Chapter 10: The Registrar's Household

This Mrs. Sun really asked, “They said the second lady of the manor went to the Yu family estate for a banquet and found the food delicious, so she mentioned it to the elderly lady at home.”

The maid told Mrs. Sun, “We’ve tried dishes made by other chefs before, but the elderly lady wasn’t satisfied. A few days ago when our second lady visited her parents, she brought gifts to her uncle and said the banquet dishes were very tasty.”

Today, they also ate fish bought from outside, and the taste was exactly the same, so they sent her out to ask.

Lin Qiuran nodded, recalling that the dishes that day were indeed delicious… After some thought, she decided the braised pork and eight-treasure rice were the best.

Although braised pork contains the character for “red,” which is traditionally inappropriate for mourning occasions, the Yu family patriarch’s funeral was a joyful one, and the hosts did not avoid it, hence the presence of this dish. The braised pork was the most tender, perfect for the elderly with weaker teeth who would surely appreciate it.

Lin Qiuran resolved to try making two dishes tomorrow: one braised pork, which would surely taste better with the chief clerk family’s richer seasonings, and another dish suitable for a birthday banquet—something visually appealing that clearly conveyed blessings for longevity.

Recalling her past culinary creations, Lin Qiuran suddenly thought of making “fortune pouches.” These are dough cakes shaped like fabric pouches with a pocket in the middle. On top, the character for fortune is written with brown sugar syrup or sauce. The filling is usually shredded ingredients, sometimes including vegetables symbolizing longevity. The pouch’s opening is tied with dough strings or tofu strips.

Previously, she often filled these pouches with shredded Beijing sauce pork. Although preparing the filling was a bit troublesome, it was worth it since the guests found it convenient to eat. She would prepare as many as the number of guests—ten for a table of ten, twelve for twelve, and so on.

Arranged on the plate, they looked plump and festive with the fortune characters, very auspicious.

For now, Lin Qiuran planned to make these two dishes. If the Wang family requested anything else tomorrow, she would adjust accordingly. Hawthorn berries, essential for braised pork, had already been found.

Besides that, Lin Qiuran brought some money—half a tael of broken silver and some copper coins. She had never been to the county town before, so she decided to take this opportunity to explore and inquire about property prices there.

With everything prepared, she asked Mrs. Sun, “Mother, is there a bullock cart that goes to the county town from our village?”

Mrs. Sun almost forgot but confirmed there was. Since it wasn’t busy farming season, families that raised cattle had little use for them, so some folks drove bullock carts to the town, charging two wen per person to save the trouble of walking.

However, not many people took it because two wen was not cheap. People usually walked unless they had urgent business or some money to spare.

Mrs. Sun had never taken the bullock cart before, but since Lin Qiuran had children, it made the journey easier, “Yes, I’ll ask when it leaves. Tomorrow, we’ll take the bullock cart.”

While Mrs. Sun inquired about the bullock cart, Lin Qiuran stayed home to simmer fish soup.

Xiao Dashi had cleaned the crucian carp. It wasn’t large, so she fried it in a thick layer of oil with some salt sprinkled in the middle to prevent the skin from sticking.

When Lin Qiuran put the fish into the pan, the sizzling sounds filled the kitchen. She didn’t flip it immediately, waiting for it to set first.

After a while, she flipped the fish with a spatula. The side she fried was golden brown, sizzling with oil.

Once the other side was done, she placed the fish in a bowl and fried two eggs, then fried tofu. Pouring hot water over the fried ingredients produced a milky white broth. Since one fish was too little and the soup’s color mattered, she added eggs and tofu.

After frying, she took everything out, and the pot was nearly empty of oil. She then returned the fish to the pot, mashed it with a spatula, and added the eggs and tofu. She poured hot water from the kettle, hearing the splash as the fish meat dispersed, instantly thickening the soup.

The pot contained fish bones and spines. Once the soup boiled, she seasoned it with salt and strained out the bones and spines with a slotted spoon. Since crucian carp have many spines, she didn’t want anyone to sip the soup and have to spit out bones.

After boiling, she added a handful of freshly picked bok choy and some chopped scallions to finish the soup.

Since she had made plenty of fish soup, Lin Qiuran didn’t plan to make porridge but rolled out noodles, which were far more flavorful than soup noodles.

Just as she dropped the noodles in, Mrs. Sun returned. She said, “Qiuran, we’ll leave at the first hour tomorrow morning and return by bullock cart in the afternoon around the ninth hour.”

The price was the same, no discounts. If Mrs. Sun went alone, she would think twice about the cost. But since Lin Qiuran was going to work and walking to the county would be exhausting, they definitely needed the cart. She wouldn’t feel at ease if Lin Qiuran rode alone and she walked.

Lin Qiuran said, “Then we’ll get up early. Mother, eat now.”

Mrs. Sun glanced into the pot. The fish soup’s color was beautiful, with golden eggs and tofu and noodles swimming in fresh green vegetables, smelling delicious. “You eat this; your father and I will have porridge.”

Lin Qiuran said, “I made a lot but didn’t cook porridge.”

Mrs. Sun replied, “Ah, we’re used to porridge; other foods don’t sit well with us.”

Lin Qiuran said, “Mother, there’s too much; I can’t finish it all. Let’s eat together. There aren’t many noodles; after eating, we should go to bed early. We have to go to the county tomorrow.”

Mrs. Sun had no choice but to sit and eat, reminding her, “Next time, make your own food. Your father and I will eat something else.”

Lin Qiuran didn’t respond. She disliked eating alone and preferred the family to eat together. “You both try it.”

Mrs. Sun served herself and Xiao Dashi. Their bowls had no eggs, but the noodles were chewy, flavored with the sweet and salty fish soup, and the tofu was tasty. It was much better than the fish soup she had made for Lin Qiuran.

Xiao Dashi simply said, “Qiuran’s cooking is good.”

After the meal, Lin Qiuran went to bed early.

The next day, Mrs. Sun woke her at the appointed time. Lin Qiuran washed up and took the things prepared last night, then went with Mrs. Sun to the village entrance to board the bullock cart.

Mrs. Sun also boiled three eggs for the journey.

There weren’t many passengers—just the four of them—but the driver earned eight wen for the round trip, doubling his fare.

The bullock cart was naturally much faster than walking. When they reached the city gate of the county town, the cart stopped.

Lin Qiuran paid the fare. Mrs. Sun said, “Brother, we’ll come back this afternoon. If we’re late, please wait for us.”

Mrs. Sun wasn’t sure how long the banquet would last. If they needed to sit a whole table, half a day might not be enough.

The farmer nodded and led the ox to find water.

Lin Qiuran and Mrs. Sun stood at the city gate. The sun was high, and the street vendors were out. Lin Qiuran relaxed and admired the shops and buildings, which were far better than their village.

Mrs. Sun was a bit nervous. Their county was called Yu’an City. The county magistrate ranked seventh grade, while the chief clerk was ninth grade. Though minor officials, they were important figures in the eyes of common folk.

Mrs. Sun asked, “I wonder where the Wang family’s house is?”

Lin Qiuran patted her arm gently, “Don’t worry, I’ll ask around.”

Lin Qiuran inquired about directions and made her way toward the Wang residence. Mrs. Sun followed closely behind, nervously.

Upon arrival, Lin Qiuran looked up at the signboard, which bore the two characters identical to the simplified script—“Wang Residence.”

Red lanterns hung beneath the eaves, and the main door was firmly closed.

Lin Qiuran stepped forward and knocked on the door lock. Soon, a footman came to open the door. Lin Qiuran spoke straightforwardly, “I am the banquet chef coming today to try the dishes.”

The footman nodded, “Please come in.”

Lin Qiuran followed him into the compound, Mrs. Sun trailing silently, barely daring to breathe.

After a while, the footman asked them to wait there. Lin Qiuran took a deep breath, and neither dared to look around.

After about fifteen minutes, a well-dressed woman approached with a maid. “You must be Mrs. Lin. I am the second lady of the manor. My mother-in-law’s sixtieth birthday is coming soon. We’ve hired several banquet chefs but none satisfied her.”

For the elderly lady’s birthday banquet, the dishes had to suit her tastes.

Lin Qiuran said, “Does the elderly lady have any dishes she wishes for? I can make them.”

Mrs. Yu said, “Try the braised pork from the banquet at the Yu estate that day. For the rest, you may decide.”

Mrs. Yu led Lin Qiuran to the kitchen and didn’t ask who Mrs. Sun was, guessing she was family helping out.

Once inside the kitchen, Mrs. Yu left. The Wang family’s kitchen was even larger than the Yu estate’s, with two iron woks and one large pot.

Lin Qiuran looked over the meat and vegetables: a large chunk of pork belly, some hind leg meat, and fresh seasonal greens, tofu, and bean curd skin.

Mrs. Sun asked what she planned to do. Lin Qiuran said, “Mother, just cut the pork belly into chunks about three fingers wide, then blanch them in cold water.”

At home, they preferred smaller pieces, but for a banquet, three-finger-wide chunks would shrink to two fingers after braising, making a grand and attractive presentation.

Lin Qiuran also noticed the Wang family had more seasonings and spices than hers. She selected some, and once Mrs. Sun blanched the meat, Lin Qiuran started braising it and then began making the fortune pouches.

The dough had to be soft, with an oily paste spread inside; otherwise, the pouch wouldn’t form. After frying a round cake, it soon puffed up in the middle.

Lin Qiuran fried two and placed the dough skins in a steamer. Usually, these could be eaten directly, but for elderly with poor teeth, steaming softened them without making them too hard.

The rest she left to Mrs. Sun, who sharpened her knife and began slicing meat into fine strips.

Her knife skills were honed over years, producing uniform slices. After tossing them with cornstarch and marinating, she set them aside.

Since the two dishes would be served together, making them early would cause them to get cold and lose flavor, so Lin Qiuran took her time.

When the braised pork was nearly done, she stir-fried the shredded pork in hot oil with Beijing sauce, adding cucumber and scallion strips. Each fortune pouch was filled plump and tied at the opening with bean curd skin.

Each fortune pouch was about half a palm in size. After finishing, Lin Qiuran dipped chopsticks into sauce and painted the character for fortune on each. A plate held ten, symbolizing perfection in all respects.

If she could cook for the Wang family’s elderly lady’s birthday, she could even write the character for longevity on the day. However, the traditional character for longevity was different from the simplified one; she needed to study it.

Since the meat was braised for a long time, Lin Qiuran also prepared two cold dishes to balance the richness: smashed cucumbers and spinach with nuts. She steamed rice as well.

In this era, cucumbers were called “melon cucumbers.” Sometimes cucumbers couldn’t be served at certain occasions because the word “yellow” (huang) had bad connotations.

When the braised pork was ready, Lin Qiuran went out to summon Mrs. Yu, who soon arrived with a smile.

She said, “You must be anxious. My mother-in-law had a good appetite today, so I stayed with her and chatted longer. Mrs. Lin, your skills are impeccable. Every summer, my mother-in-law’s appetite is poor, but today she ate quite a lot.”

Hearing this, Lin Qiuran wondered if it meant she had succeeded?

Mrs. Sun took a deep breath. “With so many dishes, who knows if it will work.”

If it didn’t, the trip would be wasted, the bullock cart fare lost, and Lin Qiuran’s half-day of hard work amounted to nothing.

Lin Qiuran was uncertain. The two waited in the kitchen, the time dragging on. The sun climbed high toward noon, yet no one returned.

Lin Qiuran pursed her lips, thinking, Could the delay mean the dishes were not to their taste? But if that were the case, wouldn’t they have sampled and rejected them by now?

Mrs. Sun also found the wait too long. She comforted her, “This isn’t something that works every time. You cook well, but everyone has different tastes. It’s alright.”

Lin Qiuran nodded, though she felt a bit disappointed after all the effort.

Mrs. Sun smiled, “Let’s go out for a bit, have lunch. There are small eateries here. Eat whatever you like! You can’t be cooking for others every day.”

Lin Qiuran agreed, “Yes, let’s go eat.”

After another wait, Mrs. Yu returned, smiling. “Sorry to keep you waiting. My mother-in-law’s appetite was good today, so I stayed to keep her company a bit longer. Mrs. Lin, your cooking is beyond reproach. Every summer, my mother-in-law loses her appetite, but today she ate a lot.”

Lin Qiuran took this as confirmation that her dishes had been accepted.