Chapter 3: Mushroom and Meat Sauce

Chapter 3: Mushroom and Meat Sauce

Since she was idle on the boat, Shen Miao was also worried about only spending money without earning any on this journey. When she reached Bianjing, she would have to take care of the original body's siblings, and she didn't want to end up unable to make ends meet.

Now that there was an opportunity to earn some income, Shen Miao was naturally tempted. She inquired further with the little bookboy. Although the bookboy appeared bold and clever, his thoughts were actually quite naive. In no time, he had spilled all the details about his master, "Ninth Brother."

"We are going to Chenzhou to visit relatives, and we will disembark tomorrow."

"What a coincidence! My Ninth Brother is also from Bianjing. Ma'am, do you know Kaibao Monastery? The Imperial Academy (a prestigious educational institution) is right next to Kaibao Monastery. My Ninth Brother not only passed the Children's Exam for the Imperial Academy at a young age, but last year he was also selected into the 'Biyong College' within the Imperial Academy. He was the top scorer and was ranked as a top-tier student!"

Yan Shu puffed out his chest with pride, as if he had achieved all this himself, his nose almost pointing to the sky.

A scholar? Shen Miao's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this.

In the Song Dynasty, whether in the royal family or among the common people, it was customary to call sons "Brother," distinguishing them by their birth order. The "Ninth Brother" mentioned by Yan Shu was likely his young master.

Still referred to as "Brother," he probably hadn't yet reached adulthood.

The status of the Imperial Academy in the Song Dynasty was no less than that of top universities like Tsinghua and Peking University today. Moreover, in the original body's memory, the Imperial Academy only admitted the children of officials in the capital, and the selection criteria were extremely stringent. It seemed that her neighbor was not only young but also had a promising future.

It was good that he was from a respectable family, and since they were disembarking tomorrow, earning a meal fee without any complications was quite favorable. Shen Miao felt slightly relieved. Besides, the fact that "Ninth Brother" had raised his bookboy to be so well-fed and innocent suggested that the family was well-off and kind-hearted.

After some thought, Shen Miao agreed. She opened the door, settled the meal fee with Yan Shu, and inquired about how much grain they had brought and what dishes they wanted to eat. Hearing that they had brought a lot of finely ground wheat flour, she smiled and asked, "I still have some dried mushrooms and cured pork. How about I make a bowl of mushroom and meat sauce noodle soup for your Ninth Brother? If there's time, I can also steam a basket of mushroom buns. How does that sound?"

Yan Shu initially wanted the lady to make that fragrant "eggplant rice" again, but then he thought of Ninth Brother's current melancholy state. Indeed, a bowl of hot noodle soup with steamed buns would be more suitable, so he agreed readily. He quickly returned to his room and brought a bag of wheat flour for Shen Miao.

"Then I'll trouble you, Ma'am," Yan Shu said with a respectful bow before leaving.

Shen Miao closed the door, weighed the ten copper coins she had received as an advance payment, and looked at the small bag of fine, snow-white wheat flour at her feet. She thought happily: This is great! Not only did I earn some money, but I also saved a bit on my own food!

She had agreed with Yan Shu to reduce the service fee by five coins and make three bowls, so she could also have a portion.

It wasn't that she was being stingy, but such fine flour, which was common in later times, had to be sifted dozens of times in the Song Dynasty to obtain. It cost thirty coins for a peck, and only the children of officials and scholars could afford it. Since Shen Miao had been transported to this time, she had been tormented by Auntie Rong in the woodshed, eating only a dry, hard pancake every day. After escaping that hardship, to save money, she had been cooking with millet and coarse rice, longing for a bowl of chewy and smooth noodles.

So, since Yan Shu had provided the expensive flour, Shen Miao also took out the mushrooms, vegetables, and pork she had brought. The rest only covered the cost of firewood, water, and her labor. The three bowls totaled fifty coins, with Yan Shu paying ten coins in advance.

The little bookboy was so generous and direct that Shen Miao decided to put her best effort into making this bowl of noodles.

It was still early, so she could take her time with the preparation.

She didn't sleep anymore. She took out two coarse cloth sleeves from her clothes chest, tied up her sleeves, and started kneading the dough and simmering the sauce.

This "mushroom and meat sauce noodle soup" was actually what later generations called mushroom and meat sauce noodles. It wasn't complicated to make, but kneading and letting the dough rest took time, as did soaking the mushrooms and simmering the sauce.

Speaking of mushrooms, the Song Dynasty's economy was thriving, and the people lived in great stability. The techniques for cultivating mushrooms were also widespread. In Jinling City, almost every household had a small plot of land in front of or behind their houses for growing mushrooms. So, before leaving, Shen Miao didn't forget to harvest all the mushrooms from the small plot behind the Rong family house that the original body had carefully tended, leaving not a single one for that hateful woman!

And using mushrooms to make "mushroom buns" was the most common practice at the time.

The buns of that time were also called "steamed buns," which were actually the buns of later generations—round and filled. The true "steamed buns" of the Song Dynasty were the kind sold by Wu Dalang (a famous character from Chinese literature), mostly in strips.

Mushroom buns were mushroom meat buns.

Mushroom meat buns were very popular in the Song Dynasty. The famous food critic Su Shi once invited two friends to travel far to eat buns. After eating, they were so satisfied that he even wrote a poem, saying: "The world's most charming bamboo shoot cakes, the most exquisite mushroom buns in the mortal world."

This line roughly translates to: "These mushroom buns are absolutely amazing!"

Shen Miao decided to make the meat sauce for the noodles first.

Noodle soup is a dish from Henan cuisine, and the essence lies in the fragrant broth. In later times, Shen Miao would use tender lamb and lamb bones to simmer the broth for at least five hours, resulting in a rich, milky-white soup. Then she would pull the noodles into wide, thin strips and cook them in the broth. In another pot, she would blanch the vegetables and place them at the bottom, then drizzle with chili oil and serve with a side of pickled garlic cloves. The flavor was incredibly delicious.

Unfortunately, there’s no time or resources for that right now.

However, noodles with mushroom and meat sauce have their own unique charm.

Although pork is cheap, Shen Miao is also afraid that the piece of pork she cut might spoil if left for too long. She cooked a meal at noon and didn’t hesitate to use the rest. She skillfully removed the fatty skin first, then diced the lean meat into small, bean-sized cubes. She soaked the mushrooms in warm water she’d fetched from the boiler room, then moved the earthen pot to the small clay stove, frying the fatty skin until it rendered oil and turned into crispy cracklings.

She set the cracklings aside to use later for making buns.

Shen Miao then added the lean meat cubes to the pot, slowly stir-frying them until they changed color. Cooking in this earthen pot was a bit sticky, but fortunately, Shen Miao was skilled in kitchen work. She deftly stir-fried with chopsticks, letting the slight char enhance the flavor. She diced the soaked mushrooms, tossed them into the pot, and kept stir-frying. She added scallions, garlic, star anise, and other seasonings, followed by a spoonful of homemade pickled ginger and chili sauce, stir-frying until a spicy aroma emerged. She then poured in soy sauce, aged vinegar, salt, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Ideally, pepper should be added, but it’s too expensive. In the Song Dynasty, a pound of pepper cost dozens of guan, and a bolt of silk could only buy a bag of pepper. Commoners like Shen Miao couldn’t even find it for sale, so she used Sichuan peppercorns instead. Though the flavor wasn’t quite the same, Shen Miao had a trick up her sleeve: fermented bean paste.

When she went to buy a kitchen knife, she found a sauce shop selling fermented bean paste and was surprised. It turns out that in the Song Dynasty, various seasonings and sauces were already so complete! After tasting a few bites and finding it good, she bought a small jar. Now it came in handy. She added a heaping spoonful of fermented bean paste, which brought the mushroom and meat sauce to life. She poured in two ladles of the mushroom-soaking water, and the sauce was nearly done.

Wiping her sweat, she grabbed the fire tongs to pull out a few pieces of charcoal from the stove and took the opportunity to add a bit of sugar and sesame to the pot. She turned the flame down low and let it simmer until the sauce thickened into a rich, reddish-brown glaze. The aroma, almost identical to modern-day versions, filled the air.

The smell alone made Shen Miao’s mouth water—it was irresistible!

While the meat sauce simmered on the stove, Shen Miao started kneading the dough.

Kneading dough is a skill in itself.

However, Shen Miao learned to knead dough at the age of five. While other kids were learning piano and dance, she was mastering tofu-cutting and dough-kneading. By age seven or eight, her parents had already put her in charge of cooking three meals a day. By middle school, she could handle the entire New Year’s Eve dinner on her own.

To make stewed noodles, you need to use warm water for the dough, adding it gradually while kneading, turning the flour into a flocculent state, and then quickly kneading it into a smooth dough. This step is critical; otherwise, the heat from your hands will make the dough ferment too quickly, ruining the texture. Shen Miao also adds a pinch of salt while kneading, which is the secret to chewy noodles.

Once kneaded, she covered the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

After that, she rolled the dough into a long strip and cut it into two-finger-wide pieces.

With the noodles prepared, Shen Miao drank some water and rested for a while before starting to prepare the vegetables. She brought a head of white cabbage, what we now call Chinese cabbage. It is said that this white cabbage was bred in Yangzhou during the Tang Dynasty: "The leaves are round and large, tender and crisp, can be grown in all seasons, and are excellent for pickling."

Since then, it has become a favorite among the common people.

Interestingly, Shen Miao’s childhood nickname was "Song Song." Her mother ate a plate of spicy cabbage before giving birth to her, and as soon as she finished, her water broke. Her father suggested naming her "Spicy Cabbage," but her mother gave him an earful for that. In the end, they settled on the more elegant term for cabbage.

In addition, she also brought two radishes, spinach, cucumbers, and cilantro. Half of her two suitcases were filled with food. Although they were all vegetables, there is a saying at this time: "Winter snow is like a mat, wheat seedlings are fat; spring rain is like grease, vegetable shoots are cheap." Spring vegetables are fresh and affordable, and the cool weather means they can be stored for days in a shady spot.

However, Shen Miao didn’t buy too much, as the grain transport barge would stop at docks along the way, allowing her to go ashore and buy more.

So she cut half a radish. The spring radish is extremely crisp and delicious, so she sliced it into shreds. She also shredded some cabbage and cucumber, and chopped cilantro into a dish for those who wanted to add it. After all, the great cilantro debate has raged on, both in ancient and modern times.

With all this preparation, the "mushroom and meat sauce stewed noodles" were almost ready.

It was indeed still early, so Shen Miao started making mushroom buns. She had deliberately set aside some mushrooms and meat earlier, and now mixed them with the chopped cracklings to make a fragrant filling, enough for three buns. After wrapping the buns, she steamed them on the pot using chopsticks as a rack, and by the time they were done, it was already evening.

She cleaned the pot, boiled water, blanched the vegetables and noodles, then added the mushroom and meat sauce, along with the sauce from simmering the meat. She sprinkled some scallions on top and couldn’t wait to take a bite. The noodles were perfectly chewy and smooth, soaked in the rich broth, leaving a lingering, mouthwatering aroma.

Not bad, no mishaps.

Shen Miao served her own bowl, wrapped the mushroom buns in oiled paper, and carried the entire pot next door. When she delivered it, only Yan Shu was in the room. The cabins were all similar, but this "Ninth Geer’s" room was filled with old, tattered books everywhere.

Shen Miao didn’t enter, just put down the items, collected the remaining payment from Yan Shu, and bent slightly, smiling as she instructed: "You and your Ninth Geer should eat while it’s hot, or the noodles will get soggy."

After saying that, she left.

Yan Shu had already smelled the aroma wafting from next door. He stared wide-eyed at the bubbling noodles on the table, circling the pot, unable to resist leaning over the table to sniff again and again, his mouth watering uncontrollably.

He anxiously looked toward the door: Ninth Geer went to the restroom, why hasn’t he returned yet!

Fortunately, after a short while, the door creaked open, and a plainly dressed young scholar in a blue robe walked in absentmindedly. He wore a pair of blue cloth shoes, one of which bore a clear half-shoe print.