Miao Chu

Chapter 152 Leaving
After Song Miao finished speaking, she ignored Xiang Yuan and handed the gourd directly to Liang Yan, who was standing to the side.

Since arriving at the official post station, the latter had remained silent except for calling out "Sister Song" at the very beginning. However, upon seeing Song Miao come to acknowledge him, he immediately stood up, took the gourd from her, opened it, and sniffed it.

After sniffing it twice, Liang Yan moved the gourd far away, but he was unwilling to let go and held it tightly. He then turned his head and sneezed three or four times in a row, causing the earth to shake and the sky to darken.

The commotion was so loud that it attracted the attention of many people in the hall.

After he sneezed, tears and snot streamed down his face, making him look dirty. He wanted to wipe it with his sleeve, but felt it was too dirty. He tried to catch it with his hand, but felt disgusted and embarrassed to let it fall on the ground. He was in a very awkward situation.

Song Miao hurriedly handed him her handkerchief.

Liang Yan didn't bother to refuse and just kept blowing his nose vigorously, making it seem as if the snot was vying to be the first to come out and flowing endlessly.

Song Miao hadn't expected his reaction to be so strong. Seeing that a single handkerchief wasn't enough to clean it properly, she quickly said, "There's water in the back, go and clean it up!"

As she spoke, she led Liang Yan to the back.

Xiang Yuan was also somewhat surprised to see this, but seeing that Song Miao was taking him to wash it, he didn't think much of it and took the gourd with him.

As soon as he got close, he smelled a very strong smell of vinegar and garlic.

Vinegar is already quite pungent, and garlic is even more overpowering. When the two flavors are mixed together, the result is so intense that it's more of an attack than a taste.

The attack drilled into his nose, causing him to sneeze twice. Like Liang Yan, his eyes and nose were running. He quickly grabbed a handkerchief to wipe his eyes and nose, but as soon as he finished blowing them, he felt as if all six orifices were open again.

Xiang Yuan has been traveling a lot these days to find his son, braving the rain and wind. He has caught a bit of a cold and his nose has been itchy for several days. It's not time to take medicine, but he just feels uncomfortable.

However, after smelling Song Miao's gourd and sneezing, his nose was completely clear.

He sucked hard into the gourd a few more times, then sneezed a few times. Sure enough, afterwards he felt much lighter, and even his vision seemed brighter.

Xiang Yuan looked down and saw a gourd full of garlic cloves. These were not ordinary garlic cloves, but rather whole, single-clove garlic.

The garlic cloves were peeled, plump and white, and just submerged in white vinegar.

In terms of price, this item isn't worth much, but in terms of sentiment, it's very meaningful.

Two words flashed through Xiang Yuan's mind.

Knowing when to be cold and when to be hot.

Be thrifty and manage your household well.

If there were such a person in the family, they would definitely know how to take care of everything, not to mention the children, who would surely help take care of them as well. Just look at how she treated Liang Yan, a child she had only met a few times. She felt sorry for him and sent him shoes and socks last time, and this time she sent him peeled garlic soaked in vinegar.

They are also meticulous; they not only see things clearly but also know how to do them, and their methods are both efficient and cost-effective.

People say that merchants are rich, but who knows that every penny they earn is hard-earned?

Those who earn their own money, especially someone like him, understand the hardships of life and are therefore more frugal.

Sometimes, indulging in lavish spending outside is for appearances or business purposes, and there's no other way. But there are some unnecessary expenses at home, especially those that are flashy but impractical, or those that are practical but there are clearly cheaper alternatives.

Xiang Yuan was increasingly satisfied.

She is good at earning and saving; she is smart and considerate.

With someone like that at home, the elderly and children are all taken care of, and you don't have to worry too much when you're out.

Even if it takes more effort now, it's worth it.

Xiang Yuan put in a lot of effort in front of Liang Yan, but Liang Yan wasted his time behind him.

He blew his nose several times, feeling completely refreshed, as if all his senses had cleared up. He hadn't felt this good in a long time. Although his eyes were still wet from sneezing, he wiped them and his face lit up with a big smile. He exclaimed happily, "Sister Song, my nose is clear! And the snot is gone!!"

Song Miaoyuan was still a little worried, but seeing him like this, she was both annoyed and amused, and said, "You really gave me a fright just now!"

He added, "It only works temporarily. This method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. You still need to eat more and nourish your body. When your body is healthy, your nose will naturally be less prone to problems."

After saying that, he asked him how things were at home these past two days and whether he had discussed his trip with Xiang Yuan.

Liang Yan's smile vanished instantly, and he said sullenly, "Uncle Xiang said he's going to send Xiang Lin to school and will hire a tutor to come home and teach him..."

He added, "If the old master and old lady of the Xiang family, as well as Xiang Lin's uncle and maternal grandmother, find out, I don't know what they will think of me."

Song Miao then asked a few questions about the Xiang family's situation and learned that Xiang Yuan's business was based on his wife's dowry and the introduction of his father-in-law's family. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Since you have decided not to take any of his family's property, instead of talking to him, why not go back to your hometown and find an opportunity to explain to Xiang's grandparents and uncle's family that you want to go out to learn martial arts, but Uncle Xiang will not agree."

She gave him some pointers, saying, "You're young and your words don't carry much weight. Once your Uncle Xiang has made up his mind, he won't listen to you. But his parents and in-laws are all influential people. If you can't win against them, don't stubbornly keep going against them. Let's learn to leverage their strengths so we don't have to work so hard ourselves, understand?"

Liang Yan was still young and inexperienced. He had been unable to sleep day and night due to worry, but he didn't expect that Song Miao would solve the problem in just a few words. Although it hadn't been accomplished yet, it sounded feasible. He thanked Song Miao again and again, and the worry on his face disappeared instantly.

But after flying halfway, he remembered something and flew back with a worried look. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Sister Song, I heard Uncle Xiang say that he wants to open a restaurant with you, and he will give you a lot of money and benefits, and he won't ask you to do much work. I... Sister, you are so good to me. I should want you to get more benefits, but my mother has told me since I was a child that even brothers should not do business together."

He paused, then continued, "Besides, Uncle Xiang isn't always in the capital. There are always places he can't keep an eye on, and then you'll have to worry about it, sister—he originally instructed his subordinates to take good care of my meals, sleep, and clothes, and in his presence, everyone agreed obediently. But as soon as he left, everyone changed their tune..."

"Sister," Liang Yan said, looking somewhat troubled, "if there's really no other way, shouldn't we avoid partnering with others? Even if that person is Uncle Xiang!"

He spoke with a very determined look, saying, "When I grow up, I'll go out and run a镖局 (bodyguard/escort service), save up the money I earn, open a hotel or restaurant for my sister, and then join the army. I don't want any shares, I just want to have something to eat when I come back!" Even though Liang Yan had suffered a lot of hardships and bitterness, and was clearly mature beyond his years, he was still a child after all, and often spoke and did things like a child.

For example, at this moment, he should clearly know that this approach is just wishful thinking, but as soon as Liang Yan thought of it, he said it out loud with great joy, as if he could soon save money to open a restaurant for Song Miao, and he didn't ask for anything else, just that he could have a place to stay and eat.

Song Miao could hear the naivety in his words, but she could also hear the sincerity in them. She smiled and said, "If you really want to go out and run escort missions, you don't need to save money for me to open a restaurant. Instead, you can save money to open your own escort agency. When you join the army, you'll still have an escort agency running behind you. When the escorts have free time and travel all over the country, they can buy good ingredients and things for me and send them back. Wouldn't that be great?"

Liang Yan felt an urge to grow up immediately, save up money, and personally deliver those good ingredients and things back to earn another compliment.

He wiped his face clean, washed the handkerchief repeatedly, and said, feeling really embarrassed, "I've dirtied your handkerchief, sister..."

Song Miao smiled and said, "Take it back with you. It was made for me by Second Madam—Xiao Lian's mother. Next time you see her, you can thank her."

The two talked as they slowly made their way to the front hall.

When they went outside, they saw Xiang Yuan holding a gourd in his hand, his head down, sniffing the aroma inside, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing Song Miao and Liang Yan come out, he put the gourd lid back on and placed it back on the table, looking completely at ease. He said, "It really is a good thing. It's amazing that Miss Song thought of it. I just tried it, and my nose felt much better!"

He added, "We can sell this kind of thing in our restaurant later! Or I can put it in a porcelain bottle, mix it with other medicinal herbs, and sell it at a higher price!"

His words and actions constantly revolved around "restaurants".

After saying that, he pointed to the contract that had just been taken out and said, "Miss Song, why don't you take a look? This time it's a little different from what we talked about last time."

Song Miao said, "The contract isn't urgent. There's another matter that's truly urgent right now."

She told them about the plan to build canals and dig rivers in Huazhou, and then added, "Right now, besides the lack of food, we also lack materials for building canals, but the roads are inconvenient lately."

"But the road won't be blocked forever—once it's open, goods can be transported in naturally."

"Everyone knows there's business to be had here, but they lack capital and connections. But Master Xiang has both."

Xiang Yuan, being a businessman, could easily understand what Song Miao was trying to say. He simply shook his head and smiled, "Although I have both, the materials for repairing the canal are nothing more than bricks, tiles, bamboo, and wood, all of which are heavy and difficult to move. The same goes for grain; the price might not even be that high. If I transport it back and the price drops, I'll end up losing money. It's better to trade medicinal herbs like we are now. Even if we can't get a good price in the east, we don't have to worry about selling them elsewhere..."

Song Miao immediately replied, "Medicinal herbs will do too!"

He added, “Master Xiang knows that I have taken up the post of Director of Water Conservancy and come here to take care of the meals. Although it is not a key position and I have no power, I have some skills. The officials are all aware of the situation and are willing to listen to a word or two from me.”

“Recently, the prefectural government has been purchasing large quantities of grain, medicinal herbs, bricks, stones, and timber…” she rattled off a long list of items. “There are also several commendation orders; whoever can purchase the most will receive such a great reward.”

"Although it's not a monetary reward, and it may seem like just a document, having such a document means you've established good relations with the government. Is this just a one-time thing? Will you not be able to buy anything else in the future? Once you've got this stepping stone and are inside, with Master Xiang's abilities, are you worried about not having business to do later?"

At this point, Song Miao also imitated Xiang Yuan, putting on a sincere expression, and said, "Master Xiang always thinks of me when there are good things. He was willing to let me take such a big advantage when opening the shop. In return for his kindness, I can't just take the benefits for nothing."

"This commendation order originally had many requirements, such as how much silver and goods to donate, and how much to transport in the future... But I secretly discussed it with the person in charge and the official who came with me this time, and they agreed to help me plead with Magistrate Cen to give Lord Xiang a big leeway, as long as the medicinal materials we currently have are discounted according to the market price - not much, just 20% off will do."

"How many???"

Xiang Yuan cried out in surprise, feeling as if his nose was itchy again.

"This is a commendation order from the state government. With this, next year when the government buys lottery tickets, we will have priority in selecting candidates under the same conditions. Is Master Xiang not interested?"

Seeing the girl's puzzled expression, Xiang Yuan almost jumped up and ran away.

He reluctantly said, "It's a good thing, but unfortunately all the medicinal herbs I brought have been sold out in the last two days. I'm just packing them up and preparing for someone to come and collect them—if I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have sold them!"

Song Miao looked disappointed and sighed, "What a pity! But there's another chance. I heard that Judge Cen will be convening the heads of the major merchants in the city in a couple of days to discuss the preparation of various supplies. I can try to secure a spot for Master Xiang..."

Xiang Yuan stood up abruptly, as if his backside was on fire.

What a joke!
Normally, this would be a good thing and a good opportunity, but today, Qian Kongmu sent someone directly to Xie Hu's door to tell him that he couldn't sell grain. Seeing that he was fighting fiercely with Cen Tongpan, he thought that as a passing merchant, he would be a fool to get involved.

Moreover, according to what others say, Magistrate Cen is most likely to lose.

If there are many benefits in the future, it's okay to grit your teeth and give up some benefits now. But in the current situation, how can we dare to provoke them?

He was a businessman, after all, and needed to make money. If this young lady really reported him, the yamen was already short of medicine and supplies. If he caught the eye of that Magistrate Cen and was used as a scapegoat...

At noon, Xiang Yuan was still calm and composed, casually advising Xie Hu not to rush and not to overthink things. But now that it was his turn, he didn't want to waste even a moment longer.

He hurriedly replied, "Thank you for your concern, young lady. It's just a pity that I have things to attend to at home. Now that the goods have been sold, I'll be taking the two children back to my hometown in the next day or two!"

He then asked urgently, "Haven't you reported this matter to Magistrate Cen yet? Is there any other official who knows about it?"

Upon learning that there was no such thing, he stopped mentioning the partnership and the restaurant, and didn't chat for long. He made an excuse that he still had a lot of things to take care of, and immediately took Liang Yan's leave.

That evening, he dealt with the goods he had brought, making arrangements almost overnight, and the next morning, he left Huazhou City with his men.

Because of the blocked roads, it was not easy to go far, so we stayed in the next county town for the time being.

Xiang Yuan ran fast. In the official post station, Han Li sat in a corner, watching as Song Miao scared people away little by little. He tried to get up several times, but he had no chance, let alone a legitimate reason or justification.

　Dear friends of Qidian, thanks to the tireless efforts of our operations officer, Xiaotu, who diligently checks in every day, Xiaomiao has ten nickname title slots available this month. If you are interested in any of the titles, please leave a comment in the comment section to participate (you only need to have a fan value of disciple level or above). The deadline is the 16th.

　　Thank you, Little Rabbit! You've worked so hard!
　　(End of this chapter)