Miao Chu

Chapter 356 Not Afraid

When it comes to acupoints, Sister Zhu also started to worry.

She let out a long, childish sigh, and then, as if digging into the root of the matter, exclaimed, "Why do people have so many acupoints on their bodies? It must be so hard for you to remember them!"

After saying that, she frowned, looking like she was racking her brains, and suddenly said, "You know, I'll ask my older brother to go to the Imperial Pharmacy and ask if they have any ideas?"

Xiaolian quickly shook her head and said, "No, no, it's too much trouble for others. It's not a proper matter, and besides, that big brother doesn't even know me. I'd be so embarrassed!"

He added, “Actually, we have a bronze statue in our clinic. It’s made of bronze and looks just like a real person. I was terrified when I first saw it! But I got used to it and wasn’t afraid anymore. You can prick the statue with a needle and prick the right acupoints to get water out. But there are too many people in the clinic, and there’s only one statue. It has to be resealed with wax every so often. It’s so hard for me to get a turn!”

“How is learning acupuncture not a proper thing to do! When you become a great doctor, who knows, when your older brother is feeling unwell, he might come to you for help!” Zhu’er retorted. “Besides, don’t you know me? My older brother is your older brother!”

Seeing that Xiaolian was very determined not to, she could only pout and say, "Fine, if Seventh Brother were here, he would definitely have a way to deal with it!"

As she was talking, she looked up and saw Song Miao coming in, and immediately called out, "Sister Song."

Upon hearing this, Xiaolian turned around, quickly stood up, and ran to take the bowl from Song Miao's hand.

Seeing this, Zhu Jie'er hurriedly followed suit to greet them, imitating their every move.

Several maids stood behind, neither chatting nor distracted, but none of them went forward to stop them. They just watched with smiles as the two children circled around Song Miao, vying to do this chores that could hardly be called work.

Surrounded by the two women, Song Miao couldn't show favoritism. Since she only had a tray with a few bowls, spoons, and other items, she had to break it up and give half to each of them, asking them to help deliver it to the main kitchen.

She wasn't in a hurry to leave. After the others came out, she pointed to the room where Cheng Erniang and Xiaolian were staying and said with a smile, "The outside will be swept soon. Xiaolian and Zhujie, why don't you go back to your room and play?"

The two children responded with "Ooh ooh," and each carried their own little wooden stools into the house.

Song Miao stood there, looking at the house.

Soon, voices could be heard coming from inside.

"What a huge box! What is this?"

Then came Xiaolian's voice, saying, "Sister said that Brother Han sent it to me—I don't know what it is."

A moment later, there was the sound of the wooden board being pulled.

Almost immediately, a series of "waaaaa" sounds came from inside the house, and then a little person came running out of it.

It was Xiao Lian.

She had a smile on her face, clearly delighted, but her expression also betrayed a hint of apprehension.

Seeing Song Miao standing outside, she rushed over and called out, "Sister!"

As she called out, she pulled Song Miao's hand and led her into the house, saying, "Sister, come and see! Do you see it? Do you know what's going on?"

He was so excited that he was almost incoherent.

Song Miao smiled and followed her inside.

Upon entering the house, a large chest was placed in the open space in the middle.

The chest had been opened, revealing a series of half-open boxes inside.

The boxes varied in size, some several feet long and others no bigger than the palm of your hand. They were all made of wood, but upon closer inspection, they revealed a human figure disassembled into different parts. Each part was wrapped in sheepskin, and you could tell what part it originally was. However, because it was wrapped in sheepskin, it did not look frightening.

Standing beside the large trunk, Xiaolian could hardly believe it. She couldn't help but look at Song Miao and ask, "Sister, is this really for me? Can I accept it?"

Seeing Song Miao nod, she still hesitated and couldn't help but ask again, "But Brother Han gave me so many things, and I only gave him some insect and mosquito repellent sachets and purple gromwell ointment, those things that aren't very valuable!"

He added, "Such a wonderful thing! How am I ever going to repay it?"

The child's mix of joy and anxiety only underscores how perfectly the gift was chosen.

Song Miao said, "Wait until your brother Han comes back, then ask him—but don't worry, I got this from him. Just learn it slowly, don't rush. It would be best if I had a real Cheng Shenzhen (a legendary acupuncturist) when I'm feeling unwell in the future!"

Xiao Lian gave a strong "hmm," tilted her head back, and looked straight at Song Miao with bright, sparkling eyes. She didn't say much.

She had been holding Song Miao's hand with one hand, but now she couldn't help but move closer to Song Miao and take her other hand as well.

The gesture was very intimate, showing great affection. Song Miao felt a warmth in her heart. She bent down slightly, pulled the child into her arms, gently patted the child's back, and then let go, saying softly, "You two play."

Pointing to the box in the cage, he said, "Your brother Han said he left a letter. You and Zhu'er should see how to use these. The inside is made of wood, covered with a layer of sheepskin. The outermost layer of wood is marked with wax to mark acupuncture points. You can use a needle to prick the points. Even if you can't see the points inside, as long as you pierce the sheepskin, you can leave an imprint. After you remove the sheepskin, you can check..."

She explained briefly, then added, "Since these are all limbs and facial features, if you feel scared seeing or thinking about them at night, just put this cage outside in the corner against the wall, and retrieve it when you need it..."

Xiaolian was extremely anxious and said, "Sister, I'm not afraid! I want to stay inside the house; it's most convenient to use it there!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "I'll discuss it with Mother later. Who knows, even if you're not afraid, she might be!"

The two were talking, and Zhu Jie'er listened quietly without interrupting.

After finishing speaking, Song Miao raised her head, looked at Zhu Jie'er, winked at her, and then pointed her chin at Xiao Lian.

Zhu Jie'er immediately came over and said, "Xiao Lian! After you've had the acupuncture, I'll count for you! Let's see how many spots you got right!"

The two children recognized and practiced acupuncture points like they were playing house, and soon their heads were huddled together.

When the appointed time arrived, someone came to call for her. Zhu Jie'er reluctantly bid farewell to everyone in the restaurant, from top to bottom, inside and out. She even made sure to say goodbye to the fish tank. After the grandmother and granddaughter got into the carriage and hadn't gone far, she took out two small cloth bags and showed them to Old Madam He.

"Grandma! Look, what is this!"

She explained in detail that both sachets were for calming the mind and promoting sleep, but one was very fragrant and the other was not so fragrant.

“I’ve heard my grandmother say several times these days that she hasn’t been able to sleep well! When I wrote to Xiaolian last time, she said that I could make a sachet and put it by the bedside. Unlike incense, it doesn’t give you a headache if you smell it for too long, and it still helps a little!”

"Grandma, use one tonight and another tomorrow night. Let's see which one works. If neither works..."

After she finished speaking, she pointed to her ear and said, "I was with Xiaolian today, and she even taught me acupoints—I know there's a spot on the top of my ear that, if I press it a bit, can help me sleep better! When I get back, I'll ask Doctor Meng to see if I learned it correctly, and when he's here, I'll give you a massage, okay?"

Seeing her granddaughter's concern for her so much, and not just verbal, Old Madam He almost wanted to put her in bed right away.

She took the sachet herself and, without letting the maid put it away, immediately hung it on her waist.

After returning home from the banquet that evening, Madam He felt increasingly pleased with herself. Knowing that her granddaughter's favorite flowers lately were lotus and osmanthus, she was about to call the housekeeper in when she suddenly changed her mind, as if she had just remembered something.

She called over her personal maid, Yuhe, and said, "Tomorrow morning, go to the He family. I'm afraid Xiaoqi hasn't returned yet. Ask the eldest son of the He family if the gate and garden at his house have been changed. If they haven't, ask if the purplish-red bowl lotus can still be planted, and if you can find the seeds—I remember seeing them in his lotus pond many years ago!"

Yuhe should be right now.

Seeing her honest appearance, Madam He couldn't help but ask, "Last time I asked you, you were too embarrassed to say—we've already met quite a few times, what's the situation with those people? Do you have any thoughts on it? If you don't speak up now, how can I make a decision for you?"

It turns out that Yuhe was the maid who shyly expressed her desire to spend time with the eldest son of the He family when the old lady He asked her questions.

Hearing Madam He's question, Yuhe hesitated for a moment before honestly replying, "Madam, I really haven't seen him many times."

It turned out that although she had several opportunities to contact Bei Zhi and Dong Zhi and others—these people were easy to get along with, and she had also met several capable people around Young Master He—she had only met them and rarely interacted with them.

"...They all stay by the eldest young master's side and rarely leave. When they do leave, even when I'm talking to them about serious business, they are all very serious and speak very little. Apart from their faces, I can't tell anything else about them, which is why I don't dare to speak carelessly..."

Madam He didn't find it strange at all.

He Ying was quite strict in managing his subordinates, and his group of servants naturally developed a cautious and prudent style of conduct.

It's not necessarily a bad thing. If you want to get things done, the more obedient your subordinates are, the easier it is to get things done.

However, He Ying's problem is that he sometimes doesn't know how to balance tension and relaxation, and he is always tense, which makes people feel tired just watching him.

If the master is like this, the subordinates will naturally be even more attentive.

Madam He then said, "Since you are going to the He residence tomorrow, you might as well take the opportunity to find a few more chances to talk to them. The sooner things are settled here, the sooner things will be easier to do later. Otherwise, if it drags on, who knows how long it will take—those women are of marriageable age, and who knows when they might be targeted by someone else."

He added, "If that doesn't work, you can choose any of these in the manor."

Yuhe was a little embarrassed, but she still agreed. She planned to go to the He family at dawn to run errands and see if she could find a chance to settle her life's most important matter.

The maids of the He family hoped that dawn would come quickly, but in Suanzao Lane, Song Miao wished that dawn would not come so quickly, so that she could have more time to rest.

After a busy day, I finally managed to close the door and lock it, and everything was tidied up. The front hall and the back yard were all neat and clean.

After Song Miao and Cheng Erniang checked their accounts, they began discussing the matter of the house across the street.

Since the reputation of Song's Imperial Academy Steamed Buns and Song's Military Rations spread far and wide, the business of Song's restaurant has been booming.

Long queues formed in front of the store, and people kept coming in to order steamed buns and other items for delivery. Not to mention, even regular restaurants started doing a surge in takeout business.

The current problem is that there are not enough staff and the skills of the food service workers are inconsistent.

Songji has never stopped hiring new people, but they value quality over quantity. In addition, they are very meticulous in their work, which makes it take a considerable amount of time for new people to adapt.

Therefore, at this critical juncture, the shortage of manpower became even more apparent.

However, after seeing the current situation of the restaurant, the original hired women all recommended acquaintances they knew who were interested. After a few days, the newcomers have gradually adapted. It's just a pity that Song's kitchen and front and back yards are too small to operate properly!

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager's gift of the opposite house came at just the right time. The land deed and house deed were delivered to the restaurant the day after the request was made. In front of countless guests, servants, and maids, the eunuch read out the Empress Dowager's decree.

He read it aloud in parallel prose, leaving many people in line outside completely bewildered, yet filled with awe. Finally, at the end, he uttered a few words that everyone could understand, such as rewards. Everyone gasped in amazement, wishing they could immediately urge their sons and daughters to learn how to make steamed buns.

After obtaining the land deed and house deed, removing the seal on the opposite side, and going inside to take a look, Song Miao discussed with Cheng Erniang that once the opposite side was repaired, they would move the steamed buns, breakfast, char siu, and the daily ordering table to the other side. Song Ji's original restaurant only served banquets and elegant tables.

After everything had been settled and a general conclusion had been reached, it was time to rest.

Song Miao then urged Cheng Erniang to go to sleep, and said, "I've been too busy lately. Do you think there's anyone outstanding right now? We should promote one or two to help you out. Otherwise, with so much work to do, how can you possibly keep up?"

Cheng Erniang said, "I've been wanting to tell you this before, Madam. Zhang Si Niang has always been helping me with chores, filling in the gaps and doing a great job. It's just that she doesn't have a proper status! If you're talking about promotions, Madam, I'm thinking of promoting her first!"

After finally agreeing on everything, the two went to the backyard. Just as they were about to go back to their rooms to rest, the door to Cheng Erniang's room suddenly opened, and Xiaolian ran out upon hearing the noise.

She looked as if she had hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind. She stepped forward and said to Song Miao, "Sister, those wooden figurines are very nice, but they are so finely made and covered with so much skin. They must be very expensive, right?"

She added, "Why don't we return it? Although it was Brother Han who asked Sister to do it, how are we going to repay him? Wouldn't Sister owe the eldest brother a favor?"

Song Miao was slightly surprised, then smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Just use your wooden puppet. Don't worry about owing anyone a favor right now."

(End of this chapter)