Miao Chu

Chapter 225 should
Instead of answering, Song Miao asked, "The case of the abduction of women and children during the Lantern Festival has been solved. Lü Mao has been arrested in Huazhou. This matter was reported back to the capital long ago. Has the inspector heard about it?"

Xin Feng immediately broke into a smile and said, "I heard! My men, as soon as they got the news, immediately came to tell me! You scoundrel! You deserve it! You deserve it!!"

He grinned and hurriedly added, "They only heard a sentence or two, and don't know the specifics. They only know that you, young lady, did a good deed, and that Zheng Yan set up an ambush and captured someone—but they don't know how you managed to capture someone as cunning as Lü Mao?"

Xin Feng followed up on the case from beginning to end. As one of the organizers, his subordinates naturally participated as well.

The case is now almost fully resolved, and the victims are gradually returning home. News has been slowly spreading, but he is unaware of the specific details.

If it is said that because he was seriously injured and at home, the government was reluctant to give him any assignments, but his subordinates, who had been on duty all along, were also sidelined.

You have to understand how far-reaching the Lü Mao case is. All that hard work and effort has been put in, and now it's finally time to reap the rewards. If you're not involved, you can't share in the credit.

Song Miao had many interactions with the inspectors and clerks of the capital prefectural government. During meals, she often heard them complain about their superiors' favoritism. They would give the big and important cases that were easy to solve and would allow them to show off their merits to their confidants, while the cases that could not be solved or would not bring them merits, as well as the trivial matters, would be handed over to subordinates who had no connections.

The official in question was referring to Qin Jie, but not just Qin Jie alone.

Although they complained, in the end, all they could do was offer sarcastic remarks; they had no other recourse.

After working in an office for a long time, one naturally understands that officials all want to promote their own people—if you don't side with your own people, who will work for you in the future and stand behind you?

Song Miao already had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, so she didn't ask any more questions. She simply told Han Li how she accidentally discovered Lü Mao's features, how she told Han Li, how Han Li immediately reported it, how she finally managed to arrest the criminal after encountering many twists and turns through local medicine merchants and Xiang Yuan.

The process was so dramatic that even though she simply recounted it without embellishment, Xin Feng and Du Shi held their breath, not daring to breathe too loudly.

When Xin Feng learned that Lü Mao had uttered such arrogant words, and that he had been dragged out of the river along with the net after throwing himself into it, and when he heard Han Li and his companions say that this arrangement was inspired by the experience of an old friend in the capital's government who had suffered greatly, Xin Feng's eyes turned red.

He was so excited he was almost trembling. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Good! Good! Haha!! That scoundrel! My old Xin's broken leg wasn't unjustified!!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "It's not just about Young Master Han. If the inspector hadn't done his work so thoroughly, investigating Lü Mao's background and characteristics so clearly, I wouldn't have been able to discover that 'Rui Fusheng' was suspicious and thus identify him."

"Hey! Hey! It's all thanks to you! Many people know what he looks like and what his features are. Kong Fuyang followed the case from beginning to end, and he was right there, but he didn't notice anything. The wanted posters were posted in every prefecture and county. Lü Mao stayed in Huazhou for almost two months. How many people did he meet? He even dealt with the yamen, but no one knew anything about him—it's all thanks to you! It's all thanks to you!"

"You deserve the most credit for this case. I'll speak up and ask for credit for you. You're not taking credit for the government, so your superiors won't stop you!"

Xin Feng chattered on and on, his whole being becoming energetic. He kept scheming for Song Miao, saying, "We need more money. If the yamen wants to give us any commendations or awards, we don't need to accept them. It's not good for our reputation. After all, the head of the gang has a mixed bag of people under his command. We can't catch them all in a short time. Don't make yourself a target—we just want money! Don't be shy!"

Du's eyes reddened as she listened, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't help but ask, "Good wife, now that the gangster has been caught, our old Xin put in so much effort and even suffered serious injuries. He may not have made any great contributions, but he certainly deserves credit for his hard work—please help him put in a good word, see if you can..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xin Feng interrupted her, saying, "Hey, what kind of terrible idea are you coming up with, you woman!"

He added, "Neither Xiao Song nor Zheng Yan are from the yamen, so who are they going to talk to? And what are they going to talk about?"

"I told you long ago, this time it's not anyone else's fault, it's just my own incompetence!"

Madam Du also raised her voice, saying, "If it weren't for Qin Zong, would you have been injured like this? Would that bandit leader have escaped? He relied on his family's connections with Judge Qin..."

"Sigh, alright, alright, they've already come to apologize so many times, given so many gifts, and are even willing to pay for the medicine..."

"I don't care about his medical expenses or his gifts. What I care about is you, a whole person! You're injured like this, bedridden for two months. I wonder what kind of health problems you'll develop in the future, and what you'll do when you're old. You've worked so hard for so many years, and you haven't gotten any benefits. Now you've even been demoted!"

"It's alright if the family is poor, I've never really had a good life with you, I'm used to living in constant fear, what about the younger ones? Are they going to suffer with us too? Won't the eldest get married? Won't the younger two need dowries?"

"Someone as concerned with saving face as you, what will you do when we get back to the yamen..."

Something touched Du Shi, and she spoke louder and louder, tears streaming down her face.

Xin Feng was at a loss for what to do. He took out a crumpled handkerchief from his sleeve and was about to wipe his wife when he suddenly remembered something. He looked up and saw Song Miao beside him, and his hand stopped. He handed the handkerchief to Du Shi and whispered, "Oh, Miss Song is still here!"

When he used to be full of energy, even if he tried to lower his voice, he would still make a lot of noise. But now his voice was weak and feeble, which made Du feel sad.

She had only lost control of her emotions for a moment and naturally did not want to embarrass her husband in front of outsiders, so she took the handkerchief. Just as she was about to use it, she smelled the stench of sweat, glared at Xin Feng, wiped her tears hard with her sleeve, and stood up, saying to Song Miao, "I'll go get some water for the young lady."

She said this as she hurriedly walked out.

Xin Feng was left alone. He watched his wife's departing figure, sighed, and then said to Song Miao, "Don't take it to heart—I used to always come home complaining about this and that, thinking I was the best, and your sister-in-law took it seriously."

"I'm injured and demoted now. I've been lying at home for the past two months and I'm starting to feel resigned. Maybe it's just fate, and wealth and status are determined by heaven. No matter how hard I work, I can't compare to others, and this is the result I've ended up with. It's one thing for me, but it's a pity that my family and subordinates have suffered because of me."

Upon hearing this, Song Miao could only remain silent.

Xin Fengdao said, “If you ask me honestly, just say that I’m fine. I used to blame Qin Zong, but he kept coming to apologize, and others advised me to let it go. I’ve come to terms with it and I don’t want to argue with him. We’re not the same kind of people, and we can’t compare. If I can’t let it go and save face, what will happen to my family? Will I have to pay for all this medicine myself?”

"At least he still has a conscience, and besides, Judge Qin is standing behind him..."

Who could have imagined that Xin Feng, once such a spirited and unyielding man, would say such things now?

Song Miao felt distressed by what she heard. Then, hearing a noise at the door, she looked up and saw that it was Madam Du hiding outside the door.

She held a large bowl in one hand, but with the other hand, she turned halfway to the side, wiping away tears.

Song Miao sat up straight and said, "I came here for this very reason. Young Master Han asked me to pass on a few words. He said that the inspector has suffered these past two months and hopes that you will take good care of yourself so that you don't develop any chronic illness. He also said that if you trust him, you should wait a little longer when you see me—we've already waited for many days."

Xin Feng smiled bitterly and said, "Of course I trust him, but what can I do if I wait any longer? I've already been demoted. When I go back, I won't even have two servants to do my bidding. I'm injured and sick. In the past, it was hard to gain merit by punishing someone, and even if I did, I wouldn't get promoted. Now that I'm crippled and weak, there's no hope for the future."

Song Miao did not speak immediately.

She waited for five or six breaths, and when she didn't see Madam Du come in, she deliberately raised her voice slightly and said, "When others speak, I also wonder if they are just saying things to comfort the inspector and put his mind at ease. But Young Master Han is different. He always does ten things and says five. Since he dared to send me to deliver such a message, he must already have some confidence..."

“No, no.” Xin Feng shook his head repeatedly. “In other matters, I would never distrust Zheng Yan, but this time is truly different.”

“I’m considered a senior member of the government. Although I’m not convinced, I know in my heart that I really did something wrong this time. No matter how wrong Xiao Qin is, I just took him under my wing and he was the head of the case. If I don’t take responsibility for Lü Mao’s escape, who will?”

At the doorway, Madam Du could no longer contain herself and rushed in, retorting, "The people have all been captured!" As she spoke, she served tea to Song Miao.

"It wasn't me who caught him. It was two months later when Zheng Yan and others caught him. Merit is merit, and wrongdoing is wrongdoing. We can't let things slide, otherwise how will we manage people in the future? Without rules, it's hard for everyone to get things done. I, Lao Xin, will accept this defeat!"

Xin Fengchang sighed deeply, his face ashen and looking listless.

"My wife, don't worry. I've been injured and demoted this time, so I'm not as beastly as I used to be. I've also become much more sensible. People have to learn from their mistakes. I... sigh!"

Upon hearing this, Song Miao paused for a moment before saying, "Let's wait a little longer. There's no need to be too discouraged. Young Master Han said that the inspector will see me in three or four days at the earliest, and ten or more at the latest. There might still be a chance for things to turn around. Please don't worry too much and take good care of yourself!"

Then he looked at Madam Du and said, “Sister-in-law, you have worked hard. The inspector is injured and ill, and you have to take care of all the big and small things at home. You also have to be considerate of his feelings. But no one can help you understand and share the burden. You are the one who is most tired and anxious.”

The tears that Du had just stopped suddenly welled up again.

Yes.

Ever since she learned that her husband was injured, she had been living in constant fear. He was finally brought back, and although his injuries were serious, at least he didn't lose any limbs. Before she could even catch her breath, she had to start working non-stop again.

My two daughters are too young to speak clearly, so no matter how much I try to keep an eye on them, I have to keep an eye on them.

The seven necessities of life are firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea; you have to take care of all of them yourself.

That's not all; her husband also needs his dressings changed and he needs care. When he's feeling down, she has to comfort him. And when people come to the door, she has to greet them, and then there's more...

She worked tirelessly from morning till night, her heart filled with sorrow and worry, fearing she would lose her livelihood. To make matters worse, she had an injured family member who couldn't go out to work and had to stay at home. After doing so much, who would understand her plight?

Madam Du hastily wiped away her tears and forced a smile, saying, "It's mealtime, young lady, why don't you stay and have a meal before you leave?"

Song Miao hurriedly declined, saying, "I just returned to the capital and have things to do at home, so I won't stay any longer."

She sat for a while longer, first asking about the Xin family's population, then about the house, and then about Xin Feng's specific injuries and the doctor's follow-up appointment. Only after she had understood everything did she take her leave under a pretext.

The Xin family lived outside Caomen, a place with many people and a diverse population. Further out was Niuxing Street, lined with numerous teahouses and restaurants, all small shops.

Before she left, Han Li gave her a sum of money and asked her to make a trip to the Xin family after returning to the capital. He wanted her to deliver a message and check on the situation, and then decide whether to give her money or buy her something. He asked her to make the arrangements.

She had previously bought some gifts for the family visit, saying they were to be delivered on behalf of Han Li, but after seeing the Xin family's situation and the appearance of Xin and Du, she knew that they would never accept the money.

But with money, everything becomes easier.

After thinking for a moment, Song Miao found a nearby restaurant that looked decent. She went in to check out the tables, chairs, and floor, and saw that it was clean. She then asked about the dishes and ordered two side dishes, a steamed bun, a small amount of braised meat, and some porridge.

When the food was served, she found the taste acceptable and the ingredients to be of good quality. She then called the restaurant owner over and ordered three dishes and a soup, as well as steamed buns and other items. She then discussed with the owner the idea of ​​having meals delivered to Xin Feng's house twice a day from now on.

After paying the deposit, Song Miao only said that she would come to settle the bill once every ten days, and asked the other party to introduce her to someone who would help buy breakfast at her door every day, do housework, wash clothes, and help look after the children for a while—only for half a day.

Once the person who made the introduction arrived, everything was agreed upon, and the meal was prepared.

Song Miao then led the two directly to the Xin family's house.

The response to this incident was still from the Du family.

The other party was quite surprised to see Song Miao return. When they saw the food delivered by the shopkeeper and the helper who claimed to come and clean up the house the next day, they were even more startled and kept making excuses.

Song Miaocai ignored her polite words and saw the two off. Then, he gently tugged at Du's sleeve and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I was just doing my duty. Young Master Han specifically asked me to do this. If I mess this up, how will I explain it to him in the future? Please don't make things difficult for me."

How could Du not want to agree? She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

But when she thought about how someone would help with housework, laundry, and childcare, and how someone would cook and deliver meals, she just couldn't bring herself to refuse.

If I agree, I can catch my breath a little. Firstly, I can take better care of the injured, and secondly, I can find a way to free myself up and find something to do outside.

Having a livelihood and being able to earn money will prevent you from panicking. Otherwise, what if Lao Xin really can't make a living one day?
After offering her advice, Song Miao added, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I've only arranged this for one month. You should tell the inspector that even if he's unwilling, he should wait for Young Master Han to return and decline the invitation himself. I don't have that kind of ability."

He then told her where he lived before saying, "Take care, sister-in-law. If you have any urgent matters, just send someone to find me. Don't hesitate to ask. I am very grateful for the inspector's care, and it is time to repay him!"

After Song Miao left, Du arranged the meal before going to her husband to tell him what had happened.

Xin Feng was indeed extremely anxious and angrily said, "You woman, how could you agree so easily? Couldn't you have just refused? You're always so stubborn and hot-tempered, but you only know how to deal with me!"

Du said irritably, "Back in Yanjin, that young master Han tried every means to please you, and you accepted it willingly. Why didn't you refuse back then?"

"I can't move! Besides, how could I possibly argue with him! That mouth of his!!!"

"So you think you can get away with this now? You can't argue with Young Master Han, but do you think I can argue with this young lady today? She was so kind and gentle, calling me sister-in-law, saying I was being too formal, and saying you took care of her, thinking of everything for me. If I don't appreciate it, am I supposed to take my kindness for granted?"

"Go tell that young master Han yourself—Miss Song said he'll be back in about a month!" Madam Du said, waving her hand. "That's enough for now. You just need to get better quickly. You can thank him later if you have the chance!"

“Opportunity? What opportunity!” Xin Feng sighed. “In my current state, I’ve lost my position. I don’t know where I’ll be relegated to sitting on the sidelines when I go back. I’m just a penniless nobody. Zheng Yan is a talented scholar from the Imperial Academy. He’s bound to have a bright future. How can I possibly thank him?!”

"Didn't Young Master Han tell us to wait patiently? What if something happens?"

"Hey! You know it's just a possibility!"

As Xin Feng spoke, he couldn't help but look up at the window.

As the sun sets, the evening glow is like fire.

Is there any chance of that happening?
There shouldn't be any, right?

(End of this chapter)