Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 8

Young Master Liang Jing? What an outdated title!

The moment this person is mentioned, Jiang Miao’s mind seems to echo those thunderous idol drama theme songs, with names like R4H4F4, all of them the coolest kids in school. Especially the leader, he has the image of a domineering boss, always saying things like ‘Woman, you’ve caught my attention,’ which makes one’s hair stand on end.

He don’t expect Liang Jing to have such a group. It’s actually quite trendy in ancient times.

“Uncle, why don’t you tell me about Liang Jing’s number one beauty instead? I’m not interested in that so-called Young Master Liang.” Seeing this guest preparing to talk about the deeds of Young Master Liang, Jiang Miao honestly interrupts him.

The man is displeased at being interrupted, with an expression that says ‘You really have no clue.’ He says, “Haven’t I finished talking about Liang Jing’s number one beauty? She’s a girl from the Duke of Zhongguo’s Manor!”

Oh… just like that, without mentioning her surname, given name, deeds, or physical description, you’ve finished talking?

“Uncle, stop kidding. I don’t even know what this girl’s name is, so how can you say you’re finished?”

“Do you still want to know her name? How can a girl’s private name be known to everyone? Everyone just knows her as Miss Pei.” The uncle has an expression of ‘How clueless can you be?’, not to mention girls from wealthy families, even girls from ordinary families wouldn’t easily reveal their private names to outsiders.

“So, who decided that she’s Liang Jing’s number one beauty? From what you just said, it seems like you’ve never even seen her.” Jiang Miao feels it’s quite unreliable.

The uncle is also taken aback for a moment, but he quickly reacts, “How can girls from wealthy families be seen by us? But her brother, Young Master Pei, often goes out. I’ve had the honor of seeing him once. He’s so handsome, with eyes like bright stars, and a face like jade. In every movement, there’s a graceful and elegant charm. If you say he’s the second most handsome man in Liang Jing, no one would dare to claim the first place.”

Feeling that he has laid enough groundwork, the uncle continues confidently, “Think about it, if Miss Pei’s brother is so good-looking, how could she not be Liang Jing’s number one beauty?”

This straightforward counter-question leaves Jiang Miao speechless for a while. Wow, this logical reasoning ability is simply incredible!

Given: Young Master Pei is Liang Jing’s number one handsome man, Miss Pei is his sister. Conclusion: Miss Pei is Liang Jing’s number one beauty.

Following this logic, Young Master Pei’s mother would be Liang Jing’s number one beautiful woman, his father would be Liang Jing’s number one handsome uncle, and their dog would be Liang Jing’s number one beautiful pet.

One person is beautiful, then the whole family is beautiful!

Seeing the uncle still waiting for his response with a smug look, Jiang Miao awkwardly smiles and says, “Yes, yes, everything you said is right!”

After seeing off the uncle, who leaves satisfied after gossiping, Jiang Miao quickly packs up his stall. Although they had chatted so much, he has only extracted one important piece of information – that the Puling Temple in the north of the city is really far from where he lives!

Originally, he had only been thinking about what buns to make, but now he has to think about how to transport them there. Carrying them over is impossible, absolutely impossible. It is already tough enough to carry them from his residence to the street; carrying them to the north of the city would be a death sentence!

After putting things away, Jiang Miao sits at the door pondering this issue. At this time, Old Man Mo also walks out from the next room.

“Little Jiang, are you finished with your business?”

“Yeah, I just came back from closing the stall. Have you eaten? Didn’t you go to work today?” Dumping night soil is hard work; you have to pull a cart with a large wooden barrel and go door-to-door collecting it, then take it outside the city to empty it. Jiang Miao was very uncomfortable when he first arrived because there was no squat toilet in the courtyard, just a small bamboo shed with a big bucket underneath, but he gradually got used to it.

“It’s my day off today,” Old Man Mo chuckles. Having a job with guaranteed work regardless of the weather makes him quite happy.

“That’s good, you can have a good rest today.” Jiang Miao says, but then his expression turns troubled again.

“Is something bothering you, Little Jiang?”

Jiang Miao nods: “Yes, I was thinking about setting up a stall near Puling Temple the day after tomorrow, but the journey is quite far. Now I’m worried about how to transport the goods. And even if I manage to get them there, the daily back and forth will be an issue. Considering the time spent traveling, I won’t be able to keep the stall open for long each day. I might end up losing money instead of earning.”

“Transporting the goods is easy. I have a friend who runs errands. He has a donkey cart. Just ask him to deliver your goods. As soon as the city gate opens, he can leave, and he’ll arrive there by daybreak.” Old Man Mo also has some acquaintances.

“But the daily back and forth will consume too much time. I won’t be able to earn much this way,” Jiang Miao is tempted, but other problems still exist.

Old Man Mo says, “That’s not a problem. The Buddhist event lasts for three days. There are many farmers near Puling Temple. Give them some money, stay at someone else’s house for a few nights, and come back after the event is over.”

“Uncle Mo, you always have good ideas. Alright, let’s do it this way! By the way, where does your brother live? I’d like to reserve his donkey cart in advance, so we don’t run into any issues later.” Jiang Miao is very pleased; he hadn’t even thought of this solution. In modern times, the first thought for accommodation would usually be a hotel, but in ancient times, where transportation was inconvenient, it was common to stay at the homes of ordinary people when necessary.

“His house isn’t far from here. Let me take you there to have a look. If he’s not there, it’s fine to talk to his wife.” Old Man Mo is quite enthusiastic.

Jiang Miao follows Old Man Mo through one alley after another until they finally reach Old Man Mo’s brother’s residence. From the outside, it’s also a large courtyard. The gate is wide open, and in front of the two rooms on the north side, an old woman is sitting, picking vegetables. There are several half-grown chickens waiting eagerly to eat the yellow vegetable leaves she picked.

“Sister-in-law, is Brother Zhang at home?” Old Man Mo greets.

The woman raises her head when she hears the voice, squints her eyes to take a look, then immediately gets up and warmly says, “Oh, it’s Brother Mo. Your brother Zhang went out to run errands today. Please come and sit.”

Afterwards, she turns and shouts into the house, “Da Niu, bring out a stool for Brother Mo and his friend. Who’s this?”

“This is Little Jiang who sells steamed buns on Qiantou Street.”

“Hello, Auntie.” Jiang Miao smiles and greets her.

“Hello there. Look at me, my eyesight isn’t good. They said the buns were delicious before, I even went to buy some from him!” Zhang Big Sister’s eyesight has deteriorated from years of sewing and mending, making her vision a bit blurry when looking at people.

A boy of eighteen or nineteen soon brings out a long stool and calls out, “Grandpa Mo.” He looks at Jiang Miao behind them, somewhat unsure of how to address him.

“This is Little Jiang, the young man who sells buns on Qiantou Street. This is Brother Zhang’s grandson Da Niu, who  works as a waiter in a restaurant, along with Xiao Wu from our courtyard.” Old Man Mo introduced the two to each other.

Jiang Miao nods at him and smiles, calling out, “Brother Da Niu.”

Da Niu responds with a sound, but his smile seems a bit forced. Aunt Zhang sighs beside him.

“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong? By the way, why didn’t Da Niu go to work today?” old Man Mo notices something unusual, his smile fading as he asks.

“Oh, he was sent back by the restaurant owner. He served spoiled food to the customers, which made them angry, saying he wasn’t handling things properly.” Aunt Zhang says sadly. Initially, it was Old Man Mo who had asked many people to help him find this job, but unexpectedly, he loses it after only half a year.

Old Man Mo understands the situation: “He’s just a kitchen assistant, what does it have to do with him if something goes wrong with the food? The boss is being unreasonable!”

“Who says he isn’t? But when customers start blaming, between a cook and a kitchen assistant, naturally the boss has to side with the cook.” Aunt Zhang naturally understands that the truth of the matter couldn’t possibly be as the boss described, but when push comes to shove, what could they do?

Beside them, Da Niu hesitates to speak, thinks for a moment, but ultimately remains silent, just bowing his head in silent sorrow.

Jiang Miao beside him sighs with some emotion. It seems that no matter how society develops, these dark matters will never be eradicated; becoming a scapegoat and being driven away is considered a mild outcome.

Seeing the mood dampened, Aunt Zhang wipes her eyes and says, “Oh, let’s not talk about this anymore. Oh right, Brother Mo, Little Jiang, why don’t you both stay and have a meal here? I’ll go cut some meat and be right back.”

“Sister-in-law, don’t trouble yourself. We didn’t come here to eat, just to inquire. Has Brother Zhang taken on any other business these days? Little Jiang here wants to hire his cart to go to Puling Temple, and he’ll need him to pick him up afterwards.”

Aunt Zhang quickly responds, “He hasn’t taken on any other business yet. He’s free tomorrow and the day after. Just let me know when you need him to pick you up, and I’ll inform him when he returns!” With one less person earning money at home, they naturally hope to find opportunities elsewhere.

Jiang Miao discusses the pickup times and prices with Zhang Big Sister. They agree that he will come to pick him up at dawn the day after tomorrow and return to pick him up again three days later in the afternoon.

Since Jiang Miao has a considerable amount of goods, the cart probably won’t have space for other passengers. Therefore, they agree on a charter price. Normally, a trip within the city costs fifteen wen, but outside the city, the price is calculated based on distance. The journey to Puling Temple will cost about sixty wen. The return trip without passengers won’t be charged, which means he will need to pay them a total of one hundred and twenty wen. It’s disheartening to realize that he has to spend so much before even earning anything. Jiang Miao smiles bitterly, making money is really difficult!

Jiang Miao pays ten wen as a deposit and then returns to the courtyard with Old Man Mo.

Since he has decided to set up the stall, he needs to prepare the goods in advance. Items like flour, radishes, and spices that will be needed in the next few days can be bought beforehand. Jiang Miao also plans to inform Old Man Ding tomorrow to see if he can bring over some more dried tofu. It’s cold in winter, so it shouldn’t spoil if left for a while. As for other things like firewood, they can just buy them directly from the local people over there.

After mentally revising the list for a while, Jiang Miao finally finalizes the things he needs to buy. He makes several trips out, akin to a squirrel moving its home, but eventually manages to gather all the items he needs for the following morning.

However, as he looks at the pile of goods on the ground, Jiang Miao falls into deep thought. During those three days, he plans to run the stall from morning till night, so the quantity of buns has to keep up with the demand. How to make buns while simultaneously managing the stall is a problem.

However, the answer to this problem tells Jiang Miao that one person can’t handle all of this. He needs to hire another person; only with two people can they manage without feeling overwhelmed, attending to one task while not neglecting the other.

But who to hire? Looking around, there isn’t anyone suitable in this courtyard. Although he has met some people while running the stall these days, it isn’t a long-term job. Who would be willing? Should he go elsewhere to find someone?

Jiang Miao thinks about it, and suddenly a person pops up in his mind, the young man Da Niu whom he met today. First, he worked in a restaurant, so his hands should be skilled, and he might even be able to help make buns. Secondly, his family has a close relationship with Old Man Mo’s family, so he could be considered a half acquaintance. Lastly, he has just been dismissed from the restaurant, so he might not immediately find another job. He might be willing to take on some temporary work for a few days.

The more Jiang Miao thinks about it, the more feasible it seems. So, he knocks on Uncle Mo’s door and explains his plan to Uncle Mo. Upon hearing this, Uncle Mo is very happy and quickly assures Jiang Miao that he will take care of it. He says he will go to the Zhang’s house after dinner and talk to Da Niu about it.

Jiang Miao thanks him and leaves the house, preparing to replenish some ingredients. With two people, they can obviously make more buns!

….

“…Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know! Finally resting at home for a bit, and can’t even have a moment’s peace. If you care so much about that family, why don’t you just go and eat at their house!”

A burst of scolding comes from the door that hasn’t been fully closed yet, and Jiang Miao feels instantly embarrassed. He hadn’t expected Old Man Mo to get scolded because of him. However, from what he hears from Aunt Mo, it seems like there’s even more animosity towards the Zhang family.

The low, murmured retort from Old Man Mo is unclear through the closed door, but from the tone of Aunt Mo’s voice, it’s apparent that she doesn’t hold him in high regard.

Jiang Miao returns to the house, but after a while, he goes to knock on the door again. The voices inside abruptly stop, and when Old Man Mo opens the door, he seems somewhat embarrassed when he sees Jiang Miao.

Jiang Miao raises his voice and says, “Uncle Mo, thank you for helping me out today. This piece of meat is a thank-you gift from me. If it weren’t for your advice, I’d still be worrying!”

Old Man Mo blushes and he hurriedly declines. He had only helped a little; how could he accept someone else’s meat? He knows Jiang Miao is trying to help him out of a tight spot, but he’s used to it. It’s just a bit of trouble for him.

As he tries to refuse, Jiang Miao persists, and they’re still in a deadlock when suddenly a hand reaches over from the side and takes the bowl

“Oh, little Jiang you’re really sincere. Let’s not make it difficult for anyone! But little Jiang, why be so polite with neighbors? Next time you need something from us, don’t hesitate!” Aunt Mo says with a smile, her words sounding very friendly, as if nothing had happened just now.

Uncle Mo whispers, “It’s just a small favor, not worth it. Quickly, give the bowl back to little Jiang!”

Aunt Mo agrees, “Yes, we should return the bowl to little Jiang” With that, she goes inside and comes back out with an empty bowl.

“Little Jiang we won’t keep you from eating. If you need anything in the future, come find him again,” Aunt Mo says.

Jiang Miao nods and smiles wryly as he leaves. Well, at least she isn’t too harsh; she even helps wash the bowl.

…

Time flies by, and it’s now the seventeenth day of the winter lunar month.

Before dawn, just as the morning bell rings once, Jiang Miao begins moving things and waits at the courtyard gate. Before long, he hears the sound of wheels rolling closer. As the sound approaches, Jiang Miao peers out and sees a big donkey’s head at the corner of the alley. Its ears perk up, and its big eyes look straight ahead, making a braying sound.

This donkey seems to be in its prime, smaller than a horse but still quite strong.

Jiang Miao quite likes these little animals. He hasn’t seen many donkeys before; back in the village where he used to live, he saw more pigs and cows.

Behind the donkey is Old Zhang, the cart driver, with his grandson Da Niu. He seems to ask something, and Da Niu nods and points towards Jiang Miao.

“Are you Little Jiang? Have you moved all your stuff out?” Old Zhang asks.

“Yes, Uncle Zhang, everything’s here.”

“Alright then, Da Niu, hurry up and get the stuff loaded. You better work hard these days with little Jiang. Got it?” Old Zhang then turns to Jiang Miao and adds, “If this kid gets lazy or dishonest, just let me know, I’ll definitely teach him a lesson! for you!”

Jiang Miao understands that he’s expressing his attitude, so he politely responds, “Brother Da Niu seems to be diligent at first glance. With his help, things will become much easier.”

Zhang Da Niu is very strong and loads everything into the car while Jiang Miao and Old Zhang are talking. He also leaves a spot for Jiang Miao to sit, sheltered from the wind. The cart only has a canopy on top, so it’s quite breezy, but fortunately, the cargo shields Jiang Miao somewhat from the wind; otherwise, the journey would be uncomfortable.

However, Jiang Miao is prepared. As soon as he sits on the cart, he takes out a large piece of cloth and wraps it around his head and shoulders, leaving only half of his face exposed.

Old Zhang asks if he’s comfortable, then cracks his whip, and the donkey begins trotting.

“Uncle Zhang, Brother Da Niu, have you eaten?” Jiang Miao’s way of addressing them is interesting, but he can’t bring himself to call Old Zhang ‘Grandpa Zhang’ or Da Niu ‘Nephew Da Niu’, so he goes with something casual. Old Zhang doesn’t mind; strict hierarchy is for family, not outsiders.

“We have, Jiang brother. You go ahead and eat.” Seeing Jiang Miao offering him a bun, Old Zhang quickly refuses. It isn’t right to accept food after taking someone’s money.

But Jiang Miao also feels that it would look bad to others when he eats it, not to mention that he has specially steamed these buns to serve as breakfast for several people.

Despite their attempts to refuse, Old Zhang and Da Niu accept the buns in the end.

Da Niu suddenly says: “These steamed buns smell so good, even better than the ones offered to guests at YingKe.”

‘Yingke’ is the name of the inn that had driven him out. They also serve breakfast to their guests, but the taste of their buns is clearly inferior to the ones he is having now.

Old Zhang agrees. Having traveled extensively, he has bought buns from many places, and indeed, the ones on his hand taste better.

Jiang Miao feels they are only saying nice things because they have eaten his food, so he doesn’t take it to heart.

After some time, the cart stops. Puling Temple is in the north of the city, so they need to leave from the north gate.

Probably because of people going to worship, the north gate is heavily congested today. Jiang Miao peeks out and sees a line about a hundred meters long. Apart from carts like theirs, there are also many beautiful horse-drawn carriages.

These carriages have no words on them, but they have different insignias, indicating the identity and status of the owner. Jiang Miao doesn’t know what these insignias mean, but he thinks they are probably similar to modern car logos?

Unlike carts, these carriages have compartments, giving the impression of warmth inside. As they draw closer, Jiang Miao occasionally hears tinkling laughter from inside, presumably from the maids and servants of the households.

Wrapped tightly and still feeling cold, Jiang Miao looks enviously at these carriages. Someday, he will earn enough money to buy a carriage of his own!