Miao Chu

Chapter 37 Helplessness (Three chapters combined, an extra chapter for madoka1013)
Cheng Zijian and Xiao You left the door one after the other.

He had only taken a few steps when he stopped, thinking of Han Li. He turned around and waited for Xiao You to come up. After bowing, he asked, "May I ask, brother, if Brother Han really has something important to attend to and cannot come, will Master Chen... blame him?"

Seeing his serious expression, Xiao You initially thought he was about to do something, but upon hearing the question, she immediately smiled and said, "No, don't worry. Not only is the gentleman always easy to talk to, but even if he were not, he wouldn't be easily manipulated..."

At this point, he seemed to realize something was wrong and immediately stopped talking, then changed the subject, saying, "Are you going to get the food by yourself? Can you carry it all? Do you want me to ask someone to help you?"

Cheng Zijian hurriedly waved his hand in refusal.

Are you kidding me? Asking for help? How are you going to thank me later?
Should I bring you a meal as a thank you?
If there isn't enough leftover braised pork knuckle rice, I might have to grit my teeth and give up my own portion, so how can I make another portion for the person who helped carry the rice?

He dared not utter another word, hurriedly bowed and thanked them, and ran away as if chased by a dog back to the schoolhouse. Just as he was about to find someone to help him carry the pig's feet rice, before he even entered the door, he saw three layers of students surrounding the entrance, all peering inside.

Cheng Zijian was completely bewildered. After finally managing to push through the crowd and enter the room, he smelled the lingering aroma of braised meat and braised dishes. He saw a group of people crammed together in the middle, seemingly fighting over something. Some people were even stopping him, saying, "Don't fight! Don't fight! We're all students of the Imperial Academy, have we wasted our time learning etiquette?!"

"There are so many classmates outside, don't let people laugh at us!"

Someone then said, "Don't rush, everyone move aside, I'll divide it!"

The crowd reluctantly moved aside.

This person indeed split up.

It was so crowded that I couldn't see what everyone was dividing up, but I could hear people talking.

Why does his piece seem a bit bigger?

"Nonsense, yours is clearly thicker!"

"Your piece is from the middle, and the middle part tastes better than the beginning or end!"

"I want the middle one too!"

"I want that piece, the head of the shop, the head of the shop."

"It seems like the boss's position is bigger, so I want that boss's position too..."

"Sigh! How could you give it to him and not give it to me?"

Listening to the inexplicable argument, Cheng Zijian was even more bewildered. He quickly stepped into the crowd and asked, "What are they dividing up?"

As soon as he appeared, everyone shouted.

"Zijian! You're finally back!"

"Where did Zijian go? I left some for you, eat it quickly, or the pork trotter rice will get cold!" The person speaking swallowed again as he spoke.

Another person cheered, saying, "Zijian, there's another pot here. Wang Chang said he'll wait until you come back to figure out how to divide it!"

"Yes, yes! I've been waiting for you for ages! What did Master Duan keep you here for? Are you alright—how are we going to divide this pot?"

Having lived for so long and studied at the Imperial Academy for almost three years, Cheng Zijian felt for the first time that he was surrounded by thousands of people, as if he had suddenly become someone who could command respect and worship everyone with a single call to arms. Without him, the Imperial Academy would have to fall apart!
He was pushed to the center by the crowd, only to find that what everyone was sharing was actually a box of pickled white radishes.

The pot that everyone was looking forward to was passed in from one person to another. When it was opened, it was found to be filled with layers upon layers of pig's trotters and shin bones, each about the size of a fist.

The meat, still with the bone, was thoroughly braised and incredibly fragrant, making one's mouth water at first glance.

Cheng Zijian immediately realized that this was the "Four Points of Gold" that Song Miao had previously told him about, and the quantity was extremely small.

He hurriedly pulled out a written list from his sleeve and said, "Stadium Master Song said that this is four gold coins, and each pig can only get two, or even if we are generous, there are only four. It's really not enough to go around. I was thinking of distributing it to the fourteen people who copied the books the most—is that alright?"

If the distribution is based on labor, then naturally no one will have any objections.

So Cheng Zijian read out a name from the list, and one person would come up and grab one.

One by one, the four golden pieces were shakily lifted out of the pot. The outer layer was full of gelatin, with skin and meat attached. The amber color was especially deep, and the aroma was even stronger. In particular, they were still attached to the bone. Just looking at them gave one the pleasure of eating meat in a hearty and unrestrained manner.

Those on the sidelines could only watch enviously.

Some people regretted, saying, "If only I had copied a few more words! I didn't do anything else that day except sleep—I could sleep any day!"

Some people sighed and said, "It's not for those four gold dots. My handwriting is beautiful and neat. It's a pity I didn't copy it enough. If I copied it more, the stall owner Song might remember it, and I could become a familiar face to her in the future!"

Immediately, everyone inside and outside the house booed him.

After the distribution was completed, only two gold coins remained, each worth four points.

Cheng Zijian then specifically explained that one of them was his own, and the other belonged to someone in the upper quarters whom Song Xiaoniangzi had instructed him to help greatly.

No one had any objections.

After dividing the four pieces of gold, they divided the remaining pork trotter rice.

Song Miao originally made thirty-five servings, one for each person. Twenty-five servings had already been eaten, leaving ten servings remaining. However, almost everyone could still eat more, and they all looked at Cheng Zijian with longing eyes.

Cheng Zijian had no choice but to take out five portions, saying that the teachers knew about it and had specifically asked for a few portions, so he couldn't refuse. He also had his own portions, so the remaining five portions could be divided among everyone.

After giving his instructions, he hurriedly grabbed a food box to pack rice, then went to pack soup and drinks. Once he had finished packing, he immediately ran towards the teaching building.

After Cheng Zijian left, the remaining people looked at the remaining pickled white radish and five servings of braised pork trotters in the room. They were quiet for a few moments before becoming noisy again.

"How should we divide the remaining pork trotter rice?"

"Shall we split it equally?"

"How can we divide it equally? Some pieces are fatty, some are lean, and there aren't enough tofu skin or dried tofu, or enough eggs. What if they're cut into different sizes?"

Wang Chang couldn't stand it anymore, and feeling a little guilty, he quickly said, "We're all well-mannered, don't be so petty! As long as we get along well with Miss Song, we won't have to worry about not having good food in the future."

However, someone in the crowd shouted, "I've not only learned the great and small etiquettes, I've also learned Yanzi's 'Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors'!"

The room erupted in laughter.

***
While the students in the lower dormitory were still laughing and joking about dividing up the food, Cheng Zijian had already huffed and puffed as he carried two large food boxes back to the upper dormitory.

As soon as he entered, he saw Han Li standing in the hall, talking with several teachers.

"I have a lot of things to do and I don't have any free time right now. Besides, if I were to give lectures, wouldn't I be afraid of misleading others?"

His refusal was so decisive that both Master Duan and Master Shi were somewhat surprised.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zijian was startled and dared not step inside, standing only at the doorway.

Another teacher hurriedly went to see Master Chen, and seeing that the latter remained silent, he quickly added, "Why be modest when speaking frankly? I have read your annotations for Cheng Zijian's article; they are insightful and to the point, far superior to my and Old Duan's..."

Han Li shook his head, but showed no humility. Instead, he said, "My method is not suitable for everyone. The words are already harsh, and an article has to be revised one, two, three times. How many people can endure it? If it were someone else, they would have already lost their spirit and would definitely just do a perfunctory job."

"I've put in so much effort because I see that Cheng Zijian can endure hardship, has patience, and is still so devoted—can all the people in my humble abode change like this without any complaints?"

The two men, Duan and his companion, were initially very excited, but upon hearing his words, they each looked at Cheng Zijian's article in their hands and dared not utter a word.

Han Li's statement wasn't entirely an excuse.

Cheng Zijian wrote six drafts of one of his manuscripts, and revised them all within two days.

The changes were so significant that it was practically a complete rewrite.

Regardless of what the final product looks like, how many students can put in this much effort?
Master Duan put himself in his student's shoes and realized that even he himself might not be able to do it, let alone guarantee it for his student.

Cheng Zijian stood at the door, and upon hearing Han Li's words, his nose tingled, his eyes swelled, and his feet felt light as if he were walking on clouds—so, in Brother Han's eyes, he actually had some merits?!
Han Li waited a moment, and seeing that Master Duan and the other man remained silent, he said again, "I will not chase after people to feed them. If I put in a little effort, the person learning should put in at least ten times the effort. Otherwise, why should I be the one to do the work?"

Master Duan and his companion dared not utter a sound.

Cheng Zijian stood at a distance, feeling somewhat smug, thinking to himself: Yes, I have done my best, but... how come I still seem to be a little less than Brother Han?
But looking at the scene before him, he felt somewhat dazed—it was as if their roles had been reversed; Brother Han and Master Duan were talking as if the master was instructing his students.

At this point, Han Li changed the subject and said, "However, although I am not suitable, I do have a suggestion—there are a few students in the upper dormitory whose studies are passable. Why not ask them if they would like to give lectures to their classmates? This would be a good thing, mutually beneficial, and surely some people would like it."

As he spoke, he went to look at Master Chen.

Master Chen coughed and immediately replied, “Zhengyan’s words make sense. He is currently organizing the teacher’s manuscripts and cannot spare so much time. Moreover, Zhengyan’s writing is not easy to imitate and there is no way to learn it. It would be better to change the candidate. I think Xiao Kong is quite suitable. His writing style is upright and he is also amiable.”

As soon as he mentioned "Little Kong," everyone knew he was referring to Kong Fuli, one of the Four Scholars of the Imperial Academy.

Upon hearing this, Master Duan changed his mind and realized that what he said made a lot of sense. He quickly added, "I think Cai Xiu's writing is also very good. His writing is brilliant, and he is also very clever and eloquent. Could we ask him to help us out as well?"

Master Chen glanced at him, and after a moment, said, "You've taken a fancy to Cai Xiu? Fine, I'll ask him about it later."

After saying that, he went to ask Han Li, "What do you think of Cai Xiu?"

Standing at the door, Cheng Zijian's heart skipped a beat. He recalled his interactions with Cai Xiu. There were many things he wanted to say, but he couldn't say them. He hurriedly followed to see Han Li.

Han Li said, "This is a rare opportunity. If you speak well, you will surely become famous. Cai Xiu is quite learned and eloquent. This time, several gentlemen have invited her, so she will definitely prepare well. With her talent, she will not lose face in front of her classmates. She is a good candidate."

Master Chen immediately made the decision and said to Master Duan and Master Duan, "You two go ahead and choose. I'll put in a good word for you with whichever one you choose."

Given his influence, once he asked, aside from a few individuals, no student would refuse. Master Duan and his companion thanked him profusely.

Han Li turned around and saw Cheng Zijian at the door, asking, "What are you doing standing there?"

The other three people in the room turned around and saw the food box in Cheng Zijian's hand. They knew that it was pork trotter rice. They quickly made way for him and asked him questions.

Are there many?

"A few more portions? Is that enough for the rest of us?"

"If it's really not enough, Zheng Yan's share can be kept by me!" Master Chen waved his hand and very actively cleared space on the table in front of him to put the food.

"That's enough, more than enough!" Cheng Zijian didn't dare to look at Han Li. He quickly put down the food box in his hand and took out the braised pork trotters and rice from it and presented them to everyone. "We're lucky today, the stall owner Song made a lot more."

After he finished distributing the rice, he distributed the soup and bamboo chopsticks. However, when he got to the end, there were two bamboo leaf packages left. When he opened them, he found two four-pointed gold coins inside, but he didn't know how to divide them.

Cheng Zijian looked up at the four people in the room, his mind completely blank, and even his scalp tingled.

I know I won't get any, but Brother Han absolutely has to have some!

There's also Master Chen; how could we not give it to him?

But what will happen to Master Duan and his companion if we give it to Brother Han?
Even if they say they don't want it, can we really not give it to them?
But he remained motionless for a while, which caught the eye of Master Duan, who had just received the braised pork trotters rice. Master Duan asked, "Zijian, what's wrong?"

Cheng Zijian had no choice but to say, "There are two more four-pointed gold ones..."

Although Master Duan did not know what "four points of gold" meant, he could tell from the fist-sized pig shank in the lotus leaf package, and the tempting appearance of the glistening skin and meat, that it was a rare and good thing.

Fearing that Cheng Zijian would be put in a difficult position, he said, "There are only two? That's perfect, you two students can eat them."

But these words put Cheng Zijian in an even more difficult position.

Han Li replied, "Give it to me."

As he spoke, he stood up, went straight to a set of wooden cabinets, pulled out a drawer, took out a small knife, and then went around to the side to get a kettle to pour out water to wash the knife.

—Familiar with the place, as if it were their own home.

Master Chen ignored them, busy opening the bamboo tube lid, arranging the lotus leaf packets, and wiping the bamboo chopsticks with a handkerchief, saying, "I won't wait for you, I'll eat first!"

As he spoke, sure enough, his eyes were only on the braised pork trotters and rice in front of him, and his mouth was already wide open: "Oh my, these pork trotters are stewed until they're so tender!"

He first tried to pick up the meat and rice with chopsticks, but then he realized he couldn't pick them up together at all. He got anxious and turned around to urge, "Zhengyan, Zhengyan, hurry! Bring me my rice bowl."

Once they got the bowl, they put the whole lotus leaf-wrapped rice into it and started eating it in a few bites.

He ate with a wide smile on his face, shaking his head and eating both quickly and slowly.

"Hurry" means eager to eat more, while "slow" means reluctant to swallow too quickly.

After a while, the two teachers couldn't resist any longer and also picked up the lotus leaf wrappers and started eating.

The room was soon filled with the aroma of braised meat and braised pork.

Cheng Zijian originally wanted to help and was about to step forward when he saw Han Li shake his head, so he had no choice but to sit back down and eat his meal quietly.

He was restless. He wanted to focus on the teachers, but after taking a bite, he first tasted the soft and chewy texture of the pork skin, followed by the incredibly fragrant and delicious pork trotters, with their perfect balance of fat and lean meat and an irresistible aroma. His mind was completely absorbed in the rice in his hands, and he could hardly lift his head.

After taking only two bites, he saw a quarter of a Four-Point Goldfish placed on the lotus leaf package in his hand—the Four-Point Goldfish had exactly four bones, which Han Li had cut into four pieces with a knife, and Cheng Zijian got the larger one.

Master Chen, who was enjoying his meal, received three sticks. His wrinkled face practically blossomed into a wide smile as he hurriedly said, "Isn't it inappropriate for me to take so many by myself?"

However, while saying this, his hands were already behaving themselves, tearing off a corner of a lotus leaf, holding the bone through the leaf, and stuffing the whole thing directly into his mouth.

The four golden spots were almost a thick layer of skin, all gelatinous, and braised until even the bones inside were incredibly fragrant, let alone the meat.

The skin and flesh with bones has a different kind of charm compared to pure meat.

It's smoother and more delicate.

Even without using his teeth, Master Chen could clean the flesh and skin with just his mouth. His mouth was filled with the aroma of oil, meat, skin, and braised meat, without being greasy at all. However, the gelatinous substance inside almost stuck his upper and lower lips together, and when he chewed it, it produced an extremely thick and fragrant taste.

He could only sigh as he ate, truly reluctant to swallow the last bite.

There was only one serving of Four Points Gold, and once it was finished, it was gone. He finally sucked out the marrow from the bone before he stopped.

Master Chen was somewhat melancholy. He saw that he had eaten most of the meat in the bowl and was reluctant to swallow it all at once. He only picked up a triangular piece of dried tofu and a round piece of meat that he couldn't tell what it was made of. He didn't have any expectations, but as soon as he picked it up, he saw that a lot of gravy was quickly squeezed out of the dried tofu and seeped into the rice.

The tofu was soaked in broth, but the flavor was rather mild, with a touch of refreshing vinegar.

The vinegar flavor is different from other vinegars; it's more fragrant, with a distinct garlic aroma, yet it's not overpowering or smells like garlic. When you chew it with rice and meat slices, it's a completely different experience.

Most importantly, he can bite them all!!

Even though he is over seventy years old, Mr. Chen still has a good appetite.

He was the first to finish all the food, leaving not a single grain of rice.

After finishing the meal, I was actually quite full. I was holding the bamboo tube, intending to just pick up a few leaves to eat, but the mustard greens were cooked to be very tender, with only a slight, negligible bitterness. That slight bitterness was completely masked by the salty and savory flavor of the salted duck egg yolk.

The pork slices were very tender and easy to chew, and the soup was refreshing with the unique aroma of mustard greens, which cleansed his mouth completely.

It goes perfectly with braised pork knuckle rice.

After everyone finished eating, Duan Fuzi suddenly asked, "Zijian, will this stall owner Song still be making braised pork trotters rice tomorrow?"

Cheng Zijian shook his head and said, "With only one person, there probably isn't enough time to do it, right?"

Immediately, voices of regret rang out from inside the room.

Master Chen said, "If you see her tomorrow, you should talk to her. I'll also find someone to talk to her. Even if we don't have time to deliver it ourselves, we can go and get it."

"Exactly!" Master Duan immediately perked up. "We can send someone to retrieve it together!"

She added angrily, "If we could have such good food, we would be much more energetic in class. What kind of food does the kitchen give us every day? It's not only unpalatable, but it's also unclean—last time I ate there, I had to run around seven or eight times in half a day..."

He realized his words were inappropriate at this point and slowly stopped talking.

After the meal was finished and the matters were settled, the two teachers had no reason to stay any longer. They simply waited for Teacher Chen to give instructions before making arrangements for the students from the upper dormitory to come to the outer dormitory to share their experiences.

After the two left, Cheng Zijian naturally followed. However, before leaving, he couldn't help but look at Han Li. He wanted to explain several times, but he didn't know how to say it. He also felt that the timing and occasion were inappropriate.

The latter, who hadn't finished his soup yet, was holding the bamboo tube in his hands and slowly drinking it. Seeing Cheng Zijian's expression, he said, "What are you looking at? Have you finished revising your article?"

Cheng Zijian was startled, but quickly calmed down and said, "No, no! I'll go back and change it right away!"

After saying that, he gave a perfunctory bow towards the house and happily went out the door.

For a moment, only Chen and Han remained in the room.

Seeing that everyone had left, Master Chen's smile gradually faded, and he asked helplessly, "Zhengyan, you know that going to the lower dormitory to lecture is a good opportunity to gain fame, so why didn't you agree?"

"What would I do with such a reputation?" Han Li chuckled. "If you have a good reputation among scholars, you'll have more connections. If someone comes knocking on your door claiming to be related to you, wouldn't you have to consider their feelings even when you're insulting them?"

"It's better to have a bad reputation so that everyone will stay away from you, thus broadening your own reputation and making it easier to get things done in the future."

"If you work steadily and steadily, you'll be able to enter the inner circle in twenty or thirty years. Why take such a shortcut?"

“I’m taking my time, and it will be several decades before I can enter the inner circle. But how much can one person accomplish?” Han Li replied patiently.

"With my current reputation, once I enter the court, I can criticize people for a few more years, and who wouldn't be wary of me? If even a small number of people are made more cautious by my criticism, the benefits will far outweigh any amount of hard work I could do alone—if there's a shortcut, why not take it?"

Unable to persuade him, Master Chen was instead somewhat swayed by his words, so he said again, "Once you enter the hall and the courtyard, you will have your own disciples. Wouldn't it be better to work together with everyone, pooling your wisdom and strength?"

Han Li, however, disagreed, saying, "So what if he's under the tutelage of Minister Cao? Even with his abilities, he couldn't see through it all. How much better am I?"

He added, “Besides, once I make a name for myself, people will inevitably come to recruit me. They'll be all over the place, with all sorts of factions and gossip. I'm in my prime now, and I care about my reputation. I won't lose out by being a loyal minister. If there's a future for me, I can choose another path.”

"Things in this world are never that simple!" Master Chen cursed. "I can't argue with you. Just be careful not to offend anyone, lest I become too old to walk and have to bail you out!"

Han Li laughed heartily, but said, "Don't worry, senior brother, if that day ever comes, I'll make sure to offend someone big, so as not to embarrass you!"

After saying that, he tidied up the things in the house, washed Master Chen's rice bowl and put it back, then slowly walked away carrying the bamboo tube containing the mustard green and salted duck egg soup.

Master Chen had no choice but to stroke his beard and laugh as he watched him walk away, saying, "You little rascal, with all that cunning, who are you plotting against!"

Not to mention Master Chen's utter helplessness here, Lin Yiwen in the Nanlu Academy, separated by only a wall, was both helpless and irritable.

Sorry for the late update... It's mainly because I accidentally scrolled to the chapter about Zhizhi and Li Xun's mid-stage romance last night. I was grinning like a doting aunt the whole time, and I read so many chapters in one go, watching them date for so long with everyone in the comments. I only stopped reading when the plot got going, and as a result, I didn't have time to write anything, hence the late update here ORZ
However, today's update includes an extra chapter—a 6,000-word long chapter! Praise me!
Thank you, Little Rabbit, for the He Shi Bi jade. Don't come back again! Strongly condemn this!

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(End of this chapter)