Chapter 84: The couple returns home in the golden autumn
Judging from the look in Mrs. Zhou's eyes, even if she didn't agree with Baozhu, she would still force her to agree.
"I am much older than my sister, so it's normal for me to be arrogant and call you elder. When talking to elders, it's unacceptable not to show respect and have no manners at all." She was usually praised by others and had never been challenged by anyone. But when she saw that she couldn't argue, she started to be arrogant.
Baozhu gently retorted, "Madam, what you said makes me want to slap myself. No one could tell you were that old. As an elder, why bother with me? This lecture is for those who know, so you can teach the younger generation. Those who don't know will just think you're meddling."
"You're so young, but you have such a sharp mouth." Mrs. Zhou sneered and could not argue.
The cold dishes were already on the table, along with seasonal fruits and preserved meats. Once everyone was seated, the main course began. Baozhu had chosen the dishes. She had paid a high price for two skilled chefs, one specializing in southern cuisine and the other in northern dishes.
Not to mention the exquisite presentation of the dishes, just looking at the plates and bowls used to serve the dishes makes one feel that they are very grand. The set of celadon was so stunning that even the wife of the Zhou family was a little astonished when she saw it.
Mrs. Liu knew she had to take sides in this situation. Playing the fence would only get her in trouble. She echoed Baozhu's praise, saying, "Even though it's not far away, the official banquets in Bianjing are quite different from ours. I've rarely seen such elaborate banquets."
Mrs. Zhou frowned upon hearing this. "I'm sorry to have wronged you. It turns out we used to be so unpretentious."
There was silence at the table for a moment. Baozhu shook her head and chuckled, "If Madam Zhou hadn't mentioned it, no one would have thought that Madam Liu meant this."
I took a piece of silver ham in my mouth, it was salty, crispy and delicious.
There are also lamb tongue skewers and silver tooth tripe, which are tender and smooth when eaten. The food interspersed among the fifteen dishes is also of high quality. The tender chicken and tender rabbit are nothing compared to them. The best thing about it is the roasted quail jerky. This quail was cooked by Baozhu herself.
This table of food would be a very respectable banquet even if it was placed in a wealthy family in Bian Jing. Mrs. Zhou looked down on Pei Yanqing and Baozhu because they came from humble backgrounds, but she herself was not from a wealthy or prestigious family, and she didn't know where she got the confidence from, but she thought she was superior to others.
After the banquet, the original ladies became much closer to Baozhu. After all, Pei Yanqing was the superior, and this lady did not look like someone who was easy to bully, so naturally they all changed their attitude.
Upon seeing this, Mrs. Zhou's face instantly turned cold. She had a sullen look on her face, and everyone felt very uncomfortable. After the banquet was finally over, she left without even giving an excuse. Several people who were on good terms with her also left. The rest of the people were at a loss as to whether to leave or stay.
He was afraid of offending Mrs. Pei if he left, and also afraid of causing Mrs. Zhou to bear a grudge against him if he stayed, so he was hesitant for a while.
Baozhu naturally enjoyed being a good person. She smiled and said, "I'm sorry for the poor hospitality today. It's hot now, and the garden is dry. If you ladies feel too hot, you can go home early."
These people knew that Baozhu was taking care of them, and they all expressed their gratitude and said goodbye.
Soon, everyone had dispersed, leaving only Madam Liu and her maidservant feeding the fish by the lake. Seeing how Baozhu had stood up to Madam Zhou, even saying she was speechless and had been bullied by her for years, she felt relieved. Since she was already convinced she and Baozhu were in cahoots, she had nothing to fear.
Baozhu knew that Pei Yanqing had something on the Zhou family, and the Zhou family naturally wanted to turn the tables and use Pei Yanqing for their own benefit, but they couldn't find anything. However, County Lieutenant Zhou also knew that the Zhou family was powerful, and even if Pei Yanqing had something on them, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble easily. Now the two sides were balancing each other, and it all depended on when the east wind would prevail over the west wind.
The Zhou family believed that as long as they gave it some time, they would be able to find Pei Yanqing's weaknesses sooner or later.
Mrs. Liu did not leave, but completely stood on Baozhu's side.
"My husband said long ago that it would be better to fight to the death with them, but he always asked me to stop him. After all, he has elderly parents and young children to take care of. If he offends someone, the whole family will be implicated." She only laughed bitterly and continued, "Since Lord Pei came, he has gradually smiled. He used to be dull and gloomy day by day. Lord Pei is a good official, but my husband is not a bad person. These years, he has been suppressed and unable to act, and there is no hope of promotion. He has given up his heart and only hopes that our emperor can enjoy a prosperous and peaceful era, rather than the people suffering from grievances and having no place to turn to for help."
The two talked for a while, and Baozhu also found out everything about the Zhou family. After hearing it, she understood why Pei Yanqing was helpless even though he had the upper hand over them. It was because the Zhou family was indeed powerful. Although County Lieutenant Zhou was born out of wedlock, the Zhou family had a queen in the palace. Although she was not very favored now, she had a prince by her side.
Unless both sides are desperate, the evidence that Pei Yanqing has on the Zhou family is just a trivial matter and can only be used to intimidate them.
Although there is a big age gap between Madam Liu and Baozhu, they share the same hatred for the Zhou family. If Lord Pei had the final say, Lord Liu would not be trapped in this small yamen and unable to make any progress.
Although Lord Liu's official rank is not as high as Pei Yanqing's, he has been in Kaifeng County for many years. Now that the two of them stand together, it will be much easier to get things done.
"It's a pity, Lord Liu. Ambitious individuals are as numerous as the sea of fish in the water, but only one in ten thousand can cross that Dragon Gate. Even if one does cross the Dragon Gate, there are still countless mountains to climb. Finally, they can stand before the emperor and be remembered by him. Only then can they be considered successful."
Pei Yanqing sighed. There were as many people like County Magistrate Liu who were buried as there were people who relied on their family background to bully others.
Upon hearing this, Baozhu simply asked him, "Have you ever regretted giving up your former position of authority for the sake of a stable life?"
Pei Yanqing immediately shook his head. "What's there to regret? Everything has its gains and losses. Even though I'm just a lowly official now, I won't lose my life."
After hearing Baozhu talk about today's banquet, he embraced her.
"As long as County Lieutenant Zhou is in power, the people of this county will have a hard time." Even if he can't be brought down, the power of the government must be seized."
The couple chatted at night. Organizing this banquet was really tiring, and they fell asleep without knowing when. Pei Yanqing saw that she was still frowning while sleeping. He sighed and fanned her with one hand while gently rubbing her frown with the other hand.
He waited until she fell into a deep sleep before sitting down at the table, lighting a lamp and writing a letter. Deputy Envoy Liu of the Imperial City Division had been promoted as he wished, and the two of them had some friendship. Baozhu had a lot of things to do herself, and she had to worry about him.
Baozhu nodded after hearing his plan and just waited for the letter from Bian Jing. If Commander Liu was willing to help, County Lieutenant Zhou would not be able to help. If he was not willing to help, she would have to think of another way.
Taking advantage of the free time these few days, Baozhu thought about the few workers she hired for the last banquet and they were very efficient, so she asked Aman to invite them over and ask if they could sign a long-term contract. She didn't think so before, but now that she has taken charge of the business, she realizes that there are not enough people.
After asking, all four of them were willing to stay. Baozhu left one in the kitchen, and the rest were assigned tasks in the yard.
Not two days later, another young man knocked on the door and came in. The gatekeeper came in to ask Aman, and Aman asked what was going on before going in to answer.
"They are from Madam Bianjing's family, and they said they bought this servant for you."
Baozhu asked A'man to bring the man in. There was nothing to worry about for the person A'niang found. After asking about his name and hometown, she found out that the young man had received a few years of education and used to work as a handyman in a pastry shop. The shop closed down and he lost his livelihood. Knowing that the Pei family was a family of officials, he was very willing to sign a contract with Xu Niang.
After returning, Pei Yanqing took a look at the young man himself and he also thought that he was a good person. After the recent additions, the courtyard became lively, and the letter from Bian Jing was also replied.
Commander Liu was willing to help with this because his godfather was the chief eunuch of the imperial palace, and every concubine had to give him some face. This was just a small matter, and he only needed to be notified.
Since she has a prince, if her family is a hindrance, she will surely be despised. Moreover, County Lieutenant Zhou is just a illegitimate son of the Zhou family. Not to mention his relationship with the empress in the palace, just based on what he has done in this city, it would be embarrassing to bring it to the emperor. If the emperor knew about it, the empress of the Zhou family would also suffer the consequences.
Pei Yanqing invited County Lieutenant Zhou to his home for a drink and read the letter sent from the palace with him. He burned it after reading it. County Lieutenant Zhou was already in a cold sweat after reading only the beginning. He had been making small troubles in this city, and with the Zhou family's support, nothing could go wrong. He didn't expect that as soon as Pei Yanqing came, he would dig up all the things he had done, including the old accounts.
The Zhou family had previously sent a letter to warn him, saying that Lord Pei was extremely scheming and had brought down many officials in the capital due to their complicated connections. Although he was demoted by the government on the surface, it was possible that he was investigating some case for the government behind the scenes, so he was told to keep a low profile.
County Lieutenant Zhou was very disdainful when he received the letter. Now that he saw that Pei Yanqing was really involved with the Imperial City Bureau, which was an office that worked for the government, he was so scared that he broke out in cold sweats. He was so scared that he couldn't sleep well for several days and nights after leaving Pei's house. He was afraid that Pei Yanqing was here to investigate him.
If Pei Yanqing knew what he was thinking, he would probably laugh his head off. Even if he committed a crime, the government would not pay attention to him.
The Zhou family admitted defeat. Crabs were fat in August, and County Magistrate Liu chose the right side. Seeing County Lieutenant Zhou being subservient to Lord Pei every day, he felt relieved that he had been venting all his resentment for so many years. Mrs. Liu took advantage of the clear autumn weather to prepare a crab feast and invited ladies from all families to come and have a drink.
Baozhu naturally also went to the banquet. Mrs. Zhou gritted her teeth and was submissive to Baozhu, but Baozhu did not make things difficult for her. After all, Pei Yanqing was also using the tiger's skin to make a coat, and it seemed that County Lieutenant Zhou could not go to the palace to investigate clearly.
This would make things awkward. If the Zhou family was forced to take action, this would make things difficult.
People nowadays are used to changing their attitudes according to the situation. Since Mrs. Liu hosted the banquet, Baozhu has invited other families from time to time. Baozhu is very meticulous in her work. She returns the gifts when they are due, and keeps records of all the interpersonal relationships.
Pei Yanqing cured County Magistrate Zhou, and now this job is going much more smoothly. The previous unjust, false and wrong cases should be corrected, and some exorbitant taxes that the court did not impose should be exempted. The wealthy families in the city were worried when they saw that they could not get through to Pei Yanqing.
"If I continue to refuse to accept any benefits, those wealthy families will start to become suspicious. If this continues for a long time, I'm afraid there will be chaos."
Baozhu was speechless. Being an honest official was even harder than being a corrupt official. "In that case, if those wealthy families are truly willing, why don't you set up a charity to support the widowed, the orphaned, and the lonely? Let those wealthy families donate silver and grain, and have someone manage it. Every quarter, the government will award a plaque to the family that donates the most. With this plaque, you can get things done more easily in the future, as long as it doesn't violate the law."
Pei Yanqing's eyes lit up when he heard this. He picked up Baozhu and spun her around, "That's a good idea!"
"There's a certain amount of silver to donate. Once that amount is reached, the yamen will organize these people to form a team outside the yamen. When there's something to discuss, they'll invite them in to discuss it, like building a road or bridge. They'll discuss it with them and let them know they've donated the money, so the yamen will remember their kindness."
"Don't be too happy. This charity is a very complicated place. If someone gets hold of something, dismissal from office wouldn't be a big deal. I'm afraid you could even lose your life." Baozhu said seriously, "The accounts must be carefully recorded. The income and expenditure, as well as the donations, must all be accounted for. It would be best if a notice was posted every month so everyone knows where the money was spent."
"Also, if common people come seeking relief, their backgrounds must be thoroughly investigated. Otherwise, how can we afford to give money to everyone who comes to the charity hall asking for it? Only those who are truly poor and can't make ends meet can be given relief. Those who have the ability to do so should never give out money easily. Even if relief is provided, it cannot be given directly in cash, or taught to raise chickens, ducks, pigs, or goats, or to work in the government office in exchange for relief, so as to avoid raising a bunch of parasites who only know how to rely on the charity hall for their livelihood."
Pei Yanqing invited those wealthy families to dinner and took the opportunity to lobby for the charity hall.
Now the yamen's work has been completely straightened out. Two smart and down-to-earth people have been transferred to work under County Magistrate Zhou to handle those old cases for him. County Magistrate Zhou no longer dares to say a word, and he dares not accept gifts from people who just ask for favors.
It was not until September that they had some free time. Taking advantage of Pei Yanqing's day off, the couple returned to Bianjing together. They left two maids in the yard and the rest followed her back to Bianjing first.
As soon as Baozhu entered the city, she went back to Pei's house, said hello to her grandmother, and then went to the restaurant without stopping.
The weather was a little colder, and it was the busy season for restaurants. Business had been pretty good in the months since Baozhu left, but the new dishes served every month were not very popular. Seeing Baozhu back, Jiang felt like he was meeting his own mother, and he told her everything that had happened in the past few months.
"It's not a big deal. We still sell crabs in the fall, but this year we're selling more crabs, so business isn't as good as it used to be. Boss, do you think we should try some new food?"
"Let me see."
Baozhu was checking the accounts. Business was still good during the months she was away, with a monthly revenue of more than 300 strings of cash. As the weather was getting colder, only a small amount of cold food was left in the store, and the rest were replaced with hot food.
If I want to try some new food, I have to first look at the current prices in Bianjing and then see what food is suitable.
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