Miao Chu

Chapter 133 Deliberate
After bidding farewell to Cheng Erniang and Xiaolian at home, Song Miao boarded the carriage.

The carriage was quite large, and there was already a lot of luggage piled up inside. Although it wasn't cramped, it wasn't exactly spacious either.

Han Li then said to her, "We have a large group of people. We will meet outside the city later. When we rest along the way, we will see if we can find you a more comfortable place."

Since they were just on their way and had been paid to work, Song Miao didn't have many fuss oversights. She smiled and said, "It's just me and Dabing inside. Our things and luggage aren't dirty or smelly, so we don't need to change them. This is fine."

They then asked him how many people were traveling with him and whether he needed them to take care of his food and drink along the way.

Han Li replied, "If we travel all day, by the time we reach our lodging, we won't know what time it will be, and there won't be enough time to cook."

He added, “I have already told them to bring their own food today, so we don’t need to worry about it for now. If there are any teahouses or shops along the way, they can just buy something and make do. If there are none, then I’ll ask you to take care of it.”

He briefly explained the situation of his fellow travelers.

After a while, there will be officials from the Water Conservancy Bureau of the Outer Capital leading a number of craftsmen and materials to Huazhou, but this time the first group to set off is led by Han Li.

There were seventeen people in the group. Apart from Kong Fuyang, whom Song Miao knew, the rest were all brought by Master Min: thirteen students, two scholars, and two retainers borrowed from relatives and friends.

If Liutahe is a hot stove attracting the attention of the court and the public, then Huazhou is a frozen stove just dug out of an ice cave.

Although the collapse of the Huazhou River embankment has caused countless disasters and the consequences are unpredictable, for many people it is still some distance away and not yet in sight.

Of course, this is the upstream area, which is very important and cannot be ignored. Otherwise, if the current trend is not controlled, the floodwaters may rush towards the capital during the summer flood season.

But if the Liuta River is properly excavated, none of this will be a problem—there will be a water diversion channel.

It's just tough on the people of Huazhou, because there aren't enough people, money, and resources to be allocated there.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

No ordinary person is without hardship; if they don't suffer here, they suffer there.

Repairing the river is a tough job. Even if you are sure to get credit in the end, not many people will be willing to do it if the credit is small. What's the point of doing a great job in a place like Huazhou that no one cares about?

It's very possible that after all that hard work, the dikes will be washed away again when the flood comes.

These seventeen people were naturally just a fraction of the hundreds of people led by Cai Xiu.

They were just ordinary students gathered from academies, none of them were from the Imperial Academy. Some of them even hesitated to agree because they heard that Han Li was leading the team and Kong Fuyang was among them. Even so, they had already built up Min Lao's decades-old reputation and connections.

Upon hearing this, Song Miao had a general idea of ​​what was going on. After asking a few more questions about the itinerary, she stopped talking and got back into the carriage.

The driver drove the carriage, while Han Li rode alongside.

It was already quite late, and the roads were flooded, so we had to take a detour. By the time we met up with the others outside the city, it was almost 9 AM.

Han Li was not exaggerating; the group was indeed quite large, consisting of eight mule carts, two horse-drawn carriages, and they even hired a team of bodyguards to protect the vehicles and horses.

After a brief meeting and introductions, the group resumed their journey.

The two prefectures of the capital region have been hit by continuous rain for days, causing great damage to the cities and, needless to say, the official roads.

The water level had not receded, and the roads were flooded, so the drivers had no choice but to continue driving despite the danger.

Song Miao sat in the carriage, swaying and bumping. Especially when the wheels accidentally ran over a deep, waterlogged pothole that was completely invisible, the "bang" almost shook her brains out.

After being jostled a few times, Song Miao turned her head again and saw that Da Bing's face was a little pale and his lips were a little purple. She said to him, "If you feel unwell, tell me as soon as possible. Don't try to hold it in. Don't hold back if you feel like vomiting."

She then took a pill from her own medicine bag and handed it to him, saying, "It's for treating dizziness and vomiting. Swallow it and you'll feel better after a nap."

Big Pancake hurriedly stepped back, saying, "Wife, please don't joke like that. There's no need for medicine at all! I can bear it—this medicine could probably buy ten of me!"

This statement is obviously an exaggeration, but there's a deep seriousness hidden within the joke.

As he spoke, he retched, leaning out of the car window and gagging for a while, but only managed to vomit some clear saliva. When he sat back down, he looked listless, as if he wanted to vomit but couldn't.

Song Miao sighed inwardly, forcefully stuffed the pill into his hand, and handed him a water pouch, saying, "Didn't Young Master Han instruct you to help me? My people are very precious—you're already dragging your feet on taking pills now, so wouldn't you be even less willing to listen when I assign you tasks in the future?"

Then he asked, "Which bundle did you pack your bedding in?"

Once they understood, they took out the bedding he had brought and placed it under his seat to make him more comfortable.

The man holding the pills for a long time was lost in thought, looking dazed. When he came to his senses, he saw Song Miao already making bedding for him, so he quickly swallowed the pills with water and came over to take over the work.

The medicine was effective. After taking it, he soon fell asleep in the corner. When he woke up, his eyes were bright and his voice was strong. He was busy opening the carriage window for Song Miao, shielding her from the wind blowing in, and telling her jokes to make her laugh.

He was still busy with this, and then carefully said, "I am both happy and scared to be here to run errands for Madam Song."

Song Miao couldn't help but ask him what he was afraid of.

Dabing honestly replied, "I'm afraid of being sent back—although I worked as an apprentice in the yamen for a couple of years, I only know how to chop filling, wash and cut vegetables, start a fire, and wrap steamed buns. I don't know much else. I only learned to knead and mix dough by myself, but I can only work on small tables. If the table is too big, I can't handle it..."

"I'm actually very capable and hardworking. My lady just uses me. She makes me run errands and do all sorts of things. Even if I don't eat or drink, I'll do a good job!"

He added, “Young lady, you must know that my former master… no longer works in the yamen. Now, several new cooks have come in, each with their own apprentices. They only have me do things like sweeping, cleaning, and chopping. I couldn’t learn anything there to begin with, and I can’t learn anything now.”

"When I heard that Young Master Han had come to see me, and was going to be Madam Song's assistant, I almost jumped for joy! Madam is a good person, and she's a truly good teacher—I really don't want to spend my whole life washing and chopping vegetables; I can't always be supported by my uncle and aunt..."

After chatting with him for a while, Song Miao learned about his general situation.

Dabing's surname is Liu, and his original name was Liu Bing. It is said that when he was born, his hometown was flooded. The floodwaters rose to the height of a person. In order to survive, his mother, who was heavily pregnant, climbed to a high place. She had run out of food and water, but the water had not yet receded when she started to go into labor.

She was starving for half a day and had no strength to give birth. In the end, thanks to an old woman who was hiding in the water, she saved half a pancake from her mouth and fed her, which allowed her to give birth to her son.

Liu Bing got its name from this.

Later, the Liu family had a son and a daughter. The younger brother, Liu Bing, did not survive, but the younger sister survived, though her mother fell ill and died.

Seeing that his family was penniless, the pot was almost empty, and the new grain had not yet been harvested, Liu's father gritted his teeth and sent his daughter to his sister's family in the county. His son was a bit older, already over six years old, so he asked someone to write a letter and asked someone to take it to the capital to find his elder brother.

Although Liu, the servant, was also struggling, he still took in his nephew after all. He first asked someone to change his name to "Liu Bing" and then asked someone to arrange for him to work as an apprentice in the kitchen of the state government. He only hoped that Liu could learn a skill and not expect to support his family in the future. It would be difficult enough for him to support himself.

But who knew that luck would be so bad. The master he was originally following didn't teach him anything, but he endured it for a few years. He could learn some skills by secretly observing others, and once he became proficient, he could always find a teahouse or tavern to learn more slowly.

However, several of the cooks were bribed by Liao's men and lost their jobs. As a result, Dabing became like an "official" from the previous dynasty, unpopular and unable to stay or leave.

"You are very efficient, quick learners, and willing to learn. You are sure to have a bright future," Song Miao praised him.

Upon hearing this, Dabing was overjoyed and scratched his head, saying, "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, madam! If I can really amount to something, I'll bring my sister back to our home to raise, buy my father more land to cultivate, so we'll never have to go hungry again—and give some to my uncle and aunt..."

He counted them all, as if he were a real success.

Because of the conversation with Dabing in the car, the journey wasn't so boring.

In the afternoon, when the rain stopped, the convoy found a place with shallow water to stop and rest.

Knowing that everyone had brought their own food and water, and having received instructions from Han Li, Song Miao didn't interfere much. However, being a cook herself, she had previously bought some pickled vegetables and marinated dishes. Although they weren't homemade, they were still quite tasty, so she asked Dabing to take some to the front and give them to everyone.

Dabing returned after a while and said, "Young Master Han and Young Master Kong have gone ahead to scout the way. The others have received their thanks."

She whispered, "There were only a few people, and they complained a lot about what they ate. They said that Young Master Han brought them to this godforsaken place and didn't even know to wait a few more days for the floodwaters to recede before setting off. They also said that we didn't even offer them a piece of meat, that we were stingy and tried to fob them off with food that even beggars wouldn't eat. They also said that the leader this time was wrong, that Young Master Han was too inexperienced, and that his wife..."

As he spoke, he was initially indignant, but suddenly stopped talking.

Song Miao frowned upon hearing this and said, "Do you remember who said these things?"

Big Pancake replied, "I remember, two big ones, three students, split into two cars..."

Song Miao had already received instructions from Han Li that these people were a mixed bag and would need to be carefully selected and appointed in the future. He also asked her to help observe them more closely.

Having taken their money and having such a good relationship with them, she couldn't help but be an annoying informer. So she asked about the carriages that the people looked like and were riding in before saying, "Next time you send food, don't give it to them."

As he said this, the thought of going to report him that night gave him a strange sense of pleasure in doing something wrong.

The journey on the first day was not smooth, as we were blocked by floodwaters several times. Fortunately, there were people ahead who had laid down driftwood or made pontoon bridges, so we managed to get through it.

The group found lodging close to midnight that day, quickly washed up, and went to sleep. They set off again before dawn the next morning.

The road was even more difficult on the second day. In several places, the wheels of the mule carts, which were full of goods, got stuck in the water. In the end, a group of people managed to push them out.

That night, because they did not reach the original location and missed their lodging, fortunately, Han Li had already scouted the way, and they finally stayed in a village.

The bodyguards and drivers were fine, but seeing that the students and their guests were getting increasingly impatient, Song Miao approached Han Li and asked him, "Everyone is having a hard time traveling. If the road is still this difficult tomorrow, why don't I go ahead with you to scout out the route and prepare some food before we get there? It would be better than eating dry rations every day."

Han Li shook his head and said, "No rush, let's wait a little longer."

He added, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing—life is even harder in Huazhou. If you can’t even endure this much, then there’s nothing more to say.”

The next day, halfway there, they encountered a long line of cars and pedestrians blocking the road – a small tributary had changed course and breached the main road, its current so swift that people and horses could not pass.

Upon inquiring at the front, they were told that they had organized people to build a pontoon bridge at a calmer section of the river, but it wouldn't be able to cross in less than half a day.

Han Li simply called on all his students, scholars, and retainers to bring their tools and go to the river to check the hydrological data.

When everyone returned, the road was still impassable, but many of them were soaking wet, and quite a few were covered in yellow mud.

That night, instead of staying at an official post station, they stayed at a villager's house.

The next morning, upon receiving news that the road ahead was blocked and it was unclear when it would be repaired, Han Li gathered his men again and prepared to go to the riverbank to investigate.

After being notified, one of the retainers in the group led two scholars and three or four students to find Han Li.

"...The road is already difficult to travel, and at such a troublesome time, why do we have to record hydrological data? It's not like it's the dam we're supposed to be repairing, what's the point of recording it? Is Young Master Han really not just messing with us for fun?"

Han Li said, "It's very useful—didn't I explain before that if we want to divert water, we need to compare how much water each tributary can hold..."

The retainer grew impatient and said, "Young Master Han, you have too many demands. I'm afraid my abilities are limited and I really can't do it. To be honest, I was entrusted by my superior to come here to help with paperwork, draft plans and memorials, not to do this kind of menial work. If you treat me like a mule, I have no choice but to take my leave!"

As he spoke, he looked at the people he had brought with him.

Several others followed. The two scholars were more assertive, saying that they were old and in poor health and could not withstand such a tiring journey. The students, however, looked rather embarrassed and stammered that they could not do these things and wanted to take their leave to return to the capital, asking Han Li to be lenient with them.

Han Li did not stop them. He immediately summoned all the people present and asked a few of them to explain their reasons for leaving in front of everyone. He then asked them to write farewell letters, sign them, and affix their seals. Only then did he say to the rest of the people, "Anyone else who can't bear such hardship can take this opportunity to return to the capital with them. Having someone to accompany you will at least make things safer."

He added, “When Elder Min invited you all, he must have made it clear that it would be very hard. I also sent you a letter before I set off, explaining what I was going to do and the difficulties. The hardship on the way is only one or two tenths of the journey. Once we arrive, the conditions for food, lodging, and transportation will only be worse. If we are not careful, it could even endanger our lives.”

"If you really can't bear it, there's no need to force yourself."

However, everyone just looked at each other and remained silent and still for a while.

After a while, two students stood up and wrote their farewell letters.

Han Li personally prepared food and water for them, and then picked out an empty carriage and asked the driver to take them back to the capital.

After seeing the person off, he returned to find Song Miao and said, "Excuse me, stall owner Song, if it's convenient tonight, could you please prepare some food for me?"

The number of people was reported again.

Song Miao nodded in agreement, but couldn't help adding, "Actually... since you're so short-handed, if I had taken care of the food earlier, things might have been easier for everyone, and there wouldn't have been so many complaints."

Han Li didn't hide it from her and frankly said, "I did it on purpose."

Although the work of recording hydrological data was arduous, it was not entirely fruitless for everyone involved.

He led the way in his work, and also compiled the teacher's old notes into a written document, teaching them step by step. Last night, some students came back and kept asking him about the parts they didn't understand, and some even asked if they could go again.

But not everyone thinks this is a good thing.

He naturally wouldn't force him.

Han Li said, "It's better to have fewer people than to have the wrong ones. If they're not meant to be, they'll leave sooner or later. It's better for them to leave sooner, so I can save some effort and food."

(End of this chapter)