Chapter 52 triggers a hidden quest!

Su Jingge arrived at the location Xie Mo had mentioned, the place where such large tools could be made.

This is a stake near the Xicai Market.

The surrounding area is also a livestock trading market.

As she dismounted, she smelled a strong, fishy odor in the air.

She stood at the entrance of the pile and looked inside.

It was full of rough, unrefined men.

Their uniform is marked by the aprons they wear around their waists; these are made of pure leather, making them very durable when shoeing horses.

It turned out that the craftsman who made the tool was a blacksmith.

At this moment, a craftsman inside the pile saw Su Jingge and his eyes lit up.

He stepped out of the door and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "This humble servant greets Assistant Manager Su."

Su Jingge smiled and said, "Master, you don't need to be so polite."

The man looked to be around thirty years old. Unlike the grooms there, he was muscular and clearly had a long history of manual labor.

This person must be the manager of the horse farm.

He glanced at the horse behind Su Jingge and asked with a smile, "Is the Assistant Manager here to shoe the horse? I'll lead it in and take a look."

She wanted to say she wasn't there to shoe horses, but the horse was already being led.

But it's okay to go in and take a look.

As the horse went in, she followed.

Inside, the craftsmen were all working diligently.

People who recognized her greeted her.

After going around once, there was only one person. That person was over 30 years old, wearing a sleeveless tattered linen coat and a pair of straw sandals.

In a corner, the saddle shoes were being quietly pounded.

That horse was tall and strong, and looked much fiercer than the other horse grooms' horses.

It's clearly a prized horse belonging to an official.

The horse occasionally snorted, but the man remained expressionless. He patted the horse's neck, and the horse became quiet as if submitting.

This person appears different from others and is more indifferent than others.

"Manager Su, I've checked your horse's saddles. Actually, you don't need to change them, but it's fine to change them anyway. It's just that this horse is a bit shy and not easy to handle. If you want to beat it, then you'll have to wait."

Su Jingge knew that all five horse grooms were busy and none of them were empty-handed.

She nodded: "I'll change it, waiting is fine." She then looked at a corner not far away and asked, "But I want that person to shoe my horses."

The man looked at him and said, "Assistant Su has a good eye. This is Lu Huai, the best horseman in our area. However, he has two horses on hand, so you'll have to wait, Assistant Su... Otherwise... shall we let you cut in line?"

Su Jingge shook her head: "No need."

As the sun reached its zenith, Su Jingge sat inside the stake, drinking tea under the thatched shed.

She watched as the man's movements were swift and skillful.

Xie Mo said that this person was adept at using all kinds of tools, but his personality was rather eccentric...

Finally, it was her turn.

The man led the horse and patted the restless creature.

He lifted the horse's shoe, looked at it, and then looked at its hind hooves.

"Does my horse need its horseshoes fixed?"

The man didn't speak.

Su Jingge crossed her arms and waited for him calmly.

She then asked, "Brother Lu, you are very good at making horseshoes, I wonder if you can also make farm tools?"

Lu Huai remained silent. He seemed to be quite averse to her, or perhaps to her current position as assistant manager. Su Jingge then said, "I understand Brother Lu's difficulties..."

"Speak your mind."

The man's voice was cold and deep, and he didn't even look up.

"To be honest, I'm not here to shoe horses today, but to ask you for a favor."

"I can't help you, you should leave!"

Su Jingge crossed her arms and smiled. This person was indeed quite interesting; she hadn't even said anything yet.

"Brother Lu, why are you in such a hurry? Now that I know about your difficulties, how about we make a deal?"

The man paused slightly, then continued shoeing the horses.

Ai Jingge smiled slightly; he had taken her words to heart.

"I need a batch of large agricultural tools now, and I need your help to make them."

The man remained cold: "I'm just a horse groom; I can't be of much help to Assistant Manager Su."

Before they could finish speaking, the horseshoes were already in place.

The man untied the horse's reins: "This horse is a fine steed, but it has been confined to the stable for too long and has become somewhat depressed. It needs to run around from time to time to make the most of its strength."

Su Jingge smiled as she listened to his words: "Brother Lu, isn't that the case? You have such skills, yet you can only work as a stable boy."

"Enough!" The man suddenly turned around, glaring at her. "Don't try to intimidate me with your official authority. I don't care about your government's discipline!"

The commotion attracted a crowd of onlookers.

Su Jingge was not alarmed, because Xie Mo had already given her instructions before she arrived.

Instead, she clasped her hands together and said to him, "I know that Brother Lu has lost faith in the Emperor. I apologize for the harm the Emperor caused you in the past."

“But Brother Lu, there’s no need to be hostile towards me. I’m not an official, just a county assistant.”

After the woman finished speaking, she bowed deeply. Upon seeing this, Lu Huai loosened his grip on her hand and turned his head to the side, saying, "You can go now!"

Su Jingge did not leave, and continued unhurriedly, "The people need me now, and I need your help. As long as Brother Lu helps me, just name your terms!"

The air quieted down, and a gentle breeze began to blow.

Lu Huai stopped again.

"Alright, outsiders say that you, Assistant Manager Su, are very capable and like to do things that others can't. I'd like to see if your reputation is true."

Seeing that the person had spoken up, Su Jingge turned to the side and stretched out her hand toward the thatched hut: "Then let's have some tea and chat!"

Lu Huai and Su Jingge then entered the thatched hut, where Su Jingge had some fine tea served.

When the tea was served, Su Jingge made a gesture, and the servant left.

She poured the tea herself.

The man sat upright, completely disdainful of her hospitality.

She has always treated people with sincerity, so it's alright.

After a moment of silence, he spoke: "But I have something to worry about. My good-for-nothing brother has gotten into gambling. I don't know what kind of games he's been betting on, but now he's lost everything, including several thousand taels of silver.

"To tell you the truth, this horse post is mine, but he has mortgaged it to me. In three days, it will be renamed. My Lu family's entire savings are gone, and part of them are debts owed to relatives."

"We absolutely cannot give them the horse stables!"

“If you can win the money back, I, Lu Mou, will not donate it to the county with both hands, but I must get this deal back.”

"If we can get it back, I will do everything in my power to help you from now on!"

So that's what's troubling you. No wonder you saw him looking so worried and silent when you first met him.

If the person agrees, there's a 50% chance of success.

However, this matter is indeed as difficult as ascending to heaven!

However, without tools and materials, the city could not continue to be built.

It's worth a try, no harm in giving it a shot!

She smiled and raised her teacup: "It's a deal!"

Lu Huai slowly turned his head, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He looked at the woman with bright eyes, and although she was a woman, she possessed a strong and righteous spirit!

He picked up the teacup: "Is what you say true, young lady?"

Su Jingge smiled and said, "I, Su Jingge, always keep my word!"

Lu Huai's eyes were filled with tears: "It's a deal!"

He then downed the cup of tea in one gulp.

Su Jingge said, "Brother Lu, please tell me in detail which gambling den your brother gambled at, whether he lost the money all at once or in installments, and what type of gambling he was betting on."

An hour later, the clouds moved away, and the sun peeked out from behind them again.

...

Finally, Su Jingge understood the whole story.

She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her expression slightly serious.

Lu Er gambled at Tianbao Pavilion, which was an underground gambling den.

It is Shangguzhai's territory.

It was also one of the major sources of wealth for Zhao Liu's men.

This matter... will likely involve a confrontation with Shanggu Zhai...