Miao Chu

Chapter 147 Setting Up
Song Miao remained silent for a few moments.

She usually reacts quickly, but this time it took her quite a while before she smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's not like you need a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

"People always pity the weak. Young master, you still have an official post in the court and a great reputation. If you come to us with your power and influence, using the name of the state government, you may be able to resolve this matter, but you will be more likely to attract criticism."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Thank you for your kindness, young master, but snakes have their ways and rats have their paths. I can still protect myself now, but it's not too late to ask for your advice when I'm really in dire need."

After saying that, she carefully stuffed the money notes in front of her back into the envelope and gently pushed it back to Han Li.

“On the way to Huazhou, after a meal, the young master was chatting with his companions. He said that if they could dig a canal to divert the floodwaters into the Wangjing River and ensure its safe passage to the sea, he would definitely recommend them for credit. You even specifically said that ‘Shopkeeper Song also deserves credit for his logistical support.’”

Others might think you're just saying encouraging things to boost morale, but I believe you completely.

“These three or five hundred strings of cash are a hot potato. No matter how much it is, once I accept it, there will be endless troubles in the future. But if I can use it to do good deeds and contribute to the dredging of the canal, wouldn’t I be happy and proud?”

“Young master, don’t underestimate me. A small portion of glutinous rice costs five coins, and a large portion costs eight coins. The shumai is expensive, and the steamed snow cake, red bean flower rolls, and drinks also earn extra money. In addition, you all come to support my business and ask me to host banquets. In two months, when I return to the capital, the restaurant will be able to reopen. At the current rate, I will be able to pay off my family’s debts in less than two years.”

"Even setting aside such platitudes and empty words—in terms of benefits alone, I would rather do more now than spend three hundred coins. If I can receive a reward from the court in the future and have a title attached to me, wouldn't others think twice before trying to control me again?"

Having said so much in one go for the first time, Song Miao felt thirsty. She took some tea and slowly drank a few sips. After putting down the teacup, she looked up and smiled, "In your eyes, are I so shallow that I can't even count this little thing?"

Han Li felt his heart rise and fall with the words of the person opposite him, sometimes feeling sour, sometimes bitter, sometimes melancholy, and sometimes slightly sweet because she said "I believe you very much".

He had always thought himself to be composed, but now he realized he was still just a kid.

Seeing that Song Miao was determined not to accept the money, he sighed and said, "The reward is an official commendation from the court for Song Miao's efforts, which is rightfully hers. Let's set that aside for now. But now that I've already given the money, there's really no reason for me to take it back, is there?"

After saying that, he pushed the envelope to the center of the table and said, "This six hundred strings of cash will be on Song's account for you to use to open your restaurant. If you are short of money for a while, you don't need to consider partnering with others or worry. This is not an investment, nor is it a loan or a gift. In the future, when I come to eat, I will deduct one meal from the bill from the bill until it is used up. What do you think?"

"As for Xiang Yuan, his original intention was to lure you here and entangle you. Once you're involved, it'll be hard to get away..."

He spoke solemnly, and Song Miao listened attentively. Then she smiled and said, "If this matter is still unresolved when you return tomorrow night, I'll entrust it to you for handling. How about that?"

After saying that, she stood up, took the envelope, reopened it, and looked at it carefully again, jokingly saying, "Six hundred strings of cash? My family isn't a black market."

He added, "Young master has taken great care of me. I will leave this token of my appreciation with the original owner for now. If I ever need money urgently in the future, I will ask for it. Please do not refuse me then!"

After saying that, Song Miao carefully put the money back in front of Han Li, took a couple of sips of the tea he had just poured, smiled, put down the teacup, and took her leave.

Han Li was left alone, staring at the teacup, the envelope, and the money notes inside, his eyes fixed on Song Miao's back, but he didn't move for a long time.

In his eyes, Song Miao smiled with her eyes crinkling, and shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. She was charming and lively, with bright, beautiful eyes.

Even though they were separated by a chest, seeing that smile made Han Li feel as if his heart had been brushed repeatedly by the fuzzy inflorescence of foxtail grass, causing a sharp, aching pain.

He used to be accustomed to reciting poems and books, knowing countless beautiful phrases to describe women, but when he saw that smile, he forgot all of them. He only felt that she was beautiful, but he couldn't tell whether it was her appearance and features that were beautiful, or her feeling, or something else.

After sitting for a while, Kong Fuyang brought over a basket of steamed buns and two sets of bowls and chopsticks. Seeing that only Han Li was there, he hurriedly asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to find Miss Song to talk about that Xiang guy? Where is he?"

Han Li finally came to his senses and replied, "I'm done."

"When are we going to visit tomorrow?" Kong Fuyang asked anxiously as soon as he put down his things. "And you want me to be the leader! What a shameless and filthy person, daring to come up with anything!"

"We'll talk about it tomorrow night."

Han Li opened the steamer and saw Kong Fuyang pick up a steamed bun. Surprisingly, the other party didn't rush to eat it first. Instead, he put down his chopsticks and reached for the teacup on his right.

He suddenly looked up.

Kong Fuyang asked, "Have you had this tea yet?"

Han Li offered his teacup to Han Li, saying, "This one is clean."

As he spoke, he took the cup from the other person, but neither drank from it nor rinsed it with tea; he simply placed it beside him.

Although the reheated brown sugar and sesame paste steamed buns and spicy minced pork steamed buns are not as delicious as when they were fresh out of the steamer, they still exude an enticing aroma.

The two sat in the main hall for less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when several people came up to ask about the origin of the steamed buns. They learned that the buns were made by their own people and that they didn't have any extras to offer. Some even wanted to buy two.

Towards the end of the meal, even someone as shameless as Kong Fuyang couldn't take it anymore and whispered, "Miss Song's cooking... sigh! Zhengyan, next time, maybe we should just eat inside!"

***
At this very moment, the Xiang family steward was also praising Song Miao.

He couldn't help but ask, "Master Xiang, you clearly know that Miss Song has such skill and is very clever, so why today..."

Xiang Yuan laughed and said, "You don't understand. Do you think that just because I readily gave her the reward money and left her with a good impression, everything will be fine?"

"Relationships between men and women are the same as doing business. If you give her all the money at once and she gets the benefits, what kind of relationship will you have with me in the future? I may not seem to be doing things very happily today, but I have already made the intention to partner up and set the terms—I'm asking for the highest price, but I can negotiate it down the drain."

“If she accepts my five hundred strings of cash, I can come to her door to discuss the extra two hundred. If she refuses, she will come to me sooner or later, whether it's tomorrow or the day after. With enough back and forth, how can we not have opportunities?”

Seeing the change in the manager's expression, Xiang Yuan laughed and said, "That young lady is indeed clever and of good character. If she were stupid and greedy, she would have eagerly accepted five hundred strings of cash today and come to discuss with me about opening a restaurant together."

He took the tea brought by the servant, crossed his legs, squinted his eyes, and slowly sipped it.

Although the person in charge is capable, he is still an outsider, so there are some things that are not convenient to say.

Across from me was a young woman of marriageable age, beautiful in appearance but burdened with huge debts. If she associated with a wealthy and single man like myself too often, and if she were to have an extra five hundred strings of cash in between, even if there was nothing wrong with her, outsiders would gossip.

Even if he doesn't gossip, he can still help come up with some opinions.

—What's the deal with the 500 strings of cash?

—That generous man gave it to her as a thank you for finding the child.

If the young lady were to open a shop with the money, the two sides would often run into each other, becoming close and friendly, which would be perfect.

If the young lady takes the money but doesn't open the shop, whether it's three hundred or five hundred—I heard that the child was at home by himself, but he just happened to see it. Actually, the owner found it himself. How could she have the nerve to take so much money!

Or even better if you don't take any money! You'll save money and have the opportunity to visit more often, using it as an excuse to express your gratitude and build more relationships.

No matter what, I will always have the upper hand by myself, and I will only gain, not lose!

Thinking of this, Xiang Yuan became even more smug, and repeatedly recalled his advantages.

After a moment, he instructed the steward, "Arrange for someone to see what Xiao Yan is doing. If he's not busy, call him over."

What could a child possibly be busy with?

Soon, Liang Yan was summoned. Xiang Yuan first asked him about his plans for the day, and then asked if Xiang Lin had said anything bullying or done anything bad. Hearing no such thing, he seemed relieved. Finally, he said, "I went to the official post station today and met your Sister Song."

Liang Yan immediately raised his head.

Xiang Yuan smiled and said, "I know you are close to her. This young lady is a very good person and has excellent cooking skills. It's just a pity that her family is in a lot of debt."

Liang Yan sniffled as he waited nervously for him to continue.

Xiang Yuan then briefly explained the Song family's situation—it was already tragic enough without even embellishment.

Sure enough, the child felt both worried and anxious.

Xiang Yuan then said, “I took five hundred strings of cash with me yesterday. Knowing her family situation, I thought that this money couldn’t pay off all her debts. Rather than solving her immediate problem, I thought it would be better to help her in the long run. I will use the money as a grant and help her open a restaurant or something similar. In addition to her monthly salary, she will also receive a share of the profits. This way, I can repay her for her kindness in the past.”

"This young lady is shy, and she probably still has some doubts, so she hasn't agreed yet. You're more familiar with her, so next time you meet her, try to persuade her. Once the restaurant opens, she won't have to work so hard now!"

Liang Yan thought about it carefully before nodding in agreement, and then hurriedly thanked Xiang Yuan.

***
Song Miao was naturally unaware that Xiang Yuan had actually put a child like Liang Yan to use.

The next morning, after having a simple breakfast at the official post station, she took some flatbread and went out to buy some fruit. She then went to find Xie San'er's parents from that day and asked about the follow-up situation.

The couple were honest people, and they recounted how the Xie family's children were later summoned for a confrontation, which ultimately led to a very unpleasant situation.

Then Xie San'er's mother said, "Fortunately, Master Xie didn't hold it against us. He just told us to discipline our son properly and let him continue working in the shop."

“I thought it wouldn’t be good to keep this child in the city. His father and I still have to make a living. We really can’t keep an eye on him. So I decided to send him to his uncle’s house in the countryside to help with farm work, so he can avoid the scoundrels and troubles in the city and see if he can change for the better in a few years.”

He then thanked Song Miao, saying, "I must thank you, young lady. If we had discovered this a few days later, the matter would have escalated even further, and it might not have been so easy to resolve."

Song Miao sighed with emotion. After chatting for a few minutes, she asked as she was about to leave, "I have something I want to ask Master Xie, but I don't know when he usually goes to the shops or which shops he visits most often."

The woman then told Song Miao everything in detail.

The current owner of Xie Family Rice Shop is named Xie Hu. He is a kind and hardworking man who spends half a day at each of the shops every day, rotating between them.

She told Song Miao the names and addresses of the stores that were on duty that day, according to the dates.

Song Miao thanked him, left some fruit, and then took her leave.

After leaving, she went back and bought some more fruit and pastries. When she returned to the post station, she asked the postman to find twelve strong women who were available—preferably with strong arms—to help carry things later.

Soon, the courier had found enough people.

They were all laundry women from the nearby laundry shop. They were all used to using the washing mallet and often wrung out clothes, so they were strong and had plenty of energy.

Once everyone was gathered, Song Miao first gave a brief explanation of the situation.

Soon a woman exclaimed in surprise, "So the person who won five hundred strings of cash yesterday, as everyone was saying, is you, young lady!"

The others also started talking amongst themselves.

Song Miao was already prepared and wasn't surprised by such rumors. But since Xiang Yuan had already taken the lead, she naturally stopped covering for him and explained with a smile how she found the child and why she had searched for him in that way.

From the licorice branch on Xie San'er's head, to the traces left by the rats in the kitchen, to the smell, to the bones found under the corridor, everything reunited with the licorice scent.

The story unfolded in such a meticulous and detailed manner that the women listened with great interest, as if they were listening to a storyteller, and were all filled with admiration.

In particular, when she mentioned that the marks left on the bottom of the plate when picking up food from the plate are different, almost everyone nodded in agreement because it was a very common detail in life, and they all seemed to feel the same way.

After she finished speaking, she added, "Actually, it was just a chance encounter. Master Xiang said he wanted to thank me, but three or five strings of cash would have been enough. It's too much, so let's return it to him. I'll trouble you ladies to help carry it. Since I'm afraid the Xiang family won't accept it, let's just send it to a Xie family rice shop that's nearby."

Immediately, all the women felt indignant.

Someone exclaimed, "If it weren't for you, young lady, judging by how well that child hides, he could have been hiding for half a month or even a month. No matter how generous the reward is, it's rightfully yours! We've been investigating him every day lately, and the manpower alone costs a fortune. You've saved him so much; don't you deserve a little reward?"

The others also agreed.

Song Miao smiled and said, "Although I don't want his money, I do want to ask for a favor."

It was just past noon, the time when everyone had just finished lunch. Six women carried loads on their shoulders, with six other women protecting them, and Song Miaotong leading the way with her flatbread. This display of skill was quite eye-catching, attracting the attention of many onlookers along the way.

More than ten local women, along the way, inevitably encountered some relatives, friends, or former customers.

Curious onlookers came forward to ask, and everyone said they were hired by Song Miao to help return the money.

The news that the missing child of the Xiang family was found yesterday and that they were given a reward of 500 strings of cash had already spread like wildfire by last night, and today it is known to almost everyone.

At this time, seeing that the money was being returned, there wasn't much entertainment in the city to begin with, and due to the flood, even the operas performed by people from the north and south were fewer. Everyone had just finished eating and was digesting their food. With free entertainment available, who wouldn't go and join in?
When they arrived at Xie's Rice Shop, there was already a long queue behind them.

Song Miao arrived at the door in a polite manner, first asking if Xie Hu and Xie Zhangjia were there. When the man came out, she bowed and said, "I met Master Xie the other day - I had something to trouble Master Xiang with, and I would like to ask Master Xie to be a witness, so I took the liberty of coming to your door."

Six women carrying loads, twelve women, and two large pancakes from Song Miaotong—Xie Hu's head was pounding with anxiety. Although he didn't know what was going on, he quickly sent someone to invite Xiang Yuan.

The rice shop wasn't far from the house Xie Hu had lent to Xiang Yuan, and Xiang Yuan arrived in a hurry before long.

When Song Miao saw the person arrive, she greeted them with a smile.

Without her instruction, the group of women had already lifted the red cloth covering the money.

Song Miao bowed to Xiang Yuan and said politely, "I apologize for disturbing you, Master Xiang. Thank you for your kindness, but more than such a generous sum of money, I would like to ask for a favor. Huazhou needs to dig canals and repair dikes, and I am currently employed for this project. However, we are short of food, which has delayed the start of the project and is causing me a great deal of trouble."

"I wonder if I could use these five hundred strings of cash to do someone a favor and ask Master Xiang to introduce me to some grain shops. Even if it's inconvenient for Master Xie, with Master Xiang's connections and reputation, I'm sure he could introduce me to someone else to borrow some grain. I wonder if that would be alright?"

On the left were strings of copper coins, piled high, forming six small mountains. On the right was Xie Hu, an old friend with an embarrassed expression. Looking up again, there were many onlookers standing outside, making a ruckus and pointing at the inside.

The scene was almost identical to yesterday's, yet even more so.

Xiang Yuan felt his vision blurring.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time, and he felt like vomiting blood.

—As merchants themselves, how could they not know why grain merchants were unwilling to lend grain to the government?

But with so many people in front of him, he simply couldn't refuse.

However, once you agree, you really have to use your personal connections and money, and you still might not get the desired result!
Thank you so much everyone for your monthly tickets, Red Sleeve tickets, and all kinds of tickets! Thank you so much!