Miao Chu

Chapter 53 Disturbance
Qin Zong had no choice but to travel alone and watch helplessly.

It's unclear what the two talked about up ahead, but when they returned, Xin Feng no longer showed any of his previous dissatisfaction towards Han Li. He had become very amiable and even took the initiative to tell stories about interesting events during the capture and interrogation of thieves.

Han Li was neither subservient nor blindly agreeable; in fact, he engaged in a lively exchange with the other party.

He would occasionally offer a few words of praise or ask a few questions. Qin Zong listened from the side and felt that the praise was nothing special, and as for the questions, he didn't know what was so special about them. But every time he spoke, it would make Xin Feng happy, and he would talk more and more about the details, becoming even more excited.

I've praised you before, and I've asked you why you didn't seem to care much when I praised you before, and why you only gave casual answers when I asked you, without showing any excitement.
Does that mean the flattery of someone surnamed Han is any better than the flattery of someone surnamed Qin?
Furthermore, Brother Han, in the past, you were too lazy to say a word to my fourth brother, who was a high-ranking official in the capital, and to all those scholars, great Confucian scholars, and other officials of various ranks. You wouldn't even take the initiative to approach him when there was nothing to do, and even when there was something to do, you would often make excuses to avoid him and refuse to pay attention to him.

Why are they so easy to talk to, so polite, and even complimenting people here?
Qin Zong listened for a long time but couldn't figure out why Han Li's words were better than his own. He was truly puzzled.

Even when they reached the latter part of the journey, Xin Feng actually started praising Han Li.

"I thought Judge Qin was just exaggerating, but I didn't expect Brother Han to actually have experience working under him. Judging from your words, you must have suffered a lot, right? You even know about things like fines and executions in time-limited arrests."

"If I had known it would be like this, why would I, Old Xin, have said so much nonsense? It's like the flood washed away the Dragon King's temple; we don't even recognize our own people anymore!"

Han Li talked to him in detail, and was humble.

“The outlying prefectures are much better than the capital. The Provincial Judicial Commissioner only comes down to inspect a few times a year, and you may not be randomly selected for inspection. But the prefectural government in the capital is different. It is the closest, and if an official comes and says a few words, he will be the first to be inspected for old cases and old files.”

"I have countless urgent cases piling up in my hands, and the victims are still waiting outside, pressing me for help. There's no way I can finish them all. Who can keep their files in perfect order at all times?"

"It will inevitably be the subordinates working during the day, moving their original evening hours to their desks."

"The higher-ups will only give a few words of encouragement. If things go well, they might show some sympathy. But if things go badly, they won't even give you a cup of thirst-quenching drink. If the officials don't help their subordinates streamline the process and reduce trouble, they'll scold you for not being thorough in your work and for not keeping records at all times."

Upon hearing this, Xin Feng felt as if he had met a kindred spirit and immediately chimed in, beginning to criticize a previous military patrol judge.

They chatted and walked quickly along the way. When they arrived at Suanzao Lane, Xin Fenglian stopped calling him "Brother Han" and started calling him "Zhengyan" (meaning "seriously").

Upon arriving at the Song Family Restaurant, seeing that the door was half-open, Xin Feng stepped forward, knocked on the door, and asked, "Is there a young lady from the Song family here?"

As he asked, he looked up and saw Song Miao peeling bamboo shoots by the stove in the hall. He was stunned for a moment, and couldn't say the last sentence. He just thought to himself: What a pretty young lady.

They say if you want to look pretty, you have to wear mourning clothes.

After the seventh day following the death, Song Miao no longer wore full mourning clothes, but still dressed in plain linen clothes.

Eight out of ten girls are slender and graceful, and she is very beautiful. She is working with her head down, her gaze very focused.

In Xin Feng's eyes, the woman had a delicate nose, exquisite features, and a small face. She looked quiet and elegant.

Her hands were slender and delicate, like green onions, with only slight signs of fresh work. Holding the equally slender bamboo shoots, she peeled off the outer skin. Although she seemed unhurried, her speed was actually quite fast, and her movements were smooth and clean.

To an outsider, unless they look closely, they would never think that they are peeling bamboo shoots, but rather that they are doing something elegant, such as brewing tea, burning incense, or painting.

Although if you asked Song Miao herself, she believed that peeling bamboo shoots was much more elegant than other arts like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—the bamboo shoots absorbed the spiritual energy of the mountain clouds and mist, went through washing, cutting, and cooking, entered people's stomachs, and then returned to the land and mountains. Isn't this kind of cycle of heaven and earth noble and elegant?
At this moment, Song Miao heard a knock on the door and someone speaking to her. Feeling slightly strange, she stopped what she was doing and replied, "That's me. May I ask what brings you here?"

As she spoke, she looked up at the doorway.

Only two doors were open, and two men were standing outside. The one in front was about forty years old, not tall, but very strong. The one behind him looked very familiar—he was the official who had "escorted" him back last night. He was looking at his face with a rather surprised expression.

The one who asked the question was the middle-aged man. As he asked the question, he first looked at Song Miao's face, but after only a short while, he looked away and quickly scanned the room, as if he were inspecting something.

"I am a patrol inspector from the Kyoto Prefectural Government, and my surname is Xin."

Xin Feng took out a waist token from his sleeve, showed it to Song Miao, and then stepped into the house.

Song Miao put down the bamboo shoots in her hand, took two steps forward, called out "Inspector Xin" as a sign of politeness, and then introduced herself.

Xin Feng entered the room and, without further ado, asked, "Miss Song, why were you summoned by the Zhuque Gate patrol early this morning? What did they ask you?"

He then asked, "I heard that someone broke into your house the other night. What happened?"

Song Miao then recounted everything in turn.

As Xin Feng listened, he looked around the main hall of the restaurant.

Seeing the furnishings inside, the two stoves at the entrance with all the things on them, and the stall cart parked in the main room, the doubts he had initially had after hearing Qin Zong's description had largely dissipated.

Qin Zong, who was standing to the side, still found it strange after hearing Song Miao's answer and asked, "Your house was just broken into by thieves at night, yet you still have the leisure to go to Zhouqiao to watch the excitement?"

“A female embroiderer went missing, and the embroidery workshop offered a reward of one hundred strings of cash. My family is heavily in debt, so how could I not be tempted by such a large reward?” Song Miao replied.

It was just a normal answer, but for some reason, Qin Zong felt like he had choked on it.

As they were talking, Song Miao looked up and saw another person entering through the door.

The man was exceptionally handsome, with particularly sharp eyebrows and eyes, a very upright gaze, and a tall, slender build. He was dressed in a blue cloth robe commonly seen among scholars. Upon seeing Song Miao in person, he was slightly taken aback before bowing and saying, "Young Lady Song."

Song Miao returned the greeting.

The other party replied, "My name is Han Li, and I work under Inspector Xin. Last night, when I came here, I noticed some strange noises coming from the house across the street. I thought I'd like to ask if you've noticed anything amiss since Miss Song lives across the street?"

“So it’s Young Master Han.” Song Miao responded, and then said simply, “Yes, I didn’t notice it before, but since the Lantern Festival, I’ve been going to bed late at night and getting up early during the day. I often hear noisy voices coming from across the street at night, and I also occasionally encounter strangers in the alley when I go in and out.”

Upon hearing this, not only Han Li, but also Xin Feng, who was looking at the walls and corners of the restaurant, suddenly turned around and looked at Song Miao.

Before anyone could ask, Song Miao continued, “The other night someone broke into my house. I was scared and slept in the main hall for two nights in a row. Every night I heard calls and doorbells from across the way. On the most night, there were more than twenty calls, and on the least night, there were more than ten.”

She then described the scene of witnessing "Sun Er" enter the door that day.

This time, even Qin Zong got excited and asked urgently, "Why don't you report this to the authorities since the neighbors across the street are acting so strangely?"

Song Miao looked at him with surprise and asked, "Someone broke into my house at night, and the patrol only asked me questions but didn't arrest the thief. I'm so scared that I have to sleep in the main room at night. Should I report it to the authorities? Please tell me, sir, how should I report it?"

Qin Zong fell silent again, feeling that although the woman was beautiful, she had a sharp tongue. The troublesome thing was that what she said seemed to make some sense, and he couldn't refute it.

Song Miao ignored him and recounted the times she had encountered strangers over the past few days, as well as the appearance, build, age, and clothing of the people who knocked on her door.

She described each of the eleven people one by one with great certainty and without the slightest hesitation.

After listening for a while, Inspector Xin's expression became increasingly serious, especially when he heard some of the people's descriptions. He would interrupt Song Miao from time to time to ask her for details about those people.

As Song Miao provided a more detailed account, Xin Feng had no more doubts.

Those men were easily recognizable; they were thieves and gamblers who frequently dealt with the police and government officials. Some had even robbed or injured people, and had been in and out of jail countless times. He had long since identified them by their names and recognized them immediately.

Once these people were recognized, the suspicion against the neighbor across the street could no longer be cleared. Putting aside other factors, they couldn't escape the fact that it was a gambling den.

How many people will be unearthed from such a large house?

They're all from the same nest; there's no reason why one mouse could turn into a cat.

Once gambling gets involved, it inevitably leads to lust and even death. Right now, the Kyoto government is under intense pressure from above. Many people went missing during the Lantern Festival, and most of them haven't been found yet. They've requested the help of patrolling soldiers to conduct a search.

Xin Feng was a veteran inspector who had been missing for many years. He knew that it would be difficult to find him again after he had been missing for so long. If he could find a gambling den and take some of the stolen goods, it would be a relief.

Suddenly, Xin Fengxin realized the importance of what the young lady had said and couldn't help but praise her: "If everyone were as quick-witted and had such a good memory as Miss Song, it would be so much easier for us officials to catch thieves and punish evildoers."

He regretted that he had arrived in such a hurry and was unprepared, so he quickly turned to Qin Zong and asked, "Do you have any paper and pen with you?"

Qin Zong shook his head.

Who needs to take this with them when going out on business?
Inspector Xin had no choice but to say again, "It's a pity I didn't bring any paper and pen with me right now, so the young lady may have to repeat it again later."

Just as Song Miao was about to nod, she heard Han Li say from the side, "It's alright, I'm remembering."

As he spoke, he repeated exactly what Song Miao had said earlier, without a single mistake.

After saying that, he added, "I'll copy it down when I get back, and then I'll ask Miss Song to take a look."

Inspector Xin was stunned for a moment, feeling a mix of emotions. When he looked at Qin Zong again and saw the other man's blank stare, he couldn't help but feel a little disgusted.

He then asked many questions about the situation across the street.

Song Miao naturally spoke freely and without reservation.

Upon further inquiry, Inspector Xin was truly quite satisfied with this young woman.

She is very observant of people and things, has an excellent memory, and most importantly, she can immediately grasp the key points of any question, answering them concisely and even drawing inferences from one instance to another.

"Young lady, what is the layout of this room? Is there a back door?" he couldn't help but ask.

“There is a storage room in the side hall, and a courtyard in the back. There is a gate in the back courtyard, and a path outside the gate leads to the main street outside. However, the path is a bit far and you have to take a detour.”

Song Miao immediately answered, leading everyone toward the right side hall as she spoke.

Sure enough, when the curtain was lifted, there was a small room on the right side of the main room. It was empty and had nothing in it, but there was a wooden window facing outwards. Although the window was not big, if you found a good angle, you could clearly see the main gate of the house opposite.

After visiting the side hall, Song Miao led them to the back courtyard of the second courtyard.

The backyard is quite large, with two courtyards and a total of four rooms, two on each side. One of them is a large kitchen, where everything except the stove, including the pots, has been moved out.

The other three rooms were for living. Although the doors were closed, the paper windows were already tattered. Looking through the holes, there was no extra furniture inside, only a thin quilt in one room.

There was a well and a large stone mill in the courtyard, as well as some utensils for making glutinous rice and setting up a stall. There was nothing else, not even a chair.

Most of the original flowers and plants had died long ago, and after Song Miao came, she cleared them all away. Only some hardy mint and perilla plants happily crawled around everywhere, each occupying its own territory.

It was a rather pitiful courtyard, but Song Miao cleaned it carefully, making it look very clean, and the mint and perilla even gave it a touch of vitality.

She led her people to see the back gate and the other way out.

Xin Feng walked and looked around, and when he saw the end, he said, "Miss Song, I have something I want to discuss with you."

Before he could finish speaking, Song Miao laughed and said, "If Inspector Xin wants to requisition this house, then go ahead and use it. The purpose of working in the yamen is to serve us common people. Because of the thief who broke in the other night, I didn't dare to sleep peacefully at night. Now that the official is guarding the court, I won't be afraid anymore."

Seeing her reply, Xin Feng was even more satisfied.

A thought couldn't help but pop into his head.

—This young lady from the Song family is truly a remarkable person!

Song Miao paused for a moment, then said, "There's only one thing. My family is heavily in debt, and I have to set up a breakfast stall every day, as well as do some shopping. I wonder if there are any taboos?"

Although he trusted the young woman completely, he was still on duty. Xin Feng, a veteran inspector for decades, was not in vain and dared not be careless, fearing that something might go wrong.

He asked, "Where are you going to set up your stall?"

"I plan to go to the alley behind the shop at Zhuque Gate in the next couple of days. If it's convenient in a few days, I'd like to go back to the food alley behind the Imperial Academy."

Xin Feng did the math and figured it was just a gambling den raid, which wouldn't take more than a few days. He then said, "I'll have someone follow you."

Then he asked, "Are you going to buy things today?"

"The ingredients for today have already been purchased, but I have something to do this afternoon and need to go to the Kyoto Prefectural Government."

There was no point in hiding it, so Song Miao said directly, "Someone came to our door with a sales contract, saying that my father sold our house at a low price before he died, and I want to check the records of the contract."

Xin Feng hesitated for a moment.

He arrived in a hurry today and didn't bring many men with him. He needed to keep watch on the streets and also have experienced men keep watch on the back alleys. As for Han Li, although he was new, he knew from their conversation that he was capable and hardworking, so it was not appropriate to ask him to do these chores.

After looking around, he couldn't help but turn to look at Qin Zong.

Qin Zong was eager to make a name for himself, so how could he do something so pointless? He quickly said, "Why don't we ask Xiao Zuo to go?"

“Xiao Zuo is watching the alley entrance; he can’t just leave.” Xin Feng frowned.

Qin Zong was really unwilling and was about to speak when he heard Han Li, who had been following him, say, "I'll go."

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he said naturally, "I was going to report to the government office today anyway. If Mr. Song doesn't mind, I'll go with you to check out the yamen."

He then asked, "When did you originally plan to depart?"

"We'll set off this afternoon," Song Miao said.

She glanced at the sky and said, "It's almost lunchtime. Since you're all going to be working here, how about I prepare a few dishes to entertain you?"

Seeing how poor the Song family was, Xin Feng dared not agree and hurriedly said, "No need, no need!"

Qin Zong then said, "Young lady, you don't need to cook. I'll have someone buy a meal from outside—you can eat with us for the next few days!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "I've bought all the ingredients and I'm about to eat something fresh. One of them is bamboo shoots, which have already been peeled. I'm going to make stuffed bamboo shoots. If we don't eat them at noon, they'll grow into bamboo by the afternoon."

Qin Zong, who came from a wealthy family, had already suffered enough these past two days, so how could he possibly deprive himself of food?

Seeing that Xin Feng looked hesitant, and fearing that the other party might be persuaded, he quickly said, "That young lady will eat by herself today, she doesn't need to worry about us."

He then hurriedly turned to Inspector Xin and said, "Brother Xin, I invited you here today. All the food and drinks for the brothers will be on me! I'll book a few tables at the restaurant later and cover all three meals for the day."

However, before he could finish speaking, Han Li took out a purse from his waist, took out a piece of silver, and brazenly handed it to Song Xiaoniangzi right in front of the two of them.

"If it's convenient for you, Mr. Song, then I'll trouble you and join you."

Many thanks to the bookstore for the two little gifts from my cat, Egg, and to Mu Yan and Ann_AC for one little gift each =3=
Thank you to the beautiful and wealthy lady for sending me this amulet! :)
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(End of this chapter)