Chapter 154

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Seeing the person walk far away, Han Li gathered his things, walked to the table in front of Song Miao, and looked at her, saying: "Stall Owner Song acting like this only makes me feel all the more useless."

His tone was somewhat complex, seeming helpless, and also a touch melancholy.

Song Miao couldn't help but smile and say: "Young Master Han, haven't you helped and exerted yourself enough already?"

She then asked him: "Young Master, are you also going to Linghe Town tomorrow?"

Han Li nodded and said: "That Li Popo naturally means well and has helped a great deal, but after all, we cannot rely entirely on one person. However, since people can find a way to travel back and forth, grain and supplies should also be able to travel back and forth. Even if not much can be transported, as long as this opening is made, things afterward will be easier to handle."

He added: "Moreover, recruiting so many people, whether they come spontaneously from the common folk or not, one should notify the local government office, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble for others."

Speaking to this point, he specifically added: "I will go urge Head Clerk Qian Zhongming on the progress of manpower tomorrow. Looking at him these past days, this man is accustomed to making excuses and being perfunctory. If pressed too hard, he will likely offer some things to send you away. At that time, I will ask him to first get you kitchen hands, but most of those who come will probably not be complete people."

"I have already instructed Kong Fuyang that if the manpower is decided early, and I cannot return in time, he will arrange for someone to lead you to that shed place. You can try it out first and see if it is suitable."

Song Miao thought for a moment and said: "As long as some effort is put into managing them, they can certainly be used, though they may not be handy. But I am thinking that, after all, these are things that go into the belly. There are thieves for a thousand days, but no one guards against thieves for a thousand days. If they are not suitable, it is best not to use them. I wonder what Young Master thinks?"

Han Li immediately said: "Quite right. Things that go into the belly—no amount of caution is too much. If there is even the slightest thing that is not handy, do not force yourself. Wait for me to return and handle it."

After the two finished speaking, Song Miao took out the two drafts of official documents she had planned for today and handed them to Han Li, saying: "I originally thought Young Master would look at them in two days, but since you might be going out tomorrow, it doesn't hurt to look now..."

Han Li carefully took them, first opened them to look, saw that the ink marks on top were dry and would not smudge, then placed them on top of his original official documents, lightly rolled them up, held them in his hand, and said: "I will read them tonight."

After the official business was finished, Song Miao smiled and said: "I heard Li Popo say the journey is quite troublesome. First water and land, then crossing a mountain, then traveling a water route, before there is a main road to travel. Because it is a small boat, horses and mules are not convenient; everything must rely on legs. Let me make some dry rations for you to carry?"

Although Han Li tried hard to suppress it, the corners of his mouth still could not help but turn up.

He cleared his throat and asked: "This... would it be too much trouble?"

Song Miao smiled and said: "It is indeed a bit troublesome. Then let's not do it? We can talk about it another day?"

Seeing the person opposite stunned speechless, Song Miao was not in a hurry to speak. Instead, she stood up, first tucked the stool under the table so as not to obstruct people coming and going, then smiled, glanced at Han Li, and went toward the back courtyard.

She walked a few steps, turned her head, and saw that Han Li had already stood up following her movements, but was standing in place, wanting to follow yet not daring to move.

The smile on Song Miao's face did not lessen. She raised her eyebrows and said: "I see Young Master loves to do polite things, and now you are even saying polite words. Say too many, and be careful I might take them seriously."

After speaking, she did not give him a chance to make amends. Without looking back, she walked away with light steps.

Upon hearing this, Han Li savored the tone and content of those words again and again for a long time. He felt his heart light and light, as if gaining and losing, as if both, and as if neither. In the end, there was only a slight sourness, a sourness that felt swollen.

This swollen feeling was not unpleasant. Instead, it made his whole heart feel as if it were soaking in a bit of white vinegar, soft and soft.

The person had already walked far away. Just now, her manner was clearly intentional in not letting him follow. Even if he caught up, it would still not be time to say anything.

Even so, for some reason, his whole body seemed to have gained inexhaustible strength because of this.

After gathering his things, Han Li returned to his room.

As soon as he entered, he saw Kong Fuyang had put down his brush and was stretching lazily.

Seeing Han Li return, Kong Fuyang hurriedly asked: "Did you chase away that man surnamed Xiang? Did you teach him a lesson? He won't dare come again in the future, right?!"

He also regretted: "If I had known earlier, I would have put my things down first, gone to back up Young Lady Song, and then come back. It would still have been in time!"

Han Li shook his head and simply explained how Song Miao had scared away Xiang Yuan.

Kong Fuyang couldn't help but exclaim in praise. But after thinking it over carefully, he couldn't help but say: "I think this man's ghost won't disperse. He was scared away for now, but since he didn't suffer a big loss, I'm afraid his thieving heart is not dead. Who knows when he will run out again!"

He added: "With your eloquence, why didn't you scold him? With your reputation, you would surely be able to keep him in check!"

Han Li put the things in his hand on the other side of the table, shook his head, and said: "It is not yet time."

After speaking, he moved his chair aside and sat down.

Kong Fuyang was puzzled for a moment and looked at him blankly.

Han Li did not explain further, only saying: "You don't understand."

After speaking, he carefully spread out the rules and regulations Song Miao had made and began to read them carefully.

Kong Fuyang had been moving his shoulders and neck. At this moment, his neck was practically craned, his head tilted, waiting for an answer. Who would have thought he would be casually tossed aside by the other man? As for what he didn't understand and why he didn't understand, there was no answer at all. Instead, he put on an appearance of being wholeheartedly focused on work.

He wanted to interject but feared disturbing Han Li's work, so he gave up and honestly went to wash up first.

However, while wiping his face, Kong Fuyang increasingly felt that something was not right—

When did Han Zhengyan learn to be particular about timing when scolding people?!

When he scolded me that day, whether it was the middle of the night or broad daylight, he was always spirited and never particular about timing!

By the time Kong Fuyang had finished packing and hurriedly come out, wanting to ask and get an answer no matter what, just as he uttered the word "Zhengyan," he heard Han Li call out to him and hand over several official documents, saying: "You look at these first!"

Kong Fuyang looked down suspiciously. Just as he glanced at them, he let out an "Eh," and the words he had on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back into his belly.

This was a method for managing the kitchen that provides daily food and drink for laborers, divided into three parts. The first part is the management regulations; the second part is the specific implementation method. Since five people form a team, each team has one captain. The four below are paired into two groups, covering for each other. If someone is missing, the captain fills in. If the captain is missing, another person is transferred to fill in. It covers everything from personnel allocation to ingredient purchasing and storage, from night shift rotations to the cleaning of kitchen tools and ingredients. Everything is arranged, written in extreme detail.

The third part is for the specific cooks. It contains forty articles in total, each written in plain language. For example, what time to start work, what time to finish, how many times to wash the vegetables, what cutting and picking methods to use, how many categories to split firewood into, what size and thickness each should be, how many types of fire there are—roaring fire, big fire, small fire, tiny fire—how many pieces of firewood to add, what the flame looks like for each type of fire, and so on and so forth.

Kong Fuyang had cooked during his travels and thought he understood the way of the kitchen to some extent. But after seeing this, his eyes were opened wide. He only then realized that not only is there a particular way to cook rice, but there are also so many sayings about chopping firewood, tending the fire, washing pots, and placing knives.

There was one more thing quite remarkable. Of the three parts, the regulations were written with a clear outline, the specific rules were written with appropriate detail, and when writing the norms, although it was plain language, that plain language was not at all wordy. It was explained very clearly, but some mnemonic verses were also compiled to make it easy for people to remember.

All the content was practical, down-to-earth, and clear. One could use it as soon as one got it.

After finishing reading in a short while, Kong Fuyang couldn't help but ask: "Where did this come from? It really has something to it!"

Han Li said: "It was made by Stall Owner Song. You read it carefully tomorrow. Although it is not the same kind of work, it is still managing people and affairs. There are many places worth learning from. The framework of regulations I gave you before can imitate the thinking here and be improved."

He had originally taken out paper and brush to the side, intending to help with additions and deletions. But after reading it once, he read it again and actually felt there was nothing that needed improvement. Given his understanding of the kitchen, he could not offer any suggestions on the main points. At this time, he could only take up the brush and offer some suggestions from the management method.

Kong Fuyang, hearing that it was made by Song Miao, was greatly surprised and said: "Everyone says governing a great country is like cooking a small fish. I originally thought it was just an analogy. Who would have thought it was actually true!"

He simply could not wait until tomorrow. At this moment, he took up the brush, summarized the content that could be referenced, and took out the regulations he had just made to ponder them carefully.

The two did not go to sleep until midnight.

Although he had already lain down, Kong Fuyang unconsciously turned over and asked Han Li on the bed opposite: "Zhengyan, do you think Young Lady Song is a natural talent? I always thought I was very smart, but it turns out there are always people better than others and skies beyond the sky. Smart people are not only in the court and in schools; there are many capable people among the common folk. If not for this opportunity, her talent would probably be buried!"

Han Li said, "There is the innate, and there is the acquired. Look at her — she is naturally smart, meticulous in character, conducts affairs with her own principles, learns things extremely fast, and her disposition……"

He kept praising and praising, almost unable to stop himself, and finally forced his mouth shut, urging Kong Fuyang to hurry up and sleep. If he wanted to be sentimental, he could be as sentimental as he liked later when writing the Request-for-Merit Fold for that Song Xiaoniangzi, and not be verbose here.

Kong Fuyang grumbled a few sentences, turned over, and before long fell asleep, emitting a faint snoring sound.

It was Han Li, however, who had his worries stirred by those few sentences of his. For a moment he lay there, unable to help recalling the circumstances of his meeting and acquaintance with Song Miao, and all the scenes of their interactions afterward. The more he thought, the more spirited he became, not sleepy in the least. He simply thought up several methods for how he ought to negotiate with that Tongpan tomorrow when he arrived in Weizhou, just waiting to see how things went and act accordingly tomorrow.

Early the next day, Han Li took several students who were prepared and arranged to go out together to the Government Office, and also brought Li Popo along.

The several people first took out the maps, and following what Li Popo said, made a route map. Then they each proceeded to divide the work, each taking a piece of territory, and together discussed and agreed on various details.

Upon arriving at the Government Office, Han Li went straight to find Cen Dezhang, explained his plan, and also said, "Last time I already mentioned to the Tongpan the matter of substituting corvée labor and the two types of recruiting refugees. It was only because the roads were impassable that it was temporarily shelved. Now since Qian Kemu is too busy to handle it, and the roads are also passable, I have come to ask the Tongpan for an official document."

Speaking, he took out the draft official document he had prepared.

Cen Dezhang didn't say a second word, only glanced at it a few times, and immediately signed the approval, sending someone to take it for the seal. While waiting for the seal to be brought back, he then said, "Zheng Yan, everything else is easy to say, but that subsidy for non-corvée laborers, since it is money from the prefecture, if possible, it would be best to still use it on our own prefecture's recruited commoners……"

Han Li said, "I want to use the prefecture's commoners even more than the Tongpan does. Not only are they close by, but it would also save the effort of communication between two prefectures. But isn't it as Qian Kemu said just now, that the lower levels can't spare the manpower?"

"If we wait any longer, it will really be too late."

Cen Dezhang fell silent at once.

The per-person per-day subsidy is not much, but it cannot withstand many people and long duration. Added together, even though Hua Prefecture is a place where water channels connect and roads are usually passable, and the Government Office is not that kind of remote prefecture or county, and the storeroom is much more abundant, this sum of money spent is still extremely painful.

Even more painful is that it is not spent on one's own commoners, and might very well be paid out to the neighbor.

Han Li then comforted him, saying, "If it succeeds, in the future one cannot say year after year, but it definitely will not be like these past years with such frequent river course changes. At that time, who knows how many merchants and goods will be attracted to pass through here."

"Once the former bustle is restored, merchant taxes alone will easily and effortlessly make up for today's expenditure — Tongpan need not worry too much. Even if it fails in the end, it is just going back to teach with Lao Min."

While he was saying the first part, Cen Dezhang still sighed. Hearing the last sentence, he finally laughed out loud, and in the end said, "Go! Go! Just as you said, doing something is better than doing nothing. At worst it's just going to teach! You just see if there's anything else you need me to mediate and coordinate!"

Han Li then asked him for a few letters, preferably ones detailing this situation in detail, and also asked which official in Weizhou he was acquainted with.

He again said to him, "The Tongpan can urge them on. The prefecture's recruitment notice for manpower should have been posted long ago, and the stall can also be set up first — could it be that the lower Government Office has no manpower to conscript corvée labor, that even the manpower to set up a stall in the city cannot be spared?"

Taking advantage of the time Cen Dezhang was writing letters, Han Li remembered a matter, and went out the door first, found Li Popo and asked, "You went out early today, did Elder bring any breakfast?"

Li Popo hemmed and hawed for a while.

Han Li then took out money, called over a miscellaneous laborer, and ordered, "You take this Li Popo to buy some breakfast and come back. Our whole group hasn't had time to eat."

Finished speaking, he turned his head and said to that Li Popo, "Today Popo assists the Government Office with business. One day's food, drink, and travel, the Government Office covers it all. No need to be polite."

The latter naturally thanked him repeatedly. For a moment she went out with that miscellaneous laborer. Not long after, however, she came running back alone, empty-handed, in a great hurry, and took the initiative to find Han Li.

"Xiu Cai! Xiu Cai!" She called several times in succession, and hurriedly said, "On my way out I met someone who came on the same boat this time, also selling vegetables. Yesterday he was also blocked by the rain — but he is a person from Linghe Town, often goes to Weizhou City, and is very familiar with the road……"

Han Li was just thinking that when they arrived at the place, because Li A'po had to lead people to recruit manpower, he himself would still need to find a local to guide the way. Hearing these words, his spirits instantly lifted, and he hurriedly asked, "Where is he? Can he come back together?"

Li Popo's face showed some embarrassment, and she said, "His goods aren't sold out yet, he's still setting up his stall."

Thus, after an hour, Li Popo brought that fellow villager, carrying two cages adding up to a full five water ducks, and a basket of lettuce stems, and together returned to the official post station, delivering them to Song Miao at the back.

"That Han Xiu Cai bought my fellow villager's ducks and lettuce stems, and told him to deliver them to Xiaoniangzi here, and also told him to deliver this……"

As she spoke, she handed over a small small cloth bundle.

Song Miao opened that cloth bundle and looked. Inside there was nothing else, merely one copper coin.