Miao Chu

Chapter 297 Seclusion
When Song Miao returned to the restaurant after leaving her stall that day, she saw that Cheng Erniang and Zhang Siniang had already brought back "Song Ji Paper" and the so-called perforated clip, and had also bought inkpad and other items.

Cheng Erniang said to Song Miao, "Madam, we've already discussed it. Including Wang Sanlang, there are four of us in total. We'll split into two groups to register the names and collect the money along the way!"

“I think we should first divide the quota according to the location. The capital prefectural government, the Directorate of Waterways, the Hanlin Academy, the patrol stations, and the local academies, etc., should each divide the number of sheets of ‘Song Ji Paper’ according to the quantity they have sold in the past. After that, we can sell it in each place according to the first-come, first-served principle—so that no one will be unhappy and say that we are being unfair!”

She gave a detailed explanation of how to prepare for the restaurant, including how to register customers, how to collect money, how to explain things, etc. She was organized and methodical, and had thought of many details in advance. It was clear from her that she had put her heart into it.

Song Miao praised, "I think it's very well done. Who planned this?"

"Fourth Sister and Big Pancake thought of the most, and Third Brother also helped to fill in many gaps. I'm just the one who organized things!" Second Sister Cheng said hurriedly.

Zhang Si Niang replied, "Second Madam had already set up the framework. I simply studied the methods you used when recruiting people and distributing meals in Huazhou, modified them, and added them in if I thought they were usable!"

They even tried to pass the flatbread around.

Only Wang Sanlang sat to the side, wanting to speak but unable to find a chance to interject. He had just been carrying and lifting things and was wiping his sweat when he became so anxious that he broke out in a sweat again.

Song Miao laughed and said, "I was just praising you a little, why is everyone avoiding me?"

He added, “Everyone has put in a lot of effort in making these ‘Song Ji Stationery’. Second Madam, please take note of this. At the end of the month, we need to come up with a reward system. You can decide on a plan.”

"This... is not necessary!"

"My lady, let's let this go this time!"

Of the four people in the hall, apart from Cheng Erniang, they all rushed to use humble words.

Wang Sanlang finally seized the opportunity and said, "Wife, let's talk about the reward money after this matter is over! We're not in a hurry for money, we just hope to work for you for a long time. We're just afraid that some shady people outside will come to collect debts, and we won't have enough money in the restaurant, which will affect business and put you in a difficult position!"

Seeing everyone's reaction, Cheng Erniang had wanted to decline, but as a manager, she didn't want to say anything. So she quickly added, "That's right, let's talk about it after this is over!"

Song Miao naturally understood what everyone was thinking.

“This matter won’t just keep us busy for a few days. The real trouble will come when the ‘Song Ji Jian’ (a type of incense) is distributed and customers come to redeem it. Everyone will have to do many more tedious procedures. This is extra work and won’t increase profits, so naturally we should give them a bonus.” She raised her voice and added, “Besides, the restaurant will only be open properly in the next month or two. We will need to set up a system of rewards and punishments then. We’ll discuss it with everyone after Second Madam has drafted it.”

"In short, firstly, if the restaurants earn more, everyone will earn more; secondly, even if the restaurants don't earn much, those who put in more effort will still earn more—who isn't here to earn money to support their family? I will never let anyone work for free!"

Song Miao paused for a moment, then said, "As for the debt, as long as we can sell all of Songji Paper, it will be enough to offset it. If it's really not enough, I have other ways. Everyone just needs to focus on their work and not worry about anything else!"

She spoke with such certainty that the others in the hall finally stopped refusing and agreed together.

Just then, a hired woman carrying a large steamer came out of the front hall. She heard everything clearly, but pretended not to hear anything. When she returned to the backyard, she quickly called over the people working with her and repeated Song Miao's words. Immediately, all the hired men, both long-term and short-term, felt relieved.

The people in the front hall were all familiar faces. They were either people who had worked with Song Miao in Huazhou, or Cheng Erniang, who was one of her own people who would go out to do short-term jobs and bring back money to help the restaurant get through the crisis, even if the restaurant really encountered big trouble.

The people here were speaking not only out of some concern, but also to express their loyalty. They did not believe that the outside world could shake Song Ji in the slightest, and everyone was convinced that Song Miao would definitely have a solution.

However, many of the long-term and short-term employees were newcomers and didn't know much about the restaurant or Song Miao. They only knew that the boss had a useless father who left behind a lot of debts to be repaid.

Under the same roof, everyone had been specially instructed by Cheng Erniang and had signed a contract not to talk about anything related to the restaurant. However, seeing the recent actions and hearing snippets of conversation, they all knew that someone was up to no good. They just didn't know what kind of evil it was or what trouble it would cause. They were very afraid of causing trouble and affecting their livelihoods, so they were all on tenterhooks.

Finally, someone heard Song Miao speak and relayed it, which relieved everyone.

After Song Miao finished speaking, she specifically said to Cheng Erniang, "There is another matter—Erniangzi, you have to help set aside some money for the Imperial Academy. Although they are not exporters, they have been taking care of our business for many days. It would be really unreasonable not to include it."

"I had considered whether the Imperial Academy should also distribute some, but they are a stall, and they are already too busy serving glutinous rice and steamed buns. If they also distribute 'Song Ji Paper,' how could they manage? So I thought I would just skip it this time and distribute it next time if there is a next time!"

Song Miao thought for a moment, then shook her head slightly and said, "It's not quite right."

"This time, the 'Song Ji Stationery' is a gift with fresh steamed buns. The fresh steamed buns won't be sold to the public for a month or two; they can only be given away with the purchase of 'Song Ji Stationery.' If the students find out that everyone has one and they don't, what will they think?"

Big Pancake stepped forward and said, "My lady, this was a suggestion from Second Lady. I thought that the places we asked earlier could already cover all of 'Song Ji Paper,' and we couldn't spare many more. There are thousands of students here; if we threw them in, we wouldn't even hear a sound."

"In that case, let's just forget about it and talk about it again when there's another opportunity."

Dabing added, "Don't worry, my lady. Everyone at the Imperial Academy is an old friend of ours and they're all understanding. As long as we explain things properly, they'll all understand and won't be angry."

This time, Song Miao strongly disagreed.

She said, “You’ve always been likable and you’re familiar with all the guests at the Imperial Academy. But familiarity is one thing, but we’re still doing business. They’re all guests—guests are guests. Whether they’re new or old, they should be treated the way they’re treated. You can’t just think about what’s right in your head.”

Seeing that Dabing seemed to understand but not quite, she gave an example, saying, "For instance, you mentioned last time that you ordered a cabinet and a set of tables and chairs from that carpenter Liu. Originally, he was supposed to finish making the restaurant's items and then immediately start making yours. But now he tells you that a big customer has arrived, and it's a new customer, so he has to prioritize the new customer's order and make it before yours. Since you've been in frequent contact with him lately and are quite familiar with him, he asks for your understanding, and besides, the items aren't in a rush..."

Dabing blurted out, "Why should I! Who said my food isn't in a hurry!"

Upon hearing this, he was completely stunned.

Seeing his expression, Song Miao knew that he understood, so she said, "Even among siblings, there is concern about whether parents can treat each other equally, let alone strangers?"

He added, “Whether the customers care or not is their business. We must not show favoritism. Otherwise, regular customers will feel that even though we are familiar with you and come to support your business every day, we are still being taken advantage of. New customers will feel that all the good things go to the regular customers. We pay the same amount of money, but we are being treated poorly. In the long run, new customers will be unhappy and regular customers will be dissatisfied. We will end up not being able to please either side.”

After listening, everyone recalled their past actions.

Cheng Erniang hurriedly said, "Then I'll adjust the numbers. But the Imperial Academy has a lot of people and a lot of gossip. We're setting up a stall in the food alley. Once we start selling here, many people will be watching and spreading rumors. I'm afraid the news won't be kept secret."

He added, "And when it comes to offsetting the cost later, there are only two people in the food alley, Madam and Dabing, and I'm afraid they won't be able to handle it all. If we add another one, then..."

Song Miao said, "You can keep the 'Song Ji Paper' from the Imperial Academy for a while and then sell it a day or two later. As for how to deduct the cost when you set up your stall, I'll think of a way."

Once the matter was settled, everyone was assigned their tasks. Among the four, Cheng Erniang learned the fastest and knew the most characters, followed by Zhang Siniang. Dabing learned the slowest, but could barely write common characters, though his handwriting was extremely ugly. Wang Sanlang, although he learned faster than Dabing, had handwriting that was just as bad as Dabing's, making them equally unusable.

To avoid suspicion, Cheng Erniang and Wang Sanlang sat on one side, and Zhang Siniang and Dabing sat on the other. After dividing the food, they hurriedly went out to collect money and sell Songji stationery.

After seeing the others off, Song Miao only pondered for a moment before getting up and starting her work.

She had already sent a letter to Shen Xingniang, asking her to come over before noon today to help measure the dimensions of the restaurant and confirm the wages and fabric costs.

After saying all this, she mentioned that Xiaolian's master would also be coming today, and Shen Xingniang would have to make her own choice.

Regardless of whether the other party is ultimately willing to see a doctor, it won't affect Song Miao's efforts to properly entertain Dr. Lin.

The pork hock from yesterday had already been boiled and washed. Song Miao put it in a large pot, added enough water, and steamed it. She then prepared the other ingredients, waiting to add them slowly.

Although braised shark fin with ham hock requires skill, once it's in the pot and the ingredients are prepared, you only need to keep an eye on the heat and don't need to worry about much else.

After instructing the hired maid to watch the fire, Song Miao took some time to go back to her room and retrieve the letter Han Li had sent the previous night.

She was short on time in the morning and only skimmed through it. Now that she had some free time, she finally read it carefully. After she finished reading, she didn't bother looking for any pebbles—a pebble can't speak anyway.

After adding water and grinding ink, Song Miao wrote a reply, first asking about many of the questions Cheng Erniang had raised, such as whether she could tell her in advance the name of the craftsman and the shop of the delivery person, so that she could discuss the time with the craftsman and avoid having to wait when the delivery person arrived while the stove was still hot.

Then they asked the other person what kind of food they would like to eat if they were to finish their busy schedule and come back for dinner.

Besides, goat milk is indeed good to eat, but he comes back very late every day. He shouldn't come to deliver it every day anymore. He can buy it himself when he comes back, or ask Cheng Erniang and the others to bring it back on their way to deliver goods. That would be the same.

He also mentioned that the shark fin he sent last time was ready to be used to entertain distinguished guests today, and it had already been soaked and was about to be used.

She would set aside a separate bowl, put ice in a leather box, and ask him to remember to take it back with him so he could try the soup. She would also explain the recipe and ingredients to him, so that if he didn't like the taste, he could tell her and make sure she knew what he didn't like so she could be more considerate next time.

Perhaps it was because they were talking about serious matters, but those matters weren't exactly serious. The letter Han Li sent was written entirely in vernacular Chinese. Although it was neatly written, the ink was fragmented and varied in color, indicating that it had been written over many days, in fits and starts. Song Miao's reply was also very casual.

She initially set the letter aside and replied to it point by point. However, as she wrote, her thoughts wandered aimlessly. When she finally realized what was happening, she glanced at the water clock and saw that nearly half an hour had passed. Two pages of paper were already spread out on the table, and she couldn't help but chuckle at herself.

After folding the letter, Song Miao unconsciously imitated the way Han Li had sent the letter, wrapping her reply layer by layer into the many oiled paper and leather bags before going into the yard to work.

Cheng Erniang and the others returned exceptionally late that day. After noon, when they saw off the group of old scholars, the group was still nowhere to be seen.

Instead of waiting for Cheng Erniang, Zhang Siniang, and the others who went to sell "Songji Paper", they were greeted by Shen Xingniang and Granny Shen who came to their door.

Shen Xingniang still covered her face with a towel. She did not do it herself, but entrusted the measuring to Granny Shen, while she stood aside.

Granny Shen was quite old, and often her movements, such as raising her hand or squatting down, were slow. Shen Xingniang watched from the side, very anxious. Several times she tried to go forward, but after getting close, she would suddenly think of something and retreat. Finally, she looked at Song Miao rather awkwardly and said, "Madam, could you pick out a few quick-witted people to help my aunt?"

She paused, then, as if in despair, said in a low voice, "If it were any other time, I would have done it myself, but lately I've been smelling a bit unpleasant, and it wouldn't be appropriate to be so close..."

Song Miao didn't ask any more questions. She called out a usually quick and efficient maid and told her to follow Shen Xingniang's instructions and help out Granny Shen.

Just as the measuring tape in the front hall was halfway done, Doctor Lin arrived.

According to Master Chen, this old doctor was over seventy years old, but she was not quite what Song Miao had imagined. Although her hair was completely white and she had wrinkles on her face, her back was still very straight, and she had a kind of heroic yet gentle temperament.

She took on four apprentices, three women and one man. The oldest was in his twenties and the youngest was only seven or eight years old. Each of them carried a medicine chest.

Upon entering, Dr. Lin first greeted "Miss Song," and Song Miao hurriedly stepped forward to say hello. After exchanging pleasantries and ordering tea, she didn't even bother to sit down, but instead asked, "Where is the patient?"

Shen Xingniang didn't even have time to hesitate before she took a step forward.

Doctor Lin twitched his nostrils a few times, carefully examined Shen Xingniang's complexion and eyes, and observed her gait. Instead of taking her pulse immediately, he turned to Song Miao and asked, "Miss Song, do you have a secluded room here?"

"My room is quite secluded."

Song Miao glanced at Shen Xingniang, and seeing that she didn't object, she led the way to the backyard.

Seeing this, the apprentices were about to follow, but Doctor Lin stopped them, saying, "You can sit outside and wait for me."

Once inside, Song Miao offered the two seats and was about to leave when Shen Xingniang grabbed her sleeve.

She stopped in her tracks and didn't move.

Doctor Lin took Song Miao's pulse and asked her questions very quickly. After finishing his examination, he asked her, "Is your bed comfortable to lie on?"

Of course it is possible.

Doctor Lin directed Shen Xingniang to lie down on the bed, and then said to Song Miao, "Young lady, please fetch me a basin of hot water—and also bring some soapberries. If you have any tea oil, please give me some as soon as possible."

This time, when Song Miao retreated, Shen Xingniang did not stop her.

When she returned with the hot water and stood at the door, she could hear people talking inside.

"It's no big deal, it can be fixed! Why are you crying! You're such a young and beautiful woman, you have a long life ahead of you!"

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　　(End of this chapter)