Miao Chu

Chapter 23: Polite
Song Dalang may not know that before his eldest brother went north to study, he gave the original owner a contract and told her to keep it safe.

The contract was signed when the Song family's grandparents were still alive, and was witnessed by the elderly, the village head, and the local gentry. All of the Song family's property will belong solely to the Song family's descendants in the future.

Once Song Dalang entered the Song family and changed his surname to Song, he was naturally entitled to a share of the wealth and property.

But now that he has changed back to his original surname, he is no longer the heir apparent of the clan, so how will he divide the property?

He changed his surname first, and then his eldest brother in the Song family passed away. According to the law, from the day his surname was changed on the household registration, all the money and property of the Song family were no longer his. First, they belonged to the Song siblings, but now they should belong to Song Miao alone.

The items aren't his, so how can he sell them?

Therefore, the sales contract is no longer valid.

However, those eyeing the Song family's assets at this time are clearly not ordinary people, and the law is mostly useless in their presence.

But in any case, now that she was certain she had the law to rely on, Song Miao finally had something to rely on for her subsequent actions.

Although there are still many debts left by Song Dalang, it is only natural that a son should pay his father's debts in a legitimate business. As long as the Song family's ancestral home can be preserved, everything else is a minor matter.

Everything can be reconsidered later.

She breathed a long sigh of relief. Since she didn't have any bookmarks, she took a few bamboo skewers and placed them between the pages of the book that were most important.

***
Song Miao breathed a long sigh of relief, while Cheng Zijian, two streets away at the Imperial Academy, took a deep breath.

Seeing the upper study ahead, Cheng Zijian, who had been walking hurriedly, suddenly stopped in his tracks, carrying a food box in one hand and holding his revised article in the other.

There was a strong wind just now.

A breeze blew, carrying the aroma from the food box, faint and lingering.

He had smelled this scent before, and now, just a little bit had already stirred up a lot of memories. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but find a corner, put the article aside, and secretly moved a corner of the food box lid.

The first thing he saw was a shumai with shepherd's purse, bamboo shoots, and dried tofu.

Unlike mutton and pork shumai, this vegetarian shumai doesn't have a flat, petal-like wrapper; instead, it has delicate, wavy pleats, like lotus leaves.

The pleats cling to the filling inside, glistening and translucent, revealing its emerald green color. Interspersed with diced bamboo shoots, bits of dried tofu, and bits of wood ear mushrooms, it is steaming with white vapor.

In early spring, how could Cheng Zijian, a native of Fuzhou from Jiangnan West Road, resist the taste of spring?

He couldn't resist reaching out his sinful hand and carefully picking up a vegetarian shumai with a bamboo skewer.

Shepherd's purse has a unique fragrance, bamboo shoots have a wild mountain aroma, and dried tofu has a bean flavor. It seems like a drop of Sichuan peppercorn oil has been added. The Sichuan peppercorn flavor is not pungent, but it brings out all the aromas one by one.

When the food box was first opened, the aroma of scallion mutton and scallion pork was so strong that one couldn't pay attention to anything else. But when the vegetarian shumai was taken out separately, the fresh forest air was no longer obstructed.

Cheng Zijian swallowed again, and a thought couldn't help but arise in his mind: Miss Song left me nine different kinds of shumai, but nine is an odd number. Is it not appropriate to give them as gifts?

Why don't I eat one, making it a perfect eight?

Eight is an even number, symbolizing good fortune coming from all directions, making it even more auspicious.

Auspicious numbers, perfect for a good person like Brother Han!

Thinking this, he felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and could not wait any longer. He immediately put the vegetarian shumai to his mouth and took a very frugal bite. The vegetarian shumai was not big to begin with, and no matter how thrifty he was, he had already taken half a bite.

Cheng Zijian intended to eat slowly, but as soon as he took a bite, a pool of juice flowed out from the extremely thin skin.

It's hot.

Hot and fresh!

The shepherd's purse is truly the first harvest, with tender stems and leaves, carrying a slightly pungent flavor that enhances the aroma; the bamboo shoots are crisp and fresh, with their own unique sweetness; the tofu is pressed half-flat, with gaps and holes that are enough to absorb the broth inside, the bean aroma blends with all the other aromas, yet is also overpowered by them, sometimes you can taste it, sometimes you can't, it's quite playful.

Occasionally, you'll taste crunchy bits of wood ear fungus, and then there's the thin, soft, smooth, and moist dough wrapping around you—its presence isn't strong, yet it's indispensable...

Having vegetarian shumai like this so early in the morning makes my stomach feel so comfortable...

Cheng Zijian cherished the meal, but his mouth was sweet while his heart was bitter. He felt that his craving had been instantly aroused, and he was in great discomfort.

He reached for the food box, intending to continue walking, but as he lifted it, his hand became uncontrollable, and the food box ended up in front of him.

—This small shumai with shepherd's purse, bamboo shoots, and tofu is barely enough to whet your appetite!
Song Xiaoniangzi has nine shumai, three of each of the different varieties. She has already eaten one. What if Brother Han asks her why there are three of each of the other two varieties, but only two of the vegetarian ones?
Rather than...

……

……

When Cheng Zijian finally stepped into the inner room, the food box was noticeably lighter than when he had set off.

He ate some familiar food—sticky rice—and then some new food—one of each of the three-colored shumai. Although he was still craving more, he was finally full.

When people are well-fed and clothed, they begin to know honor and shame.

With his stomach full, Cheng Zijian's guilt grew even stronger. He dared not look at the pork rib soup and the other shumai anymore. He swallowed his saliva and forced himself to keep his eyes straight ahead.

This time, when he arrived at the inner study room, he peeked inside and found the corner empty. Han Li was nowhere to be seen. However, not far from the entrance, another person was standing and arranging articles on a table.

Hearing the commotion, the man turned around and looked on in surprise, exclaiming, "Zijian?"

It turned out to be Cai Xiu again.

Cheng Zijian wasn't sure if he was seeing things, but he felt that the other person's brocade robe was a bit wrinkled, and when he spoke, there was a faint smell of alcohol on his breath.

Cai Xiu rolled up the article in her hand and carefully placed it aside. Then she turned around and asked, "Did you come here today to look for a book or to retrieve an article? Don't worry, I won't forget about this. When I get home sometime, I'll find the book for you."

He added, "As for the article, there's really nothing we can do. We don't know when the Yong'an Marquis's family will return it, and it's not good to rush them. If you're in a hurry, you might as well ask someone else to avoid making things worse in the end."

Cheng Zijian quickly shook his head and said, "No, I had no intention of urging Brother Cai. To be honest..."

Just as he was about to explain his purpose, Cai Xiu glanced over and saw the food box. She smiled and said, "Zijian is too kind. You always bring gifts when you come back. I was in such a hurry this morning that I didn't have time to eat. This breakfast of yours has solved my immediate problem."

As Cai Xiu spoke, she stepped forward a few paces to take the food box.

(End of this chapter)