Chapter 357: Wonderful Cook Chapter 359: Not Afraid

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Speaking of acupoints, Zhu Jie'er also began to worry.

She let out a long, childish sigh and sighed as if getting to the root of things: "Why does a person have so many acupoints for no reason? How hard it must be to remember them all!"

After speaking, she wrinkled her little brows again, looking like she was racking her brains, and suddenly said: "You say, should I ask Big Brother to go to the Taiyi Jian to help ask if they have any way?"

Xiao Lian quickly shook her head and said: "No, no, bothering others isn't any serious business, and besides, I don't even know that Big Brother, how embarrassing!"

She added: "Actually, our Yi Guan has a water-filled copper man, a copper figure that looks just like a real person; when I first saw it, I jumped! Only after getting familiar did I stop being afraid. This copper man, if you prick him with a needle and hit the right acupoint, water will come out—but there are too many people at the Yi Guan, only one copper man, and it needs to be resealed with wax not long after, so it's terribly hard to get a turn to use it!"

"How is learning acupuncture and moxibustion not serious business? Once you become a skilled Eldest Sister, maybe when Big Brother feels uncomfortable somewhere, he'll come to you for help too!" Zhu Jie'er was very unconvinced. "And besides, don't you know me? My Big Brother is your Big Brother!"

Seeing Xiao Lian firmly refuse, she could only pout and say: "Fine, if Brother Qi were here, he'd definitely have a way!"

Just as she was speaking, she looked up and saw Song Miao coming in, and immediately called out "Song Jiejie".

Hearing this, Xiao Lian turned around, quickly stood up, and trotted over to take the bowls and plates from Song Miao's hands.

Seeing this, Zhu Jie'er hurriedly followed to take them too, stepping close and imitating her.

Several servant women stood behind, not chatting idly or distracted, yet none stepped forward to stop them; they all smiled as they watched the two children circling around Song Miao, fighting over this bit of work that hardly counted as work.

Song Miao was surrounded by the two and really couldn't show favoritism. Since she only had one tray with a few bowls, plates, and spoons on it, she had to divide them, giving each half, and asked them to help take them to the Back Kitchen.

She wasn't in a hurry to leave; after they came out, she pointed to the room where Cheng Erniang and Xiao Lian lived and said with a smile: "The outside will be swept soon; Xiao Lian and Zhu Jie'er, go back to your room to play, all right?"

The two children answered "oh oh" and each carried their own small wooden stool, which they had just been sitting on, into the room.

Song Miao stood where she was, watching that room.

Soon, she heard talking from inside.

"Such a big box! What is this?"

Then came Xiao Lian's voice: "Sister said it was sent by Han Gege—I don't know what it is either."

Not long after, there was the sound of wooden boards being pulled.

Almost after just a few breaths, "wah wah" cries came from inside the room, and then a small figure thumped out.

It was Xiao Lian.

She had a smile on her face, clearly overjoyed, but mixed with the joy was obvious unease in her expression.

Seeing Song Miao standing outside, she quickly ran over and called: "Sister!"

As she called, she reached to pull Song Miao's hand into the room, saying: "Sister, come look! Did you see? Do you know?"

She seemed so excited she was almost incoherent.

Song Miao smiled and went in with her.

Inside the room, in the empty space, stood a very large Box Cage.

By now the Box Cage was open, containing one box after another, half-open.

The boxes were large or small; the large ones were several feet long, the small ones no bigger than a palm, all containing wooden objects. Looking closely, they were a doll disassembled into different parts, each part wrapped in sheepskin on the outside so one could tell what part it was, but because of the sheepskin wrapping, it didn't look frightening.

Standing by this large Box Cage, Xiao Lian could hardly believe it and couldn't help looking at Song Miao, asking: "Sister, is this really for me? Can I accept it?"

Seeing Song Miao nod, she still hesitated and couldn't help asking again: "But Han Gege sent me so many things, and I only gave him some insect-repelling and mosquito-repelling sachets and Purple Grass Ointment, which aren't worth much!"

She added: "Such good things! How will I ever repay them in the future?"

A child so happy and yet so uneasy only showed that the gift was truly well chosen.

Song Miao said: "Wait until your Han Gege comes back, then ask him—but don't worry, this thing I asked him for, you just learn slowly, don't rush, and best wait until I'm uncomfortable somewhere someday and there's truly a Divine Needle Master!"

Xiao Lian gave a hard "mm", tilted her head and looked straight at Song Miao, her little eyes bright and sparkling, not saying much.

She had originally been holding Song Miao's hand with one hand, but now she couldn't help edging closer to Song Miao and took her other hand too.

This gesture was very intimate, showing great attachment; Song Miao's heart softened, she half-bent down, pulled the child into her arms, gently patted the child's back, then let go and said softly: "You two play."

She also pointed to the boxes in the Box Cage and said: "Your Han Gege said he left a letter; you and Zhu Jie'er see how these should be used—inside they are wooden, wrapped in a layer of sheepskin on the outside, and the outermost wood has acupoints marked with wax. You use a needle to prick them; though you can't see the acupoints inside, as long as you pierce the sheepskin, it will leave a mark. After unwrapping the sheepskin, you can check..."

She explained a few sentences, then said: "Since these are limbs and features, if you see them at night and feel afraid, put this Box Cage in the corner by the wall outside the room, and take it out when you need to use it..."

Xiao Lian was so anxious she couldn't stand it and said: "Sister, I'm not afraid! I want to keep it in the room; it's most convenient to use in the room!"

Song Miao smiled and said: "Later discuss it with your mother; maybe you're not afraid, but she might be!"

While the two were talking here, Zhu Jie'er stood by obediently listening and didn't interrupt.

After finishing, Song Miao raised her head, met Zhu Jie'er's gaze, blinked at her, and pointed her chin at Xiao Lian.

Zhu Jie'er immediately came over and said: "Xiao Lian! After you prick the needles, I'll count for you! See how many positions you got right!"

The two children learned and pricked acupoints like playing house, and soon they had their heads together.

When the time came, someone called from the front, and Zhu Jie'er reluctantly bade farewell to everyone upstairs and downstairs, inside and outside, at the Food Shop, not forgetting to greet that vat of fish properly.

After the grandmother and granddaughter got on the carriage and hadn't gone far, she took out two small cloth bundles, held them in her hands, and showed them to He Lao Furen.

"Grandmother! Look quickly, what is this!"

She carefully introduced them one by one; both sachets were for calming the mind and aiding sleep, but one was very fragrant and the other not so fragrant.

"I've heard Grandmother say several times these days that she hasn't been sleeping well! Last time I wrote to Xiao Lian, I told her, and she said she could make sachets. Put this sachet by the bedside; unlike incense that gives you a headache after smelling it for long, it can still do some good!"

"Grandmother use one tonight, and another tomorrow night, see which works; if neither works..."

After speaking, she pointed to her own ear and said: "Today I went with Xiao Lian, and she taught me to recognize acupoints—I know there's a spot on the ear; press it more, and you can sleep well! When I go back, I'll ask Eldest Sister Meng if I learned it right, and when he's here, I'll press it for you, all right?"

Seeing her granddaughter care for her so much, not just with words, He Lao Furen almost wished to immediately pretend to be tired for her to see.

She personally took the sachets, didn't let the maid put them away, but immediately hung them on her waist.

That night after the banquet ended and she returned to the Fu, He Lao Furen felt sweeter the more she thought about it. Knowing her granddaughter lately liked lotus and osmanthus flowers most, she was about to have the steward Young Lady from outside come in, but before she could speak, she suddenly thought of something and changed her mind.

She called her personal maid Yu He over and said: "Early tomorrow morning, go to the He family residence. Xiao Qi probably hasn't returned yet. Ask He Da Gongzi whether the doors and courtyards of his house have been changed. If they haven't, ask again whether those purple-red bowl lotuses can still be planted, and whether seeds can be found—I remember seeing them in his family's lotus pond several years ago!"

Yu He immediately assented.

Seeing her honest appearance, He Lao Furen couldn't help but ask: "Last time I asked you, you were too embarrassed to say—you've already interacted several times now. How exactly are those few? Do you have any thoughts? If you don't speak now, how can I make decisions for you?"

It turned out that this Yu He was the maid who, when He Lao Furen questioned her that day, had embarrassedly expressed a desire to associate with the clerk beside He Da Gongzi.

Hearing He Lao Furen's question now, Yu He hesitated for a moment, then honestly said: "Old Furen, this servant really hasn't seen those people several times."

It turned out that although she had had several opportunities to interact with North Branch and Dongzhi and others—those few were easy to get along with, and she had met several capable ones beside He Da Gongzi—those few she had only seen, rarely dealing with them.

"……They all follow beside the Eldest Young Master, rarely leaving. When they leave, even if this servant speaks to them about proper business, those across are very stern, speak little, and apart from one face, nothing else can be seen. This servant therefore dares not speak recklessly……"

He Lao Furen did not find it strange.

He Ying was quite strict in managing his subordinates, so a group of servants naturally formed a style of acting cautiously and carefully, trembling with fear.

It wasn't a bad thing. If you wanted to get things done, the more obedient the people below were, the easier it was to issue orders and have them followed.

But He Ying's problem was that sometimes he didn't know how to balance tension and relaxation, only keeping everything taut, making people feel tired just looking at him.

With the master like this, the people below naturally became even tighter.

He Lao Furen then said: "Since you're going to the He residence tomorrow, take the opportunity to find more chances to talk. No matter what, you must speak. The sooner there are clues here, the easier it will be to handle things later. Otherwise, dragging it on and on, who knows when it will be dragged to? Those few are also of marriageable age. Who knows when they might be taken by someone else."

She added: "If it really doesn't work, there are these in the residence for you to choose from."

Yu He felt quite embarrassed, but still responded aloud, preparing to go to the He family as soon as dawn broke. While running errands, she would also see if she could find an opportunity to resolve her lifelong matter.

The He family's maid hoped the sky would brighten quickly, while Song Miao in Suanzao Alley hoped the sky wouldn't brighten so quickly, so she could have more of her own time to rest.

After being busy all day, she finally closed the door and locked it at this time. Everything was tidied up, and everything in the front hall and back courtyard was neat and clean.

Song Miao settled accounts with Cheng Erniang, and then they discussed the matter of the house across the way together.

Ever since the fame of Song Ji Taixue Steamed Buns and Song Clan Military Rations spread wider and wider, the business of the Song Family Eatery had been getting better and better.

Long queues formed before the door. Not to mention people constantly coming to order steamed buns and other items for delivery, even the proper dish-ordering business of rice shops suddenly picked up.

Now the problem was that there weren't enough people in the eatery, and their skills were unstable.

Song Ji had actually never stopped hiring new people. It was just that they valued quality over quantity, and since doing things required great precision, new people needed a not short time to adapt.

Thus, at this critical moment, the shortage of manpower became even more prominent.

However, after seeing the current situation of the eatery, the original long-term and short-term hired women all recommended acquaintances they knew who were interested. After a few days, the new people gradually adapted. It was just a pity that Song Ji's kitchen, front and back courtyards, were really too small, too small, simply not suitable for displaying their skills!

Fortunately, at this time they received the house across the way bestowed by the Empress Dowager, which was very timely. She had spoken about it the previous day, and the land deed and house deed were delivered to the eatery the next day. In front of countless customers and the long-term and short-term hired women above and below, the yellow-gate eunuch read the Empress Dowager's decree.

He read it in parallel prose and ornate language once. Many people queuing outside listened in a fog, only feeling solemn respect. When they finally heard the last part, there were finally a few sentences of human speech everyone could understand, such as the bestowal and so on. Everyone gasped and clicked their tongues, wishing they could immediately urge their own sons and daughters to go learn to make steamed buns.

After obtaining the land deed and house deed, removing the seal on the house across the way, and looking inside once, Song Miao discussed with Cheng Erniang that once the house across was repaired, they would move the steamed buns, breakfast, char siu, and so on, as well as the flowing-water tables for daily dish orders, to the house across. Song Ji's original eatery would only do main tables and elegant tables.

After everything had roughly been settled, it was already time to rest.

Song Miao urged Cheng Erniang to go to sleep, and said: "Recently it's really too busy. You see, who stands out at this time? Promote one or two to help you. Otherwise, with so much work, just you alone, how can you keep up?"

Cheng Erniang said: "I wanted to tell Young Lady earlier. Zhang Siniang has always been helping me with work, filling gaps and making up for omissions, doing it very well. She just doesn't have a proper status! If Young Lady says to promote her, I think I should promote her first!"

After finally discussing everything properly, the two went to the back courtyard. Just as they were about to return to their own rooms to rest, they saw the door of Cheng Erniang's room suddenly open. It was Xiao Lian, who had heard the sound and run out.

She looked as if she had hesitated for a long time and finally made up her mind. She stepped forward and said to Song Miao: "Elder Sister, those wooden-skin figures are very well made, so exquisite, and with so many layers of skin. They must be very expensive, right?"

She added: "Why not return them? Although it was Elder Sister who asked Han Gege to make them, how can we return them? Isn't Elder Sister owing a huge favor?"

Song Miao was slightly surprised, then smiled and said: "It's fine. Just use your wooden-skin figures. For now, don't worry about owing others favors."