What kind of person is Xie Qi?
In Feng Qiniang’s heart, he is polite and well-mannered, yet distant and difficult to get close to.
He is gentle and graceful in his interactions, but this very demeanor makes it impossible for her to ever truly approach him.
Since Xie Qi passed the child examination and entered the Piyong Academy, where he was assigned to study under Dr. Feng, Feng Qiniang has known him.
Yet, after all these years, Xie Qi treats her the same as ever-courteously, as if they had just met three days ago.
Hearing that Xie Qi was exceptional in calligraphy and painting, Feng Qiniang diligently practiced her writing and painting.
When she heard that his flute playing was incredibly moving, she begged her mother to hire a female teacher to teach her the xiao, hoping one day to harmonize with his flute.
Later, she heard her father praise Xie Qi’s poetry for its clarity, elegance, and spiritual depth, filled with the purity of ice and snow.
She then devoted herself to studying poetry and composition, even asking her brother to include her works in his collection for Xie Qi’s critique.
Yet, over the years, Xie Qi has never truly responded to her admiration.
He never accepted the embroidered pouches or handkerchiefs she made, not even the brushes she crafted, always returning them.
When she waited outside the academy for her brother, her gaze would linger on him, and when classmates teased her, he would sternly stop them.
Even during festive celebrations, when Xie Qi visited her father and they met, he never spoke to her alone, only saying,
“Disciple Xie Qi wishes the master’s family eternal happiness and peace.”
It was hard enough to exchange a few words, let alone receive a poem or painting from Xie Qi himself!
Feng Qiniang had indeed secretly collected many of Xie Qi’s poems, but those were all snatched from her brother’s study they were written to her brother in their correspondence, either titled “Reflections on Revisiting the Moon Viewing Tower in Chenzhou, Presented to Elder Brother Feng” or “Thoughts on Visiting Huangshan, Sent from a Monk’s Residence to Elder Brother Feng.”
But now, the handwriting she treasured so much was boldly displayed in a small eatery.
How could she not be deeply hurt?
Feng Qiniang covered her face and ran away.
Seeing her suddenly run off, The Eleven sister hesitated for a moment between her friends and the delicious food, then stomped her foot and hurried after her:
“Qiniang! Qiniang! Wait for me!”
Their servants also quickly followed, running out in a flurry.
Shen Miao had just washed her hands and stepped out of the kitchen when she found the shop empty, with only a leaf swirling in the air.
She thought in a daze,
“Was I hallucinating just now?”
How did so many customers vanish into thin air?
Bewildered and unsure of what had happened, she scratched her head and returned to the kitchen to continue her work.
Fortunately, not long after, another customer arrived.
This time, it wasn’t her imagination, as she recognized the old man walking in with his hands behind his back.
His surname was Yao.
He had come to eat instant noodles on the evening of her shop’s opening.
As soon as he entered, the students from the Imperial Academy who had been enjoying their meals in the shop stood up in unison, bowing to him and addressing him as Dr. Yao.
Seeing these students with greasy faces, Dr. Yao seemed immediately displeased, sternly asking,
“The academy has already closed its doors and extinguished its lights. Where did you all come from?”
The students, who had sneaked out for a stroll, were so frightened that they scattered like mice, leaving their coins behind.
After that, Dr. Yao often came to eat noodles.
In recent days, he was one of the few customers who would order other items from the menu, seemingly intent on trying every dish Shen Miao offered.
Today, he walked in with his hands behind his back, naturally looking up at the menu.
His serious gaze scanned the list, finally stopping at “Steamed Noodles.”
He cleared his throat and said,
“Madam Shen, a bowl of steamed noodles, please.”
Shen Miao poked her head out from the kitchen and responded,
“Alright, Dr. Yao, please take a seat. It’ll be ready soon.”
Dr. Yao nodded, lifted the hem of his long robe, and chose a table by the window with a view of the bustling street.
He sat down with his back straight, very properly.
As he sat, he also pondered.
On Shen’s menu, apart from the lamb noodles and lamb soup, which he hadn’t tried due to financial constraints, he had tasted almost everything else.
Only this “Steamed Noodles” remained.
The small eatery’s noodle dishes were mostly unique, with methods not found in other shops.
Initially, he didn’t know if they would taste good, but he decided to try them because of the instant noodles.
After all, he was getting older, and eating too much of the fried instant noodles upset his stomach and made him very thirsty, so he wanted something lighter and easier to digest.
Unexpectedly, after eating for several days-Yanzhou fried sauce noodles, confused noodles, dough drop soup, dandan noodles each dish was to his liking.
Thus, Dr. Yao became curious and wanted to try everything on the menu.
In his early years as a chancellor, his family had hired a cook and laborers, living comfortably.
After being demoted, he could no longer afford such luxuries and had to let the cook go.
He began cooking for himself with his young granddaughter, Yao Ruyi.
Unfortunately, within less than a month of starting to cook, both he and his granddaughter had lost nearly ten pounds.
They weren’t heavy to begin with, and if this continued, they might starve to death by their own hands.
That day, staring at the pot lid that had flown to the roof beam, the iron pot with a burnt bottom, and the kettle with a broken spout, Dr. Yao and Ruyi stood in the thick black smoke, at a loss.
He was thinking of a way to save himself when Shen’s Noodle Shop opened.
Being older and needing less sleep, he had come early to queue for instant noodles in the past few days.
Now, he had stocked up on them at home, stored in a cool, dry place.
This ensured that Ruyi, who had been hiding at home after a broken engagement, had two meals a day.
Even when he was teaching at the Imperial Academy and not at home, Ruyi could boil water and enjoy a hot, delicious bowl of noodles.
Dr. Yao felt relieved, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the bustling street outside the window.
He thought that since he didn’t have to teach in the afternoon, he could return home early.
If the “Steamed Noodles” from Shen’s shop tasted good, he would buy an extra portion to take home for Ruyi to try.
Steamed noodles could noodles really be steamed?
What would they taste like?
How did this young Madam Shen come up with so many novel ways to prepare noodles?
Steamed noodles are actually delicious and easy to make.
Shen Miao had prepared the noodles in advance, so she simply placed them in a steamer over boiling water and steamed them for about half a quarter of an hour.
While the noodles were steaming, she took a piece of pork belly, sliced it thinly, chopped some green beans, and shredded some ginger.
She heated oil in a pan, fried the ginger until fragrant, then added the green beans and pork belly.
She stir-fried until the beans were tender and the pork changed color, then added some soy sauce, salt, and water, covering the pan to simmer for a while.
Here, it was important not to cook for too long; the dish shouldn’t be completely dry, as retaining some broth was key to making the steamed noodles delicious.
By then, the noodles in the steamer were almost done.
She took them out and mixed them with the meat and vegetables in the pan, ensuring each strand of noodle absorbed the broth.
Then she steamed them a bit longer before serving.
Outside, Dr. Yao had already caught the aroma wafting from the kitchen, craning his neck to peek inside.
Not just him, but Youyu, who had finished washing the dishes and fetched two vats of water, had been sent by Shen Miao to rest in the corridor.
She was idly watching the chickens roam the yard.
Behind her was the small door connecting the kitchen to the backyard, left open, allowing the aroma of the steamed noodles to flow freely.
She sniffed, then sniffed again, unable to resist turning to look, but still feeling the timidity and unease of being in an unfamiliar place, she didn’t dare to wander.
Her mother had already returned to the outer city, telling her to stay and work here, and that she would come back to pick her up before the shop closed.
Her mother had said to listen to Madam Shen, do whatever she asked, and not to act or run around recklessly.
Earlier, Madam Shen had told her,
“Youyu, go sit in the backyard and rest. If you’re bored, take a scoop of the bran in the corner, mix it with water, and feed the chickens. I’ll call you if there’s work to do.”
So Youyu had been sitting there, clumsily feeding the chickens, accidentally spilling the bran all over the ground while adding water.
Fortunately, the three chickens clucked over and quickly ate it all up.
After that, she obediently sat back down, continuing to watch the chickens and the dog, seeing the chickens take turns flying on to the yellow dog’s head, only to be barked at and fly back down.
But when the dog stopped barking, they flew back up.
Madam Shen hadn’t called her, so she didn’t dare move, only rubbing her stomach and enduring the growling hunger, still watching the chickens and the dog in the yard.
At that moment, the yellow dog chased the chickens away again, ran around the yard a couple of times, then inexplicably started spinning, trying to bite its own tail.
The other big black dog, though very large, was much quieter.
It lay by the corridor, not far from her.
It lazily yawned, half-closing its eyes, watching the yellow dog bark foolishly along with Youyu.
Then the steamed noodles were officially ready.
Shen Miao lifted the steamer lid, plated the noodles, and the aroma intensified.
Youyu gulped loudly, unconsciously clasping her hands together.
Dr. Yao looked at the large plate of intertwined, slender, evenly yellow noodles, mixed with shiny slices of meat and chopped green beans, sprinkled with scallions.
It was not only visually appealing but also smelled particularly enticing.
This aroma was entirely different from that of noodles boiled in water.
Even before reaching the table, the smell had already whetted his appetite.
He eagerly picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.
The noodles were smooth and chewy, almost dancing between his teeth.
Each strand had absorbed the richness of the meat broth and the freshness of the vegetables, becoming more flavorful with each chew.
Hmm, truly excellent.
Dr. Yao also enjoyed it, closing his eyes in satisfaction.
He first felt the richness of the meat fat, then the crispness and tenderness of the green beans, all blending into the long-lasting aroma of the noodles.
“YAA……”
Dr. Yao buried his head in the plate, devouring the noodles.
Soon, the entire plate was empty, and his aged body was filled with a deep sense of satisfaction.
He couldn’t help but sigh to himself, “Wonderful, wonderful!”
After saying that, he immediately asked Madam Shen to prepare another portion to take home for his granddaughter.
When the second portion was ready, Dr. Yao paid an extra five coins to borrow a large earthenware bowl from Shen Miao to pack the noodles.
Shen Miao saw him out, and soon welcomed Bai Laosan, who was addicted to the fried sauce noodles, and a few other customers she knew from her stall days, keeping her busy for half an hour.
When she finally had a moment to spare, she turned around and noticed Youyu still sitting in the corridor, seemingly entranced by something, not having moved an inch.
She seemed to have sat so long that her bottom had gone numb, still resting her hands under her, occasionally scratching.
Thinking she was watching something so intently, Shen Miao walked over to see, only to find Youyu sniffing the air intensely, drooling with hunger.
When she finally came over to call her, Youyu complained in a muffled, aggrieved voice, “Hungry! Hungry!”
Shen Miao laughed, “I forgot about you, sorry, sorry. Get up, go inside and wash the bowls the customers just used. I’m about to make dinner.”
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