Chapter 280

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Seeing him eating noodles here, Song Miao stepped aside and laid out the items from the large bamboo basket and bundle one by one on the large table next to her, sorting them into categories.

Han Li finished his noodles and even drank the soup clean; after finishing quickly, he watched her sort things for a long while.

He felt that as the noodle soup went into his belly, sitting in this front hall, watching with his eyes, he gradually felt reassured in his heart; with a cross-breeze blowing through, carrying away the heat, it seemed to blow away all the weariness and fatigue of the journey to who knows where.

Han Li quietly took the bowl to wash it in the back, and when he came out again, he couldn't help but walk over and ask softly: "Is there anything you dislike?"

Song Miao was stunned, then pointed to the item placed separately on a piece of cloth to the right, and said with a suppressed smile: "These few things are a bit disliked."

She half-joked: "My bones are fine, I don't need to strengthen tendons and bones, activate blood and dissipate stasis, let alone unblock joints and guide medicine downward—these things like Achyranthes root, deer antler, seahorse, etc., would be better sent to Censor Xin."

Han Li smiled and slowly responded, saying: "As you say."

Song Miao didn't think much of it, and upon hearing this, she was about to carefully wrap up those medicinal herbs.

She had previously taught Xiao Lian to recognize medicines; recently the child had gone to Tianyuantang to apprentice under a master, and often came back spouting medical talk, occasionally bringing back scraps to identify.

Song Miao had long been used to good medicinal materials, and now, through constant exposure, though she didn't understand much else, she had a rough idea of many prices; while counting, seeing that the deer antler and Achyranthes root were indeed of excellent quality and in no small quantity, she couldn't help but ask one more question, pointing and saying: "These are quite valuable—I don't know who sent them; has the Young Master had time to register the gift?"

Han Li, upon hearing this, immediately took the bundle from the armchair, took out a small booklet from it, and said: "Lu Wenming helped make the register, but the time was too rushed, so most likely there hasn't been time to check it carefully."

He walked over, and together they checked the names and quantities of the items, and saw who had sent them; after asking Song Miao and learning she had no urgent business that evening, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and even dared to ask where the scale was in the room, saying he wanted to take it out and weigh them one by one.

—Not at all in a hurry to leave.

In the past, when he did things, he was used to being swift and decisive, prioritizing efficiency, and doing multiple things at once; today, here he was slowly counting a pile of gifts, even taking out brush and ink to grind ink and test the brush, and introducing to Song Miao one by one which item was from whom, what was said when it was given, where it was bought, and why it was bought.

"... Aunties Huang and Li said that last time you left in a hurry, and they had many things they didn't have time to give; the dried beans, millet, and dried vegetables were brought for both of us, and that packet of chicken gizzard lining was also for us to share, saying they picked very good chickens, washed them cleanly, and dried them carefully..."

"... When patrolling the river, I went to rest in a village and met an old woman sitting at her door making soft cloth shoes; after asking a few more questions, she said she was saving for her own funeral clothes and coffin money; seeing her legs and feet were not very nimble, I ordered many pairs; Senior Brother's place has some, and your place has some, and I also brought two pairs of large flatbreads..."

Dawdling and dragging, it was nearly dark before he took his leave.

Even so, over an hour had passed, as if they hadn't said much; he only felt time was passing too fast, with still so much he hadn't had time to ask, and even more that he hadn't been able to say.

Since Song Miao asked about the next day's arrangements and whether he would come for a meal, he said: "I'm afraid I can't come during the day; in the evening, whatever it is, don't make a special dish; just leave me a bowl of whatever you eat, alright?"

Naturally fine.

When leaving, Xiao Lian held a bamboo box and followed Song Miao to see him off at the door.

After the person had walked far away, back inside the room, she leaned against Song Miao and opened the box.

Inside were several layers, containing a bronze mirror about half a palm in size, and seven or eight kinds of small bamboo hairpins, small bamboo combs, and small bamboo fans.

In adults' eyes, the bronze mirror was too small, the combs were also too small, and as for the fans, no need to say—the breeze they produced was only slightly stronger than a butterfly's wings; actually, none were very practical.

But the child was ecstatic.

She had just washed her hair, grabbing one small comb after another to comb her head, never tiring of it; after trying the combs, she looked at the hairpins, holding up the bamboo hairpins and wooden hairpins in turn, posing here and there.

The sky had darkened, and the lamp was just an ordinary oil lamp, not very bright, but the child still leaned close to the blurry face in the bronze mirror, looking without stopping.

While posing, she hurriedly said to Song Miao: "Sister, sister! Next time you rest, can I invite Zhu Jie'er over to play? I want to wear the new clothes Sister bought me last time, and wear these hairpins with her, and comb my hair with the combs!"

Last time on her birthday, Song Miao had given her two sets of clothes, one goose-yellow and one tender green, both jackets and skirts, with lotus edges on the cuffs and hems, looking very pretty on the upper body.

The child had loved them terribly at the time; afraid of getting them dirty at the Yi Guan, afraid of tearing them, afraid of sweating at home and having to wash them, and washing too often would make the colors less bright, so she cherished them very much and was reluctant to wear them easily.

This time, having received this bamboo box, Xiao Lian thought of wearing the pretty clothes Song Jiejie gave her, matching them with these nice little hairpins, and inserting two small combs—or perhaps even sharing with Zhu Jie'er to fill a whole head—and was already happily spinning around in the room.

Song Miao naturally agreed immediately, smiling: "The clothes were meant for you anyway; if you like them, wear them more; otherwise, when you grow up and grow taller, and the clothes don't fit, wouldn't that be a pity?"

She also said: "Then next time when sending word to Zhu Jie'er, you can discuss with her how to dress; wearing the same has its own beauty, and wearing different things has its own fun."

Xiao Lian's little eyes immediately smiled into a slit, and she hurriedly wanted to discuss with Song Miao first whether wearing the goose-yellow looked good or the tender green looked good.

After hearing Song Miao choose the goose-yellow one, she was even happier, laughing "oh oh," holding the bamboo box and going to find her mother.

Cheng Erniang was holding gloves and such, and was also very happy.

The snow ointment was in a porcelain bottle, a large bottle, very practical; as for the gloves, they were even better—first, they were woven from grass, not expensive, and storing them was no burden at all; second, she had recently discovered that there was often lifting and carrying work in the food shop, especially when delivering goods outside, and if one wasn't careful, the porters were easily scalded or injured.

Although calluses had thickened, so they weren't so afraid of scalds or injuries, she still wanted to equip everyone in the food shop with gloves.

But it was summer and hot; thin cloth wasn't useful, and thick cloth was both inconvenient and hot; she was worrying about this, when right then she suddenly got an idea—she could make grass-woven ones!

She was busy calculating the cost in her heart when her daughter came over to show her the various gifts in the box; Cheng Erniang's first thought was to estimate the price of the box of things.

After estimating, she found they were either bamboo or wood; although they looked quite finely made, they were not exquisite, just children's toys, so they probably wouldn't be too expensive.

A few days ago, the food shop had paid the monthly wages, and she had also received extra reward money, which was a very pleasant sum; at this moment, calculating one plate and one item, she felt she could fully afford it, the smile on her face became more relaxed, and she could finally put aside all her messy thoughts and simply watch her daughter sticking a bamboo hairpin and comb in her hair.

Although she was silly, in her mother's eyes, even the silliest daughter was quite cute.

But this silly daughter, besides showing her mother the gifts she had received, didn't forget to ask questions.

"Mother, Han Gege gave me such good, such pretty things; I can't just say thank you and forget it, right? Just like Sister, I also need to give a return gift, right!"

A child, still thinking about returning a gift!

Cheng Erniang both wanted to laugh and felt she couldn't discourage her daughter's heart of knowing how to return a gift.

Anyway, proper gifts were returned by adults; she casually said: "You just study hard with your master at the Yi Guan; in the future, if Young Master Han has a headache or fever, you can cure him right away, and that counts as returning the gift—he'll definitely be very happy!"

Xiao Lian was very dissatisfied with this answer and called out: "Mother!"

She also said: "Even if Han Gege didn't give me the box, if he felt uncomfortable anywhere, after I learned, I would definitely cure him right away—what kind of return gift is that!"

Cheng Erniang said helplessly: "Then go ask your Song Jiejie; I only know this!"

Even if she didn't say so, Xiao Lian would go ask Song Miao anyway; at this moment she indeed ran back pattering, leaning against the person, blinking her little eyes and calling "Song Jiejie."

Song Miao smiled: "I don't know about that—anyway, your Han Gege will still come tomorrow night; tonight, just work hard, think it over seriously yourself, and ask him in person tomorrow to see what he wants, alright?"

So that night, the child put the bamboo box aside, read for a while, played with the hairpins inside, then looked at the medicine patterns, and then looked at the combs.

When she slept, she also took time to think carefully about what would be most suitable to give as a return gift, and then thought about which day it was recently, whether she could invite Zhu Jie'er over to play for a night even before the holiday.

Little Xiao Lian suddenly had big, sweet troubles.

After the child was sent back to the room to study his books, the two adults began discussing serious matters up front.

The rain had stopped, and though business was gradually returning to normal, the backlog of orders could not be done "gradually."

Not only was the dried meat and dried cuttlefish business developing faster than Song Miao had originally expected, but orders for glutinous rice and steamed buns, the two early foods, had also increased considerably—most of them popping up from various academies.

Upon investigation, it turned out that many students who had gone to Hua Prefecture had all tasted Song Miao's cooking and personally sampled the flavors of steamed buns and flower rolls; how could they not think of them?

Everyone returned to their respective academies, and naturally spread the word widely, using Taixue and Nan Lu Academy as endorsements, and even brought out Han Li and Kong Fuyang to carry the sedan.

"As for others, you may not know, but you've surely heard of Han Li and Kong Fuyang—the First and Second of the Four Sons of Taixue!"

"These two, while at Taixue, tasted Song Ji's glutinous rice and steamed wheat; if they went a day without eating, they couldn't even sleep soundly! They've both been seconded to Hua Prefecture, and they're still trying to get that Song Xiaoniangzi to go with them, just so they can have something to eat every day—just imagine what a flavor that would be!"

"Brother! Brother! Do I look like I have a lying mouth?! Steamed buns are only a few coins each, glutinous rice only a few coins a bowl, and a small bowl is just five coins. Even if you buy two bowls and two steamed buns, even if the taste is ordinary, how big a loss can you suffer?"

"Believe me! Once you've tasted it, I guarantee you'll come to me every day to pool money—I asked, that Song Xiaoniangzi requires a minimum order of thirty portions of glutinous rice and steamed buns daily, otherwise where would she go to such trouble!!"

Similar dialogues soon appeared frequently in various academies.

And the students indeed did not lie; once they had tasted it, eight out of ten would come back to find someone to pool money with.

Song Ji's fame gradually spread far and wide, circulating in small circles among other academies.

The more orders there were, the more things became impossible to handle.

Because Nan Lu Academy had blocked the dog hole, and teachers and instructors patrolled every day, making it hard for students inside to get out, while on the Taixue side, Song Ji had long been supplying steamed buns to the canteen.

Although just the Taixue students lining up to buy glutinous rice, rolled noodles, and such meant endless business, she still began considering temporarily stopping the street stall—the shop was about to become too busy.

"I found four or five middlemen, and almost every one asked me if I wanted drifters—I'm thinking that Young Lady previously instructed that the most important thing is a 'steady' character; better to be a bit troublesome and pay higher wages, we should still hire people who have long lived in Jingcheng—at least someone who can provide a guarantor!"

Song Miao immediately nodded and praised, "Second Niangzi has considered things very thoroughly; I have the same idea."

Not enough hands, naturally more people must be added.

Song Miao instructed Cheng Erniang to first try finding five or six short-term hires, just like the two long-term hire young ladies currently in the food shop—first hire them short-term, and if suitable, convert them to long-term.

But drifters are ultimately unstable; they might be in Jingcheng today, and tomorrow, upon hearing that the disaster situation in their hometown has eased somewhat or taxes have been waived, they might at any time think of returning home.

Song Ji's requirements for making food are many; many things must be taught step by step from beginning to end, and just getting familiar with the various rules in the kitchen takes a good while.

If they've just been taught well and then run away, that little bit of saved wages is truly not worth the loss.

The two first talked about hiring people, then about ingredients, and finally inevitably circled back to the matter of finding a new courtyard.

Cheng Erniang suddenly sighed, "Young Lady and I have looked at many places these past days, and truly not one is suitable; some are too far away, and others have many flaws—after looking here and there, the opposite place is still best; if only we could rent the house across the way!"

Song Miao laughed, "Forget it; where in the world is there such a perfect thing? Let's look at other places; the house across the way is only good for coveting with the eyes."

The two discussed for a while, and seeing that the time was not early, they closed and locked the door, and went back to wash up and rest—not to mention it.

On the other side, Han Li left Suanzao Alley, not returning to Taixue first, but instead taking along the many selected fine medicinal herbs; on the way he specially detoured to buy some nourishing items, food and fruits, and other trinkets, heading straight north to Junyi Bridge Fang, making a beeline for the Xin Family.

He came to the door in person the very day he returned, not even staying the night, which made Xin Feng excited and moved to no end; an old man living alone, he talked and talked, wiping his tears several times.

And Han Li first asked about the injury; upon learning it was nearly healed, he then asked about the family situation, and asked when he would return to the government office, who in the government office had come to visit him, and whether there were any arrangements for his future position.

Xin Feng answered them one by one, and finally said, "I won't say any words of thanks—Zheng Yan, just watch in the future; this good life of mine is counted as given by you and Song Xiaoniangzi together!"

After the serious matters were finished speaking, and seeing that the sky was not early, Han Li wished to take his leave, but was called to a stop by Xin Feng in one breath.

"Zheng Yan, there is a matter; I think I should still mention a word to you." Xin Feng hesitated slightly, and finally asked, "Have you been to Song Xiaoniangzi's place?"

"I have; I came after eating."

"Song Ji is recently looking for a courtyard; did she tell you?"