Chapter 93: Duck Duck Arrives

Chapter 93: The Ducks Have Arrived

"At midnight, as the tide calms, the grain transport barges set sail—" [Note 1]

After the third watch was announced by the clapper, the area near Tongjin Gate in Chenliu was still brightly lit and bustling with activity. Thousands of lanterns made from sheep horns hung high on the masts, lighting up the bustling docks and ferry crossings like daylight.

"Salt ships from eastern Zhejiang are here—"

"Grain barges from Huainan Road are here—"

"Tribute ships from Liangzhe and Jinghu are here—"

Official and merchant ships lined up one after another, their iron-reinforced bows slicing steadily through the water. As they neared the towering stone embankment of the grain transport dock, the splash of iron anchors, tangled with water weeds, hitting the water grew louder.

Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi were hauling bamboo cages full of ducks onto the deck.

Their grain barge was also nearing the dock.

Among the ships about to dock, the largest was a grain transport barge. Its hundred-foot-long fir hull sat so low the waterline nearly met the shore. Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi were on this ship.

Behind it was a golden-painted tribute ship with a dragon-headed prow. Crimson silk lanterns hung from its mast, and yellow silk draped its red railings, making it the most eye-catching among all the ships [Note 2].

"Ugh, I can’t keep going—my back’s done for," Aunt Li said after several trips, her back completely bent. Li Tiaozi, feeling sorry for her, quickly said, "Take a break; I’ll take care of the rest."

During this time on the ship, Aunt Li had been the one taking care of the ducks. Sometimes she’d even check on them at night with a candle, worried about thieves, and hadn't had a full night's sleep in a long time.

Li Tiaozi went back to carry more, while Aunt Li massaged her lower back and gazed out at the wide river.

The river at night mirrored the lights, its surface shimmering with ripples.

Aunt Li stared blankly, lost in thought. These past few days had been eye-opening. Jinling City was even more bustling than Bianjing. The Qinhuai River teemed with pleasure boats, the sounds of oars and music never ceasing.

She and Li Tiaozi had even made a special trip to visit Wuyi Lane and Zhuque Bridge. At the entrance of Wuyi Lane, a blind man sang of the Six Dynasties’ ancient tales. Aunt Li didn’t understand the lyrics, but it sounded quite pleasant.

The food was incredible too: crab-eye soup, elm seed cakes, pre-rain Yuhua tea, lake water chestnut rice milk, honey-preserved cherry blossoms… Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi had originally planned to save money, thinking that even though they were traveling, they shouldn’t squander the money Da Jieer had given them…

But the street vendors were too numerous and too tempting, and they couldn’t resist buying a few things to try.

First, they tried the "chain cold dish"—a vendor stretched malt sugar into thin threads, twisting them around fried dough into a nine-link chain, eaten with toothpicks. The sugar threads could stretch as thin as spider silk without breaking.

Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi only bought one to share. After each taking a bite, the sweetness melted from their throats to their hearts, and they thought of Gouer—he had never tasted such good candy before.

Later, they also tried roasted goose. Jinling’s goose was roasted over pinewood, seasoned with asafoetida, and glazed with osmanthus honey, making the skin crispy and incredibly fragrant.

After tasting the crispy, tender goose, Aunt Li figured Shen Da Jieer’s roasted duck must’ve been inspired by it. There were so many delicious things in Jinling City that they had never tried before.

The southern climate was also warmer. When Aunt Li sat in the "Zhang Xiansheng" shop under Zhuque Bridge, eating thinly sliced fish as transparent as cicada wings, the early spring breeze on her face felt warm.

Jinling’s maritime trade was thriving, and they even saw many yellow-haired, green-eyed Persians selling imported glass mirrors, telescopes, and brightly patterned carpets. They jabbered in languages she couldn’t understand. After a few days in Jinling, Aunt Li, who loved gossip and excitement, felt her eyes couldn’t take in enough.

At that moment, she wished she had three brains and eight eyes to remember all these sights, so she could boast about them to her old neighbors for three days and three nights.

Unfortunately, they only had half a day to explore. After buying enough ducks and some portable local products like Yuhua stones and Yuhua tea cakes, they immediately set off on their return journey.

After a month on the rocking ship, Aunt Li nearly forgot all the wonders she’d seen in Jinling. On the ship, she opened her eyes to feed the ducks and closed her eyes to feed the ducks.

Her mind was filled with nothing but the quacking of ducks.

Now, leaning against the ship's edge and looking down, she saw hundreds of bare-chested men jumping into the river with three-strand hemp ropes, shouting in unison as they bent forward and began pulling. The Bian River water soon soaked their leather waist guards, chilling their taut stomachs.

Most of the grain transport barges during the Song Dynasty were flat-bottomed boats. Whenever they were about to set sail or dock, they couldn't leave the port or dock without the help of trackers.

Although the government had spent a considerable amount of money to expand the ship locks, trackers were still indispensable for towing the boats.

They were the most inconspicuous yet crucial "flesh and blood waterways" in the bustling north-south grain transport system.

Aunt Li couldn't bear to watch and turned her eyes away. The leather pads on the trackers' shoulders were worn through, and the ropes were cutting into their flesh.

It was said that there were fifty-four tracker camps outside Bianjing, with a total of thirty thousand trackers. During the previous emperor's reign, each tracker earned only thirty wen per day. Now, under the current emperor, he supplemented the income of these thirty thousand trackers from his own treasury, and they could now earn eighty wen per day.

This was considered a good thing.

Turning her gaze away, Aunt Li saw groups of porters with carrying poles on their shoulders. Before the boat even docked, they had already stepped onto the gangplank, eager to climb aboard. They shouted at the people on the boat, "Do you need help carrying goods, sir? Twenty wen per load, guaranteed not to wet the corners!"

This made Aunt Li's heart pound.

"Are you trying to get killed?" A patrol officer holding a lantern with the character "inspection" quickly noticed and raised the lantern handle to pull the porters back, shouting angrily, "If you fall into the river and get crushed into pulp by the boats, don't blame anyone for not collecting your bodies!"

"Sorry, sorry," the porters bowed and scraped, smiling awkwardly as they fled back to the shore, but they still stood on tiptoe, waiting as if they would rush forward as soon as a boat docked.

Several officials from the Riverside Inspection Office and the patrol officers, accustomed to such scenes, shook their heads and continued their rounds. The leader yawned, and soon the others followed suit. They walked under the imperial plaque inscribed with "Grain Transport Connects the World," yawning all the way.

The inscription was said to be personally written by Emperor Taizong, Zhao Weizheng.

As soon as the boat stabilized, a clerk in black official robes, holding an iron ruler, measured the waterline of the boat while loudly confirming, "Grain transport barge from Huainan Circuit, carrying three hundred dan (approximately 18 tons), dock at Pier C—" His ruler tapped on the bronze plaque embedded in the bow, making a clanging sound.

Every grain transport barge in the Song Dynasty had a bronze plaque issued by the Boat Affairs Office, which was the most important verification for grain transport.

After confirming that the inscription "Huainan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jinghu Transport and Distribution Commission" on the bow was correct, the clerk blew the horn hanging around his neck, and the archers from the Inspection Office on the shore immediately surrounded the boat.

They had the character "grain" tattooed on their faces, carried bows and arrows, and wore swords at their waists. They were specifically assigned to monitor the unloading workers on each grain transport barge to prevent theft or smuggling of grain.

The unloading of grain started quickly. Although the official boat dedicated to the emperor's personal use arrived shortly after, the dock still prioritized unloading Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi's boat.

The grain transport management in the Song Dynasty was very strict. The officials on the boat had previously explained that, apart from the fast boats flying yellow flags transporting military grain and disaster relief grain, the green-flagged grain boats had priority, followed by white-flagged salt boats, and then the red-flagged tribute boats.

"The Baoyuan Grain Transport Regulations state that, except for urgent military deliveries, grain is the foundation of the state, and salt is the necessity of the people. When these two types of boats arrive, all other cargo boats must yield. The emperor loves his people like his own children. Recently, a large number of grain boats arrived in the capital, and some tribute boats were stranded at Chenliu Dock for a full seven days."

The patrol officer puffed out his chest, seemingly proud to be assigned to a grain boat.

Aunt Li suddenly understood why they had been delayed for two days upon arriving at Caizhou. At that time, a batch of military supply boats flying yellow flags had arrived, blowing their horns and entering the port ahead of them. To avoid the military boats, they had to drift on the river for two extra days.

However... Aunt Li vaguely remembered that things were not like this during the previous emperor's reign. She recalled one year when a tributary boat from a vassal state entered Bianjing, and the people on both banks of the river had to kneel and bow to the tribute boat. But she was wise enough to just nod and not dare to discuss the previous emperor's affairs any further.

Li Tiaozi finally finished carrying all the ducks to the deck, let out a sigh, and stood next to Aunt Li, looking around.

When they first boarded the boat, it was empty, and they had an easy time. The dock was not as tense, and the boat workers and patrol officers were leisurely picking their teeth, playing cards, and betting on beans. At that time, a friendly clerk accompanied them, and they naturally had not seen such a scene of archers with swords and a menacing atmosphere.

Now, looking down from the deck, both of them felt an inexplicable fear.

Over six hundred ducklings chirped and scurried around in their cages. After a moment of silence, Aunt Li couldn't help but say, stroking her chest, "Why is it so scary down there? There are even bows and arrows."

Li Tiaozi tried to stay calm, "It's fine. They're just doing their jobs. Besides, Tong, Transport Commissioner is on the boat. When we boarded, Da Jieer came to see us off, and he was very polite to her. He has been very diligent throughout the journey. Our ducks owe a lot to him; otherwise, who knows how many would have died. He will help us."

Thinking of Tong, Transport Commissioner, Aunt Li felt slightly reassured.

Tong, Transport Commissioner, had even set up a temporary bamboo shed at the stern of the boat for their six hundred ducklings, neatly arranging twenty green bamboo baskets filled with chaff brought from Jinling.

Every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), when the clapper sounded, she would get up first to mix bran with crushed snail meat into a paste and feed it to the ducks cage by cage. For water, she used reed stalks to make troughs, with both ends resting between the duck cages.

It took a lot of time every day to add water and feed the ducks.

Since the journey lasted a month, the ducks couldn't remain cramped in cages the entire time. Aunt Li gathered her courage and mentioned this to Transport Commissioner Tong, who didn't mind her request at all. He had the crew of the grain transport barge help set up bamboo fences at the stern, allowing Aunt Li to let the ducks out for a walk during sunny days.

At night, the ducks were put back into the cages and carried into the cabin.

Although the journey was tiring and laborious, thanks to Transport Commissioner Tong's help, out of the 700 live ducks they started with from Jinling, only about 30 died along the way, and the rest were strong and healthy. She even tied a red string to each duck's foot, worried they might get lost or stolen.

Fortunately, no one dared to steal on the grain transport barge.

After waiting for about an hour, with her feet sore, Aunt Li finally saw Transport Commissioner Tong hurrying over, followed by tattooed boatmen who helped unload the ducks.

After getting off the barge, a yawning clerk from the shore inspection office came forward to check the documents. Transport Commissioner Tong quickly handed over the customs document stamped with the Jinling tax supervisor's seal and discreetly slipped some copper coins into the clerk's sleeve: "Please do us a favor, these ducks are under official orders and need to be settled overnight."

Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi followed behind, not daring to breathe loudly, with the ducks.

"The higher-ups have already instructed us," the clerk said, not daring to accept the money and quickly pushing it back. After verifying the seal on the document, he immediately waved them through, "I wouldn't dare delay your official business."

It seemed the emperor really cared about these ducks, as even the clerks at the gate knew about it. Transport Commissioner Tong took this matter even more seriously, nodded, and turned to the boatmen: "Let's load the ducks onto the cart."

At the third quarter of the Zi hour (around midnight), the last cage of ducks was finally loaded onto the cart. Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi thanked Transport Commissioner Tong repeatedly and got on the cart. Aunt Li then discussed with the cart driver arranged by Transport Commissioner Tong to take the ducks directly to Shen Da Jieer's fields in the suburbs, avoiding the inner city.

This would save them the trouble of traveling back and forth twice.

Li Tiaozi, however, was worried: "What if the duck farm buildings aren't ready yet?"

Aunt Li didn't believe it: "They must be ready. Half of the duck farm was built before the New Year, how could it be delayed until now? Don't you know Da Jieer's character? She's not one to procrastinate."

"Then where will we sleep?"

"We'll manage at the duck farm for the night. You can head back early tomorrow to let Da Jieer know. I'll stay and keep an eye on the ducks."

When it came to matters concerning the ducks, Li Tiaozi usually listened to Aunt Li. He nodded sleepily: "Alright, let's do that."

The two of them, holding the duck cages, squeezed among the 600 ducks, swaying on the cart, and soon fell fast asleep.

*

Having been on the grain transport barge for so long, Aunt Li and Li Tiaozi didn't notice that their second day in Bianjing coincided with the Bathing Buddha Festival on the eighth day of the fourth month. Early in the morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Bianjing was already bustling with activity.

They had arrived at the duck farm overnight and were relieved to see the newly built walls—everything was indeed ready for the ducks!

Other areas were locked and off-limits, but the duck shed had been built before the New Year. Aunt Li had been there a few times and even had a key. They first moved all the ducks into the shed and spent the night there with Li Tiaozi, sleeping in their clothes.

Early the next morning, she urged Li Tiaozi to hurry back to the inner city to let Da Jieer know.

But Li Tiaozi got stuck halfway before even reaching the inner city.

Shen Miao still had no idea they had returned.

At the third quarter of the hour of Yin, the morning sun had just risen above the rooftops of the Shen family compound. She fastened her sleeves with a sleeve band and had already been busy in the kitchen for some time—today, Ninth Gege was returning to the academy.

It also happened to be the Bathing Buddha Festival, and the custom was to eat lotus Buddha incense cakes for peace and prosperity. She prepared them early so he could eat before leaving, which was why she had risen so early.

Making lotus Buddha incense cakes was quite intricate. Shen Miao had actually started preparing the ingredients two days prior.

She bent over to scoop out the glutinous rice she had soaked the night before from the clay jar. The rice had been soaking for six hours since yesterday and now turned into a paste when pressed between her fingers. This was the perfect consistency for making the cakes, ensuring they would be soft and sticky. She then poured out the rice and continued to grind it into a fine paste.

The lotus Buddha incense cakes required three parts ingredients and seven parts skill: the finely ground glutinous rice paste was sieved multiple times, mixed with locust flower honey, flour, and citron powder, kneaded into small balls, pressed with a lotus mold to imprint the pattern, and finally carefully wrapped in lotus leaves.

The bottom of the bamboo steamer should be lined with three layers of cloth, each layer separated by sandalwood slices, to prevent the cakes from becoming soggy at the bottom due to steam. After steaming over high heat for seven and a half minutes, sprinkle some osmanthus powder, then turn to low heat and steam for a while longer.

While waiting for the cakes to steam, Shen Miao wasn't idle; she turned to make scallion pancakes—today's breakfast was scallion pancakes and fresh tofu pudding bought from Liu Douhua's house.

It was made early in the morning and was still warm.

After finishing the pancakes, Shen Miao started making the topping for the tofu pudding. Savory tofu pudding usually includes wood ear fungus, cilantro, peanuts, and chopped scallions, then thickened with a mixture of soy sauce, salt, and starch water, poured over the tofu pudding, and topped with a bit of chili oil, making it smell especially good.

Shen Miao didn't have chili, so she added some leek flower paste instead.

She also prepared a sweet syrup for the tofu pudding: this was simple, just cook brown sugar and minced ginger into a syrup, then pick out the ginger. But when eating, mix two spoons of white sugar with one spoon of the brown sugar syrup, sweet and tasty, especially when mixed together.

During her period, a bowl of tofu pudding with brown sugar syrup eaten hot can immediately warm up the hands and feet and also alleviate some abdominal cramps.

Shen Miao has a broad palate, enjoying both savory and sweet, belonging to the fence-sitters in the north-south tofu pudding debate—however, it's said that besides savory and sweet, there's also spicy tofu pudding! A three-way rivalry truly showcases the vastness and richness of China.

As she lifted the steamer lid, the morning light filtered through the window lattice. Eighteen jade-like cake balls lay among the green leaves, and when the sunlight shone on them, the petal patterns were filled with a honey-like glow, smelling great and looking beautiful.

For the final step, Shen Miao turned to take a chopstick and gently dotted a grain of red yeast rice on the center of each cake.

Traditionally, the first batch of incense cakes is offered to the Bodhisattva, so Shen Miao, adhering to local customs, set up an incense altar in the yard.

As soon as she offered the first cake to the Buddha, she suddenly heard familiar footsteps outside. Looking up, it was Xie Qi.

He was leading his little donkey, with his bedding and book box tied to it, and Yan Shu, yawning, followed beside him.

Before even entering the door, Yan Shu's nose started twitching, and then he came in with a smile, acting coquettishly: "Mrs. Shen, I think I smell pancakes and tofu."

"Go get them yourself; they're on the stove," Shen Miao said with a smile, rubbing his round little head. "The pancakes are fresh off the stove, so they're hot—be careful when you grab them. I made two kinds of tofu pudding toppings, see if you like sweet or savory, choose for yourself."

Yan Shu was over the moon, immediately leaving Xie Qi behind, and went into the kitchen to have breakfast.

While Shen Miao was talking to Yan Shu, Xie Qi was tethering the donkey at the door, taking a long time to come in. It wasn't until Yan Shu went inside that he finally let go of the donkey's rope, pursed his lips, lowered his head, and walked in, silently grabbing Shen Miao's wrist and leading her deep into the alley.

Shen Miao raised an eyebrow and let him lead her.

There was a small dead end in Willow East Alley, a narrow gap between two walls, with moss growing all over the brick walls.

The low eaves filtered fragmented sunlight, and the wind had already brought the scent of incense and the sound of conch shells. Xie Qi's neck was red, with a thin layer of sweat, and when his Adam's apple moved, it would lift the cedar scent from his clothes.

Shen Miao leaned against the moss-covered brick wall, slippery under her touch, her face half-raised, looking at him, trying hard not to smile.

Someone like Ninth Geer should break before they can stand, she thought.

Yesterday's peck in the water room, Shen Miao wasn't much affected. He pulled her back heroically, but only licked her like a puppy, then as if burned by something, he clumsily fell into the sink.

Soaked and with water on his face, looking foolish, Shen Miao felt guilty at the time, feeling like a bully who had taken advantage of a maiden.

After that, he didn't come over all day, and when Yan Shu came for dinner in the evening, he said with his mouth full: "Ninth Geer is lying on the bed staring into space, I asked, and he said he's not hungry."

Shen Miao wasn't anxious.

She just took Yan Shu's word for it, busy with her own tasks, opening the shop to make group meals, and even going to the fast-food shop to guide Yu Wushi.

Until now.

He was leaving today, and being such a gentle and polite person, even if the sky fell, he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Shen Miao was sure he would come to see her, which is why she got up early to make the cakes.

Sure enough, she guessed right.

So even though Xie Qi pulled Shen Miao into this deep alley, even though he pressed her against the wall, there was an undeniable little smugness in her eyes.

"Shen Miao, I..."

He murmured, his face leaning down, and when his quivering eyelashes grazed her nose, the distant lively sound of the conch shell, mixed with the chanting of scriptures, made her ears inexplicably warm.

Xie Qi lowered his eyes and leaned in. The cool minty taste of his tooth powder spread on her lips. Just as they touched, his breathing became as rapid as panting, his slender hand lightly resting on her waist, and Shen Miao could even feel the thin callus on his thumb quivering as it brushed against her plain ruqun.

But he just pressed his lips against hers, foolishly frozen in place. Shen Miao suddenly had an epiphany: Did he think that just pressing lips together was a kiss?

Realizing this, a vein of frustration appeared on Shen Miao's temple. She closed her eyes, ready to respond in kind, to show him with actions what a real kiss was!

Before she could act, the warm softness of his lips hastily withdrew.

"I... I should go to the academy," Xie Qi suddenly stepped back half a step, his ears red as if they could drip blood. Shen Miao sighed inwardly and opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of his Adam's apple bobbing heavily above the bamboo knot button on his collar, completely drained of strength.

What a fool.

"I'm sorry," Xie Qi seemed to sense her emotions, but he seemed to have misunderstood, burying his flushed face in the crook of her neck with guilt and self-reproach. He said sadly, "I've wasted the teachings of the sages... Only half of the six rites are complete, and I've already been so forward with you."

After a pause, he continued to reflect:

"And I'm still shameless, having been forward twice..."

Shen Miao stood stiffly, her eyes blankly thinking.

Does pressing lips together... really count as being forward?

"But thinking about going back to the academy, I..." Xie Qi's voice had already dropped gloomily.

He thought about going back to the academy to study, not being able to see Shen Miao for so many days. The sky had just brightened, and he hadn't even left yet, but he already missed her.

These unspoken words made Shen Miao's heart soften again.

He was so tall, yet he hunched over, nuzzling into the hollow of her collarbone, his breath scorching her shoulder, yet he still didn't dare to lift his head.

Forget it, this was just how he was.

For him, pressing lips together twice was probably the most daring thing he could do, right? Shen Miao helplessly raised her hand and ruffled the back of his head. Her fingertips touched his hair and found it surprisingly fine and soft.

Like rubbing the fur of a Kylin.

"Alright, I'm not angry. I've steamed some Buddha's incense cakes for you. Have a couple before you go to the academy. If you're late, be careful of Mr. Feng scolding you," she comforted him, rubbing the back of his neck, coaxing, "When you come back for the Dragon Boat Festival break, I'll make you a large roasted meat zongzi."

He still didn't move.

Shen Miao thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Raise your head, I have something to tell you. Hurry up, Yan Shu will be looking for you soon."

He slowly raised his head.

Shen Miao immediately smiled slyly, whispering into his ear, "About what you said about being forward, I actually have a different opinion."

A moment later, Shen Miao leaned against the doorframe of her courtyard, arms crossed, smiling as she watched Xie Qi and Yan Shu lead the donkey away.

"Zhou Da said that Qiu Hao has already arrived at the academy and is waiting..." Yan Shu, who had eaten his fill, kept turning his head to look at Xie Qi, who was carrying Buddha's incense cakes and walking awkwardly. His clear, puzzled voice was carried back by the wind, "Ninth Geer, why is there a bite mark on your neck?"

At this question, Xie Qi's ears burned red again, almost knocking over a roadside fruit stall.

Shen Miao couldn't help but laugh.

She hummed a tune, turned around, and thought about steaming another batch of Buddha's incense cakes to save for Xiang Jieer and the others who hadn't gotten up yet.

Before she could enter the door, she suddenly heard a surprised and urgent call from behind, "Da Jieer! Da Jieer! I'm back with your aunt!"