The allure of Shen Miao’s meticulously recreated bowl of “braised noodles” wasn’t just felt by Brother Hai.
Today, the official in charge of supervising the children’s examination was surnamed Yao, a man in his sixties with a broad face, deeply lined, and naturally upturned, fierce eyes that made him appear even more unapproachable.
He was originally the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy but was impeached by the censorate for publicly assaulting a court official.
However, the emperor, considering the circumstances the court official had recently become engaged to Yao’s granddaughter, only to be discovered in Lianzi Alley—allowed him to retain his position.
In Song society, consorting with courtesans was common and not particularly frowned upon, but Lianzi Alley was different from the glamorous, music-filled Pearl Curtain Alley—it catered to male clients.
Upon learning of this, Yao publicly broke off the engagement and thrashed the man, knocking out two of his front teeth.
The emperor urged reconciliation, but Yao, stubborn and resolute, refused to associate with the family any longer.
The aggrieved family, unwilling to settle privately, made the matter public.
Yao’s granddaughter wept daily, too ashamed to leave the house.
The assaulted family spread slander and even twisted the facts… and since publicly assaulting a court official was an undeniable crime, Yao was eventually demoted from Chancellor of the Imperial Academy to a lowly lecturer, a position of the ninth rank.
Yao’s children had died young, leaving him only his granddaughter.
Thus, he accepted the demotion, content to continue teaching at the Imperial Academy on a meager salary the Yao family were not natives of Bianjing, and the three houses he had bought adjacent to the Imperial Academy when he was Chancellor were still mortgaged to Xingguo Temple, leaving the suddenly impoverished Yao family unable to afford meat for many days.
To prevent cheating, all the lecturers at Biyong Academy were given leave, and today Yao was seconded from the Imperial Academy to supervise the children’s examination at Biyong Academy.
However, the duties of supervising the children’s examination were minimal; the patrols were handled by the military, and Yao only needed to deal with emergencies in the “Bing” examination hall.
For example, if someone mistakenly entered the wrong hall, they had to be escorted to the correct place before the exam began; or if someone fainted during the exam, their name had to be struck off, and they had to be carried out to their family; or if someone cheated, their name had to be removed, and they were permanently barred from future exams.
But nothing happened all morning.
Yao lounged in a chair, read for a while, reviewed the students’ work, and then, feeling drowsy, was about to doze off when a rich aroma suddenly wafted into his nostrils, startling him awake.
He straightened up in his chair, adjusted his attire, smoothed his graying beard, and then, pretending to be casual, stood up and asked the nearby military guard,
“What is that smell?”
The guard, who had just brought hot water to Shen Ji, had seen him use it to prepare a bowl of rich and fragrant noodle soup, complete with egg, meat, and vegetables, a full bowl.
He recalled, swallowing hard, and replied,
“Master Yao, the aroma comes from… that child in row X, number 81, named Shen Ji. It’s the food his family prepared for him.”
“Brought food?”
Yao sniffed,
“Isn’t that the smell of noodle soup?”
“Exactly, noodle soup.”
The guard, seeing it for the first time, described it animatedly,
“Like this, with a pot of hot water, the dry noodles turned into soup, each strand springy and smooth. Shen Ji slurped it up heartily, and it looked so chewy and firm, not at all mushy!”
Intrigued, Yao pretended to inspect the examination hall and walked over to row X, number 81, where Shen Ji was almost finished eating.
He saw the child pick up the last curly strand of noodles and, like a whirlwind, slurp it into his mouth.
The rich, oily broth splashed onto his lips, which he wiped with a napkin.
Seeing that there were still some broken noodles and broth left in the bowl, he picked it up and drank every last drop.
Finally, he let out a soft burp.
So full, so delicious…
Shen Ji wiped his mouth and sweaty forehead with a napkin, tidied up the earthen bowl, and felt deeply satisfied.
Of all the meals his sister had made, each one was delicious, but he loved this instant noodle soup the most!
He was still savoring the taste when a shadow suddenly fell over him.
Looking up, he saw an elderly gentleman with a white beard, dressed in a green official robe with wide sleeves, a straight headdress, and black official boots, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing intently at him.
Shen Ji quickly stood up and bowed deeply,
“Greetings, sir.”
He thought he must have violated some rule, prompting the supervising elder to approach, so he quickly reviewed everything he had done since morning, sweating profusely as he tried to figure out what he had done wrong.
But instead, he heard the old, stern voice ask,
“Young man, where did you get this noodle soup that you can eat just by pouring hot water over it?”
Shen Ji was stunned, looked up, and after a moment replied,
“…Nowhere, my sister made it.”
The old gentleman furrowed his graying brows, his expression tinged with regret.
Having lived with others for three years, Shen Ji had become adept at reading expressions and quickly added,
“Sir, my family runs a noodle shop called Shen’s Noodle Shop, on Willow East Lane next to Golden Beam Bridge. My sister’s noodle-making skills are a family tradition.”
“Not only can she make noodle soup, but also flatbread, steamed buns, and all kinds of pastries, unique in all of Bianjing!”
Yao noted this carefully but coughed lightly and scolded,
“One should focus wholeheartedly on studies, not be distracted by family business! A gentleman does not neglect his words, and a scholar does not speak of profit. Sit down and concentrate on your exam!”
“Yes,” Shen Ji quickly sat down.
Yao, preparing to continue his inspection, suddenly heard a “drip” and saw a rather plump child in the opposite seat staring dazedly at Shen Ji’s empty earthen bowl, so entranced by the aroma that drool was slowly dripping from the corner of his mouth, straight onto the desk.
The sight was so unseemly that Yao didn’t know what to say.
He stepped away, unable to help but lament to the accompanying guard,
“The children of Bianjing in our great Song Dynasty, so easily swayed by a bowl of noodle soup, lacking any resolve! What hope is there for the future of our country, our society?”
The aroma of the noodle soup lingered in the air, wafting into everyone’s nostrils.
The guard absentmindedly agreed,
“Yes, yes. Master Yao is right.”
But in his heart, he was thinking, ‘Shen’s Noodle Shop.’
‘ Willow East Lane next to Golden Beam Bridge.’
‘Hmm…’
After work in a few days, I must go there and try it.
***
As time passed, after lunch, the afternoon sun gradually slanted westward, and fewer people came to buy things.
Even the vendors outside the examination hall had dwindled.
But since Ji hadn’t come out yet, Shen Miao and Xiang still had to wait.
She stood up and counted; there were still a dozen or so bread rolls left, and she wasn’t sure if they could be sold in the afternoon.
If they didn’t sell, it was fine; the bread could keep for several days.
They could eat it for breakfast at home, either whole or sliced and toasted, with fried eggs, chicken, and lettuce to make sandwiches.
They could also give some to Aunt Gu and her family.
Many in the alley gossiped about her, but Aunt Gu always defended her.
Although Gu had never mentioned it to her face, Shen Miao had overheard it a few times and always remembered it.
Turning her head, she saw that Xiang was already drowsy from the sun.
At this time at home, she would be snoring softly, wrapped in a blanket.
Children sleep more than adults, and the more they sleep, the faster they grow.
Shen Miao flipped over the large basket, wiped it clean, and put Xiang inside so she could sit with her back supported.
Soon, she was fast asleep.
Shen Miao also moved to a shadier spot under the tree, placed the basket of bread rolls on her lap, and hid the money jar behind her back.
She was so lazy from the sun that she simply closed her eyes for a nap.
But before long, several students wearing scholar’s caps and long white robes with phoenix embroidery on the chest emerged from the gates of Biyong Academy.
Their wide sleeves fluttered in the wind as they walked in twos and threes, chatting and laughing.
Many looked at them with envy-the phoenix embroidery indicated that these were the top “A Class” students of Biyong Academy.
Last year, thirty percent of the successful candidates in the imperial examination were from the Imperial Academy’s Upper Class, and twenty percent were from Biyong Academy.
Although these students were currently commoners, in a few years, once they passed the examination, they would become seventh-rank officials.
Especially since these young men were all quite handsome, naturally drawing everyone’s attention as they strolled by.
Several sharp-eyed vendors approached them one after another, only to be scolded by their attendants and dispersed.
The group discussed plans to climb Yaoshan Temple in the suburbs for an outing, but among them, the tallest and most handsome one seemed to notice something, his gaze falling on the crabapple tree by the roadside.
“Xie Jiu, what are you looking at?”
Shang An followed his gaze curiously.
The crabapple tree, stirred by the wind, scattered its petals like snow, and beneath it sat a young woman, hugging a wicker basket on her lap, leaning against the tree, asleep.
The pink and white petals covered her head and shoulders, as if she had been caught in a sudden snowstorm.
“What a beautiful lady,” another, Meng San, praised.
Xie Qi had already started walking towards her.
As he got closer, he noticed a large basket under the tree.
Xiang was inside, also asleep, her cheeks flushed from the sun, holding a half-eaten flatbread with tiny teeth marks.
He couldn’t help but smile.
His companions followed and, seeing the surrounding items, asked curiously,
“This bread-selling lady, do you know her?”
“Yes, Lady Shen is my friend.”
If Ning Yi were here, he would have eagerly chimed in,
“Me too, me too.”
In the hearts of food lovers like Ning Yi, anyone who could make delicious food was a kindred spirit.
Although Shen Miao was asleep, she wasn’t in a deep slumber.
The presence of a few people blocking the harsh sunlight and bringing a patch of shade made her stir awake.
Just as she woke up, she heard Xie Qi’s words.
“The Xie family is noble and prestigious; those with lesser roots can’t reach you. When did you have such a street vendor as a friend? Did you forget to pay after eating her bread?”
His companions, arms around each other, joked and laughed.
“A humble abode is virtuous if its owner is virtuous. The same goes for friends,”
Xie Qi calmly refuted, silencing his companions with a single sentence,
“But Lady Shen’s bread is indeed delicious, and I have eaten it.”
Shen Miao rubbed her eyes and sat up, petals falling from her.
She opened her eyes to see Xie Qi, dressed in the academy’s uniform, standing before her, fresh and clean.
Seeing her awake, he instinctively smiled.
“Lady Shen, greetings. Today is the children’s examination, so I thought you might come,” he said.
His dark eyes always seemed particularly focused when he looked at someone, like a deep, still spring,
“And sure enough, I met you.”
As soon as he stepped out, Xie Qi had instinctively looked around for her.
Shen Miao smiled,
“I came to send Ji to his exam, so I decided to wait here…”
She glanced at the other students behind him, who seemed surprised that Xie Qi was so familiar with her,
“Brother Jiu, are you heading out for fun? Where’s Yanshu? Oh, I remember, Yanshu is at home.”
“Yes, we’re going to Yaoshan Temple to climb and watch the sunset over the golden mountain,”
Xie Qi was extremely patient,
“Yanshu can’t read, so he never comes to the academy with me; he just causes trouble at home.”
He turned and pointed to a thirteen or fourteen-year-old attendant behind him,
“This is Qiuhao, Lady Shen, you’ve probably met him before.”
She had indeed met him once at the Xie residence, Shen Miao remembered.
The neat and steady attendant, carrying Xie Qi’s book box, bowed respectfully.
She returned the courtesy.
“What a pleasant outing. The mountain path is difficult; Brother Jiu, would you like to bring some food? I just made some today,”
Shen Miao, never missing a chance to earn money, lifted the wicker basket in her hands and joked,
“This flatbread is called ‘Purple Robe and Golden Belt. Eating it ensures you’ll become a great official in the future.”
“What a materialistic lady,” one of Xie Qi’s companions sneered.
Shang An elbowed him, whispering,
“Enough, why do you always have to be so talkative?”
Xie Qi ignored him, instead looking down at the flatbread Shen Miao had mentioned.
It was golden with a hint of purple, plump, with a ring of crushed peanuts in the middle.
He smiled knowingly,
“Lady Shen, you’ve named it aptly. Is the color from mulberries? It’s dyed beautifully.”
Then he looked up at the sky and added,
“Soon, the children’s examination will be over.”
He pointed to the flatbread,
“Lady Shen, why don’t you sell them all to me? You have a long way back to the inner city, so you can head home earlier.”
Shen Miao was taken aback, feeling a bit embarrassed,
“I didn’t mean that.”
Xie Qi said,
“I know.”
After a pause, he explained,
“There are many of us, and we were going to buy this much anyway.”
Shen Miao handed the basket to Xie Qi, charging him ten coins each instead of twelve.
“Don’t worry, the children’s examination isn’t difficult. If Ji has been studying well recently, he should do fine,”
Xie Qi took the basket, chatted for a bit, and then prepared to leave.