Miao Chu

Chapter 315 Portrait
Others might not know, but how could Xu Erlang not know which one, and what surname Han, he was?

But he really wasn't in the mood to find out. He stood there listening for a while, and seeing everyone whispering about what "Scholar Han" had mentioned, he felt utterly bored.

Actually, it was just a matter of checking for omissions and filling gaps, but those omissions and gaps were something I, who came from a security escort agency, had been in this restaurant for a day and a night, and had been setting up the restaurant with the head of the escort agency, had never expected!
It's not hard to think of, nor is it any profound insight. If there's any advantage, it's that the other person is very familiar with the restaurant, so they can often be a bit more meticulous than others.

A few points here, a few points there, all added up, make it seem like they're doing pretty well.

The more he listened, the more frustrated he felt. He realized that he hadn't shown any of his strengths this time, and instead had appeared quite timid.

But it's hard to find fault with the other party—because I really haven't thought things through enough.

Xu Erlang was feeling sullen and didn't want to linger any longer, lest he boost the morale of others and diminish his own.

He slowly walked to the back, just in time to see Song Miaozheng carrying a lamp and escorting Chief Qi out of the main kitchen. All his dejection vanished instantly, and he was overjoyed. He took a few steps forward, called out "Young Lady Song," and said, "I just went home and told my father about the patrol station at Nanxun Gate. My father said he is acquainted with one of the patrolmen there. I'll go and find out more about it first thing tomorrow morning!"

Song Miao quickly thanked her.

Qi, the镖头 (bodyguard), didn't say anything to Xu's face, but after finding a quiet place, he pulled Xu Erlang aside and asked, "Didn't I tell you to find the eldest sister? Why did you end up asking the head of the household?"

Xu Erlang grinned and said, "It's quite a coincidence. When I got home, I didn't see my mother, but I ran into my father, who was sitting in the hall sobering up. He seemed to have gone to Tongxingji to discuss two escort missions and had drunk quite a bit. He was in high spirits. As soon as I mentioned it, he took it on and said he would go and inquire about it tomorrow."

Chief镖师 Qi stamped his foot and said, "Hey! You brat, why don't you listen to orders? I told you to find the eldest sister, and if she's not here, you should at least ask around and wait!"

Xu Erlang asked, puzzled, "Aren't they all the same?"

"Don't you know your own father? He's drunk, and he drinks at Tongxingji. He won't leave the house without three or four jars of liquor. He may look okay and be able to keep up the conversation, but his brain is already completely drunk. When he wakes up tomorrow, he won't be fully awake until after noon. By then, he won't remember anything about Nanxunmen or Beixunmen!"

Xu Erlang was quite regretful and said, "What should we do? I've asked around, but I can't find my mother. She said she went to patrol the warehouse, but I don't know where she is—Uncle Qi, you know that people who patrol the warehouse usually spend the night there. Even if we go back now, I'm afraid we won't be able to find her for a while..."

Qi, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), sighed and said, "This is your first time, so you're a bit inexperienced. You'll learn to lead a few more times in the future and you'll know when to ask whom for help. Otherwise, if you promise a customer something but can't keep it the next day, the most important thing for us镖师 is 'reputation'. Even if it's a small matter, if it happens once this time and again tomorrow, and then twice, no one will dare to trust you anymore!"

He added, "Why don't you go back first thing tomorrow morning and wake your father up to go to Nanxun Gate? Or you can arrange for some people to go find your mother tonight and ask her to make proper arrangements. If neither of these works, you'll have to explain things clearly to Miss Song. Don't wait until the last minute and then have nothing to say and let things fall apart!"

Xu Erlang thought for a long time. He didn't want to make the bodyguards travel in the middle of the night, nor did he want to show weakness in front of Song Miao and make her think that he was unreliable. Finally, he said, "Everyone in Song's shop gets up early. I'll go back early tomorrow and wake my father up!"

He then said with shame, "It's because I'm young and didn't think things through; I almost made a fool of myself!"

Seeing that the younger man looked rather listless, Chief Qi wanted to encourage him, so he said, "It's normal that you can't take care of everything perfectly this time. I'll keep an eye on things for you, and all the other brothers will help. Just go ahead and do it!"

He added, “Don’t say such discouraging things. Being young has its advantages—look at that Han scholar who came today. He seems a little younger than you, but he’s already very experienced and meticulous in his work, and he’s also very humble. He said he’ll come again tomorrow. You young people should get to know him better…”

Hearing his own people praising him so haphazardly, and then hearing the words "I'll come again tomorrow," Xu Erlang felt like he was about to spit out a mouthful of blood.

He was eager to make a name for himself, so he volunteered to work the night shift and didn't go to sleep until almost 1 AM.

And Song Miao, unusually, didn't go to bed early that night either.

She called Wang Sanlang to the front hall, fetched paper and pen, and asked him to draw the old man's appearance she had seen the day before. As she drew, she made corrections based on his description, and it wasn't until nearly midnight that she returned to her room.

She lay in bed with her eyes closed, but her mind slowly went through what had happened.

He could easily summon a patrolman to come to such a far place in the middle of the night, and once again he could take out several hundred strings of cash to buy off debts from others, and call on many hooligans and ruffians to help him. His actions were very familiar—nine times out of ten, it was still that same Master Wu.

It just needs to be confirmed.

I've asked a lot of people for help and hired bodyguards, but I'm still on guard and in a very passive position.

There is only the saying "a thousand days to steal, but a thousand days to guard against thieves."

Let alone a long time, even if it lasts a few more days, firstly, hiring bodyguards would be very expensive, and secondly, constantly having someone protect them would be very inconvenient and not a good solution.

If all else fails, we must take the initiative to lure the snake out of its hole; otherwise, we'll have to wait until the year of the monkey and the horse.

Song Miao pondered for a while, thinking about it until midnight before finally falling asleep.

The next day, she got up a little later than usual and prepared everything in the restaurant. After changing her shoes, she went out the second gate and saw a man binding his legs and clothes in the hall. It was Xu Erlang.

She greeted him and then said, "Mr. Xu, I need to go out now. Could you please arrange for a bodyguard to accompany me?"

Xu Erlang was about to go to the Xu Family Escort Agency with the breakfast delivery cart when he heard Song Miao say this. His mouth opened faster than his brain, and he immediately said, "I'll go with Miss Song!"

Upon hearing this, Chief Escort Qi, who had been standing to the side, immediately turned around.

Song Miao didn't think much of it, replied a few words, and went back to the backyard to pack her things.

While she was away, Chief Escort Qi couldn't help but call out to Xu Erlang, and then reminded him, "Weren't you going back to find your master?"

Xu Erlang exclaimed "Ah!" and came to his senses, saying, "Let me see if I can arrange for another brother to go back. It's just a matter of who delivers the message, so it doesn't really matter, does it?"

Qi, the镖头 (bodyguard), shook his head and said, "Second Brother, don't think I talk too much—some things can be delegated to others, but some things I have to do myself."

Seeing Xu Erlang's hesitant expression, he continued, "If you send someone back to relay the message, firstly, how would they know the details? Secondly, with the master lying in bed, who among the servants would dare to go in and wake him up?"

Qi, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), was an experienced镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and he always kept his word. Now, with Song Miao as his client, his mind was already filled with the steamed buns, glutinous rice, roasted pork, and dried meat. After tasting "Song cuisine" for the first time yesterday, he was also craving the crispy steamed buns, roasted ribs, roasted pork neck, and roasted pork rinds. His mind and eyes were completely filled with delicious food, and he felt particularly obliged to do his best to get things done for her.

Seeing Xu Erlang's hesitant expression, he assumed it was just a junior shirking his duties and said, "If you don't want to run, I can go back for you. It'll be the same as yesterday. Either I stay at the restaurant, or I go back to the escort agency and you stay at the restaurant. One of us needs to stay behind, otherwise, if anything happens, it'll be difficult for others to make decisions."

Xu Erlang was too embarrassed to say that he wanted to spend more time with the young lady. Fearing that he would be labeled "lazy" if he was slow to respond, he hurriedly said, "I'll go! I'll go! Uncle Qi, I really didn't mean to not want to run away!"

So when Song Miao finished packing and came out, the person waiting for her changed from Xu Erlang to another bodyguard who was over forty years old.

Qi, the镖头 (bodyguard), laughed and said, "Erlang was worried that things wouldn't be handled properly, so he made the trip himself. I'll find a more reliable person to accompany you."

Song Miao didn't think much of it, thanked him, hailed a mule cart, and, carrying some snacks, went to Tianyuan Hall with the bodyguard. When Doctor Lin saw Song Miao arrive, carrying so many snacks—all her favorites from yesterday, especially the freshly fried pickled ham slices—he was overjoyed and couldn't help but say, "You've come all this way, and brought such a generous gift! Ah! You're putting me in a difficult position—aside from the customary tuition, I never accept gifts from my apprentices' families!"

Upon hearing this, several disciples nearby showed anxious expressions, and one of them couldn't help but cry out, "Master! Please accept it this time!"

"Yes! This was specially brought by Sister Song. She specifically mentioned yesterday that the aroma of these fried cured ham slices will dissipate if left out for too long!"

The cleverer ones had already slipped away to the back and called out to Xiao Lian, who was learning to identify and make medicine, "Cheng Lian! Cheng Lian! Your sister Song is here! She brought lots of delicious things!"

She then whispered to her senior sister who was teaching and guiding others, "We had fried cured chicken legs like that yesterday!"

Xiaolian was overjoyed to learn that Song Miao had come, though she didn't know why. Not daring to make a decision on her own, she turned to look at the senior sister who had helped her identify the herbs. She was a little timid at first, wondering how to ask for a leave of absence, when she saw the person opposite her swallow hard and say, "It's rare for Song... it's rare for your family to come over—go and take a look quickly, and come back later to add the other two herbs!"

Not only that, this person also put down the medicine he was preparing halfway through, and without minding the trouble, took off his cloth gloves, hurriedly took off the outer garment, hood, sleeves and other things he had specially worn when making medicine, quickly wrapped them up, piled them aside, and then turned to Xiaolian and said: "I also saw that Madam Song yesterday. I will go with you and say hello to her!"

Meanwhile, another person who had also gone to Song's restaurant yesterday, upon hearing this, couldn't help but smack his lips and stare blankly for a moment. As if he had thought of something, he followed suit and hurriedly said, "I'll go too! I know Sister Song too! I ate so many good things when I visited yesterday. Today she's coming, and Master used to teach us to reciprocate—we should at least go and greet her!"

Before long, others gathered around.

"Which Sister Song? Is it the Sister Song we ate glutinous rice and steamed buns with??"

"Was the mung bean cake that Xiaolian brought last time also made by this Sister Song?"

"Xiao Lian, was the roasted pork and char siu you had for lunch last time also made by Sister Song? The one where you shared a piece of half-fat and half-lean meat with me?"

Xiao Lian had no choice but to agree to each and every one of them.

So, before she could even react, she was already sandwiched in the middle and being led ahead.

As I walked, I encountered people who asked me questions.

"Aren't we in class? Where are you going?"

"Aren't you afraid your master will see this and nag you?"

"Why are there so many people, in such a large formation? What are they doing here?"

Everyone chimed in, each trying to get a reply.

"Someone from Cheng Lian's family has come! We need to go with them!"

"I went to visit with my master yesterday and was entertained by Mrs. Song from the Song family. I'm going to say hello now!"

"It's Sister Song, the one who made those awful steamed buns last night!"

Each one of them was stealing the show.

As they walked, even Xiaolian began to have doubts: who was going to meet the family visitor this time?
As the crowd grew larger and larger, they finally arrived at their destination, but before they even got close, they saw many more people gathered outside the windows and doors of the house. They were all looking inside, but when they saw the crowd approaching, they all exclaimed, "Oh my! Second Senior Sister is here! Fifth Junior Sister is here!"

"Senior Sister Guan Lan is here too!"

"Junior Brother Meng is there!!"

"Quick! Quick! Master is looking for you!"

A group of people were inexplicably pushed through the door, and there sat a woman sitting at the table in the middle – it was none other than Miss Song.

Meanwhile, his master sat to the side, staring intently at a painting on the table. Hearing the commotion and seeing everyone enter, and noticing the large group of people rushing in, he showed no anger. Instead, he immediately called over the disciples who had come with him yesterday, saying, "Come here quickly—look at this painting and see if it resembles the swindler you met yesterday!"

Children can't keep secrets.

Yesterday, the four of them went out with their master and had a great meal. On the way, they encountered some scoundrels who were trying to extort money from them. The scoundrels were very arrogant, but their master saw through them at a glance. They were just charlatans who were just trying to scam people. In the end, they were sent to the clinic for inspection. The news spread throughout the clinic almost the next morning.

Upon hearing that they were to identify the portrait of the old man who had extorted money yesterday, everyone practically shoved forward, eager to see it.

However, upon seeing the portrait on the paper, the room fell into complete silence for a moment. Although there were a dozen or twenty people standing there, all that could be heard was the chirping and arguing of a few insects outside.

Whether it looks like the real thing or not, most people haven't seen it with their own eyes and can't tell for sure, but to be honest, this painting is just too real and too lifelike!

The drawing paper was vertical and long, about a foot long and a little over half a foot wide. On it was drawn an old man with squinting eyes, a pursed mouth, a small mole on his left cheek, a square face, sunken eyes, and very small ears with little to no earlobes, almost completely flat against his scalp. From the front, you couldn't see his ears. On his right ear, there was a scar the size of a fingernail, as if he had been burned by something.

This portrait is unlike any of the portraits on wanted posters that people usually see. It is obviously made up of lines, but it looks particularly detailed and vivid. The nose on the paper is straight, the turban is upright, you can tell the curve of the sunken eyes, and you can also see how sunken the mouth is—as if a person's face is vividly appearing in front of you.

The disciple who was closest couldn't resist reaching out to touch it, but was stopped just as he was about to touch the paper.

As she looked up, she saw that Miss Song was whispering a reminder to her: "The pen is made of lead—the herbal medicine says it's poisonous, so don't touch it."

After a while, one of the disciples who had seen the old man yesterday said, "He looks like him, but not quite. His face seems to have some cheekbones—he is thin in the painting, but I can't see his cheekbones."

The portrait on the paper was naturally drawn according to Wang Sanlang's description.

However, he had only met the old man once, and although his impression of him was deep, his description might not be entirely accurate. Therefore, the portrait that Song Miao drew based on his description looked both like and unlike the old man.

When they arrived at Tianyuan Hall, with the help of several disciples and Doctor Lin, they revised the portrait again and again. When the final draft was completed, one of the disciples couldn't help but say, "If I see someone important with this portrait, I will definitely recognize them at a glance!"

As for Doctor Lin, in addition to his admiration, he asked, "Young lady, where did you learn such painting skills? Can you teach us? It would be wonderful if you could use them to draw medicinal herbs for us!"

Song Miao smiled and said she would look at it again later. She thanked everyone, took the portrait, and went straight to the Kyoto government office.

(End of this chapter)