Miao Chu

Chapter 99 Sacrifice
After eating, Song Miao felt a lingering almond scent in her mouth, but the scent was not sticky; instead, it was very refreshing and pleasant.

She ate a few fried dough sticks with the salty tea, but still felt something was missing, so she filled a bowl with almond tofu and slowly ate it before she was satisfied.

As for Cheng Erniang, she only ate two bites before stopping.

Song Miao couldn't help but ask, "Second Madam, don't you like the taste of almonds? I noticed you didn't drink much of that almond and lung soup last night; you gave it all to Xiao Lian."

Almonds have a unique aroma that most people like, but some people dislike them, finding it smells like compost or some kind of unpleasant, heavy oil.

Cheng Erniang laughed and said, "I'm actually not used to eating such good food—but Xiaolian likes it very much, so I'll leave it for her. I'll eat more of the 'shrimp,' it's delicious!"

As she spoke, she indeed picked up a few more sprigs.

After the two finished eating, Song Miao packed up the various festival gifts, gave some to Cheng Erniang, and asked her to send them to the Imperial Academy to be distributed by Cheng Zijian. She herself carried a basket and a box to deliver the gifts to Sun Lizheng and the creditors.

Song Miao left first, and only after seeing her go far away did Cheng Erniang return to the backyard and enter her room.

Xiao Lian was still lying down when she heard the sound. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and called out "Mother" in a weak voice.

Cheng Erniang then said, "You tossed and turned all night last night, and even talked in your sleep this morning. Are you feeling any better now?"

Xiaolian nodded hesitantly.

Seeing the two large dark circles under her daughter's eyes, Cheng Erniang felt extremely distressed and said, "Mother will go deliver the things first and will be back in an hour or two. You rest at home. If you are hungry, there are two bowls of almond tofu on the stove in front of you—the fragrant kind, like rice porridge. It was made by the young lady and is especially delicious. Don't eat that stuff, or you'll get a sore throat and cough again!"

He added, "These almonds are expensive, so after we finish eating them, let's not ask the young lady for any more, understand?"

Little Lian, like a chick pecking at rice, lay down again, but couldn't fall asleep no matter what. She faintly heard the sound of the door closing outside the main hall, so she jumped up and ran out to peek out. She saw that the door was closed, tried calling out, but no one answered from inside the house, and she became a little scared.

She first took out the two bowls covered in the pot on the stove—and sure enough, they smelled just as fragrant as the apricot juice and lung soup from yesterday. She couldn't help but swallow her saliva, and hurriedly ran to the backyard with the bowls. She quickly rinsed her mouth and washed her face, and started eating with a spoon.

It's fragrant, tender, and smooth, with a subtle sweetness, as well as a milky and apricot flavor, and it's cool to the touch.

No child in the world can resist that!
Xiaolian took a bite, held it in her mouth for a couple of seconds, reluctant to swallow, and rummaged around in her mouth for a long time before slowly swallowing it. Before long, she finished the whole bowl.

But when she was eating the other half of the bowl, she noticed a small opening that had been scooped out with a spoon. She scooped up two spoonfuls and was about to eat more when a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

—Last night too, my mother only drank two sips of the apricot juice and white lung soup before claiming she didn't like it and giving it to me.

But how could she not love something so delicious?
Eat a couple more bites and you'll probably like it!

Xiaolian thought and thought for a while, then went outside to get a basin, filled it with cool well water, and poured the half-eaten almond tofu back into the water. She then took a broom and, while no one was around, swept the backyard.

Meanwhile, Song Miao brought gifts and money, and delivered them to various places, explaining her plan to hire someone to help her, take on pre-booked business, and even set up another stall.

She brought money to their door and also delivered gifts for the Cold Food Festival, so the creditors naturally noticed.

Moreover, Song Miao has been making quite a name for herself in business at the Vermilion Bird Gate these days. She has not only taken on business with the two schools and the South Slope Academy, but also with the patrol shops and government offices. I heard that she has also taken on some pastries and snacks to make, and surprisingly, quite a few customers have come to her door.

Everyone saw this and thought the Song family was finished, but to their surprise, a young woman gave them a good thrashing, as if they were half alive. Seeing that there was hope of clearing the debts, most people didn't say anything. The few who grumbled were quickly explained away and then stopped complaining.

A few people did receive the fried dough twists and almond tofu made by Song Miao, and every few days they would come to her door to buy them, which brought her some more business.

***
On this day of Cold Food Festival, by noon, the city was mostly empty, many shops were closed, and people were out enjoying the spring scenery, sweeping tombs, or strolling around Jinming Pond and Qionglin Garden.

After delivering the goods, Song Miao had to do some shopping. When she passed by the riverbank, she saw everyone breaking off willow branches. She wanted to break off a branch as well, but her hands were already full and she couldn't find any room, so she had to give up.

There weren't many pedestrians on the road. I could see that Suanzao Lane was just half a street away, but there was a place ahead where people were bustling about and I could hear vendors hawking their wares from afar.

"Freshly made roe deer and venison! Come and take a look if you're passing by! Try it first, then buy; if you don't like it, you don't have to pay!"

"A small dish costs fifty coins in a restaurant, but here at our stall, you can get a whole bag for thirty coins. It's perfect for taking on a spring outing today since it's Cold Food Festival, and it'll also taste delicious with porridge at home! Come and have a taste, come and have a taste!"

Hearing that it was roe deer and venison, which were not common meats, Song Miao couldn't help but be curious. However, seeing that the stall was crowded with people and making a lot of noise, she couldn't get in and gave up.

But even before she passed the stall, when she was still dozens of steps away, she could smell an extremely strong aroma of fermented black beans, with the scent of spices masking another rather strange smell.

Whether it's a roe deer or a deer, both of these creatures have a unique wild smell. Some people think it's fragrant, but according to Song Miao, it's actually quite pungent.

It's normal to use heavy seasonings when cooking these two types of meat.

Without thinking much, she glanced at it and hurried home.

When they returned to the restaurant, the main hall was open, and a man was sweeping the road in front of it. When he saw Song Miao return, he hurriedly put the broom aside and bowed, saying, "Shopkeeper Song is back!"

—It was Cheng Zijian.

Song Miao returned the greeting and said with a smile, "Young Master Cheng has arrived. I'll trouble you to help with the cleaning."

"It's nothing! It's just a small favor!" Cheng Zijian said politely. "I just found out that Stall Owner Song has kept my sister at home to help out. Thank you so much! Is there anything my sister can't do? I am a man after all, and I'm stronger. Stall Owner Song can just ask me to come!"

Song Miao thought of the half-full vat of water from the other day, but ultimately didn't expose it.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Song Miao, seeing that it was getting late, wanted to invite him to stay for dinner, but Cheng Zijian shook his head and said, "I still have some almond tofu and fried dough twists that stall owner Song gave me. They can't be kept for long. If someone finds out, I'll be in big trouble if I can't keep them!"

He added, "Besides, Brother Han came back yesterday, and I looked for him again this morning, but he wasn't there. He said he was called away by the master. I was just about to go back and keep watch over him so he wouldn't get away. It's not good for me to stay out here right now."

Upon hearing this, Song Miao decided not to linger any longer.

When she went out to deliver gifts today, she naturally received quite a few gifts as well. Half a basket was filled with common green rice dumplings, mugwort cakes, and fruits. She found a basket and gave most of it to Cheng Zijian, saying, "These were all given by others. My second wife and I usually make and eat them at the same time, and we can taste them until we are half full. Xiaolian's stomach is only a little big, and it might spoil if left for too long—you should take it back and eat it."

Seeing this, Cheng Zijian quickly waved his hand and said, "No need for so much, we can't finish it all!" "Even if Young Master Cheng can't finish it, you can send some to Young Master Han Li, Young Master Wang Chang, and the others."

“Brother Han is very picky about food. He probably won’t accept this kind of food from outside.” Cheng Zijian shook his head. “Wang Chang and the others went to the Kyoto government office early this morning. I heard that they provide food and lodging there, so they won’t be coming back easily. In the end, I’ll probably be eating alone.”

Song Miao found it strange and thought to herself: How is Han Li picky about food? He can eat pig liver and pig lungs in the end.

But she didn't say much, only asking, "Why did Young Master Wang and the others go to the capital's government office for no reason? Aren't there classes at the Imperial Academy these days?"

"It is said that Cai Xiu—you have probably heard of him, he is one of the four talents of the Imperial Academy. He has taken up a post in the capital city government and said that he needs to borrow twenty students from the inner study to help follow up on a key task in the government."

"Is Young Master Cheng also going?"

“I really wanted to go, and Wang Chang and the others urged me to come along with them,” Cheng Zijian said. “But Brother Han rarely came back last night, and he assigned me a lot of homework. He took my previous articles to critique, and I’m seeing him today. I don’t know what his critique will be or how he will revise them. I have no mind to care about anything else!”

When he said the first sentence, there was still some regret in his tone, but when he got to the second sentence, especially when he said "he assigned me a lot of homework", his tone became somewhat joyful.

When he said, "I have no mind to care about anything else," he looked even more uneasy.

Song Miao then said, "It's better if you don't go; my studies are the most important thing for me."

"Although my studies are important, I heard that the people going this time will have their meals and accommodation provided. It will be tough, but they will definitely learn a lot. It's a rare opportunity. If my situation weren't so special, I would definitely have gone with them."

Song Miaoqi said, “There are plenty of things you can learn from. Even if you spend half a day grinding stones with me here, you can learn how to use your strength! Since it’s such a rare opportunity, why not go to the upper dormitory or to his own acquaintances? Why come to the inner dormitory instead—is he closer to you than you are?”

Cheng Zijian was taken aback.

He hadn't thought about it carefully at the time, but now that Song Miao had brought it up, he realized something and found it increasingly strange.

But what's done is done, and the person is long gone; it's too late to say anything now.

After chatting for a while, Cheng Zijian went inside to say goodbye to Cheng Erniang, then, carrying his basket, took his leave and returned to the Imperial Academy.

Today is Cold Food Festival. Yesterday, Song Miao prepared some offerings. Taking advantage of the free time in the afternoon, she went out of the city to worship at the graves of the Song family. She also found an open space nearby to worship Heaven and Earth, and set out some other offerings for her real parents to enjoy.

After she finished packing her things and was about to go back, she saw several locust trees outside a teahouse by the roadside. At that time, there were only flower buds, and the shopkeeper and others were harvesting locust flower seeds.

The season for locust flowers is short, and people often use them in cooking. They also make steamed buns and mantou with a unique flavor, and can be made into a dessert called locust flower powder. Song Miao hadn't had it for a long time and had been craving locust flower powder for a long time.

There were no locust trees near Suanzao Lane, so she simply went up to the shop and bought some. Carrying a basket of locust flower rice, she slowly returned to the city.

On the way, they unexpectedly encountered another porter carrying loads of deer and venison, hawking their wares along the route.

Deer and roe deer are not common meats, and are usually eaten by wealthy families as a delicacy. Although the price is not cheap at this time, it is not too expensive either, so the porter's business is quite good.

As it was getting late, Song Miao didn't pay much attention to it and hurriedly went home.

As soon as she entered the backyard, she sensed that something was wrong.

—The second young lady lit a small oil lamp and was drawing water from the well in the dark.

Song Miao hurriedly asked, "Isn't there still water in the water vat? It's all dark. Why are you fetching water now, Second Mistress? Be careful not to get your hand caught in the bucket."

Cheng Erniang sighed and said, "I don't know why, but Xiaolian's head feels hot. I'll get some well water to cool her head down."

Song Miao was startled and hurriedly followed Cheng Erniang into the house. Sure enough, Xiao Lian looked sickly, and when she reached out to touch her, her whole body was burning hot.

"While it's not completely dark yet, there are probably still a few clinics open. We might as well go see a doctor early to avoid being scared at night."

"I went out this afternoon and saw that many clinics were closed—it's Cold Food Day today, so they've probably all gone out of town to sweep the tombs. Let's just get through tonight and see what happens tomorrow morning."

Cheng Erniang was rather embarrassed and said, "I've only been here a few days, and I'm already causing trouble for you every day."

"What's the big deal? Everyone gets sick sometimes." Song Miao returned to her room, took out a string of coins and gave it to Cheng Erniang. She said softly, "I've already told everyone today that once Xiaolian is feeling better in a couple of days, Erniang, you can come and help me out. This is my advance payment. With a thicker belt around your waist, you'll be more comfortable when you need to see a doctor or get medicine."

Cheng Erniang wanted to decline, but she just couldn't bring herself to say the words of refusal.

They are really short of money.

She sighed and said, "Thank you so much, young lady. I will definitely work hard!"

Having received the money, Cheng Erniang finally felt a little more at ease. She used cold water to wipe her daughter's head, face, and body, and then used ginger to rub her feet and hands. After all that, the fever didn't go down, but Xiaolian did wake up.

Seeing Cheng Erniang standing to the side, looking bewildered for a moment, she slowly pointed to a basin in the corner and said, "Mother, look there."

At first, Cheng Erniang thought it was something else, so she went over and opened the lid to take a look. She found a bowl of something sitting in a basin of water. She leaned closer to smell it and realized it was almond tofu.

"This almond tofu is so delicious..." Xiaolian licked her dry lips. "Mom must not eat enough to enjoy it—I saved half a bowl for Mom too, eat it quickly!"

Cheng Erniang was on the verge of tears.

***
After leaving the house, Song Miao went straight to the front hall.

At this time, in some places the Cold Food Festival lasts for three days, but in the capital, most people only celebrate it for one day. Song Miao, who was eager to make money, naturally couldn't wait any longer—she had to go out to set up her stall again tomorrow.

Cheng Erniang had already helped with a lot of things that afternoon. After tidying up the rest, she spread out the locust flowers to dry. Thinking of Xiaolian's hot forehead, she simply took some pork spine and ribs, washed them, dried them, rubbed them with coarse salt, sprinkled them with a little cooking wine, put them in a rough earthenware jar, and hung it at the bottom of the well to let it slowly marinate, preparing to make porridge for Xiaolian tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)