Chapter 21-25

Chapter 21: Vegetarian Fried Dish

He also left his trowel there, which seemed very strange.

"Maybe someone stole his trowel and put it there on purpose, intending to frame him?" Xia Mingyue expressed her guess.

The bearded man laughed when he heard this. "What you said is exactly the same as what the head constable said the other day. He also said that although Liu Caisheng is suspicious, he is most likely not the suspect. He also needs to find the evidences before Liu Caisheng can be convicted, so he wasn't arrested yet.

But that sounds ridiculous. Since he got the stolen coins, he must have spent it all. Why would he leave it at home and wait for others to check? Besides, even if someone else deliberately stole the trowel and left it at the owner's house, why didn't the thief steal from someone else's house, but stole from Liu Caisheng? It must be because Liu Caisheng is not a good person and has evoked grudges with someone!"

Xia Mingyue was speechless.

It was just like in her previous life, when she was learning to cook, some classmates were jealous of her excellent cooking skills and secretly replaced the ingredients she prepared before the exam. When she reported it to the teacher, the teacher replied, "why not replace someone else's but yours, it must be that you have done something that angered everyone."

And these words coming out of the teacher's mouth soon turned into sharp arrows in the mouths of others, stabbing her one by one.

Her reputation became extremely bad and she was ostracized everywhere, so she had to transfer to other culinary schools. She even became depressed for a while and lost interest in her beloved cooking.

The depression and helplessness she felt during that time were deeply engraved in her mind. Even after traveling back here, Xia Mingyue still found it difficult to forget.

After spending a moment to calm down, Xia Mingyue lowered her eyes and said, "Since the government has not yet made a final decision, it is better not to say these words. If Brother Caisheng is not stealing, this kind of sewage will probably ruin other people's lives."

Don't be a snowflake in an avalanche, lest you become an indirect murderer.

The bearded man was speechless after being confronted. After a long while, he said angrily, "Where did that come from, little girl? You said it as if I did something unforgivable.

Go away, if you want to find someone to work, go find someone else. Don't bother me."

The bearded man waved his hands impatiently to chase them away.

Xia Mingyue was no longer in the mood to look for someone to do the work for her, so she took Sister Lu and planned to go home first.

But, Zeng Liu caught up with them upon seeing this and said, "Ladies, please stay."

After Xia Mingyue and Sister Lu stopped walking, he hurriedly said, "You two are looking for someone to make a kang, right? My name is Zeng Liu, I specialize in making kangs, and my craftsmanship is very good. I'll give you a discount——only 600 yuan, how about it?"

"Let's talk about it later." Xia Mingyue declined.

I heard from Sister Lu before that people in the military camp need several months to come back to visit their families, so there is no need to rush to have a kang right away.

"Five hundred coins!" Zeng Liu gritted his teeth.

The price dropped so much all of a sudden that Xia Mingyue felt uneasy. She didn't want to talk to Zeng Liu anymore and left with Sister Lu.

Looking at the two people's backs walking away, Zeng Liu spat on the ground in frustration, "You're not willing to do it for 500 coins. You must be so poor!"

"That's not right." A round-faced man who also did bricklaying work interrupted, "I've seen that young lady on West Street. She sells pancakes on the street all day long. Her business is booming. How can she be poor?"

"Who cares how much money her family has? If she's not willing to spend money, she's poor!" Zeng Liu was still angry and cursed again, "She'll be poor all her life!"

Especially those who speak for Liu Caisheng will have to be extremely poor all their lives.

Otherwise it will be unforgivable!

Xia Mingyue and Sister Lu started to get busy after returning home.

Because Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu were very fond of Wu Jin, they found a piece of bone and tried to coax Wu Jin into their home so that they could touch it.

Unfortunately, no matter how the two brothers tried to tempt him, even when they placed the bone in Wu Jin's earthenware jar, Wu Jin did not even look at them. He just squatted in front of the nest and ignored them.

"Wu Jin, this is bone, your favorite."

"If you're willing to come home with me for a while, I'll give you more bones than you can eat!"

Who would believe that?!

Don't paint bones too exaggeratedly. Is he such a dog that can be easily fooled by food?

Who are you looking down upon?

Wu Jin still ignored the two of them and even seemed a little bored, so he simply lay down and rested his head on his front paws.

After a moment, he even closed his eyes.

The brothers, looked at each other not knowing what to do. They felt frustrated and took turns sighing.

"Brother, do you think this Wu Jin is a fool who can't even recognize bones?"

"You never know. There is no dog that doesn't eat bones...."

Wu Jin gave them a side eye glance.

You are stupid, your whole family is stupid!

I don't know where the bone was picked up from, it's a dry bone, there is no meat at all, and the whole bone is weathered and cracked. What is it for? To get stuck in your teeth?

The children and the dog were making a fuss, which made Xia Mingyue, who was watching while working, laugh and said, "Since Dahu and Erhu love you so much, you can go to the yard over there with them to play for a while, and come back after dinner is ready in the evening."

After Xia Mingyue spoke, Wu Jin slowly stood up, still ignoring Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu, and walked out on his own.

But no matter how much they were ignored, as long as Wu Jin was willing to play in the yard, it was already a progress! Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu were overjoyed and jumped back.

Soon, bursts of laughter came from the yard next door.

Xia Mingyue smiled and continued working with Sister Lu.

Now, they have also added another kind of vegetarian pancake on the menu. It is stuffed with carrot, black fungus, egg, and vermicelli.

Carrots that have been stored over the winter have slightly less moisture than newly harvested carrots. They are less likely to lose water when making stuffing and have a unique sweetness. Black fungus enhances the crispy taste, eggs add rich aroma, and vermicelli serves as an embellishment, making the aftertaste more intense.

After the carrot-vermicelli pancakes started to go on sale, it immediately became as popular as the tofu-vermicelli pancakes, and even surpassed the scallion-meat pancakes in sales at one point.

The number of requests for carrot-vermicelli pancakes from the county school has also increased a lot.

After everything was done, Xia Mingyue started to cook dinner.

All the ingredients for making pancakes were available. Xia Mingyue simply kneaded some dough and made a pot of dumplings filled with carrot and egg fillings.

The wrapped dumplings do not need to be boiled. Xia Mingyue put them in a pan brushed with cooking oil. When the bottom turns slightly golden, she added water. Then she left it to boil until dry, and simmer with some added water, over low heat.

When all the dumplings in the pot are cooked, thin layer of flour water was added. When the bottom side of all the dumplings are crispy, the pan-fried dumplings can be taken out of the pot.

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Chapter 22: Merit First

Wu Jin was given his own serving of pan-fried dumplings.

Xia Mingyue, on the one hand, made a simple sauce mixed with chopped green onions, balsamic vinegar, and sesame oil. Then she began to have a dumpling feast.

The skin of the pan-fried dumplings is thin and chewy, and the bottom is extremely crispy due to being fried. It makes a pleasant crunching sound when bitten, which increases the appetite.

The carrot, black fungus, egg, and vermicelli stuffing is fragrant and refreshing, that one can never get tired of it. If Xia Mingyue hadn't been thinking about having indigestion, she would have made another big plate of dumplings, and eat it all into her stomach.

Wu Jin was also very satisfied with the pan-fried dumplings made by Xia Mingyue. He was even reluctant to take big bites and swallow them in one go. He was only willing to take a bite one at a time, chewing it slowly in his mouth. Only after swallowing would he eat the next one.

After finishing the meal, he licked the earthenware pot clean as usual. As if being washed with water.

Xia Mingyue reached out and rubbed Wu Jin's head. "I'm afraid you won't have enough of these things. Tomorrow I'll steam a big pot of steamed buns made of flour for you, and bring some bones back from the butcher shop for you to eat."

The former is the staple dish, while the latter is the side complement.

With having both, the skinny Wu Jin can definitely be made fatter.

If you say so, then I'm not sleepy anymore!

Wu Jin jumped happily upon hearing her words, and barked several times.

Sure enough, he had made the right decision! People who cook delicious food are all kind people!

He must ensure that he could stay here forever, and protect this home no matter what!

So, even late at night, Wu Jin did not lie down comfortably in his nest to sleep, but instead paced back and forth in the yard with his head held high, and his eyes wide open.

Halfway past midnight, Wu Jin was so sleepy that he could hardly open his eyes, so he sat down near the wall beside the door, yawned loudly, and then lay down to take a nap.

But then, a rustling sound suddenly occurred, gradually closing in.

Wu Jin pricked up his ears, and when he realized that the sound was getting closer, he silently stood up.

After a while, a shadow appeared outside the courtyard gate.

A thin and short figure paced back and forth stealthily outside for several times, and even clung to the wall and the fence door to look inside for a while.

Probably assured that there was no one in the alley and the yard was quiet, the shadow quickly climbed over the wall and entered.

The figure first squatted and waited for a while. When he found nothing unusual, he walked in quietly along the wall.

First, he slipped into the kitchen and started rummaging around.

But after a long time, he still couldn't find the kitchen knife, so he had to pick up the rolling pin that was a bit higher than a child's height, then knocked it gently on the kitchen floor.

To prevent theft, some people cleverly buries their money underground. Some in an earthen kang inside the house. Some in the yard to outsmart the thieves. Some, under the tree roots. And, some inside the kitchen.

Xia Mingyue had been doing business which was prospering well. She is smart so she must be one of those clever ones who buried money on the yard.

The thin and short figure searched in the kitchen for a while, and even emptied out all the ashes in the stove, but still found nothing. Finally, his eyes fell on the apricot tree in the yard.

The apricot tree is tall, but the soil at the roots seems a little loose.

Probably sure, the shadow ran straight to the apricot tree without any hesitation, took out the small trowel he had prepared, and began to dig carefully under the tree roots.

As he was digging, the mason trowel seemed to hit something hard, making a slight 'ding-dong' sound.

The figure was delighted and dug the soil even harder. He was afraid that the trowel might accidentally damage the silver, so he simply dug the soft soil with his bare hands.

Wu Jin quietly walked behind the shadow.

While the figure was digging the soil like a rabbit with its big butt sticking out, Wu Jin opened its mouth wide, aimed at the man's butt, and bit down.

The weather has been getting warmer these days, and even the nights are not as cold as they were at the beginning of the month, so naturally people don't wear too thick clothes. Wu Jin bit with all his strength, penetrating all the clothes directly, and his fangs went straight into the flesh.

Blood instantly flowed out from Wu Jin's sharp teeth down to his mouth.

After a brief moment of confusion, the figure felt a piercing pain and screamed.

The screams were so terrifying and shrill that they cut through the dark sky and instantly awakened slumbering people.

Xia Mingyue shot out of bed. She quickly put on her coat, picked up the kitchen knife beside the bed, and looked through the window to see what was happening outside.

When Xia Mingyue saw a shadow being bitten by Wu Jin, rolling and howling on the ground, kicking and hitting Wu Jin with his hands and feet, she immediately understood.

There's a thief in the house!

Xia Mingyue pushed the door open and shouted, "Help, there's a thief! Help!"

The screaming earlier had already woken up many people in Xinghua Lane, but most of them didn't want to check out the situation. However, when they heard Xia Mingyue calling out loud the theft, some people lit their oil lamps.

"Where is the thief?"

Sister Lu was the first to run over, leading Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu. The brothers were even holding a rolling pin that was taller than them.

"Could you please go out and find the bailiffs," Xia Mingyue said hurriedly towards the brothers.

Jinqiu County did not impose a curfew at night, but yamen runners did patrol in shifts to ensure the safety of the people.

Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu understood and ran out.

Xia Mingyue picked up the rolling pin in the kitchen and worked with Sister Lu to find an opportunity to beat the thief.

But at this time Wu Jin was still biting the struggling man. If they struck, they could accidentally hit him.

Sister Lu circled around several times but didn't dare take an action.

After a while, Xia Mingyue saw an opportunity and shouted, "Wu Jin, let go!"

When Wu Jin heard Xia Mingyue's order, he relaxed his bite, and retreated immediately. Xia Mingyue and Sister Lu's rolling pins then, fell down at the same time.

'Bang!'

There was the sound of a rolling pin hitting flesh, followed by a crisp 'crack' like a bone breaking.

In an instant, the figure covered his legs and howled like a pig being slaughtered.

Seeing that the thief had curled up in pain and had no ability to escape, Xia Mingyue stopped Sister Lu who was about to strike again. "Sister Lu, although stealing is a crime, it is not considered a serious offense. If we injure him more than his crime, the government will probably hold us accountable."

"Don't be merciful! If this thief had stolen someone else's life-saving money, it's no different than committing murder. Such a person should be beaten to death!" Although Sister Lu hated thieves, she also understood what Xia Mingyue meant, so she stopped and stood beside her.

Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu quickly brought over a few patrolling yamen runners.

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Chapter 23: Damn

The leader among the group was a tall captain named Han, who was in his thirties. After learning the situation, he spat at the thief, "How dare you steal in Jinqiu County? You really don't want to live!"

When the new dynasty was established, strict laws were enforced. In order to ensure that the people could live and work in peace and contentment; theft, robbery, and other crimes were severely punished. Even stealing a few taels of silver can be sentenced to a lifetime of forced labor.

As Captain Han shouted at the thief, he grabbed the thief's hair and dragged him up.

With the help of the lanterns held by the yamen runners and the stars illuminating the sky, Xia Mingyue and Sister Lu saw the face of the thief clearly. They were both startled and gasped, "It's you!"

It was Zeng Liu who had asked for five hundred coins the other day!

"Do you know this thief?" Asked Captain Han.

"This man's name is Zeng Liu, but that's all I know. We met him at Beida Street the other day when we were looking for a bricklayer to build a brick bed at home. This man came to talk and wanted to take the job, but I didn't agree at that time." Xia Mingyue answered truthfully.

Captain Han's face was filled with anger. "So you went to steal?"

This kind of person is even more hateful!

"Don't worry, young lady. We will definitely take this thief back to the county government for a thorough investigation and punishment. We will not let him go easily." Captain Han added, and took the opportunity to use force to drag Zeng Liu's hand.

Xia Mingyue fell in her thoughts.

Logically speaking, the theft has just happened the other day and the suspect has not been caught yet, so the government must be paying attention to this case. Even if Zeng Liu has the intention to steal, he should stay clear of doing the same case, and wait for some time before taking action.

If he couldn't wait, then it could be that he had some connection with the theft the other day....

Xia Mingyue's eyes fell on the small trowel under the apricot tree.

She walked over and picked it up. The moment she saw the word, Caisheng, engraved on it, her mind cleared up in realization.

"Captain Han." Xia Mingyue handed over the masonry knife. "I think this must have been used by this man. But for some reason, Brother Caisheng's name is engraved on it."

Captain Han took it and saw that it was indeed engraved with, Caisheng. His eyes widened that instant. Unable stop himself, he gave Zeng Liu a hard kick. "You are so good, Zeng Liu. You want to put the blame on others for something you, yourself did?! You're the one who stole from the Shi Residence, right?"

"I didn't, I didn't..." Zeng Liu gritted his teeth and refused to admit so.

But his wavering voice and flickering gaze, blundered him away.

"Even if you don't admit it now, you would certainly, later." Captain Han snorted coldly and asked others to take Zeng Liu to the County Government Office.

The yamen runners hated those who committed crimes the most. Zeng Liu did not only harbor dishonesty and malicious intentions, but also had no courage to take responsibility for his actions. He even wanted to frame others, which made the yamen runners dislike him even more.

It was said that Zeng Liu was brought back to the yamen, but in fact he was dragged back, with his face up.

The howling screams like that of a pig being slaughtered echoed all the way from Xia Mingyue's house to the gate of the County Government Office, waking up countless people living along the street.

"Boss, this filthy thief is really noisy. Do you want me to shut his stinky mouth up?" The yamen runner felt his ear being grated with Zeng Liu's screaming, so he tried to rub it out.

"No. Let it be." Captain Han disagreed, "Let the people of Jinqiu County witness what happens when they steal other people's property."

In order to make Law-abiding citizens, they not only need to know about it, but also have to understand what it meant breaking the law.

The bailiff understood, chuckled, and kicked Zeng Liu again.

Zeng Liu's wails became louder and louder, and his face was twisted into a mask of pain.

Unbeknownst to them, Zeng Liu was sliently cursing Xia Minyue with deep hatred. He felt vengeful at the fact that not only did she refuse to give him the job, but also stood by Liu Caisheng's side. So, he thought of having her lose her money, that night.

Moreover, he had inquired and found out that Xia Mingyue lived alone. He also went to spy on her house, in the afternoon and did not see the big dog. That dog really ruined it for him!

After the yamen runners left, worried that Xia Mingyue would be scared, Sister Lu decisively stayed up and asked her sons to accompany Xia Mingyue.

With nothing to do, they decided to clean up the blood that Zeng Liu had shed in the yard.

Sister Lu, then boiled a pot of hot tea and drank it while chatting with Xia Mingyue, in the main room.

Sister Lu first scolded the thief, Zeng Liu to her heart's content, before she proceeded to praise Wu Jin for his bravery.

"It's a good thing that Sister Mingyue had Wu Jin. Otherwise, if Zeng Liu had other thoughts after succeeding on stealing the money, it would have went dire."

The more Sister Lu thought about it, the more frightened she became, and her face turned pale.

"Yes, thanks to Wu Jin." Xia Mingyue was also very grateful, "If it weren't for him, even if I found Zeng Liu stealing, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to catch him. Wu Jin has made a great contribution this time!"

After receiving the praise, Wu Jin opened his mouth wide, stuck out his tongue, and his tail almost turned into a propeller.

"I'll go to Brother Hong's shop later and buy some more meat bones, as a reward for your bravery!" Xia Mingyue smiled as she stroke Wu Jin's forehead.

Wu Jin nuzzled on Xia Mingyue's palm, before turning around excitedly.

Meat Bones! He has really made the right choice! He can even get a reward! He should be the bravest, mightiest dog ever and protect this home well! His new owner is so good. In fact, better than the previous one.... Oh, don't remind him of that place!

Because of the incident, both families did not continue to sleep, and began working as soon as the sun rose up.

When Xia Mingyue went to the butcher shop, she specifically asked for some large bones.

"I heard that Madam Xia's family was raided by a thief, last night." Butcher Hong said as he packed the meat and bones. "Madam Xia must have bought a lot of bones to reward her dog."

Butcher Hong is as well-informed as ever.

It just happened a few hours ago, and he already knew about it so quickly.

Xia Mingyue did not conceal it and smiled. "Yes, Wu Jin is amazing. He should be rewarded well."

"Indeed. Madam Xia must have been frightened, as well. Take this big bone back, as a gift from me."

There is not much meat on the bone that Butcher Hong had given. Truthfully, only those who can't afford meat but were craving of it, would buy some bones to stew. Since Xia Mingyue became a regular customer, she had steadily increased her purchases on met, so Butcher Hong was very generous.

"If that's the case, then I will shamelessly take it." Xia Mingyue did not refuse. "Thank you, Brother Hong."

"Madam Xia, don't be so polite with me? If you want to, I can keep some meat bones for your dog, in the future."

"Okay." Xia Mingyue said with a smile. "But I certainly has to pay. I can't let Brother Hong be at the losing end of the business, after all. Don't forget to lower the price, by then!"

Butcher Hong laughed loudly that Xia Mingyue could still hear his voice  so audibly, even when she reached the corner of the street.

After arriving home, Xia Mingyue gave Wu Jin a whole piece of raw bone, first.

The pig was just slaughtered, and the shank was extremely fresh, with a lot of meat still left on the bone. Wu Jin was so happy that he bit on the bone and took it with him as he run around the yard, for several laps. Then he came back to his nest and started to chew on it happily.

*****

Have you seen a masonry knife before? In the village, on our early years, villagers helped build each other's houses. Those who could do the most laborious work were called 'big workers', while those who could only move bricks and mud were considered as 'small workers'. The big workers always had their own masonry knives, and so was my dad. He had a sharp masonry knife that was polished to a shiny extent. When I was young, I was really mesmerized seeing them chop off half of a brick with one single blow of that masonry knife!

-Tea Warm

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Chapter 24: Stewed Bones

To remove the blood, Xia Mingyue soaked the remaining bones that Butcher Hong gave with cold water. Then she help Sister Lu prepare the stuffings and make the pancakes....

Xia Mingyue, then came back during midday, took out the bones that she had soaked in cold water earlier, rinsing the remaining blood off, before blanching them.

After ensuring that the bones had been cleaned thoroughly, Xia Mingyue began to melt some rock sugar under low heat.

Gradually, small bubbles appeared on the melting sugar. Soon, those small bubbles turned into big bubbles, making gurgling sounds.

Xia Mingyue stirred as quick as possible, to ensure that the sugar was evenly heated. When the sugar gradually caramelized, she added the bones into the pot, stirring vigorously to ensure that each pieces would be evenly coated with sugar. Then she poured water over it, together with bay leaves, star anise, pepper, cinnamon, scallions before bringing it to boil over high heat, then simmering over low heat.

At noon, Xia Mingyue put out the fire on the stove, opened the lid of the pot that had been simmering for an hour, and scooped out all the bones.

At this time, the stew had turned into a vibrant red. Added with some emerald green coriander, the stewed bones looked even more appetizing.

The stew was so fragrant and the bones were so tender that it melts in the mouth. Above all, the bone marrows tasted so soft and mellow.

So good!

Xia Mingyue held two stewed bones in both hands, relishing the taste, and exclaiming from time to time.

Her appearance made Wu Jin, who was still gnawing on the raw bone, raise his head.

His eyes swirled between Xia Mingyue and the bowl of stewed bones in front of her, before finally landing on the one he was gnawing for quite some time now....

Suddenly, he seemed to have lost interest on the bone he was gnawing. He left the bone that he had not eaten clean yet, and went straight to Xia Mingyue. He continuously rubbed his furry head against her feet, trying to get her attention.

He let out a series of hum with his eyes fixed on the bowl of stewed bones, on the table. His drool overflowed out of his mouth, constantly dripping on the ground.

Upon seeing this, Xia Mingyue couldn't contain her laugh. "You want to eat this too?"

“Woof, woof.”

That’s right! He wants to eat!

After getting a positive reply, Xia Mingyue picked out two of the largest stewed bones, and put them into Wu Jin's food bowl.

And, Wu Jin rushed ever so quickly.

Delicious! In his opinion, the stewed bones tasted way better than raw bones. Thinking about it, what hard times he had lived in the past.... But then again, the past had been hard, but the days ahead will definitely be full of delicious food!

Xia Mingyue and her dog had their meal contentedly.

Meanwhile, in the next yard, Sister Lu and her sons had their hearty meal as well.

The bones have been eaten thoroughly. Even their fingers were licked clean, not missing every bit of taste that the stewed bones had.

Her children had big appetites and she, herself, was unable to stop eating. As a result, the stewed bones that they were supposed to eat until dinner was finished before afternoon.

Looking at the bit of soup left in the bowl, Sister Lu began to clean up the dishes. She was about to wash the bowl when Zhao Dahu interrupted.

"Mom, please save the remaining soup." He advised.

"Why?"

Originally, Sister Lu planned to re-stew the remaining soup with some potatoes and cabbages later, at night. But when she heard her son, she felt a bit curious as to what he was up to with the remaining soup.

"So we can cook noodles with it, in the evening!" Zhao Erhu replied.

Sister Lu fell into contemplation. As it turned out, foodies do have innovative cooking ideas than mere people.

However, she felt that the suggestion was good. With the remaining soup of the stewed bones, made with Sister Mingyue's magical hands, the noodles would certainly taste better.

That’s it!

It wasn't often that they could be graced with Sister Mingyue's cooking, so she felt that they had to make the most of the food she shares with them.

In the afternoon, a couple of separate groups arrived at Xia Mingyue's door.

Captain Han, his comrades, and together with Constable, came first. He informed Xia Mingyue of the result of the Zeng Liu's trial in the morning.

Zeng Liu had already suffered when he was caught and dragged back. So, when he arrived at the investigation room of the County Government Office, and caught sight of the torture instruments; he dared not be stubborn. He truthfully confessed about his hatred on Liu Caisheng and, his act of stealing and putting the blame on the man.

"Zeng Liu intended to steal from Madam Xia's house last night because he got angry with Madam Xia's refusal on giving him the job. In addition, he had also heard that Madam Xia had a well-selling food stall so he assumed that Madam Xia must have earned a lot. Aside from that, because Madam Xia had once stood up for Liu Caisheng, he felt vengeful. So, he intended to take Madam Xia's money and blame it on Liu Caisheng once again, so that he could finally be put to death. Moreover, we have also found the money stolen from the Shi Residence in Zeng Liu's house."

Captain Han said, "Presented with conclusive evidence and Zeng Lui's confession, the County Lieutenant, who was proceeding the trial, became furious and gave Zeng Liu with a dozen boards of beating. Zeng Liu was sentenced to ten years of hard labor. In a few days, he will be sent to the front line to help build the city wall."

"The County Lieutenant is wise." Xia Mingyue bowed. "Captain Han and the other detectives have worked hard."

"Madam Xia, you are too modest." Captain Han said with a smile. "Honestly, it is thanks to Madam Xia and her dog that we were able to successfully capture Zeng Liu. Otherwise, we would not be able to find the thief who stole money from the Shi Residence, which would be very embarrassing on our department's part. We sincerely thank Madam Xia for her assistance." Captain Han together with the Constable bowed towards Xia Mingyue.

"As a citizen of Jinqiu County, this is what I must do." Xia Mingyue poured a cup of hot tea to serve the guests before hading out an oil paper bag she had prepared. "I sell pancakes on West Street. These are the ones I've made at home. If the good comrades don't mind, you can take them back and share them together."

Captain Han's comrades looked at him. Receiving their gaze, Captain refused, bowing apologetically. "The County Lieutenant is upright and we, as his direct constituents, are strictly prohibited to take things from anyone. But, we appreciate Madam Xia's kindness.

However, to make up for it, we will visit Madam Xia's stall when we have the time, in the future."

Hearing Captain Han's words, Xia Mingyue put the paper bag down. "If that's the case, then I won't insist."

"Madam Xia, we still have some official business to attend to at the county office. We'll take our leave now."

"Go slowly."

Xia Mingyue saw everyone off and weighed the oil paper bag in her hand.

She even thought earlier that the pancakes would not be enough, but the result was that not even a single one was taken.

She felt impressed with the yamen runners' discipline. She had the impression that the County Lieutenant should be an upright official.

Xia Mingyue felt relieved. She went to clean up the tea set on the table.

When the sun was setting, someone came to the door.

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Chapter 25: Fighting

This time the person who came was Liu Caisheng.

As soon as Liu Caisheng entered the yard, he bowed several times towards Xia Mingyue.

"Thank you, Madam Xia. Thank you, Madam Xia...."

Xia Mingyue was taken aback, then bowed hastily in return, "Brother Liu, I don't deserve this gratitude."

"Madam Xia, you don't have to be modest. If you hadn't caught Zeng Liu, the local government wouldn't have been able to find out about the theft of the Shi Residence's money. And, I would still be suspected by everyone of stealing the money instead."

Liu Caisheng was a bit overwhelmed. "Now that Zeng Liu has been caught, and the truth has been uncovered, my name has now been cleared. And, I will no longer be accused of being a thief..."

As he said this, Liu Caisheng couldn't help choking up.

A man of this age and, this tall and built actually had tears in his eyes.

The feeling of being wronged is really heartbreaking.

He had believed that he had done anything wrong but being accused of the crime he hadn't done, felt like being paraded naked through the streets, stripped of his dignity.

He had been feeling depressed hearing his mother's cries of grievance as he suffered the humiliation brought by the undeserved crime.

Each second felt like a year, feeling the torment he has experienced in the past two days.

Gratifyingly, Zeng Liu was arrested and the truth had come about. He was cleared of the grievances and was no longer despised.

However, he knew that the credit all goes to Xia Mingyue.

Liu Caisheng remembered the favor, so after the yamen runner told him, he immediately rushed over to express his gratitude.

Xia Mingyue could understand Liu Caisheng's mood at this moment, but she did not dare take the credit. "Zeng Liu intended to do bad, and it was a coincidence that he was caught on action."

"Although it was a coincidence, it really helped me so much. I have been taught to remember the kindness I have received, so no matter the coincidence, I still want to thank Madam Xia."

Liu Caisheng put the things he brought on the table in the courtyard. "My mother is in poor health, and I work sporadically, so I don't make much money. Recently, my mother got seriously ill because of this matter, and all the money in the family was spent on medicine. I really can't afford to buy a presentable gift.

But, I heard that Madam Xia usually sells scallion-meat pancakes on the West Street. I reckoned you need green onions to make the meat stuffing. So, I dug a bunch of green onions that my mother planted on the yard, and brought them to thank Madam Xia. Please don't dislike them.

And, I also heard that Madam Xia went to Beida Street yesterday. I don't have other skills, but as long as Madam Xia needs manual work, I can definitely help the best I can."

"I really need some manual help." Xia Mingyue said. "I wanted to build a smaller earthen kang, so I was finding someone to do the job."

"That's should be easy. I'll help Madam Xia check the space area, at this instant. I have ready-made blue bricks at home, so I can start working tomorrow." Seeing that he had the opportunity to express his gratitude, Liu Caisheng hurriedly agreed.

"You may, but the money has to be settled clearly. Otherwise, I won't let you do it and will find someone else instead."

Liu Caisheng was speechless for a moment before he stated, "You can pay for the materials."

Xia Mingyue didn't say anything more and just nodded. "Okay. I want to place the smaller kang on the wall, facing North to occasionally put some things on it, as well as to make dough in winter. If someone comes to our house, there will be a place to make do. You can make it however you want as long as the size appropriately fits in the inner room."

She was not very particular with how the smaller kang was made.

"Okay." Liu Caisheng went into the house to look at the space in the inner room. Then he estimated the area, and calculated the materials he needed to prepare.

In this era, constrictions between males and females are strictly practiced, so Xia Mingyue waited in the yard.

Not long enough, Liu Caisheng came out of the house. "The mud needed can be outsourced. There are half-baked bricks discarded on the corner that can still be used. And the blue bricks and  stone slabs used to make the surface of the kang, are estimated to cost 500 yuan."

I will come early in the morning and finish the kang in one day, as possible as I can."

He had to finish the kang soon so it can be used immediately at night.

"Okay." Xia Mingyue agreed, and after saying a few more words, she sent Liu Caisheng out.

The green onions that Liu Caisheng have sent were plenty enough to last for several days.

Xia Mingyue went outside to inquire about the current price of green onions, estimated the weight of the bundle the ones Liu Caisheng had sent her, and noted the amount.

Liu Caisheng arrived early the next day.

Since the earthen kang needed more materials than the stove he previously made before, Liu Caisheng's flatbed truck made two trips to transport all the blue bricks and loess to the yard. And then he began to work.

Zhao Dahu and Zhao Erhu were still asked to help look after Liu Caisheng.

After, Xia Mingyue and Sister Lu finished making the pancakes, they started on their business.

Business is especially good today.

Seeing that there were much more people coming and going on the street than usual, Xia Mingyue was a little surprised. "What day is it today? Why is the street so lively?"

"The county government is buying grain at a high price, so farmers nearby who have the surplus are coming, hoping to sell a good deal."

The lady selling yellow pea cakes nearby laughed and said, "It will probably take a few days to buy from all these farmers coming here. So we have to take the opportunity to make a good business when the farmers get paid." She had made more of yellow pea cakes than usual.

"Thank you for your reminder, Auntie." Xia Mingyue responded with a smile, but she whispered to Sister Lu. "Sister Lu, the county government is buying grain so hastily, I'm afraid they are going to send it to the army."

"It probably is." Sister Lu responded.

The military camp where Lu Qiyan and his men were stationed, was fifty miles west of Jinqiu County.

It can be said that with several county towns, even counting the provincial capital, there should be enough supply.

However, the military suddenly bought so much grain which intuitively points out the brewing storm they were about to face....

An upcoming war..., A certainly devastating war....

When kingdoms wanted to dominate one over the other, war is certainly inevitable.

Xia Mingyue suddenly thought of Lu Qiyan.

I hope he is safe.

Perhaps sensing Xia Mingyue's worry, Sister Lu patted her gently and said, "Don't worry, Sister Mingyue, Youcai and Qiyan are both blessed. They will be fine."

"Yeah." Xia Mingyue nodded and smiled.

They're going to be okay.

Business was good today and all the pancakes were sold out half an hour earlier than usual. Xia Mingyue and Sister Lu closed their stall early and went back.

Along the way, Xia Mingyue bought some fresh eggs and newly sprouted mung bean sprouts from farmers.

Just like the last time when Liu Caisheng came to build the stove, Xia Mingyue had to provide his meal. So, once again, she invited Sister Lu and her sons to dinner, at her place.