Miao Chu

Chapter 259 Blocking the hole
After dealing with the people, Old Lady Feng and Butcher Shen went to Song's shop to claim credit.

Song Miaoyi thanked them and then had tea, snacks, and fruit served.

Both sides were eager to sit down and talk. One person boasted about how eloquent they were and how sharp their nails were, while the other boasted about how many people they had and how imposing they were, all afraid of falling behind and having someone else steal their credit.

Everyone was so thirsty and hungry from talking that they finished all the snacks before saying goodbye.

Before leaving, they all made promises.

"Don't worry, my lady! You go ahead with your business. I have plenty of people here to watch over things for you. You don't need to handle anything. If he dares to even flinch, I'll beat him up first and then send him to the authorities!"

In cases like this, if the authorities are involved, the matter will likely be downplayed or even forgotten. It would be more effective to fight fire with fire and give them a beating. After all, these butchers not only know how to slaughter pigs, but they also know how to beat people. They won't injure or maim them; they'll only cause them pain!
Some people won't learn their lesson unless they get a good beating!

Old Lady Feng, accompanied by her daughter and son-in-law, was outnumbered and at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. She quickly interjected, "Don't worry, my wife. My family has many members who will keep an eye on things for you every day. My son-in-law's brother is also a cart driver. When we get back, he'll spread the word at the cart company and make sure that old bastard doesn't dare to cause any more trouble!"

As she spoke, she turned her head and winked at her son-in-law.

When the mother-in-law spoke, she was even more concerned than the daughter-in-law, so the son-in-law hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Miss Song! I'll go back and find someone right away! I won't even call them tonight!"

With both sides gone, everyone in Songji breathed a sigh of relief.

Only the two hired women managed to finish their work quickly, half an hour earlier than usual. They were thinking of hurrying back to deliver the message and claim credit, but little did they know that things were so unpredictable and the matter was resolved so quickly that the people had already been arrested before the workday ended.

The two breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that thankfully the restaurant's reputation hadn't been affected and their livelihoods hadn't been cut off. On the other hand, they couldn't help but curse Master Xu in their hearts.

—You'd better be capable!
I was caught so quickly, I didn't even have a chance to show off!
Seeing that the two had finished their work, Song Miao called them out and got straight to the point: "You two have been working here for quite some time now. Several others came before, but either they weren't skilled enough and we asked them to leave, or they couldn't stand the strict rules and resigned. But Second Madam has told me several times, and Fourth Madam and Dabing have also praised you, saying that you are both quick and efficient and reliable."

She paused for a moment, then said, "I've long wanted to hire you two to do this job all day long. Besides washing and cleaning, there are other things to do as well—I wonder if you'd be willing?"

Such an unexpected surprise is like a dream come true; who could refuse it?
The two women eagerly agreed, patting their chests to assure them that they would do their best and not disappoint their wives.

Song Miao said, "Let's try it out for now. Not only can you try working at the restaurant, but you two can also try it out and see if it suits you. Tomorrow, Second Madam will talk to you about your wages."

Although the two were on short-term contracts, they had been working with Song Ji for a long time and were almost always together. Under the same roof, many things could not be kept secret, so they naturally knew about the so-called "household shareholding".

They thought they had arrived early and were determined to do their best to get into the house. They were discussing things with each other, practically floating on air.

***
As soon as the two hired men left, Cheng Erniang came forward. Seeing that no one was around, she called out to Song Miao and asked, "Does Madam have some free time?"

Song Miao first offered him a seat, then asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Cheng Erniang wrung her hands, lowered her head, and said, "I'm really ashamed. Madam, why don't you give this position of manager to someone else..."

Song Miao had noticed that Cheng Erniang was in a bad mood these past two days. When Cheng Erniang brought it up herself, Song Miao didn't rush to persuade her. Instead, she said, "If you want to hand it over to someone else, who do you think would be suitable?"

“I think Zhang Si Niang is quite good. She’s efficient. She worked with my wife in Huazhou for two months before, and now that she’s in the capital, she’s familiar with things and people…” Cheng Er Niang’s voice lowered as she spoke. “I’ve thought about it carefully. Compared to me, Si Niang is only illiterate and can’t do math. But I didn’t know how to do math either. My wife taught me everything. Now that she’s here, she’ll be able to learn in less than two months.”

Song Miao thought for a moment and said, "Why do you want to give up your seat? What's your reasoning?"

"It's still about the coachman... I've caused such a huge mess, making everyone upside down. If it weren't for my wife stepping in to clean up the mess, things wouldn't be resolved yet..."

As she spoke, she became increasingly disheveled and embarrassed.

"Actually, I wasn't entirely satisfied with him at first, but I was always busy, and Master Xu took the initiative to ask me. I thought it was better to use someone I knew well than someone I didn't, even though he had some minor flaws..."

"He acted so attentive and considerate in front of me, but I was so blind to it. I misjudged him and made such a big mistake. How could I be worthy of being the housekeeper's wife..."

Song Miao said, "Zhang Si Niang has her own advantages, but doesn't Er Niangzi have them too?"

“I trust you and want to appoint you as my manager, not only because you were the first one to come, but also because I respect your honesty, reliability, and meticulousness. This time you only apologize, but am I not wrong?”

"If you have to replace someone every time you make a mistake, there are countless people in the world to replace—and the first one you want to replace is me. According to your logic, haven't I misjudged you and misused you?"

Cheng Erniang was stunned for a moment and said, "How can they be the same!"

Song Miao said, “I trust you so much, and you really care about me. So don’t worry about feeling ashamed. Just think about how to manage people and things. If you think Zhang Si Niang is good, then use her good qualities. If you think she is good at recognizing people, then ask her more questions about recognizing people in the future, or you can entrust her with the task. If you think Da Bing is good at managing people, then entrust the task of managing people to Da Bing.”

"The more capable people you have under your command, the more you need to learn how to use them effectively, rather than thinking of giving up your position at the slightest problem."

At this point, Song Miaofu asked again, "Having already made a mistake once, you should avoid making the same mistake again in the future. That would truly be for my own good—is that right?"

Cheng Erniang choked up and couldn't speak.

Seeing her like this, Song Miao changed the subject, saying, "There's something I wanted to ask you about. I've been watching Xiaolian practice calligraphy and memorizing texts lately, and she's been very diligent. Her interest in medicine isn't just a passing fancy; she's patient and hardworking, just like Second Sister. She's very resilient. A few days ago, I asked Old Master Chen for a favor..."

She briefly explained the matter, and then said, "Today, the master came and said that Doctor Lin sent word that Xiaolian should come to visit after the seventh day of the month. She wants to test her teaching skills before deciding whether to accept her or not. Tell Xiaolian not to be nervous and just to be herself."

Cheng Erniang suddenly raised her head and hurriedly said, "It's actually a doctor from Tianyuan Hall! Why didn't you say anything beforehand, Madam? You did such a great thing in secret! I never even dared to dream of it! Madam, my daughter and I... we really don't know how to thank you enough!!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Why thank me? The matter hasn't been completed yet. If you really want to thank someone, you should thank Mr. Chen."

She had been very serious before, but her voice softened as she spoke: "Second Mistress, you should be more spirited and not be so timid. They say that daughters resemble their mothers. If you don't become independent, what will happen when Xiaolian enters the clinic? She could have been the head, but because she made a mistake and learned to act like you, she will give the position to someone else. When you find out later, won't you be heartbroken?"

Cheng Erniang was startled and terrified.

"You're being far too hard on yourself, aside from the sake of the restaurant and Xiaolian."

The most important thing is for yourself—do you really think you can't do it?

Upon hearing this, Cheng Erniang's heart truly felt like it was boiling water, burning with intense heat.

She raised her head and said, "Please trust me one more time, my wife. I will do my best and live up to my own expectations, and I will not let you down!"

Song Miao said, "I have trusted Second Sister more than once or twice. Just go for it—if you make a mistake, just correct it. What's so scary about making a mistake?"

"I said before, there are no perfect people in the world. For example, do I not have any flaws, no mistakes, and am I perfect in everything?"

"Wasn't it thanks to your help and guidance that I was able to keep this restaurant afloat?"

She stood up with a smile, raised her chin, and said, "Go ahead and get busy!"

Cheng Erniang responded emphatically, rolled up her sleeves, and strode towards the backyard.

As the woman from Fuzhou walked, she couldn't help but shower her employer with countless halos of praise, thinking to herself—even so, the example the woman gave was really wrong, her own husband was clearly a perfect person!
From then on, for decades in Echigo, no matter what position she held or what task she was given, Cheng Erniang never uttered a word of refusal again. She always gave her all and did her best to fulfill any assignment she received, never failing to live up to expectations again.

***
Seeing that the aftermath of the coachman's incident was gradually subsiding and things were going smoothly in the restaurant, Song Miao finally found some time to go to the home of Yang Mian, her senior brother from Liang Yan Martial Arts School, and to find his uncle.

The other party was indeed an expert. After hearing what Song Miao said, although he had never done the same thing before, he quickly realized what was going on. After thinking for a while, he said, "I can do it, but I only know how to make stoves. As for the rotating hook that hangs down from the top of the stove that you mentioned, I don't know how to do it."

Song Miao said, "Uncle, just focus on making the stove and leaving an opening in the corresponding place. As for the hook, I'll find someone to help me make it later!"

The two returned to the Song family and quickly decided on the location to build the furnace. They agreed to build two furnaces, one large and one small, and also negotiated the price.

Perhaps out of consideration for his nephew being a fellow apprentice, Uncle Yang was indeed very polite and offered a very fair price. After receiving the deposit, he couldn't help but ask, "Young lady, what do you plan to use this stove for?" "Roast chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, quail, and also pork and mutton. Any kind of meat or poultry can be roasted."

"But surely such a tall and large furnace isn't necessary?" Uncle Yang exclaimed in surprise.

Song Miao smiled and said, "I originally wanted to make a ground stove, but there is a lot of rain in spring and summer, and I was afraid that digging would cause water to accumulate and be difficult to clean. If it were just ordinary poultry, I could make a smaller one, but I also want to use it to roast pigs. This pig is not a suckling pig, but a large pig."

"Will roasted pig taste good?" Uncle Yang couldn't help but ask.

"Whether it's delicious or not, it's not up to me to say. Once the oven is finished, if you have the chance, come and have a bite and you'll know. Big pigs are different from small pigs; they have less fat, so they're more fragrant when roasted and less greasy."

"I have a technique and a seasoning. After marinating, the skin is extra thick and crispy, and the meat is very juicy. When grilled over bamboo charcoal, the meat is fragrant, tender, and has a crispy texture. The pork belly, neck, pork shank, and pork intestines are especially delicious. The pork skin is dipped in sugar, and the pork is dipped in sauce..."

As Song Miao spoke, Uncle Yang across from her swallowed hard.

He hurriedly said, "If there's a big pig, young lady, please save me a good cut of meat!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "Okay! But we need to test the oven a few times first, so we don't dare to use a big pig. We'll see then. I can not only roast a big pig, but also roast goose and roast duck. Actually, the most suitable one is a squab, because it is small in portion, one for each person, and it is not difficult to eat!"

Uncle Yang swallowed hard and laughed, "I see now, young lady, you're not really going to pay me for my work—once the stove is finished, you'll probably bake a few batches and I'll get my money back for building it!"

He went on and on, repeatedly instructing, "You can eat other things, but I've rarely heard of that big pig—if you really make it, be sure to save some for me!"

On one side, Uncle Yang found a few laborers, brought people, and collected materials. They went into the backyard of Song's restaurant and started building a furnace with clanging and banging. On the other side, in Nanlu Academy, there was also clanging and banging as they blocked the dog hole.

When the passing students saw what was happening and saw the instructor standing nearby, none of them dared to approach. They hurriedly ran away, relaying messages to each other and asking around to find out what had happened. They were all extremely anxious.

Inside the classroom, an old scholar sat in a chair with a grim expression. Long time had passed, and he hadn't even turned a single page of the text in front of him.

Finally, a group of people entered the room, and they were all talking about it.

"Unbelievable! They shut it down just like that!"

"If you're going to manage things so strictly, you should at least improve the kitchen, like the Imperial Academy, and provide more subsidies for the students. If you also adopted the three-dormitory system, students would definitely be more willing to work hard!"

"Are you dreaming? The Imperial Academy can do this because it receives subsidies from the imperial court. Does the Southern Hills have that? Not to mention the students, even the Imperial Academy's kitchen staff receive subsidies from the imperial court!"

"But we can't do it this way. It's better to guide than to block. If we seal the dog hole today, won't they just dig another one tomorrow?"

"They said that if the emperor were to descend and inspect our academy, seeing the dog hole and students crawling in and out would be quite an eyesore, so they sealed it off..."

"Do you believe it?"

As they were talking, everyone looked at the old scholar behind them.

One person couldn't help but ask, "Master Ruan, I heard that Lin Yiwen's father went to see Headmaster Xu—is that true?"

Master Ruan blushed and said, "I am ashamed. It was my meddling that brought this undeserved disaster upon the academy..."

"What... what exactly happened?"

Master Ruan was too ashamed to speak, so he waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this. It's just that I didn't plan ahead. Alas!"

He sighed and went out the door.

Who would have thought that Lin Yiwen's father would be so unreasonable?

When I went to visit them, they were quite polite, but their words were very forceful. After much persuasion, they finally gave in—they said they would let the young lady from the Song family become my concubine!

That's outrageous!!
After I took my leave, I thought the matter was over, but who knew that the other party would come looking for the headmaster shortly afterward.

No one knows what he said, but as soon as Lin's father left, Headmaster Xu called the students over and ordered them to seal the dog hole in the outer wall. He also ordered people to patrol day and night to prevent any student from sneaking out.

Others might not know what happened, but Master Ruan could guess most of it.

—It was most likely that Lin's father who filed a complaint!

It was all my own unintentional mistake. Not only were the instructors forced to patrol day and night, but many teachers were also called on to help. As for the students, they were even more pitiful!

Sigh... Selfishness has led to this. It's a pity for Lin Yiwen to have such a father. Even worse is myself. I have no face to face the other professors!

Master Ruan left, unaware that people behind him had already begun to gossip about him.

There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. He sent an invitation to the Lin family, but was met with a cold shoulder. In the end, the incident of sealing off the dog hole in the academy in the middle of the day became known to almost everyone.

"Old Ruan is too naive. If he had just asked around more and observed how the Lin and Song families were acting, he would have known most of the situation!"

"It's probably because Lin Yiwen writes such good articles that he was moved by his talent!"

"I'm only saying this to you all. This student... sigh, what good is his writing if his character is like this? Besides, it's not even the best. Let alone comparing him to the Imperial Academy, even within our own academy, he wouldn't rank among the top ten!"

"Stop talking, Old Ruan is coming in!"

"Never mind, it might not be because of Lin Yiwen's father. Perhaps it really is the emperor himself who has descended, which is why we have no choice but to block the hole..."

"Come on, even if the emperor were to descend, he'd only be patrolling the dikes, not coming here."

***
"...Supplies and troops have all been mobilized, and we can set off immediately should anything happen in Huazhou..."

On the river, Emperor Zhao Yu was personally leading a group of officials on a patrol of the dike.

Recently, the river has swelled dramatically. A letter from the west says that there has been continuous rainfall upstream. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau also says that rain is imminent in the capital region, and the summer flood season is likely to arrive.

He was very worried. He personally inspected all the dikes and canals and listened to the reports from his subordinates. Finally, he felt a little relieved.

Finally, the trip came to an end, and Zhao Yu was about to set off when he saw several people standing in the crowd not far away. They all had gray hair and sparse beards.

He stepped over.

Seeing that the group was about to bow, he quickly said, "No need for formalities, I didn't expect to trouble you gentlemen like this..."

He offered another round of gentle words of comfort.

Opposite them were Chen, Cao, and several other senior scholars from the Imperial Academy.

After exchanging a few words, Zhao Yu inquired about the students' situation and the health of the old men. As they spoke, Cao Du suddenly wiped away a tear and said, "His Majesty visited the Imperial Academy several years ago, and the students eagerly spread the word. During those years, without much encouragement, everyone knew to strive for excellence. Now, this place is not far from the Imperial Academy, and I dare to ask—does this group of students have any chance to see His Majesty's face?"

The Imperial Academy was originally a place where young scholars and the emperor's disciples gathered.

Zhao Yu agreed, "I was just about to go and meet the outstanding new students!"

(End of this chapter)