Chapter 54: Congee Kitchen
“Cross the river!”
Hearing this, the guards did not hesitate at all and turned the carriage around, heading toward Tianjin Bridge to the south.
Inside the carriage, Lu Shang had already closed his eyes and stopped talking to Lu Xin. The previous warmth and affection now seemed to have vanished completely. What Lu Xin faced was no longer that amiable and kind uncle, but the extremely dignified Lu Clan Leader!
Lu Xin could not help but bitter smile in his heart. This was the reason he had not meddled in other people’s business before. Although it was said to prioritize the clan and such matters that completely disgraced the Lu Clan should be reported to the Clan Leader, the reporter would inevitably be labeled as having malicious intentions!
Of course, if the matter had just happened and was reported to the Clan Leader, the situation would be much better. But at that time the Old Master was ill, and no one dared to speak up then. Once time passed, even fewer people were willing to take the lead.
The reason was simple: why didn’t others say anything, but only you have sharp eyes? Isn’t it just wanting to take the opportunity to attack fellow clansmen? This was the difficulty of conducting oneself within a great clan. Covering for relatives seemed to be taken as a matter of course, and anyone who meddled or informed would be seen as heartless and unrighteous…
This was also why the matter had happened for so long but still had not reached the Clan Leader’s ears—everyone did not want to be that villain. Lu Xin had originally considered Lu Yun’s future prospects and did not want to be that villain… Otherwise, why would he bother visiting each household with gifts? Wasn’t it just to improve his own reputation and reduce obstacles for Lu Yun’s future?
But since Lu Yun had spoken and asked him to report the situation to the Clan Leader, Lu Xin naturally did so. He just had not expected that his own advancement to Earth Rank would be exposed at this time, adding even more suspicion to his actions.
‘Sigh, truly a heavenly black pot…’ Lu Xin sighed inwardly, but since he had already spoken, he had no fear. Whatever the consequences, so be it.
What he hoped most now was that Lu Yun’s arrangement would not go wrong. If it could not be turned into an ironclad case on the spot, with Lu Jian’s abilities, inverting black and white would be a matter of morning to evening. Then, failing to kill the snake would bring harm instead, and dealing with that father and son later would be even more difficult!
。
Amidst random thoughts, the carriage passed over Tianjin Bridge and arrived south of the Luo River.
The subordinates did not know where Lu Shang was going and could only protect the carriage as it wandered aimlessly through the city.
“Where is our nearest congee kitchen?” Lu Shang asked Lu Xin coldly.
“Tongle Ward.” Lu Xin said softly: “Continuing straight along the current road will pass by it.”
“Mm.” Lu Shang nodded and closed his eyes again. He knew the streets and alleys south of the Luo River even better than Lu Xin.
Speaking of which, the southern part of Luodu City had been supervised in construction by Lu Shang back in the day. He knew every street south of the Luo River like the back of his hand and had more affection for it than other Clan Leaders. He used to come over from time to time before. However, in recent years with age advancing, Lu Shang had not come to south of the Luo River for a long time.
He never would have imagined revisiting the old place under such circumstances…
After traveling for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lu Shang opened his eyes and said in a deep voice: “Stop the carriage!”
The carriage stopped, right at the doorway of Tongle Ward.
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At the Lu Clan’s congee kitchen in Tongle Ward, five large pots were set on a temporary stove, with the stove piled full of firewood underneath. Seven or eight Lu Clan servants wearing motley short cloth garments were putting rice into the large pots to prepare the congee.
Long lines had already formed in front of the several large pots. Disaster victims held broken bowls, staring eagerly at those few servants. Each large pot had only two handfuls of rice added. Although they were long accustomed to it, they still could not help protesting: “Can’t you add more! Your family’s congee is too thin; when scooped into the bowl it can be used as a mirror! The Xie Clan adds three jin of rice per pot!”
“Exactly, the Xiahou Clan adds eight jin per pot, enough to make ten pots of yours!”
The servants had had their ears worn out by these words lately and immediately cursed at the disaster victims: “It’s good enough to have something to eat! So many complaints!”
“Exactly, eating our family’s congee for free every day and badmouthing us everywhere! A bunch of starving ungrateful wretches!”
“Keep talking and we won’t add even this much rice!” They seized on the disaster victims’ weakness and threatened ferociously.
The disaster victims indeed all fell silent, clearly having been threatened like this many times before.
“Spineless wretches!” The servants spat a thick glob of phlegm into the pots, feeling much better. “If it’s too little, we’ll add some extra ingredients for you!”
They had vented their anger, but the disaster victims were about to explode with rage. Some men clenched their fists tightly, as if about to step forward and beat them. But these lowly commoners, how could they dare provoke the noble clans high above? Not to mention their wives, children, and elderly on the verge of starvation…
“A bunch of beasts!” An elderly angry shout rang out: “Who gave you the dog guts to be so heartless and insane?!”
“…” Hearing someone dare to curse them, the servants turned their heads angrily and saw a middle-aged man in a cloth robe, accompanying a white-haired old man also wearing a cloth robe, walking over through the crowd toward them.
“Old geezer, are you tired of living?” Seeing the two wearing cloth robes, the servants immediately became unbridled and cursed: “Daring to meddle in the Lu Clan’s business, get lost!”
The old man nearly fainted from anger. He was naturally Lu Shang. To see the real situation, Lu Shang had the carriage stop outside Tongle Ward, changed into plain cloth with Lu Xin, did not let the guards follow, and went straight into the congee kitchen.
As soon as he entered, Lu Shang heard the dialogue between those wicked servants and the disaster victims, and his old face immediately turned blue-purple. To think that he, Lu Shang the Old Master, had spent his life doing good deeds, protecting the people, and arduously earning the Lu Clan a reputation for benevolence and righteousness, only for it all to be destroyed by these beasts!
Lu Shang finally could not hold back and scolded them aloud, who would have thought those slaves did not recognize him, their lofty Clan Leader Master, and actually spewed filth, insulting him wantonly. This was truly an unprecedented spectacle in the Old Master’s life!
“Good, good!” Lu Shang laughed in extreme anger, pointing at those slaves: “Today this old man will let you see if I can meddle in the Lu Clan’s business!” After speaking, he said to Lu Xin beside him: “Take down these dogs!”
Lu Xin obeyed the order, his figure flashing, and he was in front of those servants. Before they could react, he grabbed one by one like chicks, lifted them up, and threw them in front of the Old Master.
In the blink of an eye, those eight servants were stacked like sacks in front of the Old Master. They were shocked and furious, struggling to crawl up, but could not muster any strength in their bodies and could only lie on the ground cursing: “You bastard have the guts to smash the Lu Clan’s place! Hurry and take them down!”
The congee kitchen naturally had guards on duty. Manager Chai, feeling guilty, had assigned a full twenty guards to each congee kitchen. This was also one reason the disaster victims did not dare to make trouble.
Seeing these wicked slaves suffer, the disaster victims felt greatly relieved, but upon hearing them call the guards to take people, the disaster victims hurriedly advised Lu Shang: “Old man, leave quickly; the Lu Clan is not to be provoked!”
“Everyone,” Lu Shang instead had a face full of shame and cupped his hands to them: “The Lu Clan is not a gang of ruffians and rogues; these lowly slaves do not represent the Lu Clan.” Pausing, he said with a face full of heartache: “As this old man knows, when the Lu Clan learned that countless disaster victims’ homes were destroyed and they had no choice but to flee to the capital, all clan members were heartbroken. Therefore, they decided to set up four congee kitchens in the city for relief, each with five large pots. Each pot cooks twelve pots of congee per day, with ten jin of rice per pot!”
“What? Ten jin of rice?!” The disaster victims were all stunned and exclaimed one after another: “Isn’t that more than the Xiahou Clan?!”
“Old man, are you sure you didn’t get it wrong?” The disaster victims said incredulously: “It’s been so long, but the Lu Clan’s congee kitchens add at most one jin per pot, and cook less than ten pots a day!”
“There must be a problem somewhere.” Lu Shang suppressed his belly full of rage and said in a deep voice to the disaster victims: “Please bear witness; today this old man will give all disaster victims an explanation and remove the black sheep for the Lu Clan!”
“Old man, you are too boastful…” The disaster victims still did not believe: “With your frail body, you’re not even enough to fill the Lu Clan’s teeth!”
Lu Shang chuckled, no longer responding, but shouted loudly: “Men!”
“Here!” Before Lu Shang finished speaking, twelve guards wearing silver-gray warrior uniforms appeared in the congee kitchen. Only to see the Lu Clan emblem embroidered on their left chests, surrounded by red cloud patterns, proclaiming their status as Black Rank experts!
Those guards watching the congee kitchen had naturally already been taken down by these Black Rank experts.
