Chapter 41 Hiring a dishwasher – she thought it was a good idea, having extra resources was the best…

On the outskirts of the city, behind the Biyong Academy, there is a row of exquisite bamboo houses nestled in the quiet mountains.

As the sun climbed to the zenith, Feng Qiniang, carrying a covered food basket, ascended the steps to the bamboo hut. She knocked on the half-closed door and heard a weak voice from inside, as if the person was about to die, say, "Come in." She shook her head, took off her shoes on the steps, lifted her skirt, and pushed the door open.

The bamboo house is furnished in an elegant and simple style, with thick mats covering the floor, which feel soft to the touch.

But as soon as she entered, she was startled by the crumpled papers and haphazardly laid-down pens scattered on the floor, causing her to stumble and step into a puddle of fresh ink—fresh because the ink had obviously just been spilled and had seeped into the mat, still damp.

She raised her eyebrows angrily and said to the disheveled middle-aged man sitting in a pile of papers, lost in thought, "Father, how long are you going to stay in this desolate wilderness before you come home? These past few days, Mother has been taking care of my mentally challenged grandmother and my youngest brother by herself. She's almost at her breaking point, and now she's worried about whether you'll have enough to eat and wear here!"

Dr. Feng grabbed his disheveled hair and frantically spread his arms: "I can't write it! I can't write it! Why is this happening, why is this happening! The officials say that the 'Wen Yuan' is tedious and the 'Guang Ji' is bizarre, and they want me to write a complete book that records the historical facts and legal codes of all dynasties, but I've only written half of it and I just can't write it anymore."

He then suddenly stood up and tore and crumpled up a stack of papers covered in ink writing on the table, going on a rampage like a mountain ape. Only then did he notice a girl standing by the door. He raised his bloodshot eyes, his cheeks sunken in from the weight of his body: "What are you doing here? Get out! Don't bother me with worldly matters! I'm almost there... almost there, don't disturb me..."

As he spoke, he picked up a pen again, acting strangely, and began writing something while leaning over the desk.

Feng Qiniang was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. She slammed the food basket in her hand to the ground and cried, "Your mother and I shouldn't have worried about you! We even went through so much trouble to buy you this food! Go back to writing your book. Even if you starve or freeze to death, your mother and I will never care about you again!"

With a "bang," Feng Qiniang slammed the door and left. The food basket rolled to Dr. Feng's feet, its rattan lid already broken, and half a fried dough cake flew out.

Dr. Feng was immersed in the complex and confusing world of the book, in a state of confusion and bewilderment, when he suddenly caught a whiff of a mouthwatering spicy aroma. This fragrance swept over him, forcefully pulling him back from the brink of losing his mind and back into reality.

He raised his dry eyes, then slowly lowered them, staring at the overturned food basket for a long time before silently picking it up. A quick glance revealed two pieces of dried flatbread broken into pieces, two pieces of solidified sauce, an egg, a few slices of meat, and some finely chopped, dried vegetables.

At the very bottom of the food basket was a note written by his wife. Her delicate, tiny handwriting gently instructed him, "My lord, you should eat on time and not overwork yourself. Compiling a book cannot be done in a day, so please do not rush it. These are some quick-cooking soup noodles that a local eatery has recently made. Just pour boiling water over them and you can eat them. They are very convenient and will not delay your important business. Please make good use of them."

Holding the letter, Dr. Feng was deeply moved and tears welled up in his eyes. He felt ashamed that he had just lost his temper with his daughter. He rubbed his face, folded the letter, and put it in his pocket. He then picked up the dried flatbread that had fallen to the ground, carried his basket, and went to the back corridor of the bamboo house. He gathered firewood, boiled water, and began to soak the flatbread in a bamboo bowl.

As the mountain breeze rustled through the bamboo forest, Dr. Feng sniffed, staring in astonishment at the bamboo bowl that had just been opened in front of him. The dry, crispy flatbread inside had actually transformed into a bowl of delicious soup flatbread in an instant!

It's truly a miracle!

For several days, he had been working day and night without writing a single word. At this moment, the aroma of the noodles filled him with such a strong sense of unease that his stomach began to rumble with hunger. Ignoring the fact that the noodles were scalding hot, he wolfed them down. Halfway through, his stomach gradually warmed and filled, and even his head, which had been stuck in a rut, cleared up.

"That's it! That's it! Why don't I categorize them by people, events, and things, and compile them in chronological order? Wouldn't the long history of the six dynasties be clearly visible in this way?" Dr. Feng was extremely excited. He tilted his head back and drank the soup in one gulp, let out a burp, and when he got up, he even put his shoes on backwards, almost falling flat on his face. He stumbled into the bamboo hut and began to write furiously again.

On the path leading down the mountain, Feng Qiniang led her servants down the mountain in a huff, only to find that Xie Shiyi Niang's carriage was still waiting at the foot of the mountain. She sighed in frustration and stepped forward to lift the carriage curtain: "Shiyi Niang, didn't I say you didn't need to wait for me? Why haven't you gone back yet?"

"How could I leave you alone? I promised to accompany you to deliver food to Uncle Feng." Eleventh Sister grinned. She resembled all the round features of her parents. She had a round face, a round nose, and round eyes. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she was still quite cute.

She asked her mother for a day off early this morning so she could go out for a stroll with Feng Qiniang.

Normally, her mother would always take her along to manage affairs, teaching her how to take charge of the household.

She had just celebrated her birthday at the beginning of the year and was already sixteen. Although some women at this age married early, while others married at nineteen or twenty, her family had already begun arranging marriages for her. Over the past six months, Madam Xi had become stricter with her. In the past, she would have allowed her to go out and play, or to visit the estate for a short stay, or even bring servants to stay with her uncle in Youzhou. But since the Lunar New Year this year, she hadn't gone out alone for a long time. When she did go out, it was usually with her mother to attend banquets hosted by acquaintances, or by carriage to collect debts at the family shop, or to the Xie family's granary in the suburbs to count the newly delivered grain.

I never really had a proper time to play or explore.

She said excitedly, "In a little while, will you come with me to the gold and silver shop to pick up the newly made hairpin? We'll also buy some tea and soup, and then go to the Zhou Bridge to watch a variety show. I heard that someone has written a new play called 'Lord Wang Divorces His Wife,' and it's said to be beautifully sung and very interesting."

"I'll do whatever you say. Whether it's getting things or watching a play, I don't want to go home right now... Seeing my mother working so hard, and not being able to help her, makes me even more heartbroken." Just now, Feng Qiniang heard Xie Shiyi Niang mention her father, and thinking of the mess at home, how her grandmother was getting senile and wouldn't recognize anyone, and even hitting people with her cane! She knew she shouldn't hate her grandmother, but she felt even more sorry for her mother who was being beaten for no reason. Feng Qiniang couldn't help but sigh heavily, and she wasn't interested in Shiyi Niang's suggestion. Even after agreeing, she was still sullen after getting into the carriage.

"Seventh Sister, why make yourself suffer? Let your parents worry about their own affairs. Since we can't help them, we should just take care of ourselves." Xie Shiyi Niang tilted her head. At her age, she was the most indignant and righteous, so she crossed her arms and snorted, "Especially don't worry about your father. You think about everything for him, but he only thinks about his own books. You even sent him the instant soup noodles that you finally managed to buy from Chen Ji. Does he appreciate it? Judging from your expression, you've been rebuffed. From now on, don't pay any more attention to him."

Feng Qiniang lowered her head sadly: "How can I really ignore him after saying I won't care? He's my father. I know you're trying to comfort me, but please don't say that again. I know your intentions are good, but what if someone overhears and says you're unfilial?"

“I know, that’s why I’m only telling you the truth. This doesn’t mean you should ignore him forever; you have to teach him a lesson eventually. My mother said that a woman can’t be just virtuous and gentle; if she has no temper, she’ll be bullied.” Xie Shiyi Niang puffed out her cheeks fiercely, “Like my utterly despicable father, he actually took all the leftover instant noodles from home this morning to the government office, saying he was going to treat his colleagues to a feast. I was so angry I swore I wouldn’t speak to him for three days! And I mean it!”

Speaking of those instant soup noodles, Xie Shiyi Niang was also very tempted. She got up this morning intending to make a bowl, but when she asked Ju Li to go to the kitchen to get some, Chef Fang helplessly shrugged and said that her father had taken them all, and there was nothing left! Even the basket was taken away, and there wasn't even a crumb left.

At that moment, Xie Shiyi Niang felt as if the sky had fallen.

Fortunately, Ninth Brother was acquainted with Madam Shen. She kept pestering him, and only then did Ninth Brother ask Zhou Da to go to Madam Shen's shop to buy some more.

These past few days, the threshold of Shen's soup noodle shop has been almost trampled by people. Every day, the line to buy instant soup noodles stretches all the way to Jinliang Bridge. Madam Shen simply can't make that many by herself, so she finally announced that she would only sell two hundred soup noodles a day. But even that wasn't enough to meet the demand. Later, some idle men started waiting in front of the shop early in the morning. As soon as Madam Shen opened the door, they would swarm in, buying a dozen or twenty portions at a time, and then reselling them at a higher price to those who hadn't managed to buy any.

Ninth Brother said that Madam Shen said this was called "yellow oxen." Xie Shiyi Niang didn't understand why. Perhaps... it was because the way these idlers resold soup dumplings looked like a herd of yellow oxen running around after being disturbed?

However, yesterday, Madam Shen added a new rule: each person can buy a maximum of three bowls per day, and she also gave bamboo skewers to the long queue of diners. One bamboo skewer represents one bowl. Once the bamboo skewers are all given out, the people behind will not have to waste time queuing.

Some shops also gradually began to imitate Madam Shen's fried instant soup noodles, but they did not know the recipe for fried soup noodles. Some people fried the dough until it was black and burnt, while others fried the dough until it could not be soaked properly. They also could not make the soup base with the same delicious taste as Madam Shen's. To this day, only Madam Shen's soup noodles are both delicious and convenient.

Soup dumplings, oh soup dumplings, Eleventh Sister never knew she would love soup dumplings so much.

Just thinking about it now makes her hungry.

Xie Shiyi Niang glanced at Feng Qiniang's still sullen face and whispered, "Why don't we go to Chen Ji's to eat first? They should have sold out of instant soup dumplings by now, but Ninth Brother said that Chen Niangzi's other soup dumplings are also delicious, so we can try them."

Feng Qiniang lowered her head and said, "I have no appetite."

“Aren’t you just like your Uncle Feng? How can you not eat when something happens? Listen to me, eat a bowl of hot soup noodles. If you can even break a sweat, you’ll feel much better inside and out.” Seeing that she couldn’t persuade her, Xie Shiyi Niang rolled her eyes and used her trump card, saying mysteriously, “Ninth Brother might have gone too. I saw him go out today.”

When Xie Qi was mentioned as a possible guest, Feng Qiniang's expression relaxed slightly, and she said somewhat shyly, "Then... let's go and try it."

That's great! I heard from Ninth Brother that Madam Shen's shop has a wonderful dish called "Muddled Soup Cake". I really want to try it! So Xie Shiyi Niang excitedly instructed the servants outside the carriage to turn the carriage around and head straight for Yangliu East Lane by Jinliang Bridge.

Meanwhile, Shen Miao, whom Xie Shiyi Niang was thinking about, was sitting opposite Aunt Gu with a worried look on her face during the quiet of midday. She was listening to her explain in detail how to hire a worker from "Xing Lao" – she couldn't take it anymore, as she had been washing dishes and cleaning until the wee hours of the morning for three or four days in a row.

Although business has been booming these past few days, and the money jar is full and even overflowing, she doesn't have time to count it all yet, but she roughly estimates that she should have earned more than ten strings of cash.

Although the money was plentiful, it was incredibly tiring! She, Ji-ge'er, and Xiang-jie'er had been struggling these past few days, all three of them spinning like tops. Without enough sleep, their minds would go numb. Even she herself had made a mess of things these past two days, breaking bowls, smashing things, and delivering the wrong kind of bread. It was one thing for her to suffer, but for the two younger ones, who were still growing, to be so exhausted that their steps were unsteady was truly a tragedy. So today, after much pleading, she managed to get Xiang-jie'er and Ji-ge'er to go to the bookstore to rest for the day, forbidding them from staying home to work.

She was determined to hire someone.

The popularity of instant noodles was unexpected. After all, they're convenient to eat, but making them is anything but! It takes more effort than making regular noodles. Before making the noodles, you have to knead, let them rest, and pull them. Then you have to cook them until they're half-cooked, rinse them in cold water, and drain them. This step is essential; only this combination of hot and cold will make the noodles incredibly crispy and chewy after frying.

After draining the water, add Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and other secret seasonings to the noodles before frying them. Frying the noodles also requires patience. When the oil temperature is about 50% hot, turn the firewood down to a low flame and fry the round noodles until they are set. Then gently flip them over and continue frying.

Not to mention the need to make soup base, roast chopped vegetables, braised eggs, and braised meat.

Because of her past life experiences, she is already considered an exceptionally quick and efficient person, but even that doesn't allow her to supply in large quantities.

The frenzy has lasted for several days now, and although it's slowly subsiding, there are still quite a few people coming specifically to buy instant noodles every day. To sustain the business in the long run, she can't keep going like this. To supply just 200 servings of instant noodles daily, her breakfast stall has almost had to stop selling other noodles.

What shocked her was that even scalpers had emerged. She felt that this couldn't continue in a healthy cycle and could easily collapse like a bubble.

Instant noodles are currently popular because they are fresh and convenient to eat, but when a food has been around for a long time, some people will like it and some won't, just like people, it's impossible for everyone to like it. She could foresee that this popularity would eventually decline, and she couldn't rely on this to make a living. She also had to ensure the variety of dishes in the store and that it could operate smoothly.

Otherwise, it would be even worse if it were copied.

However, being copied was inevitable. In the Song Dynasty, intellectual property protection relied entirely on moral agreements, such as noting when printing books that they were printed by a certain publishing house and prohibiting reproduction. But this was ultimately futile, as there was no formal legal protection. Craftsmen like Shen Miao or Old Man Yang relied entirely on secret inheritance within their families or between masters and apprentices to maintain their competitive edge.

However, this practice was difficult to eradicate even in later generations, let alone a thousand years ago. For thousands of years, the Chinese people have been exceptionally gifted in the art of imitation, and Shen Miao dared not underestimate the wisdom of the working people.

There will be a day when someone will figure out how to make these instant noodles, so she needs to prepare for that day in advance.

When it comes to the details of these preparations, let's start with hiring people.

She wants to free her hands from tedious and repetitive chores so she can focus on making delicious food, and more and more diverse delicious food.

One must be skilled to retain customers.

Aunt Gu was aware of her predicament, and when she heard that she intended to hire workers, she nodded in agreement and explained to her:

"There are more than ten brokers in this inner city now. I'm looking for Zhang Yazi. He's a fairly honest man. Just tell him exactly what kind of person you're looking for, and he'll go find someone for you. He'll bring four or five people to you to look at in about half a day. If you don't like them, he'll go looking again. If you do like them, you'll agree on the wages, and he'll find a lawyer he knows to draft the contract. That's it."

While sewing clothes, Aunt Gu glanced at the dark circles under Shen Miao's eyes and said, "It's not that I'm saying this, but you should have found someone before you opened your business."

Shen Miao smiled bitterly: "Who knew it would turn out like this so suddenly?"

Having seen all sorts of instant noodles, flavors, and brands since childhood, she still underestimated the ancients' fervor for this type of food. Perhaps in a past life, when instant noodles were invented in Japan, they were just as popular worldwide?

"However, your aunt thinks you shouldn't hire anyone. You should buy two servants instead." Aunt Gu suddenly lowered her voice, offering advice to Shen Miao with great empathy. "My family also has a secret family recipe for brewing wine, and this must never be shown to anyone! Therefore, we only temporarily hire two laborers in March and September to move the wine vats. We don't let them do any other work. On weekdays, your Uncle Xie and Tu Su handle everything, and we never let outsiders into the brewery. Even the yeast has to be kept secret. But it's different for you. If you hire people to wash dishes, sweep, or fetch water and chop firewood, your kitchen is only so big, and you can't avoid them. What if those laborers learn it? It's better to buy two servants, hold their indentures, and make them obey you for life, so they can't serve other masters. That's the safest way."

Shen Miao pondered for a moment, but still hesitated.

First, it's not a year of famine, and buying a capable laborer would probably cost thirty or fifty strings of cash, which is no small sum. Second, Shen Miao is definitely not the type to be a exploitative person. Buying someone to serve her makes her feel guilty, and she doesn't want to mistreat her. After buying her, she'll have to take care of her for life, from birth to old age and illness, which needs careful consideration. Third, once she's bought someone, there's no going back. What if this person is lazy, slow, or has a bad character? Should she be resold like cattle and sheep?

But it's different with hired workers. They have a contract with each other, a fair transaction with a clear price. If he doesn't do well, he can be sent back to the old shop and replaced with a better one. She can speak her mind freely, and she can treat him with a more normal and equal attitude.

But Aunt Gu's words were not without reason. In this era, her skills were everything. Of course, she did not want her skills to be stolen and used by others to start their own businesses and compete with her. As the saying goes, "Teach your apprentice and you'll starve."

She didn't want to starve to death either.

After thinking it over, Shen Miao could only sigh and say, "I'll think about it some more."

She said goodbye to Aunt Gu and dragged her feet back to her own shop, which was empty and quietly waiting for customers.

She stayed up all night the day before yesterday, frying four hundred pancakes to sell over two days. Finally, she had a chance to catch her breath. This morning, she sold out two hundred pancakes, and there are still two hundred left in the kitchen. This way, she can prepare the two hundred pancakes she needs to buy the day after tomorrow without making mistakes or getting anxious.

But because it sells out early in the morning, the shop is not as crowded as it was the first day. It seems that many people do not know that she can make other soup noodles, and only come for instant noodles, buy them and leave. So the shop was lively for a while after it opened, but now it is quiet again.

It was especially deserted shortly after noon.

Shen Miao sat in her shop thinking about hiring people. Lei Ting and the little dog lay side by side at the shop entrance, basking in the sun. Their fur became fluffy from the sun, and their amber eyes slowly narrowed.

Just as the dog was about to fall asleep in a pancake shape, a rare burst of noise from the street outside suddenly broke out.

"You said you didn't want any wages and let me try. I tried for a few days, but I wasn't satisfied and didn't want to hire her anymore, is that not allowed? Who broke their promise here! Didn't you say that? Now you're bothering me, let go! Do you want to try my fist?"

Shen Miao looked up, but she couldn't see where the people arguing were. However, looking out from her shop, she could see a long, slanted shadow on the ground, which appeared to be a strong man with his hands on his hips, impatiently shoving the woman in front of him who was thinner and shorter than him.

"Get out of my way! If it weren't for my kindness, would you and your stupid daughter have had anything to eat these past few days? If you keep bothering me, I'll report you to the authorities immediately! I'll let you, you old scoundrel who extorts money, get a taste of the soldiers' sticks!"

The woman's shadow was shoved to the ground, but she still clung desperately to the man's clothes. However, when she heard him say he would report her to the authorities, she let go in fright. The man then snorted heavily on the ground, gave a cold snort, and strode away.

"Who would hire an idiot? Dream on!"

As the man walked away, a mournful cry drifted over. Shen Miao couldn't help but stand up and peer outside, only to find it was someone she recognized.

On the street diagonally opposite, the old woman, who had once kept the place spotless, was now a disheveled mess, one cheek bruised and her hair disheveled. She sat on the ground, covered in dust and mud from when she had been pleading. Her daughter, oblivious to her surroundings, squatted behind her, her hands and clothes still covered in ashes.

A crowd of onlookers gathered around, pointing and whispering. She instinctively spread her arms to shield her taller daughter behind her, and stopped crying. Instead, she gritted her teeth and tried to stand up, but the fall had been quite hard, and she couldn't get up despite bracing herself with her hands on the ground. So, she angrily shouted at the onlookers, "What are you looking at! What's it to you! Get out of the way!"

Without much hesitation, Shen Miao pushed through the crowd, bent down, and with a slight effort, helped the old woman up.

The old woman raised her tear-stained face and was suddenly pulled up. She looked at Chen Miao in surprise.

Her face, wet with tears, seemed to flow like a river, washing away the yellow dust and dirt, leaving two murky streaks that extended down to her thin chin, making her look both comical and pitiful.

Aunt Li had been watching the commotion in the crowd. Wherever there was excitement, she was sure to be there, especially since her shop was right there, giving her a clear view. She was enjoying her melon seeds when Shen Miao suddenly squeezed in. She looked left and right, then subconsciously tugged at Shen Miao's sleeve: "What are you doing, Miss? Don't meddle in other people's business, or you'll get caught up in it and cause trouble."

Her voice wasn't quiet, which only added to the old woman's anger on her disheveled face.

“You woman, stop talking nonsense! I’m not being unreasonable or trying to extort anyone! My daughter worked hard for ten days at Master Tao’s house, carrying water and chopping wood for him every day and staying up all night to watch over the kiln. She couldn’t even take a nap! And what did he do? He only gave her two bowls of thin porridge a day, and now he hasn’t given her a single penny. I just wanted an explanation, but I was beaten and humiliated by his servants! How could I be the one making trouble and extorting money?”

"Isn't your daughter mentally challenged? Even mentally challenged people can work?"

"They already said that you were the one who said you'd give it a try and wouldn't be paid. How come you're the one who went back on your word?"

"Exactly, they're already being very kind by hiring an idiot to do the work..."

The old woman was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes again. She clenched her fists and said anxiously and angrily, "It was agreed that we wouldn't have to pay for the three days of trial work, but my daughter worked for ten days. Why can't we ask for the wages for those seven days?"

But her voice was drowned out by the laughter of those around her who were joking about what a fool could do; only Chen Miao heard her argument.

Shen Miao patted the dust off her clothes and then made up her mind. She asked softly, "Auntie, I'm also hiring at my shop. Does your daughter know how to wash dishes and sweep the floor? If so, would you like to give it a try? If you're worried, my shop pays wages daily, one day's wages for each day's work. However, if she doesn't do a good job, her pay will be deducted. If you're willing, come to my shop to discuss it in detail."

The old woman suddenly raised her head, as if only now recognizing Shen Miao as the person who had cooked her a large bowl of soup noodles that day. She suddenly felt guilty and even tried to quietly break free from the arm that Shen Miao was holding, saying awkwardly, "It's you? You, you, you... could you be trying to trick me into paying for the soup noodles that day? I really... am penniless."

No wonder she ran off the moment I told her to wait that day. So that's what she was worried about. Shen Miao smiled: "Since you're penniless, why would you be afraid I'll trick you? Come on, come in and let's talk."

She then pulled the old woman along, and the old woman pulled her tall, strong daughter along. The three of them, like skewers of lamb, squeezed through the whispering onlookers and returned to Chenji Tangbing Shop.

Actually, when the mother and daughter came to her house for noodles that day, she heard that they were looking for work, and she was somewhat tempted. Therefore, her act of kindness today was not rash or impulsive.

Shen Miao took them directly back to the backyard and settled them under the eaves. Then she turned around and went into the kitchen to wring out two clean cloths so that the mother and daughter could wipe their faces and hands and restore their usual cleanliness and appearance before talking to her.

The old woman gratefully accepted the handkerchief, first wiping her daughter's face and hands, before slowly tidying herself up. After retying her loose hair, she sat upright and bowed to Chen Miao again, her gaze filled with even more gratitude.

Shen Miao shook her head and poured two more bowls of hot tea: "Have some tea, then we can talk."

"Thank you so much, Madam Shen." She held the teacup in both hands, turned to look at her daughter, whose silly daughter was staring blankly at the chickens standing tall in the yard. She sighed, turned back to her daughter, and asked, "Is what you said about hiring people earlier true, Madam Shen?"

“It’s true. I’m managing this soup noodle shop all by myself now, and I’m finding it really difficult. I’m looking for a hardworking, honest, and reliable handyman who can help me wash dishes, sweep the floor, fetch water, and chop wood. That’s all I need.” Shen Miao also sat down on the floor under the eaves and asked carefully, “I just don’t know if she can do these things?”

"Yes! Yes!" Hope rekindled in the old woman's eyes. She put down her teacup, wiped her hands on her clothes, and carefully took Shen Miao's hand. With a sob in her voice, she told Shen Miao about her plans, "Shen Niangzi, she is very capable. I gave birth to her when I was forty. By then, her brothers had all married. Because of the age difference and her health problems, her brothers and sisters-in-law did not want to be close to her. They thought she was a burden. Even my husband advised me to throw her away, to throw her up in the mountains, to let wolves eat her or tigers carry her away, but not to keep her as a burden to the family."

"But she is still a life! I gave birth to her. She doesn't understand anything, but she seems to understand some things. She knows that I'm the only one in the family who loves her. She clings to me all day long, hugging my legs. I just can't bear to be cruel to her. So no matter what others say, I raised her."

But the older she got, the more her daughters-in-law disliked her. Once, I fell ill, and my eldest son wanted to take her to the mountains and abandon her. I had to drag my ailing body everywhere to find her, and finally found her in a ravine. She was filthy, crying loudly in fear, and clung to me, refusing to let go. From that moment on, I knew I couldn't continue to raise her like this. If I died, no one would care for her anymore. No matter how much people scorned me, I had to teach her to live, to be able to live on her own.”

The old woman wiped away her tears, which she couldn't stop flowing, but there was no weakness in her eyes, only an unexpected firmness: "I can't blame my son and daughter-in-law. We're not well-off, and they have their own children to raise. But I don't expect anything from them anymore. So from the time this child was eight or nine years old, I taught her how to chop wood, carry water, wash clothes, fold clothes, wash dishes, wipe tables, and sweep the floor. She learned very slowly, but with careful instruction, she learned it. She really learned it, and she did it very well."

"If Madam Shen is willing to use her, I'll say it again: let her work for you for free for three days! If you think she's usable, then hire her. I have no other demands, as long as Madam Shen can provide her with two meals a day, clothes for all four seasons, and only thirty coins a day. Anyway, she can only count to thirty, she can't count more than that. With these thirty coins saved, she'll have money for medical treatment if she gets sick, that's enough. If she doesn't perform well during these three days, breaks a bowl, or does something wrong, I will definitely make amends. Whether she stays or leaves, as long as Madam Shen speaks frankly, I won't complain, and I won't linger."

As she spoke, the old woman lowered her head, trembling slightly, as if awaiting a profound judgment.

Shen Miao asked, "What's her name?"

“Youyu, my husband’s surname is Nian, so we call her Nian Youyu.” The old woman smiled bitterly. “With her like this, I can’t ask for anything else. I can only pray that she will have plenty to eat and wear every year and that she won’t suffer.”

"Where do you live?" Shen Miao asked again.

The old woman hurriedly replied, “It’s in the outer city, in the shack by the water gate. My husband and son both work for the guards at the water gate. We have a boat, and we use it to help dredge and salvage filth from the bottom of the river, earning a meager living through hard labor. Don’t worry, Madam Chen, we are law-abiding citizens.” As she spoke, she lowered her head again, “I searched all over the outer city, but no one was willing to hire her, so I thought I’d try my luck in the inner city.”

Unexpectedly, she was tricked into working in a pottery kiln in the inner city, almost becoming an undocumented laborer for life. The old woman shuddered violently at the thought.

Shen Miao nodded and tried calling out to Nian Youyu, "Youyu?"

She was engrossed in watching the two chickens fight, but when she heard someone call out, she looked over in a daze, opened her mouth, and managed to squeeze out a short "ah," before staring blankly at you.

"I will respond." Shen Miao nodded inwardly.

Then he immediately stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "There's no need for three days. Whether someone can do the work or not will be obvious as soon as they start. Let's go, while we're at a leisurely pace, let's give it a try."

“Yu, come with your older sister,” she called out.

Yu slowly turned her head to look at her mother, who nodded encouragingly and waved her hand silently: "Go quickly."

She slowly stood up and silently followed Shen Miao.

She will listen. Shen Miao nodded again in her heart.

Once inside the kitchen, she was given a stack of bowls and half a loofah, and told to wash them. She didn't say a word, silently burying herself in washing. The old woman peered anxiously through the kitchen window, watching intently, as if afraid she might slip and break the bowls.

After washing the dishes, Chen Miao inspected them but offered no feedback. She immediately had her sweep the floor, then fetch water and chop firewood. Just as the old woman had said, she wasn't a fast worker, but her focus and diligence made her work quite good.

Because of her simple and honest nature, she had no distracting thoughts and therefore did not know how to be lazy. She was meticulous when working and was almost unaffected by the outside world.

After finishing her errand, Shen Miao smiled at the old woman, whose heart had been in her throat, and said, "Let's go."

"Leave?" The old woman felt a wave of despair wash over her. With a hint of hopelessness, she grabbed her daughter and prepared to say goodbye and go home.

Just as she turned around, she suddenly heard Madam Shen clap her hands and say, "By the way, did you bring the official document?"

"You brought it... huh?"

“Let’s go find a lawyer and get a contract drawn up.” Shen Miao pulled on Yu’s rough and large hand without any disgust. “From now on, let her come with me. She can eat her fill here, and you don’t have to give her only thirty or fifty coins a day. You, as her mother, can save up her countless amounts of money. When she gets old and can’t work anymore, at least she will have some savings to rely on.”

This time, the old woman was truly moved to tears. She held back her tears for a while, but finally squatted down and cried her heart out.

Yu panicked and squatted down, at a loss. Finally, he opened his arms in a flustered manner and awkwardly hugged the old woman, muttering incoherently, "Cool, cool, whimper, it doesn't hurt, don't cry."

"It doesn't hurt anymore, don't cry."

***

After that, Shen Miao took Youyu and her daughter to the lawyer to sign the contract and put their fingerprints on it. She then went to the street to buy her two sets of fine cloth short-sleeved shirts and took her to a nearby "perfume shop"—this place was not a perfume shop, but a bathhouse in Bianjing.

The child must have suffered some hardship in that pottery kiln; she smelled foul all over, and her clothes had several holes burned in them. Shen Miao led her inside and had the bathhouse attendant give her a thorough scrubbing. After washing away a thick layer of grime, she looked noticeably fairer than before.

After dressing her in new clothes, Shen Miao didn't stand on ceremony and directly took out fifty copper coins to give to Youyu's mother, then started making Youyu do chores.

People thought she was stupid for hiring an idiot, but Shen Miao thought it was great. You Yu was the best confidential person. She was hardworking, never complained, never gossiped, and never slacked off. Her wages were even lower than normal.

Hearing Youyu standing by the sink washing the dishes with a splashing sound, she could finally focus on making her noodles.

Just then, two young girls dressed in long-sleeved gauze shirts and pleated skirts stepped into the shop. Shen Miao heard the sound and looked out through the window, and saw that they were each accompanied by servants.

She doesn't seem to be an ordinary woman.

As soon as the two entered, they subconsciously looked up at the menu on the wall. One of them, with an oval face, said, "It's somewhat childlike." Then he continued looking and immediately noticed the two calligraphy and paintings on the wall.

At first, she seemed not to have seen clearly. The oval-faced woman exclaimed to another round-faced young lady, "This little eatery hidden in the bustling city has walls covered in writing. It's quite novel... Let me see what it says? Hmm? The strokes are so familiar... no... no..." Her curious voice abruptly stopped, finally turning into utter astonishment: "Isn't this Ninth Brother's handwriting?"

The round-faced man was also a little stunned, and murmured, "Yes, it is indeed Ninth Brother's handwriting. The signature is Xie Jiu, and the seal is the small seal that Ninth Brother often uses, which is engraved with 'Guanshan'."

This was like a bolt from the blue. The young woman with the oval face looked shaken and sad. Pointing at the calligraphy and painting, her fingers trembled slightly: "Ninth Brother's calligraphy. I begged him several times, but he refused to write it for me. How could it be hanging here?"