Chapter 35: The Imperial Censor is a bit cunning
"Boss, is your new store doing well?"
Song Jin quickly collected his thoughts and replied with a smile: "Thanks to the care of all the masters, I can still live a good life."
Lu Junnian took a bite of the corn cake, which made a crisp sound.
"Not bad, Brother Shu Bai, try it. It's sweet and crispy. You'll like it." After saying that, he looked at Song Jin again: "Where is the shopkeeper from? Why did you open a store in Suzhou?"
Song Jin avoided the first question and said, "Master Lu, look at what you said. If we want to do business, where else can we choose other than Suzhou?"
Lu Junnian's face was full of joy: "That's right. When it comes to doing business, Suzhou is the first choice. Apart from other things, the exemption of market stall tax is better than other places, isn't it?"
"That's right, otherwise our business in Suzhou would be booming."
Lu Junnian became happier and happier. When he was happy, he became talkative. So he, who was already a talkative person, talked even more.
"You are young and look gentle, why don't you take the imperial examination? Wouldn't it be easier for you to do business then?"
Having said that, Ji Shubai did not eat the corn cake that he had brought to his mouth, but looked up at Song Jin.
Song Jin noticed this, and now he also felt that reciting pornographic poems was really a disgrace to society, so he had to make up an excuse: "I am stupid and don't like poetry and books. Besides, my family can't afford it, so I just went to my aunt to do some small business, and I can make a living."
"I see. How many fields does your family have? If you have a lot of fields, the tax won't be light. If you don't take the imperial examination, you'll suffer a loss."
Song Jin cursed Lu Junnian in her heart. He hadn't even had a sip of wine but he was talking so much nonsense. If she asked more about her past, it would be exposed. Besides, there was Ji Shubai, who grew up in Suzhou, by his side, so she didn't dare to lie.
"There is no land in the family, so it doesn't matter whether I have this honor or not."
Song Jin thought, this should be fine, if I don't have any land, I don't have to worry about the land tax and the land tax. What does it matter whether I have any fame or not?
"How come there is no land? Have your family been in business for generations?" This time it was Ji Shubai who asked the question.
Song Jin couldn't understand why these two people were so interested in her family's land. Could it be that they wanted to collect taxes?
"Haha," Song Jin broke out in a cold sweat, and the lie became bigger and bigger: "Daddy lost."
"Bet the land?"
Ji Shubai's eyes widened, and Song Jin's heart suddenly tightened. Only then did they remember that the Ming Dynasty law clearly stated that it was forbidden to use property as bets. Song Jin must have lost his mind to have told such a lie.
Perhaps being pushed into a corner, Song Jin thought for a moment and gave an unexpected reason: "Dad doesn't want to either, but that's the Xu family. If Hai Qingtian could stay a little longer, maybe my family would have a chance to withdraw the land."
After he finished speaking, he shook his head and sighed, and he finished it in one breath, but it made the other two people's faces turn pale.
"Eat, eat, drink, drink, do business, let's not talk about those fields, your corn is delicious."
Lu Junnian always retreats when he sees something bad happening, and the same was true during the fire. He kept out of the matter as it had nothing to do with him. But he was much easier to deal with than Ji Shubai who stared at her and asked questions.
Seeing that Lu Junnian was concentrating on eating and drinking, Song Jin did not want to stay any longer and went downstairs on the pretext of cooking two more dishes.
When she reached the stairs, she looked towards the table for some reason, and met Ji Shubai's eyes looking back at her. She shuddered at the sight and ran downstairs in a hurry, so that she did not hear the conversation that followed.
"Brother Lu, do you think this person is a bit cunning?"
Lu Junnian didn't care much, took a sip of wine and said, "A dishonest businessman is a dishonest businessman. Don't be too fussy. Just turn a blind eye to everything. Otherwise, how come you are so young, but the wrinkles between your eyebrows are deeper than mine."
Ji Shubai frowned again.
Song Jin refused to serve the rest of the dishes herself and avoided Ji Shubai so much that she hid in the kitchen in a daze after cooking.
This year was the seventh year of the Wanli reign, and ten years had passed since Hai Rui was dismissed from office. In other words, the honest official Hai Rui, known as Hai Qingtian, had been unemployed for ten years.
Song Jin sighed a little. To be honest, she really wanted to meet this stubborn old man. Maybe they could even have a fight.
But thinking about it more carefully, Ji Shubai's serious look is somewhat similar to Hai Rui in his mind. Both are the type who are too serious and difficult to talk to.
But you must not fall into Ji Shubai's hands, otherwise you will be finished. You can't see Hai Rui anymore, otherwise your fake skin will be in danger.
Song Jin didn't want to see Ji Shubai, but God forced her to do so.
After that day, Ji Shubai and Lu Junnian didn't come for a long time. Song Jin had just relaxed when he saw someone from the Chai family coming to invite Song Jin over.
"Please let me come over?"
The servant said anxiously, "Yes, very anxious."
Song Jin was even more puzzled: "Why are you in such a hurry? Is there a banquet?"
The servant said, "You will know when you go to my house. The master wants to talk to you in person."
Song Jin was confused, but Chai Heng was her rich man, and she might get dozens of taels of silver back, which would give her a chance to escape from slavery. So she didn't delay and followed the servant to Chai's house.
When they arrived at Chai's house, the servant went inside to pass the message, and Song Jin waited alone in the hall. Not long after, he saw the chubby Chai Heng hurried out.
"Mr. Chai, you are looking for me..."
"Sit down and talk."
Chai Heng wiped the sweat from his forehead, then spread out his fan and waved it while talking.
"I'm going to have a family dinner, don't be too extravagant."
Song Jin: “…”
A family dinner shouldn’t be extravagant, but it should be so serious. What’s the purpose?
"It's like this. A censor has come to the capital and will stay in Suzhou for a while. I want to invite him to my house for dinner, but it can't be too extravagant."
Song Jin understood that the emperor's eyes and ears had arrived, but he didn't know who to target.
"This person has been to Guangdong. You know how to cook Cantonese dishes. I want some authentic Cantonese dishes. Do you understand?"
Song Jin thought that there was no need to come and discuss this in person, and he became more and more confused.
“I see…right?”
Seeing that she was unsure, Chai Heng simply said bluntly: "I want you to cook a few dishes that he likes."
Song Jin choked to death. She didn't know this person, so how could she know what he liked to eat.
"Well... I don't know the taste of the censor, so I can't guarantee it."
Chai Heng waved his hand and said, "Just make a few of your most famous dishes, and make sure they are memorable."
Song Jin thought that it was not easy to make money.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Chai Heng sighed and said, "Manager Wen, please help me think of a solution. This matter is very important."
Song Jin thought that making money was indeed the most important thing. When she thought about making money, her mind came alive again.
"Sir, if you really want, I have a skill that I can show you, but..."
Song Jin got stuck in the middle of his words, and Chai Heng slapped his thigh anxiously: "Boss, just say what you want to say, money is not a problem."
Song Jin laughed when he heard this: "Sir, it's not just about the money, it's also about the things."
"Something? What?"
Chai Heng was puzzled, and Song Jin grinned.
The servants of the Chai family brought out several trays of tea bowls and filled the table.
"If it's not enough, I'll find it for you. Whatever you want, I'll definitely find it for you."
Song Jin was dazzled by the choices.
The pastel-colored teacups with melon and butterfly patterns, the small purple clay teapots with engraved poems, the blue-and-white teacups with crane patterns, the purple clay bamboo-joint teapots, etc. were all placed in front of Song Jin.
If she could just steal one or two, she would be free.
"Shopkeeper Wen? Shopkeeper Wen's?" Chai Heng called her from the side.
"ah?"
"Can these be done?"
Song Jin wanted to perform Kung Fu tea. She was very good at it in her previous life, but the teapot and teacups here were not very good.
"These won't work. It has to be a teacup with a lid, thin walls, and big enough. The porcelain has to be good, even better if it's from an official kiln. But this teapot is really pretty."
Song Jin praised the purple clay teapot with a poem engraved on one side and a pine tree on the other.
"That's not difficult. As long as you can please the censor, I'll give you the whole table, not to mention the teapot."
Song Jin grinned from ear to ear: "I will try my best."
That day, Song Jin returned to Shidinglou with a covered bowl in her arms. It was not because Chai Heng gave it to her as a reward, but because she wanted to borrow it to practice.
Song Jin used to be very knowledgeable about Gongfu tea, but unfortunately he lacked the skills to practice it now. His hands, which were used to cooking, could not withstand the heat of boiling water, and he almost dropped the tea bowl during practice.
Song Jin was worried about spending money and refused to use tea leaves, so he just practiced with boiling water over and over again, which made Chunyun feel very distressed.
"Sister, can't we use cold water? Look at your fingers, they are so burned. If you heat them any more, the skin will peel off."
Song Jin laughed and said, "You've been rubbing chicken feet too much, right? My skin won't get burned that easily."
Chunyun smiled and said, "It's almost done."
Rather than saying that Song Jin was practicing Kung Fu tea, it would be better to say that he was practicing to adapt his fingers to the high temperature of boiling water. Slowly, from screaming in the beginning to gradually adapting, but just when Song Jin thought that Kung Fu was about to be mastered, there was a crisp sound of "snap", and the lid slammed firmly to the ground after spinning for a while, breaking into pieces.
Song Jin and Chunyun stared at the shattered porcelain pieces. It was all over now. They couldn't practice anymore.
She was not worried that Chai Heng would come after her for the lid. It was not a gift from the emperor and Chai Heng could afford the loss. It was just that she had nothing else to practice with.
Since there was no place to practice, Song Jin simply gave up practicing. He ran to Chai Heng's house with empty hands, intending to show him his interim results and preferably bring back two cups.
Chai Heng was also strange. He was not an official, but he was very concerned about the censor. When he heard that Song Jin was coming, he hurriedly invited him in.
Song Jin stated his purpose and said he wanted to show him some Kung Fu tea. He didn't ask any questions and directly asked someone to bring the tea set.
According to Song Jin's request, covered bowls with saucers, tea leaves, teacups and boiling water were placed one by one.
Song Jin took a quick glance and realized that a lot was missing.
"Sir, do you have any other tea?"
It’s true, when Song Jin used Mogan Yellow Teeth to perform Kung Fu Tea, he always felt that something was missing.
"What kind of tea do you want? As long as it's available in the Ming Dynasty, I can find it for you."
“Wuyi tea.”
Chai Heng was stunned for a while, then suddenly realized and slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot, the Guangdong style must be Wuyi tea."
After saying that, he hurriedly called someone in to bring some Wuyi tea.
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