Chapter 21

Goose Dad

The chopped meat was dragged from the center of the government office to the entrance, forming a long red carpet, and I was moved to lie down in the magistrate's office to have a conversation with him. I lay down in front of my senior because the doctor was taking my pulse. He said that a slap or two would be fine, but my senior insisted on calling the doctor to scold me. "Is there anything else unusual?" "No, sir, you were just startled for a moment. A good rest will do you well." "If anything happens, I won't sit idly by, so examine him thoroughly!" "Yes, sir, s-sir." The doctor, trembling from the senior's stern reprimand, took my pulse again. The taste of power and connections was very sweet. 'To think we had such a good thing all to ourselves in our past life...' But I couldn't just keep receiving the pulse diagnosis. "I'm fine, senior. Please stop calling the doctor." "Nonsense! If something happens to you, what will happen to my neck? No, what will people think of my old friend?!" My senior, with a serious face, seemed to be thinking about something, then slapped his thigh. As if he had just thought of something. "That's it! We shouldn't be here. Let's go to my house! They say that when you're greatly startled, you need to be watched for ten days. Since you live alone, I'm worried. This won't do. Hey! Prepare the carriage!" "But, to cause such trouble..." "Nonsense! Trouble? Do you want to embarrass me?!" Since refusing an invitation repeatedly also embarrasses the senior, I had no choice but to go. 'Sigh... Really... Face really matters.' We arrived at a place just a stone's throw away from the government office, riding the senior's personal two-wheeled carriage. The carriage circled the government office, and the large house behind it was the senior's home. The moment we arrived, I realized that the senior's imposing presence was not just due to his excellent character. Still, I decided to think that his character was the main part and his appearance was just a small part. He is my senior, after all. Anything. *** The first thing we did after arriving at the senior's house was to have a meal. During the meal, I learned from the senior why I was dragged here today and where I had given the gambler a chance. "But, why didn't you join the Shangsiyuan, Zhuxing, or Shibanheng?" The senior asked, peeling a crab in front of him with a dissatisfied look. In the Song Dynasty, it seems that the administrative procedures for opening a restaurant were as complicated as in modern times. I told the truth. "Senior, I really didn't know. But, what exactly are those places?" "This guy really doesn't know. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." The senior, as reliable as his imposing presence, patted his chest and smiled, assuring me to trust him. A trustworthy figure, as broad as his chest. As the meal continued, the senior began to explain in great detail everything I needed to know. "Do you know what the Shangsiyuan is?" "Is it the place where taxes are paid?" The name sounded like a place to extort money. My instincts reacted to anything related to taxes. "Yes, when opening a restaurant, you must first report to the Shangsiyuan. Since it's related to taxes, if you do business without reporting, it can be a big problem. Since you didn't know, I'll take care of it all." "Thank you, senior." "Nonsense! Who am I? Am I not family?" The senior emphasized family. I was moved by the senior's character, but also angry that a place without a standard language was so focused on extorting taxes, causing the people to suffer. 'They should be making a standard language, not just extorting taxes... They collect taxes so neatly but don't create a standard language?' The senior continued his explanation. "And the Shibanheng is a guild that food vendors must join. Originally, it was a small gathering, but now the state mandates membership. It's because changes in the law can be quickly communicated through the Shibanheng." It seemed that the state encouraged membership because it was easier to manage vendors through the guild rather than individually. The next part of the senior's explanation surprised me. "If you create new dishes or learn how to make popular foods, it will be very helpful to you." 'They even teach recipes?' The idea of joining the Shibanheng became more appealing. Even though I knew many delicious recipes from my past life, they were based on modern standards. People's tastes can vary by era, so knowing how people here prepare food would help me modify and improve the recipes from my past life. 'What a great system!' The gambler who was dragged away earlier really deserved to die for not sharing such valuable information and instead framing me. I could only look at the senior with admiration for the information he provided. The precious information flowing from the senior's imposing presence. Curious about what else there might be, I couldn't help but ask. "Then, what is the Zhuxing, senior?" "Ah, that's the guild for alcohol vendors. While not joining the Shibanheng isn't a big problem, it's different with the Zhuxing. Do you know that the state strictly prohibits homemade alcohol?" "I didn't know, senior." 'Our Qingyun grew up in luxury and doesn't know much.' What was I doing before I regained my memories... "This guy almost got into big trouble. Alcohol can only be made and sold by state-designated breweries. The Zhuxing connects buyers and sellers, so you must join. If you don't, you could lose your head. Even street vendors need to join the Zhuxing and Shibanheng to sell alcohol or food, understand? Since your inn sells both alcohol and food, you must join both." The state's monopoly on alcohol means they manage it strictly and use it as a major source of income. The Song Dynasty was more sincere about money than I thought. 'They should focus on creating a standard language.' After listening to the senior's explanation, I was about to ask how to join the Shibanheng and Zhuxing when the senior shouted to his servants. "Go and bring the leaders of the Zhuxing and Shibanheng here!" Then, he said to me in a gentle tone. "These things should be done when you think of them." Despite his imposing presence, the senior was a master of lightness in his heart, a true expert. His speed in handling matters was like a master of the art of shrinking the earth. Smooth and efficient handling. The senior's large frame exuded a presence that I, a commoner, could hardly imagine. "But, I could go myself..." "Nonsense! You're a patient now! Eat good food and rest for ten days, understand? The servants can handle the rest." "But, why ten days?" "Nonsense, my face..." I quickly answered, sensing that the senior was about to start talking about his face again. "Yes, yes, I understand. I will definitely do as you say." The constant talk of face was making me develop an allergy. It felt like the anaphylactic shock that Miss Zhugeqing had experienced. I decided to think of this as a vacation and rest well. After a long meal and some tea, the servants announced the arrival of the leaders of the Shibanheng and Zhuxing. "Sir, the leaders of the Shibanheng and Zhuxing have arrived." "Let them in." The door opened, and two men entered. They proudly displayed the characters for 'alcohol' and 'food' on their chests, making it clear who was who. The two men, dressed in fine clothes, hurriedly greeted the senior. "Sir, why at such a late hour? It's not even night yet..." "Why did you call us so urgently, sir? We were still..." "Nonsense! In front of my brother, what are you saying! My brother will misunderstand!" "B-brother?" The senior, waving his hands in a panic, tried to prevent any misunderstanding. However, I understood what they were talking about from their words. I smiled at the senior, who was sweating profusely. Despite his awkwardness, I understood. During our meal, I learned about the senior's difficult situation, where he had to accept some 'donations' (?). When I asked why he had no family in his large house, the senior said his family was in the capital, Kaifeng. That's right. The senior was a 'goose dad' in the Song Dynasty. He had come to this remote corner of Sichuan to send his children to study in the capital, living alone as a goose dad. 'So, the senior is a goose dad? Anyway.' I looked at the senior with understanding and said, "Senior, how much is your salary... To support your nephews, sister-in-law, and elderly parents, a little support is only natural, isn't it?" "Huh?!" "I'll pretend I didn't see anything, so go ahead with your business." The senior was startled by my words. The leaders of the Shibanheng and Zhuxing looked at me with expressions of discomfort, so I turned to urge them. "Hurry up and take care of your business." There was a clinking sound, and a moment later, the senior smiled, while the leaders of the Shibanheng and Zhuxing looked sad. After the senior and the leaders had solidified their bond, the membership process could finally begin. The process was simple. The senior said he would take good care of me and subtly mentioned the Zhuge family. When the topic of membership fees came up, he glared, and the process was over. 'Ah, sweet connections.' I felt like I was about to become a supporter of connections. *** Since I had received many favors from the senior, I had to repay them according to the martial arts world's rule of repaying kindness. The opportunity came sooner than I expected, by making a dish to treat the senior's homesickness, as he was from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. The senior, holding the dish I offered, sniffed and asked, "This rich aroma of seafood. It's like being back home. What is this dish?" "It's called Guangdong Seafood Fried Noodles, senior." 'Since I've introduced zha jiang, the next logical step is zha mian, right?' Today, I would serve a hot bowl of zha mian to extract the senior's broth, or rather, his essence.