Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two: Laba

"Second Master, this is—"

"Is there a problem? Are my words not effective?" Seeing Zheng Fu's hesitation, Zhao Cheng asked unhappily.

"Second Master, it's not that, it's not that. A string of coins weighs about eight or nine catties, and twenty strings would be too heavy for them to carry!" Zheng Fu hurriedly explained.

Zhao Cheng suddenly realized that the currency back then was not Renminbi but copper coins. A string of coins contained a thousand coins, each weighing six grams, so twenty strings would be 120 kilograms, a significant amount. Selling for 3,000 strings would mean over a ton of coins. He wondered how Old Zheng managed to bring them back. "What do you suggest we do?" He looked at the servants, seeking their opinions.

"Second Master, the head steward is right. We can't carry that much money. We all trust Second Master. Why don't we deposit the money in the accounting office and withdraw it as needed?" Zhao Yi suggested.

"Alright, alright, we trust Second Master won't default. Let's do as Zhao Yi says!" The others chimed in.

"Alright, I promise you can withdraw the money anytime, no defaulting!" Zhao Cheng extended his little finger and hooked it with theirs.

"Second Master, the lamb is ready, let's eat!" At this moment, Zhao Xin cut a piece of meat from the lamb's neck and handed it to Zhao Cheng.

"Mm, it's really fragrant. Let's all eat. The meat will be tough if it's overcooked!" Zhao Cheng tasted it and nodded. He then looked at Zhao Xin, wondering how this young boy knew the custom of the nomadic tribes, giving the neck meat to the person of highest status.

"Oh!" The servants cheered, sitting in a circle, waiting for Zhao Xin to cut the meat and distribute it. Zhao Xin seemed very skilled, slicing the meat thinly and evenly, each piece with a golden crispy crust.

"Old Zheng, why haven't you gone to take care of your business?" Zhao Cheng took a baked flatbread from the fire, split it open, and added some roasted meat, suddenly noticing that Zheng Fu was still standing by the side.

"Second Master, I haven't eaten either. I want to eat with everyone!" Zheng Fu licked his lips, swallowed, and said with shining eyes.

"Haha, looks like you're really hungry. Everyone, make some room for the head steward to sit down!" Zhao Cheng laughed, and Zheng Fu, who was clearly very hungry, sat down next to Zhao Cheng, rubbed his hands on his clothes, and started cutting the meat to eat. The two servants who came with him also found a place to sit and joined in.

"Zhao Ren, where did you buy this lamb?" Zhao Cheng asked while eating.

"Second Master, I bought it from the market. Is there something wrong?" Zhao Ren wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth.

"This lamb is definitely a local mountain goat. The meat is a bit tough. If it were from the grasslands, it would be dripping with oil, fresh, and tender, much better than this!" Zhao Cheng said.

"Second Master, if you want to eat lambs from the grasslands, it's not easy. The lambs we buy from the market every year are not enough for the palace and the high officials in the capital, let alone us!" Zheng Fu shook his head.

In the imperial palace, the "Imperial Kitchen uses only mutton" and "does not serve pork," meaning the emperor only eats mutton, not pork. This led to a widespread preference for mutton over pork. The supply of mutton was tight due to the origin issue, as lambs raised in the plains were not as good as those from the grasslands. This is why even now, premium crabs are sold at exorbitant prices. Good mutton needed to be imported, but there were quotas, and the supply was prioritized for the wealthy and influential, leaving ordinary people to make do with locally raised sheep.

"That's not a problem. When we grow up, we'll reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, conquer the grasslands, and make it our land. There will be cattle and sheep everywhere, and we can eat mutton as much as we want!" Zhao Cheng took a big bite of the lamb leg that Zhao Xin handed him.

"Great! When Second Master becomes the Northern Expedition Commander, we'll follow you to the grasslands and raid for sheep!" Zhao Yong waved a lamb bone and said loudly.

"Right, we'll all go. Once we conquer the grasslands, we can eat mutton every day!" The group was moved by the beautiful life Zhao Cheng described.

Just after the Winter Solstice, it was soon the Laba Festival. According to legend, this day is when Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment after drinking a bowl of 'mixed porridge.' To commemorate this important day, temples would distribute porridge, spreading good will. Over time, the content of the porridge became richer. By the Song Dynasty, it usually contained seven ingredients: glutinous rice, walnuts, pine nuts, milk, mushrooms, persimmons, and chestnuts, known as the 'Seven Treasure Five-Flavor Porridge,' or Laba Porridge. Large temples would also hold Buddha bathing ceremonies, distributing the porridge to monks and donors.

On this morning, breakfast was Laba Porridge. Just as they started eating, Doctor Wang arrived. "Second Master, these are the new Tiger Head Pills and Eight Deity Tusu I've prepared, for everyone!" The old man took out several red pouches from his medicine bag, respectfully presenting one to Zhao Cheng and distributing the rest to Jianshi, Guihua, and others in the room.

"Doctor Wang, thank you. Sit down and have a bowl of porridge!" Zhao Cheng thanked him but was still confused. Why was the old man giving him medicine when he was perfectly fine? He invited Doctor Wang to sit down and had Guihua serve him a bowl of porridge.

The old man didn't refuse, sitting down and drinking two bowls of porridge. During the conversation, Zhao Cheng learned why the old man was giving out medicine. It was a custom in the Song Dynasty for doctors to prepare medicine on the Laba Festival, known as 'Laba Medicine,' and to distribute it for good luck.

"Old Doctor, the New Year is coming. Shouldn't you return to the capital for the New Year? Do you need me to arrange for someone to send you? Is your travel money enough?" Zhao Cheng asked after finishing his porridge and rinsing his mouth.

"Your Highness, I was just about to discuss this with you. I don't want to go back for the New Year. I want to stay in the mansion for the New Year!"

"Old Doctor, you've been away from home for a year. You should go back and enjoy family time. If you need money, you can withdraw it from the accounting office!"

"Your Highness, by the grace of the imperial concubine, my eldest son has been granted a medical degree and entered the Medical Bureau, gaining an official position. I have nothing to repay her with, so I have submitted a request to the Imperial Medical Institute to retire and stay in the mansion to serve Your Highness!" The old man stood up and bowed.

"Oh!" Zhao Cheng was moved. His mother had truly gone to great lengths for him. The old man was also a man of gratitude. "Old Doctor, who else is in your family?" He asked.

"My family includes my wife, two concubines, and two young sons who are not yet married. They live with us. The older ones have already moved out."

"Alright, Old Doctor, you can stay in the mansion. Your monthly salary will be doubled!" Zhao Cheng thought for a moment and said. The old man was pleased and bowed to leave, understanding that only by serving the prince well would the imperial concubine protect his family, ensuring a smooth career for his eldest son.

"Jianshi, discuss with the head steward and see who else in the mansion cannot go home for the New Year. Those who want to come here, arrange for their families to be brought here to celebrate together. For those who don't want to come, buy some New Year's supplies and send them home!" After Doctor Wang left, Zhao Cheng called Jianshi over and instructed him.

"Second Master, that's quite a few people, and it will cost a lot!" Jianshi roughly calculated and said, knowing that the prince was usually 'stingy.'

"You, money should be spent where it's needed. Everyone has worked hard for a year and can't even go home. Don't be stingy with that bit of money. This time, the travel expenses and food will be recorded in the mansion's accounts. Clean up the outer courtyard. If that's not enough, we just received a new estate, so we can arrange for them to stay there!" Zhao Cheng patted Jianshi and said.

"Yes, I'll go and arrange it right away. Everyone will be so happy!" Jianshi said with a smile.

"Second Master, can I bring my parents here?" Guihua, who had been listening, asked cautiously.

"What do you think? If you weren't part of the mansion, I wouldn't consider it!" Zhao Cheng teased her, seeing her nervousness.

"I am part of the mansion. Who dares say otherwise?" Guihua was upset, looking at the prince's mischievous smile, her face turning red. "Second Master is just bullying me. I'll write to my parents right away!" The little girl pouted and left happily.

Just as they finished, Zhao Cheng heard the sound of wooden fish being struck and faint chanting of Buddhist scriptures. "Second Master, it must be the monks coming to collect alms!" Jianshi, seeing Zhao Cheng's confusion, quickly explained.

"Let's go and see the commotion!" Zhao Cheng frowned and said. In the era he had come to, he knew little about other things but had learned about traditional Chinese festivals.

There were too many festivals in ancient times, some of which were unheard of in his previous life. For example, the Winter Solstice, though celebrated, had no such elaborate customs. It was just a matter of eating dumplings. But in this era, it was treated as a major festival, with everyone wearing new clothes, preparing wine and dishes, and worshiping ancestors, as if it were the New Year, known as 'Yasui.' It was said that in the capital, the emperor would perform a grand ceremony to worship heaven, involving thousands of people, on a much larger scale.

Zhao Cheng and Jianshi walked through the halls to the mansion gate. Outside, several monks stood, all wearing new monk's robes and red cassocks. The lead monk, a young and strong man, held a copper saucer with a sandalwood Buddha statue, gilded and smiling, looking quite valuable. Behind him, two monks struck wooden fish and cloud plates while chanting scriptures, and the rest carried bags, apparently to receive alms and do the heavy lifting.

"Second Master, you're here!" The gatekeepers bowed as they saw Zhao Cheng approach.

"They've been striking the wooden fish for so long. Why haven't they left? Haven't they been given anything?" Jianshi asked.

"The third steward has already given them several liters of white rice, but they think it's too little and are lingering, asking for money. The third steward has gone to fetch more," the gatekeeper replied.

"Let them strike as much as they want. They're a bunch of parasites. Don't give them a single coin!" Zhao Cheng waved his hand dismissively. These monks spent their days chanting and praying, not engaging in productive work. Temples usually had extensive land, employing tenant farmers to cultivate and collect rent without paying taxes. They were not short of money but were just finding ways to collect more. Zhao Cheng ignored them.