Miao Chu

Chapter 256 Staring
Zhang Si Niang recounted how the coachman was late yesterday, how he treated Cheng Er Niang and herself with two faces, and how he usually cheated and shirked his duties. However, she only talked about herself and did not mention anything about Da Bing's complaints.

“It’s clear that if we just turned one more corner, it would be a flat road that would get us to the guest’s door. But to save trouble, he took the dirt road instead, leaving me to carry the load myself. He wouldn’t listen to me! Several times the soup in the bamboo tube almost spilled out. If I hadn’t been careful, the steamed buns would have been overturned!”

“I don’t know what he went out to pick up yesterday afternoon and evening. He was fine when he first got in the car, but after sitting for a while, there was a smell—and it was dirty. I spent ages cleaning the car for him!”

"...In the morning, we had to keep the doors and windows of the carriage open the whole way, and we even covered it with two extra layers of cloth, just in case it affected our meals and also because we were afraid of dust coming in. Whenever we talked to him about it, he would say that this is how the carriage smells after it has been used for a long time, and that it doesn't matter which house we go to outside!"

Seeing that Song Miao was listening attentively, she quickly added, "My lady, it's no use talking to him. You and the second lady have to keep an eye on him. He refuses to take the detour. I'll just have to work harder myself, but the smell in the carriage is unbearable. What if it really affects our food? We've worked so hard to prepare this, washing the vegetables five or six times, making sure everything is clean and careful. We can't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch!"

Hearing the commotion, Dabing hurried over and said, "Madam! Madam!! I've wanted to say this for a while, but I was afraid it would make Second Madam look bad—this Master Xu is really filthy! He urinates and defecates anywhere!!"

In just a few words, he recounted how Master Xu had resolved the matter on the spot when he took him home that day.

“I originally wanted to tell Second Madam, but recently our restaurant has been hiring people, and we've been hiring her on short-term contracts. She's always busy and has a lot of things to do. I even praised Master Xu before, saying that although he has some minor flaws, he's a good driver and knows the roads well, so I can tolerate everything else. I just didn't want to bring it up again.”

When Song Miaoxian heard Zhang Siniang say this, she was already very displeased and said, "Everyone has their own job. The driver is only there to help deliver meals. If he only thinks about his own convenience every time and can't even deliver the food to the door, and we have to carry the food ourselves, what's the point of having him?"

Hearing Dabing say this again, he could hardly bear it for a moment longer. He frowned and said, "If that's really his nature, then I'm not his parent, so I don't need to discipline him. Let's replace him."

Dabing hurriedly said, "When I heard him make excuses, I felt uneasy. But when I went back and asked my uncle and aunt, they said that many drivers who pick up passengers and goods outside are like that. Most of them are not clean and few are conscientious. Good people are hard to find. I was afraid that if I changed jobs in a hurry, I would not be able to find someone who could start working immediately, and it would only make things difficult for us. It is better to make do for now."

She added, "I also asked Second Sister if it was hard to find a driver—she said it was a bit of a hassle because we have to get up early to pick people up before dawn, and many people aren't willing to do that..."

Just then, Cheng Erniang returned.

Zhang Si Niang and Da Bing immediately shut up and rushed over to help her move things.

The three of them spoke without any attempt to hide it from Xiaolian.

The child was writing with a cloth pen dipped in water, doing the homework assigned by Song Miao. Naturally, he heard what was being said and was very anxious. When his mother returned, he took a break and followed her closely, telling her all the bad things he had heard about Master Xu's behavior. He even knew who was speaking.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Erniang felt as if she were being pricked by thorns, filled with shame and embarrassment.

She hurriedly washed her hands and face, changed her shoes, and went to find Song Miao, saying, "Madam... I heard that Master Xu is quite useless..."

Seeing that she looked restless, Song Miao smiled and said, "Don't worry, I was just looking for you."

Then they called over Zhang Si Niang and Da Bing.

The four people sat down around the table.

Song Miao then recounted all of Master Xu's misdeeds before asking, "In your opinion, Second Madam, how should this be dealt with?"

Cheng Erniang hurriedly said, "He already has many minor flaws, and we were just going to put up with it, but I didn't expect him to be such a filthy person—we run a restaurant, so of course we can't keep him!"

Song Miao then said, "I share the same thought as Second Sister. I'll leave it to you to handle. But after the change, the new person should catch up quickly so as not to delay important matters."

Cheng Erniang was extremely embarrassed and said, "I'm so ashamed to have hired someone like this. I didn't even realize it myself, and I've even dragged Si Niang and Da Bing into this mess. How can I possibly hire anyone else? How about I screen some people first, and then you all can help me decide?"

He added, "I've managed things so poorly, please punish me, madam, otherwise how can I justify this..."

Seeing how things had developed, Zhang Si Niang and Da Bing were at a loss for words. They exchanged a glance and quickly lowered their heads.

Knowing Cheng Erniang's temperament, Song Miao said, "Madam, don't overthink it. The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; and if you do nothing, you won't make any mistakes. Don't think this is your first time in charge; even many officials and ministers in the court, who have worked for many years and have a good reputation, often make mistakes. If you make a mistake, just correct it."

He added, “But I will punish you. When calculating wages at the end of the month, I will deduct one hundred coins. It’s not to punish you for misjudging people, but to punish you for being in charge. You only see yourself as someone who does things, not someone who manages things. There are already two people in the restaurant, Dabing and Si Niangzi, and two short-term employees. Many things can be assigned. You should focus on the big things and let go of the small things, but you think that you can’t stop for a moment because you’ve received your wages. You have to help with everything.”

"The more time you spend doing things, the less time you will spend managing things. For example, this time, if you had asked Fourth Sister and Big Pancake more questions, we wouldn't have only just discovered Master Xu's problem now—we were both negligent in this matter."

"Furthermore, we previously agreed on the wages for the coachman. Even if you ask for 20% or 30% more than the market rate, it will be more than enough. Second Madam is naturally doing this for my own good, thinking of saving money for the restaurant. But people come out to make a living to earn money. If you don't pay enough, it will only attract unreliable people like Master Xu to come knocking on your door. Think about it, if I pay you less, even if you stay out of politeness, wouldn't you feel uncomfortable?"

At this point, Song Miao looked at Zhang Si Niang and Da Bing and said, "This is not only for Second Madam, but also for you. We will definitely need to recruit new people in the future, but you are different from others. Others just do things for money, but you will have to work harder. You not only need to be observant and skillful, but also attentive. The problems that Second Madam encountered today will be encountered by you sooner or later, and you may make the same mistakes."

The three men, each with their own thoughts, reacted to these words and all looked up.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time, but it's too early. It would be a joke to bring it up now. I originally wanted to wait until the restaurant opened before talking about it."

Song Miao took a pen and paper from the side, drew a circle on the paper, and then carefully outlined a very small pancake shape in the center. She copied the three names onto the side, placed the paper in the center of the table, and pointed it out to everyone.

She said, "Our restaurant is not officially open yet. I will distribute the profits according to everyone's performance each month. But once the restaurant reopens, if you are willing, I will take out 10% of the shares and write a separate contract for everyone."

"If you want a share of the restaurant's profits, you can't ask for a share of the profits from the dry shares. Take the larger share and distribute it to each of you. You will all act as shareholders and jointly establish a household. The household will be incorporated into Songji's main shares. If anyone joins later and works for two or three years or more, they can vote to join the household. We'll discuss the specifics of how to manage and how to join later. But this household will only be responsible for profit sharing and cannot interfere with anything else."

"Once the account is opened, in addition to wages, for every extra string of interest Song Ji earns, you will share more than seventy coins. The better the reputation, the more profit you will make, and the more you will receive. If you leave in the future, you will automatically leave the account."

"Any suggestions or ideas you have on a regular basis are welcome to be discussed together—we're all family here, and we're all in the same boat, so let's focus on the issue, not the person!"

After Song Miao finished speaking, the room was completely silent, as no one had spoken before.

Dabing's heart was pounding, and he was counting money under the table with his two hands.

Cheng Erniang had been with Song Miao the longest and knew the restaurant's operations best. In particular, she had recently been learning to read and write and manage accounts from Song Miao, and could already do mental arithmetic. However, she had no mind to calculate money at the moment, her mind was a mess.

He thought for a moment: Regardless of how that family moves in, the lady of the house will not mistreat the servants, but what about the coachman? Now that he can't stay, he has to find someone to pick him up quickly, but time is so tight, what if he finds someone even worse?
Then he thought: Why didn't I ask more questions before? Now that I think about it, it's clear that Dabing and Zhang Si Niang spoke strangely several times, but I didn't take it seriously, which led to this bitter result!
Only Zhang Si Niang could no longer hold back and said, "My lady! If we're talking about finding a coachman, I don't want people to say that I only care about my own interests and am selfish, but if we really have to dismiss Master Xu and find a new one—I want to give San Lang a chance!"

“When he was at home, besides rowing the boat, he often helped deliver fish. It’s not good for family to praise him, but he’s a steady driver and a clean person—just give him a chance, and we’ll see! If he does something wrong, just punish me!”

***
That evening, Zhang Si Niang went home early.

Wang Sanlang had already rented a mule cart from the car dealership. After running around all day, he was both surprised and delighted to hear that he would be working tomorrow.

The couple fed the mule plenty of fodder in the middle of the night and washed the mule, the cart, and even the bridle clean. The next morning, Wang Sanlang drove the cart and followed Master Xu to Suanzao Lane.

When Master Xu saw another car appear halfway down the road, he was quite surprised. When he learned that it was the new driver hired by the restaurant and Zhang Si Niang's husband, he was very unhappy and said, "Is this a long-term job, not a daily hire? Why didn't you tell me you were hiring a new person?"

When they arrived at the destination, they kept asking Wang Sanlang how much he was paid, what he had done before, and whether this was also a half-day job.

Wang Sanlang said, "I don't know yet. I came first because Miss Song was short-staffed."

"Since you're new here, that's perfect. My back has been bothering me lately. Go and get some oil, and fetch a bucket of water. Help me put some oil on my wheels and wash them."

Wang Sanlang had just suffered a loss in front of this man, so how could he possibly give him face?

"You go ahead with your work, I have important matters to attend to!"

After Wang Sanlang finished speaking, he tied up the mule, completely ignoring the man opposite him. He wiped the dust off the soles of his shoes with a cloth, strode into the gate of Song's shop, washed his hands in the backyard first, and then took the initiative to help carry things out.

Master Xu was furious.

Wang Sanlang was Zhang Siniang's husband. He was acquainted with Song Miao and Dabing when they were in Huazhou. After they came to the capital, he visited Song's shop several times and also got to know Cheng Erniang. He did everything without considering himself an outsider, carrying water, lifting pots, and moving steamers.

Seeing this, Master Xu felt increasingly uneasy.

Seeing that things were being moved, he wasn't in a hurry to help. Instead, he called out to Zhang Si Niang and asked, "Si Niang, does your Wang San Lang work full days or half days?"

"I don't know either, the second young lady hasn't been chosen yet." Zhang Si Niang tried to brush him off, but Master Xu was not so easily dismissed.

He immediately approached Cheng Erniang, explained the situation, and said, "I asked before, and I've been working here for quite some time. If you're hiring full-time staff, shouldn't you arrange for me first?"

Cheng Erniang said, "We'll talk about it when we get back at noon."

Master Xu is a seasoned veteran; something was off as soon as he heard that.

Just then, Wang Sanlang came out carrying two loads of dried meat. Master Xu pointed at him and said, "There's no explanation right now. He just asked me to take him along without any real commitment. We have a rule in the cart-driving business: we can't do things for free. He has to address me as 'Master,' kowtow to me, and give me a red envelope before I can think about whether or not to take him along!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Erniang said, "We hired a driver, not a driver. Master Xu, you should be more reliable and do your job well..."

"I painstakingly figured out this path, and now I'm handing it over to him without giving him any benefits? There's no logic to that. What if I teach my apprentice and then starve to death?"

Zhang Si Niang, Wang San Lang, and even Cheng Er Niang, thinking that they still needed him to help lead the way, were afraid that he would abandon them halfway, so they all came forward to persuade him.

Wang Sanlang said, "I'll give you a red envelope."

Seeing how tense everyone was, how could Master Xu not feel pleased?

He knew he held the key to the matter, and he knew that if he didn't act now, things would get even more difficult later. So he gave a cold laugh, flicked the towel off his shoulder, turned his back, slammed the carriage door shut, and shook his head, saying, "Red envelopes or not, how many copper coins do they add up to? If you had given them earlier, this wouldn't have happened. Right now, I just want to know about the job—if Second Madam can't make the decision, then call out Miss Song, otherwise you can forget about delivering breakfast!"

"I want to ask her what she means. You can't leave someone hanging halfway through life—take it or leave it. What does she take me for, Old Xu, for?"

Dabing hurriedly went in to deliver the message, and soon came out, saying, "My wife says that Second Mistress can do whatever she wants with me."

These words made Master Xu's face turn dark. He turned to Cheng Erniang and asked, "What do you mean?"

Cheng Erniang said, "We'll talk about it after we've delivered it!"

This sentence is like adding fuel to the fire.

Master Xu originally wanted to wait for the other party to give him a way out, but none of them did. Not only did they not give him a way out, they also tried to pull back the ladder, making him stand high up. He couldn't back down at all, and instead, he was really angered.

"If you don't give me a definite answer, then don't bother sending any of them!"

He yanked open the truck bed door, stepped outside, and yanked the outermost basket out, throwing it to the ground. He yelled, "Just because I'm not showing my teeth doesn't mean I'm a pushover! If it weren't for me, who would be willing to get up before dawn to deliver goods for you? Now that a new guy has arrived, he's getting cocky. If he's so capable, let him deliver the goods himself. Don't ask me to bring anyone. Let's see how he manages to deliver them!"

As he spoke, he went to pull the baskets inside again.

Wang Sanlang stepped forward to stop him, saying, "What are you doing!"

Everyone looked grim.

Zhang Si Niang and Da Bing suppressed their anger and went forward to persuade them.

Master Xu ignored him completely, just stood with his hands on his hips, legs spread wide, and pulled on the basket inside with one hand while sneering.

Cheng Erniang said, "You wait!"

She turned and went into the restaurant.

A short while later, Song Miao and she came out of the house together.

Upon arriving at Master Xu's place, Song Miao said, "Master, if you do things this way, my place is too small to accommodate you—let Second Sister calculate your wages, and we'll just work until today. You don't need to deliver anything today."

Master Xu knew best how much cargo Song Ji had right now. Because it was so early, there were no other drivers on the road. Although there was Wang Sanlang, he was a newcomer to Beijing and a novice.

Originally, he thought that even if it was just to avoid making mistakes, everyone in Songji would have to ask him to get through today first. He never expected that Song Miao would say something like this as soon as she opened her mouth.

Although he was a little flustered, he felt confident after checking the time and the goods in the carriage. He thought that Song Miao was waiting for him to back down and that he wanted to teach her a lesson. So he pulled Cheng Erniang aside and argued about the wages for a long time.

While they were still talking, Wang Sanlang and Zhang Siniang had already moved the things from Master Xu's car into their own, as instructed by Song Miao.

Master Xu kept stalling and making excuses, and finally couldn't come up with anything. Seeing that he had actually received his wages but no one was trying to stop him, he started to feel uneasy and asked, "I'm not trying to make things difficult for you—you can't deliver one truck right now, can you?"

Song Miao said, "No need to trouble yourself, Master Xu, hurry home—I've already heard you complain many times that doing this kind of early morning work is bad for your health!"

With that, she called everyone back into the house.

It was getting late, and as soon as she entered the door, Cheng Erniang couldn't help but whisper, "Madam, there's only one cart left. We have a lot of guests to take now, and I'm afraid we really won't make it in time. Should we explain to the guests and apologize?"

He added, "I'll pay for it myself and give them a replacement tomorrow!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "How much money does Second Madam have in total? If you deduct a little today and lose a little tomorrow, how can you support Xiaolian?"

Then he said seriously, "It may not be too late, but you will have to work harder."

As he spoke, he took out the blueprint from the day before and drew several lines connecting the various places on it. He said, "Today, three people in one vehicle, with a trailer. Second Madam knows the way. When you get to Sirong Street, get off the vehicle with the trailer and deliver food to the three streets of Wangxi. The road here is bumpy and the vehicle is not easy to drive."

They then arranged for Wang Sanlang to take Zhang Siniang to deliver the food via another route, following a "bow" shape. When they reached the end of the bow shape, they met up with Cheng Erniang, who had just finished delivering breakfast. Together, they circled north and delivered the food to both sides.

"It should be light by the time we get here. We've arrived at the Xu Family Martial Arts School, which is next to Baokang Gate and the dock. Every day around 3 AM, carriages and horses stop there to pick up passengers and goods. Second Madam, hire a carriage for Fourth Madam there to take passengers to the capital and the prefectural government offices. Make sure you tell the driver what's going on. The places are easy to find, so you won't get lost. You can find the rest of the way and take Third Brother with you to deliver the goods."

After listening, Cheng Erniang asked twice more. Although she was unsure whether it would work, she was at a loss, but after receiving Song Miao's instructions, she was relieved to simply follow them.

The three hurriedly grabbed lanterns and rushed to catch the carriage.

Everyone was nervous when they set off, but when they returned after dropping off the animals, everyone had a smile on their face.

Upon entering the room and seeing Song Miao, everyone had something to say.

Cheng Erniang said, "I didn't expect that by changing the order and dividing it like this, one cart could actually deliver everything! Just as I finished delivering, they arrived after I walked out of the alley! How did you calculate that, Madam?"

He added, "Afterwards, Wang Sanlang and I finished delivering the goods earlier than usual. In fact, if we had just left a quarter of an hour earlier, we wouldn't have needed to hire another carriage for Fourth Sister!"

He then asked, "My wife is so clever! I've been delivering things for so long, why don't you ever think of anything?"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Once you're familiar with the accounts, you can learn a little math and you'll naturally get it. The most important thing is to have a framework in mind and know what to do. Just break it down slowly. It's just that you should be more relaxed with two cars on weekdays, otherwise it might be too much of a hassle."

Zhang Si Niang laughed and said, "I can't take it apart either, and I don't understand it either. I just do it as instructed. No wonder you're the boss, I only know how to put in the effort! I was so anxious today! Actually, there was no need to rush! I arrived early at two places and had to wait a while before someone came to pick me up!"

Wang Sanlang said, "If I deliver the goods for another day, I'll be able to memorize the entire route!"

He rested briefly, found out that there were no orders to deliver in the afternoon, and then hurriedly took a bus to go out and find his way.

Song Miao deeply disliked the coachman's character and behavior, and predicted that he would likely cause trouble in the future. She did not intend to let him go so easily. Knowing that such a wretched man had no courage other than a foul mouth, she asked all the familiar patrolmen, as well as Sun, the village head, and the neighbors to help keep an eye out. If there was any sign of trouble, they were to report it.

Today's unexpected events were just a small ripple for Song Ji. On the contrary, because of the coachman's incident, they received news of the household shareholding system. Everyone made self-criticisms, rushed to deliver breakfast, and chased away Master Xu. They were very united in their hatred of the enemy. Originally, they were a bit unfamiliar with each other, but suddenly they became really familiar with each other.

Only Master Xu, who had initially assumed that Song Ji would definitely be late in delivering the goods and that for the sake of his reputation, he would at least be asked to come out of retirement today, and then figure out a way to borrow a donkey to get back on track—who would have thought that his mule cart would take half an hour to travel half a mile without anyone coming after him. He waited and waited, but could only stare blankly, feeling a chill in his heart, thinking to himself: No way, could I really have lost such a rare job? That shouldn't be!

(End of this chapter)