Miao Chu

Chapter 249 Stove
Song Miao left Qingfeng Garden at 1-3 PM. Although she had called a car, the place was far away, and she didn't get back to Suanzao Lane until 3-5 PM.

As she entered the alley and got off the mule cart, she heard Cheng Erniang speaking from inside the house.

"Sit a little longer. My wife is hosting a luncheon, so it should be about time for her to return. You've come all this way, and you're old acquaintances, so you should at least have dinner before you leave! Otherwise, if my wife finds out, even if she doesn't say anything to me, I'll have no face to face her!"

A moment later, another familiar voice rang out.

"No need, no need! We live nearby, we'll come again tomorrow—we bought a lot of pancakes and side dishes at home, and with this hot weather, they'll go bad if we don't eat them soon, what a waste! When do you set up your stall, madam? If we come tomorrow, what time would be best for us to visit?"

It was Zhang Si Niang!
Song Miao turned her head and exchanged a glance with Dabing; both of them were extremely shocked.

The message I sent to call for help had barely been sent out; even if it had wings, it couldn't fly that fast, yet the person had already arrived?

She didn't care about anything else, she gave the money bag to Dabing to pay the bill, and then quickly went inside. When she looked up, she saw that there were indeed three people sitting in the hall. Besides Cheng Erniang, there were two other young men and women.

Song Miao opened her mouth and called out, "Fourth Sister! Brother Wang San!"

The couple suddenly stood up.

—It was Zhang Siniang and Wang Sanlang from Huazhou.

Both of them exclaimed, "Young Lady Song!"

Wang Sanlang only took a few steps forward, but Zhang Siniang was so excited that she ran straight to Song Miao, reached out to pull her, but then withdrew her hand halfway, looking very embarrassed.

Song Miao gently patted her arm and said happily, "When did you arrive in the capital? Why didn't you send a message so I could have come to pick you up!"

Hearing such a friendly remark, Zhang Si Niang's previously anxious heart immediately settled down, and she quickly replied, "I've been here for almost ten days!"

Song Miao was even more surprised.

She hurriedly asked, "You arrived so early? Why didn't you come to find me!"

"I was thinking of finding a place to stay first, and getting to know this capital city with Sanlang before I could come to your door—because I was afraid that since you don't need any help, you might feel embarrassed to refuse me when I come."

At this point, Zhang Si Niang smiled shyly and said, "I was afraid that if I came without warning, I would scare you and cause you trouble. I have been looking for a middleman these days and have been to several places. Today I finally found a suitable laundry shop. The manager said that after a formality tomorrow, I can start working. I can do short-term or long-term jobs. Short-term jobs are paid daily. I chose short-term jobs. Whenever you need someone here, I will quit my job here!"

Although she had never been to a laundry shop, Song Miao knew that no matter what industry it was, the wages paid by the employer for short-term jobs were always less than those for long-term jobs.

She thought for a moment and asked, "How will the laundry department calculate your wages? How will it be calculated if you're a long-term employee?"

"It costs three coins to wash a set of clothes, inside and out. If you want shoes, it'll cost an extra coin. After washing, they need to be ironed—I brought an iron with me to the capital!"

After discussing the short-term hire, Zhang Si Niang then mentioned the price for the long-term hire.

Cheng Erniang had also stood up, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but gasp, saying, "How come it's even lower than the price I paid back then!"

He further explained, “I entered the capital in February. Back then, a set of clothes cost four or five wen, including the inner and outer garments, and it was a short-term contract! A long-term contract would have cost more than two hundred wen a month more than you are now—although it was winter then, and the clothes were thicker, the price had still dropped quite a bit.”

Zhang Si Niang said, "I heard that it's been raining a lot to the west and there's been flooding. The refugees who were supposed to go back to their hometowns are no longer going. With so many people, everyone is scrambling to do jobs that only require hands. I'm still young and strong, so the manager only took me in. She picks and chooses the older ones!"

Cheng Erniang sighed and said, "Back then, the laundry shops didn't discriminate based on age; they'd take anyone they saw!"

Zhang Si Niang said, "Making money is never easy! If the laundry in the capital doesn't clean properly or ruins the clothes, you not only have to pay for the clothes, but you also have to apologize to the manager. If you make a mistake, you can work for nothing all day. There are also many other intricacies involved..."

As she said this, she caught sight of Song Miao out of the corner of her eye, paused suddenly, and immediately changed the subject, saying, "But no matter what, it's still much better than Huazhou!"

Upon hearing this, Song Miao asked, "How many sets of clothes can you wash in a day?"

"It's summer now, so clothes are easier to wash, but at most I can only wash ten or twenty sets. Even if I wanted to wash more, there weren't that many clothes—they all had to be picked up. We newcomers could only pick up what the older folks had left behind."

Song Miao readily agreed, "Then don't go—come work for me tomorrow, I'll pay you more than the laundry shop."

Hearing this, Zhang Si Niang was both surprised and delighted, but still dared not agree. She only asked, "Didn't you see me come to your door and know I went to the laundry shop, and couldn't stand it, so you..."

Song Miao waved her hand and laughed, "I'm really short-staffed!"

He added, “Our restaurant has already received breakfast orders from many places, including the Zhuque Gate patrol, the Kyoto government office, the Taichang Temple, and the Hanlin Academy. We also have to set up a stall every day, and we also have small dining tables at noon. Today, because we are too busy, I had to take a day off for the small dining tables. We also have occasional catering orders in the evening. Business is booming!”

"But we only have three long-term workers—myself, my second wife, and Dabing—and two short-term employees—the coachman and the woman who washes vegetables and cleans—we're already overwhelmed!"

As she spoke, she made no gestures and spoke in a serious tone, yet the content alone was enough to give people a sense of high spirits and vigor.

"I just wrote a letter and had someone deliver it to Huazhou, wanting to ask if you have the time and can come to the capital—but I'm afraid your family will worry about you being alone, and I'd like to discuss how to resolve this!"

"I can! I can!" Zhang Si Niang was so happy that her teeth were showing. "Don't worry, my wife! Everyone at home wants me to go to the capital. If I can stay with you, my wife, how could we not be at ease!"

As she spoke, her tone became a little shy again. She turned her head to look behind her and said, "Besides, there's Sanlang too—the family said it was about time, so they arranged a marriage for us. They thought that if we went to the capital, we'd have someone to look after us. If anything happens in the future, I'll just have to make trouble for him!"

Wang Sanlang stood a few steps behind, listening intently. Upon hearing this, he scratched his head and chuckled, saying, "Don't worry, Miss Song! I'm tough and have already found a job at the docks. I can afford to support Fourth Sister's apprenticeship—we're here to be apprentices, and we're about to give her a formal apprenticeship gift, so there's no reason for us to ask for wages!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Money is fine, we can discuss that later—why don't you stay for dinner tonight?"

Zhang and Wang exchanged a glance, both hesitant.

Zhang Si Niang then declined, saying that she had pancakes and side dishes at home, and that there was no need to trouble herself and that she didn't want to waste food.

Song Miao then said, "I'll just eat simple home-style dishes. Even if I don't cook anything fancy, once we're in the capital, if I don't even provide a proper meal, what will people in Huazhou think of me? They won't be willing to help me in the future!"

She repeated what she had just heard, and as she spoke, she smiled and looked at Cheng Erniang and then at Zhang Siniang, and everyone in the room burst into laughter.

"Do you really have some cakes at home? Where are you two staying right now? If you're worried they'll go bad, why don't you bring some over so we can share them?" Song Miao asked with a smile.

Zhang Si Niang felt embarrassed. When she heard that she had to go back to get the pancakes, she finally became honest and said, "I originally wanted to eat pancakes tonight, but I haven't bought them yet. I have a lot of things to do. First, I'm embarrassed to stay for dinner, and second, I haven't had time to buy many luggage and things. I need to buy them!"

She added, “I’m currently staying at Guangji Temple, which is just two streets away. It’s quite close. I was thinking that since my wife is running a breakfast business, the closer I live, the better. But the rent for both short and long-term rentals is expensive nearby. They’re not very willing to take us in because they think we’re newcomers from out of town and have no one to vouch for us.” Cheng Erniang felt completely at ease with her.

The problems that Zhang and Wang are encountering now are almost all the same ones she fell into back then.

They even stayed at the same temple!
She couldn't help but say, "Something bad happened at Guangji Temple before..."

They also revealed that many kidnappers were hiding inside, and that a female embroiderer was being imprisoned in a side room.

Zhang Si Niang turned pale with fright and said, "No wonder this place is much cheaper than other temples!"

Such things are naturally not easy for two newcomers to find out.

Even though they found out at this point, Zhang Si Niang and her husband had already paid a month's rent upfront and signed a written agreement clearly stating that the money was non-refundable. The young couple were reluctant to spend the money and were determined to stay for the full term.

Seeing that the two had made up their minds, Song Miao said, "There is an Aunt Zhu nearby. Her family is in business and she knows a lot of people. Her husband is the village head here. She is a very good person, and we have frequent interactions between our two families. I will visit her with gifts another day and ask her to inquire around and see if there are any suitable families around who are planning to rent out their properties."

“I’ll vouch for you. Once you’ve stayed at Guangji Temple for a month, you can move out.”

Knowing that the two people's house was not tidy and many things were missing, Song Miao stopped talking about welcoming them and said, "Let's wait and see if we can prepare a few dishes at home another day and get together."

It was almost lunchtime, and because they had been busy all day, time was tight and there weren't enough ingredients. So she decided to find a small restaurant outside and the group went out to eat. They introduced themselves to each other and discussed with Zhang Si Niang that they didn't need to get up early the next day. They could come to the restaurant at 9 am and get used to it first.

When the topic turned to the morning's visit to Suanzao Lane, Song Miao said, "We hired a driver named Xu. He works half a day and picks up Dabing in the morning. We asked him to take a detour to pick you up first."

That solved the travel problem in one go.

As for food, the restaurant already includes meals, so there's no need to worry.

If Zhang Siniang was filled with anticipation mixed with some trepidation before going to the capital, she was quite shaken after spending nearly ten days with Wang Sanlang.

Although she had anticipated this, and had heard her family say, "It's good to stay at home for a thousand days, but difficult to go out for even one day," she only truly understood what it meant to have money for everything from food and clothing to shelter and transportation after experiencing it firsthand. Indeed, when you go to a foreign land, if you are short of money, it is really difficult to move an inch.

The young couple were worried and anxious, but they never expected that all their problems would be solved by Song Miao. In fact, their shoes felt lighter when they walked.

After finishing her shopping, Zhang Si Niang returned to her room at Guangji Temple and couldn't help but say, "Since Miss Song is so kind, I think everyone in the restaurant is easy to get along with—I just hope I can learn quickly, work hard, and get the hang of things soon, so as not to let them down!"

Wang Sanlang said, "No wonder the old folks always say 'seek refuge,' 'seek refuge.' It's true that having a powerful backer makes all the difference—back when Miss Song was on the river, she didn't act like an ordinary person! It's rare that you, Fourth Sister, have this opportunity. In my opinion, this restaurant will grow big sooner or later, and you'll be among the oldest. As long as you do well, you'll definitely become the manager!"

He added, “I will work hard too! If I can make a name for myself at the docks, then we will have a stable foothold. Don’t worry about money, just focus on learning to cook. I can support this family! They say husband and wife are one, and now is the time for me to support you!”

Inside Guangji Temple, the young couple looked forward to the future; in Suanzao Alley, Cheng Erniang was also looking forward to the future.

"I think this fourth young lady is reliable and polite. She's been with her in Huazhou for a month or so, so she must be quick to pick things up. I've been hesitant to take on too many jobs, but now that I have someone else, I can finally work more freely!"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but say, "I've discovered it! Besides being capable, my lady is also incredibly lucky—when the floods in the capital made business difficult, Young Master Han invited her to Huazhou. Although it was hard work, she was paid. Now that she's back, she's short of people, and the people from Huazhou have come to her door on their own. She never leaves empty-handed!"

"According to the old saying, this is called a life of great wealth and honor! With such a boss, mountains will be cleared and rivers will be crossed—our restaurant is sure to have a booming future!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "Although it's an exaggeration, if it really comes true, Second Madam, with your consistent dedication, as long as you can handle the job in the future, I'll ask you to be the head manager of this restaurant!"

"Oh dear! This!" Cheng Erniang blushed, rubbing her hands, unwilling to utter a single word of refusal. "My wife is too kind to me! I only hope that I can truly shoulder this responsibility and not cause my wife any further worry, so that I can have the face to be the head manager in the future!"

***
The Song family's restaurant received timely assistance, but the capital's government office did not receive such good fortune.

Qin Jie, the Right Military Inspector, and Zheng Boqian, the Prefect, sat facing each other at the table.

After reporting on the recent progress of his duties, Zheng Boqian asked a few more casual questions before finally asking, "Has the Right Courtyard come to check on Xin Feng's side recently?"

Qin Jie hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sir. Right now, everyone is taking turns to visit, going every ten days or so. I just went to see him a few days ago, and he's much better now. In another month or so, he'll probably be able to walk normally."

Zheng Boqian nodded and said, "Prefect Zhao asks me about this every time he sees me—he says the Empress Dowager also often asks him about it, so I had no choice but to ask you!"

"Of course! Of course!"

Zheng Boqian then asked, "Speaking of which, Han Zhengyan has been in Huazhou for almost three months now. Shouldn't he be back? The court is urging the reconstruction of the inner city roads, and many houses and walls need to be demolished. Such a big matter is easy to offend people. After thinking it over, I still have to find a way to bring him back."

"Not to mention that he is in charge of the overall allocation of these personnel, which is really good, even without that, with his name on the table, those members of the imperial family and relatives would not dare to make too much noise even if they caused trouble—after all, he is a student, and if he doesn't like something, he can just write an article to criticize it, unlike us, who are afraid to do things for fear of harming others."

Qin Jie then said, "Who says otherwise! It's still better to be a student. You can scold me if you want, and praise me if you want. This time, when Xin Feng's article came out, I'm not afraid of being laughed at by you, sir, but I'm a little envious!"

The two talked for a while longer before Qin Jie took his leave.

But this time, he had only gone halfway when he heard people talking from the other side of the wall.

"Go tell Inspector Zhang that you've found it. It's located near Zhujiaqiao Wazi in the east of the city. However, his asking price is a bit high. He says that although it's called a clay furnace, according to his method, it's best to attach a layer of iron, which is very time-consuming and requires finding a suitable blacksmith..."

"Never mind that, finding it is all that matters—Inspector Zhang keeps urging me, it's driving me crazy, I'll go report to him right now!"

Qin Jie's expression immediately changed.

He hurried back to the house, had someone call his cousin Qin Zong over, and asked, "How's it going with the craftsman I asked you to find last time who knows how to make a stove?"

Qin Zong was clearly surprised to be asked this question. He paused for a moment before saying, "I asked them to help inquire, but there's been no news for a while..."

"No news, so you're just going to ignore it??" Qin Jie's face darkened; he was utterly exasperated.

"Didn't Zheng Yan just say he asked us to keep an eye out for him? He also asked other people to help him find it. It would be great if we could, but it wouldn't matter if we couldn't?"

"Are you stupid? Everyone else found it, but I can't. Is it because I don't respect his request, or because I'm incompetent? You choose one!"

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　　(End of this chapter)