Chapter 100

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

After eating, Song Miao only felt an almond fragrance lingering in her mouth, but that scent did not cling to her throat; instead, it was very crisp and refreshing.

She ate several sazi with salt tea, still feeling something was missing, then had another bowl of almond tofu, eating it slowly before finally feeling satisfied.

As for Cheng Erniang beside her, she only took two bites before stopping.

Song Miao couldn't help but ask, "Young Lady Er, are you not used to the almond flavor? I saw you didn't drink much of that almond juice white lung soup last night, giving most of it to Xiao Lian."

Almond fragrance is special; most people like it, but some don't, finding it smells like compost heap odor or some foul heavy oil.

Cheng Erniang smiled and said, "Such a good thing, yet I am actually not used to eating it—but Xiao Lian likes it very much, so just leave it for her to eat; I'll eat more sazi, sazi is delicious!"

As she spoke, she indeed picked up several more sazi.

After a while, the two finished eating. Song Miao tidied up all sorts of festival gifts, gave some to that Cheng Erniang to take to Taixue and hand over to Cheng Zijian for distribution, while she herself carried a basket and a box, going to deliver them outside the doors of Sun Lizheng and various creditors.

Song Miao left first. Seeing her walk far away, Cheng Erniang then returned to the back courtyard and entered the room.

Xiao Lian was still lying down. Hearing the sound, she rubbed her eyes and sat up, calling "Mother" in a listless voice.

Cheng Erniang said, "You tossed and turned all night, and even talked in your sleep until morning. Are you feeling more comfortable now?"

Xiao Lian hesitated and nodded.

Cheng Erniang saw the two huge dark circles under her daughter's eyes and felt heartbroken. She said, "Mother will first go deliver things and be back in an hour or two. You rest at home. If you're hungry, there are two bowls of almond tofu covered on the stove in the front room—the fragrant kind, just like millet paste cake, made by the young lady, especially delicious. Don't eat those sazi, or you'll get internal heat and start coughing again!"

She added, "These almonds are expensive. Once we finish eating them, don't ask the young lady for more anymore. Understand?"

Xiao Lian pecked her head like a little chick, then lay down again, but no matter what she couldn't fall asleep. She vaguely heard the sound of a door closing outside the main hall, scrambled up, hurried out to peek, saw the main gate closed, tried calling out once, but no one answered inside the room, and she felt a bit afraid.

She first carried out the two bowls covered on the stove—indeed they smelled as fragrant as that almond juice white lung soup from yesterday. Unable to resist, she swallowed a mouthful of saliva, carrying the bowls hurriedly to the back courtyard, hastily and sloppily rinsed her mouth and washed her face, then held the spoon and began eating.

Fragrant, tender, and smooth, lightly sweet, with a milky taste and almond fragrance, cool.

Which child in the world could resist!

Xiao Lian took a bite, held it in her mouth for a while, reluctant to swallow, chewing it in her mouth for a long time before slowly swallowing it down. Not long after, she finished a whole bowl.

But when she went to eat the other half bowl, she saw that a corner had already been scooped open by the spoon. She scooped two spoonfuls along it, about to dig in again, when suddenly a thought flashed through her mind.

—Last night was the same. Mother only drank two sips of that almond juice white lung soup, then said she didn't like it and gave it to me.

But how could she not like something so delicious?

If she ate two more bites, she should come to like it!

Xiao Lian thought it over again and again, went outside to get a basin, filled a basin with cool well water, poured the half-eaten bowl of almond tofu back into the water, then took a broom and, taking advantage of no one being around, swept the back courtyard once.

As for Song Miao, she carried festival gifts and money, making deliveries all around. She said she planned to hire someone to help, continue taking on scheduled business afterward, and even wanted to set up another stall.

She brought money to their doors and also gave Cold Food Festival gifts. The creditors naturally had eyes.

Moreover, these past days Song Miao's business at Zhuque Gate had made quite a name. Not only the two academies and Nanlu Academy, but even the business of the patrol posts and government offices had come her way. It was heard she also took on pastry and snack orders, and surprisingly quite a few customers came to her door.

Everyone saw this with their own eyes. They originally thought the Song family was finished, but who knew this young lady of the Song family would actually struggle a bit, seeming to struggle back to half-life. Seeing that clearing the accounts was hopeful, most had nothing to say. Occasionally one or two grumbled, but after a patient explanation, they also stopped nagging.

On the contrary, there were a few who, after receiving the sazi and almond tofu made by Song Miao, came to her door to buy again a few days later, bringing her even more business—not to mention that.

On this Cold Food day, by noon the city was already half empty. Many shops had closed their doors. Some went spring outing, some went tomb sweeping, and those going to Jinming Pool and Qionglin Garden to tour the gardens went to tour the gardens.

After Song Miao finished delivering things, she inevitably did some shopping. As she passed the riverbank, she saw everyone breaking willow branches. She originally wanted to follow and break a branch too, but her hands were full, and she really couldn't make room, so she gave it up.

There were not many travelers on the road. Seeing that walking another half street would bring her to Sanzao County Alley, ahead there was a place crowded with people. From afar she could hear hawking voices.

"Freshly made roe deer meat and venison jerky! Passersby, come take a look! Eat first, pay later. If it's not delicious, no charge!"

"A small dish costs fifty wen in the restaurant, but at our stall thirty wen gets you a whole bag. Take advantage of today being Cold Food to bring for spring outing. Take it home to season porridge, it's fragrant! Come taste, come taste, hey!"

Hearing it was roe deer meat and venison jerky, truly not common meat, Song Miao couldn't help but be curious. But seeing the area outside the stall was packed with people, noisy and clamorous, she really couldn't get in, so she let it go.

But before she had passed that stall, when she was still several dozen steps away, she had already smelled an extremely strong fermented black bean scent, with spice flavors pressing down on another quite strange smell.

Be it roe deer or deer, both these things have a special gamey smell on them. Some think it's a fragrance, but as Song Miao sees it, it's actually quite rank.

Preparing these two kinds of meat, using heavy seasonings to handle them is also normal.

She didn't think much of it, just glanced once, then hurried home.

When she returned to the food shop, the main hall had its door open. One person was sweeping the road in front of the door. Seeing Song Miao return, he hurriedly leaned the broom to one side and, flustered, performed a salute: "Song Stall Owner is back!"

—It was originally Cheng Zijian.

Song Miao returned the salute and smiled, "Young Master Cheng has come, truly troubling you to help clean."

"What is this! A matter of convenience!" Cheng Zijian hurriedly said politely, "I only learned that Song Stall Owner left a young lady at home to help. Truly grateful! If there's anything the young lady can't do, after all I am a man, with greater strength. Song Stall Owner calling me to come is the same!"

Song Miao thought of that half vat of water from the other day, but in the end didn't expose him.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries. Seeing it was not early, Song Miao intended to keep him for a meal, but Cheng Zijian shook his head and said, "I still have the almond tofu and sazi Song Stall Owner gave me at Xuezhong. They can't be left for long. If someone discovers them, once they can't be kept, it's all over!"

He added, "Moreover, Brother Han returned yesterday. I looked for him again this morning but didn't see him. They said he was summoned by the teacher. I was just about to return and keep watch, in case he leaves. It's not good to delay outside at this time."

Hearing this, Song Miao no longer pressed him to stay.

Today when she went out to give gifts, she naturally also received quite a few gifts back. Half a basket were common green rice balls, mugwort cakes, and fruits. At this time she found a basket, gave most of it to Cheng Zijian, and said, "These are all given by others. Young Lady Er and I usually eat while we work, tasting until we're half full. Xiao Lian's stomach is only the size of a dot. If left too long, I'm afraid they'll spoil. You take them back to eat."

Cheng Zijian saw this and hurriedly waved his hand, saying, "No need for so much, can't finish eating!"

"Even if Young Master Cheng can't finish eating, giving some to Han Li, Young Master Han, Wang Chang, Young Master Wang, and those others is also fine."

"Young Brother Han is very picky. This kind of outside food, I estimate he won't accept it." Cheng Zijian shook his head. "Wang Chang and the others went to the Capital Prefecture Office early this morning. It's said they provide food and lodging inside, so they probably won't return easily. In the end, most likely only I will eat them."

Song Miao heard this and found it strange. She secretly thought: Where is Han Li picky? Pig liver and pig lung, he ended up eating them all.

But she didn't say much, only asking, "For no reason at all, why did Young Master Wang and the others run to the Capital Prefecture Office? Don't they need to attend classes at Taixue these days?"

"They say it's that Cai Xiu—Young Lady has probably heard of him. He is one of the Four Sons of Taixue. This person received a task from the Capital Prefecture Office, saying he wants to borrow twenty Inner Scholars to help follow up on an important matter in the government office."

"Does Young Master Cheng also want to go?"

"I originally wanted to go too, but Wang Chang and the others kept urging me to go along as company," Cheng Zijian said. "But last night Brother Han rarely came back and assigned me a lot of homework, took my previous essays to grade. Seeing him today, I don't know what results he graded, or how I'll have to revise — where would I have the heart to attend to anything else!"

When he spoke the first sentence, there was still some regret in his tone, but when he got to the latter words, especially "assigned me a lot of homework," his tone actually carried a feeling of joyful excitement.

By the time he said "where would I have the heart to attend to anything else," he looked even more apprehensive.

Song Miao then said: "Not going is fine too — a student's studies are most important after all."

"Studies are important, but I heard this trip includes food and lodging. Though it's hard work, you can definitely learn many things — it's a rare opportunity. If my situation weren't truly special, I would've already gone with them."

Song Miao asked in surprise: "There are plenty of things to learn. Even staying here grinding the stone mill with me for half a day teaches you how to exert force! Since it's such a rare opportunity, why aren't the Shangshe students eager to go, why isn't he eager to go with his own acquaintances? Instead he comes to the Neishe to find you — is his relationship with you really better?"

Cheng Zijian was stunned.

He hadn't thought deeply at the time, but now prompted by Song Miao, he understood a bit more, and the more he thought, the stranger it seemed.

But what's done is done — the people left long ago, it's too late to say anything now.

The two chatted idly a while longer, then Cheng Zijian went in to tell Cheng Erniang, shouldered his basket, bid farewell, and returned to the Taixue.

Today was Cold Food Festival. Song Miao had prepared offerings yesterday, and taking advantage of a free afternoon, she left the city to worship at the Song family graves, then found a patch of empty land nearby to worship heaven and earth, set out more offerings, and invited her true parents to partake — not to be mentioned further.

After she packed up, ready to return, she saw several pagoda trees by a tea house door along the road — only flower buds at this time. The storekeeper was picking pagoda flower rice with others.

Pagoda flower season is brief. People often use them in dishes, steamed cakes and buns have a unique flavor, and they can make a sweet dish called pagoda flower powder — Song Miao hadn't eaten it in a long time, and had been craving pagoda flower powder for ages.

There were no pagoda trees near Sanzao County Alley, so she simply went up to the storekeeper and bought some, shouldered a basket of pagoda flower rice, and slowly returned to the city.

Unexpectedly on the road she encountered another pole-carrier, calling out selling roe deer meat and venison jerky along the way.

Roe deer and deer aren't common meats — usually only wealthy families eat them for novelty. Though the price wasn't cheap right now, it wasn't extremely expensive either, so the pole-carrier's business was quite good.

Since the sky was growing dark, Song Miao didn't pay much attention, and hurried home.

The moment she entered the back courtyard, she sensed something was wrong.

— Er Niangzi had lit a bean-sized oil lamp, and was groping in the dark drawing water from the well.

Song Miao hurriedly asked: "Isn't there still water in the water vat? Pitch black — why does Er Niangzi need to draw water at this hour? Be careful not to get your hand caught by the bucket."

Cheng Erniang sighed: "Don't know why, but Xiao Lian's head is burning hot. I'm getting well water to apply a compress to her head."

Song Miao was startled, hurriedly followed Cheng Erniang into the room. Sure enough Xiao Lian was listlessly ill. She reached out to touch her — whole body burning hot.

"While it's not fully dark yet, some clinics might still be open. Better go see a doctor early, so we don't spend the night in fear and worry."

"I went out to check this afternoon — many clinics are closed. Today's Cold Food Festival, they probably all went out of the city to sweep tombs. Let's get through tonight first, see a doctor tomorrow morning."

Cheng Erniang looked rather embarrassed: "We've only lived here a few days, and I keep causing trouble for the young lady."

"What trouble? Who doesn't get headaches and fevers?" Song Miao returned to her room, took a string of cash and gave it to Cheng Erniang, saying softly: "I already told all the households today — once Xiao Lian gets better in a couple days, Er Niangzi come help me — consider this advance wages. Keep it tight at your waist, so when it's time to see doctors and buy medicine, your spine will be straighter."

Cheng Erniang wanted to decline, but the words of refusal simply wouldn't come out.

She truly was too short of money.

She sighed: "Truly thank you, young lady. I'll definitely work hard!"

With the money, Cheng Erniang finally felt more at ease. She wiped her daughter's head, face, and body with cold water, then used ginger to wipe her feet and hands. After all that fussing, the fever didn't break, but Xiao Lian woke up.

Seeing Cheng Erniang beside her, she stared blankly for a while, then slowly pointed at a basin in the corner: "Mother, look at that."

Cheng Erniang wondered what it was at first, went over and lifted the lid — inside a basin of water sat a bowl. She leaned close to smell — it was almond tofu.

"This almond tofu is so delicious..." Xiao Lian licked her dry lips. "Mother must have eaten too little, that's why you're not used to it — I saved half a bowl for you too, hurry up and eat!"

Cheng Erniang's tears nearly fell.

Back to Song Miao — she left the room and went straight to the front hall.

Some places observe Cold Food Festival for three days, but most people in the capital only observe one day. Song Miao, anxious to earn money, naturally couldn't wait longer — tomorrow she had to go out and set up her stall again.

Cheng Erniang had already helped with many things this afternoon. She finished organizing the rest, spread out the pagoda flowers to dry, thought of Xiao Lian's burning forehead, then took some pork spine and ribs, washed them clean, dried the moisture, evenly rubbed several handfuls of coarse salt, sprinkled a little cooking wine, put them in a coarse pottery jar, hung it at the bottom of the well soaking in water, letting it slowly cure — preparing to make porridge for Xiao Lian tomorrow.