The preparation method for steamed shad fish wasn’t particularly stunning and was fairly common in Jiangnan, but this technique of removing scales with thread was unheard of by everyone at the table. They all stared wide-eyed at the silver dragon spinning under Zhenzhen’s chopsticks, momentarily speechless. Only after a while did someone applaud and praise: “Judging from this string of scales, the female apprentices at Shizhen Lou not only have exquisite knife skills, but their needlework is also exceptional.”
Zhenzhen silently turned her head aside and exchanged a smile with Feng Xian, who stood waiting in a corner of the hall.
When they had previously decided to include shad fish in the banquet menu, Zhenzhen had discussed with her senior sisters whether to steam it with scales intact or to remove the scales in pieces first, then cover them back on the fish during steaming. This way, the fish scale fat could still blend into the fish while making it convenient for diners to remove scales.
The five senior sisters besides Feng Xian each presented pros and cons. Some said it was best to preserve the original authentic flavor, while others said that since the village banquet guests were all refined people, removing scales beforehand would better suit their habits. After arguing for a long time without reaching a conclusion, Feng Xian, who had remained silent throughout, gazed at the shad fish on the table and slowly spoke: “I thought of a method that might be better…”
This unique scale-removal method added considerable luster to the shad fish. Of course, the fish itself was also fresh, tender, and fatty, steamed to perfect flavor. The tribute students frequently picked with their chopsticks, eating with great pleasure. Only one person complained slightly: “It’s good fish, but there are too many bones.”
Shad fish indeed had fine bones throughout its body, scattered everywhere. Each bite required first picking out the bones.
After hearing this, Zhenzhen said to that person: “Although shad fish has bones, most are fine and soft like shrimp whiskers. Even if accidentally eaten, they won’t injure the throat. Nothing in this world is perfect. This fish already tastes extremely delicious. If it had no bones as well, it would probably cost more than gold, or like pufferfish, carry deadly poison that you’d have to guard against. So please accept this small imperfection. It’s like a beautiful woman with a face like jade who just has a bit of a temper, sometimes inevitably annoying, but the beauty isn’t a bad person. Considering how beautiful she is, you think about it and let it go.”
Everyone who heard this smiled, and Yang Shenglin clapped his hands and laughed loudly, repeatedly saying: “What a good analogy!” It wasn’t until his father at the table glared at him that he realized he should be quiet, but he still occasionally smiled and stole glances at Zhenzhen.
Accompanying the shad fish for this round of wine was also a dish of wild rice stem pickle – sliced fresh wild rice stems that had been blanched, mixed with fine scallion strips, dill, fennel, Sichuan pepper, red yeast rice, and salt, pickled for a moment before eating. The shad fish had fat fragrance similar to meat flavor, and after eating it, this wild rice stem pickle tasted even more refreshing. Both dishes left good impressions on the diners, so someone asked: “Such delicious food – are there also famous historical allusions related to them?”
Zhenzhen hadn’t deliberately searched for related allusions beforehand, but she remained calm and composed, answering: “Yes, there are. But you gentlemen are highly talented and well-read. You must know them too. If you remember, why don’t you speak first and see if they match what I know.”
The tribute students were quite excited and competed to speak. Someone said: “The Han Dynasty celebrity Yan Ziling fished by the Fuchun River, marveled at the shad fish’s freshness and richness, and used this as a reason to refuse Emperor Guangwu’s summons to office.”
Someone else said: “Dongpo Jushi also loved shad fish. Shad fish treasure their own scales – if touched by people or nets, they stop struggling to avoid damaging their scales. Dongpo Jushi called it the ‘scale-cherishing fish’ and wrote a poem for it: ‘Ginger sprouts and purple vinegar roast silver fish, snow bowl lifted brings two feet and more. Still holding peach blossom spring essence, this flavor surpasses water shield and bass.'”
Another person added: “Minister Wang Anshi also wrote poetry mentioning shad fish: ‘Shad fish from nets cover islands and shores, reed shoots fat and sweet surpass cow’s milk.'”
Yet another reminded his classmates: “Don’t forget the wild rice stem! Wild rice stem is wild rice vegetable. Jin Dynasty’s Zhang Han used the excuse of autumn wind rising, missing his hometown’s wild rice vegetable, water shield soup, and bass sashimi to resign and return home…” He emotionally pointed at the wild rice stem pickle before him, “What made him want to return home was this wild rice stem!”
The whole hall burst into laughter.
This village banquet, being an official’s invitation, initially made the tribute students feel constrained. At first, everyone sat properly, fearing their words and actions might lack propriety. Unexpectedly, by this point they had developed an interest in joking and laughing. Everyone continued discussing allusions with constant laughter and cheers rising and falling.
Zhenzhen smiled as she listened to the tribute students tell their stories. When the noise in the hall subsided slightly, she spoke again: “So, as long as it’s delicious food, there’s no worry about lacking famous people who loved it and left allusions and poetry to add luster. We taste food with our tongues and hearts, not our ears. When food tastes good, naturally people will compose poetry and prose for it that will be passed down through the ages. If we must hear allusions and poetry before we find food delicious, wouldn’t we be giving our ears the right to judge taste?”
Many at the table nodded, and County Magistrate Cui also smiled and said: “Reasonable, reasonable.”
Zhenzhen continued: “For this village banquet, I didn’t deliberately prepare matching allusions and poetry. First, lest I show off inappropriately, and second, I believe taste is most important. Since this is a village drinking ceremony, I hope to offer you hometown dishes that can remind you of your mother’s cooking. This familiar taste relates to mothers and hometowns, not necessarily to allusions.”
After a brief silence, applause arose in the hall – one clap at a time, the sound of one person clapping alone. Zhenzhen looked toward the source and found it was again that slightly dark-skinned scholar.
County Magistrate Cui also applauded, so followers immediately multiplied, and thunderous applause filled the hall.
After two more rounds of wine, the soup and pastry styles of both restaurants remained the same as before – Yibei Lou elegant, Shizhen Lou homestyle. When the banquet ended, the tribute students expressed their positions on the village drinking ceremony hosting rights. Four chose Yibei Lou, while five chose Shizhen Lou, including the scholar who had repeatedly supported Zhenzhen during the meal.
County Magistrate Cui was about to announce the results when Wu Qiuniang, who had been seated and observing silently, suddenly stepped forward, curtsied to County Magistrate Cui, and said: “County Magistrate Cui, from the scholars’ choices, our Shizhen Lou didn’t win completely – nearly half preferred Yibei Lou’s delicacies. If the village drinking ceremony were hosted by Shizhen Lou alone, those scholars who want to taste scholarly dishes would inevitably feel regret. Therefore, I boldly suggest to the County Magistrate, if Yibei Lou is willing, please still let our two establishments jointly prepare the village drinking ceremony, and present a perfect banquet for the tribute students who will soon leave home for the examinations.”
At these words, the entire gathering was shocked. County Magistrate Cui, Yang Yu, and Zhenzhen were all greatly surprised, never expecting her to so easily give up this hard-won victory. County Magistrate Cui repeatedly asked her to confirm whether this was modest declining or her true intention. Qiuniang’s gaze was firm and expression solemn, indicating it was a well-considered decision. County Magistrate Cui then asked Yang Yu’s opinion.
After seeing the tribute students’ choices, Yang Yu had been sitting with a dark expression, occasionally glaring angrily at the scholar who had spoken up for Zhenzhen. When he heard Qiuniang’s suggestion, he was completely stunned. Only after County Magistrate Cui asked twice did he come to his senses, stammering that everything should be decided by the County Magistrate and he had no objections.
County Magistrate Cui thus announced that this year’s village drinking ceremony would be jointly hosted by Yibei Lou and Shizhen Lou. The tribute students were delighted to hear this and congratulated both establishments. Qiuniang and Yang Yu both smiled and thanked them, but when that dark-skinned scholar congratulated Yang Yu, Yang Yu remained silent and coldly turned his face away.
Xiang Ye whispered the secret she had just learned to Zhenzhen: “That tribute student who spoke up for you is actually the expert Yibei Lou hired. Several of Yibei Lou’s dishes were made under his guidance. I don’t know why he would speak for you.”
Zhenzhen was also completely puzzled. After that scholar bid farewell to everyone and left, Zhenzhen chased him outside, solemnly thanked him, and asked why he had helped her. The scholar smiled and said: “Because I also like your dishes – they remind me of my mother’s cooking.”
Zhenzhen asked his name. He said: “My surname is Zhao, given name Huaiyu.”
Zhenzhen asked: “Is it the ‘wearing coarse clothes but harboring jade’ Huaiyu?”
Zhao Huaiyu bowed slightly: “I’m ashamed.” After pausing, he smiled lightly and said, “Your restaurant’s knowledge of threading shad fish scales – that’s the real ‘wearing coarse clothes but harboring jade.'”
Zhenzhen was startled and wanted to ask what this meant, but Zhao Huaiyu had already bowed to her and walked away.
Returning to Shizhen Lou, thinking of how she had worked hard preparing for so long only to see her victory flow away like water, Zhenzhen felt discouraged and asked her mother why she had given up solely hosting the village drinking ceremony. Qiuniang said: “As I said, Shizhen Lou didn’t win completely. Why compete for momentary pride and displease nearly half the scholars? Hometown flavors are certainly worth missing, but aren’t the heights of court halls and elegant jade halls worth yearning for? They tasted Yibei Lou’s dishes with longing for the future – that’s also tasting with the heart, not just the ears. They didn’t immediately speak up to refute you, but only out of consideration for County Magistrate Cui’s face. And moreover…” She gazed at Zhenzhen, her eyes deep as autumn water in a green pool, “When a tree stands out in the forest, wind will surely destroy it. We don’t need to solely host the village drinking ceremony and draw such attention.”
Regarding Zhao Huaiyu, Xiang Ye gradually gathered more information, saying he was from a distant branch of the imperial clan. In terms of kinship to the Emperor, he was beyond the fifth degree of mourning and not valued by others. His parents’ generation had drifted to Pujiang, with family circumstances gradually becoming poor, only able to hope for advancement through imperial examinations. Because he was quite learned and, being imperial clan, had some insight, Yang Yu hired him to advise his restaurant and paid him a fee. After the village banquet evaluation, Yang Yu questioned why he had helped Shizhen Lou. He said: “I only agreed to be Yibei Lou’s advisor. I didn’t promise to definitely choose Yibei Lou at the evaluation banquet. The County Magistrate asked me to represent the scholars in choosing, so naturally I should handle it fairly, judging and deciding with a scholar’s identity. At that time, Shizhen Lou’s dishes moved me more, so I acted this way with a clear conscience.”
“Then, he returned all the silver money Yibei Lou had previously given him to Yang Yu.” Xiang Ye told Zhenzhen. She mentioned a very large amount – so large that even her eyebrows dancing at this moment were writing two words: heartache.
Zhenzhen raised her eyes toward the sky, seeming to see Zhao Huaiyu’s just and impartial dark face. He coldly threw a large bundle of silver money before Yang Yu, then flicked his sleeves and departed gracefully, leaving Yang Yu alone, curled up clutching the silver money, prostrate and weeping… Zhenzhen clicked her tongue in admiration: “What a man.”
Zhenzhen kept remembering Zhao Huaiyu’s words about Shizhen Lou “wearing coarse clothes but harboring jade.” Once she mentioned it to Feng Xian: “From the threading scale removal technique, he determined our restaurant was ‘wearing coarse clothes but harboring jade’ – meaning we have experts here, right? This method was your idea. Did you think it up yourself or did someone teach you?”
Feng Xian was cutting vegetables and startled at these words, quickly answering: “I thought of it myself.”
“Oh, sister is truly ice-snow clever.” Zhenzhen smiled. “I saw that Zhao Huaiyu seemed to know this method too, so I thought you learned it from someone. But thinking about it, you came to my family when you were very young. If someone had taught you, I wouldn’t not know, unless you learned it before coming to my family.”
Feng Xian forced a smile and continued cutting vegetables with her head down.
After Zhenzhen left, Feng Xian’s knife-wielding movements slowed. She raised her head, her gaze passing through the window, blankly cast toward the autumn scene of scattered falling leaves in the courtyard. Seeming to feel the chill here, she felt somewhat dizzy, her face pale. She closed her eyes, but some scroll-like fragments of old memories irrepressibly surfaced:
A magnificent hall filled with guests, fine wine and jade food, music and drunken dreams. A woman in brocade clothes and beautiful makeup stood before shad fish served on a golden plate, lifting silk thread with jade chopsticks as a silver dragon transformed from fish scales leaped up, swimming in the smile that rippled from her beautiful eyes…
A night without lamps or candles. As a child, she slept on a huge bed when suddenly she felt a drop of water fall on her face. She opened her eyes and by the pale moonlight seeping through the window, saw a woman with flowing hair and a haggard face. Looking at the awakened Feng Xian, she showed a smile – but that desolate smile made Feng Xian feel sad.
A deep autumn rainy night, a speeding carriage. She nestled in her mother’s embrace, drowsy and confused, her whole body aching. The only thing that made her feel secure was her mother’s breath and warmth. However, a pair of giant hands forcibly pulled her from her mother’s embrace, opened the carriage door, and kicked her down into the muddy rain…
That feeling of falling into an endless abyss made Feng Xian’s body and knife-holding hand tremble slightly. Her right thumb, ring finger, and little finger gripped the knife handle even tighter, while her middle finger unconsciously straightened, supporting the outside of the blade together with her index finger.
“Feng Xian.” Qiuniang suddenly entered and called her name.
Feng Xian startled, and her vegetable-cutting hand unconsciously applied more force. With one chop down, the knife wasn’t gripped tightly and instantly flew from her hand, falling to the ground with a loud clang.
Both Qiuniang and Feng Xian were frightened. Qiuniang stepped back two paces. After seeing clearly that it was the knife that had fallen, she frowned and said to Feng Xian: “After all these years, you’ve forgotten the knife-holding posture I taught you again?”
Feng Xian lowered her head, blushing: “I remember, but sometimes when I’m distracted, my middle finger unconsciously straightens.”
Qiuniang softened her tone: “Knives have no eyes. Be extra careful when using them, pay attention to posture, don’t make mistakes and hurt your hand.”
Feng Xian nodded in agreement, then asked what Qiuniang had come to instruct.
Qiuniang said: “Just now County Magistrate Cui sent someone to say that distinguished guests from the capital will come for the village drinking ceremony. He wants us to prepare the raw crab on the menu according to Bianjing’s hand-washing crab method.”