Chapter 34 She couldn’t afford to offend the powerful, but she couldn’t afford to hide from him.
The morning sun broke through the clouds and shone on the bird's face.
Song Jin was a little surprised.
Clearly, Que'er's face had grown some flesh on the stall a year ago, but in just five days, it had shriveled up again.
Song Jin hurriedly helped her up: "Que'er, what are you talking about!"
Que'er hadn't been crying just now, she was more resigned to her fate, but when she saw Song Jin, she seemed to have found an outlet for her emotions.
She said, "Sister Xiaojin, when my mother hit me just now, I thought that if she hit me ten more times, I would jump into the well and die."
Song Jin was stunned, his almond-shaped eyes full of disbelief.
She had never expected that Que'er would mean this.
Are you actually thinking about dying?
Song Jin scolded anxiously: "Are you stupid? You haven't taken back the money you deposited with me yet, why are you thinking about dying!"
Que'er shook her head: "I don't know either. I just thought that I had a lot of fun with Sister Xiaojin at the stall. If I can never have such a life again in this life, I'd rather die without hope."
"Then why are you so anxious!" Song Jin patted her on the back fiercely: "I have thought about it. I want to open a snack shop in the future. When the time comes, I will ask your mother to give you out, and then we can continue!"
Que'er's eyes were red from crying: "Sister Xiaojin..."
Song Jin put Que'er's thoughts of suicide aside, she breathed a sigh of relief and quickly led people to the stall: "Hurry! We have to make a lot of cakes today. If we don't hurry, we might miss the opportunity."
"Will it delay the work?" Que'er heard it and quickly wiped away her tears: "It's not okay to delay the work, Sister Xiaojin, let's go quickly!"
After hearing what Song Jin said, Que'er hurriedly dragged Song Jin to the stall, saying as they walked: "The stoves on the stalls have been cold these days, so we have to light them a few more times. Sister Jin, let's go over there quickly, we must not delay anything!"
Song Jin was not in a hurry at all.
She got up very early today so as not to delay anything. However, she knew Que'er's temper during this period, so she quickly changed her mind and told her not to think too much about it.
Song Jin nodded: "Yes, we have to hurry up!"
Song Jin and Que'er have been working together for such a long time that they have become familiar with the division of work. Before noon, Song Jin had steamed all the cakes.
Song Jin made today's pastries with extra care, even every fold on the pastries was carefully pressed.
Sister Ju Lan said before that if you do a good job, in addition to your own money, the nobleman might give you some rewards.
She had heard before that if some nobles were happy, they would directly reward someone with a hundred strings of cash.
If she had that much, she could set up her little shop.
Anyway, she didn't know when her husband would return to Kyoto, so she could open a small shop in Chongzhou first.
Then we can ask Que'er to come and help.
Song Jin was thinking carefully. Que'er next to him added some firewood. She came close to Song Jin, and the two little girls huddled together.
Que'er nudged Song Jin and pointed at the carriage slowly approaching the corner of the street and asked Song Jin to look at it: "Sister Xiaojin, that carriage is so beautiful."
Que'er's words were full of envy: "I don't know who is sitting in the carriage?"
Song Jin followed Que'er's finger and found that the carriage was indeed gorgeous, very spacious and comfortable, and a fragrance could be smelled from afar.
The fragrance is fresh and elegant, and you can tell it is not ordinary at the first smell.
Not to mention the curtains used to cover the carriage. The dark patterns embroidered on the brocade were all made of gold and silver threads, which was extremely rich and luxurious without being ostentatious.
Song Jin blinked, knowing that the person sitting in the carriage must be a noble, but he did not look like someone from Chongzhou.
So noble and yet very low-key.
Song Jin shook his head and whispered to Que'er, "I don't know who is sitting here?"
Que'er didn't know either: "Anyway, we will never meet him in this lifetime. I was so scared of seeing the county magistrate that I couldn't even walk, let alone such a noble person."
Que'er timidly withdrew her gaze: "Sister Xiaojin, let's get to work quickly."
Song Jin nodded, packed the steamed cakes one by one, and prepared to go to Xiu Cui Tower.
But she was really worried that Que'er would be beaten when she got home, so she pulled her and said, "Come on, you can go with me. Anyway, I've told your mother that we have to go back a little later today. Let's deliver the cakes and then go for a walk on the street. All the shops are open today, maybe there will be something lively to see!"
In the past, Que'er never went out except to buy groceries, let alone go for a stroll on the street.
She tugged at her very old jacket, which was not only covered in flour but also had holes in it.
Que'er was a little embarrassed: "Sister Xiaojin, I'm not dressed well."
"What's wrong with that!" Song Jin raised her hand to wipe off the flour on Que'er's body. She patted her purse and said, "We are going to spend money today. Who dares to say anything more!"
Song Jin used to be very cute, and Que'er had never seen Song Jin act like this, taking advantage of his wealth to bully others.
She smiled and took one of the two food boxes Song Jin was carrying: "Okay then..."
--
Xiucuilou simply closed down after the New Year, saying it would undergo renovations. It was not until the afternoon of the fifth day of the New Year that the county magistrate made a low-key appearance at Xiucuilou.
The nanny had been waiting for a long time. When she saw the person, she hurried forward and said, "Greetings, Mr. County Magistrate."
The county magistrate of Chongzhou is named Fan, and he has been in office in Chongzhou for more than three years.
He got off the sedan chair, his brows drooping, looking a little nervous: "Are you ready?"
The nanny said quickly, "Everything is ready. The layout of the building has been changed to what you like. Tea and snacks are also ready. Don't worry, my lord!"
County Magistrate Fan said nothing, got off the sedan chair, walked into the building, and personally looked around the building before he felt relieved.
Today's Xiucui Tower is very different from before.
The decoration inside the building has been changed to a fresh and elegant one, and it is impossible to tell what it was originally used for. It looks more like the private courtyard of some noble official.
County Magistrate Fan nodded, and then he whispered: "This time, the nobleman is someone you and I cannot afford to offend, so you must treat him well. Normally, if there is no nobleman calling, you should not disturb him easily, understand?"
Mammy nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know."
County Magistrate Fan looked around carefully again, then asked in a low voice: "Have you trained all the people sent to you?"
"Alright, alright, sir, please rest assured. This is the one trained by our matchmaker personally. I guarantee that the noble will like it!"
Fan An nodded.
These people were all selected by him personally. If one of them could be chosen by that person, when he arrives in Kyoto in the future, maybe he could rely on this advice to move up a few levels.
He is nearly fifty years old this year. He is tired of this remote and poor place and tired of relying on others!
Fan An frowned slightly, feeling angry in his heart, until the attendant came to report: "Sir, the carriage is almost at the door."
Fan An's expression changed instantly, and he lowered himself to the side. He even bent over to greet the man and waited at the door.
Not long after, the gorgeous carriage stopped at the side door of Xiucui Tower.
This is the new door that was opened in Xiucui Tower to conceal the whereabouts of the nobleman, and it was also the order of the county magistrate.
Fan An was waiting beside the carriage. As soon as the carriage stopped, Fan An bent down very low and said, "Hello..."
"No need." A faint voice of dissuasion came from the carriage. The voice was noble and said, "When you are out, there is no need to show off."
"Yes! Yes." Fan An listened, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
He bent over and never dared to lift his head.
The same goes for the people behind Fan An.
The nanny was also shocked.
She knew that the guest coming this time was a nobleman in Kyoto, and all arrangements were made according to Kyoto's preferences, but just this one sentence made people break out in cold sweats.
This noble man is someone I cannot afford to pay for even if I lose ten heads!
Everyone bowed their heads tremblingly to greet him. After the carriage stopped, the driver quickly set up the ladder and said, "Master, please get off the carriage."
The people in the car then slowly stood up, and with every step they took, there was the heavy sound of their crutches hitting the ground.
The attendant safely took the people in the carriage.
A man in a purple robe and a gold belt walked forward slowly. He opened his eyes but did not look at Fan An. He walked a few steps past Fan An before saying, "Everyone, get up."
Fan An's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he bent his waist even deeper: "Yes."
He hurried to the man's back and said respectfully, "Master, this is where you will stay in Chongzhou this time. Are you satisfied?"
As the man walked into Xiu Cui Tower, he raised his eyes and glanced at the decoration of Xiu Cui Tower calmly, smiling with an unclear emotion: "I didn't expect that after leaving Beijing for many years, there are still people who are so attentive. Fan An, you are very good."
Fan An stepped forward quickly and said, "Thank you for the compliment, my lord. This is what I should do. Lord Zheng has already told me that you can stay in Chongzhou with peace of mind. If you need anything, just tell me at any time."
The man nodded and was led upstairs.
At this time, Song Jin also walked to the back door with pastries.
Song Jin walked quickly and took shortcuts, so even the cakes and pastries were still hot when he arrived.
But just as she walked near Xiucui Tower, she smelled a different fragrance.
The scent seemed similar to the carriage she had seen.
The atmosphere in the entire Xiu Cui Tower was also particularly different. She shrank her neck nervously, not to mention the sparrow behind her who was almost scared to death.
Que'er pulled Song Jin's sleeve and asked in a low voice: "Sister Xiaojin, was Xiu Cui Tower like this in the past?"
She had never been here before, but she had heard others talk about this place and it didn't seem to be like this.
At least it can't be so quiet and so scary.
Song Jin shook his head: "Xiu Cui Lou was not like this in the past. Don't be afraid. We will send the cakes and leave without delay."
Only then did Que'er nod with relief.
The two girls walked to the back door and knocked gently.
In just a moment, the door was opened from the inside.
"Young man..." Song Jin was about to call out, but he didn't expect that the person who came to pick him up was not the servant Song Jin knew in the past, but a man with a very unfamiliar face.
The man had a serious face, was not wearing armor, but was carrying a long sword, which was very scary.
Song Jin was startled.
Hearing Song Jin's voice, the servant standing next to him quickly explained: "This is our little cook who used to make cakes. She is here to deliver cakes. Don't worry about it, big brother."
After listening to the servant's explanation, the man looked Song Jin up and down fiercely, then turned away with a cold face.
Seeing this, the servant hurried forward and took the cake from Song Jin's hand: "Miss Song, there is something going on in the building today, so I won't let you in. This is the cake money that Madam ordered you to pay."
Song Jin quickly took it and whispered, "Thank you, brother. I'll leave now."
Then, without even counting the money, she turned around and trotted away with Que'er.
He ran for a while after turning the corner before he stopped.
The two little girls were running out of breath, and they were more tired than steaming twenty trays of steamed buns in the past.
Que'er was so nervous that she wanted to cry: "Sister Xiaojin, why is this Xiucui Tower so scary? Who is inside?"
Song Jin had a guess in his mind: "Just now I smelled a fragrance and guessed that it was the person in the carriage we saw on the street this afternoon. He looked a bit difficult to deal with."
"The man in the carriage today?" Que'er swallowed her saliva and said nervously, "He is definitely someone we can't afford to offend. He might be a higher official than the county magistrate."
In Chongzhou, the county magistrate is the highest-ranking official Que'er can ever see. She has no idea that outside Chongzhou, the county magistrate is just a small official.
Song Jin had actually heard some of it since she was a child. After all, her parents and brother were all in Kyoto, and her brother was a general in the army, so she knew even more.
It was because of this that she knew better that she should stay away from powerful people like this to avoid bringing disaster upon herself.
Song Jin thought about it and took Que'er's hand: "Let's go, don't think too much, let's go to the street to eat something delicious."
She couldn't afford to offend the powerful, but she couldn't afford to hide from him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
