Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 68 (Part 2)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 68.2 Like Cat Like Owner
Despite its low ‘altitude’, the cat seemed to cast a disdainful glance at them from the corner of its eye. It regarded Shen Shaoguang with a cold gaze before elegantly strolling to a sitting mat and settling down.
Enthralled by its haughty demeanor, Shen Shaoguang drummed her fingers on the counter, contemplating and hesitating.
Even A’Yuan, who typically didn't pay much attention to cats, found herself drawn to this particular feline and suggested to Shen Shaoguang, "Miss, shall we fetch some chicken for it?"
Lin Yan raised an eyebrow as he observed Shen Shaoguang in a dilemma by the counter.
Forget it, it’s just a cat, it’s not like a precious thing. She’s already accepted that lotus pond folding screen, so taking in this cat wouldn’t amount to much. She approached Lin Yan and expressed her gratitude, "Then I extend my thanks, Deputy Magistrate Lin." Inwardly, Shen Shaoguang seemed to hear the sound of her moral integrity crashing to the ground.
Curious about the cat's demeanor, Shen Shaoguang inquired, and Lin Yan responded, "Its previous owner mentioned that this cat is quiet."
Shen Shaoguang glanced at Lin Yan, as if silently querying ‘anything else?’
Lin Yan experienced a flicker of discomfort, akin to a student caught unprepared by the teacher's question the following day. Nevertheless, he maintained his composed demeanor and replied, "The previous owner didn't provide further information. However, if you have any additional inquiries, feel free to let me know, and I'll have a servant gather the details."
Shen Shaoguang suddenly recalled the 'borrowing book' tactic mentioned in 'Fortress Besieged[1]'. It suggested that when interacting with someone of the opposite gender, it's preferable to lend books rather than gift them. Through the process of borrowing and returning, there would be more opportunities for interaction, leading to increased familiarity and intimacy. Compared to lending books, raising a cat would undoubtedly entail much more...
Observing the warm and amiable expression on Lin Yan's face, Shen Shaoguang's brows subtly furrowed. She quickly dismissed her previous thoughts, attributing them to perhaps an overactive imagination, and offered a smile. "If I find myself unable to care for it properly, I may need to trouble you in the future, Deputy Magistrate Lin."
Lin Yan smiled and nodded.
Shen Shaoguang suddenly remembered, "What's this cat's name?"
"Its eyes are bright and illuminating like sparks, hence Ming Nu."
Shen Shaoguang nodded, finding the name tastefully chosen. She asked casually with a smile, "Did you come up with the name, Deputy Magistrate?"
Lin Yan licked his lips. "Hopefully, the name doesn’t—conflict, right?"
Shen Shaoguang paused, studying him with a half-smile. Deputy Magistrate Lin lowered his eyes, delicately using the lid of the tea cup to sift away the floating tea leaves.
Shen Shaoguang, thinking of something else, asked with a smile, "Speaking of names, I don’t know yours yet, Deputy Magistrate."
"My given name is Yan, courtesy name is An Ran."
The <Ready Guide[2]> states "Yan, Ming is[3]."
(Inserted T/N for [3] bc it needs immediate explanation to be understood - This phrase can be interpreted in many ways, but I’ll just explain it very simply. Yan(晏) can mean sun/light, while Ming(明) means bright/light. So the Ready Guide is either insinuating that they can be the same, or that Yan is Ming. Either way, it shows these two characters are related to one another.) Ming Nu... is he instituting ‘Lin Yan's little bondservant’? Or is ‘Nu’ just a complementary character[4]?
Under Shen Shaoguang's gaze, Deputy Magistrate Lin continued to drink his tea slowly. After a moment, Shen Shaoguang shifted her gaze away resentfully. Truly worthy of a successful candidate in the highest imperial civil service examination, so young, but already a high-ranking official donning a scarlet uniform. When wanting to play hooligan, it was difficult for ordinary people to withstand him.
Just like in a game of chess, as soon as Shen Shaoguang retreated, Lin Yan advanced forward. He raised his eyes and looked at her with a smile containing a mixture of expectation and embarrassment.
Shen Shaoguang froze for a moment. He couldn't be waiting for me to introduce myself, right?
Lin Yan stopped teasing her. He lowered his eyes and lightly chuckled.
After a while, Shen Shaoguang smiled helplessly. How did this become so ambiguous?
"I'll go prepare your food now, Sir." Shen Shaoguang stood up.
"You can just keep it simple."
"Mmn." Shen Shaoguang nodded and returned to the kitchen.
As Shen Shaoguang meticulously deboned and shredded the fish, her mind was consumed by thoughts of her relationship with Deputy Magistrate Lin. Is it because Deputy Magistrate Lin has too much sex appeal, or is it because I'm too easily swayed? She obviously knew that a romantic involvement between them was impossible… Shen Shaoguang began to deeply doubt her moral bottom line and willpower.
Shen Shaoguang seasoned the minced fish meat with a dash of sesame oil, salt, ginger juice, and a sprinkle of ground pepper, ensuring an even coating before allowing it to marinate. In the meantime, she diced the pickled bamboo shoots and Chinese onion into small cubes, and minced some fragrant scallion ends. The pot of congee, simmered with fish broth, had thickened to perfection, the rice soft and creamy. Shen Shaoguang gently incorporated the seasoned minced fish, diced bamboo shoots, Chinese onions, and minced scallion ends into the congee, stirring until well combined. Once it reached a gentle boil again, she would then add a final touch of salt to taste before serving.
As Shen Shaoguang observed the minced fish congee simmering gently in the earthenware pot, a sudden realization dawned upon her. There was a proverb that likened ruling a large nation to cooking a small fish[6], and this Deputy Magistrate of the capital city was the master of harmonizing the mixing pot... Was he treating me as if he was cooking fish?
Though Shen Shaoguang felt a twinge of unwillingness, she couldn't shake off the memory of his smile, reminiscent of new mountain buds in spring, and his solemn declaration of "We, as Confucian, solely focus on ‘aligning our will with the path of duty, diligently pursuing virtuous deeds, and striving for moral excellence.’ To make an all-out effort to do so and nothing more." As well as the pleasant lingering effect drawn when he said "Perhaps it's entirely possible"... In light of these sentiments, Shen Shaoguang felt that her current state was pardonable.
Yu San turned around, frowning as he asked, "Is the porridge not ready yet?"
"It's ready, it's ready!" Shen Shaoguang hastily added some salt to the earthenware pot and took it off the fire to cool down. In truth, it was evening congee intended for the four employees, but Shen Shaoguang decided to scoop out a small portion to serve to Deputy Magistrate Lin.
She randomly picked out a few accompanying small plates of cold dishes. When Shen Shaoguang noticed that the Tiger Skin Chicken Feet had finished stewing, she felt vindictive and selected two of them to put on a small plate. Placing everything on a single table tray, she brought it out to Deputy Magistrate Lin.
"Sir Lin, please try our minced fish congee," Shen Shaoguang said with a smile, then specifically gestured to the Tiger Skin Chicken Feet, "and this is one of our tavern’s signature side dishes. They're first blanched, then deep-fried, and finally slowly stewed. Fragrant and silky, they're most delicious when enjoyed with porridge."
Observing the mischief hidden behind Miss Shen's courteous smile, Lin Yan took a sip of porridge, picked up a chicken foot, and began to nibble on it slowly.
Contrary to what Shen Shaoguang had expected, there was no sense of embarrassment or awkwardness. Some people could sit with their legs apart, wearing loose shorts with wide leg openings, while casually enjoying barbecue skewers, yet still exude a calm and graceful demeanor, as if they were leisurely strolling through a garden admiring the fallen flowers. Shen Shaoguang glanced at the sauce on his lips and, with great self-control, said, "Sir Lin, please enjoy your meal," before turning and leaving.
In the kitchen, A’Yuan was feeding the cat chicken breast. The cat's table manners appeared quite refined as it sat and ate slowly.
A’Yuan praised. "Certainly a cat previously owned by Deputy Magistrate Lin. Even when eating, it's still good looking."
Yu San glanced at the cat and let out a disdainful snort.
Shen Shaoguang silently regarded the cat. Ming Nu, Lin Yan... truly like owner, like pet!
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Footnotes:
[1] Fortress Besieged《围城》- is a Chinese satirical novel written by Qian Zhongshu (Ch'ien Chung-shu), first published in 1947, and widely considered one of the masterpieces of twentieth century Chinese literature. The novel is a humorous tale about middle-class Chinese society in the late 1930s. It gained worldwide popularity after it was reprinted in the 1980s and made into a television series in 1990. For those who are interested in reading this classic, it’s available on amazon - https://amzn.to/44mIV9h
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_Besieged
[2] <Ready Guide>《尔雅》- otherwise known as ‘Erya’ or ‘Erh-ya,’ is the first surviving Chinese dictionary. The sinologist Bernhard Karlgren concluded that "the major part of its glosses must reasonably date from the 3rd century BC. The book's author is unknown. Although it is traditionally attributed to the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, or his disciples, scholarship suggests that someone compiled and edited diverse glosses from commentaries to pre-Qin texts.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erya
[3] ‘Yan, Ming is’ (“晏，明也”) - Ok this one can be interpreted in many ways, but I’ll just explain it very simply. Yan(晏) can be sun/light, while Ming(明) means bright/light. So the Ready Guide is either insinuating that they can be the same, or that Yan is Ming (but the other way around, I’m not too sure). Either way, it shows these two characters are related to one another.
[4] complementary character (衬字) - TLDR(tyvm kuonji!!): It’s “a word that is added chiefly for sound or line symmetry, or to add extra connotations or context to the primary word(s).” Complementary character refers to characters that accompany or support the main characters in a written work. These are chosen solely to complement the main characters in terms of meaning, tone, or artistic effect. For example, in calligraphy, a decorative flourish or additional strokes might be added to the main characters to enhance their visual appeal. In literature, complementary characters could be used to provide additional context, emphasize certain points, or create rhythm and balance in the text.
[5] proverb that likened ruling a large nation to cooking a small fish - This is referring to what Chinese philosopher Laozi once said— ‘治大国若烹小鲜’, which directly translates to ‘To govern a large country is like cooking a small fish." It’s often used to describe the idea that the best way to approach a large and complex task is to take a careful and measured approach, rather than trying to do too much too quickly. It suggests that it is important to pay attention to the details and to be mindful of the potential consequences of one's actions, even when tackling a seemingly insignificant task.
Sources:
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Foods:
minced fish congee (鱼茸粥) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2fLRjUoIQ8
Tiger Skin Chicken Feet (虎皮凤爪) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri1ovCTCkVI
