Chapter 26 Shepherd's Purse Spring Rolls A pot of hot oil sizzled, and these thin, delicate spring rolls...
Shen Miao hadn't expected that there were countless people with the surname Xie in the world, and that the Xie family she had come to was the home of the young master and servant she had met on the ship. She also felt that the laws of fate in this world were inexplicable and filled her with a sense of wonder. When Xie Qi approached, she smiled and said, "Greetings, Ninth Brother Xie. Thank you for your sand fruit, which added a lot of flavor to my journey."
Shen Miao still keeps that message at the bottom of her box. The reason is simple: the handwriting is so beautiful that she really can't bear to throw it away.
Xie Qi also remembered that bag of crabapples.
He traveled to Jinling in search of ancient books, traversing the city and even the countryside. However, his unlucky fate led him to encounter numerous accidents along the way. The bag of sand pears was found by a stream when he first slipped and fell down a hillside while searching for a reclusive scholar, and then, carrying his weeping inkstone, he was chased by wild dogs all the way.
At that time, he was in a sorry state, his mouth was irritable and his legs were weak with fright. So he could only tuck his robe into his waist and climb the tree to pick fruit to fill his stomach.
Who knew that stepping on it would break the branch...
He fell onto a thick layer of decaying leaves and broken branches. Yan Shu screamed in fright and scrambled over, first touching his hands and feet, then his neck, as if afraid he might have died from the fall. But as he lay on the ground and looked up, he saw that all the crabapples on the tree had fallen because of him, the evening glow stretched for miles, the mountains were bathed in gold, and drifting clouds were passing overhead.
So beautiful that he forgot the pain, he gazed at the colorful and vast sky for a long time until a sand fruit hit his forehead, bringing him back to his senses.
Therefore, he took that bag of crabapples with him when he boarded the boat. Occasionally, when he was tired, he would eat one, and his mouth would feel as if it were filled with the beauty of the sunset glow in the mountains that day, which made him forget his hardships and fatigue and feel quite comfortable.
He only gave it out as a thank-you gift because he thought it was good.
Hearing Shen Miao say this again, he felt a warmth in his heart and finally shook his head with a smile, saying, "It was Yan Shu who was impolite."
Yan Shu stuck out his tongue and couldn't help but glance at Xiang Jie'er, who was sitting obediently eating a large peach-shaped steamed bun, and even swallowed.
"So, Madam Shen is the same Madam Shen that Mother mentioned the other day, the one who makes such delicious pancakes on Jinliang Bridge." Xie Qi thought for a moment and still found it quite interesting, and couldn't help but laugh, "It's quite a coincidence, although I haven't formally met you before, I've already tasted your cooking three times."
Once on the grain transport boat, twice with roasted buns (one meat and one vegetable).
"Today I'm here to bake the vegetarian snacks needed for the Dharma assembly, as instructed by Madam Xie. Most of them are done now, this is the last batch," Shen Miao told truthfully, glancing back at the steaming oven.
The kiln was set up under the corridor, very close to the gate. Shen Ji had stood up when he heard the noise outside, but after listening for a few more minutes, he understood what was going on. So he didn't rush forward and instead went back to watch the fire in the furnace for Shen Miao, occasionally poking at the embers.
Yan Shu had been longing for Shen Miao's cooking for a long time, and ever since returning to the Xie family, he had often dreamed of eating soup dumplings. Hearing that Shen Miao was now free, he first glanced at Xie Qi, and then pleaded, "It is such a great fate to meet Madam Shen again. Ninth Brother has been busy all day and has not had a proper meal. Could you please trouble Madam to cook some delicious food to fill his stomach?"
Xie Qi immediately frowned: "Yan Shu! How rude!"
Yan Shu immediately shrank his neck.
Shen Miao didn't feel offended. The eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family was generous, having prepaid the entire fee and given such a generous tip. She was always generous to generous diners. In any case, it was all Xie family ingredients and firewood used, so she wasn't losing anything.
Besides, cooking is the easiest thing for her.
Therefore, seeing that Xie Qi was about to apologize, he generously preemptively said, "It's nothing. Anyway, I'm just waiting here for nothing. Since that's the case, then I'll trouble Yanshu to go in and inform Chef Fang. It wouldn't be presumptuous of me to do so..."
"I'll go right away." As soon as Yan Shu received permission, she immediately darted off.
The kitchen was fully stocked with rice, grains, meat, and vegetables. The cook came out with a dark face, reluctantly took out the key from his waist, opened the vegetable cellar, and stepped aside so that Chen Miao could go in and pick through the produce.
Yan Shu excitedly followed Shen Miao inside. Xie Qi had never been to the kitchen before and found it interesting. He wanted to go in, but the cook was already bowing and solicitously inviting him to sit in the stone pavilion outside. He no longer had the disdainful look Shen Miao had shown him earlier; instead, he smiled broadly and said earnestly, "Ninth Brother is a nobleman, how can he enter such a place? I'll take him to a quiet place."
Xie Qi paused slightly, but Shen Miao looked around and turned back, asking with a smile, "We have everything you could want, but I wonder what Ninth Brother Xie likes to eat? The shepherd's purse in the cellar looks especially fresh and tender. How about we make some shepherd's purse spring rolls for Ninth Brother? And a bowl of scallion oil noodles with it? Since it's getting late, we'll just have something to eat, so we won't make anything too fancy for dinner."
Before Shen Miao could finish speaking, Yan Shu had already applauded.
"Excellent, excellent, as expected of Madam Shen, your considerations are truly thorough!"
Xie Qi flicked the head of Yan Shu with his finger in dissatisfaction before smiling at Shen Miao and saying, "Spring is in full bloom with shepherd's purse flowers by the stream, it is indeed the right time. Then we will follow Madam Shen's instructions."
"Then please have a seat, Ninth Brother, it will be ready in a moment."
Shen Miao went in and took a large handful of shepherd's purse. She turned around and went into the kitchen. She first went to the other end of the corridor to check the stove and asked Ji Ge'er to fan the fire and add some more firewood. If the fire wasn't hot enough, the color of the roasted vegetables would be bland, which would not be good.
“Ji-ge’er, then I’ll leave this kiln to you. Remember to keep the fire at this level. Don’t let the fire get too low, otherwise it will be undercooked and the whole kiln will be ruined. Remember, just like at home.”
"Don't worry, sister." Ji-ge'er nodded, staring at the fire in the stove without blinking.
Then he went to the door, ruffled Xiang Jie'er's hair, and went back inside. He picked up the kitchen knife from the Xie family's chopping board, weighed it in his hand, and carefully touched the edge. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: What a fine knife! The steel seems to be much better than the one she bought for eighty coins.
The cook strolled in again, and seeing Shen Miao examining the knife, he said arrogantly, "This knife is handmade by a master craftsman. Do you see the hammer marks on the blade? It costs two taels of silver!"
Shen Miao clicked his tongue in amazement: "Indeed, only wealthy families can afford such a knife!"
However, it was worth it. Shen Miao held the knife in her hand and twirled it. The weight was just right; this knife was quite good.
She washed the shepherd's purse, casually arranged it neatly, and then began to chop it with a firm, rhythmic motion.
Springtime brings the revival of all things, making it the perfect time to eat shepherd's purse. Known as the "harbinger of spring" by the Song Dynasty people, shepherd's purse sprouts its tender green shoots after the harsh winter, breaking through the remaining snow in the fields. It matures between March and April, and is harvested in late April and May; now is its most tender time.
At this time of year, shepherd's purse is crisp and refreshing, with white stems and emerald leaves, so tender and juicy that it seems to drip with moisture. The advantage of eating seasonal vegetables is that the ingredients themselves are delicious. As long as the cook doesn't make any mistakes, they will surely be able to appreciate the inherent flavor of the vegetables.
Shepherd's purse is especially refreshing, and the spring roll wrappers should be deep-fried. When making any dish, moderation is key; the best result is a crispy wrapper and a tender interior, where the inside and outside complement each other perfectly.
She chopped a large bunch of vegetables very quickly. Shen Miao was used to using a fast knife, and this knife was even easier for her to use than her old one. In the blink of an eye, she chopped the shepherd's purse into small pieces, and each piece was roughly the same size. Because she chopped so quickly and neatly, there was hardly any juice left on the cutting board, which preserved the freshest flavor of the shepherd's purse.
Shen Miao always cherishes every ingredient. The sweetness of shepherd's purse lies in its juice. If it is chopped carelessly and carelessly, leaving vegetable soup and juice all over the cutting board, it will ruin such a good vegetable. Without its sweetness, shepherd's purse will become tough and bitter when fried, and it will definitely get stuck in your teeth.
Therefore, she insisted on using a sharp knife to cut it; she wasn't deliberately showing off in front of others.
But at this moment, Chef Fang, who was pretending to continue working, was also secretly observing out of the corner of her eye. Seeing Shen Miao's amazing knife skills, her initial contempt and resentment faded considerably.
He was a servant born into the Xie family, the third generation. Not only had three generations of his family served as slaves in the Xie family, but they had also always served as the Xie family's cooks, so their skills were naturally quite good. However, the eldest daughter-in-law disliked the cakes he made and suddenly switched to ordering vegetarian pastries from the market, refusing to use his skills. He felt dejected and resentful, and even a little fearful.
The Fang family's craft has been passed down for three generations. Will it just be ruined in his hands?
When Shen Miao arrived today, he was met with such a callow young woman, which made him even more indignant. He feared that such a young woman was not even skilled enough to cook anything delicious.
Cooking is a skill that takes years of practice; how can one master the skills on the cutting board without ten or twenty years of experience?
Chef Fang was initially unconvinced.
Now, Shen Miao wields the knife and cuts vegetables with ease, quickly and skillfully, which has earned him some respect.
After chopping the vegetables, Shen Miao cut off a piece of marbled beef ribeye—she had been quite surprised to see half a cow in the Xie family's cellar earlier. In the Song Dynasty, oxen were only sold at the market when they died, and the price was almost exorbitant. Ordinary people might never be able to afford a bite of beef in their entire lives, but in the Xie family, it was a daily staple.
They must be raising a lot of cattle somewhere. Shen Miao couldn't help but speculate.
Ribeye is perfect for grilling. It's tender and fatty, making it a bit of a luxury to use as a spring roll filling. But when you use this kind of beef as a filling, it goes exceptionally well with shepherd's purse. One bite and you get a crisp, tender, sweet, and juicy flavor.
Shen Miao looked around, then found a knife on another cutting board in front of Chef Fang. Holding the knife in both hands, she quickly chopped the beef into minced meat. After putting down the knife, she rinsed it with a ladle of water and put it back in its place. As she turned around, she took soy sauce, salt, oil, ginger slices, and cooking wine and marinated them together. Then she mixed them with shepherd's purse and stirred them evenly. The filling for the spring rolls was now ready.
Chef Fang kneaded the dough, staring blankly as she cooked. With swift strokes of the knife, she made no mistakes, creating the effect of three people all by herself.
Before long, the filling was ready, the fire was lit, and the oil was heated.
Shen Miao was very focused on cooking and didn't notice Chef Fang's gaze at all. Her grandfather had said that people who were half-hearted should not enter the kitchen. Not to mention that they would not be able to control the heat, they would even cut their hands while chopping vegetables. Such people also had too many thoughts and would not be able to endure hardship in the long run.
People who are single-minded are more likely to cook good food.
Of course, Shen Miao was unwilling to admit that she was a stubborn person.
She started making spring roll wrappers.
Spring roll wrappers were easy to make; there was already some dough that Chef Fang had been proofing nearby, so Shen Miao didn't need to bother. She turned to ask him, but found him standing there in a daze. It wasn't until she called him two or three times that Chef Fang suddenly came to his senses and nodded, letting her take whatever she wanted.
Shen Miao took the dough directly and divided it into small portions. She felt that the dough was firm and smooth, and turned to praise Chef Fang: "Chef Fang, the dough you kneaded is really good. People who don't know cooking don't know that kneading dough well is also an art. I can tell your kneading skills just by touching it. It is obviously a family skill, right?"
The other half of Chef Fang's resentment vanished completely upon hearing this. He blushed, but nodded proudly and emphatically: "My family has been Xie family chefs for three generations, and our family skills have been passed down from generation to generation. When I was young, before I was even tall enough to reach the stove, I began to learn how to knead dough."
As Shen Miao took the griddle and spread the dough into a thin pancake, she slowly fried it over low heat until it became translucent. She also felt a little nostalgic and sighed softly, "What a coincidence, me too. When I was little, I stood on a stool and was not strong enough. I often kneaded the dough until my arms were too sore to lift, but I didn't dare to stop. If I stopped, the dough would rise before I had kneaded it enough, and my grandfather would hit me with the rolling pin."
When she was a child, she learned to cook, and the kitchen was always chaotic. Her grandfather would chase her from one end of the village to the other with a rolling pin. The reason she grew up to be strong and powerful was because she had practiced kneading dough, carrying water, flipping woks, and running away from home since she was a child.
It's a pity that she's already dead. Grandpa is ninety years old. I wonder how heartbroken he would be if he knew.
"Yeah, when you're learning to cook, you're bound to get beaten up!"
Their voices were soft, as if heavy memories lingered among them, a resonance that no one else could know. Chef Fang felt a pang of sadness and lowered his head, responding with a sigh.
The Xie family's culinary tradition has been passed down through generations, and now it's his turn to be the head chef. This is because his father and grandfather have both passed away, so his tone inevitably reveals a deep sense of remembrance and sorrow.
Looking at Shen Niangzi deftly frying spring roll wrappers, he felt a surge of emotion, almost as if he considered her a confidante.
He had already forgotten how he had been wary of others.
In the time it took to say a few words, Shen Miao had finished making the spring roll wrappers, while Chef Fang volunteered to pull the strips for her.
Suo Tiao is actually just hand-pulled noodles, but the Song Dynasty had a very detailed system for classifying food. Soup noodles were called Tang Bing, steamed buns were called Chui Bing, and when it came to mixed noodles, the name was changed again, becoming Ganban Suo Tiao. Such a good type of noodle had so many names.
When Shen Miao first transmigrated, she managed to adapt to the various names for the food for a while. Although she didn't say anything wrong, she still often referred to soup noodles and rice noodles as "noodles" in her mind. This habit from her later life was perhaps hard to change...
It's good to have someone help, Shen Miao smiled at him, and then turned to focus on serving the spring rolls—first, she evenly placed the filling on the spring roll wrapper, then gently rolled it up, then folded the two sides in half to prevent the filling from leaking out, and then continued to roll it to the end, sealing it with dough.
Once it's done, the oil in the prepared pan will be at the perfect temperature.
A pot of hot oil sizzles as the paper-thin spring roll wrappers are fried until golden brown.
Soon, the aroma wafted out. The fried shepherd's purse spring rolls were crispy on the outside and exceptionally delicious inside. Shen Miao filled a plate to the brim and asked Chef Fang to take it out for her. There were still three left in the oil. There wasn't enough dough left at the end, so these three spring rolls were small and could be eaten one bite at a time. She quickly scooped them out, grabbed one, and stuffed it into Ji Ge'er's mouth.
Shen Ji was so burned he almost jumped up, but the food smelled so good that he kept his mouth open and breathing out, and he couldn't bear to spit it out.
Moreover, Shen Miao whispered, "It's filled with beef!"
Shen Ji had never tasted beef before, so he endured the heat and chewed it up. The more he chewed, the more fragrant the spring roll became. The aroma of shepherd's purse and the tenderness of the beef enveloped his mouth, making him reluctant to swallow it.
Shen Miao quietly slipped one to Xiang Jie as well. After returning, she blew on it, ate one herself, and nodded after finishing it. No wonder the ancients always said, "The seasons change, eat in season, and do not eat out of season."
The freshness and crispness of locally grown seasonal vegetables are truly unmatched by greenhouse-grown vegetables.
tasty!
Next, she washed her hands again and put the noodles that Fang Zhangshao had pulled for her into the pot. Turning around, she poured soy sauce, salt, and chopped scallions into a bowl in advance; after preparing them, she took some more scallions, cut them into long sections, discarding the white parts, and fried them in a separate pot until they were dry and golden brown.
Shen Miao pulled out some firewood and continued to fry slowly. In the middle of the process, she carefully picked out the scallions that had turned completely yellow and slightly black with chopsticks, otherwise the black scallions would make the scallion oil bitter and affect the taste of the noodles.
The aroma of scallion oil carries a strong scallion fragrance and a slight charred aroma. When making noodles, besides soy sauce, the most indispensable ingredient is a spoonful of hot scallion oil. Pouring the freshly fried scallion oil on while it's still hot allows the aroma of noodles, oil, and scallions to intertwine, giving the noodles their soul.
Shen Miao poured the fried scallion oil directly onto the sauce she had prepared earlier. At this time, the noodles in the pot were also cooked. She put them into a bowl, poured the hot oil over the fragrant sauce, stirred it well, and that was it.
Scallion oil noodles are simple to make, but a well-made version can be quite delicious.
Once the dough was ready, the last batch of red bean buns was also baked.
When Shen Miao heard Ji Ge'er calling her, she hurried over and took a look. She first used copper tongs to pull the red bean buns out of the stove from the iron base.
The steam from the stove billowed out, making Chen Miao lean back and frantically wave her hands to disperse the smoke. Once the steam had dissipated, the red bean buns in front of her had puffed up perfectly, each one golden and fluffy, smelling rich with the aroma of wheat mixed with the fragrance of red beans.
Shen Miao rested her hands on the table with satisfaction, stretched, and realized that she had successfully completed her work for the day.
Relieved, Shen Miao had a smile on her face as she carried the noodles out.
There was a stone pavilion beside the path outside the kitchen. When she walked over, Xie Qi was savoring a spring roll, while Yan Shu, who was sitting outside the pavilion with another plate of spring rolls, had almost finished eating.
When she brought over two more bowls of fragrant noodles, Yanshu's eyes lit up.
Shen Miao smiled and handed it over.
Xie Qi had a rare good appetite. Although he ate politely, he ate quite a few spring rolls without making a sound. He looked up at Shen Miao and couldn't help but sigh, "After so many days, Madam Shen's cooking skills have improved again."
Shen Miao spoke frankly: "It's because the Xie family's ingredients are so good."
Back then, there were no such good conditions on the cargo ships; the vegetables would sit for a day or two.
Xie Qi disagreed: "Good ingredients also need good cooking skills."
Shen Miao smiled and thanked Xie Qi for the compliment. She looked up at the sky and knew that the gatekeeper Yan Qi would be coming to pick them up soon. So she bowed and said goodbye to Xie Qi, preparing to go back and pack up her eight large steamers.
Yan Shu slurped his noodles, his face full of anticipation, and asked, "Will you come again tomorrow, my lady?"
The spring rolls and noodles were so delicious he almost swallowed his tongue.
Xie Qi raised his chopsticks, pretending to hit him on the head, but stopped him helplessly: "Yanshu! When we get back, I'll make sure Zheng Neizhi punishes you!"
Zheng Neizhi was amiable outside and always greeted his masters with a smile, but he was a devil to these young servants. He always used bamboo strips to discipline them. Those things were thin and tough, and they hurt a lot when they hit them.
Upon hearing this, Yan Shu trembled, shrank his neck, and dared not speak again, lowering his head to concentrate on slurping his noodles.
"Delicious, delicious, so delicious!" He slurped it down, his mouth glistening with oily scallion oil and soy sauce.
Seeing his disheveled appearance, Shen Miao pursed her lips and stopped laughing.
Meanwhile, Yan Qi had arrived as promised and was peeking out of the kitchen door. He saw Chen Miao in the stone pavilion, and since his master was also in the pavilion, he didn't dare to come over and could only watch from a distance.
Shen Miao caught a glimpse of this and hurriedly said, "I should go back now." She then glanced at Xie Qi and pleaded for Yan Shu, "Ninth Brother, please don't punish him."
Xie Qi was just saying it casually; otherwise, how could Yan Shu have developed such a temperament? He sighed, which was his way of agreeing.
He stood up to see her off, clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your help today, Madam Shen. By the way, Fang Da, go and get some meat and vegetables for Madam Shen to take back."
Xie Qi originally wanted to give more money, but felt it would be disrespectful, so he changed his mind.
Shen Miao quickly waved his hand and said, "Your mistress has already paid the fee, and even gave a lot more. Ninth Brother, please don't send anything else. It's just two simple dishes. I only did a little work, it's nothing."
Xie Qi smiled and pointed to the spring rolls on the table: "Consider this a thank you gift from Madam Xie Chen for letting me taste the unique flavor of this spring shepherd's purse."
Shen Miao looked at him, and he nodded slightly, still smiling.
She could only accept it with shame.
This Xie Jiuge is gentle in appearance and speaks gently, yet it seems difficult to change his mind, especially when he stands like this in the spring twilight, smiling slightly at you, just as the saying goes, "A gentleman is like jade, warm to the touch."
Yan Shu, holding a bowl of noodles, watched as Madam Chen and Yan Qi went into the kitchen. A little while later, Yan Qi came out carrying a shoulder pole for her.
The cook in the outer courtyard was unusually generous, stuffing all sorts of vegetables and meats into Madam Shen's bamboo steamer. So much so that the top steamer couldn't be covered, and a piece of tender lamb leg was sticking out from under the lid, swaying up and down with the carrying pole.
Before leaving, Madam Shen turned her head and looked back at her, curtsying slightly as a farewell.
Yan Shu hurriedly stood up with the bowl in her hands and waved to her. Xie Qi also walked out of the pavilion.
She smiled, turned around, took the little girl's hand, and followed Yan Qi away. The older boy who had come with her bowed to them, and the three of them soon left together.
Xie Qi gazed quietly at the three siblings.
The apricot-yellow figure slowly walked into the sunset, the light making the strands of hair at her temples shine, and the skin on her side face almost transparent in the light. Slowly, she walked to the end of the sunset, and the light gradually faded from her body, and the bridge of her nose, her chin and her slender neck were all modified by shadow, making her whole figure look clear and soft.
Finally, the setting sun cast long, slanted shadows, which were gradually obscured by the flowers and trees deep within the path.
Finally, it's out of sight.
"If only Madam Shen could come to our house every day to bake steamed buns," Yan Shu said wistfully, looking at the last half bowl of scallion oil noodles and two spring rolls in her hand. "These noodles look like they only have soy sauce, salt, and oil, how can they be so delicious?"
Xie Qi turned around and finally couldn't help but flick his finger on the head, which was filled with food: "Enough is enough. Making people come to our house to bake steamed buns every day, is Grandfather going to have to do this ritual for forty-nine days? Chanting scriptures for so many days, is this going to help Grandfather in the underworld transcend to become an immortal?"
Yan Shu tilted his head, thinking, "Is it not allowed?"
"You, can't you think of anything else besides food? I told you to study and practice writing, but you don't. Otherwise, I could have taken you with me when I went to the academy." Xie Qi picked up the spring rolls on the plate and walked away. "I'm going to pay my respects to Grandma in her courtyard."
Yan Shu quickly finished the noodles in his bowl in a few bites and then hurriedly followed.
He wiped his mouth, made a face at Xie Qi's back, and thought, "What's so fun about studying and writing? I don't want to suffer at the academy!" Qiu Hao always lost five or six pounds every time he went to the academy with Ninth Brother! He had already said that the food at the academy was all steamed, steamed from morning till night, and it was extremely unpalatable.
He was already looking forward to tomorrow.
Yan Shu had made up his mind. He would calculate the exact time and sneak out to find Madam Chen.
Madam Shen has a good temper, so he asked her to cook some extra delicious food, which he then ate all by himself in the kitchen.
I won't tell Ninth Brother!
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