Chapter 153

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

After Song Miao finished speaking, she did not attend to Xiang Yuan first, but instead handed the gourd directly to Liang Yan beside her.

The latter, since arriving at this Yi Guan Guan, had remained silent except for calling out "Song Jiejie" at the very beginning; now seeing Song Miao attend to him, he immediately stood up and stepped forward to take the gourd, opening it and sniffing closely.

He had only sniffed twice when Liang Yan moved the gourd far away, but was unwilling to let go, gripping it tightly, while he himself turned his head backward and sneezed three or four times in succession, earth-shaking and sky-darkening great sneezes.

The commotion was truly great, drawing many people in the front hall to look over.

After finishing sneezing, his tears and nasal mucus flowed down together; his face was dirty, and he wanted to wipe it with his sleeve but felt it was dirty, then tried to catch it with his hand but felt disgusted, and was even more embarrassed to let it flow to the ground, making a complete mess of himself for a moment.

Song Miao hurriedly handed him her handkerchief.

Liang Yan did not bother to refuse, first just blowing his nose vigorously, blowing with such momentum that it seemed the nasal mucus was both rushing forward and flowing endlessly.

Song Miao had not expected his reaction to be so great; seeing that one handkerchief could not possibly wipe it clean, she hurriedly said, "There is water behind; go clean up!"

As she spoke, she indeed took Liang Yan to the back.

Xiang Yuan also saw this and was somewhat surprised, but seeing Song Miao take him to wash up, he did not think much of it, instead taking the gourd over.

As soon as he drew near, he smelled a very strong vinegar and garlic scent.

Vinegar was already quite pungent, and the garlic smell was even more nose-piercing; the two smells mixed together were truly too intense—rather than saying it was a smell, it was more like an attack.

This attack drilled into his nose, drilling until he sneezed twice in a row, just like Liang Yan, with tears and nasal mucus flowing straight down; so he hurriedly took a handkerchief to wipe his tears and nasal mucus, but after blowing his nose, he felt as if all six apertures were open.

These past days, Xiang Yuan had been running about outside searching for his son, braving wind and rain, and had caught a bit of a chill; his nose had been itchy for several days, but it was not serious enough to take medicine, only feeling uncomfortable.

However, at this moment, after smelling Song Miao's single gourd and sneezing, his nose was completely clear.

He then inhaled hard at the gourd mouth several times and sneezed a few more times; sure enough, afterward his whole body felt much lighter, and even his eyes seemed brighter when looking at things.

Xiang Yuan lowered his head to look and saw a gourd full of garlic heads, not ordinary garlic cloves, but each one a whole head of single-clove garlic.

The garlic had been peeled, white and plump, just covered by white vinegar.

If speaking of price, this thing was actually not worth several coins, but if speaking of sentiment, it was very full.

Two words suddenly flashed through Xiang Yuan's mind.

Know cold and know heat.

Diligent and thrifty in managing the household.

If there were such a person in the family, she would surely know how to take care of everything; let alone children, she would certainly help be considerate and attentive—just look at how she treated Liang Yan, a child she had only met a few times, sending shoes and socks last time out of pity, and this time sending peeled garlic soaked in vinegar.

She was meticulous, not only seeing but also doing, and her method was beneficial without being costly.

Everyone says merchants are rich, but who knows that every penny they earn is hard-won?

The more one earns money oneself, especially someone like him, the more one knows the world is difficult, and the more frugal one becomes.

Sometimes spending money on wine and women outside is for the sake of appearances and business, with no choice, but there are some expenses at home that should not be spent, especially those that are flashy but insubstantial, or though substantial, clearly have a cheaper substantial alternative—there is no need for them.

Xiang Yuan became increasingly satisfied.

Able to earn, able to save, smart, considerate.

With such a person at home, old and young would both be taken care of, and he himself would not need to worry too much while outside.

Even if it required more thought at this moment, it was worth it.

Xiang Yuan put thought into things in front, while Liang Yan used water in the back.

He blew his nose several times, and his whole body felt as if all seven apertures were open; he had not felt this refreshed for a long time. Although both eyes were full of tears from sneezing, when he wiped them, his face broke into a smile, and he joyfully said, "Song Jiejie, my nose is clear! My nasal mucus is gone!!"

Song Miao had still been somewhat worried, but seeing him like this, she was both annoyed and amused, saying, "Just now you really scared me!"

She also said, "But this only works for the moment; this method treats the symptoms, not the root. You still need to eat more and nourish yourself. When your body is better, this nose will naturally not fall ill so easily."

After speaking, she asked him how things were at home these past two days, and whether he had settled the matter of going out with Xiang Yuan.

The smile on Liang Yan's face immediately faded, and he said unhappily, "Uncle Xiang said he wants to send Xiang Lin to study, and hire a teacher to come home and teach me..."

He also said, "If the Xiang family's old master and old mistress, as well as Xiang Lin's uncle and maternal grandmother, find out, I don't know how they will think of me."

Song Miao then asked a few questions about the Xiang family situation, learning that Xiang Yuan relied on his wife's dowry and his father-in-law's family's previous introduction to run the business. After thinking, she said, "Since you have decided not to share his family's property, rather than telling him, it would be better to wait until you return to your hometown, find an opportunity to explain clearly to the Xiang family grandparents and the uncle's family, just say you have the intention to go out and learn martial arts, but Uncle Xiang refuses to agree."

She gave him some guidance, saying, "You are young, and your words carry no weight. Once that Uncle Xiang of yours has made up his mind, he won't listen to you. But his parents and your in-laws are all people who can be reasoned with. If you can't break through directly, don't keep banging your head against a wall without turning back. We should learn to borrow strength and not make things so hard on ourselves. Do you understand?"

Liang Yan was after all not old enough, nor experienced enough. Previously he could not sleep day and night, only worrying, but now that he had spoken it out, Song Miao resolved it in just a few sentences. Although it was not yet accomplished, it sounded feasible at first hearing. He thanked Song Miao again and again, and the worry on his face flew away at once.

But it had only flown halfway when, thinking of one matter, his worry flew back. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Song Jiejie, I heard Uncle Xiang say he wants to partner with you to open a Food Shop, offering you much money and many benefits, without asking you to put in so much effort. I... Sister, you have been so good to me. I clearly should want you to gain more benefits, but since I was young, my mother told me that even blood brothers should not do business together."

He paused, then said, "Besides, Uncle Xiang is not always in Jingcheng. There will always be places where supervision is lacking. By then, won't it still be up to you, Sister, to worry? He originally instructed his subordinates to take good care of my food, sleep, and clothing. In front of him, everyone treated me well, but once he left, everyone changed their faces..."

"Sister," Liang Yan looked rather troubled. "If it weren't that we truly have no other way, we should not partner with others. Even if that person is Uncle Xiang!"

Speaking with a look of great determination, he said, "When I grow up, I will go out on escort missions, earn money and save it up, open a wine shop and Food Shop for Sister, then join the army. I don't want any share; as long as I have food to eat when I return, that's enough!"

Even Liang Yan, who had suffered so many hardships and bitterness, and was clearly mature for his age, was after all still a child who often said childish things and did childish things.

For example, at this moment, he clearly should have known this approach was wishful thinking, but as soon as he thought of it, he joyfully said it out loud, as if he could soon save money to open a Food Shop for Song Miao, asking for nothing else, only hoping to have a place to belong where he could settle down and eat.

Song Miao naturally heard the childishness in it, but she heard the sincerity even more. Smiling, she said, "If you really go out on escort missions, you don't need to save money to open a Food Shop for me. Instead, save money to open your own escort agency. Then, when you join the army, there will still be an escort agency operating behind you. When the escorts have free time and travel to all corners of the land on escort missions, if they come across good ingredients and good things, they can buy them and send them back to me. Wouldn't that be good?"

Liang Yan heard this and wished he could grow up immediately, save money right away, and personally deliver those good ingredients and good things back, so he could receive praise once more.

He wiped his face clean, washed the handkerchief again and again, and felt truly embarrassed, saying, "I dirtied Sister's handkerchief..."

Song Miao smiled and said, "You take it back to use. It was made by Er Niangzi—Xiao Lian's mother—for me. When you see her next time, just thank her."

The two spoke as they slowly walked toward the front hall.

When they went outside, they saw Xiang Yuan holding the gourd, his head bowed, smelling the scent inside while seemingly thinking about something.

Seeing Song Miao and Liang Yan come out, he covered the gourd, placed it back on the table, with a natural look, and said, "It is truly a good thing. It's a pity Song Xiaoniangzi thought of it—I just tried it, and my nose felt comfortable all at once!"

He also said, "Things like this can be sold in our Food Shop in the future! Or I could get a porcelain bottle to hold it, mix in some other medicinal herbs, and sell it at a high price!"

In every word, nothing strayed from the food shop.

After speaking, he pointed again at the deed just taken out and said: "Song Xiaoniangzi might as well take a look; this time differs from what was said last time."

Song Miao said: "The deed is not urgent; right now there is another truly urgent matter."

She told him about Hua Prefecture's desire to dig canals and excavate rivers, then added: "Right now, besides lacking grain, they also lack materials for canal construction, only recently the roads are inconvenient."

"But this road won't stay blocked forever—once it opens, supplies can naturally be brought in."

"Everyone knows there's business to be done here, hindered first by lack of capital, second by lack of connections and channels; but these two things, Master Xiang lacks neither."

Xiang Yuan was a businessman; how could he fail to hear what Song Miao meant? He only shook his head and smiled: "Though I lack neither, canal materials are nothing but bricks, tiles, bamboo, wood, and such—all heavy and hard to move; grain is the same, and prices may not be high. If I transport them back and prices fall, I'd lose out. Better to trade medicinal herbs as usual; even if they don't fetch a price in the east, there's no worry about hauling them elsewhere to sell..."

Song Miao immediately said: "Medicinal herbs work too!"

She added: "Master Xiang knows I took on a post from the Water Supervisor, coming here to manage meals. Though it's no crucial position and I have no power or influence, I still have some skill, and the officials all understand the situation below, willing to listen to me say a word or two."

"Recently the Zhou Ya wants to purchase grain, medicinal herbs, bricks, stone, timber..." She listed a long string of item names, "and there are several Reward Orders; whoever purchases the most can receive such a great reward."

"Though it's no silver reward, it looks like just an official document. But once you have such a document and have struck up relations with the office, is it only for this one purchase? Will there be nothing else to buy in the future? Get a foot in the door, enter the door, and with Master Xiang's ability, fear there will be no later business?"

Saying this, Song Miao also imitated Xiang Yuan, putting on an air of speaking from the heart: "Master Xiang always thinks of me in good matters, even willing to let me take such a big discount when opening a shop. Returning kindness for kindness, I cannot accept favors for nothing."

"This Reward Order originally had many requirements—donating how much silver, donating how much goods, promising to transport how much more in the future... But I quietly discussed with the person handling affairs who came this time, and they agreed to help plead with Tongpan Cen, giving Master Xiang a big concession: as long as the medicinal herbs currently in hand are sold at a market discount—not much, twenty percent off will do."

"How much???"

Xiang Yuan cried out in shock for a moment, only feeling his nose itch again.

"This is a Reward Order from the Zhou Ya. With this, next year's office purchases, under equal conditions, can be selected first. Is Master Xiang truly uninterested?"

Looking at the girl opposite, her expression full of confusion, Xiang Yuan nearly jumped up and turned to run.

He forced himself to say: "It's originally a good thing, only a pity that the many medicinal herbs I brought were sold clean these past two days. I'm just tidying up, waiting for someone to collect the goods—if I'd known, I wouldn't have sold them!"

Song Miao's face showed disappointment, and she sighed: "What a pity! But there's another opportunity. I hear Tongpan Cen will summon the heads of the city's major firms in two days to discuss various supply preparations. I can strive to get Master Xiang a spot..."

Xiang Yuan was as if his buttocks were on fire, and stood up at once.

What a joke!

Normally it's a good thing, a good opportunity, but today that Qian Kongmu directly sent someone to the door, telling Xie Hu not to sell grain. Seeing that he and Tongpan Cen are going at it hot and heavy, for a passing merchant like myself to get involved would be foolish.

Besides, by what others say, Tongpan Cen is probably going to lose eight or nine times out of ten.

If benefits were plentiful afterward, gritting my teeth and giving up some profit would be fine, but under these circumstances, where would I dare to provoke trouble?

I am a businessman, here to make money. If I were truly reported by this young lady, and the office already lacks medicine and materials, if I were caught by Tongpan Cen and made into the chicken killed to scare the monkey...

Xiang Yuan was calm and composed at noon, casually telling Xie Hu not to be anxious or overthink. Now that it was his own turn, he was unwilling to delay even a moment.

He hurriedly said: "Thank you, young lady, for your concern. Only a pity I have matters at home. Since the goods are already sold, I'll take my two little ones back to my hometown in a day or two!"

He then urgently asked: "Haven't reported this to Tongpan Cen yet, right? Does any other official know?"

Upon learning there was none, he no longer mentioned partnership or the food shop, nor chatted idly for another two sentences. Excusing himself that he had many loose ends to tie up, he immediately pulled Liang Yan to take his leave.

That very night, he disposed of the goods he had brought this time, almost working through the night to get everything ready. Early the next morning, he took people and left Hua Prefecture City.

Because the roads were blocked and it wasn't good to travel far, he first stayed temporarily in a county town below, not to be mentioned.

Xiang Yuan ran fast. In the official post station, Han Li sat in a corner, watching people one by one be frightened away by Song Miao. He tried to stand up several times but had no chance, and had no proper name, words, or reason to justify himself.

?? Starting Point's Food Friends, through the unremitting efforts of Operations Official Xiao Tu, daily diligent check-ins, Xiao Miao has ten nickname title slots this month. Everyone interested in titles can go to the comment section to reply and participate (Fan Value Disciple and above). Valid until the 16th.

? Thank you Xiao Tu, thank you for your hard work!