TTTQF Chapter 135

A Smooth Sailing Life

Since they need to investigate someone, Jiang Miao knows he can't do it alone. This is where Pei Che's subordinates come into play. 

With just a glance from Jiang Miao, Pei Che understands immediately.

"I'll have someone look into it. When you go back, bring the work contract he signed from your shop," Pei Che says.

Jiang Miao nods. The work contract is equivalent to a modern-day work agreement. It contains a lot of information, such as the home address and family composition. A legitimate work contract can be taken to the government to be stamped, protecting the interests of both parties.

For lunch, Jiang Miao is the one cooking. Cooking is one of life's greatest joys for him, especially when he has top-quality ingredients. When Second Uncle Jiang pulls out that "moldy" pork leg from the gift Pei Che brought, with a puzzled look on his face, Jiang Miao’s eyes light up.

"Why does this cured meat look like this?" Second Uncle Jiang is a little disgusted, but he doesn’t say much. He guesses it has been left too long, and the two didn’t know, so they brought it over as a gift.

"Uncle, this is ham, not cured meat. Look at the color, it’s probably been cured for three years..." Jiang Miao strokes the ham like he’s seeing his lover. In modern times, he never manages to get his hands on authentic Jinhua ham. Although this dynasty doesn’t have Jinhua, the ham before him is in no way inferior.

Of all the dishes made with ham, Jiang Miao thinks the most famous one must be Honey-Glazed Ham. This dish is made using the top part of Jinhua ham, steamed and boiled three times to perfection, producing an incredibly sweet and savory flavor. Jiang Miao has tried making it before, but since the ham wasn’t authentic, the taste left him unsatisfied. He had vowed that, given the chance, he would try again.

But today isn’t the right time to make this dish, as it takes far too long.

Jiang Miao feels a bit disappointed, but seeing such a large piece of ham in front of him, he can’t help but get excited again. Even if he can't make Honey-Glazed Ham, he can still make Salted Pork and Bamboo Shoot Soup! Although it isn’t spring, and they don’t have fresh bamboo shoots, winter bamboo shoots will work just fine.

After Jiang Miao processes the ingredients, he simmers the soup, leaving the lid off the entire time. The fragrance fills the kitchen, and anyone who smells it can’t help but sniff deeply, as if doing so would ease their growing craving for the food. The finished Salted Pork and Bamboo Shoot Soup has a milky broth with a rich flavor. The winter bamboo shoots are crisp and fragrant, the pork tender and juicy. One bite leaves a lingering taste that makes people crave more.

“Brother Miao’s cooking is so delicious!” Jiang Miao’s chubby third cousin exclaims after finishing a bowl, wearing a look of great sorrow and despair.

“If it’s so good, why are you making that face?” Jiang Miao teases her.

His third cousin glances at him and says, “Because after eating it today, it'll be a long time before I get to have it again!”

Jiang Miao doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn’t expected that to be the source of her frustration. The others burst into laughter as well, because after finishing today’s meal, they all secretly share the same thought as her.

After the meal, everyone goes back to their respective places. Carrying the ham with a few slices cut off, Jiang Miao happily walks toward the carriage outside.

"Why didn’t you stay at your uncle’s for dinner?" Pei Che, having left earlier than Jiang Miao, asks when he sees Jiang Miao carrying the ham and getting into the carriage.

“I wanted to, but Uncle and Auntie said this thing uses too much firewood, and that they’d be just as happy eating cured meat at home,” Jiang Miao explains. “They also said if I didn’t take it, they’d just hang it up and never touch it.”

They haven’t heard of ham before and aren’t aware of its value. For them, rather than going through the trouble of preparing the ham, it makes more sense to just cook some cured meat at home.

Pei Che doesn’t say anything more. He takes the box with the ham and places it to the side. Jiang Miao sits down next to him and asks, “I’ve been meaning to ask, where did you get this ham?” Pei Che had prepared the gifts, and Jiang Miao isn’t sure what’s included.

Pei Che replies, “Didn’t we receive a lot of gifts yesterday? This ham is one of them. I noticed the beautifully crafted wooden box, but I didn’t expect it to contain something like this.” He’s a bit embarrassed, not expecting to make such a mistake.

“The gifts haven’t been stored yet, right? Once we get back, I’ll help Chan Yi and the others inventory them.” Jiang Miao is clearly excited. He had initially assumed the gifts were just things like gold, silver, and famous paintings, which don’t interest him much. Now that he knows there could be rare ingredients inside, he’s filled with enthusiasm.

Pei Che easily understands Jiang Miao’s thoughts. He sighs, wondering if this guy could ever be as passionate about anything else besides food.

The two of them ride the carriage to the Jiang family’s small shop first. Although the weather is too cold to sell liangpi and crayfish, they still have plenty of customers at lunchtime and in the evening because they’re now selling hotpot skewers.

The skewers are arranged neatly for customers to take from baskets themselves. Once chosen, they’re boiled, and a ladle of thick, milky broth is poured over them. Then, a variety of seasonings is added. On a cold day, a bowl of this can make a person sweat all over.

This is essentially mala tang (spicy hotpot) in modern times, but in the ancient world, it’s a novelty. Unfortunately, it’s easy to imitate, and after only a month of their exclusive business, other shops start selling it too. Although the flavors vary, the most authentic mala tang is still sold at the Jiang family’s small shop. Families with a bit more money still prefer to eat here. Although it’s a bit pricier than other places, it’s worth the extra cost!

When Jiang Miao goes inside to retrieve the work contract, he makes a point to observe Li Ping and Jiang Yu’s behavior. While they appear to have no interaction, the lingering affection in their occasional exchanged glances is so sweet it could make one’s teeth ache.

Fortunately, Jiang Miao is not a single dog. He can also exude the sour smell of love, and his man is much more powerful than a chicken like Li Ping! He looks at Jiang Yu arrogantly before turning around and walking away with flair.

Jiang Yu stares blankly at Jiang Miao, not understanding why her younger cousin is looking at her like that, as if he’s showing off something. Hmm, but what could it be?

Pei Che is unaware of this little interaction. When Jiang Miao hands him the work contract, Pei Che glances at it briefly before folding it up and putting it away.

After hosting the celebration for passing the Provincial Exams and attending banquets at the homes of Han Qin and others, Pei Che and Jiang Miao take the two younger ones back to the Imperial Academy.

The two have missed several days of school. Although they have listened to lessons and completed their homework, it just doesn’t compare to hearing the teacher’s lectures in the classroom with their peers. So the moment they return, they wake up early the next morning without needing anyone to call them, sling their bookbags over their shoulders, and dash out the door as soon as Jiang Miao gives the order.

They miss their teacher and classmates, and those people miss them too. After all, only when they are back are the usual morning snacks delivered. Having gotten used to the treats made by Jiang Lei's older brother, going to school without them for the past few days just doesn’t feel the same.

Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu are unaware that their popularity is thanks to Jiang Miao. They just feel it’s great to be back. It's not like at the estate, where a tutor keeps an unrelenting watch over them and doesn’t even give them a break. It’s exhausting.

...

A few days after their return, Pei Che’s subordinates deliver a detailed investigation report. The subject of the investigation is, of course, Li Ping. The report even includes details like how old he was when he wet the bed. You have to admire the thoroughness.

Jiang Miao reviewed it for a long time and finally summarized it in two words: reliable!

Although Li Ping's family is large, there are no troublemakers among them. They are hardworking, honest farmers. While each person has their own little schemes, they never lose sight of the bigger picture. Moreover, the family has a tradition: once a couple is married and established, they are given a share of the family property and allowed to manage their own household.

This is better than anything. In Jiang Miao’s village, there is a family where even after the granddaughter-in-law marries into the family, the grandmother still has to humble herself in front of her own daughter-in-law, never once experiencing the feeling of running her own household. For decades, she hasn’t managed to save even a few coins throughout the year. Who could live such a life? Jiang Miao certainly doesn’t want the girls in his family to marry into such a household.

Jiang Miao also learns why Li Ping looked so downcast and carried such a large bundle when he first came to apply for the job. Back then, Li Ping had already been away from home for half a year. Six months earlier, he had left with some villagers to find work in the city. Being new and inexperienced, he fell into a trap and signed a six-month exploitative contract, working for half a year at extremely low wages. His employer treated him like a beast of burden, assigning him the dirtiest and hardest jobs.

Once his contract was up, Li Ping left. Looking at the familiar yet strange streets, he felt completely lost. Should he go home? Or continue looking for work? While he was hesitating, he heard that a nearby shop was hiring. Taking a chance, he applied, never expecting that this decision would bring him stability. Not only did he learn a trade, but he also met the girl of his dreams. All of this made Li Ping believe that the hardships of that past six months had been trials set by heaven. Once he overcomes them, his life would surely be smooth sailing from then on.

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