Chapter 118 The capable are often given more work
"Come on, Huang Huang, shake hands."
"Bite the tail and spin around"
Come on, let out a howl!
...
As the snow arrived, snowflakes drifted down, covering the yard that had just been swept the night before, piling up into a thick layer overnight.
In the white snow, a golden tiger sat upright, its head and ears round, its golden eyes gleaming, like a giant doll.
It bit its tail and started spinning in circles, looking quite like a dog.
Beside it, the golden-red maiden sat propped up on the ground, watching it amuse itself, smiling brightly. Then she raised her head, looking up at the sky, letting the snowflakes fall on her face.
As soon as her gaze shifted away, her yellow ears, which had been circling, twitched, then quickly stopped. She released the tail from her mouth and began rolling around on the ground. Then, she stood up and vigorously shook her fur.
Snowflakes splashing
Song Jin sat up from the ground, crossed her legs, crossed her arms, covered in snowflakes, and squinted at it: "So, I've been too good to you these past few days, you're not used to it?"
Huang Huang lay on the ground, its front paws pressing against its ears, its big, innocent eyes wide open: "Squint."
Cute
Song Jin instantly lost her breath, rushed over, hugged and rubbed it, then simply lay down on the ground next to it, continuing to watch the snow.
The snow in the apocalypse was poisonous, hitting you like bullets, utterly devoid of beauty. Unlike now, where snowflakes are white and light, and even feel somewhat pleasant against the skin.
Song Jin lay there on the ground, leisurely.
Huang Huang lay there obediently, like a mother's cuddly pillow, wagging its tail happily.
It's a domesticated tiger, raised in a small yard since it was a cub, and is very used to being confined. Now, with Song Jin by its side, it eats and drinks only the finest, cleaned meat, and couldn't be more comfortable.
It made gurgling noises, and its fur was so warm that Song Jin, lying down, gradually became sleepy, yawned, and closed her eyes.
Niu Tielan entered the courtyard and saw this scene: a golden tiger in red, white snow and red plum blossoms—the atmosphere was truly picturesque.
but
She said coolly, "If it's so comfortable to sleep in, why not just sleep in the lake?"
In this heavy snow, who would be so kind as to lie in the snow for no reason? It's not like they're some beggar about to freeze to death.
Hearing her voice, Song Jin stood up awkwardly, brushed the snow off her clothes, and, with her hands much redder than usual, pulled Huang Huang towards the eaves. Once there, she plopped down on the ground as if she had no bones.
Niu Tielan looked at Song Jin, then at Huang Huang behind her, who was in the same position as her, and said with even more disdain, "Are you a dog? Why do you have to sit on the ground when there's no stool?"
After being away for a while, the brat's posture, which he had painstakingly developed recently, has vanished again, and she felt heartbroken.
Song Jin leaned lazily against Huang Huang, saying matter-of-factly, "I'm so tired, Mom. It took us a month and a half to travel back and forth."
Niu Tielan: "If you're tired, just lie down on the bed."
This was clearly a resolute decision to prevent her from returning to her natural state. Song Jin pouted, but still reluctantly stood up and gestured to Huang Huang: "Go play by yourself."
Huang Huang's ears perked up, it wagged its tail, looked at Song Jin, then at Niu Tielan on the other side, meowed, and ran off to the yard to roll in the snow.
They returned to Yong'an City the evening before last. They had been traveling a lot during this period, and the two days of rest were simply not enough.
At least Niu Tielan is now sore and weak all over, and doesn't even have much of an appetite, unlike Song Jin, who is full of energy and can go hunting in the mountains, raise tigers, and roll in the snow as soon as she gets back.
They were as strong as oxen and as wild as dogs.
Looking at her lazy and bored appearance, Niu Tielan waved his hand, somewhat helplessly: "If you have nothing to do, go check out the shop."
Song Jin perked up: "Great!"
She's the type who can't sit still; the moment she hears about going out to play, she perks up and starts heading outside.
Niu Tielan stopped them again: "Add a cape."
Song Jin wasn't actually cold, but adding another layer wouldn't have mattered. She ran back to her room, grabbed a red cloak, and excitedly ran out of the Duke's mansion—Song Shang had been posthumously granted the title of Duke, and the mansion's plaque had been changed, making it even more magnificent than before.
She disliked being followed when she went out and rarely had anyone from the manor escort her. She would simply walk out on her own, hop on a passing oxcart or horse-drawn carriage, and slowly ride along. If she saw something to eat on the way, she would jump off, buy some, and then follow it back.
When the weather is cool, the variety of street food is the greatest. But now, with the weather freezing cold and snow falling, the streets are mostly filled with hot foods like flatbread and glutinous rice balls. Besides that, you can see vendors selling firewood and charcoal everywhere.
"It's really cold this year; the last time it was this cold was five years ago."
The mule cart driver was a strong man in his thirties, of medium build, with some strength, but he didn't look particularly fierce. The cart was kept clean and tidy, and a small canopy was built on top to protect it from the wind and snow. Business was pretty good every day.
He sighed, "I remember that year when there was a disaster, many houses in my hometown were collapsed by the snow. Many people had to clean up, and two people died."
Song Jin rested her chin on her hand: "You can tell the weather is colder than usual. Normal people would have been repairing their houses and shoveling snow every day long ago."
The foreman shook his head: "That requires certain conditions. Many families can't even afford to eat, let alone have the money and resources for that. Some people are lazy, always thinking it's no big deal, but when something really happens, it's too late to regret it. Besides, that snow, it can fall for ten days or half a month straight; even with the best precautions, the house can't withstand it."
Song Jin reached out and caught the snow outside: "That's true. I was away for a while and just got back. Has there been any disaster in Yong'an City recently?"
Master: "Of course there are, but our Emperor is wise and benevolent, and there is special relief and food distribution every day, so the poor are doing better and won't starve or freeze to death. Furthermore, if you look closely, there are more beggars every day than before."
Song Jin had only been back for a few days and hadn't noticed this before. But upon closer inspection, he saw that there were indeed beggars every so often along the street, dressed in thin clothes and shivering.
In the summer, as long as it doesn't rain, you can find a place to live anywhere. There are plenty of wild vegetables in the wastelands outside the city, and it's not difficult to find some fish, shrimp, and small animals with a little effort. Life is much better for those at the bottom of society.
In winter, it's cold, so you have to wear thick clothes and live in a sheltered place, otherwise you can easily get sick and freeze to death.
Song Jin looked at the emaciated, stumbling beggar boy ahead, her hands clenching into fists. She gathered the snowflakes she'd collected along the way, forming a small ball which she then released into the snow. She placed a few copper coins on the ground, jumped off the mule cart, and said, "Master, I have to go now. You go and fetch the others."
The mule cart driver was somewhat taken aback: "Hey, young lady, slow down!"
Amidst the swirling snow, Song Jin, dressed in fiery red, moved with the agility of a tiger, leaping and disappearing into the streets. She scaled walls and jumped across paths, quickly returning to the Song residence without a sound.
"call out--"
A whistle rang out, and Huang Huang, who had been rolling around in the yard, sprang to its feet, its large golden eyes gleaming. It quickly spotted the fiery red figure on the wall. Wagging its tail, baring its sharp teeth, it leaped onto the tree at the corner of the wall, nimbly vaulted over the wall, and disappeared beside it.
The snowflakes continued to fall, quickly covering the marks in the yard.
An hour later, the servant responsible for bringing food arrived, and upon seeing the empty courtyard, let out a terrified scream.
"Miss Tiger is gone—"
"Find it quickly"
...
Niu Tielan rushed over upon hearing the news, and frowned as she looked at the empty courtyard.
The groom, who was responsible for feeding the tiger, was a man of great courage. He had volunteered to feed the horses and cattle when he heard there was a tiger in the manor, and now that the tiger was gone, his legs were trembling.
"Your servant! I just finished preparing the meat, and when I came back, Tiger was nowhere to be seen. Could he have jumped out? What if he hurt someone?"
That's a tiger!
It was Huanghuang's round and adorable appearance that made them lower their guard; who would have thought it could climb over such a high wall?
After searching, they confirmed that it had jumped from the tree.
They live in an area teeming with high-ranking officials and wealthy people; what if someone gets hurt...?
Niu Tielan frowned, looking at their worried expressions, and waved her hand: "It's alright, it was probably that brat who took it away. Without orders, Huanghuang wouldn't run away."
After all, it was a tiger they had raised for several years. Although Niu Tielan hadn't had much contact with it, she knew how clever Huanghuang was, almost like a spirit. It had come all the way from Si'an County to here, so it wouldn't suddenly run away.
As for someone else stealing
Only monsters have that kind of power.
She wasn't worried about Huanghuang hurting anyone, but she was concerned about Song Jin. She frowned and said, "That brat, I told her to watch the shop, what has she been doing?"
A hand smoothed the furrow in her brow.
Qu Maoze smiled and said, "Don't worry, Jinjin knows what she's doing."
Niu Tielan was speechless: "Know what she is??"
If that girl were more discerning, she wouldn't have to worry so much.
Qu Maoze chuckled: "There's nothing you can do if you don't know. She's already gone. Fine, just wait for her to come back. It's cold outside, go back inside and warm yourself by the stove. Don't you still need to write letters to your parents?"
Niu Tielan pursed her lips, suppressing her worries, and followed him back to the courtyard to continue burning incense and warming herself by the fire, thinking that she would definitely have a good talk with him when he returned.
You're such a grown-up, yet you still act so carelessly and casually.
Unexpectedly, this wait lasted for two days.
**
The number of pedestrians coming and going in Yong'an City has been increasing these past two days.
This month's provincial examination has drawn candidates from all over, who have flocked here hoping to have another chance.
And the money from test takers is the easiest to earn.
They're all from out of town; they need money for food, clothing, lodging, and transportation, right? Especially for lodging and food. People from the surrounding area are flocking here, hoping to find more work before the New Year—selling things, doing odd jobs, even just a penny or two—to help with their New Year's candy money.
Also, this year's heavy snow has made the roads difficult to travel, so we came in early to prepare for the New Year and exchange supplies.
People from the surrounding area enter the city before dawn and rush back before the city gates close, resulting in long queues at the city gates morning and evening.
Outside the city, the wind and snow howled fiercely, pounding against the towering city walls like sharp blades. Looking up, the city walls seemed to merge with the snow and wind, majestic and awe-inspiring, like a celestial palace standing tall amidst the snowstorm, solemn and imposing.
At the city gate, pedestrians and merchants lined up patiently, rubbing their hands together and breathing on them to warm them up, chatting occasionally.
Outside the city gate, two large wooden sheds stood there, with several large pots burning over fires, steam rising from them in the wind and snow, making the sheds warm but also damp.
In one shed, several chefs were busy preparing porridge, rice, and flatbread. In another shed, simply dressed but pretty young women stood serving porridge and flatbread to the disaster victims lined up in front of them. They were all working up a sweat despite the cold weather.
"Miss, let me do it."
Yang Yanjun wiped her sweat, not wanting to push herself, and handed the spoon, which was longer than her arm, to the maid before going to rest for a moment. Cheng Siyi, whose stamina was much worse than hers, was already sitting to the side, rubbing her hands.
Yang Yanjun found it amusing: "I already told you to just stand."
Cheng Siyi rubbed her arm and sighed, "Since we're already here, we should at least set a good example for Ali, right?"
Yang Yanjun looked over and saw that on the other side, on a small stool, little Ali, who was about the height of her thigh, was diligently serving food to the little beggars in front of her with a small soup spoon. Xiao Hua, An Ning, and the others were protecting her from the side. The children were not very old, but they looked like little people.
Children from poor families mature early; the more hardship they endure, the more resilient they become.
Yang Yanjun shouted, "You guys be careful!"
The group waved and continued their busy work, distributing food to the other hungry children, occasionally taking a bite themselves.
Yang Yanjun found it amusing and wiped her sweat.
Cheng Siyi looked at her like this, wanting to say something, but hesitated and stopped.
Yang Yanjun asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Cheng Siyi shook her head
Yang Yanjun and she grew up together and knew each other very well, so she wouldn't believe this. She walked over and pinched her shoulder, amused: "Just say what you want to say directly. Why are you being so formal with me?"
Cheng Siyi sighed helplessly, not because she was particular, but because she saw the smile on Yang Yanjun's face, her expression softened, and she said softly, "I can tell you really like these children."
Yang Yanjun chuckled: "They're obedient and sensible, is it strange to like them? Don't you like them?"
Cheng Siyi said softly, "She is indeed very likable."
Yang Yanjun said smugly, "Right?"
Cheng Siyi looked at her like this, nodded, her expression somewhat helpless, but still didn't say anything.
Yang Yanjun: "Hey, why aren't you saying anything? Why are you dawdling like this?"
Cheng Siyi: "Fine, if you're going to dawdle, then go back to distributing porridge."
Seeing her like this, Yang Yanjun knew she wouldn't get anything out of her. She rolled her eyes, sat down to rest, and occasionally glanced at the children over there, her eyes filled with tenderness.
The children were dressed in ordinary but thick clothing, so warm that they were even sweating profusely in the dead of winter.
Hua Hua and Ning Ning surrounded Ali, protecting her, but also freely complaining without any restraint.
"You're so clumsy, you spilled the porridge again, you silly pear."
"Your clothes are dirty, be careful."
"Drooling, drooling"
...
Cheng Siyi glanced at them occasionally, but didn't join in the children's play. She was a strict mother with high expectations for her children. They needed to learn poetry, literature, etiquette, and music, and also understand the hardships of life, lest they grow up to be naive and out of touch with reality.
Life isn't always smooth sailing. The more you observe and learn as a child, the less likely you are to be fooled when you grow up.
She brought Ali along for this grain distribution trip so that people could gain a deeper understanding of the outside world, appreciate things more, and avoid being picky and refusing to eat at home.
She took a small sip of her hot tea, then looked away from the children and towards the long queue of people still waiting in front of her. Most of the food they had prepared had already been distributed, and more than half of the people at the back wouldn't get any.
With heavy snow and bitter cold, most of these people lack food and clothing. Standing in this line, who knows how many more will catch a cold?
But the weather was freezing cold and unpredictable; a sunny morning could turn into a heavy snowfall in the afternoon, so they couldn't turn back halfway.
Cheng Siyi said, "We should still have most of the medicinal herbs we collected last time. Let's brew some more medicine and distribute it in a couple of days."
Yang Yanjun nodded: "Okay, we'll have the servants come then."
They can't keep up with always having to come in person.
There are many people in Yong'an City who provide porridge like them, the number depending on their circumstances.
Yang Yanjun comes from a wealthy family, is good at business, and has a wide network of connections. Every year, she is one of the people who handles these matters the most. Over the years, she has built up a dedicated team, making the process efficient and well-organized. Other people also ask her for help when they need to handle these matters.
Cheng Siyi watched as she regained her usual competence and efficiency, and felt a pang of emotion.
Her friend had always been good at organizing and managing things since childhood. Although she continued to thrive after marriage, she was always involved in the interests of the Marquis's family, losing some of her purity. Unlike now, she was calm and composed, radiating a dazzling aura.
Cheng Siyi nodded, about to offer some praise, when she noticed the person's expression change, staring intently in one direction with a look of astonishment and surprise. She followed the gaze, her lips parting slightly, and she too became astonished.
The snowstorm ahead intensified, and amidst the white expanse, a massive wagon appeared. This wasn't unusual; many vehicles passed by. What was unusual was that the wagon was covered in blood, littered with the carcasses of wild animals, piled high, making the vehicle creak and groan under their weight.
In front of the cart, a young girl in a gorgeous red dress walked beside a plump tiger, its neck loosely tied to the side of the mule cart.
Can you please put a little more effort into this?
Yang Yanjun pressed her chin to her lips, shocked and speechless, and said, "Didn't they just get back?"
Since Song Jin and the others had only returned two days ago, and she thought they needed to rest, and since she had already ordered porridge, she planned to visit them in a couple of days. Little did she expect this person to be so capable of causing trouble.
Where did you get this?
Before they could figure it out, the girls over there screamed a few times, dropped what they were holding, and ran over.
"Princess, Princess!"
"Yellow, big insect, big tiger"
“Meat Meat Meat”
...
Xiaohua and Ningning ran straight over, their short legs wobbling and swaying in the snow, looking like they might fall at any moment.
Because of the all-night hunt, the murderous intent that Song Jin had picked up gradually dissipated along with them. She propped herself up on her feet and whistled.
What are you all doing here?
Xiao Hua, practicing martial arts, was incredibly energetic. She leaped onto the carriage like a firecracker, but quickly jumped back. She then dragged the slowly panting Ning Ning over as well, and the two of them clung to Song Jin on either side.
"Princess, Princess, when did you get back?"
"Princess, Princess, I miss you so much!"
...
Song Jin clicked her tongue twice, then reached out and flicked their heads: "Don't pull my clothes, and don't wipe your snot on my clothes either."
The two men ignored her and held her tightly; though small in stature, they were surprisingly strong.
Song Jin rolled her eyes, speechless but with a smirk on her face, and let them be.
Yang Yanjun and the others arrived a little later. Seeing the two people clinging to her and refusing to let go, she felt a pang of sadness.
Although Song Jin knew them first, Yang Yanjun actually spent more time with the two maids and cared for them more.
Song Jin's actions were unpredictable, involving both threats and pleading, which ironically made them even more fond of her.
Yang Yanjun suppressed her sourness and looked at the large cart of wild animals behind Song Jin—pheasants, ducks, deer, wild boars, muntjacs, monkeys, and sheep—and exclaimed, "Wait, what have you been doing? Have you switched careers to become a hunter and sell wild animals?"
Song Jin hugged her two children and chuckled, "Superficial, you have no moral compass at all. You can give out porridge, but all I can do is make money, right?"
Yang Yanjun understood her implied meaning and asked in surprise, "You're going to give these away?"
This cartload of goods alone is worth several hundred taels of silver.
Song Jin raised her chin: "What, it's not okay?"
Yang Yanjun looked at the carload of bloody mess and her lips twitched: "...Don't tell me you're planning to just leave it out there and kill and throw it away randomly."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "What's the problem?"
Yang Yanjun: ...
That would be a huge problem!
Her cart was loaded with thousands of pounds of wild animals; even after removing the skin, fur, bones, and flesh, it still weighed over a thousand pounds. All of it was left here, covered in blood. Leaving aside how much time it would take to clean it up, just the effort of dividing it among everyone, plus the potential for unrest...
Yang Yanjun's expression turned pained as she contemplated the scene. Seeing Song Jin's nonchalant attitude, she took a deep breath and decisively said, "No, get down here. Give me the things, I'll handle it."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow, sitting on the mule cart, looking down at her with narrowed eyes.
Yang Yanjun replied irritably, "Don't worry, I won't take a single penny from you. I'm not that stingy."
Song Jin smiled and jumped out of the car: "Alright, then it's up to you. Do a good job, and keep up the good work!"
With that, she untied the yellow rope, grabbed the tiger, and ran off. The two of them disappeared into the snowstorm in no time, leaving behind a cartload of prey and a commotion in the surrounding area.
Yang Yanjun remained silent for a long time, then pointed at herself, incredulously asking, "Was I scammed?"
Cheng Siyi patted her on the shoulder: "The capable should do more."
Who told her to know perfectly well who Princess Mingguang was, yet still insist on getting involved? Now things are getting interesting.
She glanced at the huge pile of stuff, chuckled, and teased her friend, "It's alright, it's cold now, this stuff can last for months. You can keep it until the New Year, so don't worry about being bored later."
Yang Yanjun: ...
Help!
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