Chapter 38: Eat melon Zhang Juzheng! Zhang Juzheng! Zhang Juzheng! More...
"Okay, if you want to keep it a secret, I'll just wait and see. Haha—"
Lord Luo seemed very happy. After talking to Song Jin for a while over tea, he ordered someone to bring tea cups and asked Song Jin to drink with him. He told her not to be too restrained, and then he started talking to the other three people.
Song Jin took the cup, poured himself some tea, and sipped it while listening to gossip.
"When Master Ji was in the capital, you and I never had any private contact. I didn't expect to meet again in Suzhou. It's fate."
"Lord Luo, you have traveled all the way and worked hard."
Song Jin: Just polite talk, boring.
"You are so young, yet you are appreciated by the Prime Minister. You will become a great man in the future."
Song Jin: Zhang Juzheng! Zhang Juzheng! Zhang Juzheng! More of them!
"I wonder how the Prime Minister is doing these days?"
Song Jin: That’s not good. I will die in a few years.
"Ah, the Prime Minister has been working so hard, and his health has been getting worse over the years."
Song Jin: I just said it wouldn’t work.
"Plus the last two years... that's all. Let's just reminisce about the past today."
Song Jin no longer had the inclination to watch the show, as he had expected that things had not been peaceful for Zhang Juzheng in recent years, but it was true that his power remained unchanged.
"I heard that Master Ji is from Suzhou? Where in Suzhou is he from?"
"I am from Changzhou, Suzhou, and grew up here."
"Oh, what a coincidence! This time, Ren Tongzhi has returned home in glory."
Song Jin took a sip of tea and complained in his heart that there were no melon seeds to eat.
"Since Lord Ji has returned to Suzhou, I'm sure the two elders are very happy. I usually see you living in the government office and rarely go home. You don't have to worry about complaints from the two elders and the lady."
Song Jin: I really can’t spare any time for chatting.
"My father and mother are both dead, and I have never married."
Oh no, the conversation was awkward. Song Jin lowered his head and pretended to drink tea.
"Oh, really?"
Song Jin: That’s right, you’re too talkative, just like me. Now you’ve learned your lesson, right?
"It's a bit unexpected." Lord Na Luo paused and changed the subject, "Speaking of which, the surname Ji is not common. A few years ago, when I was in Guangdong, I heard that there was a sea route admiral named Ji in Fujian. He was young but brave and good at fighting. He has the same surname as you."
It was silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Song Jin held a cup of tea in his hand, not daring to drink it, nor to put it down. He couldn't help but wonder in his heart, why is no one talking?
"This admiral is my father."
His words were brief and to the point, but they froze everyone in the room, except Song Jin, who was puzzled.
What happened to Admiral Ji? Ji Shubai was not old, so how come both his parents were dead?
"Haha, let's not talk about this anymore. Master Chai is hosting a family dinner today and wants us all to try Cantonese cuisine. I wonder how Shopkeeper Wen's cooking skills are. I think it would be better to serve the dishes earlier so that we can eat and chat at the same time."
"Yes, yes, yes. Let's not talk about those heavy topics at the family dinner today. Your brother asked me to bring it to you. He said that everything is fine in the capital."
"That's good, that's good."
Lu Junnian laughed at the right time and changed the subject. The atmosphere at the table suddenly became relaxed, and Song Jin dared to look up at everyone.
Ji Shubai, his father used to be the admiral of Fujian Sea Road, now both his parents are dead and he has not married.
The identity of the Censor Luo is unknown.
Chai Heng has a brother in the capital.
As for Lu Junnian, no one mentioned him. Like Song Jin, he disappeared at the table.
Speaking of eating, Song Jin could no longer sit still. He stood up and said goodbye and went to the kitchen, leaving the tea set behind and asking the servants to clean up.
Song Jin also put some thought into the family dinner that day. In addition to the Cantonese dishes that he had eaten before, Song Jin added a special dish, which he had prepared early in the morning and was now being brought in by the servants.
Song Jin prepared several main dishes and was curious whether Lord Luo would like his little idea, so he quietly followed the servant to the backyard.
With the experience from last time, Song Jin stood further away this time. He just stood under the corridor and looked at the pavilion opposite across the lake.
It was already dark at this moment. The green shade that covered the sky looked extremely cool and comfortable during the day. But at night, not a single moonlight could penetrate. Only the dim candlelight on the path pointed all the way to the octagonal pavilion.
Several people were sitting in the pavilion eating. The servants were serving the dishes silently. Song Jin was watching and felt a sense of gloom.
From her perspective, these people have now turned into dust, and no one knows where they were blown away by the wind, but now they are standing alive in front of Song Jin.
Lord Luo from the capital, although he held a low position, was the central figure of the meal.
Although Lu Junnian was still young, he was already a magistrate, but he had little presence at the table.
Chai Heng did not hold any official position, but he was treated specially because he had a brother in the capital.
As for Ji Shubai, the admiral of the sea route with the surname Ji... Song Jin thought about it for a long time but couldn't remember this person. He could only guess from his age. At that time, Fujian was probably fighting against the Japanese pirates. He didn't know whether the death of Ji Shubai's parents was related to the Japanese pirates.
The Lord Censor is also strange. He knows that the surname Ji is rare, but he still insists on mentioning it. He should be able to infer it from the age.
Song Jin thought sinisterly, maybe it was intentional.
Just as Song Jin was daydreaming, a voice came from the pavilion.
"Yes, that's the taste. This bitter melon wine tastes better only if it's left overnight."
Song Jin smiled. She didn't dare tell Chai Heng that the dish was left over from the previous night, for fear that he would scold her for giving the Lord Censor leftovers. Fortunately, the Lord Censor knew what was good.
Song Jin was happy when the new dishes were praised, and so was Chai Heng. As long as Chai Heng was happy, the reward would not be small.
After understanding the situation, Song Jin happily returned to the kitchen, preparing some side dishes while waiting for Chai Heng's reward.
Chai Heng was indeed generous. After seeing Lord Luo off, he asked someone to take her to receive the reward.
Song Jin followed the servants into the hall. Only six palace lanterns on the ceiling of the wooden hall were lit. To her surprise, Ji Shubai was sitting there.
He was wearing an indigo satin straight suit today and a black gauze scarf on his head. His eyes were closed and his brows were slightly furrowed. He was sitting in an armchair, leaning against the back of the chair, with his arms resting on the armrests, looking very tired.
In the dim light, she was as silent as a mountain, and she did not even open her eyes when the servant led her past.
A feeling of heartache suddenly came over me.
Ah! I am a slave and no one cares for me, let alone a government official, how can I care for him?
Song Jin instantly dismissed the ridiculous idea, and his mood became happy as the heavy bag of silver entered his arms.
"Lord Luo is very satisfied with your performance today. He just said that he has two days off and wants to ask the shopkeeper to help make tea at the government office."
Manager Song passed on the message, and Song Jin agreed without hesitation.
"Also, my master has something to discuss with you."
"You say." Business is coming.
"It's like this. My master also likes the art of tea. He is afraid that the shopkeeper may not be available all the time, so he wants to ask the shopkeeper to teach the servants in the family. In this way, we don't have to trouble the shopkeeper so often in the future. Of course, the money will not be small."
Song Jin understood, just like caramel pudding, he bought it out directly.
But this time Song Jin was not very happy. She had a substitute for caramel pudding, and she didn't plan to do this business. However, tea art was different.
"Manager Song, you don't know the situation here. This skill is not something that ordinary people can learn. How about this, if there is someone in your house who can hold a teacup filled with boiling water and drink a cup of tea, I will come and teach you, okay?"
Song Jin felt that Chai Heng disliked her hands, so she wanted a girl with delicate fingers to learn. But how could a girl with delicate skin and flesh learn this? Even if she could learn, she was not willing to teach.
Since her job was given to someone else, what would she eat? So this was a difficult question for Manager Song.
Manager Song could tell that Song Jin was not very willing to teach, but he was unwilling to give up: "It's okay, practice slowly and you will be able to do it. The shopkeeper is very busy and will not bother you to come here every day. How about this, I will pay you a deposit of fifty taels first, and you can take time to teach occasionally. When you have mastered it, I will pay you another fifty taels."
"OK."
There is no business that cannot be negotiated, only a price that cannot be negotiated. Song Jin did not expect that he would kneel down so quickly. It was all because Chai Heng was too generous.
Two fifty taels equal one hundred taels. With the two rewards and the silver she embezzled, she had almost collected enough money for her entire family to escape from legal status.
She wanted to teach that group of people a lesson tomorrow.
"Well, last time I came to your house, I borrowed a set of tea sets to practice tea art. I came in a hurry today and forgot to bring it back. I will bring it back to you another day."
Manager Song waved his hands and said, "It's just a set of tea sets. Manager Wen should keep it. It's better to practice more. Maybe you will need it in the future."
Song Jin was waiting for this sentence. She deliberately did not bring the Dehua white-glazed porcelain with her and would pawn it when she got back.
"Thank you, Mr. Chai, and thank you, Steward Song."
Song Jin looked embarrassed but was delighted in her heart. Unexpectedly, Manager Song ignored her and looked behind her instead.
"Master Ji, are you waiting for my master?"
Behind him, Ji Shubai walked over slowly with his hands behind his back: "Well, wait for him to say a few words."
"Then please wait a moment, my master will be out soon."
Ji Shubai didn't say anything else, but turned to look at Song Jin.
Song Jin felt inexplicably flustered and hugged the bag of silver tightly in his arms: "Well, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."
"Then I'll ask someone to send the shopkeeper off."
Song Jin thanked him softly, looked up and saw Ji Shubai still looking at her, so she quickly bowed and said, "I'm leaving." Then she turned and walked out.
"Manager Wen is going back like this?"
A cold voice came from behind him. Song Jin turned around and saw that it was Ji Shubai, the expressionless green bamboo pole.
"The little one isn't far away."
Ji Shubai slowly approached, his eyes fixed on the silver in her arms, and Song Jin hugged her tighter in panic.
Are you thinking about her money? Not really?
"It's so late, Shopkeeper Wen, are you planning to walk down the street with such a large bag of cash?"
Song Jin suddenly realized that the public security in Suzhou Prefecture in the 16th century might not be better than that in the remote rural areas in the 21st century.
"This...let me walk faster." Song Jin was so stingy that he didn't think of hiring a sedan chair.
"I brought a few messengers with me today. I asked two of them to take you there to avoid you getting robbed along the way. They also have to catch thieves late at night."
Song Jin curled his lips. After all, it was a good thing, so he had to thank him. However, Manager Song was not happy again.
"I was inconsiderate. Even if he came to our house to work as a kitchen servant, how could I ask Master Ji to arrange for someone to see him off? There is a sedan chair in the mansion. I will arrange one to see Shopkeeper Wen off right away."
After Manager Song finished speaking, he went to make arrangements. Song Jin looked up at Ji Shubai's unchanging face. He wanted to smile to ease the atmosphere, but was frozen by that expressionless face.
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