Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 102
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure
Chapter 102: Potstickers
The bright moon in the sky grew rounder, signaling the approach of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moonlight, clear and shimmering, bathed the world in a soft, gauzy glow as the clouds drifted away. It mingled with the warm light of the lanterns lining the long street, creating a radiant brilliance, as though a fire dragon danced across the night.
Lin-shi was further along in her pregnancy, her belly noticeably rounded. To walk more comfortably, she often had to support her lower back. Yet, she still moved with surprising agility, weaving through the crowd effortlessly, as if carried by the wind.
Zhou-shi followed her and was responsible for opening a way for her in the crowd.
People in the street food market are not used to seeing this. When Lin-shi comes, they will automatically give way and greet her cheerfully, "Treasurer Lin is here to inspect again."
A new person was puzzled by this scene. He looked at Lin-shi's figure and said, "What does this mean? Mrs. Lin was also a noble person. She is dangling here while pregnant. What if someone wants to make trouble and hurt her?"
"You think too much." A diner pointed at the cold-faced Zhou-shi next to Lin-shi's with his chin. "Have you seen that lady? I heard that she is the daughter of a general's family. Someone made trouble a few days ago. She started a fight with a bamboo pole and knocked a dozen people into a hospital."
The new diner took a sigh of relief and watched Zhou-shi and Lin-shi's back fading away while rubbing his heads in confusion, "What's the matter? It's only been two years since I came to the capital, and everything has changed."
Zhou-shi's face remained cold, without saying a word.
Lin-shi was a little soft and said weakly, "Today is the last time. Isn't the Mid-Autumn Festival soon? I just came out to take a look, and then I will feel relieved to raise my baby at home."
Zhou-shi snorted, "The last time someone made trouble and almost hurt you, you said the same thing."
Lin-shi chuckled a few times and quickly changed the subject, "Then, what did you say you made for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
"Moon cakes." Zhou-shi was quickly distracted and explained to her by making gestures with her hands. "It is round, with flowers embossed on it, which means Mid-Autumn Reunion."
Lin-shi pretended to listen carefully, and her brain turned quickly, thinking about making a fortune with moon cakes.
The old street bustled with lights, and the new street was no different, alive with the same vibrant energy.
The new market had not been repaired yet, but the food stalls had been unified and organized. Tents were set up to prevent the stall owners from having nowhere to hide from wind or sun.
A deep alley would not hide the aroma of wines. The most important thing for a restaurant was the taste. The chicken soup and tofu skewers stall gradually became famous, and their food stall was no longer empty.
Standing on the bench, Xiao Hua skillfully scooped up a bowl of chicken soup, poured garlic sauce, sprinkled green onion, and moved quickly.
The diners who come and go are not surprised at this and will not doubt the taste of chicken tofu skewers because of her young age.
Someone sat down at the table and said with concern, "Xiao Hua, where is Aunt Hu?"
With a large bowl in her hands, Xiao Hua set the chicken soup and tofu skewers on the table, replying as she busied herself, "The weather has been changing so quickly lately that my grandmother caught a cold. She won’t be coming out to set up the stall at night." Then, raising her voice, she added, "But don’t worry, everyone! My grandmother prepared these chicken soup and tofu skewers herself. The taste will be just as good as always."
As soon as she turned around, she almost ran into someone. She subconsciously bent down to apologize without seeing who it was.
The person lifted her, and she looked up. She was a little surprised when she saw the appearance of the person in front of her.
Wasn’t this the noble lady who came here a few days ago to eat chicken soup and tofu skewers?
The old madam was getting older, she doesn't like crowded places, and she doesn't like to walk around. She usually chanted and recited Buddhist scriptures in Shouning Hall every day, and she didn’t even want to walk around in the courtyard.
But seeing the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, she was sitting in Shouning Hall and suddenly felt that the big hall was a bit deserted.
There are four sons under Xu-shi's knees. Two of the older ones are studying in the academy, while the two younger ones follow their teacher all day long and don't like to go to her. There were many children in the second room, but Xie Sheng was quiet and reticent. Every day after the morning greeting, she would look for a quiet place to read. The concubines' children are all timid and upsetting. Xie Li, Xie Lang, and Xie Xun are all busy working as officials. They didn't even greet her in the morning anymore. So she lives in Shouning Hall by herself, and only Xu-shi comes to accompany her every day.
She was accustomed to this loneliness, but when she saw the bright and clear moon outside the window today, she suddenly remembered the excitement of the street food market that day.
The long street was lit up, and the autumn night was warm and foggy. Looking at the bright moon, she finally summoned her maid to accompany her out of the house.
Xiao Hua was still very young, but she matured much earlier than her peers. When the concubines' daughters in the mansion were still arguing and crying over beaded flowers, she already knew how to run a good food stall.
She took the cloth off her shoulders and wiped the already clean table quickly, "Sit down, please. What would you like?"
Today, there were many diners, and the old madam was uncomfortable and looked at the nanny behind her.
The nanny spoke for her, "Two bowls of tofu skewers with chicken soup, not spicy, less garlic sauce."
At this moment, the group of diners left after they finished eating, and the old madam suddenly became more relaxed.
Xiao Hua brought the bowls, and the old madam took the opportunity to ask, "Is your grandmother's illness serious?"
Xiao Hua shook her head, "The doctor said it's not serious."
The old madam nodded. She had nothing else to say.
Seeing that the nobleman had no more questions, Xiao Hua turned to other tables to clean up the dishes.
The old madam looked at her small body getting busy.
"Did you bring money?" she asked the nanny next to her.
The nanny immediately understood her thoughts and sighed, "Old madam, you have a kind heart, but..." People have their own hands and feet. While giving money may seem like a blessing in their eyes, they don’t realize that others might interpret it as looking down on them.
The old madam also understood her implication and nodded awkwardly, "I am always confused."
Duke Xie's mansion served porridge to the poor every winter. For her, doing good deeds had always been a matter of simply spending money. Yet, after many years of this, when she genuinely wished to help someone, she found herself unable to think of an appropriate way to do so.
Seeing her discomfort, the nanny spoke up to comfort her, "Old madam, you're accustomed to these matters. It's only natural that it feels unfamiliar for a moment. Besides, Xiao Hua mentioned that her grandmother has been suffering from a cold and might be in need of medicine. Why not just give them some silver and be done with it?"
The old madam shook her head, looked down, and said, "If they need money, only several families in the world that can compare to the Lin Family."
The nanny didn't know how to answer the conversation, so she could only say, "Old madam, move your chopsticks. The food may get cold."
Before she finished her voice, there was a sudden noise from the street.
"Pooh!" the boy's voice murmured, "I want to see if you have that ability!"
"Gentlemen will accept defeat, Qian Xiuzhu. Do you want to cheat?" Why was this voice so familiar?
She and the nanny looked back to the street together.
Many young men in brocade clothes were divided into two teams, akimbo on their hips and cursing. Wasn’t this the style of the most common rascals in Chang’an?
But how come her good grandsons Xie Ye and Xie Hao were there?
Xie Hao's right eye was black and blue, and the corner of Xie Ye's mouth was injured. When the two talked, their wounds were pulled, and they grinned with pain.
"It's useless to talk about it. If you lose this bet, you have to pay the money and treat our brothers to the whole street. It is our business whether we can eat it or not. You just have to pay for it."
The teenager standing opposite him glared at him, "Huh! Okay, I'll pay! I'll pay!"
Xie Ye wiped the black dust on his face with his cuffs, "Okay, you remember. You can only watch when we eat!"
The teenager on the opposite side seemed to have suffered some strange humiliation. He angered, "I, Qian Xiuzhu, even if I jumped from this roof today and ran over by the carriage. I will never take a bite of the food on this street!"
The teenagers on Xie Hao's side laughed, staggering towards the street like a group of victorious roosters.
If one were to ask what Xie Ye and Xie Hao feared the most at this moment, it would undoubtedly be encountering their parents. But that was, of course, an impossibility. As for running into the old madam? It was a thought too dreadful to entertain—more terrifying than any nightmare.
If one were to ask what the old madam feared the most at this time, it would certainly be being discovered by Xie Ye and Xie Hao. If her grandsons saw her sneaking out to the street at night to indulge in snacks, where would she hide her face? And what would the elderly of the capital think? They would surely never let her live it down.
She quickly got up, followed the nanny, and hid behind the food stall.
Here Xie Hao and Xie Ye led their brothers to a food stall and said happily, "This, give me ten servings!"
Qian Xiuzhu hummed behind his back, "Zhumen's wine and meat are smelly, and there are frozen bones on the road. If you don't eat and eat cleanly, you are not worthy of being a gentleman."
[T/N: This is a poem from Du Fu in the Tang Dynasty, which mocks the habit of rich people eating and drinking lavishly when common people suffer on the street.]
"Okay, you stay and mock. We won't stay."
The owner of the food stall took the money and skillfully scooped out the potstickers from the pan. The potstickers were slender, resembling dumplings, but with a crispy, golden-brown, and glossy fried bottom.
They didn’t leave either. Instead, they sat down in front of the stall, ready to enjoy their meal together.
The potstickers, with their golden-yellow and pale-white hues, were irresistibly crispy on the bottom, while the unfried dough remained soft and tender. As soon as you bit through the crispy, chewy exterior, the rich, savory soup from the filling burst forth, flooding your mouth with flavor.
The potstickers that had just come out of the pot were hot, and the delicious soup poured out unexpectedly. The teenagers shrank their necks and breathed quickly.
The potstickers contained very little meat, but the filling absorbed the rich, mellow sweetness of the broth. The steaming vegetable filling was soft and fragrant, perfectly complementing the crispy skin with its oily aroma. The tangy fragrance balanced the soup, leaving an aftertaste that lingered, inviting another bite.
They gobbled up the potstickers and set off for the next stall.
"Hey, give us ten copies! Qian Xiuzhu, pay the silver!"
Their cocky manner looks very irritating, especially the teenagers who pay the bills behind them are also full of wounds. Some of his clothes are also torn, and he can only watch them eat in front of him.
"I don't know which bastards' son is this." A diner passed by while muttering.
Xie Hao and his party ate from street to street. Finally, they held up their stomachs while lazily saying, "I'm full. Let's take a break before we continue."
The teenager on the opposite side was a little happy when he heard the first two words. When he heard the latter words, he immediately jumped up, "Forget it!"
"I'm too full. What's the matter, how can you curse people? What about the demeanor of great talent?"
The word "great talent" poked the other side's sore spot, and he slapped the table, "You are too much!"
As soon as he stood up, the teenagers behind him also stood up, looking like they were about to fight again. The owner of a nearby food stall quickly reported it to the steward, and the steward was reporting to Zhou-shi. When Zhou-shi heard that there were some troublemakers, she rushed over.
When she got here, she was pushed aside by the lively crowd that came to watch. Before she walked in, she heard people crying.
Zhou-shi's heart shuddered. It seemed that the troublemakers hit hard.
She quickened her pace, and just as she squeezed into the center, she heard a teenage boy crying, "You are too bullying. Everyone in the township exam was eating steamed buns, just two of you cooking noodles. I'm so hungry. How can I concentrate on answering the questions??"
"You can't blame us." Xie Ye's voice sounded, "Besides, you were the one who wanted to bet, and we agreed. What else do you want?"
The crying voice became a little louder, "I lost! Not only I lost in studying, but also lost to you in the fight, oooooo, you are too much."
Zhou-shi looked at the "troublemaker" in front of her and didn't know what to do for a while.
The other party kept crying, and Xie Hao was uncomfortable, "You usually rely on your good schoolwork, and you walk sideways in the academy all day. We brothers have been angry with you for so many years but haven't said anything. You are greedy yourself, and you didn't answer the exam properly. You still blame it on us if you lose your rank? Besides, we may not be able to pass the exam. How could you say as if we robbed you."
The other party cried out of breath, "Uuuuuu you are, you not only snatched my rank, but you also refused to let me eat."
Xie Ye muttered, "Who won't let you eat? Here, let's eat." He pushed his plate in front of the crying boy and threatened, "Okay, cry, cry, cry again, be careful we beat you— —Ah!"
Xie Ye and Xie Hao had their ears pulled. They looked up and screamed, "Who is it?!"
Zhou-shi was expressionless, "It's me."
The brother Xie Ye and Xie Hao were speechless, and their classmates were speechless. Even Qian Xiuzhu, who had been crying, stopped sobbing.
Xie Ye, who had threatened to beat someone just now, became so behaved, "Second Aunt."
Zhou-shi were unmoved and grabbed them to go out, "Follow me back to see your mother."
"Don't." They hurriedly told mercy, "Don't. Mother will be very angry if she knows. In case something goes wrong and if grandma know--"
Halfway through, the three of them were dumbfounded.
The old madam was standing on the street. She was about to slip away quietly, but as soon as she reached the middle of the road, she met them.
The street food market a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival was just a busy time. Amidst the peaceful and cheerful bustle, the four people looked at each other, and the atmosphere fell into weird silence.
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