Chapter 24: The Marvelous Kitchen, Chapter 24: Learn from Me

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Cheng Zijian was extremely nervous, almost instinctively hiding the food box behind him.

If it were something else, he might have let the other person take advantage of it out of embarrassment, but this was food made by Young Lady Song!

Early that morning, He Qi from the Guozixue had offered several times the price to buy it, yet he had been unwilling to part with it; he had originally intended to present it as a gift to Han Li—he would still need the other man to look over his revised essay.

That morning, He Qi of the Guozixue offered several times the price to buy it, but he still couldn't bear to part with it — it was originally meant as a ceremonial gift for Han Li — in a moment he would still have to trouble the other party to help him review the revised essay once more.

He hid the food box and realized his movement was rather ungainly; though very embarrassed, he had no choice but to steel himself and explain: "This... this is breakfast prepared for Brother Han—he pitied me yesterday and gave me much guidance, and I have nothing good to offer, so I simply present some food as thanks."

He put away the food box, also realizing his movements were somewhat unsightly; though extremely embarrassed, he still had to brace himself and explain: "This... this is the breakfast I prepared for Brother Han — yesterday he saw my plight and gave much guidance, and I couldn't produce anything good, so I simply offered some food as thanks."

Upon learning that the Brother Han Cheng Zijian spoke of was actually Han Li, he laughed in disbelief and said: "Zheng Yan gave you guidance yesterday? You must have mistaken the person, surely?"

He added: "He is never the type to take the initiative to help others; are you truly not confusing him with someone else?"

Seeing that Cheng Zijian was quite certain, he said: "However, this man has a quirk; in the morning he always only eats thick porridge, calling it convenient. If you truly want to send him this breakfast, it would be casting pearls before swine—he wouldn't even glance at it."

"You are truly thoughtful; just leave it here for now. If he is willing to take it, I will help you deliver it."

Cai Xiu was elegant in manner and affable in speech, and what he said was not much different.

But Cheng Zijian had seen Han Li eat meat buns, and when he himself took his leave earlier, the other man had not said to return the food box—since he had accepted it the first time, how could he not accept it a second time?

"Let me wait a bit; no need to trouble Brother Cai. I also have an essay I'd like to ask Brother Han to look over."

Cai Xiu was slighted, but only laughed with a hehe and did not seem offended; merely hearing that Cheng Zijian had brought an essay, he added again: "This man has a strange temper, hates trouble most, and is not sparing with his words. If you hear his cold remarks later, do not take it to heart—Zheng Yan is straightforward and not very good at social graces, but his heart is good."

Cheng Zijian disagreed greatly and wanted to retort, but didn't know where to start, growing anxious until his face turned slightly red.

Just as they were speaking, someone pushed the door and entered.

The man raised his eyes, first nodding at Cai Xiu as a greeting, but upon seeing Cheng Zijian inside, he frowned and said: "Is it necessary to take a whole day just to revise one essay? You only come now."

Cheng Zijian's heart, which Cai Xiu had left in a flutter, immediately settled.

He feared leaving an impression of laziness and evasion in this Brother Han's mind, and hurriedly said: "I went to the bookshop yesterday to copy the Jianlong Criminal Code, which delayed me for some time, so I am late."

Speaking, he hurriedly handed over the food box and said: "Brother Han hasn't had breakfast yet, has he?"

Han Li did not take it, only raised his chin toward the desk beside him and said: "Leave it there—where is your essay? Let's see it first."

Cheng Zijian hurriedly handed over his essay with both hands.

That Han Li took it with a casual hand, lowered his head and read it; after scanning it once, he returned to his own desk, showing no humility whatsoever, and directly used a small brush dipped in vermilion to make corrections right on the original text.

Meanwhile, Cai Xiu tidied the desk and suddenly asked: "Zheng Yan, are you still going to eat your cold porridge?"

"I won't eat it this morning. If you want it, take it; no need to return it."

Cai Xiu choked for a moment, then laughed: "No need. I'm not like you; I'm used to hot food in the morning."

"Understood. Are you going to the canteen? If you return late, I will help explain to the teacher; don't worry."

Han Li didn't even look up, only circling and correcting on Cheng Zijian's essay.

Cai Xiu never expected that the classmate who used to eat cold porridge every day would one day have the misfortune of being protected by someone's face, and would even guard his food now.

He had meant to mention the food box again, hoping to get a share, but in the end he cared about face and felt it was utterly uninteresting, so he simply went out the door.

Cheng Zijian stood anxiously, his mind full of how his essay was written, staring only at Han Li and having no mind to pay attention to others.

Instead, Han Li looked up at Cai Xiu's departing figure, then continued.

After finishing the corrections for a while, he handed the essay back to Cheng Zijian and said: "The rest are minor matters; there is only one point that needs great attention. Ordinary essays are one thing, but policy questions are questions about policy. Since you have provided countermeasures, why are you so timid? 'May,' 'can,' 'obtain,' 'have'—you, a countermeasure provider, are always 'may.' What am I, the selector of strategies, to do? Even if I wanted to employ you, seeing you like this without confidence, I wouldn't dare employ you."

Cheng Zijian hurriedly noted this point, then looked over his essay again. Indeed, it was exactly as Han Li said, and he felt somewhat dispirited: "Writing is the voice of the heart; truly, I lack confidence. When writing, I dare not be certain."

"With a character like yours, reading books alone will not give you confidence."

"Your writing is hesitant because your knowledge is too shallow. Without more experience and exposure, even if you have some literary talent, spending every day hunched over books in the study hall, learning from others' essays—how much insight can you gain?"

"What is gained from paper, when written, is ultimately just official-sounding essays. You and I are both of humble field origins; we should understand the bitter taste better than those noble clan children. Spending all day carving over a few characters—what good is that? Can you carve the cycle of grains in the toilet into gold?"

"What is gained on paper, written out, is ultimately only official-style prose — you and I both come from field origins, we understand the sour and bitter taste even more than those lineage nobles; spending all day carving and recarving a few characters, what use can it serve? Can it really carve the five grains in the toilet's wheel of reincarnation into gold?"

His heart felt as if scratched by a cat, and he couldn't help but bow and ask: "Then... if you were to write it, how would you instruct and teach the common people?"

Han Li did not answer, but asked in return: "Why do common people need to be taught?"

Cheng Zijian was bewildered for a moment.

"A good healthy cow costs over a hundred or two hundred cash per jin of raw meat and still won't sell—you are also a commoner; can you afford it?"

Cheng Zijian's monthly stipend was only a few hundred cash, and he had to calculate every meal. Hearing that good meat cost a hundred or two hundred cash per jin, his poor heart trembled slightly, and he shook his head repeatedly.

Cheng Zijian's monthly subsidy was no more than a few hundred cash; even eating rice required careful calculation — hearing that a catty of good meat cost one or two hundred cash, a poor heart that couldn't withstand fright trembled slightly along with it, and he hurriedly shook his head.

Who can afford to eat it?

Naturally the powerful and noble, the wealthy and influential, and another group of trend-followers.

Han Li sneered: "A live cow costs no more than ten strings of cash per head. Slaughtered into meat, one cow yields two or three hundred jin, selling at a hundred cash per jin. Anyone can calculate the profit margin. With so much profit, how can people resist?"

"Even if Confucius were reborn, he might not be able to contend with this Kong Fang brotherhood. What is there to teach? Once I find out who often eats privately slaughtered beef, I'll curse whoever it is."

"If I can't manage the sellers, can't I curse the buyers?"

Cheng Zijian was speechless for a moment.

Seeing his expression, Han Li said seriously: "You've heard enough; just don't learn from me."

Na Han Li looked at his expression, but spoke seriously: "Since you've heard it, let it be — don't imitate me."