Miao Chu

Chapter 72 Help
Song Miao naturally knew that these street rumors were not to be believed.

But there's no smoke without fire, especially since last night someone went to the Song family to tell Zhu that Sun Er owed money to the gambling den, had his finger cut off, and that some hooligans were making a scene and wanted to come to collect the debt.

Sun Er has most likely really gotten into trouble.

Sun Lizheng and Zhu Shi have been helping her a lot recently, and she learned about the news together last night. It's only right and proper that she goes to their house to ask them what's going on.

Song Miao was determined to put in the effort, not just pay lip service, so she went to the market to buy the ingredients for tomorrow.

After she got home, she soaked the beans that needed soaking, fried the ones that needed frying, and did everything she could do in the afternoon before going to buy some fruit and then to Sun Lizheng's house.

The Sun family's doors were tightly shut. After knocking for a long time, a young woman finally answered the door. She was the eldest daughter of Sun, the village head, and Zhu.

Upon hearing that Song Miao was looking for Zhu Shi, she said, "So it's Miss Song. My mother went to my second uncle's and second aunt's house. It's just me and a few children at home. If there's anything urgent, you can tell me."

Song Miao then said, "It's nothing. It's just that someone came to Aunt Zhu's door last night and said something rather frightening. I was worried that something might happen at home, so I came to ask if there was anyone I could help with."

The Sun family's daughter hesitated for a while before shaking her head and thanking them, saying, "If anything happens, I'll ask Miss Song for help again."

He then invited her inside to sit down.

Song Miao could tell that the other party had something difficult to say, but since the person in question didn't bring it up, she didn't press for details. So she handed over some fruit and said, "I'm in mourning, so I won't come in and sit for long. Just call me if you need anything."

She said goodbye and turned to leave when she saw someone hurrying towards her. Looking up, she saw it was Zhu Shi and quickly greeted her.

When Zhu saw Song Miao, she was naturally surprised. After learning that Song Miao had come to help, she hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "You still have to set up your stall, how can you have time for this!"

Song Miao then said, "Auntie, please just say what you need. I've finished all my work for today before I came."

He added, "Even if it's not a big help, it would save manpower if it were just running an errand."

"I was too ashamed to ask, but I'm really too busy with this matter right now. If you can spare the time, could you go to the yamen and find Inspector Xin to ask where Old Sun is right now?"

Song Miao found this strange and asked for details. She then learned that a ruffian had indeed come to Sun Er's house last night, but fortunately the patrolmen came and scared him away.

However, the two elders of the Sun family knew that their son owed so much debt, but when they saw the bloody fingers, one of them fainted on the spot and the other cried to death.

Sun Er's wife took care of him all night, but the next day she threatened to hang herself. She was rescued with great difficulty. After waking up, she kept shouting for a divorce, saying that she wanted to take her son and daughter back to her parents' home. She also said that it would be better to have no husband at all, as he was a compulsive gambler who was never home and only caused trouble. She said that she would have no one to rely on in the future.

She might as well take the child with her, go back and remarry, find a good man, and her life would probably be much better than it is now.

There was nothing more Zhu could do to persuade her.

Honestly, if it were anyone else, they would have run away long ago if they had a husband like that.

It's truly remarkable that my sister-in-law has been able to endure this long.

After the sister-in-law finished crying, she was about to leave with her child when she discovered that her youngest daughter and the third son both had high fevers.

Suddenly, people were calling doctors, preparing medicine, and going out to gather information, causing chaos and confusion.

Zhu used everyone she could, even calling on her own brothers to help inquire about Sun Er's whereabouts.

When the people returned one by one, they first learned that a large-scale search had been conducted in the city the night before, and more than ten gambling dens had been raided. All the people inside had been taken away. They also learned that Sun Er was among them. When they tried to find out more, no one was willing to reveal any further details.

According to the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty, gamblers are punished with one hundred strokes of the cane; for serious cases involving large sums of money, the punishment is doubled, and they are imprisoned for one year. For even more serious cases, the punishment depends on the specific crime.

Given the amount of money Sun Er gambled on and his status as a repeat offender, it's easy to see that he's definitely going to be caned; the only question is how many strokes and whether he'll end up in jail.

"I don't care about the second son. Let him be caned or go to jail. I can't control him anymore."

“But he has elderly parents to care for and young children to raise. In particular, the children are not yet married and it is unknown how they will make a living in the future. If he has a father who is imprisoned for gambling, his whole life will be affected.”

Zhu explained the ins and outs briefly, but there were deeper things she couldn't say in front of Song Miao, an outsider.

As far as Zhu was concerned, Sun Er was, after all, her husband's blood relative. Blood was thicker than water, and being implicated was secondary. If they were to divorce in the end, given the usual behavior of Sun Er's uncle and aunt, they would never allow their daughter-in-law to take their grandchildren away.

But how can two elderly people who are half-buried in the ground take care of people?
In the end, it still took their own family to help raise the child.

Zhu was already too busy taking care of her own children, so of course she didn't want to take care of her cousin's child, especially since it was such a cousin. She usually avoided him like the plague.

But she was just a niece-in-law after all, and couldn't make decisions on her own. She had to call her husband back.

"I haven't heard a word from Old Sun, and I don't know what's going on. It's quite frightening. I sent people to look for him, but everyone said they couldn't find out anything. I've been thinking about it, and then I remembered those people I saw at your house yesterday..."

As Zhu was speaking, she suddenly stopped.

Song Miao was quick-witted and didn't need to finish her sentence. She took the initiative to say, "Auntie was thinking of asking Inspector Xin and the others about it. If it's convenient, could you please pass on a message?"

Madam Zhu was immediately a little embarrassed and said, "I originally planned to go to the yamen myself, but I came here to ask my daughter to help keep an eye on her uncle's family. However, I didn't say more than a few words to Inspector Xin, and I only became acquainted with the officials from the other yamen..."

"Don't worry, Auntie. I'm just asking for some information. I'll go to the Kyoto government office right away, but I can't guarantee what the situation is."

Zhu visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yesterday at the Song family residence, Zhu Shi naturally observed the attitude of the patrolmen and yamen runners towards Song Miao.

He was obliged to those who fed him, and he even borrowed their houses to stay in. Whether it was the inspector, Young Master Han, Young Master Qin, or any other constable, they were all very friendly to him.

She was initially worried that if she went to the yamen, she wouldn't know how to ask or which official to ask, but if this Miss Song stepped forward, she would definitely be much more useful than herself!
Madam Zhu hurriedly said, "There's really no other way, so I'll have to trouble you to make this trip. It doesn't matter whether you find out or not, just be careful on your way!"

He added, "I don't know how I should thank you!"

“When my aunt came to keep me company last night, she never complained when she and Uncle Sun helped me persuade those creditors before,” Song Miao said with a smile. “Besides, although the two of you didn’t say it outright, I could tell from Uncle Sun’s words and actions that he was not very willing to pay attention to them. But my aunt took pity on me and must have helped persuade them quite a bit.”

"Oh! What's this!" Zhu rubbed her hands together, stammered for a while, but finally did not deny it.

Once Song Miao agreed, she didn't delay at all.

Since she wanted to inquire about the whereabouts of Sun Lizheng and his younger brother, she naturally couldn't go empty-handed.

The sweet fermented rice she had prepared the day before had been fermenting for two days, and judging by the time, it should be ready to eat. So she decided to head back to Suanzao Lane first. When she returned to the eatery, she opened the lid, picked up a few grains of oats and barley, and put them in her mouth. They were sweet with a pleasant fermented aroma and a strong grain fragrance. With one sip, the filling burst open, and the sweet liquid was not cloying at all. It was indeed ready.

Thinking that there would be many people in the Kyoto government office, Song Miao lined the bottom of the bamboo basket with thick oil paper, then with lotus leaves, and finally filled the basket with sweet fermented rice. After covering it, she carried the bamboo basket out the door.

Halfway there, she went to a shop and bought some cheap tea.

The Kyoto Prefectural Government Office was not close to the Song family. Even though Song Miao hurried as fast as she could, it was already close to late afternoon when she arrived at the Kyoto Prefectural Government Office.

She had been here once before, so she knew the way well and went straight to the back office instead of the front office.

According to Zhu's previous plan, she was to go find Inspector Xin.

But according to Song Miao, such a big case would surely keep Inspector Xin extremely busy, and he probably wouldn't be able to find the time to work.

The purpose is simply to pass on a message or gather information; there's no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

She entered the back office, greeted the most approachable-looking guard, and said, "Excuse me, sir. My name is Song, and I live in Suanzao Lane. I am looking for an official named Qin Zong from the Left and Right Military Patrol Offices. Would you be so kind as to pass on my message?"

"You're looking for Qin Zong?" The guard shook his head. "It's really unfortunate. I just saw him go out with someone. He's only been gone for about half an hour. I don't know when he'll be back."

Song Miao was taken aback.

The chicken-killing knife was nowhere to be found.

She then said, "Then may I ask if there is a student named Han who was recently transferred here? I'm afraid not many people know him..."

"You mean Brother Han Li?" The guard immediately smiled. Seeing Song Miao nod, he added, "This man is very busy and may not have time to come out. If you have anything to say, I'll pass on a message to you."

It's not appropriate to discuss the Sun family's affairs with others, especially since these words could easily be misinterpreted and have a negative impact.

Song Miao then unloaded the bamboo basket from her back and said, "The other day, Inspector Xin, Young Master Han, and all the officers of the Left and Right Military Patrol Offices helped me a lot. I am a cook and don't have anything good to offer, so I simply brought some food to express my gratitude."

She handed over the packet of tea leaves, pointing to the bamboo basket, and said, "This is sweet fermented tea, a Guanzhong beverage. First, brew this tea into a strong brew, then scoop a spoonful of this sweet fermented tea and steep it in water. It can be hot or cold..."

The guard was exasperated and quickly pushed the tea leaves back, saying, "I'll go and inform them, I'll go and call someone for you!"

With that, he handed the stern-handed baton to his partner and hurried away.

The guards in the back office were much more relaxed than those in the front office. After watching the two talk for a while, the partner became curious. He first dragged over a small table for Song Miao to sit on, and then asked, "What does this sweetheart of yours look like?"

Song Miao then lifted the lid of the bamboo basket and said with a smile, "It's made from a mixture of oat and barley with yeast, but it's fermented perfectly right now and doesn't have a wine taste—would you like a sip, sir?"

The guard quickly waved his hand and said, "I'm on duty! I'm on duty, I can't accept your things!"

Song Miao said, "It's not worth anything."

She glanced at the sky and said, "It's well past 3 PM, the officials can already report for duty—this can't be considered a proper duty, can it?"

The guard chuckled and said, "You know this? There's been a lot going on at the yamen lately. Even though I'm just a gatekeeper, I can't leave my post during the day!"

Not to mention Song Miao sitting at the door waiting for the person to return, another guard went in to deliver a message, and sure enough, after asking around and searching, he couldn't find Han Li's people.

Han Li had just finished reporting to Qin Jie with Xin Feng when they were blocked by people coming from the opposite direction as they stepped out of the second courtyard gate.

But the person who came to stop him was not him, but Xin Feng.

"Inspector Xin, what's the meaning of your Left and Right Military Patrol Offices? On one hand, you're urgently asking me to arrange for the public kitchen to prepare dinner and supper, and on the other hand, you've arrested all three chefs in charge of the main kitchen—what, is it not enough that you've caught the cabinet storehouse in the act, now you even want to take a piece of my mind, the one in charge of logistics?"

Qin Jie called out "Sir Zheng," then said, "That's not true. Those three cooks had some kind of criminal record, and I already reported it to Judge Qin before they were arrested..."

"Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. If you're going to take my people, don't you need to ask me first?"

Inspector Xin, known for his straightforward temper, had been holding back for a while, but finally couldn't help himself and blurted out a curse, adding, "Hey Zheng, don't push your luck, your men..."

Han Li saw that things were not going well. Normally, he would just curse them, but right now he had a lot of things to do and no time to watch the two fight.

He quickly pulled the man aside and stepped forward to say, "Sir Zheng, please don't be offended. Inspector Xin has been working late for several nights and is exhausted. However, the cooks in the yamen are involved in the case. They are related to the gambling that was uncovered last night and the missing women and children during the Lantern Festival. If you want to know the details, you may go back and inquire."

The official, Zheng, who had already rolled up his sleeves, quickly rolled them down again upon hearing this and asked, "What do you mean? What do you mean by 'involving the case'? Are you trying to scare me?"

Inspector Xin snorted and said to Han Li, "You should talk to him, so he won't make baseless accusations later."

Han Li then said, "During the several large-scale searches conducted by the yamen, they would order the kitchen staff to prepare meals in advance. Those cooks were bribed, and although they were unaware of it, they would always pass on the news whenever they received the order at the last minute..."

Upon hearing this, the official Zheng broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said, "I know nothing about this matter!"

"Once we've found out who those cooks are, we'll need to ask Master Zheng a few questions. I hope you'll be understanding then," Han Li said politely, bowing slightly.

But the official Zheng's expression had already changed, and he hurriedly said, "Of course! Of course!"

As he agreed, he sighed and said to Xin Feng, "Inspector Xin, please forgive my bluntness, but your military patrol is urging me to arrange for the preparation of meals. It's late in the afternoon, just before the return time, and you've taken away all the cooks, leaving only two handymen. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to make arrangements?"

Xin Fengbian said, "Just make something edible. The old cooks weren't necessarily good either, but we've been putting up with it for years."

The official Zheng sneered and said, "How could I tolerate it? Don't think I don't know. The Six Ministries are constantly complaining to the Prefect about my wickedness, and you military inspectors have also complained a lot about the food..."

He added, "I'm too lazy to argue with you. Do you think that cooking for a hundred or so people is just a matter of getting them cooked? Cooking for ten people is completely different from cooking for a hundred people!"

"Tonight's meal was prepared in such a rush and didn't taste very good, so please don't go out and complain!"

Just as Zheng was trying to shift the blame, a man strode in from outside and stood behind him, hesitant to go in or back.

Seeing this, Han Li asked, "What is it?"

The man quickly stepped forward and said, "Brother Han, there is a young lady surnamed Song who says she is from Suanzao Lane. She is looking for you, Inspector Xin, and wants to send some 'sweet rice cakes' to thank the officers of the military patrol."

(End of this chapter)