Miao Chu

Chapter 132 Not Ancient
"Why are you all here too?" Master Cao was dumbfounded.

He was fine if he hadn't spoken, but as soon as he did, the person standing closest outside immediately started cursing.

"It was pitch black, and we were worried you might fall while walking at night, so we came to keep an eye on you. Who knew you'd be so cunning as to come back and eat all the food yourself!"

When Master Cao was exposed, he straightened his chest and became more self-righteous, saying, "I have an old wife at home. She heard about the taste and recipe for stuffed snails and said she wanted to eat them. What can I do? It's just that I'm afraid that if you all hear about it, you'll all come and order some, and my wife won't be able to handle it!"

Thus, what was originally one person's anger turned into everyone's anger.

"You're the only one with a wife who doesn't have one???"

"Shopkeeper Song, if you have the time, I'd like a pot too!"

"When I got back, I couldn't resist and learned how to make stuffed snails. My two little granddaughters and one big grandson all cried for some—I'll give Old Cao more money than he does, so don't mind him, just make mine first, okay?"

A group of people were half-joking and half-seriously talking about it. Song Miao replied with a smile, "I'll ask tomorrow first. If we're not leaving immediately and there's still time, I'll accept your invitation, gentlemen, and once it's ready, I'll pack it in a food box and send it over. How about that?"

Since everyone still had money in their accounts, they were told not to rush to pay.

So the group of old men immediately backed down.

In front of Song Miao, everyone was in a harmonious atmosphere and said goodbye with smiles.

But as soon as he stepped out the door and turned the corner, just as he was about to leave Suanzao Lane, several people surrounded Master Cao.

"Old Cao, do you even know what it means for a gentleman to be cautious even when alone?"

"In ancient times, Zhen Yu gave away the sheep and Kong Rong gave away the pears. You used to quote classics so eloquently, but now that it's your turn, it's Cao Du who's stealing the snail!"

"Oh! Oh! No wonder your family named you Cao Du; it wasn't a name given for nothing! This character isn't pronounced 'du,' but rather 'du,' which sounds like 'duo' (夺)!"

"The hatred of having my snails stolen! The hatred of having my snails stolen!!! The world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be!!!"

Master Cao tried to stop one person, but couldn't cover the mouth of another. He looked up at the sky, which was foggy and dark, and then at the ground, where the water was quite deep. He could only sigh and groan several times.

Seeing the dark, old faces staring at him, he first pretended to wipe his sweat to shield himself from their fierce gazes, then simply put his hands down and pushed everyone out, saying as he walked, "The water's deep here, and it's dark. What are you doing standing here talking—what if Miss Song hears us? We'll ruin everyone's reputation and make her think we have bad tempers and don't get along!"

He added, "But this is a good thing! Everyone got the snail wine. We should judge by actions, not intentions. A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions!"

The crowd erupted in anger again: "Who said we're judging actions over intentions?!"

Knowing he had done wrong, Master Cao didn't dare to argue back after being scolded, and walked out with a sullen face and a forced smile.

Seeing that he didn't reply, the teachers became even more enthusiastic, putting in the same amount of effort they used to put into scolding their students.

As they chattered on and on, they saw a group of familiar faces not far ahead—it turned out to be several other teachers waiting for them to catch up in an open space next to a tavern.

As everyone was cursing, they suddenly became like ducks caught by their long necks. Some of them had already said half a sentence, but they all swallowed it back and forced a smile, pretending that nothing had happened.

—If we raise our voices, these people will also clamor to go back and buy stuffed snails. If we can't make enough, what if Madam Song doesn't show favoritism and then cancels the previous order?
With so many monks and so little porridge available right now, it's best not to make a fuss!

Seeing that the group of people were putting on such a convincing act, going from ducks to chickens in an instant, Master Cao, who had been pretending to be mute, finally spoke up, saying leisurely, "A gentleman is cautious even when alone; people's hearts are not what they used to be!"

The next morning, Song Miao received a message informing her that her departure time was at the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM) the following day, and that a carriage would be arranged to pick her up. She was asked to wait at home.

In this way, the restaurant finally had time to prepare a lot of stuffed snails for each of the scholars.

As for the food being delivered to the restaurants, the sight of so many large food boxes being sent in one by one, especially the scholars who had also eaten at Song Ji the night before but hadn't realized it and thus hadn't been able to make a reservation, is unknown. How shocked they would be, and how they would lament "the world is going to the dogs" and "people's hearts are no longer what they used to be," is anyone's guess.

***
The next day, while the three men were busy at the Song family restaurant, some chopping minced meat, some brushing snail shells and cutting snail tails, and others picking and washing mint leaves, the Water Conservancy Supervisor was reporting the progress to Li Zhai, the Vice Minister of State Affairs.

"...We have already requested the mobilization of 500 soldiers from the western garrison of the capital, and now we request the recruitment of another 2,000 laborers and 500 craftsmen, which will increase the daily output by 4,500. In addition, we request the allocation of 30,000 long bamboo poles..."

Hearing that his subordinates had come to request manpower and resources again, Li Zhai glanced at the list and put it aside, saying, "I know it's not easy to do things outside, I won't give you any discounts. I only ask—can the Liuta River be used before the summer flood season?"

"This river has been under repair for more than half a year, but this spring flood has caused such severe flooding in the capital. The Six Towers River is completely useless, wasting manpower and resources. Just take a few steps outside and see how many people in the Censorate are cursing it. Inside and outside the capital, not to mention His Majesty comes to ask about it all the time, even when I return home, the elders in my family all come to ask why the floodwaters have risen so much this year!"

"Nowadays, all industries are filled with complaints, people are struggling, and many are starving if they stop working, while others along the river are also suffering from floods..."

The water supervisor was almost splattered with spittle, but he didn't dare wipe it off. He hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sir. Jia Zongchang has already sworn an oath in his previous report that he will definitely repair the Liuta River before the summer flood season in May!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhai urged him a few more times before finally letting him go.

The Water Conservancy Supervisor continued, "Following past practice, we've borrowed some students from various academies, and Han Li from the Imperial Academy has already reported for duty this morning—I remember you mentioned last time that you wanted to..."

Li Zhai shook his head and said, "There's no need to worry about the Liuta River. The dike in Huazhou has collapsed. The Council of State has approved the memorials submitted by Wang Ming and Cen Dezhang. In addition to relief efforts, they also need to transfer some officials from the Water Conservancy Bureau and assign some personnel there—let him go to Huazhou."

The Director of Water Conservancy was taken aback, but did not ask further. He then said, "I originally wanted him to lead the team, since there are about a hundred students on loan, and now that no one has arrived..."

He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Just the other day someone sent me a candidate, also a student at the Imperial Academy, named Cai Xiu. He's quite famous for his literary talent and is said to be quite capable. Why don't we have him take Han Li's place..."

The reason why people value Han Li is not only because of his abilities, but more importantly because of the resources he may bring.

Since this person cannot go, whoever takes their place will only be doing simple menial tasks and will not contribute much to the matter itself.

Since it didn't work out, Li Zhai was too lazy to explain further and waved his hand, saying, "You can decide these small matters yourself; there's no need to ask me."

Then they started talking about other things.

The Water Conservancy Supervisor wanted to add something, but seeing that Li Zhai had changed his attitude from when he mentioned Han Li and had no intention of talking about it further, he stopped talking and honestly returned to the main business.

He didn't return to the Water Conservancy Bureau until midday. After gathering his subordinates and conveying Li Zhai's message, he urged everyone to work hard, those who needed to leave to pack their things and prepare to depart, those who needed to make preparations to do so quickly, and those who needed to urge others and collect money to get things done as soon as possible, so as not to waste time. Only then did he let everyone disperse.

Everyone else had left, but the official in charge of the water management bureau, who had led the team to support Liutahe, came forward and cautiously asked, "Sir, what did Minister Li say about Cai Xiu?"

The Director of Water Conservancy said "Oh," and then said, "Let him go with us. We're short-handed. You can decide on the rest." The official breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, "You know, he's a true student of the Upper Dormitory. In the past two days, his speech and manners have been excellent, his writing is good, and he's quite clever."

"He knew that you, the Supervisor, were going to see Councilor Li today, so he came before dawn. He also said that he wanted to compile his previous articles and the important treatise on water affairs that he had written in the past two days. He said that he was afraid that the higher-ups would not approve, so he was preparing to personally deliver them to Councilor Li for review if he was asked about them."

The Director of the Water Conservancy Bureau said, "You appointed these people yourself, so make good use of them. I've given my word on the Liuta River; you'd better get the river dredged before the summer flood season, no matter what!"

He dared not linger on official business, and after giving his reply, he hurriedly left.

The man had just returned to his office and sat down when he heard someone knocking on the door.

He looked up and saw Cai Xiu walking in carrying a stack of things.

"Official business. These are documents compiled by the students, many of which involve water-related matters..."

The official chuckled, "No need for that. The Supervisor said that Councilor Li has already agreed. You will be leading the team this time. I will gradually send you the roster over the next couple of days. It contains the list of students temporarily transferred from several places in the capital region..."

Holding her own article in her hands, Cai Xiu was momentarily incredulous.

He hurriedly asked, "Are you sure we don't need to read the articles anymore? I heard that Li Canzheng had people search through the old files these past two days to find the articles by Han Li that were previously transferred from Yintai Division and send them over. Why is it that when it comes to me, I don't need to read them?"

“Isn’t it a good thing that we don’t have to read the article?” The official laughed. “You’re not like him, who makes people feel uncomfortable just by hearing his name and can’t put their minds at ease.”

“I’ve read all the memorials he wrote, and they’re all alarmist. He even said that building the Liuta River would bring disaster to the country and its people—I’m afraid that it was because he read those articles that the higher-ups didn’t dare to appoint him as consul.”

Cai Xiu was overjoyed.

He hurriedly said, "If I were to lead the team, I would certainly do my best to manage the students and not disappoint the mission—however, Han Li is also among the students, should I lead him?"

Gong Shidao said, "That should be it. I heard that Han Li reported for duty this morning, but I'm too busy to join in the fun..."

Cai Xiu stood there, and hearing this sentence felt like eating ice cream on a sweltering summer day. It was so refreshing that every pore on her body seemed to breathe, and even the strands of hair seemed to stand up straight and shoot into the sky.

—Finally, one day, I was called upon to put my skills to use!
—Finally, one day, I will be in charge of that Han family! I will let everyone see and know that my abilities far surpass his!
He couldn't tell whether the first "finally" made him ecstatic or the second "finally" made him secretly pleased. He could only think to himself: From today onwards, I am no longer on the same level as him, and I no longer need to keep this person in my heart.

This is just the beginning.

The sky is high enough for birds to fly freely, and the sea is wide enough for fish to leap freely. I will climb all the way up by stepping on Han Li's stepping stones. In the future, I will look down on him and he will look up to me!

Cai Xiu felt that her wish had been fulfilled and was complacent. When she received the roster in the afternoon, she had no choice but to get busy and study the list carefully.

No matter where you are, things can be either lucrative or lenient.

When you're assigned a lucrative position, it's easy to get results and you're likely to achieve them. But when you're assigned a less lucrative position, it's arduous and demanding, and you have absolutely no chance to stand out.

But everything has to be done by people.

At times like these, as the team leader, he has to oversee everything, ensuring that tasks are assigned correctly and that everything is completed—someone has to make sacrifices, and who those sacrifices are crucial.

He first looked at the people's appearance and background, then at their teachers and schools, and after that, he specifically asked the official in charge of the Water Conservancy Bureau.

The latter was very satisfied to see how sensible the child was, and indeed called out quite a few names.

Cai Xiu carefully noted it down to avoid accidentally stepping on a landmine when making subsequent arrangements.

He was busy studying the lists of names, and even though he had never met them in person, he had memorized almost everything about these dozens of people after reading them a few times. He was indeed a talented student of the Imperial Academy with an excellent memory. Although he did not see Han Li's name, he did not think much of it at the time and assumed that it was sent last.

***
The next day, at the end of the morning, the carriage drove into the end of Suanzao Lane.

Hearing the sound of the carriage, Song Miao knew it was probably there to pick her up. She went out to greet it and indeed saw a carriage and a black horse.

I didn't recognize the person driving the carriage, but the person on horseback looked very familiar.

She went up and greeted them.

Before the horse had even come to a complete stop, the rider immediately dismounted and said with a smile, "Sorry to bother you, Mr. Song. Where is your luggage? I'll help you carry it."

—It was Han Li.

As the two were talking, the carriage came to a stop, and the back door opened abruptly. A short man jumped out, quickly circled around, saw Song Miao, gave her a proper bow, and called out cleverly, "Madam Song!"

The boy was about ten years old, dressed as a big boy with a turban, short clothes, and leggings.

Song Miao was taken aback and replied, "A flatbread?"

This person was none other than Daibing, one of the apprentices I had seen when I was helping out in the kitchen of the Kyoto government office.

When Da Bing saw Song Miao call his name, his face lit up with joy, and he laughed, "My lady still remembers me!"

After he bowed, he called out again, "I'll carry it! I'll carry it!"

As he spoke, he eagerly rushed inside.

Han and Song followed them inside, and with Cheng Erniang's help, they soon put all their luggage into the carriage.

The man with the big pancake had a keen eye for things, so he voluntarily stayed in the carriage to rearrange the pancakes.

Han Li explained to Song Miao, "I found you someone to run errands. Although he is a bit young, he is quite clever. His family was too poor to support him, so they sent him to the capital two years ago."

"His uncle was a long-time servant in the Kyoto government office and vouched for him. He knows him better than anyone from outside. Most importantly, he always praised you before."

　Many thanks to EvC for the sachet, and to Bingningyanhan and Book Friend 20200221010953408 for the amulets! =3=
　　Thank you to Miss Ultraman from the bookstore, Yisuoyanyu Renpingsheng, Fengma, and Jingyuan for each of you who sent me a small token of my appreciation :)

　　Thank you Xiaoxiang's adorable cat mommy, and thank you Xiaoxiang and Ni'er for each sending me a good luck charm! ^_^
　　(End of this chapter)