Miao Chu

Chapter 341 Giving Way
The speaker was a man. No sooner had he finished speaking than a woman from next door approached and asked in a low voice, "Could you two gentlemen help me buy some steamed buns? My daughter is getting married tomorrow, and she always loves Song's food. I came here specifically to buy some for her, but I didn't realize it was so early, and I can't even see the head of the queue—I'll pay twenty…no! twenty-five coins, could you help me bring some out from the kitchen?"

Wang Chang reacted quickly; upon hearing this, a chill ran down his spine.

Twenty-five coins?

Oh no!

Right now, both the restaurant and Song Ji in the food alley have long queues every day, and the supply is already insufficient to meet the demand. Suddenly, so many outsiders have appeared, all willing to pay such high prices. Won't it be even harder to buy food from Song Ji in the future?

Upon hearing this, the man exclaimed, "Hey! Why are you raising the price?"

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Your son's first birthday celebration can be rescheduled. Besides, he's so young and lives in Beijing all the time. He'll probably never get tired of it and will have plenty of opportunities in the future! My daughter, on the other hand, is married far away. Every bite she eats is one less bite she has to eat, and I'm so anxious!"

"Then I'll offer twenty-five coins—please don't raise the price any further, a steamed bun only costs a few coins!"

The two were still discussing when Cheng Zijian sensed something was wrong and quickly said, "Please wait a moment, we have to go out on business and can't help you—please find someone else!"

He already had a face that looked like he was asking for directions, and now, as he spoke, he kept bowing and making polite gestures, making him seem even more approachable.

The two immediately moved a few steps closer.

"Young man! Young buddy! Could you do me a favor and buy this before you leave? I'll give you an extra five coins!"

"Yes, yes! I'll add five more coins, and together we'll have sixty coins. You students of the Imperial Academy are so wealthy, there must be gold in the books. You don't even care about this much money? Don't you want to earn it?"

For just running an errand, one could earn sixty coins. Not to mention Cheng Zijian, who relied entirely on subsidies to make a living, even Wang Chang, whose family was doing quite well, couldn't help but be tempted.

However, seeing this scene in the food alley, the two were even more anxious to go to Song's shop to report the news. They looked at each other and said in unison, "It really is urgent!"

"You should find someone else. With this much money, someone will definitely help you—if it weren't for today, I would have made the trip for you! You wouldn't need to pay so much for helping out!"

Almost as soon as he finished saying the word "了", several students came out from behind.

As soon as they peeked out, a crowd of people squeezed in, asking one after another, "Brother, young man! Did you buy it? Did you buy it?"

"What about mine? My three steamed buns!"

"I am the roasted pork and char siu steamed bun! The one the Emperor specifically named as 'using this to support scholars'!"

"I have eight here!"

"Mine is also a roasted pork and char siu steamed bun, I have six!"

A group of people asked questions while making gestures to eagerly greet him.

However, the students who came out all looked ashamed. They had no food boxes, baskets, or bundles in their hands, only small cloth bags.

"Oh dear, I'm too late—they're all sold out. I'll refund your money!"

"Not to mention steamed buns, there's no more glutinous rice, steamed rice cakes, or even any food made by the kitchen itself—if there's none today, we'll have to hurry tomorrow!"

"Not only did we not have any, but the school officials caught us and gave us a lecture, saying that we were buying low and selling high to profit from it, which disgraced the reputation of scholars!"

The students muttered amongst themselves as they counted their money.

The people gathered outside were getting anxious.

"Oh, what kind of profiteering is this! We just wanted to take advantage of this! And they only gave us a few dollars!"

"Exactly! Exactly! These school officials are really unethical!"

"We were just giving it to you students out of kindness, that's why you bought it for us!"

"Ugh!"

"Why are all officials like this!"

"Shameless! You have plenty to eat, you're all fat and bloated, so you won't share the food with outsiders! What's wrong with the students earning a little money! What's wrong with us getting a little bit of royal aura!"

"I was just saying that my nephew is going to take an exam at the academy, and I was going to buy him some books to help him improve his literary skills! But I ran into these busybodies who don't do anything productive! What bad luck!"

The poor academic officials, who originally wanted to protect the name of the Imperial Academy and the reputation of the scholars, were instead subjected to a barrage of insults from outsiders.

The two who had been surrounding Cheng Zijian and Wang Chang also looked rather displeased.

Seeing this, Wang Chang suggested to the man who was about to perform the baby's first birthday celebration, "If all else fails, brother, just buy a few steamed buns. How can a child tell the difference?"

"No! No! I want the top scholar's steamed buns from the Imperial Academy. You can just buy a few anywhere else. They weren't praised by the Emperor. How can that be considered a meaningful gift?"

The woman who was buying steamed buns for her married daughter also mustered her spirits and suggested, "If all else fails, why don't you talk to those scholars and ask them to see which road the Emperor passed by yesterday, and help him pick a leaf from a tree, or some flower or grass, for your child's first birthday celebration? At least it'll be something from the Imperial Academy, and he can absorb a little bit of literary talent!"

That's not difficult.

However, the man immediately shook his head and said, "Sister, what are you joking about! With all this stuff on the ground, what child would grab the flowers and grass? If it were a good steamed bun, smelling the aroma, they would definitely grab it, and not only grab it, they would bite it!"

He paused, then said, "Besides, if we really catch the flowers and grass, even though they belong to the Imperial Academy, what if they spend all their time looking at flowers and grass and don't like to do anything serious?"

The woman quickly drew inferences and asked, "But what if you grab a steamed bun and then spend all your time eating steamed buns instead of doing any real work?"

The man was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting such a statement, and his mind couldn't process it.

The two were talking quite loudly, and people nearby had already heard them.

Suddenly a passerby interjected, "Isn't this perfect? ​​It means your son will be able to eat the emperor's steamed buns in the future, which means he'll be paid by the court and become an official!"

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes lit up, and he called out to those around him, "Does anyone have any Imperial Academy steamed buns? Could I have one? Just one!! My baby is having his first birthday celebration, it's really important!! I'm willing to pay fifty coins! Fifty coins for one!"

Immediately, someone muttered, "Those who managed to buy some have already gone home. Everyone gathered here failed to get any!"

Another kind person pointed to the long queue ahead and said, "This is Song's queue. The steamed buns at the Imperial Academy are bought from her. If you're in a hurry, you can queue here too. But those steamed buns have never been to the Imperial Academy, so I don't know if they'll be effective!"

"Most likely! His Majesty praised the 'Imperial Academy steamed buns,' and her family's steamed buns are 'steamed buns for the Imperial Academy,' right? Why don't you wait until tomorrow?"

"That won't do!" the man hurriedly said.

Just as he was about to step forward, someone in front of him turned around and said, "What are you queuing for? Did you see that sign over there?"

Everyone followed the man's directions and saw a sign next to a man in the distance. He took a few steps forward and dragged the sign along with him.

The man continued, “From where the signboard starts, even if you go further down the line, you won’t be able to buy anything—even if the Emperor didn’t come to praise this steamed bun, Song’s breakfast is never enough! And you’re still here 'knowing' this?”

The food alley was already quite crowded in the morning, but now a large number of people who had heard about it had suddenly arrived, making it completely congested.

Cheng Zijian squeezed his way out and saw Song Ji's stall. He saw that the stall was selling flatbreads with a hired woman. He quickly called out to her and asked, "Yesterday His Majesty praised Miss Song's steamed buns. I'm afraid the news will spread today. Does she know? Should we go and inform her so that the eateries can make preparations?"

Dabing wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, then quickly washed his hands before continuing to serve the glutinous rice. Stealing a moment from his busy schedule, he glanced at Cheng Zijian and replied, "Young Master Cheng! My wife has already received the news. The restaurant has made preparations and collected a lot of ingredients. Some staff who were supposed to be off today have also returned to be on standby!"

As he spoke, he hurriedly shouted, "Dear uncles and aunts, if you want to buy Song Ji's steamed buns—my family's steamed buns are also supplied to the Imperial Academy, and the Emperor praised the roasted pork and char siu steamed buns supplied by my family! If you can't get through the queue here, you might as well go to the eatery to buy them—at the end of Suanzao Alley!"

Although Big Pancake wasn't old, he was indeed big-headed. Having eaten well for the past six months, he had become quite robust, and his voice was full of energy. Many people crowded in the street heard him, but seeing that he looked like a mere apprentice, they were all somewhat incredulous. Seeing this, the short-term worker, Lady Liao, immediately called out, "If you don't believe me, you can ask the other stall owners..."

Those who came to join the fun didn't trust the stall owners. They all assumed that the stall owners were protecting each other and might not be telling the truth. Instead, they grabbed the students around them and questioned them.

"Is it really true that Song's shop supplies steamed buns to the Imperial Academy?"

"You're not lying, are you??"

"Is the Emperor praising this steamed bun?"

Before everyone could finish asking, a regular customer, a student from the Imperial Academy, hurriedly called out, "Big Pancake, did Miss Song prepare extra steamed buns today?? Then why did you put up the sign so quickly?"

Dabing hurriedly exclaimed, "How could I have known there would be so many people in the food alley today? Besides, even if there are more, this cart can't hold them all—if you scholars can make it in time, you can go to the restaurants. It's early now, so you can definitely buy as much as you want!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of students began to push their way out.

The emperor arrived at noon yesterday.

As soon as the emperor arrived, the imperial guards surrounded the Imperial Academy.

After the emperor left, the gates remained sealed for a while, and students were not allowed to enter or leave without permission until this morning.

But students can't go in and out, so what about the teachers, officials, guards, and servants? Don't they need to go home? Don't they need to go shopping?
Whether it was a deliveryman or someone leaning over, they all had mouths.

Moreover, although the emperor traveled with a light entourage, it was still an imperial procession. With such a grand display, the people along the way saw him enter the Imperial Academy, saw a group of people come out to see him off, and then saw him running towards the Imperial Street. Who wouldn't know what was going on? They had already begun to inquire.

So, the reputation of the Imperial Academy steamed buns, which were said to be used to support scholars, had already spread slightly around the Imperial Academy the night before.

By this morning, those who had received the news were naturally eager to see what the spectacle was like—what exactly did this Imperial Academy steamed bun, which was supposed to be a symbol of the Emperor's 'no shame', taste like?
There were men who wanted to borrow the emperor's golden words, women who came by chance, and others who were just passing by. They came from all sorts of backgrounds.

With such a sudden surge in demand, everyone was waiting at the door before dawn, spending money to have the students buy a lot of steamed buns, food, and other items.

So when the other students got up at the usual time and went to the kitchen, they thought they would be able to eat the Songji steamed buns that were sourced from outside, just like before. But when they arrived, they were shocked to find that the kitchen had been completely emptied!

Even the lousy steamed buns and cold noodles made by the public cooks themselves, which were previously unpopular, have all been sold out—what's left to eat?!

When everyone rushed out of the alley and saw the scene, and saw that Song Ji Gu Qing's signboard had already been hung up and people were sighing, they heard the news and, calculating that there was still time, they all ran out.

It would have been better if they hadn't run away, but now that they had, and with such a show of doing so, the other newcomers knew perfectly well that what Dabing and Lady Liao had said was true.

Some stayed behind to ask a few more questions, while others didn't even ask and ran off with the imperial students—no matter where they ran, following the scholars would surely not be a loss—didn't you see that even the emperor had to support them!
Before long, as one hungry student after another came out of the Imperial Academy looking for breakfast, upon hearing the news, six out of ten went to Song Ji's. The remaining few, too lazy to go, stayed and bought some other food. At this point, they were inevitably stopped and questioned by the newcomers, who naturally asked about the relationship between the so-called "Song Ji's Restaurant" and the steamed buns from the Imperial Academy.

After receiving affirmation and explanations from one student after another, soon a small group of students was followed by many others, like a flock of geese flying south. Sometimes they formed a "one" shape, sometimes a "person" shape, and sometimes some other shape that was hard to decipher when the lead goose changed, all in a chaotic manner as they flew towards Suanzao Lane.

At the end of Suanzao Alley, in Songji Restaurant, by the time the third batch of steamed buns was being steamed, some of the day laborers were already getting anxious.

"How about we leave it at this level for now? No one's coming yet. Didn't my wife say that steamed buns taste best when freshly steamed? Should we stop for now and not rush to wrap them?"

"Yes! We've already roasted three batches of roasted pork and char siu... Should we wait a bit?"

They were still talking when they heard a tapping sound outside.

A moment later, several heads wearing square scarves peeked in from outside.

"Is this Song Ji?"

Is vendor Song here?

"Big Pancake says you can buy as many steamed buns as you want at the restaurants today!"

Upon seeing this, the person guarding the front hall immediately replied, "Yes! What would you like, sir? There are plenty of steamed buns today!"

Soon, having received the news, Song Miao rushed out from the backyard. While getting steamed buns and counting money, she inquired about the situation from the students, asking questions such as whether there were many people in the food alley today and whether they had seen the emperor yesterday.

"I saw him! I even saw him eating the steamed buns offered by his wife—and the Emperor praised them!!"

Several people eagerly began to reenact yesterday's scene.

Before the lesson was even finished, the guests who had followed behind were already hesitantly entering the room to ask questions. They were asking the same three questions: Was it "Song Ji," the supplier of steamed buns to the Imperial Academy? Did they have the "roasted pork and char siu steamed buns" that the Emperor praised? Besides those char siu steamed buns, what other steamed buns were the most delicious?

After finally managing to deal with this flock of geese, a new flock of geese arrived.

Song Miao hurriedly ordered people to open all eight doors at the main gate.

From that moment on, the restaurant began to receive waves of customers.

A large steamer of buns was brought out, and they were sold out in almost no time—the roasted pork and char siu buns were the most popular.

The people making steamed buns behind them no longer had time to say, "Should we stop for a bit?" The people watching the ovens roasting char siu wished they could quickly dig up some soil and mix it with mud to build five, six, seven, eight, nine, or even ten more ovens on the spot—could you please stop focusing on the char siu and steamed buns? I can't roast them fast enough, help me!

After handing over the duties, Madam Xu was about to return to the martial arts school when she saw how busy things were. She couldn't help but roll up her sleeves and help maintain order in the queue behind her. The queue had already formed four lines, winding and stretching endlessly, even extending to the middle of Suanzao Alley, attracting the attention of the neighbors on both sides who couldn't help but come out to watch the spectacle.

Among the people queuing were students, but most were skeptical members of the public who had come along to buy Taixue steamed buns.

"Is it really a steamed bun from the Imperial Academy? You're not kidding, are you?"

"It's quite expensive! Why are steamed buns so expensive?!"

"If it's truly something the Emperor praised, then a higher price is fine; the real problem is, it might not be!"

The queue was noisy.

Just then, a commotion broke out at the back of the line.

"Make way! Bystanders, get out of the way!"

"Make way! An envoy from the palace!! Make way!!"

A patrol of soldiers hurriedly entered the alley, dividing the queue into two sides and clearing the middle of the road.

Soon, several riders galloped in and headed towards the end of Suanzao Alley.

"Is it an angel?"

"It's an angel! Look at its clothes!"

"What are you here for?"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the riders reined in their horses in front of the Song Family Restaurant.

After dismounting, a eunuch asked into the room, "Is this Song's Restaurant? Is there a Miss Song here?"

Then everyone saw a young woman come out of the door, bow and acknowledge them.

The eunuch held out a piece of yellow silk and said, "The Empress Dowager has decreed that Lady Song be summoned to the palace for an audience!"

(End of this chapter)