Chapter 165

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

As soon as Song Miao's proposal came out, almost every kitchen hand in the back kitchen turned their heads to look at the little urinator Gong Liang.

Gong Liang's facial expression completely changed; originally smiling with shifty eyes, that smile could no longer be maintained.

He himself was done for, but Liu Yong, who was paired with him, had his face turn black as well.

This was precisely the one who had been doused with half a body of urine; right now he was as if struck by a thunderbolt, secretly hating himself for not checking the almanac when he went out — he got pissed on, and now was even implicated. Clearly it had nothing to do with him, yet just because he was paired with Gong Liang, he actually had to drink that spittle-urine water together!

The whole room seethed with undercurrents; Song Miao merely pretended not to know.

With her memory, having taken the roster, she had long since memorized everyone's names and faces, and also knew the corresponding coarse clay jars; at this moment, calling out two names, she stood to one side, waiting for the person responsible for washing the jars to step forward and pour out the well water in the jars.

With Dabing watching step by step, the others washed the jars solidly, every step done properly; knowing they were clean, seeing the poured-out water was very clear, not difficult at all, they tilted their heads and drank it on the spot.

After the first group drank, it went to the second group.

The other two also drank in the same way; after drinking, they stood to one side.

Proceeding in this copycat fashion, originally according to the sequence it should have been Gong Liang and Liu Yong's turn for the jars they washed, but Song Miao skipped over them and continued downward.

Until everyone had drunk the water from their own jars, only then did she point at those last two jars and say to Gong and Liu: "Please go ahead."

The two looked at each other, seeing they could not avoid it, steeled themselves and stepped forward, first finding the clean jar, pouring out the water inside and drinking it, still leaving quite a bit of residual water inside, originally intending to use it as a smokescreen; however, when it came time to pour the second jar, Song Miao said: "Wait!"

She called Dabing again, and also called the two men outside the door: "You two young fellows!"

The two men walked in, carrying baskets on their backs — one was the cousin-apprentice of Zhang Gongchu of the official station, the other was a station runner.

These two had been standing outside the door all along; it was just that seeing there was business inside, they made not a sound, watching the excitement for half a day.

Song Miao said: "Trouble you two to help our Dabing lend a hand, pour out the water in the jar."

Song Miao made a request, and it was such a small matter; the two naturally would not refuse, both rolling up their sleeves.

One said: "No need for Dabing, I alone am enough!"

The other said: "I'll lend a hand!"

Speaking, they indeed stepped forward to support that clay jar.

The two bowls of water in this jar had soaked the longest, soaking all the filthy things inside until soft; at this moment they were poured out together — besides being turbid, there were disgusting floating objects, and also a foul stench; the two men were made to retch repeatedly, hurriedly dodging to the side, and even rushing to scoop water to wash their hands.

Seeing these two bowls, the eyes of everyone in the room looking at Gong and Liu both turned schadenfreude.

Song Miao urged: "Kitchen hand Gong, you just said you washed it clean, could even crawl in and lick the jar; now no need for you to lick, drink this water and this matter will be dropped."

Gong Liang froze, his face alternating green and white, but gave a dry laugh, saying: "I was momentarily careless, think I accidentally missed washing one; Young Lady is soft-hearted, how could you haggle over this with me..."

He still wanted to speak, but Song Miao had already turned hostile, berating: "You probably don't know — when these jars were delivered, I already had the storekeeper send people to help wash and scrub them; Zhang Gongchu and Station Official Sun both witnessed it personally; they were originally clean as can be. Today's rewashing was originally to make you labor and learn how to 'clean'; how could they become this filthy — what did you do, confess truthfully!"

This Gong Liang had clearly been exposed, yet still refused to speak with a hard mouth, even smashing the pot and throwing caution to the wind, saying: "I didn't touch anything, how would I know it would be this filthy?? If I don't admit it, what will you do? You want to force me to admit it? You want to hit someone?"

"If you hit me, I'll go report to officials! If you scold me, scold away — aiyo, such a lively young lady scolding, I couldn't even beg for it! You come closer, quickly spray your saliva on my face, I'll just lick it off, won't mind at all!"

Song Miao coldly laughed: "I won't hit you, I won't scold you either; it's not even my place as a cook to hit or scold — you think this is some place?"

"Official station important grounds, Zhang Gongchu's territory; all officials on public business eat and drink here. You make trouble here — have you thought about how it would be viewed if superiors found out?"

As she spoke, she immediately called out: "Dabing!"

Dabing to the side, upon seeing those two bowls of water, was already both angry and annoyed, and deeply hated his own uselessness, actually letting someone exploit such a huge loophole, doing such a disgusting thing; he was blaming himself, and at this moment being called by Song Miao, he hurriedly stepped out.

Song Miao pointed at the food box to the side, saying: "Kitchen hand Gong and kitchen hand Liu dare not drink, and also don't admit what they did; you take this water to the prefectural yamen. That runner who brought these kitchen hands here this morning — you recognize him, right?"

Dabing nodded repeatedly.

Song Miao continued: "If he's there, you find him; in front of people, tell him the whole thing, ask him what to do."

"If he's not there, you just go to the back yamen and find any official; in front of people, tell the matter here, ask who that person can find to report to, and how to handle it."

"You just say: this clay jar pickled lettuce stem sour, originally meant to leave one jar here for Zhang Gongchu's use; I now suspect among the newly sent kitchen hands at the yamen, someone harbored ill intent, wanting to poison the jar — heard recently there are frontier envoys wanting to enter the capital to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday, and also rebellion in the southwest; if the envoy delegation and the urgent military memorials ate poison in this official station and got sick, let alone you and me, even this entire official station top to bottom, and even the prefectural yamen top to bottom, no one could bear this responsibility!"

Finished speaking, she also on the spot designated two kitchen hands, saying: "You two go with him, watch this bowl of water, prevent it from being swapped halfway!"

"Go quickly!"

Dabing immediately assented.

The two designated were actually also very eager, looking completely as if this matter had nothing to do with them, extremely wanting to watch the excitement; they immediately followed along.

Gong Liang at first still didn't take it seriously; seeing Song Miao's dead-serious appearance, her words each sentence more frightening than the last, actually really sending people out the door, he finally got a shock, shouting: "Don't bluff me! You think I'm easily scared!"

Song Miao fundamentally didn't bother with him, but walked to the middle of the back kitchen, pointing at a puddle on the ground in the middle that had almost completely dried into a yellow stain, asking: "Such a heavy strange smell — is it that when poison was administered, the poison water and poison substances leaked here?"

The whole room of people all didn't speak; quite a few secretly looked toward Gong Liang, but several kitchen hands suddenly reacted, looking toward that crooked soft man.

Seeing everyone's appearance, Song Miao had already guessed several parts in her heart, saying: "Not speaking doesn't matter either."

She walked toward the group of kitchen hands, having everyone extend their hands, examining each one carefully; after looking a full circle, she stopped in front of Liu Yong, pointing at the wet stains on his feet and outer robe, saying: "Kitchen hand Liu, take off your shoes."

Liu Yong was both shocked and terrified, his face turning white, but subconsciously shrank his foot backward.

Song Miao said: "Don't hide; you honestly confess now — is it you who hid the poison? The strange smell on your shoes and outer robe is exactly the same as that on the ground."

Speaking, she turned toward the station runner and that kitchen apprentice to the side: "Trouble you two to serve as witnesses; later when the yamen comes, also good to send him to see the magistrate."

Liu Yong originally still kept enduring; hearing these words, how could he bear it, immediately shouting: "Song Xiaoniangzi! This matter has nothing to do with me at all!"

Finished speaking, he raised his head to look at Gong Liang opposite, shouting: "Surnamed Gong, why aren't you speaking?? I have parents above, sisters-in-law below; if you really cause me to enter the yamen..."

Gong Liang hurriedly made eye signals at him.

Liu Yong where still had the mood to look at any eye signals; moreover he was originally angry at being doused with half a body of urine earlier; getting the opportunity, he immediately sold the person out, saying: "I'll confess to you, Song Xiaoniangzi! This time someone spat and urinated in that clay jar, saying they wanted to give you some color to see!"

In this way, he indeed recited the deeds of Gong Liang and that crooked soft man once through.

Song Miao frowned: "Not that I don't believe, but this matter is too absurd — moreover how do we know it's not you trying to escape that heavy crime of poisoning, framing someone else!"

Speaking, she looked at the rest of the people in the hall, saying: "Those who poison to harm others, according to criminal statutes, are sentenced to death by hanging; those who know and don't report are all exiled three thousand li; you all were in this room just now..."

Her tone was gentle, her speech three parts slower than usual, as if she were sincerely, empathetically worrying for everyone.

Before the words were finished, every kitchen servant in the room changed expression.

At this moment, no one could spare a thought for anything else — compared to covering for that Gong Liang, naturally it was best not to get dragged into any trouble themselves.

Hearing this young lady speak, throwing around terms like regiment, urgent memorial, official business, officials, restricted area, and earlier making everyone memorize a pile of regulations, even having them affix their marks — someone who could draft so many rules and clauses at one go that it made people's heads ache memorizing them, though she was a young girl, she was ultimately from the Capital, and literate; those around her were either officials or scholars, how could she possibly be easy to provoke!

"It was Gong Liang! Young Lady, it was Gong Liang and that Lao Bao, the two of them pissing and spitting phlegm into this vat!"

"Yes! I'll testify! I originally also wanted to report to the Young Lady, just afraid of retaliation, couldn't bring myself to do it!"

"Me too! Me too! I originally wanted to find a chance later to secretly inform the Young Lady, just hadn't had the chance yet!"

"That Song Xiaoniangzi, I didn't mean to piss, I didn't spit phlegm either! I was forced by that Gong Liang!!" — the one speaking these words was that effeminate soft man Lao Bao.

Seeing the wall falling and everyone pushing, Gong Liang was practically trembling with rage.

But in this situation, how could he alone prevail against them.

Someone at the side was already cursing and urging him: "Gong Liang, you idiot, what are you showing off for! Hurry up and admit fault! If you get dragged into poisoning, you're not afraid to die, but is your whole family not afraid to die!"

Another urgently said: "You hurry up and confess honestly, your whole clan's lives aren't worth a damn, but I've got old and young here, I can't compare to you!"

The crowd had all been laughing cheerfully when he pissed just now, no one advised him to stop, yet now they were all unanimously urging him on.

The Prefecture Yamen wasn't far from the Yi Guan Guan to begin with; while things were in an uproar here, Da Bing outside had already brought two yamen runners and one clerk over along with two kitchen servants.

The clerk was not the one from the morning; seeing Song Miao, he greeted her politely, and said the morning man had already gone out on official business, he himself was on duty today; it just so happened that when Da Bing and the others reported back, Wu Gong and Magistrate Cen were also present, and after hearing, they were furious, and sent him to investigate clearly, then deal with it.

He also asked: "But I don't know if Song Xiaoniangzi has any thoughts?"

Song Miao said: "I am not a yamen runner, I hold no post, it's not proper for me to arbitrarily comment on such crimes — just handle everything according to the law."

She also said: "Just now everyone identified the two of them urinating and spitting phlegm into the vat; this conduct is truly nauseating; trouble you to first have them drag and scrub this room clean — if the officials staying elsewhere in the post station find out, the Prefecture Yamen top to bottom will surely lose face."

Finished speaking, she specially pointed at those many vats again: "As for now, I don't dare want these vats either, the lettuce stems they touched I don't dare use either; other matters I won't bother with, but the money must be compensated, right? And these people here — Sir Official please also take them back and handle as you see fit — if they're still left in the construction site kitchen, I fear I won't have peace day or night."

Finally she said: "Also trouble you to pass a message to Qian Kongmu, just say the kitchen servants here needn't trouble him to worry about anymore; I've said over and over to send people of good character, reliable, clean-handed, and he sends this many..."

The clerk recorded each point, and indeed first had them move the vats out of the back kitchen one by one, then had people mop and scrub the floor clean, the stove tops, table cabinets outside all wiped over, asked many times over, confirmed there were no other nauseating acts, only then took all twelve kitchen servants away together.

Before leaving, this man also said: "Young Lady rest assured, Magistrate Cen instructed, this matter will definitely be given an accounting!"

Seeing the people off, Song Miao hurriedly apologized to the post station soldier and Zhang Gongchu's apprentice, saying: "Originally just borrowing a kitchen, didn't expect to stir up such a mess, bringing so much trouble!"

Both waved their hands, this one said: "What words, who could predict these people would be so nauseating!"

That one said: "Young Lady locked everything up, the rest of the things didn't get dirtied, the floor was mopped and scrubbed too, actually saved me the trouble of cleaning up — pretty good!"

After this whole uproar, seeing it was already noon, everyone went about their own business, not to be mentioned further.

After eating lunch, seeing Da Bing's spirits were low, Song Miao specially comforted him: "You did quite well today, no need for self-blame, who could have guessed someone would be this nauseating?"

Da Bing couldn't even bring himself to look up, saying: "I only now realize they were pulling a fast one right under my nose; if not for Song Xiaoniangzi checking again, we'd really have been fooled — by then everyone would be eating what they..."

He spoke to here, the whole person felt even worse.

Song Miao had been observing people all along, knew Da Bing's character didn't need anyone to supervise, he already understood self-reflection and improvement extremely well, truly unwilling to let him blame himself so, she said: "Then let's both just remember today's mistakes well, how old are you? As long as you do things, you'll make mistakes, who in the world never makes mistakes? Only not doing anything means no mistakes."

"This time you alone led twelve people, every one an adult, and all thorny characters, fundamentally very difficult; Young Master Han warned early on this group couldn't be used, I deliberately came to test them; you and I got this opportunity, study and practice well, later when truly employing people, we'll know how to guard against gaps and plug leaks, isn't that good?"

Speaking, she took out the kitchen regulations again, and together with Da Bing perfected the clauses within, also adding that all who contact food and water must eat and drink the same daily, and must not urinate or spit phlegm anywhere, etc.

She sighed: "In the end I wasn't meticulous enough, never imagined someone could be nauseating to this degree."

Da Bing hurriedly said: "Young Lady still not meticulous enough, then who would dare say a word of meticulous?"

Also said: "Only pity, bought so many lettuce stems, originally to have them make dried lettuce stems per your instructions, now not a single pair of hands, even if my hands and feet are fast, afraid I can't finish packing by tomorrow either, it is troublesome..."

Song Miao said: "Actually not a problem, I have a preservation method for these lettuce stems, keeping three or four days is no issue, hire people again then — this time we'll pick ourselves!"

The two sat in the front hall talking, but heard a voice outside ask: "Sir Official, I'm here to deliver goods — don't know if that Song Xiaoniangzi..."

Song Miao looked back, and sure enough it was that laundry healthy woman from the morning fish stall, currently smiling broadly, carrying two wooden buckets standing at the door.

?? Thank you for letting the unexpected gift of my Huang Yi's He Shi Bi corner, one sachet:)

? Thanks to the book friend for personally gifting me one sachet, Xiao Xiang Mao Mao Chong MT personally gifting me one scent pouch ^_^

? Thanks to the book friend for personally giving me four peace talismans, book friend personally gifting me two peace talismans =3=

? Thanks to book friend, Special Mission Cat Cat, Xiao Xiang Jiang Feng Dan Xia, Song Bing two dear friends for personally gifting me one peace talisman each:)

? Thank you everyone~

? Song Bing's name is a Song Bing symbol, symbol can't be typed, so I'll call you Song Bing okay (should be Song Bing not Copper Gong Burn or something right haha~)