Miao Chu

Chapter 40 Close the Door
"Documents?"

The subordinate who answered looked a little flustered. He opened his mouth and recalled for a while before whispering, "I was in a hurry that day. I thought that Song Dalang was dead and there was only an underage daughter left at home. He probably couldn't cause any trouble. So I spent some money to have someone write the document on the street. If you ask if there were any problems, there shouldn't be any... there shouldn't be any, right?"

The head of the household glared at his subordinates with displeasure and said, "How many times have I told you? You can't be lazy in this kind of thing. If you had honestly gone to find a lawyer the other day, you wouldn't be afraid of being exposed today!"

The subordinates immediately lowered their heads, not daring to utter a single word, but in their hearts they were not entirely convinced.

One word from above, and those below have to run themselves ragged.

The head of the household immediately suggested finding a lawyer, but lawyers are not so easy to find.

With just two mouths opening and closing, all they got in return were a few pieces of paper with writing on them, and a few coins were gone in an instant.

You can go to any fortune teller on the street, give them forty or fifty coins, and they can make the documents perfect in no time, without you noticing any problems.

Although the money will eventually be returned by the head of the household once it's asked, you still have to pay it out yourself first.

Three or two strings of cash today, three or two strings of cash tomorrow, how can we make a living?
Besides, sometimes that amount of money isn't a small amount, but it's not a large amount either, so it's embarrassing to keep asking about it. If it drags on for too long, it often just ends up being left unresolved.

It's one thing to pay a few dozen coins out of pocket, but to actually have to pay three or four strings of cash out of my own pocket...

Damn it, my chest hurts every time I try to sleep at night!
In that case, the subordinates naturally wouldn't dare to speak frankly in front of their leader.

Although Liao, the head of the household, had also climbed up from the bottom, he had been there for quite some time, and now his position was very different, so naturally he didn't have the energy to consider his subordinates much.

He thought for a moment and then instructed, "Take that document and find a lawyer to take a look. If it's not good, quickly change what needs to be changed and fill in what needs to be filled in. The other day, Master Wu sent someone to urge me to send that young lady over quickly, so that nothing unexpected might happen at this time."

His subordinates inwardly groaned.

It was a lawyer again.

Hiring a lawyer to review legal documents isn't free; you'll inevitably have to pay for it.

But this time it was his own fault for not cleaning up the mess, so he didn't dare to say anything more and just asked, "Master, what about... the Song family? Should we still take care of them?"

He added, "The Song family's daughter sets up a food stall at the entrance of Nanlu Academy and the Imperial Academy every day. I heard her business is booming. Those students aren't picky eaters; they can even eat dog poop with relish. There's a long queue every day. If there really is a problem with the documents, she can find one or two students to help her find it..."

"Then tell me what to do?"

The subordinate then said, "She's just a little brat, thinking she's all that. I'll take some men and scare her, overturn her stall, and see if she's still babbling on like that! She's got a death wish!"

However, just as he finished uttering the word "了", he felt a sudden gust of wind in front of him. Before he could react, a crisp sound, accompanied by pain, exploded almost simultaneously, one near his ear and the other on his face.

—It was Liao, the head of the household, who raised his hand and slapped him.

As expected of someone from a humble background, Liao, having carried loads and buckets so many times, had calluses on his palms. He lost his temper and slapped his subordinate across the face, making the subordinate see stars.

"I think you're the one who's tired of living!" He spat on the ground. "You know you have to stand in long lines every day, yet you still want to go and overturn her stall in front of her. Are you afraid you won't make a big enough scene? I just gave instructions the other day that the yamen has a new judge, and things haven't been settled yet. You'd better be careful in your actions. And you're being this careful?"

The subordinate covered his face and could only say, "Then...then let her have her way?"

"Are you an idiot?!" Chief Liao exclaimed in exasperation. "Her family lives in Suanzao Lane, all alone all day long. And that's our territory across the street. If we really want to teach them a lesson, we can just call on two brothers. Why go now, or do we have to wait until tomorrow?"

He then shouted, "Do I have to teach you this?!"

The subordinate hurriedly agreed and ran out, clutching his face.

When this person went outside, his head and face ached. The pain was secondary; when he was slapped, he seemed to see a figure outside the door. He wondered who that person was and whether they would tell others about the beating. If that happened, where would he put his face and how would he lead his subordinates?

He was filled with resentment, but he didn't hesitate. He splashed water on his face twice—and he actually grimaced and bled from his mouth. When he went to the backyard, he counted his brothers. There were four big men, which was quite imposing.

After the matter was explained, the brothers all agreed without hesitation. Before it got dark, they headed towards Suanzao Lane together before the sewage was transported.

With his men gone, Liao the Boss didn't sit idle either.

There are so many porters carrying manure and urine in this area of ​​Zhuque Gate. Ever since the previous leader passed away due to injury and illness, and his son was too young to take over, how many people want to snatch this piece of fat meat?

However, he was the only one who climbed up.

He was able to climb up not only because of his own abilities, but also because of the help he received from Master Wu.

But this helping hand isn't something you can get for free.

Liao, the head of the household, is not only capable of getting his hands dirty, but also keeps a close eye on things.

This is also why Master Wu was willing to employ him.

Putting aside the location of the Song family's residence, he couldn't possibly have just one person watching over such an asset. At this moment, he summoned another subordinate and asked, "Last time I asked you to keep an eye on Sun, the village head of Suanzao Lane—what's the situation now?"

The subordinate hurriedly replied, "He hasn't been idle. He's been visiting the Song family's daughter a few times recently, exchanging food and drinks with both sides. I heard he even stepped in to mediate with the Song family's creditors, asking them to give him some time to repay the money slowly."

Liao, the head of the household, was very displeased and said, "You're being ungrateful!"

He then asked, "How is his brother—the one called Sun Er—doing?"

"He's got a tight hold on him; even if you let the hook go, he'll still chase after you and bite. He's really hooked right now, so don't worry, he won't get off!"

Liao nodded and said, "Keep an eye on that Sun Er, and make sure that Sun Li stays home and doesn't meddle in other people's business all day long!"

The subordinate agreed, but instead of rushing out, he went to the side, fetched a teapot, and helped pour the tea.

Seeing this, Liao leaned back in his chair and squinted his eyes for a moment.

Perhaps it's because he's been dealing with too many things lately, and he's not as able to take care of everything as usual, so he's always feeling uneasy.

The Song family mansion in Suanzao Lane should have been an easy job. The gambling father was dead, leaving only a daughter who wasn't even an adult yet. Logically, they should have been able to gamble however they wanted.
Just at this crucial moment, the prefectural government appointed a new magistrate.

Fearing to attract attention, since he hadn't yet found his footing and what he was doing wasn't exactly aboveboard, he didn't want to make too much of a fuss. So he went along with it and gave Song a month or so to let her see the realities of the world. Once she resigned herself to her fate and entered the Wu family, that would be the end of it.

How could she manage to create all this trouble in such a short time?

Just then, he heard his subordinate cautiously ask, "Master, what did Diao Zi do wrong just now?"

Liao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that someone had probably seen him slap just now.

Such constant beatings and verbal abuse might have been tolerable in the past, but now that he's climbed to this position, it's not appropriate to continue doing such disgraceful things. It would make him seem petty and narrow-minded to others. He began to regret his actions, closing his eyes and remaining silent.

The subordinate dared not ask any more questions and quickly withdrew.

After everyone left, Liao, the head of the household, called another man in and instructed him, "Go and get five hundred coins. Give them to Diao Zi when he comes back. Tell him that the brothers worked hard tonight and that he should take some men out for a good meal."

Meanwhile, at the Song family's restaurant, Song Miao wrapped some pieces of rice candy and spiced broad beans in oiled paper and dried lotus leaves as return gifts for everyone. She then saw them off a few steps to the door, bid them farewell, and only turned back after everyone had left.

She tidied up the things in the hall and was about to close the main door when she heard someone talking not far behind the door.

"Sister Song".

As he spoke, the man had already taken a few steps closer and was right in front of him.

Song Miao looked up and saw a young man, barely twenty years old, looking at her from two or three steps away.

The man was fair-skinned, tall, and handsome—it was none other than Lin Yiwen, the original owner's former fiancé.

He stared at her for a long time, his expression blank, and sighed, "How did my sister become so thin and haggard? Seeing her like this... it really breaks my heart..."

Upon seeing this person, Song Miao frowned and, without saying a word, prepared to close the door.

The Great Wei Dynasty didn't place much importance on the separation of men and women. Moreover, the Song family was a merchant family with a low social status, and Song Huaizhou and Lin Yiwen were classmates. Before the two families got engaged, Lin Yiwen often came to the Song family to eat, and he had met the original owner of this body quite a few times.

Two years ago, the original owner of this body was taken by her older brother and went to visit the Lantern Festival and enjoy the spring outing with Lin Yiwen.

The young man and woman, both young and vibrant, were already engaged; how could they not have feelings for each other?

The reason Song Miao hanged herself so quickly was that she truly had no other choice. Another reason was that when the Lin family broke off the engagement, her usually gentle and kind fiancé, Lin Yiwen, didn't even show his face or send a word.

Not to mention the previous marriage agreement, even neighbors and casual acquaintances would come to offer their condolences and burn incense when they learned of the great misfortune that had befallen the Song family.

But the husband she had hoped to grow old with turned out to be so cold-blooded and heartless. For the young woman, who had no relatives or friends and no family, this was a huge blow.

Having inherited the original owner's memories, Song Miao ignored her former fiancé completely, treating him as if he were dead.

However, before the door could be closed, Lin Yiwen rushed over and hurriedly blocked it with his hand, asking, "Are you blaming me?"

He immediately began to explain, "I've been studying at the academy the whole time. By the time I received the news, it was already too late. Besides, my uncle owes so much money, and the house has already been sold. Even if I wanted to, I really couldn't. And I was afraid that coming here would only make you feel ashamed..."

He added, “When I came to break off the engagement that day, it really had nothing to do with me. Today, for your sake, I specially asked the teacher to write out a note, and I have already explained it to Mother, asking her to persuade Father to let us continue our good marriage.”

"I will be taking the Imperial Academy exam in the next two years, and I will definitely receive subsidies. I will give you half of it every month. After we sell this house and pay off the debts, you should not go out to set up a stall or sell food. It is not only hard work, but it is also not a good look to be seen with those students in broad daylight."

"Why don't you stay home and help prepare some food, and bring it to me every day? I never knew you had such skills."

"But given your current status, it's no longer appropriate for our two families to arrange a marriage. You'll likely suffer some injustice, and it's uncertain whether you can become my wife..."

Song Miao endured for a while, initially worried about hurting the man's hand and causing trouble. But now, the more she listened, the less it seemed to be true. She laughed in anger and said coldly through the door, "The marriage was called off long ago. If you keep nagging, don't blame me for being impolite."

When Lin Yiwen heard Song Miao speak, he didn't take her words seriously at all, thinking that she was just worried about the future. He quickly added, "Don't worry, even if I marry someone in the future, how can they compare to the fate between you and me? My heart will always be with you, and I won't favor one over the other..."

Song Miao couldn't listen anymore, so she used her strength and pressed half of her body forward on the door.

Lin Yiwen was caught completely off guard. His hand was caught in the middle of the door, and he was in excruciating pain. He let out a scream and hurriedly shouted, "Let go! Let go!"

The door opened with a thud.

Lin Yiwen breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could wipe away his tears and snot, he assumed that Song Meimei still cared about him and was about to complain.

Seeing that he opened his mouth, Song Miao was no longer willing to listen to a single word. She opened the door wide, grabbed the door stick next to her, and reached out to hit Lin Yiwen.

The latter was startled and, unable to dodge in time, fled in panic.

Song Miao chased after him for a couple of steps, too lazy to waste her energy on him, and simply shouted, "If you dare to come again, or dare to talk nonsense outside, don't blame me for beating you every time I see you."

He then yelled, "Get out!"

As she spoke, she waved the door bar twice in the air before turning around and closing the door.

Lin Yiwen came here to express his feelings, expecting to encounter only tears and sobs, and to offer some words of comfort and advice. Little did he know that Song Miao would treat him so cruelly.

His arm still ached, and when he saw the door slam shut from the inside, he was hiding in the corner and couldn't react for a long time.

But after standing there for a moment, recalling Song Miao's angry face and cold words, he felt that his fiancée looked even more lively and captivating than he had seen her before, which made his heart flutter.

Lin Yiwen touched his arm, endured the pain, and was about to go forward to knock on the door again.

But before he could get out of the corner, he heard footsteps and voices coming from the road behind him.

"Is it the one up ahead? Song's Restaurant, don't get it wrong."

"Yes, I came here once before."

"With the door closed, I don't know if that woman will agree."

"If you refuse, just break down the door—do you think you're here as a guest?"

"It would be best if he were sensible, so we could save some effort."

"What do you want? The head of the household instructed me not to lose face or try to gain any advantage—someone has already set their sights on this person!"

As they were talking, four or five burly men emerged from behind, their heads and feet bound, looking menacing and clearly not to be trifled with.

Hearing their conversation, Lin Yiwen immediately realized they were heading towards Song Miao.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately pulled back the foot that had already taken half a step. He didn't dare to go any further and just stayed in the corner, peeking out.

At the alley entrance, brushing past these same group of students, Cheng Zijian, Wang Chang, and others, carrying rice candy and spiced broad beans, were also passing by.

Many thanks to my cat Egg and Fallen One from the bookstore for gifting me a typing aid each =3=
Thank you so much, Mo Zaijiaoju, for this little gift from the bookstore! Mwah! :)



(End of this chapter)