The Story of Cross Bridge Rice Noodle

There was an intellectual, pursuing the success in imperial examinations, in Mengzi, Yunnan Province in 1806. So he slogged away and lived in an isolated island, adjoining the mainland with a bridge, to separate from any distraction and entertainment. And his wife sent meals cross the bridge every day.

One day, his wife, tired and incautious, mistook to pot the chicken soup with the meat for making sauce in the terrine. The rice noodle made in the soup tastes brittle and delicious; moreover, refreshed her mind as well. Surprised and joyful, the wife sent the discovery to her husband immediately and soon was prized by her husband without ceasing for her excellent cooking skill.

Then the intellectual hardly ever had other meals until he became Zhuangyuan. With a lot appreciation, he recalled, ‘I debit my wife a lot for the rice noodle she sent cross the bridge in front of my reading house.’ From then on, others imitate the way to make rice noodle and call it by a good name of ‘Mengzi Cross Bridge Rice Noodle’.