Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 54 (Part 1)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 54.1 Wisteria Pisces’ Postlude to Spring
Shen Shaoguang entrusted A’Yuan with the task of selecting the chicks. After washing her hands, she served Deputy Magistrate Lin a beverage and inquired, "What will you have today, Sir?" It wasn't even lunchtime yet, why was he here?
"My grandmother has lost her appetite recently and always feels that everything tastes insipid, so I came over to see if there are any suitable fresh dishes."
Everything tastes insipid... Shen Shaoguang mused, regretting that the ham wasn't completely cured at the moment. Otherwise, she could have recommended cured ham mixed with shepherd's purse.
Cutting the ham into shreds and cooking it together with shepherd's purse, seasoned with sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar – this was the culinary ‘prescription’ provided to Zhang Henshui by Mr. Tang Lusun.
It was recounted that during Zhang Henshui’s writing of 'A Family of Distinction[1],' Jin Yanxi, the seventh young master of the Jin Residence, fell ill and expressed a desire for two light dishes to accompany his porridge. One of the proposed dishes was 'Tossed Duck Feet,' aligning stylistically with ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’.
However, Mr. Tang, considering that a wealthy child would likely avoid consuming indigestible food when unwell, recommended changing it to cured ham mixed with shepherd's purse.
Later, when Zhang suffered from malaria in Chongqing city and had a poor appetite, he recalled this dish and decided to have someone make it for him. Upon recovering, he wrote to Mr. Tang, stating, "Now I know why this would be a noble's first choice to accompany porridge."
Considering this dish would likely suit the taste of Lin Residence’s Elder Madam, Shen Shaoguang sighed, lamenting the missed opportunity. However, with the mention of shepherd's purse, her thoughts quickly shifted to Deputy Magistrate Lin's aversion to her childhood nickname and the likelihood of him bringing up the 'former' topic. Recollecting his expression at that moment and contemplating her recent mention of 'slaughtering and consuming their meat,' Shen Shaoguang couldn't help but reflect on her own behavior. Why do I keep taking liberties with such a serious and proper person?
In an effort to convey a more earnest demeanor, despite her mind being preoccupied with less-than-proper thoughts, Shen Shaoguang's words took on an earnest tone. "Elder Madam may be experiencing a loss of appetite due to the changing climate and weather—perhaps a case of spring fever. During such times, it's beneficial to consume white fungus, red dates, and lotus seed soup. Boil it until it thickens, and when the porridge is ready, add a bit of honey to taste. Honey can assist in moistening the lungs, alleviating dryness, and regulating the spleen and stomach."
Lin Yan nodded and offered a gentle smile. "Thank you, Miss."
"If the digestive system is functioning well, but there's simply a lack of interest in the usual fare, I also have two fresh seasonal dishes." Why let guests leave empty-handed? It's only proper to offer a little something to ‘gag’ their mouths with.
"You can give them a try, Sir," Shen Shaoguang suggested with a smile.
Lin Yan nodded again. "Thank you for your trouble."
Shen Shaoguang requested him to wait and proceeded to the yard behind. Numerous plants, initially cultivated by the house's previous owner, the old man, crowded the corner. Unfortunately, none of them thrived. Shen Shaoguang took charge, uprooting and trimming down all the undesired plants. She retained only one plant, a wisteria tree, watering it and applying fertilizer regularly. Remarkably, in this late spring season, the previously half-dead flower tree burst into bloom, covering half the wall with beautiful flowers.
Naturally, the flowers weren't just meant for admiration. Over the past few days, Shen Shaoguang had immersed some in honey, turned others into candied sugar, crafted several batches of wisteria cakes using tri-mixed flour, squeezed their juice into glutinous rice flour for wisteria-flavored floral cakes, brewed wisteria tea, prepared wisteria porridge, and even incorporated bits and pieces into meat fillings for dumplings. However, after experimenting with various recipes, Shen Shaoguang’s favorite was to just simply and crudely deep fry them!
Shen Shaoguang selected a few clusters of fresh wisteria flowers and plucked a handful of young mulberry leaves from the branches of a mulberry tree that had grown over the wall from a neighbor's house. Back in the kitchen of the tavern, she washed them thoroughly with water. The wisteria flowers were coated in a batter made with cow’s milk, hen’s egg, and cornstarch before being fried. Simultaneously, the young mulberry leaves were fried using a batter consisting of salt, egg, and cornstarch. Both were fried until crispy, drained of excess oil, and arranged on a plate. Sugar was sprinkled over the wisteria, while a small plate of salt and pepper mix accompanied the fried mulberry leaves.
She also selected a few Sweet Pea Puddings, Jadeite Rounds, hawthorn cakes, and snowy puddings, all freshly made by Yu San. Opting for just a couple of each, and since it wasn't a main meal, she mixed arrowroot powder as a beverage. Placing them all on a large tray, Shen Shaoguang personally carried it out.
"Sir, please enjoy some Wisteria Pisces as a bid farewell to spring," Shen Shaoguang said with a smile. The blossoming of wisteria signaled the imminent arrival of summer.
The fried wisteria flowers boasted a golden exterior with a hint of purple peeking through the batter. Because they were fried as a whole bunch, they truly resembled fish.
Lin Yan took a piece of Wisteria Pisces and savored it. Upon finishing, he smiled and praised, "It's very sweet."
Shen Shaoguang continued, "Deputy Magistrate, give this mulberry leaf cake a try. With Deputy Magistrate's daily concern for the cultivation of mulberry crops and hemp fibers[2], I'm afraid you haven't had the chance to try a taste personally, have you?" Hopefully he doesn’t consider this as embezzlement and refuses to eat it.
Lin Yan's hand, holding the bamboo chopsticks, paused for a moment. He raised his eyes to meet Shen Shaoguang's slightly mischievous gaze, then averted his eyes. Calmly, he picked up a piece of fried mulberry leaf, dipped it in the nearby salt and pepper mix, placed it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.
"It's also very good," he nodded after swallowing.
Shen Shaoguang nodded. Great, he’s quite amenable. Moreover, Deputy Magistrate Lin appeared to have developed a commendable habit when it came to eating – offering praise.
What a delightful habit!
While the level of praise lingered only at ‘very good,’ and his commendation during the recent Double Third Festival by Qujiang River likely surpassed all others of its kind both before and since, Shen Shaoguang found great satisfaction in it. In her perspective, receiving a ‘very good’ from the Deputy Magistrate Lin was indeed a rare occurrence. Moreover, the substantial tip that followed the compliment added to her delight.
Shen Shaoguang offered a smile and remarked, "Sir Lin, please enjoy slowly." With that, she turned away and headed to inspect the chicks that A’Yuan had chosen.
Upon witnessing A’Yuan's inclination to directly offer millet to the chicks, Shen Shaoguang intervened, advising, "Allow them to have some water first, and then provide them with moistened millet."
A’Yuan appeared a bit skeptical, as the lady boss from the grain store always fed millet directly to the chicks. However, placing trust in her Miss, she went to the kitchen, prepared a dish with a mixture of wet millet, and placed it in a wooden box.
"Place a bowl in the water dish to prevent the chicks from falling in and catching a cold," Shen Shaoguang added.
A’Yuan nodded appreciatively. Miss is so considerate! She promptly followed Shen Shaoguang's advice and put the bowl in place.
"Take into account the chicks’ appetite and avoid putting too much food at once. With the rising temperature, the feed can easily spoil. If they consume spoiled food, the chicks may fall ill."
"In a couple of days, finely chop freshly pulled weeds and incorporate them into their diet as a supplement."
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Footnotes:
[1] A Family of Distinction (金粉世家) - Also known as ‘The Story of a Noble Family’ was written by Zhang Henshui, and was serialized on February 1927 in a newspaper and lasted five years. It is about the life of a “noble” family in Beijing, powerful and wealthy, over the period of one year.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_a_Noble_Family
[2] Cultivation of mulberry crops and hemp fibers (稼穑桑麻) - During the Northern and Southern dynasties, the most fundamental thing in people's lives is to sow grain for food and plant mulberry and hemp for clothing. So this phrase is not supposed to be taken literally, but for the sake of making sense in context, I left it as is. What Shen Shaoguang means by saying this is that since LY is the deputy magistrate, he has always cared for the civilians' livelihood.
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Foods:
Tossed Duck Feet (拌鸭掌) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sdNj21Kumk
White fungus, red dates, and lotus seed soup/ Snow Fungus Soup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXZx6h3mxmA
Tri-mixed flour (三合面) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTrfamGvQ30
salt and pepper mix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoS8wzCSkns
Arrowroot powder/ Kudzu Root https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEQt9Wa85AI
