Miao Chu

Chapter 85 Luggage
Cheng Zijian was still looking bewildered when Wang Chang pointed at the list and said, "Isn't that you?"

He followed to look, and the hand was pointing to the first piece of paper in the inner study. Sure enough, it was the third row of the list, the first one, which read "Outer Study, Cheng Zijian of Le'an, Fuzhou".

Cheng Zijian was dumbfounded.

He hadn't been promoted in two years, and although he held onto a sliver of hope this time, he was still extremely anxious. After carefully examining the object three times, he had long since put aside any thoughts of advisors or retainers. His mind was clear, and his hands and feet felt strong again. He just chuckled and said, "I've got it! I've really got it! I thought I had failed again this time!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the list again, counting familiar names, looking at two names, then going back to find his own name and looking at it again.

Several large sheets of paper contained a list, and a group of students gathered here for half a day, lingering for a long time.

As Cheng Zijian watched, his initial joy gradually faded, replaced by a new layer of worry.

—Even though I've finally been promoted to the inner dormitory, I still have to take the public exam every year, and the difficulty will be much higher.

I know my own abilities. I was able to get promoted this time thanks to Brother Han's great help.

Now that the results are in, it's only right and proper to report to them, send some thank-you gifts, and at the same time, make a good impression so that they know there's someone here waiting for them to come and take care of things when they have time.

Cheng Zijian was short of money and couldn't afford expensive gifts, so he couldn't help but think about it seriously.

The elder sister had set aside a large portion of the local gifts she brought long ago. Apart from that, since it was difficult to give anything else, he still followed the old custom and asked Miss Song to help him make some delicious food. Although Brother Han didn't say anything, he always accepted the gifts and ate them quickly!
Thinking this, Cheng Zijian decided to go to the upper house to find out about Han Litongzhai and see if there was any news from him.

Just as he was about to leave, Wang Chang stopped him.

The latter gave a wink.

Cheng Zijian was stunned for a moment, then went to look and saw a person standing not far away, looking lost and dejected—it was Xiao Lu, who had run to inform He Qi that Song Miao had been taken away by the patrolman that day because he was quick on his feet.

Upon seeing the other person's appearance, Cheng Zijian realized that he had not seen the name "Lu Zhong" when he checked the list earlier.

He quickly turned around to look again, searching twice, but still couldn't find her. He was about to go forward to comfort her, but after taking only two steps, he stopped again, thinking to himself—if I can't pass the test, I definitely won't want to see anyone or hear anything.

Not only Cheng Zijian thought so, but the others around him who were familiar with Xiao Lu also thought so.

At noon, the group gathered together and inevitably talked about how Naruzhong had failed to get promoted and was about to return to his hometown.

People experience sorrow and joy, separation and reunion; just as the moon waxes and wanes.

Some will be promoted, and some will be rejected; this is perfectly reasonable.

However, the eight people gathered here were classmates who had copied books together, eaten meals cooked by Song Miaodan for several days, and fought against Diaozi and his gang together. Their friendship had deepened, which made everyone sigh.

Knowing that Xiao Lu would be leaving the day after tomorrow and wouldn't be able to stay any longer, someone suggested, "Why don't we go to stall owner Song and ask her to prepare a meal for us all to see Lu Zhong off?"

Everyone immediately echoed this sentiment.

But when everyone went to find Lu Zhong and told him about the suggestion, he shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, no! You all passed the exam. I originally thought that after I passed and became an official, I would definitely punish those bullies and hooligans who took advantage of the weak back then, and make sure that all the meat and vegetables that the stall owner Song made were not in vain. But now I can't even pass the inner examination, so what else is there to say?"

He had always been at the bottom and had no hope of advancement. However, this time everyone else had been promoted to the inner quarters while he was sent back to his hometown. In particular, Cheng Zijian, who had always been his sworn brother, had also been promoted and ranked higher. Although he knew it shouldn't be like this, he couldn't help but feel even more upset.

"We're all classmates, so it's fine, but I really can't bear to lose face in front of Mr. Song!" He then repeatedly cupped his hands to the crowd, "Gentlemen, please give me some face, and besides, I have no appetite right now."

Since everyone was of similar age and thought similarly, they all understood his little scheme.

It's not about anything special, nor is there any bad intention. It's just that young men and women, when they see a beautiful and kind person of the opposite sex, don't want to embarrass themselves in front of them and prefer to show off their best side.

The group sighed, offered a few more words of advice, and then left.

Once outside, everyone inevitably had to discuss things again.

"Xiao Lu had to decline because he was too proud to do anything, but does that mean we're really not going to do anything at all?"

One of the students from out of state who had been admitted said, "He's leaving the day after tomorrow, so why don't we prepare some dry food for him to eat on the road?"

"This is good!"

When it came to cooking, everyone unanimously thought of Song Xiaoniangzi from Suanzao Lane.

Cheng Zijian volunteered, saying, "I have something I need to ask stall owner Song for help with, so why don't we go together?"

Soon everyone had chipped in some money, and Cheng Zijian strung the money together with a rope, put it in a bag, and headed towards Song's restaurant.

Song Miao was preparing ingredients for the next day when she answered the door and saw Cheng Zijian. She was pleasantly surprised and exchanged a few pleasantries with him.

Seeing that Cheng Zijian was in good spirits, she asked, "It seems that Young Master Cheng's promotion went smoothly, is that right?"

Cheng Zijian stood awkwardly and said modestly, "It can't be said that it went smoothly, but I finally passed the test, thanks to the help of stall owner Song and Brother Han!"

Song Miao laughed and said, "So my glutinous rice and shumai could be so effective?"

Cheng Zijian said seriously, "The food made by Miss Song has saved me a lot of time. That's one reason. Another reason is the 'Wei Criminal Code.' I copied the book the most back then. This time, the question in the public examination was based on criminal law, and I cited two legal articles."

"After the results were released in the morning, the teacher specially called me over and praised my essay this time for being far better than before, especially for my excellent explanation of the topic. Both examiners mentioned it and praised my ingenuity."

"If it weren't for Miss Song's help and Brother Han's assistance, I'm afraid I might not have achieved this result this time!"

Song Miao had no idea there was such a hidden story.

She laughed and said, "In that case, I won't refuse. But if it weren't for Young Master Cheng's own hard work in his studies and his kind help in copying the books for me, how could I have written such a good article?"

After a few words of conversation, Cheng Zijian handed over two small oilcloth packages and said, "There's something else. My elder sister came to the capital a while ago and brought some local products from our hometown. I don't know if Miss Song would mind—take a look?"

Song Miao took it, opened it and saw that one of the small packets contained tea leaves, all of which were tender buds. It must have been freshly made tea and was very fragrant. The other small packet contained lotus seeds, which were obviously dried by herself, with the skin and core removed, and were very clean.

She quickly thanked him.

Cheng Zijian repeatedly said no need, then sighed and told her about Xiao Lu's situation. He took out the money that everyone had pooled together and said he wanted to prepare a thank-you gift for Han Li. Song Miao naturally remembered who Xiao Lu was and also felt it was a pity. After asking about the time of the farewell, she readily agreed and said, "I will also go to see him off that day—thank you for helping to deliver the message."

But when it came to Han Li's gift of thanks, she said, "I just came out of the Kyoto government office the day before yesterday and happened to meet Young Master Han. He is very busy right now, so if you want to prepare a meal for him, you may not have the time. It would be better if I made some chewy and durable snacks so that he can grab and eat them whenever he wants. That might be more practical."

He added, "If we really want to host a dinner, it would be best to discuss it after we return to the Imperial Academy. What do you think?"

Cheng Zijian readily agreed and thanked him without further ado.

After seeing the person off, Song Miao began to ponder the matter seriously.

Xiao Lu was from eastern Guizhou. He traveled southwest for over a thousand miles.

Once you cross Jiangling, the mountains become more numerous, and it's hard to find a place to eat. Like Han Li, it's best to have some food that can be stored for a long time.

The weather has been nice these past few days, sunny and perfect for making some jerky. It's lightweight, easy to carry, and doesn't spoil easily.

Having thought things through, Song Miao finished her work and, taking advantage of the early hour, carried a bamboo basket and went directly to the butcher shop to buy twenty catties of lean pork.

Because of the tight schedule, as soon as she got home, she washed the meat and cut it into palm-sized thin slices along the grain. After cutting, she divided it into three large basins. One basin contained salt, sugar, wine, soy sauce and other seasonings. Another basin contained more ingredients such as dogwood and mustard seeds. The third basin contained spices such as Sichuan peppercorns. After marinating, she took it out to dry.

The meat was sliced ​​very thinly and dried out overnight.

Song Miao took it back, steamed it over water for half an hour, and then put it out to dry again.

The method of making this pork jerky seems simple, but it requires attention to the thickness of the pork slices, the ratio of seasonings, and the degree of drying. If done well, it will be very flavorful and become more fragrant the more you chew it.

Most importantly, it's real meat, and apart from being tough on your teeth and prone to developing cheekbones, there's nothing wrong with it.

Twenty pounds of pork yielded less than seven pounds of jerky, all uniform in size and only half a inch thick. When you hold it up, you can see that each piece is translucent.

Because it was cut along the grain, the meat had distinct textures and a clean, beautiful, slightly dark amber color. Even before you tasted it, the aroma of the meat wafted over as soon as you brought it close to your face.

Besides the pork jerky, Song Miao also made some dry pancakes early that morning, which she then placed on her stall and pushed it to the food alley.

After not seeing her for several days, Song Miao's stall was immediately surrounded by eager students.

She quickly sold out her food, not even having time to exchange pleasantries with everyone. She simply asked the wonton vendor next to her to watch over her cart, then carried the bundle of dry rations toward the main gate of the Imperial Academy.

Meanwhile, Naruzhong took his luggage, left letters for his roommates, fellow students, and many other acquaintances, and quietly left the Imperial Academy without saying a word.

After three years of hard study, this is the result he got. Sometimes he feels that he didn't work hard enough, and sometimes he feels that even if he worked harder, it might not be useful and he would need a bit of luck.

But in any case, being sent back to his hometown at this time was truly disheartening.

A lone traveler with a backpack and suitcase walked alone, while pedestrians on the road hurried by, and naturally no one paid him any attention.

Nalu Zhong sighed, and couldn't help but look back at the gate of the Imperial Academy one last time. He stood there for a moment, not knowing what he was waiting for, or whether he wanted to wait or not.

He stood there in a daze for a while, and seeing that there was no movement, he finally composed himself and walked out rather dejectedly.

However, as soon as he stepped out onto the main street, he heard someone shout, "Lu Zhong! You just left without saying a word?"

Lu Zhong looked up and saw a group of people standing against the wall not far away; they were the same people who had eaten pig's feet rice together that day.

He exclaimed "Ah!" with mixed feelings, and couldn't help but take three steps forward at a time, saying, "I'm going back to my hometown..."

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

People came forward to hug him, put their arms around his shoulders, and offer encouragement or comfort.

Seeing that it was getting late, Cheng Zijian took the lead and presented a pen. He didn't bother with any box or wrapping, just put it in a cloth bag and said, "I can't afford anything else, but this is the one I usually use. It's very good. Take it home and see if you like it."

Lu Zhong was about to refuse, but Cheng Zijian stuffed the pen into his hand, so he had no choice but to take it.

Wang Chang and others also sent books, ink, and even some fine paper that they had been saving for a long time. Some even sent thin blankets so he could lie down comfortably on the road.

After everyone had seen him off, Lu Zhong's eyes were red. He simply bowed and thanked them. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Cheng Zijian say, "Wait a little longer."

Before Lu Zhong could react, a person suddenly appeared from a side alley.

It turned out that Song Miao was carrying a bundle and hurried over.

When she arrived, she didn't say much, but handed over the package and said, "Young Master Lu is going on a long journey, and I don't have much to give you. We pooled our money to make some pork jerky and some flatbread. The flatbread is very dry and can be kept for four or five days. The pork jerky will also keep well. If you can't find a place to eat on the road, you can just use this for a few meals. It's just a bit heavy, so it might be hard to carry."

Lu Zhong blushed, his eyes reddening, and quickly stepped back, saying, "How could I possibly accept this!"

Song Miao smiled and said, "Why should I be embarrassed? Others may ignore me, but I have a favor to ask—I've heard that Guizhou has a lot of spices and flowers. If it's convenient for you to come again next year, could you please bring some seeds of those rare in the capital?"

How could Lu Zhong refuse? He said in a low voice, "I might not be able to go to the capital next year."

Song Miao just smiled and said, "You were able to get in three years ago, so why can't you get in next year?"

He added, "If you can't come next year, the year after will do. In three to five years, my restaurant will definitely be open by then. After all, there are plenty of empty plots waiting for Young Master Lu to plant his seeds!"

Lu Zhong blushed, stammered, but finally agreed, picked up the bundle, and thanked him shyly.

Wang Chang exclaimed, "You know what, Lu Zhong is really lucky. If he comes next year, we might all get into the upper class. We'll get our official positions early and know which ones are good. We'll all be paving the way for him!"

So everyone agreed, and even Lu Zhong laughed and cried at the same time, blowing out a snot bubble and quickly turning his back to wipe it.

Everyone behind laughed. After Song Miao left, they crowded around Lu Zhong and headed towards the Vermilion Bird Gate, saying they wanted to see him off.

However, when they were halfway there, someone kindly asked, "Little Lu, is your luggage heavy? With so much, it might be difficult to carry on the road."

Many thanks to Fu Ruanruan from the bookstore for gifting me this writing aid! And a small token of my appreciation from my cat, Dandan, and book friend 2021030176548967272 =3=
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(End of this chapter)