Miao Chu

Chapter 97 Cleanliness
Upon hearing her question, Han Li stopped and looked down at the child behind him.

Cheng Erniang's expression darkened slightly as she said, "I've quit my job..."

She had initially thought the person in her house was a stranger and difficult to talk to, but after learning Han Li's identity, she stopped being so formal and simply explained the whole story.

It turned out that since Xiaolian went to the slaughterhouse, she was unwilling to sit idly by. In addition to helping with small cleaning tasks within her ability, she also helped the other butchers and employees. Although she was a child, she was very diligent.

That day, she saw several large carts arrive in the yard, intending to unload goods in a corner.

Because her mother had warned her that the place was used to dump pig urine and filth and that she shouldn't go near it, she went there specifically to remind her.

As soon as she got close, a burly man standing outside kicked her and yelled at her to get away.

Xiaolian was already weak, and the ground was covered in blood and oil stains, making it very slippery. She accidentally fell to the ground and hit her head.

The man ignored them completely and just kept urging them to leave.

Xiaolian thought she had done something wrong to be scolded, so she ran away crying and didn't dare to tell her mother, for fear of ruining the family's livelihood.

However, not long after, the butcher called Cheng Erniang over, paid her wages, and said that it was really inconvenient for her to come and go with a child, so she could go home now and didn't need to come back.

Cheng Erniang didn't know what had happened at first. She pleaded with him, but when she saw that it wouldn't work, she had no choice but to agree. Only when she turned around and saw Xiaolian did she realize what had happened.

Her daughter bumped her head and face, and had scratches on her body. Cheng Erniang was both heartbroken and angry. She wanted to find someone to reason with, but the brute was nowhere to be found. When she asked, everyone said that he was from outside and had already left, so she had to give up.

“If it was something the child caused, I would accept it, but she didn’t do anything wrong, so she’s suffering all this for nothing…”

Cheng Erniang spoke while getting angry.

When Song Miao looked at Xiao Lian, she saw that her eyes were indeed filled with tears and swollen and red, indicating that she had cried several times on the way.

She crouched down to touch the little head. It had sparse, soft hair, and was a fluffy little thing. As soon as she touched it, it started to sob again, throwing itself into Song Miao's arms and crying out, "Sister, I really didn't block the way or cause any trouble!"

Song Miao hurriedly comforted her in a low voice, and then said to Cheng Erniang, "Forget it, that place is very demanding anyway, with little pay and a lot of work. I see your hands and feet are all cracked, it's better if you don't do it—let's see where they find someone as efficient as you! They'll regret it to death!"

Han Li asked, "Which slaughterhouse was it? Do you know the name of the person who kicked you? How could you do something so unethical?"

Cheng Erniang pretended not to know, and said, "If you see Xiao Jian, young master, please don't mention this to him, otherwise that brute will definitely cause trouble. It's our own fault for meddling. Besides, there are butchers there, as well as guards and employees. If we don't provoke him, we'll suffer a loss."

Seeing the person's attitude, Han Li, being unfamiliar with them, responded with a few words of comfort before bidding farewell to Song Miao and leaving.

After seeing Han Li off, Song Miao carefully examined Xiao Lian's head injury and said, "Wrap an egg in a cloth and roll it around tonight to see if it gets better."

He coaxed her, "Are you hungry? I've made some delicious soup. Wash your hands and come eat in a bit."

Xiao Lian was sobbing, but when she heard there was soup to drink, her crying gradually stopped. However, Cheng Erniang sent her back to take a bath, saying, "I don't know where you came from, you're all smelly and dirty, head and body are dirty. It's good to take a bath while the sun is strong at noon."

After everyone left, Cheng Erniang sighed and said, "That child, his forehead is all swollen, he's so silly, all he knows is to cry!"

She wanted to blame her daughter for not coming to complain when she was bullied, but she also knew that it was because her daughter cared about her mother. She felt even more guilty, especially angry at the wicked man who was nowhere to be found. She was also worried that she would lose her job and have no food to eat. She was afraid that she would soon go hungry. Many words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say them.

Finally, Cheng Erniang said to Song Miao, "We were just staying here, but my daughter and I are always causing trouble and are dragging Song Miao into this mess."

After offering a few words of comfort, Song Miao asked again, "Now that the job is off, I wonder what Second Madam's plans are?"

"It's also my own fault. Who would be willing to hire someone to take care of a child? But there's nothing I can do. I'll just take it one step at a time and look for someone else slowly."

Looking at Cheng Erniang's disheveled appearance, Song Miao said, "I had an idea before, but it wasn't appropriate at the time. Now that I'm here to ask, I'd like to ask Erniang for help. I wonder if you would be willing?"

Cheng Erniang suddenly looked up, her eyes first brightening, then dimming again, and said, "You've probably had my skills before, young lady. I'm fine as an assistant, but if you're looking for a proper job, you might as well find someone outside who's much better than me and will save you a lot of trouble!"

“Don’t rush to push it away.” Song Miao explained to her earnestly, “I’m just running a small business. I don’t need or can’t afford to hire skilled workers. Someone who can help out is enough.”

“I was worried that I would not be able to keep this house and would have to move out soon. I only invited Second Madam and Xiaolian to stay temporarily. But I just received news that the property rights of this house have been settled. Since that’s the case, I can finally decide to provide food and lodging for the two of you. But I can’t afford to pay that much money. This time, I’ll follow the market rate. I can only pay 80% of what the slaughterhouse pays Second Madam.”

“Second Sister, you did the work here a few days ago and did it very well. But when it comes to real help, besides what you’ve done before, if we get new orders, I’ll definitely need you to help out. You’ll also need to set up another stall, make breakfast, push the cart out to sell, and if things get better in the future, I’ll add to your wages—I wonder if you’d be willing?”

For Cheng Erniang, although the money was less, it wasn't much less. Besides, Song Miao provided room and board and could take care of her daughter, so in fact, she could save more.

Moreover, after being at the Song family for a few days, she had grown to like this young lady Song very much, both in terms of her character and temperament. She didn't even need to think about it, and couldn't find any reason to hesitate.

She hurriedly replied, "Of course I'd be more than willing, but I'm afraid I won't be of much help and will end up earning a lot of money for nothing."

Song Miao was also very happy to hear this.

For her, cleanliness is the most important thing when cooking food. If she goes out, it's hard to find a trustworthy and reliable supplier.

Song Miao didn't have many requirements for the helper's skills. Cheng Erniang was strong, hardworking, and reliable, making her an excellent choice and saving a lot of effort.

She thought for a moment and then said, "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. Although I trust Second Sister's character, I have one more thing to say beforehand—if you ever decide you don't want to work here anymore, you must tell me ten days in advance, so that I won't be caught off guard."

The two quickly reached an agreement, and were just waiting for Song Miao to inform the creditors and confirm the matter before finalizing it.

Cheng Erniang was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "I'll go tell Xiaolian in a bit, so that the child won't keep worrying about not having rice to cook at home!"

He added, "When I get the chance, I'll talk to Xiao Jian and tell him not to worry anymore!"

She was in high spirits, but then her voice suddenly paused. After a few moments of hesitation, she said, "Now that I'm here, I can stay for a while. Madam, besides the areas paved with stone slabs, could you perhaps clear out some space in the backyard to grow some vegetables?"

“This yard is quite large; you can even raise a chicken coop in a corner. I can set up the coop myself without anyone else.”

"When the time comes, I'll use wood ash and chicken manure to compost it. There won't be any stench at all. I'll plant two vegetable patches, enough for my own consumption, which will save me a lot of food. I'll keep it clean, so it won't get dirty."

Song Miao thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Forget it. We sell food, and there's a well and a stone mill in the backyard. The wind might bring something over. We can be unaware of its origin when we eat it ourselves, but since we're going to sell it to others, we can't be too careful."

Although Cheng Erniang was somewhat disappointed, she quickly realized what was going on and said, "I had oversimplified things."

She was a restless person; she wanted to plant on any vacant land and raise chickens and ducks in any empty corner. However, she learned from conversations these past few days that Song Miao owed a lot of money, and she couldn't help but think about how many eggs the chickens could lay each day, hoping to help the other party out. At this point, she had no choice but to give up, and she felt a pang of regret.

When Xiaolian came out after taking a bath, the child wanted to ask about the soup she had mentioned earlier, but was too embarrassed to ask. He just circled around his mother's feet and secretly glanced at Song Miao without saying a word.

As for the other side, Han Li took the food box back and saw that there was a very large bowl of soup inside. After thinking for a long time, he gave a small bowl to his roommate and kept a large bowl for himself. He then took the food box back to the teaching dormitory.

It was past lunchtime, and as he walked along, he frequently encountered teachers and professors. Knowing that he had been temporarily transferred to the Kyoto government office, they all asked him questions, either when he would return or what he had been busy with lately, whether he had written anything, and if so, to show it to them, or if not, to have someone fetch it for him.

Han Li had no choice but to greet and reply to each person, and then said that he was busy with official duties and had no time to write or write.

These words caused all the teachers to stamp their feet in dismay, each advising him not to neglect his duties because of a mere temporary assignment—students are supposed to write essays! If not essays, what are they supposed to write official documents for?
Anyone can write official documents. Isn't it a waste of your brainpower and effort, and also make us wait in vain?

Having finally managed to escape, Han Li hurriedly went to Master Chen's teaching quarters.

This time, as he got closer, he heard voices inside. He initially thought it was Xiao You and was about to knock when he heard another voice. He immediately sensed something was wrong and stopped, about to back away, when someone inside, having already heard the commotion, called out, "Who's outside? Come in."

Having no other choice, Han Li pushed open the door and entered.

Inside the classroom, Master Chen sat at a table with two elderly men.

If Song Miao were here, she would recognize all three of them—the other two being Mr. Min, who promised to help her find someone to check the records of Liao's purchases that day, and Old Deng, who helped Dezhang bring over the five-finger peach.

But now that Han Li is standing here, the old men opposite him all recognize him.

"It's been a long time, and Zheng Yan's demeanor is even more impressive now!"

"Zhen Jun, unlike Old Chen, has some of my former charm—why don't you come back to Mount Lu with me and study for another two years?"

"Go away! Go away!" Master Chen scolded while making a shooing motion towards the chicken.

Han Li just smiled and greeted everyone one by one.

Master Chen, with his sharp eyes, had already noticed the food box he was carrying and asked, "What are you holding in your hand?"

She added, "It's rare for me to come back, why bring anything for my senior brother? It's hard to carry all the way here—it's past mealtime, and I don't have much of an appetite..."

As Master Chen spoke, he straightened his back and sat up a little more upright. He pointed to the two people beside him and said, "Alright, let the two unfortunate old folks get a share too."

His words and actions are truly hateful.

But at this age, what else can we compare besides our children and disciples?
We can't exactly compete to see who can face the wind the farthest, can we?

Anyway, the shoes are going to get wet.

But Min and Feng were too lazy to compete with him.

“I’m not your disciple—in fact, Mr. Fu taught me for over three years. Zhengyan and I are proper fellow disciples, and our relationship is no less distant than yours!”

"Exactly, what are you showing off for!"

Seeing the three old men arguing, Han Li sighed and replied, "It's stewed soup made by Miss Song from Song's Restaurant—there's not much, I'll share some with the three of you."

Master Chen was about to start a fight with the two men when he heard the words "Song's Restaurant." His ears perked up, and he knew he was in trouble. When he heard "Young Lady Song" and "stewed soup," his beard twitched, and he quickly interrupted, "Enough, enough! We've just eaten. How can we drink this soup? Put it aside for now—I have something important to tell you!"

However, the table was full of people who had experienced the ups and downs of officialdom, none of whom were easy to deal with.

Seeing Han Li about to put the food box away, Old Man Min said, "Wait a minute, what Miss Song? Is she the one who made the fish soup the other day?"

Master Chen ignored him.

Unconcerned about not getting a reply, Master Min continued, "I've been thinking about her soup these past few days. If it weren't for you getting in my way, I would have gone to her place long ago—I have a stomach, I can drink, give me a bowl!"

Old Feng, standing to the side, chimed in, "A few sips of soup, and you can't drink anymore? Old Chen is old, but I'm not! I'll have a bowl too!"

Master Chen had initially only wanted to save face and have some fun, but now he truly regretted his loose tongue. Afraid that if he spoke too late, he would lose his share, he hurriedly said, "I can drink too! Tell Xiao You to bring a bowl—Xiao…"

He was about to shout when Old Feng stopped him, yelling, "What are you shouting for? Little You is here. Are you going to share with him or not? Last time at Jinming Pond, I was thinking of resting a bit before mixing some eggs, tofu, and minced meat with my rice. But after I finished resting, he practically licked the plate clean. You call him over, and you're going to share yours with him?"

Master Chen glanced at the food box that had just been opened. The soup bowls inside were not large to begin with, and there was less than half left. He could easily finish them all by himself, let alone three. He immediately fell silent.

The three of them poured out the remaining tea from their cups and then used the teacup to hold soup.

There was only one bowl of soup, and each person received more than half a bowl, along with a few pieces of pig lung, ginkgo nuts, and other ingredients.

"It's all white, is it fish soup?" Mr. Min was both surprised and delighted, but when he took a closer sniff, there was no fishy smell, only a strong almond scent.

"No, it's almond juice and pork lung soup."

Mr. Min found the name unfamiliar, so he simply took a sip first.

Smooth and silky in the mouth.

First comes the aroma of apricots, followed by a faint meaty fragrance. The meaty flavor is surprisingly sweet, with a barely perceptible saltiness; the sweetness ultimately prevails.

The almonds are nine parts southern almonds and one part northern almonds. Southern almonds have a natural sweetness and a lingering sweetness, while northern almonds have a slight bitterness, but only a bitter fragrance without bitterness, which makes the almond juice taste more layered.

Song Miao boiled the well water, let it cool, and then ground the almonds into juice. She ground it three times and filtered it twice. There wasn't a single grain of residue in it. It was like soup, but thicker and more mellow; like broth, but smoother.

A sip of soup that's so smooth and moist.

Runde Min Fuzi felt as if his throat and lungs had been soaked.

After taking a bite of the so-called "pig lung," it was nothing like pig lung. It was snow-white, tender, and soaked in broth, with a sweet and savory flavor. It tasted like tofu. If it weren't for the faint crisscrossing lines of meat on it, which also gave it a meaty flavor, even if you beat Master Min to death, he would never have believed it.

Half a cup of soup, a few bites of pig lung, and a few soft ginkgo nuts—I didn't really taste anything before the bowl was empty.

"Is it gone?"

That's all??

The group of old men stared at Han Li with wide eyes, looking at him menacingly.

***
In the Kyoto government office, Cai Xiu was also staring wide-eyed.

Looking at the mountain of documents piled up in the room, he wished he could burn them all to the ground!

(End of this chapter)