Miao Chu

Chapter 140 Bones
After helping Xie San'er up, Song Miao spoke a few more words to his parents. Although she had let him go, she didn't forget to mention, "I think you two are both honest and good people, so why is your child's speech and behavior so repulsive? It's alright this time, but what if he offends someone you can't afford to offend in the future..."

The mother sighed and said, "I will definitely discipline them properly when we get back today!"

He added, "It's also because there are no elders in the family, and my husband and I are always out there making a living. We used to have a daughter, but after she got married, no one disciplined her. She's been hanging out with all sorts of shady people from both inside and outside the clan. Huazhou has been in chaos these past few years, and all sorts of heroes and villains have been raised there, acting tough everywhere. I don't know where she picked up that from, but she's become even more lawless and unruly!"

"I have tried to beat and scold him, but I can't just keep him locked up all the time. If I can't keep an eye on him, he'll run out and hang out with bad people again. Sigh!"

Upon hearing this, Song Miao went to look at Xie San'er. He had been so arrogant yesterday, but now that his parents had caught him, he was all meek and subdued, like a plucked chicken. He didn't seem like a truly wicked person.

She then asked, "Do you two work in the pharmacy?"

Both of them shook their heads.

"I don't have that skill. I don't recognize many medicines. I've always worked at Master Xie's grain shop!" the woman said.

Her father said, "If the young lady wants grain, just tell me, and I'll send her a bag of good rice!"

They also left some fruit and pastries as an apology.

Although Song Miao found it strange, she didn't ask any more questions. After the family left, she and Dabing went out the door.

Since they were staying at the official post station, their meals were provided, which gave them some free time. They went out to buy some common dried goods and, like yesterday, to inquire about the prices of kitchen utensils, cooking equipment, and ingredients.

While he was inquiring about the prices of large pots, large steamers, and other items at a general store, two men came in and asked the shop assistant, "Have you seen a child these past two days...?"

The two described their age and appearance.

The waiter said, "Never seen him before—he's come over several times in the past few days to ask. Why are you asking him too, Brother Liao? Where did this guy come from?"

Liao said, "I heard it was a friend of the Xie family who was in charge of grain. He spent money and got Old Master Chu to help him find them. But there's still no news. We've asked around, and they're probably just some petty thief passing by. They've probably already disappeared."

Soon, Song Miao and Da Bing went out and walked along the road. Every now and then, they saw patrolmen being led by yamen runners, carrying portraits and going from house to house to investigate—they were looking for Xiang Lin.

Seeing such a scene, Dabing, who had worked in the government office for two years and had seen quite a lot even though he was in the kitchen, said, "We've been looking for them for days and haven't found them. They're probably no longer in the city."

Song Miao then instructed him, "Since there are beggars in the city, you should be careful on ordinary days."

As noon approached, the two returned to the official post station, put their things away, and then Song Miao took the pair of cloth shoes and several pairs of socks she had bought and went to the Xie family's house from the previous day.

Having arranged the time in advance, Liang Yan was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Song Miao arrive, he hurriedly came to greet her, and another steward also came to receive her.

Song Miao greeted them, went inside, handed over the shoes in front of the steward, and said, "Try them on, I don't know if they'll fit."

Liang Yan turned his back to try it.

Song Miao glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that he had changed into clean new shoes and was wearing new socks, so she felt relieved.

The manager then said, "I've already spoken to the kitchen, and the ingredients are ready. Please give me your guidance, madam."

As they were talking, he led Song Miao to the back kitchen.

Liang Yan wanted to follow, but the steward said, "Master Xiang will be back soon. He'll definitely be looking for you when he gets back. Young Master, why don't you wait here for him to avoid worrying?"

On the way to the kitchen, Song Miao couldn't help but ask about Xiang Lin's whereabouts.

"We've tried everything, but there's still no good news." The manager sighed.

Song Miao nodded and offered a few words of comfort.

Just as they were about to reach the kitchen, they heard a burst of cursing coming from inside.

"You cat, I brought you here to catch mice, not to knock over my oil bottle—knocking over the oil bottle is one thing, but you also broke half a basket of my eggs, and instead of catching any mice, you just cause trouble. What am I supposed to do with you?!"

As they were talking, a black cat suddenly darted out of the house.

Because it is very black and fierce, with a patch of white fur between its eyes and around its nose and mouth, it looks rather unsightly. It also grows very fast, so it is quite frightening to see even in broad daylight.

Not only Song Miao, but even the person in charge was so frightened that he took two steps back.

The cook was chasing after them when he saw the two of them and quickly stopped to greet them.

The supervisor hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

The cook said, "I don't know why, but the kitchen has been infested with rats lately. It was alright a few days ago, but these past few days, even after I put the food under a cover, they still manage to overturn it and eat the food all over the plate."

"Try to restrain yourself for now. The roast chicken that was left for Master Xiang yesterday has been mostly eaten. I saw that this couldn't go on, so I asked the Xie family to help me borrow a cat. Who would have thought that when I left for only half an hour this morning, I came back to find that the oil bottle and eggs had been knocked over. I don't know if the cat or the rat knocked them over."

Upon hearing this, the supervisor said, "It's probably because of the recent heavy rains that the rats' nests were flooded, and they came out to cause trouble!"

He hurriedly called for help and said, "Bring back a few more cats and let them roam around the yard, so the rats don't gnaw on the medicinal herbs—those rats are really nasty!"

After everything was arranged, Song Miao was invited into the kitchen.

The cook, who had eaten breakfast that day, was extremely respectful to Song Miao and hurriedly stepped forward to say, "I wanted to let you know, young lady. I made it according to the recipe you gave me, but I don't know why, the chrysanthemum greens I made were a bit too bitter, the aroma was different, and they weren't as crisp and tender. Master Xiang also said that they weren't as fragrant as the ones you made that day, and they just didn't taste right."

Song Miao then said, "Let me see you do it."

The ingredients were readily available, so the cook prepared them one by one.

Raw salad is a quick and easy dish; a whole bowl can be made in no time.

The cook brought out clean chopsticks and gave a pair to Song Miaotong and the steward.

Song Miao wasn't in a hurry to eat, but instead said, "There are a few points. First, the chrysanthemum greens weren't drained dry enough at the beginning; second, there were too many vegetables in a small bowl when mixing, so the seasonings weren't evenly distributed; third, too much sesame oil was used. You should use cold oil, not hot oil, otherwise the wilted leaves won't taste good. It says to use a few drops, and you really only need a few drops. This oil is used to smooth out the astringent taste and enhance the aroma. If there's too much, it will be greasy; fourth..."

She pointed out each point in great detail, and then said, "Make these changes and try again."

The cook did as instructed, but Song Miao noticed something was wrong with him and pointed it out to him.

A short while later, another small plate of raw chrysanthemum greens was served.

The cook and the steward busied themselves with using chopsticks to taste the flavors.

The cook's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he hurriedly asked the steward, "Is this the taste? Is this the taste??"

Then he asked Song Miaodao, "Young lady, please help me compare and contrast!"

Song Miao also took a sip and laughed, "It's pretty much right. If we had better vinegar, we could use a different kind and add half a spoonful more, and it would taste even better."

The manager also said, "I'm not Master Xiang, so I don't know what he said, but as far as I can see, this new flavor is indeed much better than the old one!"

He then hurriedly thanked Song Miao.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Song Miao was about to take her leave when the steward hurriedly sent someone to deliver a purse, saying, "Please accept this money for your trouble, young lady. This is for your travel expenses. Master Xiang has been busy looking for the young master these past two days and hasn't had time for all this. Once he finds him, he will surely reward you in other ways after he has eaten this dish."

Song Miao earned her money through her own abilities, so she was naturally polite, thanked her, and readily accepted the money.

The manager was going to send Song Miao out, but the cook was very reluctant to let her go and insisted on taking the job, shamelessly asking many questions.

Song Miao answered each question. Seeing that it was getting late, she was about to take her leave when the cook brought out a few things from the back and said, "I don't have much to offer, but I've kept you occupied for so long. I just got some wild honey earlier, which is very soothing for the throat. When I have a cough, I mix it with water and drink it, and it feels very comfortable. I also got some rock sugar when I went south last time. Please don't find it offensive; it's just a small token of my appreciation. If you ever have any questions in the future, feel free to come and ask me. I would appreciate it if you could teach me!"

As he spoke, he indeed took out a cloth and wrapped a bottle of honey, a box of sugar, and a packet of tea, which was said to be new tea that had just arrived this year.

Knowing that rock sugar was particularly expensive, Song Miao couldn't accept it all. She only took the tea leaves and said, "You're just asking about some trivial matters, nothing special. There's no need to be so polite."

The cook absolutely refused, but insisted on delivering it anyway.

Helpless, Song Miao saw many jars on the ground and asked with a smile, "I don't need sugar, but what good stuff are you pickling?"

The cook hurriedly said, "I'm from Sichuan. I've been making pickled vegetables since I was a child. These are freshly made pickled ginger and pickled papaya. I bought them privately to eat, so they're not worth much. If you like them, young lady, I'll send you two more jars!" Since the official post station wasn't far away, Song Miao didn't refuse. She put the tea leaves back and said, "If you have any extra, just give me a small jar."

The cook suddenly slapped his forehead, went to the back and brought out another jar, saying, "This is also something I bought and pickled myself. It will be ready to eat in a couple of days. It's pickled shallots, and it's delicious with porridge or rice!"

Song Miao hurriedly said, "This is good. If you have any extra of these, please get some for me too!"

He added, "I don't need too much, I just want a taste."

The cook responded with a "yes," and said, "I'll bring it to you this afternoon when the shift change comes and I have some free time!"

As he spoke, he hastily gathered up all sorts of things in the room and was about to send Song Miao out.

Seeing several plates of messy cooked dishes on the table to the side, which the cook ignored, Song Miao asked, "Don't you need to clear these away?"

"Those fat rats crawled over it, I don't dare to take it."

Upon hearing this, Song Miao took another look and became even more puzzled, asking, "Was this chicken originally whole?"

“My husband is particular about food. This chicken was a whole capon that he bought from a restaurant and roasted fresh. But he barely ate any last night, and this morning the rats ate it all.”

He then pointed to a spot on the ground and said to Song Miao, "Young lady, look, the mouse paw prints are all there."

Song Miao looked as instructed and indeed saw a greasy patch on the ground with a trail of mouse footprints leading outwards.

But then she looked at the other plates. One plate had half a steamed bun left, and another plate had stir-fried wood ear mushrooms with shredded pork, meant to be eaten with the steamed bun—this plate clearly showed signs of being hastily prepared.

Anyone who regularly cleans up dishes knows that the oil stains on the plate when picking up food are different from the oil stains left when using chopsticks or other objects to push the food off the plate. The latter are almost semi-parallel streaks.

Song Miao then asked, "Was the stir-fried wood ear mushrooms with shredded pork originally a whole plate?"

The cook agreed.

Song Miao then asked him what the rats had been eating a lot of lately.

The cook thought for a moment and then counted them for Song Miao.

It's quite balanced, with vegetables, staple food, and meat.

"It even tries to climb on chopsticks—when I came in this morning, I found the chopstick box scattered all over the floor!"

As they were talking, he packed his things, closed the door, and saw Song Miao out.

She had only taken a few steps when someone rushed in from outside. At first, he didn't say anything, but as he got closer and stayed beside Song Miao, he said in a muffled voice, "I'm seeing my sister out."

—It was Liang Yan.

Song Miao then asked him, "Has your Uncle Xiang returned?"

Liang Yan said, "Not yet, I'll see my sister off first."

Song Miao then asked him if the shoes fit, before turning to the cook and telling him about yesterday's events.

The cook cursed, "I knew those kids were no good. They run around in the yard all day, making a ruckus, and spouting nonsense they've picked up from who-knows-where. If my son were like that, I'd break his legs with a stick sooner or later and make him lie in bed and behave himself!"

He then said to Liang Yan, "Young Master, don't pay them any mind. They're a bunch of scoundrels with foul mouths!"

Liang Yan then said, "Uncle Duan, don't call me young master. I'm not some young master of the Xiang family."

When three people walk side by side, it's not appropriate for them to walk side by side; naturally, one will be in front of the other and the other behind.

Seeing the two talking, Song Miao slowed down a bit and made room for them.

The Xie family's house is a three-courtyard complex, with the kitchen at the very end. To get out, you have to go around many side rooms, and you can smell all sorts of medicinal aromas along the way.

Song Miaorang moved aside and leaned against the outside. After taking a few steps, she suddenly smelled a faint scent of licorice. But after taking another step, a breeze blew from her left, bringing with it a faint aroma of roasted meat.

For some reason, a thought struck her, and she felt something was amiss. She stopped and carefully searched outside the eaves where the smell of roasted meat was coming from.

There is a covered corridor under the eaves, and many flowers and trees are planted along the way outside the corridor.

Summer was approaching, and the trees and shrubs were lush and green, with many wild grasses growing on the ground. Hidden beneath the grass were some bones.

Song Miao, being a cook, was naturally very familiar with the shape of bones, so she quickly stepped closer and bent down to examine them closely.

She stood still. Liang Yan, who was in front, was the first to react and turned around. Cook Duan followed and asked, "What's wrong, young lady?"

Song Miao pointed to the bone and asked, "Is this a roast chicken bone?"

Cook Duan hurriedly jumped down the steps, turned over the grass, and sure enough, there were many chicken bones scattered all over the ground.

He frowned and said, "There are warehouses all around. Could this dead rat have really hidden in one of them?"

Song Miao had a preconceived notion. Looking at the bones, she couldn't help but have a preconceived notion that they were dragged by rats. Instead, she felt that they were arranged in a very orderly manner, as if they had been thrown out from under the corridor, forming a small half-fan shape, like one of the six pieces of a pancake.

She looked again in the direction the water was being thrown, and sure enough, she found herself at the windowsill of the large side room next door.

There was nothing else, except for a small piece of chicken bone that had fallen off the windowsill, which looked like the tip of a chicken wing.

She couldn't help but ask Liang Yan, "Do you usually see those children playing in the yard a lot?"

Liang Yan nodded and said, "They and Xiang Lin are used to running around everywhere in the courtyard."

"Xiang Lin is missing. Are they still on the run? Where are they most likely to hide?"

Liang Yan thought for a moment and said, "It seems like I often see them in this area."

This is the outer wing of the first entrance.

She looked up and saw the manager walking inside, so she whispered to Liang Yan, "Please ask him to come over."

Upon hearing this, Liang Yan didn't even think twice before calling out to the manager.

When the manager saw the three of them standing there, he ran over in a few steps.

Song Miao hurriedly pointed out the bones under the eaves and the bones on the windowsill to him, and said, "I smell licorice in them. I'm afraid mice would love that. It's sweet."

The manager was startled and quickly called for help. He then took the key from his pocket and quickly opened the door.

Once the door was opened, the smell of licorice became even stronger.

Several servants entered the room and, as instructed by the steward, lifted the cloth covering the door to inspect each person.

Song Miao glanced inside. It looked like a warehouse. Apart from the licorice piled high against the wall and covered with tarpaulin, there was no other furniture. There was only a table against the wall, covered with a cloth.

She felt that the table and cloth were strange, so she looked down at the ground and saw a bone on the corner of the table. She called the steward over, pointed to it, and gestured for him to look.

The person in charge didn't need a servant; he went forward himself and deftly lifted the cloth.

There were no mice under the table, but there was a person lying there, mouth open, drooling, fast asleep.

The steward took a closer look, and his forehead immediately pounded, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. He exclaimed in a trembling voice, "Young Master???"

Many thanks to the bookstore for sending me this spark of inspiration :)

Thank you to the bookstore's "Crazy Mom" ​​for the seven small gifts, Miss Ultraman for the three small gifts, my cat named Egg and book friend 20230704107301 for the two small gifts each, and Fireworks and Freedom, Fu Ruanruan, and billy_Da for the one small gift each. Thank you everyone! =3=