Miao Chu

Chapter 98 Gift
That day, Cai Xiu went to find Zhang Facao. After listening to the behavior of the officials, Zhang Facao scolded them a few times, but he had no intention of intervening to restrain them.

Fortunately, he was very supportive of Cai Xiu's idea of ​​"arranging an old man" to come and help, and immediately had someone call over a subordinate.

When the visitor heard that he was to work with Cai Xiu to organize the case files, he did not refuse, but said, "This matter is urgent. I am willing to help, but the Right Army Patrol Office sent people this morning to say that they need to handle the transfer of confessions and evidence. I estimate that the letter will be sent in the next day or two."

He added, “This time, major and minor cases are combined, making it very complicated. I am rather dull-witted and afraid that I may be able to handle one aspect but not the other. I would appreciate your guidance, sir.”

Zhang Facao pondered for a moment and said, "It was I who neglected this matter. That case is very big, with a lot of dirt involved. If the judgment is not good, it will be troublesome if the military patrol can use it against you. You just need to focus on solving the case."

He turned and called over another person.

The man replied, “I have no daily affairs to attend to. The day before yesterday, I came to the Bureau of Amnesty and the Ministry of Justice, and the Chief Justice asked me to come with him to inspect the newly drafted laws and regulations. Because of the tight schedule, I am currently busy with this matter with a group of officials. The results will be announced next month, and I really can’t spare any time…”

"Perhaps we should assign someone else to handle the review of the laws and regulations first, and then I'll..."

Zhang Facao frowned: "Forget it, the Bureau of Amnesty is a real nuisance. Changing personnel on the front lines might cause more trouble. You should focus on that side for now."

Seeing those people come and go, each making excuses, Cai Xiu, though not very familiar with the affairs, sensed something was wrong. Fearing that Zhang Facao might back down, he couldn't help but say, "Sir, organizing the archives is indeed a bit troublesome, but if it is carried out properly, it will be entirely beneficial! Right now, they are making excuses and insisting on forcing it to be done!"

He still had many complaints, but he couldn't say them out loud in front of Zhang Facao, though he was already cursing them in his heart.

—They're both officials, so why is it that Judge Qin from the neighboring military patrol office can keep his subordinates so obedient?

With his strong support, not only the entire Right Courtyard, but also the Left Courtyard and many external aids obediently followed Han Li's command, daring not to go west. Everyone worked day and night for many days, and although there were complaints, not a single person made excuses.

When it comes to you, you can't even find someone to do the work?
What kind of official are you?

The legal officer was unaware of Cai Xiu's thoughts.

He had heard some rumors and complaints over the past two days, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Both were students from the inner academy, and both were among the four best students of the Imperial Academy. How come Han Li could handle things so well, without Qin Jiecao having to do anything? Not only that, he could also plan ahead and help his superiors take precautions.

When it came to myself, the person I got was all talk and no action, but quite good at causing trouble.

This person's meddling and fussing may not have yielded any results, but it might have stirred up complaints from Cao Zhong, leaving him to clean up the mess.

After weighing the options, Zhang Facao finally called over his capable subordinate and instructed him, "Fengzhi, we still need to get on the task of organizing the archives. You'll be in charge of guiding Xiao Cai."

Zhang Fengzhi didn't refuse at all and immediately replied, "Xiao Cai is new here and not familiar with how things work. I'll guide him. Even if we can't finish everything, we'll at least get a general idea!"

Zhang Facao nodded in satisfaction.

And Zhang Fengzhi was not ambiguous; when he said he would take someone along, he really meant it.

He went to the storeroom with Cai Xiu, greeted the clerks, and asked them to count all the records from the past year and move them to an empty room. He then glanced at Cai Xiu with a smile.

“Xiao Cai, you are young and energetic, and you are very capable. You don’t have anything else with you right now, so first sort out this file, find out the missing or incorrect parts, and make a list. Then I will take it to them.”

Just like that, the task that Cai Xiu planned to have officials from various departments send to do was thrown back to him!
Cai Xiu immediately felt that something was wrong.

He couldn't help but pick at his ears and ask, "Master Zhang, I don't understand what you're saying?"

"There are over a thousand case files every year. How could I possibly handle them all by myself?"

He forced back the urge to unleash a torrent of curses and managed a weak smile, saying, "Sir, are you perhaps mistaken? Zhang the Legal Officer takes this matter very seriously. It's not that I can't do it, but if it's delayed any longer..."

Zhang Fengzhi interrupted him with a smile, and said earnestly, "Xiao Cai, you are still young, and sometimes you inevitably make assumptions when doing things."

“I am much older than you, and today I’m taking the liberty of teaching you.”

“You don’t understand, there’s always work to be done in the government office. Some things are important, but not so urgent—this is what you’re doing with organizing the files.”

“There’s a lot of work piling up right now, and everyone’s too busy to take over. Your arrival is just in time. You can hold on for a while. This isn’t something that can be done in a day or two anyway. By the time you’ve sorted things out, this period of work might be over, and you can take over and make the necessary revisions. Wouldn’t that be great?”

“If you force him, it will only create resentment among everyone—Zhang Fa Cao values ​​you, so you should not disappoint him.”

They actually looked down on us from their elevated position and started lecturing us!

Cai Xiu had never suffered such humiliation.

But the other party kept mentioning that he was either Zhang Facao or someone with seniority. Even though he was very eloquent, he was inexperienced after all. He was stunned and couldn't react for a moment when this seasoned official who had been in the government office for many years hit him hard.

"I still have things to do, so you can continue. Tomorrow is the Cold Food Festival. Although the government offices are closed for seven days, I know you're anxious and don't want to delay. I've already told them about the shifts, so you can still come back to organize the files. It's fine!"

As he spoke, Zhang Fengzhi walked out with slow, leisurely steps.

Cai Xiu was left alone, facing the archives full of documents, and for the first time, he was so angry that his chest felt tight.

He stepped forward and picked up a book. After flipping through only a few pages, the words were so dense they hurt his eyes. Unable to control himself, he slammed the book to the ground.

—I was born with extraordinary talents; why would I be doing this kind of work?

Cai Xiu sat at her desk, coldly looking at the numerous documents filling the room, thinking of Han Li, Kong Fuyang, and then herself.

Having arrived in glory, we must not flee in disgrace.

Cai Xiu did not wait until the end of the yamen, but simply got up and left the yamen.

The government office was a treacherous place. Unlike Han Li, who had officials backing him up and no villains hindering him, he suffered a hidden loss.

But he has his own advantages.

Cai Xiu went straight back to the Imperial Academy, bought a bag of green rice dumplings and a bag of glutinous rice on the way, and then went to the teaching quarters.

He approached the school's record office, presented them with a cold food gift with great care, and also asked for a list of students who would be promoted from outer dormitory to inner dormitory this year.

***
Cai Xiu was busy looking at the list, while Han Li was busy reading letters.

After finishing the apricot juice and lung soup, and seeing that nothing more could be extracted, the three old men got down to business.

“Dezhang wrote that the rain has been very bad lately…” “Even without him saying it, we stopped in the rain seven out of ten times on our way to Beijing. We asked the elders, and they all said that the rain this year is excessive. They have never seen the river so deep before Qingming Festival.”

"One year is a big year, the next a small year. Last year's floods were already so severe, so this year should be a small year!"

"What's the use of telling me this? If you're so capable, go reason with the Yellow River!"

As they were talking, Han Li had already put down the letter.

Master Chen then said, "The reason I called you back today is for this matter—Dezhang said he wants to invite you over, will you agree?"

Han Li shook his head and said, “What use would it be for me to go? I’ve already mentioned it to him, asking him to take charge of all the counties and towns under his jurisdiction and to write a memorial to the emperor requesting the Directorate of Waterways to go there. Taking advantage of the migration of refugees at the end of last year and the allocation of funds from the court, we can rebuild the dikes. Even so, it may not be able to guarantee safety.”

"As a result, he hesitated and only now says he wants to fix it. What's the difference between this and only learning to wade through water when it's up to your neck?"

Master Min immediately said, "He also has his difficulties. He only took office last September and was completely clueless. He didn't even have a capable person under his command, and he didn't get along with the prefect. Even if he followed the procedures at the time, the process was complicated, and by now the dam is only half-finished..."

"If he cared more and kept a closer eye on things, how come the repairs wouldn't be finished?"

However, Master Chen was not pleased to hear this.

"It's not like he's a new official." He scoffed. "Even though he's your son-in-law, you can't be so biased! Half a year has passed, has he settled into his new position yet?"

Master Min shut his mouth obediently.

The second son-in-law was of average ability, but he was cautious and reliable. He finally got a substantive position as a sub-prefect, but as soon as he took office, he found that the local officials were particularly difficult to deal with.

Within three or four months, he had sent several letters asking his father-in-law to arrange for some capable retainers to go and help.

But he is, after all, her son-in-law.

He sighed and said to Han Li, "Zhengyan, you've been with the master the longest, and he's studied floods the most in his life. Please do me a favor this time..."

Han Li said, “It’s not that the students are unwilling to contribute, but given the current situation, even if I went, it would be of no use. If we really want to repair the canal, we can only do it by calling upon waterworks from the Capital Waterworks Bureau.”

“Of course! Dezhang has already submitted a report to the Water Conservancy Bureau, but once the blueprints are completed, we will inevitably have to conscript laborers and coordinate the progress. I still hope you can lend a hand.”

Han Li shook his head and said, "In front of you gentlemen, I will not say such face-saving things. If there is another major flood this year, even if I set off now, by the time I arrive, the dam will probably have collapsed before we have all the manpower."

Master Min held his teacup, remaining silent.

He had also served as an official in a remote area, so he naturally knew that what Han Li said was true.

"Let's wait for news first. If the dike really breaks, the Bian River is downstream, and the capital will also suffer. The court will definitely have to intervene."

"Don't worry, Mr. Min. When my husband and I went to Brother Dezhang's post to investigate the hydrology, he took good care of us. If he can help us this time, even if it may not be of great use, I will not refuse."

Master Min stood up and bowed to Han Li.

The latter quickly dodged away, then hurriedly returned the greeting.

“Zhengyan, I’m not forcing you. It’s just that you’ve always been thorough in your actions. Although Dezhang isn’t very talented, he doesn’t mean to do bad things. In the past, floods always had three waves. If we could lend a hand and save one wave, it would count as one wave. As long as it doesn’t harm the people too much, it would be a blessing from my ancestors.”

"Alright, now that things are settled, let's not talk about it anymore. There was nothing wrong to begin with, but we've made things complicated by talking about it!"

But Old Feng quickly changed the subject, saying, "Tomorrow is Cold Food Festival, what shall we eat for lunch? Why don't we go to that young lady's shop and ask what kind of food they have?"

***
Although there were only two people working in the young lady's shop, they were working busily and enthusiastically.

Since tomorrow is the Cold Food Festival, Song Miao will have hot food for breakfast, so she told the students in advance not to set up a stall.

But not setting up a stall doesn't mean you can rest.

She received good news from Han Li today, and after discussing it with Cheng Erniang, she decided to pay off one installment of the debt tomorrow. Since it was a seasonal festival, she would also make some snacks and deliver them to the creditors as a way of thanking them for giving her more time.

During the Cold Food Festival, most families send green rice dumplings and spring rolls as gifts, but Song Miao didn't join in the fun.

She thought for a moment, mixed some batter, and fried several batches of fried dough sticks with Cheng Erniang. They had both sweet and savory versions. She also carefully ground almonds from both the north and south to make almond jelly.

Almond jelly, also known as almond tofu, is perfect for eating cold, especially now that the seasons are changing and many people are coughing. This dish is also effective in relieving coughs and asthma, and it makes a very presentable gift.

Since we're going to send gifts for the Cold Food Festival, we might as well not limit ourselves to creditors.

Song Miao counted the number of people and added Sun Lizheng's family, Li Laoniang's family, and several other big customers who had been ordering food from her recently, as well as Han Li, Wang Chang and others.

We don't need to worry about Cheng Zijian—his sister lives here and will come knocking on our door tomorrow.

Because of the rush, there was no time to buy fish scales to boil and make jelly, so she took mung bean starch from home to coagulate the almonds. She ground the almonds into a paste several times, filtered it, and then removed the lipid membrane from the sediment. She then simmered it with mung bean starch water and milk over a low flame. She had already bought many small bamboo boxes, and poured the mixture into the boxes to set the shape.

After finally getting everything sorted out, by the time I put the almond milk into the well water in the bucket and food container, it was already dark. I quickly went to sleep, and we talked about nothing all night.

The next morning, Song Miao slept until dawn.

Springtime is the perfect time to stay in bed.

The wind was warm and inviting, the sun was only slightly warm, and occasionally birdsong and insect chirping could be heard from somewhere in the distance. It was all because of these things—the wind, the sun, the birds, and the insects—that people were so lazy.

She lay on the bed, her eyes closed, and it felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on her eyelids. Even if her upper and lower eyelashes fluttered, if they touched each other, they would be stuck together as if by extremely thick glue, and she could never open them again.

When she got hungry and realized that if she didn't go out soon, she probably wouldn't be able to finish delivering the gifts, she had no choice but to get up and have breakfast with Cheng Erniang. It was a bowl of almond tofu, and she also made some salty tea and fried dough sticks for breakfast.

The almond tofu, served in the bowl, resembled a piece of mutton fat jade, its luster warm and smooth, so delicate that it had no pores whatsoever. As expected, it trembled slightly when touched with a spoon.

One bite reveals an incredibly smooth and tender texture, yet it possesses a strong presence, like soft tofu, but with an even more bouncy feel. It's juicy, cool, refreshing, and extremely moisturizing.

Because only a little bit of maltose was added, the sweetness was very mild. The flavors of almonds and milk dominated, and the mouth was filled with the subtle fragrance of almonds and the rich aroma of milk, with a sweet aftertaste that was particularly pleasant.

(End of this chapter)