiangjie, who was gnawing on a braised chicken leg nearby, shook her head and said, "No, no, no, it seemed like you were just making an appointment with Ning Niangzi to go to the market to buy groceries."

Atao nodded vigorously, "That's right, that's right."

Shen Miao thought for a moment, then dramatically pulled a handkerchief from her bosom and tucked it into the corner of her dry eyes, saying, "Oh, I'm so happy, I'm crying tears of joy."

The courtyard fell silent, save for the chirping of the fat sparrow flying overhead.

Shen Miao put away her handkerchief and smiled: "Alright, isn't this something we agreed on a long time ago? I'm happy inside, but I just didn't show it. It's getting late, I'm going to make dinner now, you guys go and have some fun."

Atao watched helplessly as Madam Chen went into the kitchen and began washing the toon sprouts that the farmers had brought that morning. She kept her eyes down as she worked in the kitchen, her expression as usual.

"It's because Madam Shen is so amazing that she didn't even flinch when faced with such a big situation." Atao concluded, withdrew her hand from the windowsill, and went back to her work in the front shop.

Inside the window, Chen Miao reached into the bamboo basket and pulled out several round eggs. With two crisp "crack" sounds, the eggs were gently tapped on the rim of the bowl, and the golden yolks and translucent egg whites slid into the bowl through the cracks. She picked up chopsticks and quickly stirred, making the egg whites and yolks tumble and swirl until they were completely combined. Then she poured the chopped toon leaves into the egg mixture, sprinkled in a pinch of salt, added a few drops of sesame oil, and stirred for a while longer.

Heat the oil in a wok until it's hot, then slowly pour the beaten toon and egg mixture into the wok.

As soon as the egg mixture hit the pan, it sizzled and spread out instantly, with small golden bubbles appearing around the edges. At the same time, the unique aroma of toon leaves rose with the steam, filling the entire kitchen. As the egg mixture gradually solidified, and the bottom changed color and set, Chen Miao quickly and nimbly flipped the egg over with a spatula.

The green of the toon leaves is dotted in the golden fried egg, making the aroma even more intense.

Pan-fry over low heat until golden brown on both sides, then remove from the pan!

Shen Miao smelled the aroma and then happily placed it on a plate. In some places, people don't blanch toon leaves before eating them, believing it diminishes their fragrance, but Shen Miao blanched them for health reasons.

Although Chinese toon is delicious, it can easily cause food poisoning if it is not blanched.

Blanching the shoots and then rinsing them in cold water helps them retain their original crispness and sweetness, and the aroma won't completely disappear, but it will definitely be a bit milder than if they weren't blanched. Also, once blanched, the red toon shoots will turn green, making them less appealing than before.

The toon leaves harvested before Grain Rain have a good taste and contain less nitrite; one harvest is enough.

Shen Miao put the fried egg aside and then started making toon noodles. While washing the pan, she glanced out the window. The two little heads that had been peeking out from the bottom of the window were gone, and the courtyard outside was quiet.

She put down the loofah bag, turned her back to the stove, patted her chest, took several deep breaths, and then quietly fetched a ladle of water to wash her face, gradually calming her heart, which had been beating exceptionally fast ever since Ning Niangzi appeared.

That was close; I almost collapsed outside.

In this life, if we include the marriage between her eldest sister and Rong Dalang, this body represents her second marriage. But if we're talking about herself, the "soul" within this body... this is the first time in both lifetimes that she's about to marry someone. Perhaps only she herself knows just how much resolve she has to make.

Shen Miao let out a long breath, picked up the cleaver again, and began to cut the noodles one slice at a time.

The pot of water next to her was already boiling. She put some bean sprouts in to blanch them, then quickly took them out to rinse with cold water. She put them in a bowl along with the leftover toon leaves from the scrambled eggs and set them aside.

She suddenly remembered her grandfather asking her in her past life why she had never wanted to get married. Was it because of the pressure of modern society, being too busy with work, or because her friends' marriages were a mess? Or did she want to be a non-marriage advocate? Or did she simply not like men?

The last possibility nearly made Shen Miao choke on his tea.

Grandpa looked completely innocent and said, "Tell me, whatever your reason is, Grandpa will support you."

Shen Miao smiled. She had always known that her grandfather was more open-minded than other parents who relentlessly pressured her to get married, which was why he was discussing this issue with her so calmly.

How did she answer at the time? She denied each point one by one: "Work is indeed busy and the pressure is indeed high, but it's not because of that. The fact that my friend got married did more harm than good has served as a wake-up call, but it's not for that either. I also know people who are in pure love and live happily ever after. It's definitely not about being against marriage or gender reasons."

Why is that?

Looking at the myriad lights outside, Shen Miao lowered her voice and said, "I just want to find someone I truly like, and who truly likes me too. It has to be someone I like, someone I really like."

She didn't meet him in her past life, and then she died.

But luckily, she met him very early in her life.

A northbound cargo ship, a bowl of mushroom and meat sauce noodles, and a bag of sour crabapples.

Our connection was so shallow, yet so deeply intertwined.

Shen Miao thought about the past. But her hands continued to prepare the toppings for the noodles with ease: minced garlic, chopped green onions, and sesame seeds; she fried the peanuts until fragrant, then crushed them and added them, pouring in hot oil to immediately release their aroma. Then she added soy sauce, vinegar, and salt.

Mix it all together, and a simple yet fragrant topping is ready.

Cook the noodles until done, drain them, and then divide each portion of noodles, bean sprouts, toon leaves, and chopped toon leaf omelet into a bowl. Pour the prepared topping over the noodles.

This dish is supposed to be sold starting tomorrow, but today we're letting everyone have a taste.

Shen Miao pushed open the window: "Fuxing, go and call Ninth Brother to come eat." Then she turned to call Atao, "The noodles are ready, set the table. Come in and get them yourselves in a bit."

No sooner had Shen Miao finished speaking than a customer entered the shop, calling out, "Is anyone here?"

"Someone's here! Please wait a moment, they'll be right there." Atao quickly went out to greet them after setting the table.

Shen Miao glanced out from the kitchen and saw what appeared to be a middle-aged man wearing an exquisite and elegant brocade robe, covered with an expensive gossamer veil.

She only caught a glimpse of him, because the man walked to the other end of the shop with his hands behind his back, looking around curiously, seemingly attracted by the calligraphy and paintings of Ninth Brother on the wall.

Many new diners look like this as soon as they enter; Ninth Brother's calligraphy and paintings are simply too eye-catching. In Shenmiao Shop, scholars from the Imperial Academy or other academies even come in advance to reserve tables for literary gatherings, and they always sit at the long table near the "Roasted Duck Painting".

Speaking of which, Ninth Brother's calligraphy and paintings have really attracted a lot of literati and artists to her.

Shen Miao didn't pay any attention and continued to wipe the table and stove. She turned to tell Xiang Jie'er and Chen Chuan, who came in to get noodles, to take it slow, as the bowls were still hot.

A moment later, Atao came in and said, "The guest said he smelled the aroma of toon leaves and wants to have a bowl. Should we make it for him, madam? But we haven't put it on the menu yet."

Shen Miao said, "It's alright, let him do it. It's quick and easy to do."

"How much should we tell the guests per bowl?"

Shen Miao thought for a moment. At this time, Chinese toon was not as expensive and rare as it would be in later years. It was just a wild vegetable and didn't contain any other meat. So she said, "Twelve coins will do."

Atao said "Yes" and went out to reply. Shenmiao heard her cheerful voice in the kitchen as she said to the well-dressed customer, "It can be made. A bowl will only cost twelve coins. Please make yourself at home. We also have spicy cabbage and vinegar peanuts for three coins a plate. Would you like some of those too?"

The middle-aged man had a pleasant voice, clear and melodious, as if he were speaking with a smile, and he drifted in softly: "Alright, then bring me a little of everything."

"Okay, just a moment, I'll bring it to you right away."

Atao sold more side dishes and happily returned to open the jar of pickled spicy cabbage. She whispered to Shen Miao, "Wife, this guest today is so handsome. He looks to be in his forties, but he is still so handsome! He is the most handsome person I have ever seen besides Ninth Brother."

Shen Miao became curious after hearing what she said, and lowered her head to ask, "Is he really that handsome?"

Can someone in their forties still be described as handsome? That's not easy. Men's prime is short, whether in ancient or modern times, in China or abroad. Even someone like Bai Laosan, pitifully, didn't even have a prime.

“Really. That tall! As tall as Ninth Brother.” Atao even gestured, “My wife will know at a glance, I really didn’t exaggerate.”

After mixing the noodles, Shen Miao was eager to try it herself: "Then I'll take the noodles out and take a look. I've seen plenty of three-inch dwarfs, but I've never seen one that's about the same height as Ninth Brother."

She placed the bowl of noodles on a tray, then lifted the curtain.

There was only one customer in the shop at this time, a middle-aged man. He stood with his back to Shen Miao, hands behind his back, in front of the painting "Roasted Duck". He was indeed very tall, wearing a bright and elegant brocade peacock feather blue-green wide-sleeved shirt, with a crisp gauze over it. He was a very fashionable middle-aged man.

"My lord, your noodles are ready," Shen Miao called out.

He turned around, saw that it wasn't Atao, and a flicker of emotion seemed to pass through his eyes before he smiled slightly and asked, "Are you Madam Shen?"

The moment Shen Miao saw him, she understood why A Tao had said he was so handsome.

He's really handsome.

His handsomeness lies not in his appearance, but in his character and spirit. His bright eyes and sparse eyebrows are as clear and bright as spring. Even though there are some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and a short mustache on his lips, it does not detract from his striking appearance.

Shen Miao was momentarily stunned, then curtsied and said, "Yes."

His smile deepened as he looked her up and down. Seeing that she was still holding a tray, he sat down at the table next to him and said, "Just put it here."

Shen Miao then took it over, and upon glancing at the black earthenware bowl containing the noodles, he praised it again: "A fine earthenware bowl."

At this moment, Atao also came out with some side dishes. Hearing the man's words, she said proudly, "My lord has good taste. These are what our future son-in-law bought for his wife."

The man had just picked up his chopsticks when he heard this, his hand froze in mid-air, and he stared at the man with wide eyes.

Shen Miao blushed, covered A Tao's mouth, and backed away while smiling apologetically, "Hehe, this little girl has eaten too much toon and her brain is all muddled. Please...please enjoy your meal."

She quickly dragged the man away and whispered, "What do you mean by 'unmarried son-in-law'? You can't use that word."

"Then what should I call you?" Atao blinked and asked in a muffled voice in Shen Miao's palm.

That's a good question, and Shen Miao was speechless.

The middle-aged man's low laughter seemed to come from behind.

Shen Miao's face turned even redder.

However, this fashionable young man looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before. Shen Miao racked her brains but couldn't remember, but this young man was definitely a first-timer.

Someone with such outstanding looks—once seen by someone, Shen Miao felt she would never forget them. Lost in thought, she entered the courtyard. Xiang Jie and Chen Chuan were already slurping their noodles, not even looking up. Tang Er hadn't returned yet; You Yu had gone to fetch water again.

While they were busy greeting guests, Ninth Brother had already arrived. Seemingly afraid of touching the flowers, plants, and trees, he and Yanshu sat far away under the veranda. Fuxing went into the kitchen and brought out the noodles for the two of them.

Seeing that Xie Qi's eyelids were red, Shen Miao walked over to him.

Xie Qi's eyes were itchy, so he put in eye drops. His eyes kept watering, and he couldn't see people clearly. He looked up blankly, searching for Chen Miao's figure.

His eyes were wet and red-rimmed, giving the impression of a young wife who had secretly cried.

"Are your eyes feeling better?" Shen Miao walked up to him, clenched the hand that was beside him, and suppressed the urge to stroke Ninth Brother's eyes.

Seeing him like this, I couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"I'm much better now, it's alright." Xie Qi raised his face and gave Chen Niangzi, whose eyes were blurry with tears, a reassuring smile. "I've already applied the medicine, she'll be fine in a couple of days."

He raised his head, and the lines of his neck below his collar tightened.

Shen Miao restrained herself from looking further and gave a somewhat stiff smile: "That's good then."

She paused, then suddenly remembered that she should tell Ninth Brother about the wild geese, so she recounted in detail how Lady Ning had already visited. To her surprise, Xie Qi was first delighted, then puzzled: "But why haven't I received any news from home?" He then asked, "Who came to my house?"

After the betrothal, the family should ask the name of the child, and an elder should come to deliver the betrothal letter.

“Madam Ning didn’t say anything.” Shen Miao scratched her head. She wasn’t familiar with these procedural details either, so she sat down next to Xie Qi and thought for a moment before saying, “Madam Ning only mentioned the matter of the betrothal ceremony later.”

This is not right. Xie Qi was even more puzzled: "The betrothal, name inquiry, and auspicious date selection come after the gift presentation. Why not mention the latter part instead of the former?"

Logically speaking, Mother and Father should not have done such a rude thing. Even if they did not come in person, they should have chosen a respected elder from among the clan's uncles and elders.

Shen Miao shook her head: "Perhaps it has already been arranged, which is why Madam Ning didn't mention it."

Xie Qi, however, was still worried. He covered his tear-streaked eyes with a handkerchief and immediately called over Yan Shu, who was engrossed in slurping noodles: "Yan Shu, go to Chunzhuang and have two of the servants who are staying there to take care of the estate and ride back to Chenzhou quickly to find out what's going on."

"Hey." Yan Shu immediately sped up his slurping of noodles.

Shen Miao quickly stopped her, saying, "It's alright. Let's ask Ning Niangzi tomorrow before making any plans. It's not safe for Yan Shu to go out of the city so late."

With his mouth full of noodles coated with toppings and chopped toon leaves, Yan Shu looked blankly at Xie Qi and then at Chen Miao, unsure of whose opinion to follow.

Finally, Xie Qi softened his voice: "Fine, then you shall listen to Madam Shen."

Yan Shu nodded happily, then lowered his head to slurp his noodles again.

"You should eat too, it'll get cold soon." Shen Miao moved the noodles over.

Xie Qi's vision was blurry, but he could already smell the fragrance of toon leaves filling the courtyard. He smiled and said, "The toon leaves before the rain are as tender as silk. As soon as I came in, although I couldn't see clearly, I could already smell the springtime aroma in Madam Shen's house."

Just as Xie Qi was about to pick up his chopsticks, the sound of the other diners calling out came from inside the shop again.

Shen Miao quickly got up and pressed down on A Tao, who was about to get up after eating half of her meal: "I'll go, you eat first."

She lifted the curtain and went inside. The guest had finished all the noodles, leaving not even a single side dish. He was wiping his mouth with his handkerchief.

"Oh my, this noodle dish is absolutely delicious." The middle-aged man turned to look at Chen Miao, praising it repeatedly. "These toon leaves are thick and the buds are tender, with a rich aroma. It's really great to mix with the noodles."

"We're delighted that you're using it well," Shen Miao said with a smile. "Please come again soon."

"Yes, I will." The middle-aged man smiled and took out half a string of coins and placed them on the table. "Keep the change. This bowl of toon sprouts is the first delicacy of spring and is worth the price."

Shen Miao smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. She loved such generous customers, so she thanked them attentively, "In a few days, we'll also be serving cotton vegetables in our shop. Mixing cotton vegetables into glutinous rice flour makes cotton vegetable rice cakes, which are also delicious. I'll give you a plate when you come."

"Thank you very much then." The middle-aged man smiled and nodded, then got up to leave. As he walked to the shop entrance, he suddenly turned back and asked, "Does Madam Shen know of any good pastry shops nearby? I don't often go out to buy things, and I have nowhere to order some wedding cakes."

Shen Miao said, "Is your family having a happy occasion? Congratulations. There's a Wei family pastry shop north of Jinliang Bridge that's been open for twenty years. Their pastries are quite delicious. You can go and ask them."

The middle-aged man smiled again: "Thank you."

Then he turned to leave.

Shen Miao felt he looked familiar, especially his smile. On impulse, she took two steps and asked, "May I ask your name, sir? If you come again and I am not here, I can tell the servants to bring you some vegetables."

The middle-aged man had just turned around and hadn't answered when Shen Miao heard footsteps behind her, followed by Yan Shu's suddenly surprised voice: "Madam Shen, I'd like to have another bowl... Hey? What are you doing here, my lord?"