Miao Chu

Chapter 286 Seeing
The carriage had already turned around, and with a flick of the driver's whip, it slowly rolled away.

Master Chen glanced at Master Cao beside him, and seeing his hesitant look, he cursed, "You old geezer!" and added, "The older you get, the less efficient you become. What are you dawdling about!"

As he cursed, he leaned out of the car window and shouted, "Zhengyan!"

Han Li, who had been standing quietly to the side, immediately stepped forward upon hearing this.

Master Chen then said, "I just heard Miss Song mention that you two met Wang Shuji, the deputy envoy of the Sixth Route Transport Bureau, when you were in Huazhou?"

Han Li replied, "That is indeed the case."

"Can you even speak to someone?"

“Wang Fa was easygoing and would listen to even the servants and subordinates.”

Upon hearing this, Master Chen stroked his precious beard and said, "That's perfect—when you have some free time these next few days, come and see your Mr. Cao; he has something to discuss with you!"

Han Li responded immediately, and without waiting for another day, he immediately asked Master Cao for the time.

Master Cao hurriedly said, "The time doesn't matter. Just come find me whenever you have time!"

He was all smiles and kindness in front of Han Li, but as soon as the car drove away, he started cursing.

"You rascal, why did you have to drag the two kids into this? I have plenty of people to take care of!"

"Why not ring the bell when there's already one? Why insist on going outside to find a drum to beat? I think you're just bored and have nothing better to do! You're so old, yet you're so concerned about saving face. You won't call out to this person or that person because you're too embarrassed to do so. You're afraid of bothering people now, but you'll cause real trouble later, and then it will be too late for you to regret it!"

"You don't know anything! I know what I'm doing!"

"What a load of rubbish!"

The carriage carrying two old men drove away, exchanging insults in a completely uncivilized manner.

Han Li watched the carriage disappear into the distance, casually tied up his horse, turned around, and saw Song Miao seeing him off at the door. A smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

He took a bamboo tube hanging from his horse's back, his pace quickening at first before slowing down. As he drew closer, he lowered his voice and asked, "Do you know when Shopkeeper Song closes?"

As he spoke, he handed over the bamboo tube.

The bamboo tube is quite large and a little heavy.

Song Miao weighed it in her hand and asked curiously, "What is this?"

“Goat’s milk,” Han Li said. “Back in Huazhou, I overheard you talking to someone and it seemed that you often had acid reflux after eating cow’s milk. Just today, I met an old official at the Water Conservancy Bureau who said that the daughter of the Water Conservancy Bureau’s assistant director couldn’t eat cow’s milk since she was a child, but she could eat goat’s milk. You’re getting up too early, which is really bad for your health. I read in the herbal compendium that goat’s milk can replenish deficiency and benefit essence and qi. Let’s try it and see if your spleen and stomach can handle it. If they can, then gradually start taking it.”

He added, "I bought some. If we can't finish it, we can share it with others—this stuff doesn't keep well, so I'll buy some more tomorrow night."

Since the items were delivered right to her door, and although they weren't anything valuable, it was still a hassle to take them back and forth, so Song Miao naturally wouldn't refuse them anymore.

She thanked him, holding the goat milk, and said, "Young master is too kind. I will accept it today, and there is no need to send it again in the future. You are very busy yourself. After you finish your work, you should go back and rest early."

Han Li replied, "How do you know I didn't rest along the way?"

He glanced at Song Miao, then looked at the left and right sides of Song Ji's entrance, and said, "The weather isn't as hot as before. If I come early and the shop is still open, I'll bring it inside. If I come late and you've already rested, I'll just put a food box on the side."

"I'll prepare some ice for the food box, lock it up, and make a mark. You and I will each keep a key. Even if we don't have time to drink it at night, we can have a sip first thing in the morning before setting up our stall. That would be good, wouldn't it?"

Song Miao thought for a moment and asked, "Young master, would you like to come in, have a seat, and have some tea?"

Han Li shook his head and said, "It's getting late, and I don't want to get up once I sit down—you should get some rest." His words were so straightforward and natural that Song Miao didn't want to delay any longer, and she said, "Sending it every day is really too much trouble..."

Han Li said, "Then how about giving some subsidies? I see that the other vendors and servants who deliver goods to our door always get a bonus. If you're stingy, give me one coin; if you're generous, give me two coins?"

"Let's put this matter aside for now," Song Miao said. "I also have a few words I'd like to say to you, young master."

Han Li's smile faded slightly, indicating that he had already sensed something.

"I have debts, employees in the shop, and business outside. I'm busy all day long, and I really don't have the energy or the mind to take care of anything else..."

Han Li suddenly said, "My mind is on this, and I can take care of it myself. I don't need you to interfere."

He paused, then said, "You talk about debt, people, business, shops, and not having any spare capacity—but what about yourself?"

"You haven't replied to what I said last time—do you have similar thoughts?"

It was very dark, and neither of them held a lamp. The oil lamp in the room was placed on the table, quite far away. At this moment, there was only a little light from outside, so they could not see each other's faces or expressions at all.

Song Miao has always been frank, and she was just as honest this time.

She replied, "A little."

Although she couldn't see the person's face clearly, she could clearly sense that the person opposite her stood up straighter for a moment.

"Although there is a point, we both have things to do and paths to take. I am a businessman, and even though I only have a stall and a shop with only two tables, my heart is still set on the road."

"I also want to eat lychees that have just been picked from the tree in Guangnan, live squid that have just been caught from the sea in Fuzhou and are still sparkling with stars, water bamboo in Jiangnan, and sand onions in the north—there are ingredients from all over the country. I not only want to eat them all myself, but I also want to open a few small shops around the world to serve customers, earn some money, and receive lots of praise..."

"Can't I go?"

Song Miao chuckled and said, "Young Master still has many people to scold and many things to do."

"Where can't I be an official? Where can't I do a job?"

Han Li stepped forward, his voice very soft, with a hint of a smile: "I consider myself somewhat capable. Give me a year or two, and I can learn from you, go out and do things, and experience all sorts of things. There's no rush. Why don't we wait until you have some free time before we come together to think about this?"

With one hand holding the goat's milk and the other hand supporting the door, Song Miao felt that both the door panel and the bamboo tube containing the goat's milk were thumping.

Even in the darkness, Han Li's eyes still shone brightly.

"In that case, can I be considered to be at the very front of the list?"

"what?"

“I’ve seen my wife set up her stall before. Every day, long queues form in front of her stall long before she even arrives. Besides people, there are often food boxes, food bags, book boxes, bamboo baskets and all sorts of other items. Today, I’ll also put in a little effort to queue up. Do you think I’ll be a food box, a food bag, a book box, or a bamboo basket?”

"No matter what it is, as long as it's at the front of the line, it'll be the first thing the stall owner sees, right?"

　I received a rare and precious jade disc from Little Deer Carrying a Branch. Thank you so much, my dear wife, you've gone to such a lavish expense!

　　Thank you to the bookstore and my cat, Egg, for this little gift. It's also a great tool for writing! :)

　　Thank you to Crazy Mom, Miss Ultraman, Occasionally Relax 2, Ah Bai, Fireworks and Freedom, Watching the Clouds Rise, Waiwai Cat, HY_RC, Date.bE, and Time and Space_ae for each of the following small gifts you sent me ^_^
　　I got off work too late, so I might not be updating as much these next couple of days. Sorry!

　　(End of this chapter)