Miao Chu

Chapter 348 Horseback
That evening, all the hired men, including Zhang Si Niang, left, but Han Li was still there.

Seeing that Song Miao was busy, he went to fetch the goat milk and heated it up on the stove. Only when the others had some free time did he sit down and talk with them.

They were just talking about trivial matters, such as how to renovate the house across the street when they got it, whether to turn it into a restaurant or a food stall selling takeout, whether to set up private rooms, and how to arrange the layout inside.

He also said that when he comes back, he wonders if he will be able to get his hands on a screen or a central scroll to write.

In the end, he finally said that although he was setting off the next day, he would be passing through many places along the way, most of which were major thoroughfares. Even if it was inconvenient to receive mail, it would be very convenient to send mail.

"If letters are sent back frequently, will you have time to read them?"

Song Miao put down the bowl of goat's milk in her hand, raised her head, and said, "Guess?"

Han Li chuckled softly, paused, and then asked, "If I were to write a letter, what should I address it with? 'Madam,' 'Young Lady Song,' or 'Stall Owner Song'?"

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Or is there another way to address me? If there's a courtesy name or a nickname..."

"If we're talking about nicknames, there are just too many."

Song Miao's voice was soft and gentle.

“When I was three or four years old, I had a nickname, Little Ant Girl. Because I loved eating candy since I was little, wherever I went, my elders would carry it for me. Since a child’s pockets are deep and arms are short, there would be some candy scattered on the ground from time to time. My father said that wherever there are ants, there is me, so he gave me the nickname Ant Girl.”

“Back then, I had an uncle whom my family had considered a friend. He didn’t like the name, saying that ants crawling around and all black was too unsuitable for me. It also made his scalp tingle, so he gave me a homonym, calling me ‘Yi Niang’. It’s because I often wore a hat made by an aunt when I was little. The hat was very cute, with a little tuft on top. When I wore it, I liked to sit on his shoulders. My two short legs looked like the Chinese character ‘Yi’, so that’s how I got my name…”

……

On this day, when Han Li left Suanzao Lane, his heart was soft, but his hand unconsciously wrote words on the horse's back.

The horse ran a few steps fast, then a few steps slow. Its back was very itchy, so it swished its tail haphazardly. Unable to get away, it could only snort in annoyance.

Han Li went back to put down his bundle and then went to the official post station.

It was past midnight, but Wang Shuji was still awake, discussing matters with several subordinates and other officials from the Transport Department.

Upon seeing Han Li return, he gave some instructions to someone and went out first. Just as he was about to ask a question, he saw the person shake his head at him.

Wang Shuji was immediately disappointed.

Before an army moves, its supplies must be ready.

The larger the project, the more crucial logistics and food supplies become.

He had seen the kitchens along the Huazhou River and compared them to the kitchens he had cobbled together in the area in the past, so he naturally knew how big the difference was.

At this critical moment, he naturally wanted the best of everything, something that he could do immediately without having to expend any more effort.

"What concerns does Miss Song have that prevent her from accepting my invitation? Besides the standard payment, we can give her some extra benefits!"

Han Li shook his head and said, "Sir, you arrived in such a hurry that you probably haven't had time to learn about the situation in the capital yet."

He briefly recounted the story of the steamed buns from the Imperial Academy, then mentioned that Song's shop had been broken into in the middle of the night, and finally said, "Shopkeeper Song is currently overwhelmed with a thousand and one things to do and cannot extricate herself. If you, sir, were to go in person and speak to the people of Chanzhou, given her character, she would naturally not sit idly by. Even if she had to drop everything she was doing, she would agree—but by the time she finishes her business and returns to the capital, the situation will be completely different."

Although only half the story was told, how could Wang Shuji not have foreseen the consequences?

Wang Shuji sighed and said, "Forget it. When I come back, I won't be able to make up for the missed opportunity with the young lady, let alone have the time to help her deal with the troubles that come and go."

He rubbed his temples, took a couple of steps forward, and sat on the railing of the veranda under the eaves outside the house, as if to catch his breath.

Whether it was because he was getting on in years, constantly on the go with irregular meals, or because he was busy with official duties and meetings all day, his face looked very old, illuminated by the candlelight streaming through the half-open window. His face was wrinkled and lacked even a bit of shine.

After sitting for a few moments, he said again, "Although Miss Song cannot come, Zheng Yan, could you find a few capable people to help arrange the food and logistics when we arrive?"

“I used to have a deputy, but he’s on official business in Tanzhou. I can’t go back, and he can’t leave either. The abilities of officials in different places vary, and without supervision, I really can’t trust them to handle everything…”

Without needing further explanation, Han Li nodded and said, "Don't worry, sir. The situation on the Huazhou River is gradually stabilizing. I received a letter from Lu Wenming last time, and he is preparing to return to the capital. There are already several capable people there."

Wang Shuji had only spent a few days in the Huazhou River area and didn't have a deep impression of Lu Wenming, so he asked a few more questions.

After learning about the man's age and qualifications, and that he had served under a certain official for several years—which was fine, especially with Han Li's guarantee—he was finally relieved and said, "Then I will assign him to a post once he takes office."

The group had been discussing for a long time and had made preparations on how to mobilize civilian laborers, local soldiers, boats, and carriages, as well as how to allocate funds to hire local drivers. At this time, Wang Shuji introduced the arrangements to Han Li and said, "When we arrive at the local area, how to allocate and deploy personnel will be your forte."

Just as he was about to elaborate, Han Li said, "I was thinking of asking earlier, since you've been transporting grain and materials this time, using both canal and land transport, especially land transport, which involved the most laborers and soldiers—why couldn't you have used river transport for everything? Even if you couldn't, it would be better to minimize the number of transfers."

Wang Shuji patiently explained, "You don't know this, but this year there has been a drought in the south with little rain, and in some places the rivers are too shallow for boats to pass."

Han Li then said, “Two years ago in Xuzhou, I saw that sluice gates were set up in the river to balance the water level. As long as the water source is not dry, we can set up barriers upstream to accumulate water power and open and close them at certain times each day to supply the transport of grain. Can’t we use this method?”

Wang Shuji shook his head and said, "Water-blocking devices like the Ao Gate and Doumen Gate consume too much copper. Each one needs to be built separately according to the river conditions, and it needs to be supervised at all times. It cannot be done in a day or two. It should be coordinated and dispatched by the imperial court. Now that the situation is urgent, how can we have time?"

He sighed again and shook his head, saying, "I've seen it before, and I've used the Macau gate myself. Do you think I don't know its advantages? If there really is a way, why would we choose the complicated over the simple?"

Han Li suddenly asked, "If there's no time to set up the sluice gate, how about using carpenters and brooms?"

Wang Shuji was stunned for a moment, clearly having not thought about it carefully, and couldn't help but ponder it.

Han Li continued, “This is an emergency measure, a temporary measure. As long as we can simply block the water and build up the water level, it doesn’t matter if the broom and carpentry work is of poor quality. We didn’t use them before because it was difficult to recruit craftsmen and follow them along the way to make the work, and we were worried about wasting materials. But now the situation in Chanzhou is urgent, and the court has said that it will spare no expense. If we use more brooms, compared to the manpower and resources spent, it may not be a loss.”

As he spoke, he took out a document from his sleeve and said, “Nowadays, there are only two routes for the north-south water transport to reach Chanzhou. I did a simple estimate of the cost today, and it is actually not much. As for the materials—there are some left in the capital. Whether we can get them depends on the face of the Prince. Also, I know that Liuta River urgently needs bamboo and wood materials, which are probably still on their way. We can make arrangements in advance and intercept them halfway to use them.”

A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer.

Wang Shuji took the manuscript, couldn't help but turn around, and couldn't wait to walk a few more steps into the house. He approached the window and began to read by the light coming through.

Han Li wrote down a detailed method for calculation.

But he only glanced at it before looking directly at the final calculated total cost.

Having worked in the shipping department for so many years, Wang Shuji knew in his mind that Han Li's budget was very detailed and would not differ much from the actual situation.

Having just received his assignment today, he had already instructed his subordinates to plan the transportation routes and calculate the consumption. They had already obtained a rough estimate, and now, comparing the two figures, the difference was simply enormous.

Actually, there's no need to calculate. Anyone with a general idea can tell from the two approaches that the difference must be enormous.

If we can reduce the amount of land transport, we can reduce the number of laborers, carts, and boats that need to be conscripted. Compared to that, what are a few craftsmen and materials?

And the two difficulties Han Li mentioned were no longer so difficult at this point. Liutahe already had a large number of craftsmen, including some half-finished brooms and carpenters who hadn't yet been used. Chanzhou would certainly keep them for itself, but lending some out shouldn't be difficult—it's like arranging grain and supplies for you! Don't you know how to be ungrateful!
Wang Shuji was still pondering when Han Li, seeing that he had finished reading, said, "After all, this is just an experiment. Sir, you can try both methods simultaneously. If the broom and carpentry work is useful, there will be no need to transfer the goods by canal and land, going through several transfers. If it doesn't work, then we can go back to the original method..."

Wang Shuji nodded and said, "This method is quite feasible."

He then said, "Come in quickly!"

With that, he led the way into the room, called over several of his subordinates who were discussing the method of convenient transformation at the table, and began to discuss it with everyone.

The proverb "a leaf before the eyes obscures Mount Tai" means that one cannot see the whole mountain.

This approach, to put it bluntly, is nothing special. He only gave a hint, but Wang Shuji had already figured out the whole path. He knew exactly where to mobilize people and resources, who to complain to, which government office to take the lead in, and where to make a scene.

At this point, it was just a brief introduction, and several people at the table thought it was quite feasible, but they didn't know how effective it would be.

"Why don't we ask an official from the Water Conservancy Bureau to inquire?"

With the departure scheduled for the next day, Wang Shuji couldn't wait until dawn, so he shamelessly invited Wu Gongshi over that very night.

The latter quickly gave an affirmative answer, saying, "It's worth a try, but we still need to prepare the shovel work based on the water flow, depth, width, and the conditions of the riverbanks and bottom."

He then pointed at Han Li and said, "Since Zheng Yan is here, you can entrust him with the task. Just give it to others as much as you like."

So the next morning, before dawn, Wang Shuji got up and first went to see the ministers in the Hall of State Affairs. After that, he went around to various departments and offices, trying to get something for himself.

In the afternoon, the group finally set off, heading south.

Knowing that Suanzao Lane was busy, Han Li did not disturb them before leaving. He only left a letter and arranged for someone to deliver it to them.

He had several tasks to complete and was extremely busy. After gathering people and materials, he carried them out one by one according to the situation in each place, found suitable places, and temporarily set up sweepers and carpenters. There were few failures and almost everything was useful, which saved countless manpower and resources.

While Han Li was busy shipping grain, materials, and clothing to Chanzhou, the situation in Chanzhou city was quite different.

As dawn broke, Cai Xiu had already woken up.

Or rather, he hardly slept at all, just forcing himself to lie in bed with his eyes closed.

I tossed and turned all night, and finally fell asleep, but I was sleeping on my side. When I woke up, I found that my left arm was completely numb from being pressed down.

He rested for a while, but his arm still felt numb, itchy, and painful.

But what hurt even more, what numbed him even more, was his heart.

—This is no worse than a heart being devoured by ten thousand ants.

Even though quite some time has passed, he still can't understand it at all.

A bunch of rich kids, have they lost their minds? Why aren't they sleeping? Why are they running to that high platform to look at the water? Have they never seen water before?

Being stupid is one thing, but to drag yourself down with it is another.

Of the seven people swept away, three survived, two died, and the fate of the remaining two is unknown; not even an arm or a leg could be retrieved.

Among those who were not swept away, two were seriously injured, and the rest sustained various injuries.

But these situations weren't caused by him, so why blame him?
The thought of being treated coldly after bringing gifts to greet and visit someone is unbearable; some even directly order their servants to escort them out.

His disheveled state was witnessed by the servants and students passing by in the courtyard, who knows how they would laugh at and spread rumors behind his back.

Just thinking about those scenes made Cai Xiu's teeth itch with hatred.

They might as well all be washed away by the water and die!

If they were all dead, it would be easier for him to talk, but now that several people are alive, they're all trying to shift the blame onto him in order to shirk responsibility. Yet, he's the only one who's completely unharmed, and since he's in charge of student affairs, it's hard for him to even find an excuse.

After the news reached the capital, almost every household sent people to confront him, accusing him of being a licentious official, neglecting his duties, and ruining everyone's reputation.

The officials on Liutahe insisted that it was those young masters who had gathered together for pleasure, which led to their downfall. They claimed that as a student, they were powerless and had no influence whatsoever.
They just did whatever their superiors hinted at!
How can you blame him?

Fortunately, these children of powerful families were mostly from collateral branches, with few being true direct descendants, so they weren't entirely without a chance to turn their lives around.

Even so, it was hard for him not to feel uneasy.

Now everyone in Liutahe is living in fear. Those who used to trust their superiors are now in danger themselves. Even Lu Zhongchang, the official, has to atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service. No one knows what the future holds for him...

Cai Xiu tossed and turned in bed.

When people are extremely anxious, they tend to think a lot.

He can't help but keep thinking about it—why did Liutahe become what it is today?

Why would I come here to suffer and be miserable when I'm not in the capital, not studying at the Imperial Academy, enjoying the attention of others?
It's all Han Li's fault!
If it weren't for his constant neglect of his studies and his frequent transfers here and there, and if it weren't for the rumor that he was coming to Liutahe, I wouldn't have ended up being transferred around like this, and finally ending up in Liutahe!
This person clearly knew that everything about Liutahe was wrong, and the two of them were even studying together, yet he didn't offer a single word of advice. Instead, he secretly went to Huazhou to claim credit, watching helplessly as he jumped into this deep pit!

—I wonder how gloating this person will be when they find out!
But no matter how deep her hatred, Cai Xiu knew that she was powerless to do anything about the other party at this moment.

As the room gradually brightened, he suppressed his unease and resentment and sat up.

Now that things have come to this, we absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom.

Having offended those powerful and wealthy people, and now harboring resentment from this group of fools, he will face a difficult life when he returns to the capital, lacking any backing or connections. Coming from a humble background with no clan support, his life will certainly be tough.

then what should we do?

As a young talent and a gifted student of the Imperial Academy, if there is anything he can be proud of that is worthy of admiration, it is naturally only himself.

But without a reason, no matter how much someone appreciates you, if there's no benefit or connection, who would help you or support you for no reason?
First, you need to perform well, and then you need to let people know that you are worthy and can be won over.

He dressed himself properly, carefully applied face powder and adjusted his hat, and after confirming that his appearance and clothing were flawless, he took out several thumb-sized gold and silver gourds from his chest—the prizes he had won from playing pitch-pot with those young masters a while ago.

After packing the gold and silver gourds, he first went outside to buy a lot of breakfast, carrying two food boxes, and then entered the Chanzhou government office.

　Thank you so much for the unexpected peach blossom fan you sent me! Don't argue, you're absolutely right! I also received a little peach blossom fan and a lucky charm. Springtime peach blossoms bring good fortune, mwah! =3=
　　Thank you to Rita Sange for the two amulets, and to Lengshui Boutiao Qingcha for the cup of tea, and to Tao Zhu Yidun and Book Friend 20260119000653235 for the one amulet each :)

　　Duoxie Bookstore: My cat, Egg, gifted me a "Light of Inspiration"; Miss Ultraman gifted me a typing tool and a small token of my appreciation; sar. gifted me a typing tool; and I love you, Nong Nong, gifted me two small tokens of my appreciation. ^_^
　　(End of this chapter)