Chapter 41 A Visit to the Bamboo Cottage

Chapter 41 A Visit to the Bamboo Cottage

In the outskirts, behind the Piyong Academy, there is a row of exquisite bamboo cottages nestled in the quiet mountains.

Just as the sun reached its zenith, Feng Qiniang, carrying a covered food basket, ascended the steps and arrived at the bamboo cottage. She knocked on the half-open door and heard a weak voice from inside, as if it would expire the next moment, saying, "Come in." She shook her head, took off her shoes on the steps, lifted her skirt, and pushed the door open.

The interior of the bamboo cottage was elegantly and anciently furnished, with thick bamboo mats covering the floor, soft to step on.

But as soon as she entered, she was startled by the sight of crumpled papers and scattered bald brushes all over the floor, and she even stepped into a fresh puddle of ink—fresh because the ink had obviously just been spilled, soaking into the bamboo mat, still wet.

She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in anger and said to the disheveled middle-aged man sitting in a pile of papers, "Father, how long are you going to stay in this wilderness before you come home? These days, mother has been taking care of the elderly and confused grandmother and the mischievous younger brother alone, and she is almost at her wit's end, and she still worries about whether you can eat and keep warm here!"

Dr. Feng grabbed his tangled hair and frantically spread his arms: "I can't write! I can't write! Why is this happening, why is this happening! The emperor said that *Wenyuan* is verbose and *Guangji* is bizarre, and he wants me to write a comprehensive book that records historical facts and legal codes of all dynasties, but I can't write anymore halfway through."

Then he suddenly stood up, tore and crumpled a stack of papers filled with ink on the table, and went wild like a madman for a while, only to suddenly notice a girl standing by the door. He raised his bloodshot eyes, his cheeks already sunken: "What are you doing here? Get out! Don't disturb me with worldly matters! I'm almost there... almost there, don't disturb me..."

As he spoke, he picked up a pen and started writing something on the table.

Feng Qiniang's tears welled up in her eyes, and she threw the food basket in her hand to the ground, crying, "Mother and I shouldn't have worried about you! We even brought you the food we struggled to buy! You go write your book, even if you starve to death or freeze to death, mother and I won't care about you anymore!"

With a bang, Feng Qiniang slammed the door and left. The food basket rolled to Dr. Feng's feet, the rattan lid already broken, and half a piece of fried dry noodle cake flew out.

Dr. Feng, who had been immersed in the chaotic and confusing world of books, suddenly smelled a mouth-watering spicy aroma. This fragrance rushed in, pulling him back from the edge of losing his mind to reality.

He raised his dry eyes and slowly looked down, staring at the overturned food basket for a while, then silently picked it up. A quick glance revealed two broken pieces of dry noodle cake, two solidified sauces, an egg, a few slices of meat, and some finely chopped, dried mixed vegetables.

At the bottom of the food basket, there was a note written by his wife, in neat, tiny characters, gently instructing: "Dear husband, eat on time and do not overwork. Writing a book cannot be done in a day, so do not rush. This is a new instant soup cake from an outside restaurant, just pour boiling water over it to eat, very convenient, and it will not delay your important work. Please make good use of it and eat it."

Dr. Feng, holding the letter, was moved to tears, thinking of how he had just lost his temper with his daughter, and felt ashamed. He rubbed his face, folded the letter and put it in his pocket, then picked up the dry noodle cake piece by piece, carried the basket to the back porch of the bamboo cottage, gathered firewood to boil water, and made the soup cake in a bamboo bowl.

The mountain wind blew through the bamboo forest, and Dr. Feng sniffed, staring in surprise at the freshly opened bamboo bowl in front of him. The dry and hard noodle cake had indeed turned into a bowl of delicious soup noodles in an instant!

It was nothing short of a miracle!

Having not eaten or slept for several days and not written a single word, Dr. Feng's troubles turned into a gnawing hunger at the aroma. He wolfed down the noodles, not caring about the heat, and halfway through, his stomach gradually warmed and filled, and his mind, which had been stuck in a dead end, became clear.

"Yes! That's it! Why don't I organize by people, events, and objects, and arrange them in chronological order? This way, wouldn't the history of the six dynasties be clearly visible?" Dr. Feng was extremely excited, raised his head and drank the soup noodles in one gulp, burped, stood up with his shoes on the wrong feet, almost fell flat on his face, stumbled into the bamboo cottage, and started writing furiously again.

On the path down the mountain, Feng Qiniang led the servants down the mountain angrily, only to find that Eleventh Niang Xie's carriage was still waiting at the foot of the mountain. She sighed in frustration, stepped forward and lifted the carriage curtain: "Eleventh Niang, didn't I say you didn't have to wait for me, why haven't you gone back yet?"

"How could I leave you alone? I promised to accompany you to deliver food to Uncle Feng." Eleventh Niang Xie grinned, her round face, button nose, and wide, round eyes inherited from her parents, not particularly beautiful, but quite cute.

She had begged her mother for a day off early in the morning to go out with Feng Qiniang.

In the past, her mother would always take her along to manage household affairs, teaching her how to handle the household.

She had just turned sixteen this year, and although some women married early at this time, others married at nineteen or twenty, but her family had already started looking for a husband for her. Xi had become stricter with her in the past six months. In the past, she would indulge her to go out and play, or to stay at the manor, or even take servants to stay at her uncle's house in Youzhou. But since the New Year, she hadn't had a chance to go out alone for a long time. Occasionally, she would go out with her mother to attend banquets hosted by acquaintances, or take a carriage to the family's shops to collect accounts, or go to the Xie family granary in the suburbs to check the newly delivered grain.

She hadn't had a chance to really play or wander around.

She said excitedly, "Later, you accompany me to the gold and silver shop to pick up the newly made hairpin, and we'll buy some tea soup, and go to the Zhou Bridge to watch a play, okay? I heard someone wrote a new play called *Prime Minister Wang Divorces His Wife*, and it's said to be very interesting and well-sung."

"Whatever you say. Whether it's picking up things or watching a play, I don't want to go home now... seeing mother so tired, and I can't help, it makes me even more sad." Just now, Feng Qiniang heard Eleventh Niang Xie mention her father, and thought of the chaos at home, her grandmother getting more senile, not recognizing people and always hitting people with a cane! She knew she shouldn't hate her grandmother, but she felt even more sorry for her mother who was inexplicably beaten. Feng Qiniang couldn't help but sigh gloomily, and even though she agreed to Eleventh Niang's suggestion, she was still unhappy after getting into the carriage.

"Qiniang, why are you tormenting yourself? Leave your parents' troubles to them, since we can't help, we should just take care of ourselves." Eleventh Niang Xie tilted her head, at her age she was most intolerant of evil, so she hugged her arms and snorted, "Especially don't worry about your father, you always think of him, but he only thinks of his book, even the instant soup cake we struggled to buy from Shen's shop was sent to him, did he appreciate it? Seeing you like this, you must have hit a wall, don't bother with him anymore."

Feng Qiniang lowered her head gloomily: "Saying I won't bother with him, but how can I really not? He's my father after all. I know you're trying to comfort me, but don't say that in the future, I know your heart is in the right place, but if someone with ulterior motives hears it, they might say you're unfilial, what then?"

"I know, so I only speak my heart to you. I'm not saying you should never bother with him, but you should teach him a lesson. My mother said, as a woman, you can't always be virtuous, without a bit of temper, you'll be treated like a doormat and bullied." Eleventh Niang Xie puffed up her cheeks and said fiercely, "Just like my annoying father, he actually took all the remaining instant soup cakes from home to the government office this morning, saying he wanted to treat his colleagues to a feast, it made me so angry I vowed not to speak to him for three days! And I was serious!"

Speaking of the instant noodles, Eleventh Niang was also very eager to have some. She had wanted to make a bowl this morning, but when she sent Ju Li to the kitchen to fetch some, Chef Fang shrugged helplessly and said they had all been taken by her father, leaving nothing behind! Even the basket was gone, not a single crumb remained.

At that moment, Eleventh Niang felt like her world had collapsed.

Fortunately, Ninth Geer was familiar with Madam Shen, and after much pestering, he had Zhou Da go to Shen's shop to buy some more instant noodles.

These days, the threshold of Shen's noodle shop was nearly trampled by the crowds. Every day, people lined up all the way to the Golden Beam Bridge to buy the instant noodles. Madam Shen alone couldn't possibly handle such a large demand, so she finally announced that she would only sell two hundred noodles a day. Yet, demand still far exceeded supply. Later, some loafers started camping out in front of the shop early in the morning, rushing in as soon as Madam Shen opened the door, buying ten or twenty portions at once, and then reselling them at inflated prices to those who missed out.

Ninth Geer said that Madam Shen called this "scalping." Eleventh Niang didn't quite understand, perhaps... because these loafers reselling the noodles looked like a herd of panicked oxen running wild?

However, yesterday Madam Shen added a new rule: each person could buy up to three bowls per day. She also began handing out bamboo tokens to the long line of customers, with each token representing one bowl. Once the tokens were gone, those at the end of the line didn't need to waste time waiting.

Some other shops also started copying Madam Shen by making fried instant noodles, but they didn't know the recipe. Some fried the noodles until they were black and charred, while others couldn't get the noodles to soften properly or achieve the delicious broth that Madam Shen's had. To this day, only Shen's noodles remained both delicious and convenient.

Noodles, noodles—Eleventh Niang never knew she could love noodles so much.

Just thinking about it now made her hungry.

Eleventh Niang glanced at Feng Qiniang's still gloomy face and whispered, "Why don't we head to Shen's shop to eat first? They've probably sold out of the instant noodles by now, but Ninth Geer said Madam Shen's other noodle dishes are also delicious. We could go and try them."

Feng Qiniang lowered her head and said, "I have no appetite."

"You're just like your dad now! How can you not eat when something's bothering you? Listen to me, have a bowl of hot noodles. If it even makes you break a sweat, you'll feel much better from the inside out." Seeing that she couldn't persuade her, Eleventh Niang rolled her eyes and played her trump card, saying mysteriously, "Ninth Geer might be there as well. I saw him go out today."

At the mention that Xie Qi might also be there, Feng Qiniang's expression softened slightly, and she said shyly, "Then... let's go and try it."

Great! Ninth Geer had said that Madam Shen's shop also had a fantastic "muddled noodle dish," and she was dying to try it! So Eleventh Niang excitedly instructed the servant following the carriage to turn the carriage around and head straight to Willow East Alley by the Golden Beam Bridge.

Meanwhile, Shen Miao, whom Eleventh Niang was so eagerly thinking about, was sitting across from Aunt Gu during the quiet noon hours, listening to her explain in detail how to hire workers from the "labor broker." She was at her wit's end—she had been washing dishes and cleaning until midnight for three or four days straight.

Although business had been booming these past few days, and the money jar was so full it was overflowing (she hadn't even had time to count it yet), she roughly estimated that she had earned over ten strings of cash.

The money was good, but it was just too exhausting! She, Ji Geer, and Xiang Jieer had been working like spinning tops these days. Without enough sleep, their minds turned sluggish, and in the past two days, even she had dropped bowls, broken things, and made mistakes with the noodles. She could handle some hardship, but the two younger ones were still growing, and they were so tired their steps were unsteady. That was just cruel. So today, after much persuasion, she sent Xiang Jieer and Ji Geer to rest at the bookstore for a day, forbidding them from staying home to work.

She absolutely had to hire help.

The popularity of instant noodles was beyond her expectations. After all, they were convenient to eat, but not so convenient to make! The effort required was even more than for regular noodles. Before making the noodle cakes, she had to knead, rest, and stretch the dough, then boil the noodles until half-cooked, cool them in cold water, and drain them. This step couldn't be skipped—only the shock of hot and cold could make the noodles crispy and chewy after frying.

Then, she had to add secret seasonings like Sichuan pepper and salt to the drained noodles before frying them. Frying also required patience—the oil had to be at medium heat, and she had to turn the heat down to low once the oil was hot enough. The noodles, coiled into circles, had to be fried until set, then gently flipped to fry the other side.

Not to mention the broth, roasted vegetable bits, marinated eggs, and braised meat!

Thanks to her past life's experience, she was already quite efficient, but she still couldn't produce in large quantities.

The current craze had lasted for several days now, and although it was slowly calming down, there were still many people coming specifically to buy instant noodles every day. To sustain the business in the long term, she couldn't keep struggling like this. Now, just to supply two hundred portions of instant noodles a day, her breakfast stall and other noodle dishes were almost completely halted.

What shocked her was that even "scalping" had emerged. She felt that this couldn't sustain a healthy cycle and could easily collapse like a bubble.

The instant noodles were popular now because they were novel and convenient, but as with any food, over time, some would love it while others wouldn't. Just like people, it was impossible to please everyone. She could foresee that this frenzy would eventually subside. She couldn't rely solely on this to make a living; she had to ensure the diversity of her shop's menu and keep operations running smoothly.

Otherwise, once imitations appeared, things would get even worse.

But imitation was inevitable. In the Song Dynasty, intellectual property protection relied solely on moral agreements, such as noting on printed books that they were published by a certain bookstore and forbidding reprinting. But this was futile, as there were no formal legal protections. Craftsmen like Shen Miao or Old Man Yang relied on secret family or master-disciple traditions to maintain their edge.

But even in later eras, this was hard to prevent, let alone a thousand years ago. The Chinese people had always been exceptionally talented in the art of imitation over thousands of years, and Shen Miao didn't dare underestimate the wisdom of the working class.

One day, the method for making instant noodles would be cracked, so she had to prepare for that day in advance.

This preparation, in detail, started with hiring help.

She wanted to free her hands from tedious and repetitive chores, focusing on making delicious food and creating an increasingly diverse menu.

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself; only good skills can retain customers forever.

Aunt Gu also knew about her troubles. Hearing that she intended to hire help, Aunt Gu nodded in agreement and explained to her:

"Currently, there are more than ten labor brokers in the inner city. I found Zhang Yazi, who is quite reliable. If you specify what kind of person you're looking for, he will find them for you. It usually takes about half a day to bring four or five people for you to interview. If you don’t like them, he will look for others. If you find someone suitable, agree on the wages, and he will find a familiar lawyer to draft a contract, and that’s it."

Aunt Gu, while sewing clothes, glanced at the dark circles under Shen Miao’s eyes from staying up late, "I’m not just saying this as your aunt, but you should have hired someone before opening your shop."

Shen Miao smiled bitterly, "How could I have known it would suddenly get so busy?"

Having grown up with various types, flavors, and brands of instant noodles, she still underestimated how much the ancient people would love such food. Perhaps in her previous life, when instant noodles were introduced in Japan, they were just as globally popular?

"But Auntie thinks you shouldn’t hire help; you should buy two servants," Aunt Gu suddenly lowered her voice, offering advice very empathetically, "Auntie's family also has a secret ancestral recipe for brewing wine, which must never be revealed! So, in our home, we only hire two laborers temporarily in March and September to move wine jars, and they’re not allowed to do anything else. Usually, your Uncle Xie and Tusu handle everything, and the brewery is never open to outsiders. Even the yeast must be kept secret. But you’re different. If you hire people to wash dishes, clean, fetch water, or chop wood, your kitchen is so small, and it’s hard to keep them from learning your secrets. What will you do then? It’s better to buy two servants, hold their contracts, make them serve you for life, and not allow them to serve others. This is the safest way."

Shen Miao pondered for a moment but was still hesitant.

First, it’s not a famine year, and buying a capable laborer would probably cost thirty to fifty strings of cash, which isn’t a small amount; second, Shen Miao isn’t the type to exploit others. Buying someone to serve her would make her feel guilty, and she wouldn’t want to mistreat them. Once bought, she’d have to take care of them for life, including their old age, sickness, and death, which requires careful thought; third, once you buy someone, there’s no turning back. If the person is lazy, slow, or has a bad character, what then? Would she have to sell them like cattle or sheep?

But hiring is different. A contract is a clear, equal transaction. If they don’t perform well, they can be returned to the broker and replaced. She can talk to them normally and treat them as equals.

But Aunt Gu’s advice also has merit. In this era, her craft is everything, and she certainly doesn’t want her skills to be stolen and used against her. As the saying goes, "Teach an apprentice, starve the master."

She doesn’t want to starve either.

After thinking it over, Shen Miao sighed, "I’ll think about it some more."

She said goodbye to Aunt Gu and dragged her feet back to her shop, which was quietly waiting for customers.

She’d stayed up all night two days ago, frying four hundred noodle cakes to sell over two days, finally getting a chance to catch her breath. This morning, she sold two hundred, and there are still two hundred left in the kitchen, allowing her to prepare the next two hundred needed for the day after tomorrow without rushing or making mistakes.

But since she sold out early in the morning, the shop was less crowded than the first day. It seems many people didn’t know she made other kinds of noodle cakes and only came for the instant noodles, buying them and leaving. So, the shop was lively for a while after opening but soon quieted down again.

Especially right after noon, it felt even emptier.

Shen Miao sat in her shop thinking about hiring help, while Thunder and the little dog lay by the shop door soaking up the sun, their fur fluffy, their amber eyes slowly closing.

Just as the dog was about to doze off, there was a rare commotion outside on the street.

"You said I could try her out without pay, and I did for a few days, but I’m not satisfied and don’t want to hire her anymore. Is that not okay? Who’s not keeping their word now? Isn’t that what you said? Now you come to bother me, let go! Do you want to try my fist?"

Shen Miao looked up. She couldn’t see where the argument was, but from her shop, she could see a long shadow slanting on the ground, seemingly of a robust man with his hands on his hips, impatiently pushing a smaller, weaker woman in front of him:

"Get lost, if it weren’t for my kindness, you and your dumb daughter wouldn’t have had food these past few days! If you keep pestering, I’ll report to the authorities! Let you, a swindling old thief, taste the Garrison Troops’ sticks!"

The woman’s shadow was shoved to the ground but still clung to the man’s clothes. However, upon hearing him threaten to report to the authorities, she let go in fear. The man then snorted heavily and strode away.

"Who would hire a fool? Daydreaming!"

As the man left, a mournful cry came through. Shen Miao couldn’t help but stand up and look out, only to find it was someone she had seen before.

On the street diagonally across, the old woman who used to keep her place very clean was now in a sorry state, with a bruised cheek and disheveled hair. She sat on the ground, covered in dust and mud from pleading. Her daughter, clueless, squatted behind her, still marked with soot.

Many onlookers curiously gathered around, pointing and whispering. Instinctively, she spread her arms to shield her taller daughter behind her, no longer crying but gritting her teeth trying to stand up. However, she had fallen quite hard and couldn’t get up, so she fiercely scolded the onlookers, "What are you looking at! It’s none of your business! Move aside!"

Shen Miao didn’t hesitate much and pushed through the crowd, bending down to help the old woman up with a slight effort.

The old woman, her face still wet with tears, was suddenly pulled up and looked at Shen Miao in surprise.

The tears on her face, like rivers, washed away the loess and dust, leaving two muddy trails that extended to her thin chin, making her look both comical and pitiful.

Aunt Li was also in the crowd watching the spectacle. Wherever there was a spectacle, she was sure to be found, especially since her shop was nearby. She had been munching on melon seeds, thoroughly enjoying the scene, when she suddenly saw Shen Miao pushing her way through. She instinctively tugged at Shen Miao's sleeve, saying, "Da Jieer, what are you doing? Don't meddle in other people's business, or you'll end up getting tangled in it too, bringing trouble upon yourself."

Her voice wasn't soft, and it added to the old woman's already humiliated expression.

"You there, stop talking nonsense! I haven't been causing trouble or cheating anyone! My daughter worked hard for ten days at Mr. Tao's house, carrying water, splitting firewood, and even staying up all night to watch the kiln, without a moment's rest! And what did he give her? Two bowls of watery gruel a day, and now he won't even pay her a single coin! I just wanted to ask for an explanation, but his servants beat me and shamed me! How can you say I'm the one causing trouble?"

"Isn't your daughter a fool? Can a fool even work?"

"Didn't you say you'd try her out without paying? Isn't it you who's going back on your word?"

"Exactly, it's already a kindness that they were willing to hire a fool..."

The old woman's tears welled up again, and she clenched her fists, both anxious and angry. "We agreed on a three-day trial without pay, but my daughter worked for ten days without pay! Shouldn't she be paid for the extra seven days?"

But her voice was lost in the crowd's mocking laughter at the idea of a fool being able to work. Only Shen Miao heard her plea.

Shen Miao helped brush the dust off the old woman and decided. She asked softly, "Auntie, my shop is also hiring. Can your daughter wash dishes and sweep the floor? If she can, would you like to give it a try at my place? If you're worried, I can pay her daily wages—work a day, get paid for a day. But if she doesn't do well, I'll dock her pay. If you're willing, come to my shop, and we can discuss it in detail."

The old woman suddenly looked up, as if only now recognizing Shen Miao as the one who had made her a hearty bowl of noodle soup that day. She suddenly felt guilty and tried to subtly pull her arm away from Shen Miao's grasp, stammering, "It's you? You... you... aren't you trying to trick me into paying for that bowl of soup noodles? I really... have no money left."

No wonder she had run off in a hurry that day when Shen Miao told her to wait. She was worried about this. Shen Miao smiled. "Since you have no money, why worry about me tricking you? Come on, let's go inside."

And so, she led the old woman, who in turn led her tall, sturdy daughter, the three of them like a chain, pushing through the whispering onlookers and returning to Shen's Soup Noodle Shop.

Actually, when the mother and daughter had come to her shop that day to eat noodles and mentioned they were looking for work, Shen Miao had already been intrigued. So today's act of kindness wasn't entirely impulsive or done on a whim.

Shen Miao took them straight to the backyard, settling them under the eaves, then went into the kitchen to grab two clean towels. She handed them to the mother and daughter so they could clean up before continuing the conversation.

The old woman gushed her thanks, first wiping her daughter's face and hands before slowly tidying herself up. After redoing her loose bun, she sat upright and bowed deeply to Shen Miao, her gaze filled with even more gratitude.

Shen Miao shook her head and poured two bowls of hot tea. "Drink some tea, and then we'll talk."

"Thank you, Miss Shen," the old woman said, holding the tea bowl with both hands. She glanced at her daughter, who was staring blankly at the chickens strutting proudly in the yard. She sighed and turned back to Shen Miao. "Miss Shen, is what you said about hiring for real?"

"It's for real. Right now, I'm running this noodle shop all by myself, and it's becoming too much. I'm looking for someone hardworking and honest to help with washing dishes, sweeping, fetching water, and chopping wood. That's all I need," Shen Miao said, sitting down on the ground under the eaves. "But I'm not sure if she can do these things?"

"She can! She can!" The old woman's eyes lit up with hope again. She put down the tea bowl, wiped her hands on her clothes, and then carefully took Shen Miao's hand. With a choked voice, she began to explain her situation. "Miss Shen, she's very capable. I had her when I was forty, and by then, her older brothers were already married. Because of the age gap and her condition, her brothers and their wives didn't want anything to do with her, seeing her as a burden. Even my husband suggested we abandon her in the mountains, let the wolves or tigers take her, so she wouldn't drag the family down."

"But she's still a life! I gave birth to her, and even though she doesn't understand much, she seems to understand some things. She knows I'm the only one who cares for her, so she clings to me all day, holding onto my leg. I just couldn't bring myself to abandon her. So no matter what others said, I raised her."

"But as she grew older, her sisters-in-law grew more resentful of her. Once, when I fell ill, my eldest son tried to take her to the mountains and leave her there. I had to drag myself out of bed and search everywhere until I found her in a ravine, dirty and crying, clinging to me and refusing to let go. That's when I realized I couldn't just keep her like this. If I died, no one would care for her. No matter how much people looked down on us, I had to teach her how to survive on her own."

The old woman wiped away her uncontrollable tears, but there was no weakness in her eyes—only an unexpected determination. "I can't blame my sons and daughters-in-law. The family isn't well-off, and they have their own children to raise. But I don't rely on them anymore. So from the time she was eight or nine, I taught her how to chop wood, fetch water, wash clothes, fold clothes, wash dishes, wipe tables, and sweep the floor. She learned slowly, but with careful teaching, she got it. She really can do it, and she does it well."

"If Miss Shen is willing to hire her, I still stand by my word—let her work for you for three days without pay! If you find her useful, then hire her. I have no other demands. Just give her two meals a day, clothes for the seasons, and thirty coins a day. That's all she needs. She can only count to thirty, so more than that would be pointless. With thirty coins saved up, she'll have money to see a doctor if she gets sick. That's enough. If she doesn't do well during these three days, breaks a bowl or makes a mistake, I'll definitely compensate you. Whether you keep her or not, just tell me honestly, and I won't complain or refuse to leave."

As she spoke, the old woman trembled slightly and lowered her head, as if awaiting Shen Miao's judgment.

Shen Miao asked, "What's her name?"

"Yu, my husband's surname is Nian, so we call her Nian Yu," the old woman said with a bitter smile. "With her condition, I can't hope for much else. I just pray that she'll have enough to eat and wear, year after year, and not suffer."

"Where do you live?" Shen Miao asked.

The old woman quickly replied, "Just outside the city, in a shack by the water gate. My husband and son work under the Garrison Troops guarding the water gate. We have a small boat, and we use it to help dredge and clean the riverbed, earning a meager living. Miss Shen, don't worry, we're honest people." She lowered her head again. "I've searched all over the outer city, but no one would hire her. That's why I came to the inner city to try my luck."

Little did she know that in the inner city, she'd be tricked into working at a pottery kiln, almost becoming a lifelong indentured laborer. The thought made her shudder with fear.

Shen Miao nodded and tried calling out to Nian Youyu, "Youyu?"

She was engrossed in watching two chickens fighting, but upon hearing someone call her, she turned her head in confusion, her mouth opening slightly as she struggled to utter a short "Ah," then stared blankly at you.

She can respond to people. Shen Miao thought to herself.

Then she decisively stood up, clapped her hands, and said, "No need for three days. We'll see if she can work as soon as she starts. Let's give it a shot while it's still quiet."

"Youyu, come with me," she called out.

Youyu slowly turned her head to look at her mother, who nodded encouragingly and silently waved her hand, "Go on."

She slowly stood up and quietly followed Shen Miao.

She listens. Shen Miao thought to herself again.

Entering the kitchen, Shen Miao handed her a stack of bowls and half a loofah sponge, instructing her to wash them. Without a word, Youyu bent her head and began scrubbing. The old woman pressed against the kitchen window, anxiously watching, as if fearing a bowl might slip from her hands.

After finishing the dishes, Shen Miao checked them without a word and immediately had her sweep the floor, then fetch water and chop firewood. As the old woman had said, she wasn't quick, but she was focused and diligent, doing a good job.

Her simplicity meant she had no distractions and didn't know how to slack off. She worked meticulously, almost unaffected by her surroundings.

After a round of tasks, Shen Miao smiled at the old woman, who was on edge, and said, "Let's go."

Go? The old woman's heart sank, and she despairingly took her daughter's hand, ready to say goodbye and head home.

As she turned, she suddenly heard Shen Miao clap her hands and say, "Oh, did you bring your ID?"

"Yes... what?"

"Let's go, then. We'll find a lawyer and draft a contract," Shen Miao said, unhesitatingly taking Youyu's rough, large hand. "From now on, she'll stay with me. Here, she'll have enough to eat, and I won't just give her thirty coins a day—she'll get fifty instead. The money she can't count, you, her mother, can save for her. When she's old and can't work, she'll at least have some savings to fall back on."

This time, the old woman truly burst into tears, holding back before squatting down to cry.

Youyu panicked, squatting down too, flustered and unsure what to do. Finally, she clumsily opened her arms and hugged the old woman, mumbling, "Cold, cold, hush, no pain, no cry."

"No pain, no crying."

***

Afterward, Shen Miao led Youyu and her mother to a lawyer to sign the contract and stamp it. She then took them to the street to buy Youyu two sets of fine cloth short-sleeved clothes and brought her to a nearby "fragrance bathhouse"—a bathhouse in Bianjing, not a perfume shop.

The child had endured hardships in the pottery kiln, leaving her with a sour smell and clothes burned with several holes. Shen Miao took her inside, had the bath attendant scrub her thoroughly, and after washing off a thick layer of grime, she looked noticeably fairer.

After dressing her in new clothes, Shen Miao didn't hesitate and directly handed fifty copper coins to Youyu's mother, then began assigning tasks to Youyu.

People thought she was foolish for hiring a simpleton, but Shen Miao thought it was just right. Youyu was the best at keeping secrets, worked diligently without complaint, didn't gossip, never slacked off, and her wages were lower than a normal person's.

Listening to Youyu standing by the sink, continuing to wash dishes with a splash, Shen Miao could finally concentrate on making her noodles.

Just then, two young girls dressed in gauzy wide-sleeved robes and pleated skirts stepped into the shop. Hearing the noise, Shen Miao looked out through the window and noticed they were accompanied by attendants.

They didn't seem like ordinary young ladies.

As soon as they entered, they instinctively looked up at the menu on the wall. One with a melon-seed face remarked, "It's somewhat charming," and continued reading, eventually spotting the two calligraphy pieces on the wall.

At first, she didn't seem to recognize them. The melon-seed-faced girl turned to the round-faced girl and exclaimed, "Hidden in this bustling market, a small roadside eatery actually has calligraphy all over its walls. How novel... Let me see what it says. Huh? Wait... this brushwork seems familiar. No... no..." Her curious voice suddenly stopped, turning into complete astonishment: "Isn't this Ninth Geer's handwriting?"

The round-faced girl was also stunned, murmuring, "Yes, it is indeed Ninth Geer's handwriting. The signature is Xie Jiu, and the seal is Ninth Geer's usual small leisure seal, engraved with 'Guan Shan.'"

This was like a bolt from the blue. The melon-seed-faced girl's expression wavered with distress as she pointed at the calligraphy, her fingers trembling slightly: "Ninth Geer's handwriting... I've asked him several times to write for me, but he refused. How could it be hanging here?"