Miao Chu

Chapter 250 Changing Last Name
Qin Zong, who was not one to tolerate criticism, couldn't help but defend himself, saying, "I think Zheng Yan said he probably won't be back until after the start of autumn, after he's finished dealing with the aftermath of the Huazhou River project. There's still plenty of time..."

How could Qin Jie not know?

He dared to entrust the matter to his cousin because he knew that Han Li would not be back for a while, and he felt that the matter was not urgent and did not take it to heart.

But times change.

Both are military inspectors, but Zhang Zheng of the Left Court has already taken care of things. He's so diligent and proactive; it's obvious that his next step is to write a letter to Huazhou to claim credit, while I'm still stuck here, thinking I'm doing nothing!
Although it is unknown what Han Zhengyan wants the stove for, as long as he gets this pretext, no matter how small, Zhang is always good at handling things and will definitely use it to build a relationship with Han Li.

Qin Jie realized that he had been taking things too for granted all along.

This time, a stove and a few words from his superior instantly enlightened him.

It's not hard to find someone who can curse and dares to curse, someone who can curse with such force as to intimidate, someone who can praise someone with such effect, someone who is good at doing things, and who also has the protective charm of being a student, making it so easy to use, without even having to take credit. In recent years, only Han Zhengyan has appeared.

But there are many officials like him who can see the benefits of others and want to use them cheaply.

He was confident that given their past friendship and the fact that they were the closest, it would be easy for him to speak with them.

But now, can he refuse his superior's offer? Can he stop his colleague from interfering?

Most importantly, he had no idea that Han Li would refuse other people's invitations for his sake.

Relationships are built through interaction. If you don't put in enough effort, many people will want a chance to do so but won't get it.

He interrupted, "Stop arguing! Zhang Zheng from the Left Academy has already found a craftsman. I don't care how you do it, give me a result by today!"

Qin Zong was startled and said, "Why did Zheng Yan also go to see Inspector Zhang! I thought..."

Qin Jie said irritably, "Let him find whoever he wants, what can you or I do about it?"

Qin Zong realized that his cousin was about to explode, so he dared not say anything more.

Qin Jie said, "What are you all standing there for! Hurry up and go find it!"

Seeing Qin Zong bow and about to run out, he called out again, "Wait! Don't just focus on finding people... Never mind, go ahead!"

Qin Zong was caught in a dilemma: whether to leave or stay. He wasn't without temper, and with nowhere to vent his anger, he waited for a while before storming off in a huff.

Qin Jiefu then rang the bell to summon someone, calling over his household servants and instructing them: "Go back and tell the steward to quickly find a craftsman who knows how to make a stove; making a stove is not an ordinary process..."

As he spoke, he handed the other party a letter: "Tell the manager to look for the information in the letter and say that someone has found someone who knows how to do it in the Zhujiaqiao Wazi area. Find out who that person is and if there are any other people in the same trade who can be introduced. We need to have results today. Prepare a fast horse and send the message out tonight—to Han Li in Huazhou!"

Hearing that the matter was urgent, the attendant took the letter and hurried away.

After making arrangements with his family, Qin Jie was still uneasy. He called down his trusted subordinates and told them the whole story, omitting Han Li and only mentioning that he had an acquaintance who wanted to find such a kiln. He concluded by saying, "Ask the constables and soldiers down there. They know the area well and see if they know any craftsmen."

The trusted aide agreed and carried out the orders accordingly.

Half a day later, feedback came back from all sides, and the answer was that they had never heard of it, let alone knew any craftsmen.

The confidant was merely following orders; upon receiving the news, he went to report back without further ado.

But there is no wall that is impenetrable.

While Qin Jie was being secretive here, he made no attempt to hide his search for craftsmen in the left courtyard next door. When the inspectors and officials in the right courtyard heard the commotion and saw that they were also searching for craftsmen, they couldn't help but become curious.

So on this day, everyone made an appointment to visit Inspector Xin Fengxin at his home, and they chatted about the matter as if it were nothing.

Although Xin Feng still needs a cane and cannot stand or walk for long periods, he has been treated by imperial physicians sent by the palace every ten days, and has also received medicine from the Empress Dowager. After nearly a hundred days of recuperation, he has improved considerably.

Most importantly, once his inner knot was untied, he gained the appreciation of both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, which made him extremely happy. Although he kept reminding himself to restrain himself and not to be arrogant or domineering, otherwise losing his own reputation would be a small matter, but if he implicated the other party after writing such an article, he would have nowhere to hide his face. Even so, he was still beaming with joy.

Although he was not at the Kyoto government office, his heart had already flown back. He couldn't wait to recover so he could go back to work, show everyone his skills, and let outsiders know that he was still as capable as ever, able to solve cases and catch thieves. Although he didn't have the opportunity now, he couldn't help but join in the analysis after hearing the gossip.

Someone said, "They're both looking for the same craftsman who makes furnaces; it's probably a coincidence—maybe some official just casually mentioned it, and these two are rushing to curry favor!"

There were too many ranks between them and the military inspector, so they naturally had no reservations when speaking to each other.

But Xin Feng shook his head immediately after thinking about it and said, "If it were any other official, I'm afraid Lord Qin would have already arranged for you to inquire everywhere, instead of just asking a question casually like this!"

"Arranging it is useless. There are too many things to do on weekdays, and we can't even finish all the work. How can we have time to find him a stove!"

"Exactly! If they hadn't created this situation themselves, making us patrol the streets three times a day and report to the patrol station every time, we wouldn't be in this miserable state! We might as well just patrol the streets all day and not do any other proper work!"

"It's for the emperor to see! I heard that the emperor was going to descend to inspect the dikes and rivers, but because he was afraid of something going wrong on the way, a group of people in the government were in a panic, afraid that something might not be right!"

"They're the ones who panic, but they don't do anything; all they do is order us around like crazy!"

Just then, someone said, "I met a fellow member of the Left Court yesterday, and he seemed to mention that they're quite diligent in looking for a furnace—it's not a difficult matter. If you ask around, it seems that Inspector Zhang is helping someone out privately, and once they find the person, they plan to find someone on their way to deliver the news to Huazhou..."

"Because it mentioned Huazhou, I didn't hear it correctly at the time, so I turned around and asked again. They said it was to be given to Young Master Han—do you think the Young Master Han of Huazhou is our Young Master Han?"

As soon as he said that, the whole room fell silent.

"What does Young Master Han need a stove for? It's completely irrelevant!"

"He's just a student, not a cook!"

He does not mean that.

If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't exert any strength in his legs, Xin Feng would have been so anxious that he would have stood up immediately.

"Ah! It's true! It must be true! I remember now!!"

He hurriedly said, "Is it Miss Song?! Do you remember when we stayed at her house last time, Qin Zong treated us to a meal and set up a big feast..."

"Oh dear, the time you made stuffed pomelo peel?"

"The time with the pickled cabbage and minced meat?"

Is it ginger milk curd?

A group of people couldn't remember the menu, but they did remember the food!
Xin Feng hurriedly said, "Then the roast chicken! Later, Miss Song said that the roast chicken wasn't flavorful enough, the skin wasn't crispy enough, and the meat wasn't fragrant or tender enough because it was kept in the food box for too long, and it was roasted, then simmered, and then roasted again, so it wasn't as delicious."

"She also said that when she has the chance in the future and has saved up some money, she'll find someone to build a stove in the backyard, so she can roast chicken, goose, and duck—do you guys remember that?"

"Ah! I was there that time! Me, Wang Lao Er, the village head, and his wife were all there!"

Then everyone in the room realized what was happening.

"So it was Young Master Han who was looking for you!"

"You should have said so earlier! I would have asked him about it!"

"You're going around in circles without explaining anything clearly. Isn't this causing delays?" "Find out again whether it's actually Young Master Han who's looking for him. If not, isn't it a waste of time and effort, working for the higher-ups for nothing?"

"It must be Brother Han! Both military commissioners have put in a lot of effort, and he even sent Huazhou. Besides, he's surnamed Han. Who else could it be!"

"Whether he is or not doesn't matter. Even if he isn't, just consider it a chance for Miss Song to inquire—oh dear, why didn't she say so sooner! Going to Young Master Han for this matter is no better than coming to us!"

"Exactly, exactly! He's just a scholar. No matter how eloquent he is with his pen, how could he possibly know the streets and alleys, the city and its outskirts, better than we do?!"

"That Second Madam Cheng is the same. She delivers meals to their door every day, but if she had just mentioned it once, she would have had someone make the stove for them long ago!"

"Hey, what do you guys think? If we find a craftsman and make the oven soon, can we set a date and go together to buy the first of Song Xiaoniangzi's freshly roasted fat chicken and duck?"

As soon as he said that, the room fell silent again. No one spoke, except for the sound of swallowing.

The loudest "gurgle" was accompanied by a long, drawn-out sigh coming from the nose.

The group couldn't help but look in the direction of the voice—it was Xin Feng.

Seeing everyone looking at him, he coughed and said, "Regardless of whether there's anything to eat or not, everyone help me look for some! It's hot now, so it doesn't seem like much, but just imagine what it will be like in autumn and winter—hot roasted chicken, duck, and fat roasted goose!"

He added, "Let's find it first. Once we find it, we don't need to report back to our superiors, lest Zheng Yan have to owe them a favor! It's just a furnace! I, Old Xin, have plenty of money!"

He patted his chest and said.

"It's all thanks to that young lady Song that I was able to capture Lü Mao and be where I am today. After returning to the capital, she has been so kind to take care of my family. I don't know how to repay her—I'll pay for it!"

Knowing that Xin Feng had received medicine, gold, and a house from the Empress Dowager and was quite well-off, everyone readily agreed without any hesitation.

Xin Feng added, “I’ve been away these past few days, and it’s all thanks to the hard work of my brothers. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll find a day to host a get-together at Song’s Restaurant—we’ll all bring our families! You all need to hurry and find a stove, so that one table doesn’t lack roasted chicken and duck!”

The room immediately became noisy, everyone was happy and cheering.

I originally thought it was my superior's private matter, not an official business. Even if I helped, the benefits would probably go to someone else, and it had nothing to do with me, so I just gave it a perfunctory answer.

But things are different now. It's for our own people. If it's done well, everyone gets to eat—plump, crispy, and incredibly flavorful roasted chicken and duck!
So when the group of officials came out, they began to discuss the matter.

"If you want to talk about making kilns, you have to go northwest—I've heard they're really good at firing kilns and making kilns there!"

"Not necessarily. There are ovens in the south too—I've heard that there are quite a few places that make roasted salted pigs in the Yanjin and Baima counties, so they must have ovens!"

"If you're looking for people from the Northwest, you should go to the Niuxing Street, Zhujiaqiao Wazi area!"

“I live nearby, I’ll ask on my way home tonight.”

"Most of the skilled craftsmen from the south live in the West Gate area—Xiao Meng?"

Xiao Meng immediately agreed: "I don't mind! I'm going to the West Gate early tomorrow morning anyway, but I'll just ask you about it!"

On one side, a group of people led by Xin Feng were preparing to exclude those surnamed Qin, Zhang, and even Han, eager to claim the credit themselves.

Meanwhile, it wasn't just the people in the Kyoto government office who were concerned about what Song Miao had said about lighting the furnace.

At the Xu Family Martial Arts School, after finally finishing their morning practice, the martial arts students wiped their sweat and chatted in small groups.

Liang Yan was extremely thirsty, so he took some water and, without joining the crowd, drank it right there.

I've been learning martial arts at the Xu Family Martial Arts School for a few days now. The other fellow disciples get along quite well, and the atmosphere is good. But for some reason, everyone is indifferent to him and Zhu Zhan.

Liang Yan wasn't the type to fawn over someone who wouldn't listen. He tried to strike up a conversation twice, but when the other person ignored him, he didn't press the issue and simply stayed with Zhu Zhan.

At this moment, he drank half a bag of water in one gulp. When he looked up, he couldn't see Zhu Zhan. Just as he was about to go look for him, he heard someone talking beside him after taking a few steps.

"Xiao Yang, we're learning the Eight-Step Formation this afternoon, why did you ask for leave? Without you, how can we set up the formation!"

Little Yang chuckled and said, "I'll just catch up on my studies tomorrow—my aunt and uncle are back!"

Upon hearing this, the people gathered on both sides became excited.

"Now that your aunt and uncle are back, does that mean they can build another earthen kiln for your family?"

"Exactly! Last year your kiln broke down, and all the yams and taro we had saved up ended up with nowhere to roast them! The earthen pits and stoves we dug ourselves either burned the shells and meat together or didn't cook them properly—your kiln was much better, it was big and easy to use, it's a pity it got soaked in water and rotted!"

"Stop talking! Because the kiln was ruined last year, I didn't even get to eat the roast chicken and duck that my family made at home during the Lantern Festival!"

"This time, let's not make an earthen kiln. Can we make another kind? Otherwise, if the city floods, it'll be ruined again!"

Xiao Yang nodded and said, "That's right. My aunt said that my uncle can build a furnace taller than a person, so he's not afraid of being soaked in water. We should finish the furnace before they go back, because it will come in handy someday. Just wait and see!"

Liang Yan immediately recalled what he had heard back in Huazhou.

Sister Song said that after returning to Beijing, if there is an opportunity, it would be best to set up two stoves in the backyard, so that they can be used to roast geese, chickens and ducks, bake flatbreads, and so on.

But what she wanted to make was not an ordinary earthen kiln; she needed to find a suitable craftsman.

—Would Yang Mian's uncle be considered a suitable craftsman?

If it were his own business, Liang Yan would definitely not ask, but this time it was for his sister's restaurant, and even if he was met with a cold shoulder, he still wanted to do his part.

It was almost lunchtime, and everyone slowly made their way into the house in twos and threes. Only Xiao Yang walked in the opposite direction. Liang Yan quickly went up to him, called out "Yang Mian", and asked, "I want to ask you about something—can your uncle build stoves for others? If so, how much does it cost to build one?"

When Yang Mian heard someone calling him, he responded immediately. He was smiling at first, but when he saw that the person was Liang Yan, his smile disappeared. When he heard Liang Yan say that he wanted to inquire about something, he was about to refuse when he heard the following words.

"What are you building this furnace for?" he blurted out.

"I asked my sister—her family might need it!"

Yang Mian hesitated for a moment.

If asked about other matters, Yang Mian would certainly refuse to answer, having already heard that the newcomer was of bad character. But since the question concerned his uncle's craftsmanship and he wanted to bring him work and business, Yang Mian dared not refuse.

He said, "I don't know. I'm on my way home right now. I'll ask around and tell you tomorrow."

Liang Yan couldn't wait until tomorrow.

He said, "Where do you live? How about I go back with you now and wait at the door? When you find out, just come out and let me know?"

Yang Mian was extremely surprised by the other party's persistence, but still felt uncomfortable and couldn't help but say, "Your family is so rich, why don't you go out and find a skilled craftsman to make the kiln? Why are you asking us!"

Liang Yan was taken aback and said, "Where would my family get money?"

"Stop pretending! Everyone knows! Your surname is Xiang, right? Why did you change it? A real man doesn't change his name or surname! Your father was capable of such a thing, what are you afraid to admit?"

(End of this chapter)