Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 147

Jiang Miao wants to go up the mountain, but Pei Che doesn’t really agree. The mountains are full of wild beasts at this time of year, especially in a place like Cangzhou, surrounded on three sides by lush, dense mountains. He has recently reviewed many case files, and three or four out of ten involve people disappearing in the mountains, with only torn clothing found later. Most of those who go missing are strong, robust men. With Jiang Miao’s slight build, he’d barely make a meal for those beasts.

Jiang Miao pesters Pei Che repeatedly, using every trick in the book until Pei Che finally agrees. But there’s a condition: Jiang Miao must bring guards with him, and he can’t go deep into the mountains. If the guards sense any danger, he has to come back immediately.

Jiang Miao obediently nods in agreement. He wants to go up the mountain to find food, not to throw his life away. That kind of heroism, where one knowingly heads toward danger, like “going into the tiger’s den despite knowing a tiger is there,” is entirely absent in him.

Pei Che sighs helplessly, “Go and come back early. If it’s not fun, come back quickly, got it?”

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Miao pats him. “You just stay at the yamen and wait for me.”

With that, he turns and leads the guards, who are carrying baskets, away without a backward glance.

Pei Che sighs again, thinking how nice it would be if today were a rest day. But he just rested the day before yesterday. According to the laws of Da Liang, court officials have a ten-day cycle for rest, which means working nine days before getting one day off.

When Jiang Miao learns this, he feels full of sympathy. Modern heartless bosses might enforce a six-day workweek, but in ancient times, it’s nine days of work for one day of rest, totaling just three days off a month. Still, compared to the exhausting days of studying at the Imperial Academy, Pei Che should feel grateful.

By June, the weather is already quite hot. But in the mountains, it’s very cool, with the occasional breeze bringing a refreshing chill. 

Because of the lush greenery, the air here is incredibly fresh. As Jiang Miao walks and looks around, he feels that his mind broadens a lot.

Unfortunately, it is already June, and most of the wild vegetables on the mountain have grown tough, losing the fresh taste they had in spring, making them not worth picking.

When they come across a shaded pine forest, Jiang Miao stops. The pine trees are thick here, and a dense layer of pine needles covers the ground, feeling soft underfoot, like stepping on a mattress.

“You two can spread out. Check under the base of each tree; there should be mushrooms hidden there,” Jiang Miao says.

After saying that, he brushes aside the pine needles under his hand and indeed finds a cluster of grayish-brown mushrooms. Their caps haven’t opened yet, and they sit round and cute on their stems.

Jiang Miao carefully picks the larger mushrooms from the cluster, then covers the area with pine needles again. 

“Cover it back after picking, and they’ll keep growing. Next time, you won’t have to look for a new spot.” Seeing the slightly puzzled looks on their faces, Jiang Miao explains. He is someone who likes to take a sustainable approach.

The two guards look like they have learned something, then spread out, each searching for mushrooms in different areas. The two young guards can’t hide their excitement, letting out small cheers whenever they find a sizable cluster of mushrooms.

The three of them search the entire pine grove and end up with a basket full of pine mushrooms.

Jiang Miao feels a bit regretful, thinking how great it would be if these mushrooms were matsutake instead, which also grows in pine forests!

But he quickly puts that thought aside, because just ahead, he discovers two bayberry trees! The dark red and almost black fruits are hidden behind the long, oval-shaped leaves, making his mouth water just at the sight.

He hasn’t eaten fresh bayberries in Liangjing yet. The city is farther north, and bayberry trees can’t survive there. Due to inconvenient transportation and the fruit’s perishability, bayberries are rare in the north. On the rare occasion they appear, they are usually dried.

The two young guards have never seen fresh bayberries before. At first glance, they find the fruit to be quite pretty. But when they see Jiang Miao pick one and pop it into his mouth, they are shocked.

“Master Jiang, don’t!”

Hmm? With a bayberry in his mouth, Jiang Miao puffs out one cheek and looks puzzled.

“This fruit is so strikingly vibrant; how can you taste it so recklessly? Let us try it first to check for poison, and if it’s safe, then you may eat it,” one of the guards says.

Jiang Miao feels touched and finds it amusing at the same time. Despite the guard’s disapproving look, he swallows the bayberry, spits out the seed, and says, “Don’t worry. I know this fruit; it’s a bayberry and isn’t poisonous. Besides, even if it were poisonous, I wouldn’t let you test it for me.” If someone is foolish enough to eat something unknown, they should face the consequences themselves. There is no need to involve others.

Hearing that it is a bayberry, the two guards grow curious. They have only ever eaten dried bayberries and have never seen fresh ones before.

“Try some; they’re quite delicious,” Jiang Miao invites them while picking another bayberry to eat. These bayberries resemble modern varieties, with juicy flesh and small seeds. They are sweet with a hint of tartness, offering a mouthful of juice with each bite.

The two guards hesitantly pick a berry and taste it, soon succumbing to the sweet flavor and eating a few more.

“Don’t eat too much; just satisfy your craving for now. If you want more, wait until we get home and soak them in salt water before eating,” Jiang Miao reminds them. He hasn’t had bayberries in a long time, so he can’t resist trying a few himself.

One guard asks in confusion, “Why do we need to soak them in salt water?”

Jiang Miao worries that the real reason might make him uncomfortable, so he simply says, “Soaking them in salt water makes them cleaner.”

The guard still doesn’t fully understand, but since Jiang Miao has already turned back to picking, he has no choice but to follow along. To prevent the bayberries from getting crushed, Jiang Miao places some soft padding in the basket. The sight of the red and black bayberries piled inside is enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

They pick enough to fill two baskets before stopping. With a bountiful harvest in hand, Jiang Miao decides not to venture further. As it nears noon, the three of them take out the simple “roujiamo” they have prepared that morning and eat until they feel re-energized, then begin their walk back down the mountain.

By the time they return home, it is already afternoon.

Jiang Miao washes the bayberries and soaks them in salt water. The fruit always attracts fruit flies, and after soaking, tiny white bugs float in the water. Jiang Miao quickly pours it out to get rid of the evidence, ensuring no one else sees it.

Perhaps it is because Jiang Miao has spent so much time with Pei Che, but he notices that the two children have become increasingly particular about their food lately. If they see what has come out of the bayberries, they probably won’t eat them.

After preparing the bayberries, he first fills two pots for Chan Yi Wen Jing and the other guards to enjoy. Then, he packs some into a small food box and brings it to the yamen office for Pei Che.

This isn’t Jiang Miao’s first time visiting, so the doormen on duty already recognize him. When they see him, they open the door courteously to let him in.

Because bayberries are quite common locally, Jiang Miao doesn’t think they are worth serving as a treat. After greeting the officials he passes along the way, he heads straight to Pei Che’s office.

The office is spacious and bright, with a table facing the open door, covered in various files and documents. Pei Che sits behind the table, intently reading a file. As the saying goes, serious men are the most attractive. Jiang Miao pauses at the door, admiring him for a moment before knocking to announce his presence.

Pei Che looks up, and a wide smile immediately spreads across his face.

“Staying diligent and not slacking off deserves a reward,” Jiang Miao says with a grin as he walks over, placing the snack box on the desk.

“What is it?” Pei Che plays along, showing curiosity.

“Ta-da!” Jiang Miao exclaims, lifting the lid with a playful flourish, even adding a dramatic sound effect.

“Bayberries?” Pei Che says after just a glance.

Jiang Miao is a bit surprised. “You’ve had them before?”

Pei Che nods. “I have it at a palace banquet. I hear it is picked from an entire tree sent from Jingnan.”

Jiang Miao feels a bit foolish. Jingnan is about two Cangzhou away from Liangjing. It is truly thoughtful to send a tree all that way, and it must be difficult to keep it alive during the journey.

“The emperor is very pleased and immediately invites princes, nobles, and high officials to taste it together. The Duke Zhongguo Mansion is also invited. The bayberries I have back then don’t seem as delicious as the ones you picked,” Pei Che says as he tastes one.

“Of course! Bayberries drop when they’re fully ripe, so they must have dug up the tree and sent it over beforehand. The tree wouldn’t have had much nutrition along the way; it’s amazing it survives at all, let alone produces sweet, juicy bayberries. Mine are different; they’re perfectly ripe, so of course they taste better,” Jiang Miao replies, reaching for another bayberry to eat.

The two of them take turns eating, quickly finishing off the entire box of bayberries. After they are done, Jiang Miao doesn’t leave; instead, he stays to help Pei Che tidy up the room. Although someone usually comes to clean, the attendants are too timid to touch Pei Che’s belongings, leaving the desk and shelves looking messy.

Pei Che smiles and says, “Those adults are all envious of me.”

“Envious of what?” Jiang Miao asks casually.

“Envy that I have a good wife.” In the whole yamen, Pei Che is the only one who has someone bringing him food every day.

Jiang Miao shoots him a fierce look. “I’ll give you a chance to say that again.”

“Envy that I have a good husband!” Pei Che says seriously.

Jiang Miao is satisfied. While he can’t gain the upper hand in bed, he is content with his verbal victories.

“They’re just trying to please you. They have beautiful wives and young children by their sides; how could they not be happy?”

Pei Che thinks back to how those adults speak and feels that Jiang Miao is right. But being a boss is just that enjoyable; hearing compliments feels much better than hearing criticisms. It seems he needs to work harder to rise in rank so others will keep their negative comments to themselves.

After Jiang Miao helps him organize, he sits for a while, listening to Pei Che read through case files. Some cases are truly unbelievable, and Jiang Miao admires the county magistrates who solve them.

After finishing one case, Jiang Miao looks at the sky and says, “Oh no, they must have been out of school for a while now.”

“What’s the rush? We have plenty of food at home. You picked these bayberries today, so I’m sure Chan Yi will give them some,” Pei Che says, feeling that Jiang Miao is too indulgent toward the two little ones, as they have become accustomed to pouting when they don’t get the food Jiang Miao prepares. However, before voicing this, Pei Che remembers how little he himself has eaten at noon.

Jiang Miao becomes anxious. “I’m worried they’ll eat too much!” The two little ones have no self-restraint when it comes to food, and since the others might not know the consequences of overeating bayberries, they likely won’t stop them.

His worries are justified. When he returns home, he finds the two little ones have already eaten quite a lot; their bellies are round, and their mouths are stained red. They smile at Jiang Miao, trying to please him.

Jiang Miao sighs. “Great, no dinner for them.”

In the evening, the two little ones sit at the table with furrowed brows, staring at a feast of dishes. They lick their lips, which still feel sore and soft, unable to even bite into tofu, feeling as if they want to cry but have no tears.