Chapter 36 Wild Chestnut Chicken Soup That night, the three members of the Shen family and their two dogs dreamed…
Hai Ge'er wasn't the only one tempted by Shen Miao's meticulously replicated bowl of "braised noodles".
Today, the doctor in charge of proctoring the imperial examination for children is named Yao. He is over sixty years old, with a square face full of wrinkles. His naturally slanted, angry eyes make him seem even more unapproachable. He was originally the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, but he was impeached by the censor for beating a high-ranking official in the street. However, the emperor took into consideration that there was a reason for the incident—the official who was beaten had just become engaged to Dr. Yao's granddaughter before the new year, but unexpectedly, her fiancé was encountered in Lianzi Lane.
During the Song Dynasty, it was common for people to frequent prostitutes, and no one criticized it. However, unlike the Pearl Curtain Lane, which was full of beautiful women and filled with music and dance, the "Lianzi Lane" was somewhat special—the people who entertained guests there were not women, but male prostitutes.
Upon learning of this, Dr. Yao broke off the engagement on the street and even grabbed the man and gave him a severe beating.
They broke both of the person's front teeth.
The government advocated for reconciliation between the two families, but Dr. Yao, with her strong-willed nature, refused to side with them. The family that had been beaten also refused to settle the matter privately, and so the affair became common knowledge. Young Lady Yao spent her days in tears, too afraid to even leave her house. The family that had been beaten then spread rumors and falsely accused others… and since it was a fact that a high-ranking official had been assaulted in the street, punishment was necessary. In the end, Dr. Yao, with his meager family and lack of connections, lost his official position and tarnished his reputation in a muddled manner, demoted from the position of Chancellor of the Imperial Academy to a low-ranking lecturer of the ninth grade.
Dr. Yao's children had all died young, leaving him with only this one granddaughter. So, he accepted his demotion and stayed at the Imperial Academy to teach, earning a meager salary to make ends meet. Dr. Yao's family was not from Bianjing. The three houses he bought when he was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, which were adjacent to the Academy, were still in debt to Xingguo Temple. This meant that the Yao family, which had suddenly fallen on hard times, had not tasted meat for many days.
To prevent cheating, all the doctors serving at Biyong Academy were given a holiday. Today, he was transferred from the Imperial Academy to Biyong Academy to proctor the exam. However, proctoring the preliminary exams for children didn't require much work. The local militia would handle the patrols. Dr. Yao only needed to deal with some emergencies in the "C" exam room: for example, if someone mistakenly went to the wrong exam room, he had to send someone to take them to the correct place before the exam started; or if someone fainted during the exam, he had to cross out their name and carry them out to their family; or if someone cheated, he had to cross out their name and expel them, never to take the exam again.
Nothing happened all morning. Dr. Yao sat slumped in his armchair, read a book for a while, graded some students' assignments, and then became so sleepy that his head fell to the ground. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a strong fragrance suddenly waking him up from his slumber.
He sat up straight in the armchair, straightened his clothes, stroked his gray beard, and then stood up casually, asking the soldiers on duty nearby, "What smells so good?"
The soldier was the one who had just brought hot water to Shen Ji. He had seen him use the hot water to make a bowl of delicious and rich soup noodles, which contained eggs, meat, and vegetables, filling a large bowl... He swallowed hard as he recalled the memory, and replied with his hands clasped, "So that Dr. Yao may know, this aroma comes from... the boy named Shen Ji, number eighty-first in row C, column 81. This is the food prepared for him at home."
"The food you brought?" Dr. Yao sniffed. "Doesn't this smell like soup noodles?"
"It's soup noodles." Xiang Jun was seeing it for the first time, so he described it with great enthusiasm. "In this way, when you put a pot of hot water in, the dry noodles become soup noodles. After soaking, they are still distinct and each noodle is springy and chewy. Chen Ji slurped them up with great relish. They look chewy and springy, and they are not soft or mushy at all!"
Dr. Yao became interested and pretended to inspect the examination room. He walked to the 81st position in row C and saw that the child named Shen Ji had almost finished eating. He picked up the last piece of curly soup noodles and slurped it into his mouth like a whirlwind. The brown and oily soup splashed onto his lips. He wiped it with a handkerchief and saw that there were still some broken noodles and soup left in the bowl. He picked up the bowl again and ate it clean, soup and all.
Finally, he let out a soft burp.
"I'm so full, it was so delicious..." Shen Ji wiped his mouth and sweaty forehead with a handkerchief, tidied up the earthenware bowl, and felt very satisfied. He had eaten so many dishes cooked by his older sister, and every single one was delicious, but he loved this quick and easy soup noodles the most!
He was still savoring the moment when a shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Looking up, he saw an old man with a white beard, wearing a blue, wide-sleeved, round-necked official robe, a right-angled webbed headdress, and black leather official boots. He was standing with his hands behind his back, staring intently at him.
Shen Ji quickly stood up and bowed deeply: "This student greets the teacher."
He thought he had broken some rule, which was why the old proctor had come over. So he went through everything he had done from morning until now, and sweat was pouring down his forehead, but he still couldn't figure out what taboo he had broken.
But then, a deep, solemn voice from above asked:
"Young man, where did you buy these soup dumplings that you can eat after just boiling water?"
Shen Ji was stunned for a moment, then looked up and answered after a long while: "...I couldn't buy it anywhere, so my older sister made it."
Upon hearing this, the old gentleman frowned, his white eyebrows furrowing, a hint of regret in his expression.
Three years of living under someone else's roof had made Shen Ji adept at reading people's expressions. He quickly added, "So that you may know, sir, my family runs a soup noodle shop, located in Yangliu East Alley next to Jinliang Bridge. It's called Shen Ji Soup Noodle Shop. My elder sister's soup noodle making skills are a family tradition. Not only can she make soup noodles, but she can also make flatbread, steamed buns, and all kinds of pastries. We are unique in all of Bianjing!"
Dr. Yao took it all to heart, but coughed lightly and scolded, "You should be focused on your studies, how can you still be thinking about the family business? A gentleman does not waste words, and a scholar does not use words for profit. Now sit down! Focus on the questions and take the exam!"
"Yes." Shen Ji quickly sat down.
Dr. Yao put his hands behind his back, preparing to continue his rounds, when he heard another "tick." A rather chubby boy was sitting in the exam room diagonally opposite him. He stared blankly at the empty ceramic bowl that Shen Ji had put away, seemingly intoxicated by the aroma alone. Drooling slowly dripped from the corner of his mouth, which landed directly on the table.
His appearance was truly unsightly. Dr. Yao looked at him, speechless and disgusted, and walked away a few steps. He couldn't help but say to the soldier accompanying him, "The boys of Bianjing in our Great Song Dynasty have their minds swayed by a bowl of soup noodles. They have no willpower at all! If this continues, what hope is there for this country and this nation?"
The aroma of the soup dumplings had not yet dissipated, lingering in the air and wafting straight into people's noses. Xiang Jun absentmindedly echoed, "Yes, yes. Dr. Yao is right."
But in his heart he was thinking, Chenji Bakery... Yangliu East Lane, Jinliang Bridge... Hmm... After I finish my shift in a few days, I have to go there and try it out.
***
As time went by, lunchtime passed and the afternoon sun gradually began to set, and the number of people coming to buy things decreased even more, with even the vendors outside the examination hall reduced by more than half. But Ji-ge'er hadn't come out yet, and Shen Miao and Xiang-jie'er would have to wait a while longer. She got up and counted, and there were still about ten European-style breads left unsold. She wondered if they could be sold in the afternoon.
It's okay if we can't sell them. These things can last for several days. We can eat them for breakfast at home later. We can eat them whole or cut them up and grill them. We can also make sandwiches with some fried eggs, chicken and leafy greens.
She could also send some to Aunt Gu's family. Many people in the alley were talking about her, and Aunt Gu was always the one who spoke up for her, but Aunt Gu never mentioned it to her. She had overheard it a few times and kept it in mind.
Turning her head, she saw that Xiangjie was already a little sleepy from the sun. At this time of day, she would already be fast asleep, snoring softly, wrapped in her blanket. Children sleep more than adults, and the more they sleep, the faster they grow. So Shenmiao turned the large basket over, wiped it clean, and put her inside. With a place to lean against, she sat down and soon fell asleep.
Shen Miao moved to a more shady spot under the tree, placing the small basket containing the European-style bread on her lap and holding it. She hid the money box behind her waist. Feeling lazy from the sun, she simply closed her eyes and took a nap. Unexpectedly, a few moments later, several students wearing scholar's caps and white robes embroidered with phoenixes on the front of their robes walked out of the gate of Biyong Academy.
With their sleeves billowing in the wind, they walked in twos and threes, chatting and laughing.
Many people looked at them with envy in their eyes—they wore phoenix embroidery on their bodies, and these were obviously the top students of the Imperial Academy, the "Jiashe" (first-class students). Last year, 30% of the successful candidates in the imperial examination came from the upper-class students of the Imperial Academy in the inner city, and another 20% came from the Imperial Academy. Although these students were commoners now, in a few years, once they passed the examination and were released, they would become seventh-rank officials.
In particular, these young men were all quite handsome, and their casual stroll naturally drew everyone's attention.
Many sharp-eyed vendors approached one after another with their loads, only to be scolded and scattered by the servants accompanying the group. The group discussed their plans to climb Yaoshan Temple in the suburbs for a spring outing, but the young doctors, one of whom was the tallest and best-looking, seemed to notice something, their gaze falling on the crabapple tree beside the post road.
"Xie Jiu, what are you looking at?"
Shang An curiously followed his gaze and saw that the crabapple tree was covered in fallen petals as the wind blew. A young woman sat under the tree, her arms wrapped around a wicker basket on her lap, asleep against the tree. The pink and white petals covered her head and shoulders, making her look as if she had been caught in a sudden snowfall.
"What a beautiful young lady," another Meng San remarked.
Xie Qi had already walked over, and only when he got closer did he realize that there was a large basket under the tree, with Xiang Jie'er inside, sleeping in a crooked position, her cheeks rosy from the sun, and holding half a large steamed bun with small teeth marks on it.
He couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a smile.
His companion followed, glanced at the surroundings, and asked in surprise, "Do you recognize this woman selling pancakes?"
"Yes, Madam Shen is my friend."
If Ning Yi were here, he would surely echo excitedly, "Me too, me too." In the hearts of every foodie like Ning Yi, a chef who can make delicious food is a kindred spirit, like a flowing stream between mountains.
Although Shen Miao was asleep, she wasn't in a deep sleep. Several people were standing in front of her, blocking out the glaring sunlight and bringing a ray of shade. She woke up groggily and heard Xie Qi's words as soon as she woke up.
"Your Xie family is a prestigious and respectable family. People with shallow backgrounds can't even get close to your family. When did you get friends who sell pancakes on the street? Did you forget to pay the bill after eating their pancakes?" The companions put their arms around each other's shoulders and started chatting and laughing in twos and threes.
"This is a humble abode, but my virtue makes it fragrant. As with a humble abode, so too with friendships," Xie Qi retorted calmly, silencing his companions with a single sentence. "However, Madam Chen's pancakes are indeed delicious; I have certainly tasted them."
Shen Miao rubbed her eyes, straightened up, and was covered in fallen petals.
She opened her eyes and saw Xie Qi standing in front of her, dressed neatly in the academy's clothes.
Seeing that she was awake, he smiled instinctively.
"I know you are well, Madam Shen. I guessed you would come today when the children took the exam." His eyes were dark and he always looked at people with great focus, like a deep spring, quiet and still. "And I did meet you."
As soon as he came out, Xie Qi subconsciously looked around.
Shen Miao smiled and said, "I came to send Ji Ge'er to the exam, so I just waited for him here..." She looked at the other students behind him who looked surprised, as if Xie Qi had indeed struck up a conversation with her so naturally that it surprised them all. "Is Ninth Brother going out to play? Yan Shu isn't with him? Oh right, I remember now, Yan Shu is at home."
“Yes, let’s go to Yaoshan Temple to climb up and see the beautiful sunset over the golden mountain.” Xie Qi was extremely patient. “Yan Shu can’t read and never comes to the academy with me. He’s always fooling around at home.” He then turned his head and pointed to the thirteen or fourteen-year-old page behind him. “This is Qiu Hao. Madam Chen should have seen him before.”
Shen Miao remembered that she had met Xie once at his home.
The handsome and composed page carried Xie Qi's book box and bowed very politely.
She returned the greeting.
"What a pleasant mood. The mountain road is difficult to walk. Ninth Brother, would you like some food? I just made some today." Shen Miao didn't forget to make money while exchanging pleasantries. He held up the wicker basket in his hand and joked with a smile, "This kind of steamed bun is called Purple Robe and Golden Belt. If you eat this bun, you will definitely become a high-ranking official in the future."
"What a mercenary wife," a companion behind Xie Qi sneered.
Shang An nudged the man with his elbow and whispered, "Alright, why do you always have to be so nosy?"
Xie Qi ignored her and instead looked down at Shen Miao's words. He saw that the flatbread was baked to a golden brown with a hint of purple, plump and round, with a ring of crushed peanuts in the middle. He smiled and said, "Chen Niangzi's name is really fitting. Was the color of this flatbread dyed with mulberry? It's dyed very well."
He looked up at the sky and said, "In a little while, the children's examination should be over soon."
He turned around and pointed to the steamed buns: "Sell them all to me, Madam Chen. You're going back to the inner city, it's a long way, so it'll be easier for you to head back home sooner."
Shen Miao was taken aback, then felt embarrassed: "That's not what I meant."
Xie Qi said, "I know."
He paused, then explained, "There are many of us, so we originally intended to buy this much."
Shen Miao then gave all the baskets in her hands to Xie Qi, and instead of charging him twelve coins, she sold them for ten coins each.
"You don't need to worry. The imperial examination for children is not difficult. If Ji-ge'er studies hard these days, he will definitely do well on the exam." Xie Qi picked up the wicker basket, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and was about to leave.
Shen Miao felt a warmth in her heart and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Ninth Brother."
The two bowed to each other as a farewell, but Xie Qi suddenly looked at her again when he stood up.
Shen Miao was unaware of his meaning, thinking he had something else to say. But she saw a slight hesitation appear in his clear eyes, and the next moment, he reached out and gently brushed away the fine fallen petals from Shen Miao's shoulder.
As the flowers fell, he said, "Farewell, Madam Shen."
Shen Miao paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Goodbye."
Afterwards, she watched Xie Qi and his companions walk away into the distance. Their figures gradually disappeared at the end of the post road, and Shen Miao gently touched her chest, which had inexplicably become hot.
Before she could even savor the sudden flutter in her heart, the bell rang again in the academy.
This time, as the bell tolled melodiously, a crowd poured out of the magnificent gate. Her attention was immediately drawn to it, and she picked up Xiangjie from the large basket and carried her on her shoulder: "Xiangjie, see if Jige has come out yet?"
Xiangjie was still half asleep. She had just been dreaming of majestically taming Leiting, the puppy, and the three chicks, holding a grand assembly for them, when she was suddenly woken up. She could only groggily hug her older sister's head and strain her eyes. Her eyes were sore from looking so hard when she finally saw Jige, who was being squeezed in the crowded throng like a small boat tossed about.
She immediately started waving her hand vigorously, trying to make herself a conspicuous sign.
"Brother! Brother! We're here!"
Shen Ji heard the call in the crowd, turned around and saw her younger sister sitting on her older sister's shoulders, her face still bearing a ring of red marks from sleeping, the marks still neatly striated like vines.
His heart was instantly at ease, and he immediately ran towards them.
Xie Qi, who had walked away, was surrounded by his companions. Meng San, with a cheeky grin, put his arm around his shoulder and pressed him, "Something's not right, something's really not right, Ninth Brother, how come you're so close to that cake lady? What's going on? Tell us quickly!"
The other person nodded emphatically, exclaiming, "Xie Jiu, Xie Jiu, the daughter of Doctor Feng from the academy, Feng Qiniang, is exceptionally talented. Her poems and essays are widely circulated among young women. She comes to the school every day to wait for you, asking you to look at her new poems and essays. You never say much to her, always saying that you are already engaged. Why are you treating this pancake seller so differently now?"
“Yes… Bozhi is right. Wait! Wait! I saw that the woman selling pancakes clearly had her hair styled in a married woman's bun, but she was out making a living alone with her child. Could she be a widow? Well, Xie Jiu! Could it be that you also have that fetish of climbing over widows' walls? So… so you also like widows!” Meng San stroked his chin and reasoned for a while, then shouted in even greater shock.
Shang An hadn't participated in his classmates' teasing of Xie Qi. He was unscrewing his leather water pouch and tilting his head back to drink water when he was amused by the remark and spat out a mouthful of hot tea. He wanted to laugh but choked, and bent over coughing incessantly.
"What do you mean by 'also' liking it? You're not talking about me, you're talking about yourself." Xie Qi remained calm, casually taking a purple-robed, gold-embroidered steamed bun from the basket and stuffing it into the incessantly annoying mouth. "Xiang-jie'er isn't Shen Niangzi's child, she's her sister... Never mind, why am I telling you all this? Just eat this bun, and you'll understand why I'm familiar with her."
Caught off guard, Meng San's mouth was stuffed full of food. He couldn't swallow it or spit it out, and he could only mumble and groan, unable to utter any more annoying words. Seeing his predicament, everyone burst into laughter.
"Huh? This looks really delicious. The chef's skills are indeed excellent." After finally chewing a few times and swallowing, Meng San looked at Xie Qi with surprise and delight. "Did you really become friends with her just because her pancakes are so delicious?"
"What do you mean by 'yielding'? That's not right." Xie Qi frowned disapprovingly. "In this world, all people are of the same kind. Why should we look down on each other because of our different social status? I believe that the noble need not be arrogant, and the lowly need not be humble. The difference between noble and lowly is merely the amount of wealth accumulated by one's ancestors. What does it have to do with the person? Whether one is a scholar or a pancake seller, a farmer, artisan, or merchant, it's just a difference in occupation. Does that mean that peddlers or cart drivers cannot have lofty ambitions and talents? You all admire Feng Qiniang's poetry and prose, but I find it all frivolous and pretentious, nothing but the affected moaning of women in their boudoirs. Feng Qiniang was born into a noble family, loved by her parents, and had no worries about food or clothing. That's why she pretends to be sad even though she doesn't know how. Actually, there's nothing wrong with that; on the contrary, it's a great fortune. But what good is such fortune? In my eyes, although Chen Niangzi is not well-versed in poetry and prose, she is more insightful and lovable."
Shang An and Meng San listened and fell into deep thought.
Xie Qi looked up; the setting sun was half-hidden, its afterglow struggling to pierce through the clouds. He slowed his pace and stood still, watching quietly for a long while.
His companions, however, began pressing Meng San about which widow he liked, and talked about other things, paying no attention to him. They walked forward, laughing and joking, their voices echoing in his ears.
Only Xie Qi kept gazing at the setting sun in the west, a gentle smile slowly appearing in his eyes as if he were thinking of something.
—My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven.
I believe that one day I will be able to live a good life with my own hands.
Xie Qi had never thought about why he was always willing to get close to Lady Shen, but after being questioned by his classmates today, he suddenly realized the reason. In ancient times, there was Bo Ya who played the zither and Zi Qi who listened to it. One was a zither player and the other was a woodcutter. Their statuses were very different, but they could communicate with each other through the music and their aspirations were in harmony. Thus, they became a beautiful story of kindred spirits throughout the ages.
Isn't he the same way?
Dividing people into different classes and treating them accordingly is perhaps inherently wrong.
He felt as if all the chaos in his mind had been washed away, and his steps became lighter. He quickly caught up with his classmates and friends, who kept pestering him to reveal who the widow Meng San admired was.
In the distance, a sea of children emerged from their exams in the afterglow of the setting sun; nearby, a cool breeze brushed against their sleeves, carrying the joyful laughter of the young men.
***
That evening, under the pretext of celebration, Shen Miao, Ji Ge'er, and Xiang Jie'er locked themselves in a room and indulged in a large pot of wild chestnut and chicken soup. Ji Ge'er, feeling rather embarrassed, whispered, "I still don't know if I'll pass the exam..."
Isn't it a bit too reckless to celebrate right after the exam?
Shen Miao tied her sleeves and went into the kitchen. She turned back and smiled, "I don't care about all that. You've been studying hard for over a month. Whether you pass the exam or not, we should celebrate your efforts."
After she finished speaking, she went into the kitchen to check on the chicken soup. She didn't see that Ji Ge'er's face turned red and his eyes sparkled as if the starlight in the sky had fallen into his eyes.
Xiangjie tilted her head back, circled her brother twice, and giggled, "Brother, why is your face so red? Your sister is praising you, and you're secretly happy, aren't you? Then just laugh it off!"
"I didn't!" Shen Ji said angrily, raising his hand to pull his sister's cheeks apart.
"Ouch! You stinky bro!"
The brother and sister outside started playing around again, but Shen Miao ignored them. They always knew their limits when they were being noisy, so there was no need to interfere.
She grabbed a clean cloth to keep warm, then lifted the lid of the pot. Steam rose and enveloped her face. The chicken soup, which had been simmering over a low flame for a day, was bubbling gently. The soup had turned a bright yellow and was rich and flavorful, with yellow chicken fat floating on the surface. The peeled chestnuts were so soft that they would crumble at the slightest touch with chopsticks.
The chickens at home weren't fat enough, and Xiangjie wouldn't allow them to be killed. Of course, Shenmiao didn't intend to kill them either; she just wanted to keep them to lay eggs for breeding. So, she bought the chicken from a chicken vendor at the market yesterday. It was a genuine Zhengyang Sanhuang chicken, small in size, but with very firm meat. To save a penny on slaughtering the chicken, Shenmiao carried it home herself, carrying it by its feet, and went to slit its throat, bleed it, pluck its feathers, and gut it.
The house was also preparing to have its roof tiles laid these past two days, and the house was piled high with freshly fired tiles, leaving no room to even step. So she could only boil water, bring out the chopping board and cleaver, and squat in the alley to kill a chicken, which was seen by Gu Tusu, who was returning from delivering wine.
With a swift motion, she slit the chicken's throat, but it suddenly struggled, and blood splattered out. After collecting the blood, Shen Miao plucked the feathers from the chicken in hot water.
She sliced open the chicken breastbone with a knife, and without batting an eye, pulled out the chicken's internal organs. She even washed the chicken intestines while she was at it. She didn't mind the smelly chicken innards at all; in her eyes, these things had been transformed into delicious dishes: she could make a stir-fried chicken giblets dish later, add some ginger and sour sauce, and it would be so delicious, spicy, and crunchy.
The ginger sauce made by the Song people tasted similar to pickled peppers, and it was quite delicious.
Thinking about it made her a little hungry. Chen Miao didn't care about the mess on the ground at all, and even swallowed.
After washing the chicken, she also removed the chicken kidneys. Then, with her hands covered in chicken blood, she looked up and saw Gu Tusu staring blankly at her. With her back against the wall, she quietly slipped into the opposite door.
She shrugged and continued chopping the chicken, finishing in less than fifteen minutes.
After sweeping up the bloodstains, I went inside to get a mirror and realized that I had made a mistake today; my face and clothes were covered in bloodstains.
She sheepishly washed herself clean, and she looked rather scary.
But so what? Which chef didn't start out like this? These are just the basics! Who has spent over a decade in a restaurant kitchen slaughtering chickens, ducks, fish, beef, lamb, pork, rabbits, bullfrogs, oysters, geese...?
My heart is as cold as the knife in my hand.
The chicken was killed the night before, and the soup was simmered in the early morning. Shen Miao was used to going to the early market, so she got up before dawn as usual, first stir-frying the chicken with ginger slices until fragrant, then adding it directly to boiling water to simmer for a while. The wild chestnuts were also bought when buying the chicken—chestnuts are easy to store, and these were chestnuts harvested by farmers last winter, which were covered with wheat straw and stored in the snow all winter, to be picked out and sold in the spring.
Shen Miao bought the chestnuts at just the right time. The farmer who had come to town to sell chestnuts with a shoulder pole said that after selling his last load today, he would have none left and would have to wait until next year to eat them.
Chestnuts stored away in the snow and winter will appear as hard little stones due to partial dehydration, but as soon as they come into contact with soup, they will be instantly revitalized, becoming even sweeter and more tender than fresh chestnuts. These wild chestnuts are very resilient and, especially when simmered in chicken soup, are a perfect match.
As soon as Shen Miao lifted the lid of the pot, a fragrant aroma filled the room.
As soon as they smelled the aroma, Xiangjie, who was chasing and playing with Jige in the yard and insisted on pinching him back, and the little dog behind her who was also chasing after him for no apparent reason, ran in almost at the same time.
Xiang Jie rummaged around on the stove, tiptoed, and peered into the pot.
The chicken soup, simmered carefully over a low flame for a whole day, was like amber, clear and not cloudy, with golden oil droplets that shimmered slightly white under the stove fire, glistening and inviting.
The chestnuts, which had been simmering at the bottom of the soup until they burst open and the flesh was golden, were scooped out spoonful by spoonful by my sister.
Xiangjie couldn't wait to start drinking the soup as soon as she stood by the stove.
She blew on the bowl repeatedly, looking extremely anxious. Meanwhile, her older sister ladled out all the soup from a large earthenware jar. The remaining chicken carcass, meat scraps, and broth, cooked until the meat had separated from the broth, were mixed with rice and made a hearty dog meal for the puppy and Leiting. She planned to give it to them once it cooled down.
When the soup was finally edible, Xiangjie felt warm all over and lightheaded. The chicken was stewed until tender, its flesh filled with broth, and the chestnuts were golden, soft, sweet, and almost melt-in-your-mouth. She couldn't stop drinking it.
Shen Miao quickly washed the pot again and stir-fried a plate of chicken giblets and a plate of braised chicken blood tofu.
The three siblings of the Shen family sat under the lamplight, drinking sweet and fragrant chicken soup, accompanied by sour and spicy stir-fried chicken giblets with ginger sauce, delicate and tender chicken blood tofu, and two bowls of mixed grain rice. They ate until they sat down and rubbed their stomachs, and then couldn't help but smile at each other.
The puppy nestled at their feet, engrossed in gnawing on a chicken bone. Hearing their laughter, it wagged its tail.
The warm, flickering candlelight spilled through the paper windows, illuminating the courtyard. The chicks had already gone back to their nests and were huddled together asleep. At the gate, Thunder's large head rested on its front paws, as always, lying quietly on the platform. Its chicken soup and rice bowl was empty, and the warm light shining through the crack in the door illuminated its slightly trembling, now relaxed ears.
That night, the three members of the Shen family and their two dogs were burping in their dreams.
A few days later, the last tile was laid on the three newly built tiled houses of the Shen family, the last piece of gravel in the yard was tamped into the soil, and the first batch of wood ear vegetables sprouted from the two small vegetable plots that had been cultivated. The three siblings, Shen Miao and her brother, finally each had their own house, and excitedly spent a day moving out of the shop.
The shop was repainted and new doors were installed. The two windows that had been sealed off were opened for the first time in a long time and covered with new green gauze.
The once-burnt-down Shenji Soup Dumpling Shop has finally been given a new look.
One early morning, just as dawn was breaking, Aunt Li yawned as she removed the door panels from Li's porcelain repair shop. As she looked up, she suddenly noticed that at Chenji Soup and Pancake Shop, not far from her own shop, two peach wood boards painted with the demon-quelling gods "Shen Tu" and "Yu Lei" had been hung on the two newly painted doorposts.
She rubbed her eyes and peeked out. The old redwood signboard with black characters that had been removed from Chenji Tangbing Shop was now hanging above the door, gleaming with a simple light in the cool morning light.
As she leaned against the doorframe and gazed into the distance, a bittersweet feeling welled up within her.
Three years have passed, and the Shen family's soup noodle shop, which was destroyed and burned to the ground, is finally about to reopen.
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