Chapter 58: Spicy Crayfish

Chapter 58 Morning Preparations and Peach Iced Tea

"Creak... creak..."

Chen Chuan pushed the wheelchair with his hands, a small basket of eggs resting on his lap, slowly stopping in front of the clay cooking stove on the front porch.

It was still early in the morning. A plump sparrow, with its neck tucked in, slept under the eaves. The cool light of dawn filtered through the window, not yet warm, and the pale blue light of early morning gradually filled the courtyard.

Beside the clay cooking stove was already a coarse ceramic bowl and a pair of chopsticks. He cracked the four eggs he had gathered that day, poured them into the bowl, and stirred until the yolk and egg white were evenly mixed. Then, wheeling himself closer, he added a small ladle of warm water, slowly pouring it into the egg mixture. After stirring for a while, he sprinkled in some fine sea salt and added a dab of lard, then covered it with a clean cloth from the steamer.

He lit the stove, waiting for the water in the pot to boil before carefully placing the bowl on the steamer.

Sister Shen had shown him that after steaming for seven to eight minutes, the tender steamed egg custard would be ready. Then, top it with chopped scallions and a spoonful of soy sauce, and it would be smooth, soft, and tender, like jade.

He wheeled himself into the kitchen, fetched some steamed buns, and also placed them in the steamer to warm up.

After several trips back and forth, he had prepared breakfast for the whole family. He then wheeled himself to wash up. On the eastern windowsill of the house, four bamboo tubes, each labeled with a name, were lined up. Inside the tubes were wooden-handled toothbrushes, and in the corner was a jar of tooth powder.

His tube was labeled "Chuan," Xiang Jieer's "Xiang," and the others "Ji" and "Miao." Chen Chuan had already learned dozens of characters, and among the first were "Shen" and the names of the family members.

If one only looked at these, it seemed as if he were truly a child of this family, as their names all contained elements of water. His, Xiang Jieer's, and Ji Geer's names were all names of great rivers.

Chen Chuan rinsed his mouth while brushing his teeth, trying hard to follow Sister Shen's instruction to brush with an up-and-down motion, gently vibrating the brush. However, for some reason, he hadn't quite mastered the technique, and his brushing was shaky, like an old woman's steps.

After he finished washing his face, Xiang Jieer appeared, her hair a mess and stifling a yawn. Soon after, Sister Shen and Ji Geer also got up. The three siblings stood in a line, their hair tousled from sleep, their eyelids drooping, brushing their teeth in a daze.

Since Sister Shen returned from visiting the Xie family, she had been sleeping deeply every night, rising only at mid-morning lately. Xiang Jieer, except when selling steamed buns, never woke up early, and Ji Geer was enjoying the rare opportunity to sleep in at home, as he had to be at the academy for morning study at dawn.

He had to study for half an hour before having breakfast.

So, Chen Chuan had started helping with breakfast these past two days. Having traveled from south to north with the human traffickers, he was accustomed to waking up early and didn't find it tiring.

Shen Miao brushed Xiang Jieer's hair and styled her own into a bun, then went to lift the lid of the steamer. She used chopsticks to remove the cloth covering the steamed egg custard. The custard had set into a smooth, pale yellow, with no air bubbles on the surface. It had steamed perfectly.

She was delighted and praised Chen Chuan warmly, "Little Chuan, you're doing great! Perhaps you have a talent for cooking! Look, Sister only showed you once, and you've steamed it so well."

She wasn't exaggerating. Though steaming egg custard seems easy, doing it well required great care. Many end up with overcooked, holey, or uneven custard, which doesn't taste good.

Chen Chuan smiled shyly, his lips curving slightly.

Shen Miao served the egg custard, giving each person a generous portion. She then served some crispy pickled bamboo shoots to accompany the steamed buns, and washed a few small peaches to serve as fruit. This was their breakfast.

During the summer heat, the Shen family kept their meals simple.

By June, the peaches in the orchards around Bianjing had ripened, and street vendors selling peaches became more common. Shen Miao discussed with Mei Sanniang the opportunity to sell "peach iced tea" while peaches were abundant and cheap:

Wash the peaches, remove the skin and pits, and cut them into small pieces. Place the peach pieces in a pot, add enough water to cover them and a small amount of rock sugar, and simmer over low heat until the peaches are soft and the sugar is completely dissolved. At this point, the sweet aroma of the peaches would fully infuse the water, becoming thick and forming peach jam.

In another clay pot, place crushed tea leaves and steep them in boiling water. Once the tea aroma is released, filter out the tea leaves using a tea strainer. Pour the prepared peach jam into the tea, stirring well.

Finally, seal the mixture in a clay jar and hang it in the well to chill. A refreshing cup of peach iced tea was thus prepared.

This tea, with its fruity aroma and sweetness, was even more thirst-quenching and cooling after being chilled. One could also enjoy the peach flesh in the tea. On a scorching summer day, a cup of this felt like drinking a bellyful of ice and snow, incredibly refreshing.

Mei Sanniang, following her advice, saw a surge in business these past few days. She was grateful to Shen for the idea and not only supplied the "peach iced drink" to her shop at half price but also sent many fresh peaches as a token of thanks. Thus, these past few days, the family's vitamin intake had been entirely from the greenish-red peaches.

Since peaches spoil quickly, Shen Miao pickled a small basin of peaches with salt, plums, and licorice. Pickled peaches were also delicious, cool and refreshing, with a crisp and tangy-sweet flavor.

Xiang Jieer treated the pickled peaches as snacks, grabbing one to munch on when entering and another when leaving. She would lay a mat on the porch, lie down, and swing her chubby little feet, accompanied by the occasional gust of summer wind, crunching away.

Despite all that they had used, there was still a small half basket left in the kitchen. Shen Miao planned to make dried peaches today to avoid them rotting and going to waste. Making dried peaches is straightforward; simply slice the peaches evenly, boil some sugar water, brush a layer of caramelized sugar liquid on the peach slices, and then send them into the kiln to dry.

Shen Miao swiftly prepared several jars and was busy filling them when Gu Dalang showed up, toting a net bag and leading his twins, asking if the Shen children wanted to go catch crayfish at the outer city's water beach.

"It rained yesterday, and crayfish always come out to forage after the rain, making them easier to catch than at night," Gu Dalang confidently said, "Today, we're bound to have a great haul!"

The Bian River flows through Bianjing, which at this time has very rich tributaries. The river bends feature shallow sandbars, allowing sunlight to reach the bottom, promoting lush aquatic plants and an abundance of shrimp. There are even some small river beaches outside Bianjing city that are artificially dug specifically for shrimp farming.

The Bian River teems with small river shrimp, green shrimp, and crayfish that look very similar to lobsters. The crayfish are also dark green or dark red, with big heads, small bodies, and two large claws. Shen Miao had once seen Xiang Jieer snag a few, initially thinking that lobsters had also traveled through time. Later, she learned that crayfish are quite common and are a genuine native species.

Ji Geer, unfortunately, couldn't join, as his short break had quickly ended, and he had to return to the academy soon.

Mouth still stuffed with steamed buns, Xiang Jieer eagerly thrust her hand up to say she definitely wanted to go. Chen Chuan stayed silent, just glancing at Shen Miao, who naturally encouraged him to go, softly saying, "Go have some fun, even if it's just lounging by the water. Don't always stay cooped up at home."

Moreover, Shen Miao had an appointment with a broker to discuss the shop next door and wouldn't be home.

So she quickly handed the kids over to Gu Dalang, smiling as she watched him shoulder A Bao and cradle A Di, while Xiang Jieer excitedly pushed Chen Chuan, and they all dashed into the blazing summer sun.

A few days ago, she took Chen Chuan to the old doctor for a follow-up and medicine change. The old doctor examined his leg, now less swollen and pain-free, and had him do some simple, light stretches, then nodded contentedly, saying it was basically healed.

No further meds were needed, and the splint stayed on for now, but it was now okay to wash and even get wet.

Just no heavy use, so he still had to stay in the wheelchair.

His leg probably wouldn't be much use for catching shrimp, but going out for some fresh air would be good. The boy was reserved, rarely venturing out, staying in Shen Miao's small yard like a snail, as if that was the only place he felt safe.

But she wished he'd gradually venture out, get some sun, and move around more, as it would be good for his calcium intake.

With the younger kids off playing, Shen Miao tidied up, changed her clothes, slung her bag, and went out with Ji Geer.

She walked Ji Geer to the long cart, slipping a string of coins into the hidden pocket of his undershirt, and instructed him, "If you're short on cash or need stuff, send someone back to let me know, and I'll bring it to you."

Shen Ji, toting his book box, nodded and gently reminded Shen Miao to walk slowly on her way back, avoid the sun, and stick to the shade.

As his sister turned and left the horse market, he tightened the straps of his woven book box and hoisted it higher on his back.

The book box weighed a ton, though not from books. Inside were two jars of freshly baked dried peaches, where thrifty Xiang Jieer had crammed two loquat preserves—yes, only two.

But his sister cared for him, and she also packed ten instant soup cakes, two sausages, a box of cricket cakes, ten salted duck eggs, half a bag of wheat flour, and a rolling pin.

The rolling pin was so long that one end even stuck out of the book box.

Upon learning the academy's meals were awful, Shen Miao packed plenty of easy-to-store snacks for him, even considering having him carry a frying pan, stove, and steamer, so he could cook in his dorm instead of relying on the academy's kitchen.

Shen Miao had done the same when she was in college, hiding electric rice cookers and hot pots in her dorm, constantly outsmarting the dormitory manager.

Shen Ji pondered this suggestion seriously. Given his cooking skills, it might be a bit risky. Maybe he should first try kneading dough to make steamed buns? Besides, the academy had stoves available, so he didn't need to bring one. Otherwise, entering the school with a stove in one hand and a pot in the other would surely make him look like a refugee, attracting attention.

But even after declining the stove and pot, he still carried a box full of stuff. When boarding the cart, he almost tipped backward from the weight of the book box, but fortunately, a big man behind him was startled and quickly reached out to steady him.

The long cart swayed out of the inner city, and Shen Ji leaned against the window, looking back at his sister's slender figure walking into the dense shade.

There was no wind today, and the tall trees stood still, their shadows dappling his sister's figure like silver scales.

Though he wasn't traveling far from home, just going out of the city to study, Shen Ji found himself gazing at his sister's back and recalling many poems about homesickness.

He still had ten days of study ahead. Shen Ji counted on his fingers, and it seemed that his next return home would coincide with the last day of the Lotus Viewing Festival. He sighed in relief, glad he could make it back to celebrate the festival with his sister.

And so, he felt at ease again.

***

Shen Miao soon arrived at the place where she had arranged to meet the intermediary.

It was a small teahouse by Zhou Bridge, where the other party had lavishly booked a private room on the second floor overlooking the water. The intermediary was a Uyghur man wearing a Uyghur hat and a round-neck, narrow-sleeved robe. He was slender and agile, and his surname was Yao Luoge.

His light-colored eyes gleamed with intelligence. Upon seeing Shen Miao enter, he warmly greeted her and repeatedly ordered the tea server to bring tea.

There weren't many foreigners in Bianjing City, as the Western Regions were inaccessible, and relations with Tibet were strained. The Song Dynasty mainly relied on the "Maritime Silk Road."

However, the Uyghurs were one of the few foreign tribes that frequently interacted with the Song. They lived near the Ili River Valley in the northern deserts and were adept at trade. They often rode camels across deserts, bringing treasures, stringed instruments, spices, and carpets from the Western Regions to Bianjing in exchange for gold and silver.

But this Yao Luoge had established permanent residence in Bianjing after arriving and even married a Han woman, gradually becoming a well-known top-tier real estate agent in Bianjing, a truly inspiring story.

Beside him sat a sorrowful old man, the owner of the neighboring shop. It was said that he had a wayward son who squandered the family fortune, spending all his time in the gambling houses of the entertainment districts. Not only did he accumulate a large amount of debt, but he also ran away, leaving his elderly father to sell his home to repay the debts.

Shen Miao had come to negotiate a lower price, but in the face of the old man's pitiful and tragic expression, she found it hard to speak.

Later, she thought, how much better off was she? She also owed the Xie family a large sum of money. Once the shop was secured, she would need to renovate it, and her own savings would be wiped out. If she didn't negotiate the price, all the money she had earned since coming to Bianjing would be spent.

So she gritted her teeth and decided to negotiate as planned.

Yao Luoge naturally leaned more toward the old man, as the higher the price, the more commission he would earn. Thus, the two of them engaged in a heated negotiation, lamenting to Shen Miao about the old man's misery, how he had nearly jumped into the river recently, how his family was in dire straits, his wife bedridden, and his grandchildren and daughter-in-law left without support.

Shen Miao listened in silence until Yao Luoge and the old man finished their tale. Then she smiled and said, "If we're comparing misfortunes, I might be worse off than you, sir. My parents are gone, I was divorced by my husband's family, and I have three younger siblings to feed. If we go into details, wouldn't my situation be even harder? Everyone faces hardships. While I sympathize with your difficulties, the shop must be priced fairly."

When seeking investment from the Xie family, Shen Miao had thoroughly investigated the shop. The front shop wasn't large, the backyard was even smaller, and it had been vacant for two or three years without maintenance. The roof tiles were rotten, and the interior was reportedly in a terrible state, having been neglected for years.

Since the soap merchant went bankrupt and moved out, it had remained unrented. It was said that the old man was greedy, raising the rent significantly each year and demanding compensation for even minor damages to the walls or floor. Over time, the shop's reputation worsened, and rumors spread that it was cursed—tenants would fail.

Shen Miao exposed all the shop's shortcomings, and Yao Luoge could only look helplessly at the old man. The two of them had arrived earlier and planned to raise the price, thinking that Shen Miao, a young woman managing things alone and new to Bianjing, wouldn't know the market well. But they hadn't expected her to be so well-prepared and unwilling to be fooled.

"Moreover, I'll be frank with you, and I hope you won't take offense. I've looked into your shop, and it's been listed with the brokers for almost a year without any interest. Honestly, if your shop weren't right next to mine, I wouldn't even consider it. The only reason I'm here bargaining with you is because I want to merge the two shops for efficiency. If you insist on raising the price, I can't afford it, and I'll just rent a larger shop elsewhere. There's no need to cling to this one, don't you think?"

This made the old man uneasy. Indeed, as Shen Miao said, he was in a hurry to sell. The reason he was being difficult was to get more money, hoping to have more savings to live on after returning to his hometown.

But since she wasn't easily fooled, he had no choice but to give in.

In the end, there was a heated negotiation, and Shen Miao bargained with full force. It wasn't that she was heartless, but the shop was like buying an old house in the second ring of the capital for fifteen million in modern times. Cutting the price even a little would save her a significant amount. This wasn't like adopting Chen Chuan, where it was just a matter of adding an extra pair of chopsticks and another person to the household. This was the difference between one hundred and two hundred guan.

It was okay to be a little selfish, especially since it wasn't her fault that the old man's wayward son had gambled away the family fortune.

If one could help the world while being prosperous, she, being poor, had to first take care of herself.

After a full hour and a half, both sides argued fiercely for their own interests, talking until they were hoarse and refilling their tea three times. Shen Miao finally managed to reduce the price from fifteen hundred guan to twelve hundred and fifty guan, and she insisted on completing the official procedures and transferring ownership as soon as possible.

Fortunately, she was in a hurry, and the old man was even more eager. He naturally agreed to go to the magistrate's office early to transfer the property and receive the money sooner.

Shen Miao had borrowed one thousand guan from the Xie family and added five hundred guan of her own savings. This left her with about two hundred and fifty guan remaining. Hmm... not bad, that number was quite auspicious.

However, she would have to pay a deed tax at the local government office, Yao Luoge would take his commission, and she would still need to repair walls, fix the roof, lay bricks, and buy tables and chairs. There would likely be quite a few expenses.

In the end, it was doubtful she would have two hundred guan remaining.

Once the deal was settled, Yao Luoge had Shen Miao and the old man sign the official contract, which was made in four copies. It had already been filled out with details such as the property's location, size, structure, reason for sale, price, and when the original owner would vacate. Shen Miao scrutinized it carefully, and Yao Luoge read it word by word to the old man. Then, both parties found two lawyers to act as guarantors and witnesses. Shen Miao naturally chose Deng Lawyer, as having a familiar lawyer on her side made it less likely for her to be cheated.

Of course, engaging Deng Lawyer incurred costs.

Fortunately, there were no discrepancies in the deed, and they only needed to sign their names. The old man couldn't write, so Yao Luoge and his lawyer wrote for him, and he signed with his mark.

They also scheduled the time to go to the magistrate's office the next day to stamp the deed. Shen Miao then gave a curtsey and took her leave.

She gripped the deed tightly as she walked out of the small teahouse. It was already dark, and a cool breeze made her realize that her back was damp with nervous sweat.

She had really bought a house! And in Bianjing, a thousand years ago! From now on, her little noodle shop could grow into a bigger one!

It felt unreal.

When she returned home, Youyu and Aunt Gu had already arrived. Aunt Gu had taken it upon herself to prepare the side dishes for grilled fish and set up a line of pottery basins on the counter, ready to welcome the night market customers.

Shen Miao also rolled up her sleeves and started frying fish. Just then, the back door creaked open, and Xiang Jieer, covered in mud like a little monkey, came rushing in, shouting, "Sister! We caught two whole buckets! Two big ones!"

She was extremely excited, hauling in a big bucket brimming with crayfish. The crayfish were still alive, occasionally jumping out, so Xiang Jieer was darting around, trying to catch them.

Shen Miao, wearing an apron, peeked out to take a look.

The child was so excited that she had forgotten Chen Chuan outside the door. Chen Chuan, in his wheelchair, had a large net attached to it and was wearing a big green lotus leaf on his head. He was maneuvering his wheelchair in with effort.

Shen Miao looked at Xiang Jieer, then at him. He wasn’t in much better shape—the wheels of his wheelchair were covered in mud, and his face was smeared with mud and water. Though he was a mess, his usually dull eyes seemed to have lit up.

What a sight they were!

"How did even Xiao Chuan end up like this?" Shen Miao went over and took the green lotus leaf hat off his head, exclaiming in surprise, "Did you get in the water too? It's fine if your legs get a little wet, but you shouldn't soak in muddy water!"

Muddy water isn’t clean, and soaking in it might cause an infection.

But when Shen Miao touched his pants, they were dry, which made her look puzzled.

Chen Chuan was very calm: "Crayfish like to burrow in the mud. There was a small opening in the rocks, and Xiang Jieer was afraid the crayfish would escape, so she pushed me to the entrance and had me block the hole with my wheelchair. That way, the crayfish couldn’t get away."

Shen Miao looked in shock at Xiang Jieer, who was splashing water on her face to wash it. Xiang Jieer stuck out her tongue, looking guilty: "Sister, the water was shallow, only up to my shins! It’s fine, Chen Chuan wouldn’t drown. Otherwise, it’d be no fun for him to just sit and watch. And I was worried he'd get sunburned blocking the hole, so I specially picked a lotus leaf to shade him."

As she spoke, she stopped feeling guilty and puffed out her chest, proud of herself.

Chen Chuan also nodded, his eyes shining in the lantern light: "It’s fine, the water wasn’t fast, and I caught a few with the net too."

Since his leg injury, he hadn’t had many happy days like this. Back when he was still living at home, he often went fishing with his father in the river. Sometimes, he would even tie himself to passing fishing boats with a rope and drift along with the current for a long time.

Today, he smelled the familiar scent of the river water again, and it made him inexplicably happy.

Shen Miao was both amused and exasperated. She gave Xiang Jieer a half-hearted scolding, then told her to clean herself up and take Chen Chuan to the Gu family first, so that Second Brother Gu could help him change clothes, wash his face, and wipe his body.

Xiang Jieer quickly washed her face, changed into clean clothes, and hurriedly pushed Chen Chuan over. She wheeled him so fast it felt like a roller coaster ride, but he had a smile in his eyes.

Xiang Jieer had even once secretly asked Thunder to pull Chen Chuan's wheelchair behind Shen Miao's back. Fortunately, it didn't tip over—this kid was fearless.

But Chen Chuan seemed to enjoy it. He was much closer to Xiang Jieer than to others, perhaps because ever since Xiang Jieer brought him home, she had never treated him as an outsider or someone who needed special care.

Her no-nonsense attitude made him feel comfortable.

Shen Miao shook her head and went back to work. When it was almost time to close for the night, she looked at the bucket of still lively crayfish, picked up one or two to examine them. They seemed about the same size as modern crayfish, and they looked quite similar.

She swallowed hard. Today, perhaps because of some grand court meeting or another major event in the palace, the Garrison Troops had blocked the streets, so there were far fewer customers coming to eat.

She finished work quite early today. Why not treat herself to a late-night snack?

She poured out the crayfish to clean them. At the bottom of the bucket, there were also quite a few snails, which she could stir-fry along with the crayfish.

Spicy crayfish and stir-fried snails, plus a pot of barley wine from Aunt Gu—wouldn’t that be heavenly? The barley wine at this time had a proper name, "li," which was fermented and had a cloudy color, tasting slightly bitter, like flat beer. But if you chilled it with well water, it would be very refreshing, perfect for a summer night.

Shen Miao got right to it, grabbing a long-handled brush to clean the crayfish. She soaked the snails in water with some salt and threw in a rusty iron spoon to help them spit out the sand faster.

Xiang Jieer and Chen Chuan also came to help clean the crayfish. With the days being long and the nights short now, the two of them were unwilling to sleep early, especially after their midday nap. The two kids could stay up later than night owls. If not forced to go to bed, they could stay up, full of energy, until late at night.

Cleaning crayfish was also a task requiring skill. These creatures in the basin had quite a temper, each raising their large claws to pinch people. Xiang Jieer indeed got pinched twice, and later, out of frustration, she knocked the crayfish heads against the basin's edge to stun them before cleaning. This proved to be an effective method.

Chen Chuan seemed very adept at handling these aquatic creatures, pinching and cleaning them quickly, avoiding being pinched while handling it skillfully.

After cleaning the crayfish, Shen Miao also soaked them in salt water for a while, then took them out and rinsed them once more.

Then she prepared some leftover base ingredients and seasonings for the grilled fish: Sichuan pepper (a unique spice known for its numbing effect), ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon. After heating the oil in a pan, she first stir-fried these seasonings over high heat until fragrant. The pungent aroma of Sichuan pepper and the sharp spiciness of garlic instantly filled the air, and then she added the crayfish and river snails. She stir-fried until the crayfish shells turned red and the snail meat contracted and changed color, then added cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and a bit of water, and simmered over medium heat to let the crayfish and snail meat absorb the flavors.

After reducing the sauce, she sprinkled with green onions and cilantro leaves, then served the dish. The stir-fried spicy crayfish were bright red all over, and the river snails were shiny brown. The intense, spicy aroma had Xiang Jieer salivating all over again.

Shen Miao prepared two plates in total. As soon as she brought them to the table, Xiang Jieer couldn't wait to pick one up, but it was too hot, so she had to hold the crayfish by its whiskers and blow on it to cool it down.

Before she could take a bite, suddenly, someone knocked at the courtyard gate.

It was already late at night. Who could it be?

Shen Miao put down her chopsticks, went back to the room to grab a kitchen knife and tucked it at her waist. Without unlocking it, she asked through the door crack, "Who is it?"

"Good evening, Madam Shen, I'm Cen Zhi. I came to your shop a few days ago to join the membership and store fish." The man said, even handing over a VIP card (a membership card for regular customers) through the crack.

Shen Miao then opened the door a crack and smiled, politely turning him down, "We're already closed for today. Please come back tomorrow."

But Cen Zhi took out a few dozen coins, pleading while swallowing his saliva, "Madam Shen, what dish are you cooking that smells so fresh and spicy? I could smell it through the wall... I'm from Sichuan, and I love this kind of flavor. Could you sell me a portion? I'm leaving the capital tomorrow, and before I go, I really want to taste this deliciousness one more time."

Shen Miao's eyes sparkled, and an idea popped into her head. She brought him a bowl and let him eat on the backdoor platform.

Cen Zhi really didn't mind the informality. He plopped down with the bowl and dug in.

He bit open the crayfish shell, and the meat inside seemed to pop out eagerly, springy and firm, bursting with flavor. Then the numbing taste of Sichuan pepper hit first, making his lips and tongue tremble slightly. Soon, the spicy flavor of the ginger and chili paste followed, like flames leaping in his mouth, creating a burning sensation, yet it didn't overshadow the natural sweetness of the crayfish meat. It was truly irresistible.

This was the flavor!

His lips and face turned red from eating, but he nodded heavily in enjoyment.

It tasted just like the flavors of his hometown in Sichuan—absolutely spot-on!

So delicious!