Chapter 91 Pea Shoot Claypot Rice, Pea Shoot Soup
Springtime flavors include toon sprouts, bamboo shoots, and cotton vegetables, but there is one more ingredient that is absolutely indispensable—I once heard a saying in my past life: "Pea shoots are the heart and soul of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan."
The Sichuan-Chongqing region seems to have a strong preference for pea shoots.
However, Shen Miao's Sichuan friends usually call peas "pea spikes". As a native Sichuanese, the only clear broth hot pot she loves is "pea spike hot pot". Even if you don't eat hot pot, just blanch the pea spikes in clear water with a little salt and a few drops of sesame oil, and you can preserve their fresh, tender, crisp and sweet original flavor.
One bite and it's so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off; they say even the water used to blanch peas is delicious.
Shen Miao's favorite way to eat it is to use "pea shoots" in a hot pot with beef or mutton. The tender leaves cling to the rich animal fat in the pot and are eaten with the meat. Every bite is fragrant and smooth, as if it can completely neutralize the greasiness of the meat. With the addition of "pea shoots", you can eat two more plates of meat.
In short, it seems that no matter how you eat, it's comfortable.
There are several excellent times to eat pea shoots: spring peas sown in early spring, autumn peas sown in early August and eaten in September, and winter peas sown in October and eaten in November.
However, due to the limitations of current planting technology, autumn and winter pea shoots are not commonly seen in Bianjing, where it is still quite cold at this time.
People in the Song Dynasty also ate pea shoots. Common ways to prepare them were to make soup, mix them with tofu, and even use them to make pea shoot buns. However, it was rare to see them used in hot pot.
Pea shoots grow quickly, reaching four to five inches in about a month. At this point, the tender buds at the top are fresh and the leaves are bright green, so they must be harvested immediately. Otherwise, if they grow any bigger, they won't qualify as "pea shoots." Not to mention that after flowering, they completely lose their flavor, becoming too tough and chewy. At that point, it's best to leave them in the soil to continue growing peas.
Thanks to that friend, Shen Miao also became an expert in identifying qualified "pea peas".
The cold wind howled, making the colorful banners on the street flutter. Shen Miao, wrapped in a thick cotton coat and wearing a woolen hat, with her hands tucked into her sleeves, was squatting with Xie Qi, who was dressed similarly, in front of a vegetable stall on the side of the street.
The two men stared intently at the large baskets of vibrant green pea shoots that the farmer was selling, which had been freshly picked from the ground.
After a few days of rare sunny weather, a cold snap arrived.
A spring rain and a night of cold wind have turned Bianjing into a frozen solid. Chen Miao had no choice but to hastily dig out the winter clothes she had just put away and put them back on. She had been woken up several times last night by the damp, cold weather and couldn't fall back asleep, so she decided to get up early and go to the morning market.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she got up, she saw a head peeking out from the top of the courtyard wall, and heard the person say, "Good morning, Madam Shen."
Shen Miao looked up and saw Xie Qi climbing over her wall.
Being tall has its advantages. Her yard wall is 1.8 meters high, and this person is taller than the wall even when standing barefoot. If he tiptoes and puts in some effort, he might be able to climb over it.
"Aren't you afraid of pricking your hand?" Shen Miao hurriedly went to open the door, welcomed him in, and asked, "Why are you up so early?"
"My father... kept writing doggerel in his dreams all night, which kept me awake, so I got up." Xie Qi, wearing a thick fur cloak and looking distressed, walked in today.
Upon hearing this, Shen Miao couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
Ever since Xie's father came to the shop to eat noodles with toon leaves that day, he naturally moved into the small house in Ninth Brother's West Alley.
Unfortunately, the house in the west alley has only a few rooms. Usually, only the master and his servants live there, and there are no extra rooms prepared. It is not appropriate to let Xie's father live in the servants' room, so now the father and son can only squeeze together to sleep.
Mr. Xie was naturally entrusted by Madam Xi to come and perform the six rites for his son. He even brought the birth chart!
Most importantly, he wanted to meet his son's sweetheart. This daughter-in-law, who came from humble beginnings, was said to have been met by the whole family except him, and he had been sulking about it for several days.
"You all kept this from me. Aren't I Ninth Brother's father? Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing? You're all secretly happy, while you treat me like a fool." She was almost in tears as she spoke.
He was only angry because he found out about the engagement right before it happened; he didn't care at all about the fact that they weren't a good match.
This was also within Xi's expectations.
Back then, before the pride of the noble aristocracy was shattered, Ah Chong had already endured the cold stares and ridicule of others to marry her, the daughter of a coarse military officer.
While planning to calculate the accounts, Madam Xi coaxed her husband in a perfunctory yet skillful manner: "Why do you care so much, my lord? This is not something I'm hiding from you; it's just that I wanted to entrust you with such an important matter as performing the six rites. You are Ninth Brother's father, so naturally it should be you who takes care of it for him. Such an important matter is best left to you."
Upon hearing this, Xie's father's sorrow immediately vanished: "So that's how it is. Chun Jun, don't worry, I'll take care of this! There's no time to lose, I'll set off for the capital tomorrow... no, today, to find the best matchmaker for Ninth Brother!"
He arrived in Bianjing in such a whirlwind.
He didn't even send a letter to his son beforehand. After arriving, he asked Ning Niangzi to keep it a secret and not reveal who was in charge of the Xie family. He then secretly came to the shop to eat soup noodles.
To this end, he changed into the new clothes made by the embroiderer at home, trimmed his beard, and pretended to be gentle and composed.
Mr. Xie appeared at Shenji Tangbing Shop with an air of superiority. As soon as he entered, he saw his son's handwriting and paintings. He looked at them from beginning to end and gave them a careful evaluation.
The Xie family is renowned for the exquisite beauty of their poetry and prose. Although their calligraphy is not as famous as that of the Wang family, it has its own unique style.
Xie Qi's calligraphy and painting were naturally also quite good.
Especially these few pictures posted in the shop, perhaps written with deep feeling, appear particularly tender and moving, making one want to smile upon seeing them. No wonder the family knew about Ninth Brother's feelings sooner or later.
Having seen these calligraphy and paintings, who wouldn't recognize them?
After reading and appreciating it, Xie's father felt a slight ripple in his heart. It was truly blatant and undisguised.
Young man.
This made him accept the cramped and old house he only had to live in, and he immediately patted Ninth Brother's arm and said, "There's no need to prepare another room! Ever since you grew up, you and I, father and son, have rarely had the opportunity to talk by candlelight and sleep side by side. This is just right."
As a result, Xie's father slept very well, but Xie Qi suffered.
"Your dad even writes poetry in his dreams." Just by looking at his appearance, you really wouldn't guess that this handsome, refined-looking uncle has such a completely different personality inside.
Shen Miao couldn't help but laugh, her shoulders shaking. "Everyone says that Li Bai could write three hundred poems when drunk, but he still can't compare to Uncle Xie's ability to compose poems in his dreams."
Xie Qi looked at her with a helpless expression.
The eye drops Yan Shu bought were quite effective. Xie Qi had been using the drops for three or four days, and the swelling had gone down and the tears had stopped, although his eyelids were still a little red, as if they had been rubbed raw. He wasn't saying anything at the moment, just staring at people with those red eyes, naturally giving off a somewhat aggrieved look.
When Shen Miao was looked at like that, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly swallowed back her smile: "I'll go heat up some porridge."
She quickly slipped away.
Everyone else in the family was still fast asleep, and Yanshu hadn't gotten up either. The two of them ate some simple hot porridge and side dishes, and seeing that it was still early, they went out together to buy groceries.
Unexpectedly, after only a few steps outside, I was lucky enough to encounter the first batch of pea shoots of this spring.
In Bianjing, pea shoots are planted at the end of February, and harvesting them now means they are at their tenderest. Even the leaf stalks at the very bottom are so tender that they can be easily pinched off, which means the entire pea shoot is fresh and tender, so there's no need to just pinch off the tips.
Shen Miao had to be very careful when she picked them up to weigh them, because the pea shoots were so tender they were practically dripping with water, and they could easily break if she wasn't careful. After carefully selecting and confirming that they were all fresh, Shen Miao bought all the pea shoots the vegetable vendor had for the day.
Buy more; we can eat it ourselves today, sell pea shoot noodles at the shop, and it will also come in handy when we make meals for the group this afternoon.
At this time of year, chives are at their tenderest, and they're especially delicious when pan-fried with taro. Yesterday, quite a few minor officials ordered pan-fried chives and taro with sausage rice. Shen Miao had been pondering what soup to make for today, but now it seems that this rich and fragrant sausage rice, paired with pea shoot and tofu soup, would be perfect.
Xie Qi carried two large baskets, and Shen Miao carried two small baskets.
The two then went home again, stepping through the morning dew.
Xie Qi didn't speak the whole way. Perhaps because his eyes were uncomfortable and he hadn't slept well, he seemed quiet and dazed. Shen Miao glanced at him from the side and saw that he was forcing his eyelids open, almost falling asleep while walking, he was really too sleepy.
When they got home, Shen Miao handed Qilin to him and gently urged him to go to sleep for a while: "Isn't your room occupied by Uncle Xie? Why don't you rest in Ji Ge'er's room for a bit? It's still early, and look, Yan Shu hasn't come over yet. He's probably still sleeping. Let Qilin keep you company so you can have a good nap."
Xie Qi was stuffed with a cat and then forcefully pushed into the house by Shen Miao.
He was stunned as he was pushed back onto the bed.
“I changed and washed Ji-ge’er’s bed sheets and mattress after he left, so you can sleep peacefully.” Shen Miao turned around and rolled down the curtain hanging on the window. Before closing the door, she added with a stern face, “Go to sleep, and don’t come out until you’ve slept for a full hour.”
Xie Qi held the Qilin in his arms, smiled helplessly, and gently followed her figure with his gaze, softly replying, "Yes."
Shen Miao closed the door and turned around, only to see A Tao clinging to a pillar, silently chuckling at her. Shen Miao walked over, annoyed, and lightly flicked her forehead: "Go open the shop, what are you grinning about?"
"Okay, okay, I'll go right away." Atao raised her hand to cover her forehead, but laughed even more heartily, and skipped off to open the shop.
Listening to the sound of the door panels being removed one by one, a typical day at Chenji Tangbing Shop began.
Aunt Nian and Youyu arrived shortly after.
Accompanying them was Ding Wushi, a man as burly as a small mountain. According to Atao, he was Liu Doukou's betrothed, a high-ranking official.
Two days ago, Ding Wushi came to try out the job. When Shen Miao saw his burly figure, she felt half relieved. Ding Wushi was only a little shorter than Ninth Brother, but he was as strong as two Ninth Brothers combined. When he stood at the kitchen door, he could almost block the door.
Sure enough, Ding Wushi's physique allowed him to stir-fry and toss the wok with ease.
Liu Doukou was worried that day, so she came over to check and whispered to Shen Miao, "Sister, Wu Shi used to be a kitchen helper at Kangji Restaurant, but Kangji was not well managed and laid off two or three cooks and waiters not long after the New Year. Wu Shi was one of them."
“However, he wasn’t fired because of poor skills or because he made any mistakes. He was fired because he was the youngest and not good at networking. Kangji only has two master chefs left now.” Liu Doukou continued to explain, “Sister, do you know that Kangji also makes meals for large workshops and kilns? But I heard from Wushi that Kangji is not as prosperous as people say. It’s not doing very well now and I guess it won’t last long.”
Shen Miao nodded slightly.
She already knew that Kangji was learning to prepare group meals.
However, it seems that Kangji is cutting costs too hard. Shen Miao overheard one of the idlers she hired say that some people in the yamen had also bought meals from Kangji, and they all said that many of the vegetables were overcooked and some were overcooked, indicating that they didn't like the food. There were also complaints about the quality of Kangji's plates and the monotonous menu.
Shen Miao's business has not been affected. She is now receiving 150 meals a day, so she has not paid much attention to it.
That day, Shen Miao tried a few of the dishes Ding Wushi cooked and then kept him on the team. He basically met Shen Miao's requirements for a fast food restaurant cook: strong, with basic cooking skills, honest, and hardworking. What was especially rare was that Ding Wushi was extremely clean.
When Shen Miao watched him cook, although his movements weren't particularly fast, the way he wiped the stove while cooking immediately won her heart—she liked cooks who were clean and tidy.
Many cooks are delicious, but after preparing a meal, their stoves are a mess, littered with vegetable scraps, blood, and all sorts of food residue, and the pots are greasy and disgusting. It's truly remarkable that these cooks, without the supervision of the health bureau, still maintain such cleanliness.
Half of the shop on Yujie Street has been renovated, and the blacksmith shop will deliver the cookware today. Shen Miao thought that today she would take Ding Wushi, Aunt Nian and two deliverymen to move the vegetables, seasonings and other items to the new shop, start a fire there to try cooking, and if there are no problems, the group meals will be operated there in the future.
Shen Miao would visit every day and would also inform Ding Wushi the night before about the dishes and soups on the menu. For example, before blanching vegetables, add a little salt and oil to the pot so that the blanched vegetables will stay green and not turn yellow; when steaming rice, add a few drops of vinegar and oil beforehand to make the steamed rice more delicious.
Details matter. Although her fast food restaurant doesn't have many novel dishes, the taste has always been good, and that's why. Every home-style dish on Shen Miao's menu actually has some unique tricks in cooking.
While Tang Er and Fu Xing were selling sweet porridge, pies, and roast duck in the morning, and there was nothing for Chen Miao to do, she took out her son, Shiyi Lang, and together with Ding Wushi, loaded the ingredients needed for today's family meal onto the donkey cart.
Pea shoots are most susceptible to breakage from pressure, so they are kept in a basket and carried in one's hand.
After Ding Wushi tied up the vegetables and meat in the basket, he consciously drove the donkey outside.
Today, Shiyilang wore a new hat: a Western cowboy hat with upturned brims on both sides, complete with a windproof cord tied around his chin. The hat was based on a drawing by Chen Miao, woven from wheat straw by Atao, and it actually looked quite authentic. He also wore a bell around his neck and a small red scarf.
The cowboy donkey set off, pulling the cart with great style.
The half-room shop that Shen Miao had rented had changed drastically. It turned out that its owner sold roe deer meat, and the floor and walls of the shop were covered with years of filth and grease.
Later, it was divided into two rooms with wooden boards. Yao Luoge had the original owner clean it, but there was still a lingering meaty smell in Shen Miao's room. Shen Miao cleaned it several times and had the bricklayer repaint the walls and lay terrazzo tiles on the floor before it gradually looked decent.
Although it was rented, Shen Miao still paved the floor with bricks. Her fast food restaurant was very close to the government office, so she didn't want it to be too shabby. She knew the clerks would be unhappy if they found out that their daily meals were made in such a dirty kitchen.
She wants everything to be neat, beautiful, and fragrant, so that passersby will nod in approval and find nothing wrong with it. Making simple home-style dishes requires special care and attention to detail; this is key to retaining customers. If you neglect these qualities because you're making simple dishes, you'll easily be replaced.
Shen Miao had also asked Cai the tiler, who said that it wouldn't matter if the lease wasn't renewed in the future, as the floor tiles could still be pried up and taken away. At that time, most bricks were made of rammed earth and stone, and were not as fragile and difficult to pry up as the ceramic tiles used in later generations.
Upon entering the shop, there were three small tables in the narrow storefront. Like Shen's shop, a half-wall counter separated the front shop from the kitchen, so most of this half of the shop was used as the kitchen.
The newly built stove is also a connected stove like Shen Ji's, with particularly large burners specifically designed for large iron pots, connected to two water stoves. You could say that the kitchen here is a miniature version of Shen Ji's kitchen.
Shen Miao nodded in satisfaction as she entered and began to sort and put away the pots, pans, vegetables, fruits, rice, and seasonings she had brought.
Then he made another trip and brought back firewood.
The group worked tirelessly for half a day before it was finished.
With everything ready, Shen Miao stood to the side, watching Ding Wushi cook the large pot of dishes.
First, steam the sausage and taro together, then cook the rice in an oiled clay pot. Next, prepare today's stir-fried dishes.
The most important part of making pan-fried taro with chives is that the chives shouldn't be cooked for too long, otherwise they'll become tough and lose their aroma. So, prepare the chives after the taro is steamed.
Take the steamed taro out separately, and slice it without steaming it too soft. Mash it in a pot with a spatula, remembering to leave some pieces and not mash it into a paste.
Next, heat oil in a wok and stir-fry the taro with some spicy dogwood, pickled ginger, salt, soy sauce, and cumin until it is dry. Then, turn the firewood off and reduce the heat to low, and slowly fry the taro until it is slightly charred.
While waiting, I quickly chopped the chives and coriander into short, small pieces.
"Cut quickly, don't make the cutting board all wet with juice. If all the juice comes out, the chives won't taste good later," Shen Miao reminded him from the side. Ding Wushi was so nervous that sweat was beading on his forehead. After he finished cutting, he quickly wiped it off with the handkerchief around his neck.
At this point, the taro in the pan is fried to perfection, so add the chives and coriander together.
Once stir-fried evenly, turn off the heat.
Making Chinese sausage rice is actually a bit like making claypot rice. Cut the Chinese sausage, spread it in a circle on the steamed rice, crack a couple of eggs in the middle, cover it with the lid of the big clay pot and continue cooking.
Next, prepare the sauce: two tablespoons of soy sauce, cooled boiled water, one tablespoon of sugar, and a little shrimp paste for flavor. Mix well and pour it into the rice where the egg has been cooked until it's half done. That's it.
Finally, there's pea shoot soup, which is also simple and quick.
"Wushi, slice the garlic and sauté until fragrant, then pan-fry the tofu until slightly golden brown. Add water and bring to a boil, add salt, and once the water boils again, add the pea shoots, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and it's ready to serve." Shen Miao practically watched him do it step by step.
Ding Wushi struggled to keep up with Shen Miao's instructions. This was his first day preparing meals for the group, and he couldn't afford to mess it up!
This soup is the same regardless of the meal order, so we make a lot of it. After it's cooked, we start to portion it into small earthenware pots and cover them with double lids—we add an extra layer of clay strips to make it an inset lid so it's less likely to tip over.
Then we started on the other dishes: minced pork with eggplant, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and poached chicken.
Ding Wushi swung the spatula until it was almost smoking, and his arms were trembling from exhaustion after all the work. Finally, he finished preparing all the meals. Aunt Nian and two idle men who regularly delivered the meals immediately came forward to help with the loading. Afterward, they pulled the oxcart and donkey cart to deliver the meals to the entertainment district, the government office, and various watchtowers.
Ding Wushi also breathed a sigh of relief, slumped down on the stool next to him, panting and wiping away sweat. He was used to doing odd jobs in the kitchen, and his arms were sore at this moment.
"You've worked hard, Wu Shi. This job only requires a short time each day. The rest of the time, you can prepare the dishes slowly with Aunt Nian. I promised Dou Kou that I would give you three and a half strings of cash a month. From now on, you will receive a fixed increase in your monthly salary every year, just like the other employees and kitchen helpers at Shen's. What do you think? If it's okay, this shop will be in your hands from now on."
Ding Wushi nodded heavily: "I'll do it."
Back at Kangji, he was paid as a kitchen helper, doing even more work each day for less money. He also had to be assigned tasks by the old chef, buying him tobacco as a bribe just to get a few kind words from the manager… It was much better to come to Shenji, where he could cook himself and didn't have to curry favor with anyone. Now, this fast-food shop only has him, Aunt Nian, and two delivery guys—simple and wonderful. He no longer has to be at the mercy of the old chef.
He was immediately relieved that he had been fired.
"Then it's settled. You can rest for a while. Clean up the kitchen later and then go home. Here's the key to the shop. Tomorrow I'll have the farmers deliver their vegetables here. Remember to come early to open the shop and collect the vegetables." Shen Miao gave him some instructions and then handed him the key.
He worked quite well on the first day. If Ding Wushi does it for a few more days and becomes more proficient, there shouldn't be any problems. Shen Miao thought to herself.
Ding Wushi clutched the key, feeling extremely grateful to Shen Miao.
Shen Miao then prepared to go home.
She's only been watching for so long today because it's the first day. Once Ding Wushi gets the hang of it, she won't have to wait here all the time.
I just come and take a look every day.
Ding Wushi escorted Shen Miao to the shop door, then roused himself and went inside to clean. Shen Niangzi had actually said that her monthly pay would increase every year! It turned out the employees at Shen's shop had such good fortune! He'd never received a raise at Kang's shop… He thought to himself, if this were true, he'd surely be able to save enough money to live a stable life with Doukou in the future.
Thinking this, Ding Wushi swept the floor and wiped the stove with even more vigor, a simple, honest smile on his face.
Inside the yamen, Zhang Yushan was already waiting for today's meal, chopsticks and a plate in hand.
As soon as the bell of Shen Ji's donkey cart rang, he and Li Ya rushed out and immediately took the lead in line.
More and more people are ordering meals at the government office these days, so if you want to get your food quickly, you have to run fast.
Zhang Yushan was very satisfied with taking the lead today, and turned to Li Ya, asking, "What did you order today?"
Li Ya said, "Stir-fried taro with chives and rice with sausage."
Zhang Yushan nodded: "Me too."
As they were talking, the idlers had already pulled the donkey cart to the door. The quilt was lifted, revealing a wooden bucket containing sausage rice. One of the idlers used a large wooden ladle to scoop a full spoonful of sausage rice and placed it on Zhang Yushan's plate. The steam immediately carried the rich aroma of rice, the fat of sausage, and the smell of crispy rice.
"Would you like some crispy rice crust, sir? There's crispy rice crust with today's meal."
Zhang Yushan nodded vigorously upon smelling the aroma: "Yes, yes, I want a piece."
So he got an extra piece of golden-brown, fragrant rice crust. Zhang Yushan watched with satisfaction as the idler ladled out a large spoonful of fried taro with chives. The golden-brown taro was coated with bright green chives and smelled slightly spicy; the dish was delicious.
Then he squatted down to take the soup from the small earthenware pot in the car.
He quickly gave his name: "Zhang Yushan, the one with the name engraved on the lid of the earthenware jar, the dark brown one."
The idler quickly found it for him. There were straw ropes on both sides of the earthenware pot that could be carried. Zhang Yushan carried the plate in one hand and the pot in the other, and stepped aside to wait for Li Ya to finish his meal before they quickly went into the back office together.
There was a long corridor here, where these low-ranking officials often sat and ate their meals.
The two found a warm, sheltered spot, and as soon as they lifted the lid of the earthenware pot, they were overwhelmed by the fragrant aroma of pea shoots. Li Ya couldn't help but exclaim, "Pea shoot soup! I love pea shoots the most!"
Zhang Yushan also laughed and said, "Chenji's things are always so timely. A few days ago there was scrambled eggs with toon leaves, then there was glutinous rice cakes with cotton vegetables, and today it's pea shoots. Every bite is so fresh in this spring weather. I haven't missed a single one. Sometimes I can't even make such a complete meal at home."
"Yes, the daily menu is something to look forward to, and it hasn't been the same for so long."
"I really hope we can have that chopped chili fish head again. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I mentioned it in the suggestion book that Shen Ji has posted at the entrance of our yamen last time. I wonder when Madam Shen will make it again... So delicious! Such a great soup!" Zhang Yushan lowered his head and scooped up a spoonful of soup. As soon as it entered his mouth, he ate with great relish.
Li Ya also thought the soup was delicious, and he finished half a bowl before starting to eat the vegetables: "These pea shoots are so tender. Madam Shen used good ingredients, all of them are fresh. Unlike... Humph, does he think we can't tell the difference?"
The corridor gradually filled with people, and the aroma of various foods permeated the air. Zhang Yushan stirred his rice with a spoon, ensuring that every grain was soaked in the glistening red oil of the sausage. He scooped a spoonful into his mouth, and the rice absorbed the essence of the sausage, becoming soft, sticky, and savory. He ate with his eyes squinting.
The crispy rice crust smelled so good; I should have let that idler get an extra piece.
Hearing Li Ya say this while he was eating, he shook his head and replied, "If it weren't for something I had memorized, I'm afraid I really wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But after eating that tender mutton that seemed to be dancing on my tongue a while ago, I know what's good and what's bad."
Li Ya nodded and scooped up a large mouthful of sausage rice. His eyes lit up the moment he took a bite!
"I just realized how delicious sausage rice with pea shoots is." Li Ya ate with a mouthful of soup and a mouthful of rice, his mouth full. "Can you tell? These pea shoots are almost as smooth as tofu. They're really well made."
Zhang Yushan munched on the crispy rice crust with the aroma of Chinese sausage. The fragrance of rice and the smoky flavor mingled together, making him almost unable to stop eating. "Yes," he said, "the ingredients are so simple and light, yet it's made so delicious. That's really not easy. This rice crust is so fragrant. Do you want me to break off a piece for you to try?"
"Give me a piece, give me a piece, I forgot to ask that idler for some... You're right, it's because the ingredients are good and the cooking time is well controlled." Li Ya said while eating rice and asking for the crispy rice crust.
Zhang Yushan and Li Ya happily shared the crispy rice crust, then exchanged a smile: "Even if Jia Kongmu makes things difficult for me again, I won't feel bad anymore, my stomach is already satisfied." In the midst of their busy work, being able to eat such a convenient hot meal made their usually detestable superior seem less annoying.
Li Ya shook his head and laughed, "You should be content. I'm going to go with Magistrate Lan to see the corpses that were pulled out of the river later."
Zhang Yushan was timid and shivered. He quickly stopped her, saying, "Don't say anything more, or I won't be able to eat anymore."
Li Ya laughed heartily. He was already used to eating while dealing with all sorts of cases.
The Shen family. When Shen Miao entered, she found that her own shop was also running smoothly. Every night, she would prepare some fixed toppings, noodle toppings, and fried sauce in advance. Sometimes when she was not there, Fuxing could roll out the noodles and pour these toppings on them to serve the customers, so as not to delay the business of the shop.
When she returned, there weren't many guests, and they were all already sitting and eating. So she wandered around the kitchen, saw there wasn't much to do, and went back to the backyard. She glanced subconsciously at Ji-ge'er's room; the door was still closed?
Is Ninth Brother still sleeping?
She asked Xiangjie, who was playing a game of tag with the calves in the yard. Xiangjie ran over and said, "I haven't seen Ninth Brother come out. I only saw Yanshu come over for a while, but Uncle Xie called him away, saying he was going out to buy something."
Shen Miao thought to herself, "I've been sleeping for too long. Let's go in and take a look."
She stepped outside, but because she had drawn the curtains before leaving, she couldn't see anything. Not wanting to barge in, she pressed her face against the door, trying to hear if there was any movement inside.
Unexpectedly, the door was suddenly pulled open from the inside, and Shen Miao, caught off guard, fell forward.
She buried her face in Xie Qi's arms.
Although Xie Qi caught her in his panic and immediately opened his arms to hug her, her nose still hurt from the impact of his chest.
Both of them were stunned for a moment.
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