SC1 13.1 – Spicy Chicken Noodles Soup
Not long after we sat, a servant put a bowl of chicken noodle soup on the table. The noodle was alkaline noodle, being cut into thin and straight strain to match rapid cooking during busy lunch or dinner service. The portion was around 125 gr, smaller than the portion I put on soy sauce oyster noodle, but still enough to satisfy adult’s belly.
As for the topping, it had blanched bean sprout, a piece of par-fried tofu, and a pinch of finely chopped green onion. It was humble topping with basic handling, but it would go well with almost any chicken soup.
And finally, I put my attention on the bright red and spicy chicken soup. It smelled good and rich. I could tell it was made from a whole leftover of grilled chicken, being slowly simmered along with onion and ginger. However, I couldn’t tell the spices mix that was used to elevate the final flavor.
Wasting no time I then tasted the soup, the noodle, and the topping, and my final assessment was exactly the same as my initial assessment. The only different was that after tasting it I roughly could guess the spice mix.
It was toasted sesame oil, a pinch of orange’s peel powder, lot of chili flake, and finely chopped onion, being bonded together with smoking hot pork lard before being added to the boiling soup, and then let it to simmer for a while. Then, added a tea spoon of red miso for each serving bowl.
Actually, if you replace half of the water for the soup with dashi stock and just use regular light miso paste, you would get more complex flavor but easy enough to be enjoyed as daily meal, but I kept it to myself.
After taking another sip of the soup I said, “The noodle, the topping, and especially the soup are remarkably good. It has good balance for tastiness and spiciness. I’m sure it will score a big hit.”
After a big smile Minami said, “Owner Tokuma also believes it will fare much better compare to our current low-tier menu.”
“Definitely.”
After slightly nodded to Minami, I took the spicy chicken noodle soup to other table and then turned my gaze to Yunno and Yui who still stood behind my chair. “Help me finish this noodle, and then write down your assessment.”
Yunno’s eyes instantly widened. “Uncle Deitoro, we don’t know how to assess a dish.”
“Just write whatever impression you have after you taste it,” I calmly said. “Are you happy to be able to taste such noodle, do you like it or dislike it, what part that gives you the strongest impression, and such.”
“That sound like a childish assessment,” Yunno hesitantly said.
“You are indeed a child,” I casually said, “so just write the impression you got as a child.”
“Okay.”
As usual Yunno obediently replied while Yui nodded her head. Then, the two carried out my instruction. There was only one spoon and fork, but it was not a problem for the two. Yunno happily and gently fed Yui, before forking some noodle for herself. Once the two merrily enjoyed the noodle, I returned to my chair.
“It’s a blessing if you have siblings who cherish you,” Minami softly said while her longing gaze was fixed on Yunno and Yui.
“Are you the only child in your family?” I asked as I sat back at my chair.
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“It’s complicated.” Minami dejectedly said. “My mother was only a servant, while the other kids are from main branch, so they never treat me as their siblings.”
“Are those siblings of yours also staying in Rokube?”
“No, they are staying in Kamakura.” After a pause Minami explained, “After my mother passed away, my siblings bullied me whenever they have a chance. Me, the youngest and weakest kid in the family, have to defend myself from the rest of the kids who have their parent at their back.
One day, it went too far. They almost drowned me to the death in the inner pond. So, when Owner Tokuma asked me to accompany him spending his retirement day in Rokube, I gladly accepted his offer, even though it means I have to live under his strict guidance, and sometimes he is very scar…. Aah… how could I just ramble some unrelated matter to our deal?
Warrior Deitoro please forgive my rudeness.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” I casually said.
After taking a deep breath Minami embarrassingly said, “I don’t know why, but it’s very easy for me to speak to you as if you are my friend.”
“I’m glad if you kept speaking to me that way,” I genuinely said.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“Yeah.”
Well, I had live hundreds of years, and meeting countless people with various circumstances. Therefore, even if I didn’t want to, I could easily see that Minami carried heavy trauma and burden in her little shoulder.
Moreover, Minami’s childhood was pretty similar to mine. After losing the only parenting she had, she had to live under intensive and strict guidance. The only difference was that, Minami carried it out willingly and gave her best, while I took every chance I had to piss Grand Elder and made things so frustrating for him.
And so, it was so easy for me to have sympathy for Minami. I then asked, “May I know the retail price for spicy chicken noodle soup?”
After turning her gaze to me Minami said, “3 monn per bowl.”
“The same price to my soy sauce oyster noodle?”
“Yes, but if the customer want to replace the noodle with white rice, we lower the price to 2.50 monn per bowl.”
“How much the price of a bowl of rice in Fragrant Flavor?”
“20 cent for a bowl of 150 gr cooked rice, both short grain and long grain.”
“I see.”
As I already finished the talk, while Yunno and Yui had finished the spicy chicken noodle soup, we immediately took our leave. One thing that I didn’t expected was that Minami gave us a gift to celebrate our partnership. It was high-tier take-out menu from Fragrant Flavor, consisted of a whole grilled chicken, baked garlic potato, kimchi, and fruit salad.
I gladly accepted the gift while inwardly I carved deep in my mind that I have to return the favor one day.
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Dinner in the hut went as usual. We enjoyed the gift from Fragrant Flavor heartily. It was truly delicious grilled chicken, and maybe was a means to told me or even provoked me to show my best skill when I worked with them. Well, whatever it was, I would just take it easy.
After doing the dish Yunno and Yui went to resting hut for afternoon study, while Kato was staying in dinning hut and accompanied me enjoyed tea.
“How did the first delivery go?” Kato casually asked.
“Pretty well,” I casually replied.
“How long do you think before Sotora put second order?”
After taking a sip of my tea I replied, “Honestly, I don’t know. It takes time for a cuisine to be known and draw consumer, but it’s hard to imagine that soy sauce oyster noodle will fail to attract money in long run.”
“I see,” Kato said before sipping her tea.
“Have you heard a story or two about Sotora’s owner?”
“I heard some when I stayed in Kamakura with master.”
“Tell me what you heard.”
After tilting her head to the side Kato said, “Tokuma Yagawa, Level 5 warrior, former high ranking official in Kamakura City. After retiring from his station, instead of staying in Kamakura and taking vital role in the family business, he went to Rokube to start his own.”
“Did he bring member of his household to Rokube?”
“He brought an outcast kid with him.”
Big question mark instantly appeared in my forehead, “Outcast kid?”
“Yeah, this kid is the only kid in her generation who doesn’t possess soul mark,” Kato said nonchalantly. “So, the whole household looks down on her and don’t even treat her as a member of the household.”
“I see.” After a moment of pause I said, “This outcast is Minami, the girl who became my contact with Sotora and Fragrant Flavor. If you meet her in the future, please be gentle with her.”
“Okay.”
The big question mark in Kato’s forehead clearly told me that she was very confused with my request, but she didn’t ask further so I explained nothing. Then, we enjoyed the night calmly, and after Kato recited bed time story for Yunno and Yui, we had our night training as usual.
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