Miao Chu

Chapter 111 Tables and Chairs
If Zhang Zheng had said he wanted Han Li from the beginning, Qin Jie would have had a hundred ways to refuse.

What's disgusting is that this person first made an outrageous demand, asking for a dozen or twenty inspectors all at once, knowing full well that he would be refused, and then he asked for Han Li.

Ask for a high price and pay a low price.

Qin Jie had already said that three or five inspectors could help make room for it. If he were to say now that it couldn't be given to Han Li, what would that mean if it got out to those with ulterior motives?
—Does that mean three or five inspectors are not as good as a student on loan?

The secondment is temporary, but the inspector will always be working under your command.

Although Qin Jie wasn't born in the Year of the Ox, he was so angry that he wished he could sprout two horns on his head and push Zhang Zheng into a corner, forcing him to swallow all the words he had just spoken and suffocate!
But Qin Jie was not a newly appointed official, so he held back his anger and said with a smile, "Zheng Yan has been working non-stop for many days. He only took two days off during the Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival. He asked for leave because of some matters at his school. He went back this morning. I promised him that he would rest for a few days before coming back."

He then suggested, "Inspector Zhang, this case is very urgent. The two courts are like brothers. I will select five or six capable inspectors for you right away to avoid any delays. What do you think?"

Zhang Zheng immediately waved his hand and said, "Your right court has two major cases in hand and many clues to follow. I won't be the bad guy. Besides, there are only five or eight cases, so I really can't be of much help."

As he spoke, he turned to Zheng Boqian, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, “Prefect Zheng, there are priorities in matters. It’s not that I’m being unreasonable, but to put it bluntly—what could possibly happen in the Imperial Academy that could be compared to such an important case?”

As he spoke, he looked at Qin Jie and said, "Why don't we ask Han Li to temporarily suspend his leave and come back to lend a hand? Once this case is closed, the yamen can give him a few more days off, or some extra subsidies, or at the very least, a commendation!"

"If the right courtyard doesn't have this quota, the left courtyard can certainly make some adjustments and give it to him. Why not transfer his temporary assignment here?"

They haven't even gotten the money yet, and they're already planning not to pay it back!
Qin Jie's expression changed, and he opened his mouth to refuse.

But Zhang Zheng added, "I don't think this person is the kind of person who is petty. If he has any concerns, I am willing to go with Judge Qin to persuade him—things can always be discussed, right, Judge Qin?"

Qin Jie almost laughed out of anger.

They're calling them back to help the Left Courtyard, hoping they'll get a few more days off, but they're giving the Right Courtyard leave instead, and they even want to take back ownership of everything.

Does he think someone with the surname Qin is dead?

Zhang Zheng, why don't you change your name to Zhang Zheng and just make all the good things in the world?
Qin Jie considered Han Li to be his private property, but Zheng Boqian believed that Han Li was jointly owned by the government.

Seeing that the two courts were each sticking to their own version of events in their fight to get the person, he waited for the tension to build before saying to Qin Jie, "If it were any other matter, it would be fine, but this case is urgent. Judge Qin, I need you to go and talk to Han Li."

Qin Jie hurriedly called out, "Prefect!"

His voice changed from anxiety.

Zheng Boqian shook his head, signaling him to be quiet, then turned to Zhang Zheng and said, "Right now, we'll give you whatever you need—people or things. If there's still no progress..."

"Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly..."

"Three days?" Zheng Boqian said coldly, "At today's court assembly, even without His Majesty's questioning, countless officials came to me during the waiting period. Both Chancellors Cao and Li had people in their homes who were drugged with that meat. Seven or eight people from the Censorate took turns hurling insults at me. Needless to say, the memorials impeaching us for being incompetent and holding our positions were incredibly thick. Their spittle was practically spitting in my face—and you want me to wait three days?"

Sweat immediately beaded on Zhang Zheng's forehead, but fortunately, his dark complexion made it difficult to see.

"If you cannot provide an explanation by the morning after tomorrow, you will go to court in my place!"

This was obviously just said in anger, but the urging tone in it left no room for pretending to be stupid.

Zhang Zheng dared not delay. He wiped his sweat and hurriedly went out to gather his men.

Seeing that Zheng Boqian had lost his temper, Qin Jie, who was originally full of dissatisfaction, dared not complain at this time.

But after Zhang Zheng left, Zheng Boqian softened his attitude towards Qin Jie, saying, "You naturally don't want to lend Han Zhengyan to the Left Court, but it's a game of chess. If Zhang Zheng loses face, how can your Right Court remain unscathed? Not to mention the Military Patrol Court, even the Kyoto Prefectural Government will be implicated."

He added, “Besides, Zheng Yan is a man of exceptional ability. Now that he has come, we should give him more opportunities to make contributions and get things done. We should let him know that there are many places where he can make a difference here. We shouldn’t make too many distinctions between you and me. This is the way to use people in the long run.”

Seeing that Qin Jie didn't like listening, he then brought up the story of how Master Min had come over before, wanting to invite Han Li to help control the floods.

Qin Jie was already green with anger, and now his forehead turned a dark green. He roared, "What kind of logic is this! Shouldn't everything be done in a first-come, first-served manner?"

"If we're talking about controlling floods, aren't there floods to control in the capital? Look at this year's rainfall, there might be another major flood! Wouldn't it be better for Zheng Yan to stay in the capital than to go to some godforsaken outlying province?"

He even swore.

Regardless, Qin Jie eventually gave in.

He nodded repeatedly in front of Zheng Boqian, but as soon as he returned to his room, he wrote a letter, summoned his confidant, and asked him to send it to Han Li as soon as possible.

***
Meanwhile, in Suanzao Alley on the other side, Han Li was unaware of this unexpected turn of events.

He was doing carpentry work in the backyard of the Song family's house. Song Miao and Cheng Erniang were also preparing ingredients for their stall the next day by the well in the backyard. They would come over occasionally, first asking if he wanted to take a nap, and then asking if he needed any help. When they learned that he didn't need any, they would give him a clean cloth. Afterwards, they would just add tea and water, or bring him some snacks.

The afternoon passed by in the blink of an eye, with Han Li working while seemingly exchanging only a few words with Song Miao. He barely noticed the passage of time.

The Song family already had some broken tables and chairs that hadn't been moved. He sawed, chopped, shaved, and joined together various pieces of wood, piecing them together to create a square table and four armchairs. He also repaired the reclining chair that Song Miao had previously owned.

He estimated the time, and when he sat down on the last chair, he invited the child who had been peeking out from the doorway from time to time over.

Xiao Lian was initially a little timid, but when she entered the room and saw that it was already taken shape, with a square table in the middle and chairs around it, she couldn't help but widen her little eyes and let out a soft "Oh".

Han Li didn't say much to her, but pointed to the wooden planks placed against the side of the table in the shape of steps and said, "Go and try to see if it's high enough."

Xiaolian was stunned. She opened her mouth wide but couldn't say a word, not even respond.

After a long while, she finally climbed onto the wooden plank and sat down, her face blank.

Han Li went over to measure the height and asked her if it was high enough. He also went to the side to get a bowl and put it on the table so she could try to pick up the food.

When Song Miaoxia brought the fruit over next time, what she saw was that Young Master Han squatting on the ground, using charcoal to mark the wooden plank that Xiaolian was hanging in the air on.

Turning around and seeing Song Miao, Xiao Lian's face flushed red, and she said, "Sister, this... Brother Han said he'd make me a chair..."

Her voice was a mix of excitement and trepidation. In just a few words, she had changed her address from "Young Master Han" to "Brother Han." After saying that, she asked guiltily, "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Song Miao stepped forward, patted her head, and asked with a smile, "Did you thank your brother?"

Han Li said, "The child is very good, and I have already thanked you several times."

Xiaolian blushed even more and nodded quickly.

Song Miao then said, "Do you still remember how to write your name? After your brother finishes making your chair, would you like to find an empty spot on the chair and write your name on it?" Xiao Lian was so happy she almost couldn't sit still and asked, "Can I?!"

“If you remember how to write it, of course you can—this chair was specially made for our Xiaolian.”

After saying that, Song Miao couldn't help but look down at Han Li and smile.

Han Liben was half-squatting on the ground, looking up at her. He smiled and then turned his gaze back to the wooden board in front of him after a while. He stood up, stepped aside, and told Xiaolian that she could come down.

Because of her short stature, Xiaolian always needs to use several cushions to support her while eating, and she also has to stand up to pick up food.

Upon learning that she would soon have her own chair, made to fit her height and short legs, she was reluctant to leave. She stayed in the room, watching Han Li hammer and sculpt, eager to help.

Once it was finished, she borrowed some charcoal to write her own lotus character on it.

Having just learned it yesterday, the child is already putting it to use, and he can't help but mutter it to himself.

Han Li stood aside, listening to her explain how to write the character, where the grass radical was, where the person and vehicle were, and where the lotus seedpod was.

He had only intended to wait a moment, but as he listened, he found it quite interesting. When he saw the child repeatedly saying "Sister said" and "Sister taught me," he couldn't help but take a closer look at the writing. He almost immediately recognized that it was written by a beginner, lacking structure and style, merely copying what was being written.

The character “lotus” is not an easy character to write, but its shape is drawn quite well, which shows that the person who taught it has done a very good job.

Han Li thought for a moment and looked at the four chairs next to him.

These four pieces appear to be a set, with similar shapes, but they are actually different sizes.

Three of them are of the same format, but one of them is two points higher than the others.

He went up to the chair and carved the character "妙" (miao, meaning wonderful) on the back of the chair. After he finished carving the character, he thought about it and felt that something was wrong, so he added the character "宋" (Song) in front of it.

After carving the two characters, he stepped back, admired them for a moment, but still felt something was wrong. In the end, he took a file and erased the two characters again, as if nothing had happened.

***
The tables and chairs haven't been coated with tung oil yet, but since they're made from materials salvaged from old furniture, there aren't many burrs. After wiping them clean, they're good enough to make do for now.

That evening, the Song family finally had a table and chairs for dinner.

The table and four chairs are just the most basic styles, and some parts even have obvious patchwork colors due to different materials, but they are very stable, sturdy, and comfortable to use.

And most importantly, these tables and chairs are perfectly suited to the Song family at this time, and they don't stand out at all.

The happiest person was Xiaolian.

The child received a custom-made chair for the first time, with his name written on it. It had footrests for him to climb on, and handles for him to hold onto when he sat down. The footrests could also be used as a support.

She was so happy she didn't know what to do. She took a basin and a cloth and wiped the table and chairs again and again, especially her own, which she wiped more than ten times.

Having received such "new" tables and chairs, the two adults and one child all surrounded Han Li to express their gratitude. Han Li accepted the thanks from Cheng Erniang and her daughter one by one, and he did not refuse any praise.

When Song Miao thanked him, he smiled and said, "So, it's not like I ate and drank for free, is it?"

Song Miao couldn't help but laugh and replied, "If Young Master Han is willing to come and eat and drink for free often, my family would welcome him."

The food was already ready, and the aroma filled the whole house. People were busy serving rice and dishes.

The highlight of the evening was mountain snail and chicken soup.

The chicken was an old hen, and after slaughtering, bleeding, and plucking, it still weighed a full three pounds.

Old chicken stew is incredibly flavorful.

The chicken was freshly killed, cleaned, and chopped into pieces before being put into the pot. It was still warm, so there was no need to blanch it. It was brought to a boil over high heat, then simmered over low heat with only ginger slices. It simmered for half an afternoon, and a little perilla was added before serving. The aroma was rich, and the soup was golden, clear, and shiny.

The shiny part is chicken fat. There are only a few thin specks of chicken fat floating on top, not much at all. Most of it has been skimmed off during the cooking process, so the soup is not greasy at all.

One sip of the soup is rich and flavorful, with the rich aroma of chicken and the fresh taste of snails exploding in your mouth almost simultaneously.

The snails were caught later and kept for a day and a night. Their tails were cut off, and they were washed clean. They were only simmered for a little over 15 minutes, which brought out their full flavor, but the meat was not overcooked. With a gentle suck and a bite, the snail meat was tender and springy, with a bit of chewiness. The juice burst out, and the aroma of perilla was faintly visible. The taste was extremely delicious. It truly deserves to be called the snail among snails.

The chicken meat, despite being old and having been simmered for a long time, still wouldn't fall off the bone. But it absorbed the freshness of the snails while fiercely preserving its own chicken flavor, making it both delicious and fragrant, and sweet and savory.

The chicken fat skimmed off was used to stir-fry cauliflower with chicken blood, liver, gizzards, and other offal.

March is the season for rapeseed flowers. Select the tender, unopened rapeseed hearts, stir-fry them over high heat to bring out the wok hei (wok aroma), and use garlic cloves, fermented black beans, evodia, and Sichuan peppercorns to remove the fishy smell of the chicken offal. Use the rapeseed hearts to cut through the greasiness of the chicken fat and offal, and then use the aroma of the chicken fat and offal to enhance the sweetness of the rapeseed hearts.

The high heat and hot oil create an amazing wok hei (wok aroma), and every bite is a burst of flavor that fills your tongue and nasal cavity. The rapeseed flowers are incredibly tender; they are cooked through with just a little stir-frying, resulting in a soft texture that retains its shape and flavor without becoming mushy. Each bite releases a burst of sweet, refreshing juice.

The juices from the offal were completely locked in. The gizzards were crisp and tender, the hearts were thick, and the intestines were cleaned very thoroughly. In addition to being crisp, they had a rich, fatty flavor when you bite into them. The liver was soft and powdery with a sweet taste. The seasoning of soy sauce, fermented black beans, and evodia was just right, bringing out the freshness of the offal. It had a slight spiciness, which was perfect for serving with rice.

The only word to describe this meal was "comfortable".

More than three pounds of chicken, several handfuls of snails, were used to make a big pot of chicken soup, a big plate of stir-fried chicken giblets with rapeseed flowers, and a big pot of rice. The three adults and one child ate their fill, but there was still a little less than half a pot of soup left.

Seeing that it was getting dark outside and the rain had not stopped, Song Miao urged Han Li to go back first, fearing that the road would be difficult to travel.

Since the soup would lose its flavor if left until tomorrow, she simply changed to a small pot, put it in a basket, and asked Han Li to take it back as a late-night snack.

The latter did not refuse at all and readily agreed. After thanking him, he added, "If there is any left, I will give a few bites to Zijian if he is here."

But before he could even get back to his dormitory with the soup, he was stopped at the door.

It was Xiao You who was guarding the front gate with an official.

"The Qin official sent me to deliver an urgent message to the young master; it is of utmost importance."

Han Li recognized the other party as Qin Jie's confidant. Seeing his anxious expression, he knew there must be more to the story. Without delay, he walked to a quiet spot, put down the basket in his hand, and was about to open the letter when he heard someone call out from not far away: "Han Li, Han Zhengyan!"

He looked up and saw a person rushing towards him through the rain; the person's appearance was quite familiar.

Qin Jie's confidant's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly stepped forward, blocking the letter in Han Li's hand, and bowed, saying, "Inspector Zhang, what brings you here?"

(End of this chapter)