Chapter 47 What is "The Dog's Successor: Pickled Bamboo Shoots and Pork Belly"?

Yu had done manual labor since childhood, possessing immense strength. However, due to his clouded mind, his reactions were always unexpected. If others were to see a pair of gleaming eyes in a dark ditch, they would surely be terrified and might even run away.

But Yu was different from the others. She neither shouted nor ran away, but suddenly reached in and grabbed.

She grabbed the hair-like thing and with a sudden jerk, dragged out what was inside—whether human or animal, she couldn't tell.

This commotion was huge! Xiangjie and Li Gou'er were startled. When they looked over, they were so frightened that they stood up against the wall, their eyes wide open, too scared to speak for a long time.

You Yu was holding a skinny little boy, as thin as a stick, with disheveled hair and a dirty face. His tattered clothes clung to his body, and he was soaking wet. As soon as he was dragged from the darkness into the bright daylight, he struggled frantically, kicking at the ground with his hands and feet, but You Yu's iron-like hands held him firmly.

The drainage ditches connected to underground canals, forming a network of deep, winding moats leading to the outer city. Because of past incidents where fugitives had hidden in these canals, the entrances to the canals along the Imperial Street were fitted with iron bars, and inside were rows of barbs, to prevent anyone from crawling through them into the palace. Anyone who dared to crawl across would likely be hooked and disemboweled.

But other places don't have such extravagant arrangements. On ordinary days, they just block half of it with a few stones, and then move them away when it rains, which is considered a good effort. The drainage hole in Yangliu East Lane is the same. The stones that were moved away when it rained last time are still lying there, and they were even forgotten to put them back in place.

"You...you have more than enough, what...what did you grab?"

Xiangjie and Li Gou'er, after their initial shock subsided, slowly moved over. The child was so thin that Youyu could easily hold him down with one hand. He stubbornly lay on the ground, unable to struggle any longer, yet still panting heavily, his chapped hands digging tightly into the soil. Even exhausted, he refused to be dragged any further by Youyu.

He was not only barely clothed, but one of his legs, so thin it was skin and bones, was also unnaturally bent. His face was emaciated, the skin pressed against his cheekbones, deeply sunken, and he was covered in mud. Xiangjie mustered her courage to look at him, but all she could see were a pair of terrifyingly large eyes, the light in them cold and fierce, like bone-chilling snow.

Xiang Jie was frightened by his glare, so she stood up and shrank back. Li Gou'er, on the other hand, had already hidden behind her, peeking out a trembling head.

The man couldn't move, so Xiangjie couldn't resist her curiosity and squatted down again, opening her eyes wide to look at the man on the ground.

Li Gou'er was even more timid than Xiang Jie'er. He hid behind Xiang Jie'er for a long time before muttering softly, "Xiang Jie'er, he looks so scary, don't go over there."

He tried to pull her back a couple of times, but couldn't budge her. So he stomped his foot, abandoned Xiangjie and Youyu, climbed out of the ditch, and ran off to call for help.

"Mother! Aunt Gu! Youyu has caught a thief!"

Yu still held the child tightly, like a cat that had successfully caught a mouse, her innocent and silly face bearing a silly smile seeking praise.

There was no shade in the ditch; the wind stirred the shadows, sending in dappled sunlight filtered through the eaves. Xiangjie was bathed in the dancing light and shadow, her hands folded on her knees. She lowered her head, furrowed her brows, and asked softly, "Who are you? What are you doing hiding here?"

No one answered. The dirty child raised his eyes from bottom to top and looked at Xiang Jie'er, who was clean and fair and still bathed in light. His eyes, which were used to darkness, were stung by the light and tears welled up. He then lowered his eyelids again.

This person is even more like a mute than Youyu.

He pondered for a moment.

Xiang Jie squinted her eyes and said excitedly, "Come home with me, I'll give you some cakes and then I'll shave your head!"

***

The dog at home has a habit of picking up things, and we haven't corrected it yet. Shen Miao never imagined that this bad habit could be passed on from dog to human.

Unaware of her family's situation, she went on a shopping spree at Lanxin Bookstore with great gusto.

Since she opened the shop, she had secretly gone to the money exchange and exchanged another fifty taels of silver, which she then hid deep in the vegetable cellar along with the money she had saved before.

Not counting the funds she has on hand for operating the shop and daily expenses, she has now saved over a hundred taels of silver.

The Shen family's food and living expenses have gradually become more comfortable. Eating meat is no longer a luxury, and Ji Ge'er no longer has to write on reusable wooden boards as before.

Xie Qi lingered among the bookshelves of Lanxin Bookstore, picked up a book at random, and said to Shen Miao: "There was a metaphysician named He Yan during the Cao Wei period. His annotated Analects is the best. If you buy the Analects, you must also buy his annotated edition. In his annotated edition, he has compiled the commentaries and interpretations of the Analects by countless masters of the Han and Wei dynasties. After reading it, you will learn twice as well with half the effort."

If someone else had said this, Shen Miao would probably have to think about whether she really needed it, but since it was a book recommended by Xie Qi, a top student who consistently ranked first in his class, she only had one word in her mind: "Buy!"

"The same applies to Mencius. Zhao Qi of the Eastern Han Dynasty wrote a commentary on Mencius, which is the earliest extant annotated edition. In the book, he paid great attention to the exegesis of words and the clarification of the text. To learn Mencius, one must read this book to fully understand it."

"Buy it!"

"I won't go into detail about the writing materials; the ones Ning Dazhe just selected will suffice. However, we'll also need a ruler for folding the paper and a paper cutter. I wonder if Ji-ge has any seals? If not, when you have time, Madam Shen can take him to have a set made. The stones don't need to be expensive; generally, just three seals—a leisure seal, a corner seal, and a name seal—will suffice. Since the Emperor enjoys calligraphy, painting, and ancient books, the academy has also opened a painting class, held once every seven days. Having seals will make things more convenient in the future."

"Okay, okay, I've got it."

"Manager Zhou also sells rain gear here, so please also bring raincoats, straw hats, and wooden clogs..."

Shen Miao had blindly trusted him and could only nod, "Buy, buy, buy!"

Soon the counter was piled high with books and various odds and ends. Manager Zhou was overjoyed and even gave Shen Miao a large piece of coarse burlap to wrap her things up and put them on the cart. He said, "If there are any missing items, it's no problem. It's very convenient to come from the academy to get them. Look, from here, you can see the side gate of the academy even if you stand on tiptoe. It's just a short walk along this road."

Shen Miao nodded, took Ji Ge'er's hand, and said goodbye to Xie Qi as they prepared to return to the city. She still needed to buy rice and grain, and order two smaller quilts for Ji Ge'er. Jiu Ge'er had mentioned that the dormitories in the academy varied in size, mostly four to eight people per room, with each person having a single bed that was small and narrow. The rattan mats and quilts at home were too big, so it would be best to sew a custom-made quilt according to the size, roll it up, and tie it to the book box for easy carrying, washing, and drying.

Xie Qi followed closely to the door. Shen Miao was about to tell him that there was no need to see him off when she paused and suddenly noticed that something seemed to be moving inside Xie Qi's clothes.

The thing gurgled and rustled from his waist, quickly creeping up to his collar. The once smooth, square-shaped collar suddenly bulged out.

She watched in surprise as a fluffy, round cat head suddenly emerged from his clothes, opened its mouth, and began to meow incessantly.

"Qilin?" Shen Miao reached out and picked it up, holding it up with both hands, and looked into the kitten's wet eyes.

When Zhui Feng brought it back at night, it was wet from Zhui Feng's saliva, its fur was matted and messy, looking like a mop that had come to life, it was really an eyesore.

It was dark then, so she didn't really see its appearance clearly. But today, she realized that the cat was exceptionally beautiful. It was long-haired, with an orange left cheek, a black right cheek, a square face, and a patch of yellow on its head. Its body was mostly yellow with some black, and its belly was completely white. Except for some spots on its hind legs, its two front legs were also snow-white.

When you turn the little paws over, all four paws are powdery.

Xie Qi took good care of it. When he took it out, it smelled slightly like goat milk, its fur was dry and fluffy, and its bark was much louder.

"Why do you carry it with you all the time?" Shen Miao stroked the cat, finding it quite amusing that a cat had suddenly grown out of Xie Qi's body.

Xie Qi nodded the cat's head helplessly yet affectionately: "I fed it for one night, and it recognized me. Whether it was Yan Shu or Qiu Hao, it wouldn't eat when the two of them fed it, and it would always meow loudly. But when I came, it would quiet down, and it would only meow when it was hungry... Now I'm afraid it's hungry again."

Besides, it needs to eat every one or two hours, so it's convenient to carry around.

Today, Qiu Hao accompanied Xie Qi out. Upon seeing this, he skillfully rummaged through the book box on his back and found some goat milk cake. He cut off a small piece, borrowed warm water from Manager Zhou to dissolve it, and then took out a small silver spoon. After preparing everything, he handed the small bowl and silver spoon to Xie Qi.

Shen Miao watched with great interest as Xie Qi fed the cat—his large palm held the cat in one hand while the other held a small spoon, patiently feeding it spoonful by spoonful. The Qilin licked the food with its pink tongue while meowing impatiently, its tiny ears twitching as it ate.

When the kitten is full, its belly will visibly bulge out, and its mouth will be covered in milk stains. Xie Qi even took out his own handkerchief and gently wiped its mouth.

The cat, so small, got sleepy after eating. It staggered a few steps on Xie Qi's body and then spontaneously burrowed into his clothes.

Xie Qi was wearing loose-fitting clothes today, with a leather belt around his waist. The clothes were loosely tied inside, and his abdomen to the middle of the belt formed a natural cat bed. Shen Miao glanced at him and saw that the small cat had curled his clothes into a barely noticeable arc.

She must have slept like that just now, but she didn't notice for a moment.

"Thank you for your hard work. I didn't expect you to be taking care of Qilin yourself..." Shen Miao felt a little guilty. She knew how hard it was to take care of a kitten. "It's so clingy to you. Won't you take it to the academy with you? Won't that interfere with your studies? Why don't I take it home instead?"

Xie Qi placed his hand on his waist and abdomen, gently stroking the Qilin's back through the fabric with his fingertips, and shook his head: "It's alright, Chen... cough. The Qilin is very well-behaved, it never barks when it's full, besides... Mr. Feng is busy writing books, and hasn't been paying much attention to me lately."

Shen Miao noticed his hand. When she looked up, he was looking down with his long eyelashes covering his face, which made her feel a gentle, watery feeling inexplicably.

Still feeling guilty, she repeatedly told him to let her know if he felt inconvenienced.

Seeing Xie Qi feeding goat milk today reminded her that she could have asked Wan Wu Niang or other cat and dog shops if there were any mother cats that could nurse kittens. She was so anxious that day that she didn't even think of it.

However, Xie Qi politely refused them all and even escorted Shen Miao and her brother to the street corner. It wasn't until they had pushed their cart far away that he remembered that he had also come to buy something, something he had completely forgotten about earlier.

He arrived empty-handed, having spent the entire afternoon wandering around without buying anything.

So he hurriedly returned to the bookstore, and as soon as he entered, he met Shang An and Ning Yi's burning eyes again.

The two men looked at him with mischievous expressions.

Shang An didn't say anything, but Ning Yi started winking and raising his eyebrows, chuckling as he teased, "Xie Jiu, Xie Jiu, the way you and Madam Shen were looking at that cat just now should really be painted into a picture, with the caption 'A Family of Three Reunited,' what do you think?"

Xie Qi's ears burned, so he grabbed a book and threw it at the person.

"You scoundrel, don't ruin another woman's reputation!"

***

Shen Miao and Ji Ge'er returned to the inner city and first strolled around Taifeng Grain Shop. Seeing that the grain prices in the shop were still the same as a few days ago, she quickly ordered 100 catties of wheat flour from the shopkeeper, as well as some red beans, mung beans, rice, millet, and the like, buying several hundred catties in total.

The cart could only hold a small portion; it was too heavy to push. Fortunately, she was quite familiar with the manager of Taifeng, so he said he would have a few more employees deliver it for her tomorrow.

Passing by a butcher shop, they saw that the cured pork looked pretty good, with a pinkish-green color, so they bought some. Later, they also came across a vendor selling dried bamboo shoots, so they bought some as well. They continued walking and buying things along the way, chatting with Ji Ge'er, completely unaware of what was happening, and strolling around leisurely.

The sun was setting in the west. As Shen Miao and Ji Ge'er reached the alley entrance, they noticed that their courtyard gate was wide open. Looking into the distance, they could see shadowy figures inside. She immediately felt suspicious and had a bad feeling.

He hurried forward and, sure enough, found the house surrounded by neighbors, all arguing loudly about something.

Aunt Gu, Aunt Li, Gu Dalang, and Liu's wife who sells tofu, among others, gathered around. Aunt Li, who was cracking melon seeds in her hand, caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye and hurriedly called out, "Big sister, you're finally back! Your Xiang'er has brought you back a dirty monkey!"

The crowd parted to make way, and Shen Miao stared in astonishment: there was a gaunt child in the yard! The child was so dirty that sewage was dripping from his body, but he was holding two leftover egg pancakes from breakfast, which he was wolfing down on the ground. His hair was disheveled and matted, and he had a foul, pungent odor that could be smelled from a distance.

"Dog said that Yu caught it in the ditch."

"Judging from this, he's probably been hiding in the ditch for quite some time. How could he be all alone in there?"

"Could this be a refugee who has infiltrated? This person's origins are unknown. We should send someone to report to the authorities immediately."

“I don’t think it’s likely. He’s all alone and so young. How could he have walked all the way from Qinzhou to Bianjing? Look how thin he is. You can see his ribs one by one. It’s lucky that the weather is warm now, otherwise he would have frozen to death and wouldn’t have made it this far. I think we shouldn’t report it to the authorities. The local militia are patrolling more closely lately. If they mistake him for a vagrant who has broken into the city and throw him in jail, he’ll probably die of hunger in a couple of days.”

"If we don't hand them over to the authorities, who will support them? It's easy for you to say that when you're not in their shoes."

The neighbors were gossiping, and the two sides were arguing endlessly, making Shen Miao's head ache. She looked at Xiang Jie'er, who was squatting in front of him, holding her chin, watching him desperately swallow the cold, oily egg pancake, her eyes full of pity.

Shen Ji glanced at his silent elder sister, then turned his gaze to Xiang Jie'er, and then to You Yu, who was busy fetching water—she didn't care about anything else, all she could remember was that she had to fetch water at this time.

After standing silently for a while amidst the arguing, Shen Miao finally moved. She turned around and smiled at Aunt Gu, saying, "Thank you for watching over Xiang'er and the others for this afternoon. I never expected something like this to happen, but there's nothing I can do about it." Then she turned to the others, "Everyone, please go back first. I'll ask around and find out what happened before I speak."

Aunt Gu glanced at Shen Miao with some concern, and before leaving, she quietly pulled Shen Miao aside: "It's better to avoid trouble. There's no need to report it to the authorities. Just kick her out to avoid causing trouble. In this world, only our own affairs are important. We can't save everyone else."

Shen Miao nodded: "I know what's important, Auntie, don't worry."

After everyone left, Shen Miao pulled Xiang Jie aside and asked her a detailed question. After she finished asking, she glanced at the boy again. The child was pitifully thin. He had finished eating the egg pancake and was leaning against the wall, swaying as he stood up. One of his legs was even broken. It looked like it had been broken for a long time. The bone had grown back on its own, but because no one intervened to treat it, it grew crookedly, making him a limp.

He shrank into the corner, and as the wind grew cooler, he couldn't help but shiver.

Shen Miao sighed and tapped Xiang Jie'er's forehead with her finger: "You're even more amazing than Zhui Feng."

Xiangjie looked at her blankly and whispered, "Sister, did I do something wrong?"

"No, I'm just worried you'll run into bad people." Actually, after hearing the whole story, what terrified Shen Miao the most wasn't that Xiang Jie'er had brought a child of unknown background to their home, but that someone was hiding in the ditch. Judging from his appearance, he had probably been hiding there for several days, and no one in their alley knew about it. What if it wasn't a child, but a vicious thug? Would Xiang Jie'er and You Yuyan still be alive?

I'll have to mention this to Xiangjun, the guy who often buys instant noodles, and tell him to check the sewers more thoroughly, just in case something really goes wrong.

Thinking about all this, Shen Miao went into the kitchen, scooped out a few spoonfuls of hot water from the stove, added some cold water, put it in a bucket, and carried it to the yard. The child was still huddled beside the vegetable patch. Shen Miao walked over and asked, "What's your name?"

Where do you live?

Where are your parents?

The child remained motionless. At first, he glanced at Chen Miao, but later he lowered his eyes and stopped speaking.

Helpless, Shen Miao had no choice but to reach out and pull him up. She had used a little force, but she easily lifted him up, as if she were pulling a light kite.

Although he had eaten the pancake, he was still so hungry that his vision was blurry and his whole body was swaying. Her heart trembled as she held his thin, bony wrist. Not to mention her past life, even after coming to the Song Dynasty, she had never seen a child so hungry.

If Xiangjie hadn't given him those two pancakes, he might have really died.

Shen Miao suddenly had this feeling.

After pulling him up, Shen Miao stripped off all his clothes, which were so dirty they looked like rags, and then pushed him into the wooden tub. When his body came into contact with the water, he suddenly struggled violently several times, but eventually stopped because he had no strength left. Shen Miao took an unused rag and washed it for him. The water instantly became as dirty as if it had been pulled out of the sewer, and a strong stench spread everywhere. The stench was so bad that even Xiang Jie'er, who had been peeking around while being dragged away by Ji Ge'er, pinched her nose and ran away.

Chen Miao poured out the water, then went to get another bucket to continue washing. The second bucket was still so dirty that the original color of the water was indistinguishable.

The third bucket of water was lighter in color, and Shen Miao finally understood why he had struggled. His body was covered in bruises, whip marks, and large and small unhealed cuts. Some of these may have been from rubbing against the ditch, while others were clearly from being beaten.

She paused, then went to get the scissors. With a flick of her wrist, she cut off his tangled, matted hair, and then washed his head and face. Before washing, he was a filthy, stick-like figure; after washing, he was a pale, bluish-purple stick-like figure, completely unrecognizable.

It's top-heavy and looks just like a big-headed doll.

But they always managed to wash the child until he looked like a human being. He would occasionally twitch in pain while soaking in the water, which made him even more pitiful.

Shen Miao was about to call Ji Ge'er when she found that Ji Ge'er had already found his smallest set of clothes and was standing behind her: "Sister, let him wear mine, take it."

She took it and put it on him, but the arms and legs were too long. The cuffs and trouser legs were rolled up again and again, and it looked like he was wearing a sack.

"Sister."

"Um?"

"Let him sleep in my room."

"I'll leave you to fend for yourself for a few days. Once he's recovered, we'll decide whether to send him to the government office or somewhere else." Shen Miao nodded, splashed water, and cleaned him up. She used a thick towel to dry his almost shaved head of hair, then picked him up. He was probably around the same age as Xiang Jie'er, or maybe a little younger, but he felt much lighter than Xiang Jie'er, weighing at most twenty-odd pounds.

He was too light, so light that Shenmiao was afraid he would die silently in the night.

After tucking him into Ji Ge'er's bed, Shen Miao didn't say anything else. She subconsciously touched his forehead and found that he didn't have a fever, which meant that he was in good health. She then said softly, "You should rest for a while and get some sleep."

Shen Miao dotes on the children. She always puts a straw mat at the bottom of Xiang Jie'er and Ji Ge'er's beds, with two layers of mattresses on top. Now that it's hot, she adds a rattan mat on top of the mattresses. Sleeping in them is soft, cool, and doesn't hurt anyone.

The child lay down almost instantly, as if sinking into a pile of kapok trees, and soon fell asleep.

Shen Miao stood there and glanced at him a few times before turning around and going to open the shop.

The night market is open, and customers are coming and going at Shen's soup noodle shop. The braised meat in the kitchen is ready, and the smell of the baby being washed has finally dissipated. Now, the Shen family's house is filled with the aroma of braised meat, and the whole courtyard is filled with the fragrance of cooking smoke.

The pot of braised meat sold out overnight, and even the small bottles of liquor that had been sitting in the drinks cabinet with hardly any orders sold out. Sure enough, if you want to sell alcohol, you have to have some side dishes! As Shen Miao cut the braised meat for the customers, she thought to herself that she would also pickle some pickled garlic, pickled radishes, and vinegared peanuts later to serve with noodles.

In the days that followed, the child ate and slept, staying huddled in Ji Ge'er's room without moving. Perhaps he was too weak to move, and sometimes he couldn't be found even without a light on.

When Shen Miao brought his food into the room, he wolfed it down, practically chewing the bones to pieces. He didn't utter a single word. If Shen Miao hadn't applied medicine to his wound and, while cleaning the abscess, he hadn't been able to help but utter a sound, she would have thought he was mute too.

At first, Xiangjie and Youyu would often look at him through the window, very curious about this person. Xiangjie, in particular, couldn't stand the loneliness and would always talk to him, but he would never respond or look at them.

Later, Xiangjie found it boring. That's how children are; their interest comes and goes quickly. Besides, her friends were all over Yangliu East Lane, and even in other lanes, like Xiangguo'er. So she quickly lost interest and took Youyu to find other people to play with, ignoring him.

The child, found in the sewer, stayed at Shen Miao's house for four or five days. His deathly pallor gradually dissipated with Shen Miao's hot meals every day. When he could finally walk without staggering, Zheng Neizhi from the Xie family came again that day.

He came to deliver the contract for the Youzhou Tangbing workshop. Shen Miao took it and read it carefully several times to make sure there were no hidden clauses in every line and that it was drafted according to the previously agreed terms. Only then did she readily sign and affix her seal.

With the contract finalized, the Xie family will send people to Youzhou to select a site for construction, and Shen Miao will also hand over the instant noodle recipe soon.

Having settled this matter, Zheng Neizhi cupped his hands and said, "Tomorrow morning, Zhou Da will come to pick up Madam Shen and take her to the Feng residence."

Shen Miao smiled and agreed. After seeing Zheng Neizhi off, she thought for a moment and then went into Ji Ge'er's room.

Ji-ge'er wasn't in the house; he went out to rescue his sister—Xiang-jie'er had gotten into another argument with Liu Dou-hua for some reason.

The child didn't move even when it got dark, so no lights were lit in the room. The dim light lingered inside, and the child remained crouched in the darkest corner, his big eyes wide open, silent and still.

If it weren't for the two large boxes tucked under the bed, he probably would have hidden there. While other children were afraid of the dark, he felt safer in the dark.

Shen Miao sat down by the bed and asked again, "What's your name? Where do you live? Where are your parents?"

There has still been no response.

She shrugged and continued, "I'm going out tomorrow. If you don't tell me the truth, I won't know your background and can't leave you at home like this. After dinner, I'll take you to the street office and hand you over to the local militia so they can help you. Do you understand?"

Shen Miao never intended to keep the child for long, since she didn't know his background. Aunt Gu was right; the only people she could protect in this world were her own family. Everyone has their own destiny. She saved the child for a few days so that he could recover and heal. She would still report it to the authorities later.

After speaking, Shen Miao patted her clothes and got up to leave. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound behind her. The child who had been silent for so many days spoke for the first time. His voice was not as soft and tender as other children's; instead, it was somewhat rough and hoarse:

“My name is Chen Chuan. My family lives in the third house by the Chuan River. We are a cloth dyer, and there are many cloths hanging in our house.”

Shen Miao turned around in surprise. He stood leaning against the wall, his eyes bright and large, his voice hollow, as if he were still reminiscing:

“I have an older sister and a younger brother. This year, when we went to see the lantern festival, I was kidnapped by a bearded man. He put me in a sack, first on a boat, then on a vehicle. I managed to escape twice when he let me urinate, but he whipped me and then broke my legs with a stick. He only gave me one pancake a day, afraid I would lose the strength to run away. Later, he sold me to another person, and I stayed in the sack for many days. Finally, we arrived at a chaotic place, and the sack ripped open by something. I fell off the vehicle and rolled into a crowd. The person who bought me tried to catch me, but I ran away by diving into a ditch.”

"He didn't catch me."

He finished speaking, his eyelids drooped, and he knelt on the ground, pleading very softly:

"I want to go home. Don't send me there. They'll send me back to the brokerage firm. I don't want to be taken back. Please."

Shen Miao couldn't stand it anymore and reached out to pull him up: "Do you remember which prefecture and county your family is from?"

He looked up at Shen Miao, a tear welling up in his originally wary and alert eyes. He was bewildered and unable to answer Shen Miao. He didn't know where his home was. He only remembered that there was a river in front of the house, and his mother would carry his younger brother on her back and wash clothes by the river. Cloths of different colors were hanging haphazardly on the rope in the yard, and he often moved among these cloths.

Shen Miao pressed him down to sit on the bed and rubbed his knees.

He's not very old; it's already quite impressive that he can remember all of this.

Moreover, judging from his description, it sounded like the houses were built by the water in the Jiangnan region, not around Bianjing. He was abducted while watching the lantern festival this year, and it has been almost four months since the Lantern Festival. That means the slave trader led him on a long journey for almost half a year before finally reaching Bianjing. That must have been quite a long way.

At that time, travel was slow and correspondence was slow, making it like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Shen Miao stood there for a long time, her mind in turmoil, until Xiang Jie'er came skipping back, clutching a bunch of wildflowers she had picked from who-knows-where. The little glutton poked her head in and asked, "Sister, what are we having for dinner today?"

She turned her head to look. The room was dark, but it was still bright outside. Xiangjie had rushed in with the light. When Xiangjie saw her looking over, she tilted her head and smiled, holding up a handful of pale blue flowers: "Sister, look, these are the flowers I picked. This color is really rare, isn't it?"

The slender stems, wilted from being squeezed by Xiang Jie'er, appeared vibrant against the shimmering sunset.

At that moment, she actually wondered what would have happened to Xiangjie and Jige if she hadn't come here.

Will they end up on the streets like this child, or be abducted and sold? Changing hands several times, they might even forget their home... If that happens, will anyone lend a helping hand?

Shen Miao quickly banished this terrible thought. She looked at the thin, bony child named Chen Chuan and relented, "Fine, you can stay. We won't starve you."

However, I still need to consult a lawyer and check the law first. If the abducted child was sold by a broker, what kind of household is he now? Does the broker or the buyer still have a deed of indenture?

As for his injuries, the external wounds have healed well these past few days, but I don't know if his leg can be saved... When she returns from the Feng family, she'll take him to Zhao Taicheng's house for a "physical examination" first.

A multitude of questions suddenly popped into her head. Shen Miao took a breath and stopped worrying about them. There's always a way out. She could just solve the problems one by one. Worrying was useless.

Thinking about it, she went over and affectionately patted Xiangjie's head again, "We'll have pickled bamboo shoots and pork with preserved meat rice tonight. You play first, I'll go cook."

What is Yan Du Xian?

Xiangjie'er's mouth watered just hearing the name; it was something she'd never eaten before!

Authentic pickled bamboo shoots and pork belly soup should be made with fresh bamboo shoots from spring, but fresh bamboo shoots are no longer available this month. Shen Miao soaked the dried bamboo shoots until softened, then began slicing the pork belly and salted pork into thin slices. After that, once the water on the stove boiled, she first added the salted pork and brought it to a boil over high heat until the soup gradually turned milky white. Then she added the soaked bamboo shoots and pork belly, and simmered it over low heat. The bamboo shoots absorbed the aroma of the meat, and the meat absorbed the freshness of the bamboo shoots, resulting in a white and rich soup that was ready to be served.

Making preserved meat rice is also very simple. Slice the preserved meat into thin slices, fry them in oil with chopped green onions until fragrant, add bok choy and stir-fry, and finally add steamed rice and stir-fry evenly. The oil from the preserved meat will permeate the rice, resulting in a savory and rich preserved meat rice.

Shen Miao quickly finished cooking and brought it out. She found that Xiang Jie'er was talking to the boy named Chen Chuan. Although he only responded once for every ten sentences Xiang Jie'er spoke, and usually only with words like "um," "yes," or "no," Xiang Jie'er became more and more enthusiastic because of the response. Later, she simply dragged him out to eat.

So another person was added to the small square table in the courtyard.

Xiangjie is fickle and easily bored; today she's going to sit next to Chen Chuan again, the two of them squeezing together on one side.

Shen Ji was too lazy to pay attention to her. Today, he and Liu Douhua had argued over a bunch of wildflowers. They were competing to see who could pick more. Liu Douhua lost and refused to admit defeat, and Xiang Jie'er wouldn't give in either. So they started arguing over some trivial matter.

As for the seating arrangement at the table...

He glanced at his older sister and sat up even more straight.

He always occupies the spot to his sister's left, no matter who comes.

But soon he felt a little melancholy: in two days he would be starting school, and from then on he would not be able to eat at home as often.

Shen Miao shook her head and got up to ladle soup for the group of children. Suddenly, she felt like a kindergarten principal. Although You Yu was tall, she was no different from a child. She was a child who would never grow up.

They were given rice and soup one by one. The rice bowl with extra rice was the largest size, because she ate at least four bowls of rice every meal. So Shenmiao simply gave her a soup bowl as a rice bowl, so that she wouldn't have to keep adding rice, and she could wash fewer bowls herself.

When she handed the rice bowl to Chen Chuan, Shen Miao added, "From now on, you can call me elder sister. I can't help you find your family, so I can only take care of you for a few years. When you grow up and have the ability, you can go and find your family."

Chen Chuan looked up at her, and after a long while, he reached out and took the rice bowl with both hands, bowing his head and replying, "...Sister."

Xiangjie's ears twitched, and she asked persistently, "How old are you?"

Chen Chuan had already buried his head in his food. He ate with one hand shoveling rice into his mouth, while the other hand was held in a protective circle around his food. He never spoke while eating.

“You’re shorter than me, so you must be younger than me. Therefore, I’m also an older sister, and you should call me older sister too.” Even without getting an answer from Chen Chuan, Xiang Jie’er still came up with her own answer.

Shen Miao couldn't help but chuckle. She didn't understand why Xiang Jie'er always valued being the eldest sister, and would compare ages with anyone she met.

"Alright, let's eat."

Xiangjie sat down and took a sip of soup. She was satisfied after drinking it and no longer cared about her elder sister's business. The fresh and refreshing taste enveloped her mouth, leaving her no time to speak. She buried her head in her food, just like Chen Chuan, eating one mouthful of soup and one mouthful of rice. After finishing, she was the first to pick up her empty bowl and said, "I want another bowl of soup! Give me lots of meat!"

**

At night, the Shen family home was quiet, except for the kitchen where the light was still on.

Yu had returned home. Xiangjie and Jige were both asleep, and Chen Chuan, whom they had taken in, had also made a makeshift bed on the floor in Jige's room; he should be fast asleep too, right? Chen Miao sat alone on a small stool, finishing the last steamed bun. She had already arranged with Aunt Gu to have her come over tomorrow to help look after the children for a day. This was the food she had left for them; she was steaming the buns before leaving so they could eat them.

The next day at dawn, Shen Miao got into the Xie family's car and left. At that time, the chickens in the house were still sleeping with their heads down.

When Xiangjie woke up needing to urinate, she rubbed her eyes and got up to go to the outhouse, only to find her older sister gone. Only Aunt Gu, wearing an apron, was watering the vegetables and feeding the chickens in the yard. Seeing Xiangjie groggily come out to the outhouse, she turned back and smiled, "Your older sister is so diligent. Before she left, she even steamed meat buns for you all, and even cooked a big pot of egg drop soup, which is still warm in the pot. Are you still sleeping? If not, get up and eat."

Xiangjie suddenly remembered that her older sister was going to prepare a banquet today, and since the Feng family was not a familiar family, she couldn't bring them along.

Her drowsiness vanished, and she pouted, pinched her nose, and went into the outhouse.

Aunt Gu helped walk the dogs again, but as soon as she put the leash on, the two dogs pulled her away, leaving a trail of afterimages at the door.

After that, her feet almost never touched the ground, especially when it came to Chasing Wind. If it weren't for the leash, it would have loved to fly up into the sky.

When Aunt Gu returned to the Shen family's courtyard, her hair loosened and panting, Ji Ge'er and Chen Chuan also got up. Ji Ge'er had finished washing up and was standing on the veranda, reciting his lessons with a meat bun in one hand and a book in the other.

Chen Chuan, whom the older sister had taken in, huddled in a corner of the courtyard. Xiang Jie slipped over to talk to him and handed him two meat buns.

The store is closed today, and Yu also took the day off and didn't come.

Aunt Gu wiped away her sweat, pounded her back hard, and thought to herself, "I don't know if I'm walking the dogs today, or the dogs are walking me. No wonder my eldest sister specifically warned me yesterday to be careful when walking the dogs, because they're strong." She hadn't paid attention before; how strong could dogs be? Her eldest sister always seemed to walk them with ease.

As a result, my old back almost gave out.

She untied the two dogs and let them roam freely in the yard. She couldn't help but glance again at Chen Chuan, who looked like a shadow. The little boy was so gloomy and unlikable. It was only because the eldest sister was kind-hearted that she gave him a few meals and then kicked him out; no one would have said anything.

Although the shop opened and the eldest sister's life became much better, having another mouth to feed was still a burden.

Aunt Gu didn't really agree with her eldest daughter keeping him, but since her eldest daughter had already decided to keep him, she couldn't say anything.

Each family has its own destiny and circumstances.

Seeing that the children had all started eating, she went to the shop in front.

She removed half of the door panel to let the shop breathe and get some light, and then took a broom to help Chen Miao sweep the shop floor.

Many regular customers peeked up to ask why the shop wasn't open today. Aunt Gu smiled and explained to each of them, "Madam Shen's cooking is excellent. She's had someone come to cook a feast for her. She's closed for the next couple of days. Please come back the day after tomorrow."

One after another, dozens of people came in to ask questions. Aunt Gu's mouth was dry from talking. There was also a servant who was obviously from a wealthy family. He was dressed in brand new clothes. When he heard that Madam Chen had not opened the door for two days, he almost cried. He went back dejectedly.

I never really paid attention to it before, but I didn't realize that the eldest sister's business was so good, with so many regular customers. Aunt Gu thought to herself, then swept the floor clean, wiped the tables and chairs, and closed the door back up.

She clapped her hands, went home to get her sewing basket, and leisurely mended clothes in the Shen family's courtyard. She watched Xiangjie tease Chen Chuan, watched Jige groom Leiting, and watched Zhuifeng chase after a few chickens, then, when no one was looking, open its mouth and swallow the hot food...

Not far from the entrance of Yangliu East Lane, a very ornately decorated oxcart was parked. The servant who had almost cried earlier dragged his feet to the cart and reported dejectedly, "Madam, Chenji Soup Dumpling Shop is closed today. They said the owner is not here and has gone out."

Madam Wang's face fell, and she impatiently fanned herself with her round fan, complaining incessantly: "They're always open, whether it's early or late, why are they closed today! Ugh, I haven't had a moment's peace all day without getting those steamed buns!"

The other women loved music, chess, poetry, and books, but only Madam Wang loved all kinds of delicious food. While the other women competed for attention at the banquet, speaking eloquently, she remained silent and ate everything.

But today is different; she's going to a banquet at the Feng family's house!

The Feng family's banquets were also famous throughout Bianjing (Kaifeng).

It's notoriously bad.

The thought of the Feng family's fondness for sweets, and how their cooks added maltose to everything they made, even stir-fried spinach, made her lose her appetite.

"Oh well, never mind, I'll just turn the corner and go to the East Building to buy two braised pork hocks," Wang Niangzi sighed, settling for second best.

The servant twitched his lips: "Madam, isn't it a bit too greasy to eat braised pork hock so early in the morning?"

"Stop nagging and hurry up and go!" Wang Niangzi became increasingly irritable, and her hometown dialect came out again.

She slammed the carriage curtain shut and sighed inside the carriage.

If we don't eat our fill now, are we supposed to go hungry at the Feng family's house?

She definitely didn't want to eat cold spinach salad with maltose added!