Chapter 158 Fighting with the Heavens
Butcher Ma had received Xu Zhenying's guarantee. He was already very curious, and now he was even more motivated. He immediately took the piglet from Xu Zhenying's hand.
The piglet seemed to sense its fate and kept struggling and howling, which moved everyone present.
It's really miserable.
It smells really good.
All the men present couldn't bear to look at the little piglet, as if they felt the same despair as it did.
Instead, the girls blushed and moved forward, wanting to see more clearly.
"Fix it firmly, then pinch the roots on both sides and push upwards."
As expected of a butcher who has been slaughtering and selling pigs for many years, Ma knows the structure of a pig very well. He pinched the two sides of the pig's testicles with two fingers, first fixing it by instinct, then pressing down on the pig's right hip and pushing his fingers upwards quickly.
The pig kept grunting.
The whole process happened quickly, in the blink of an eye. Butcher Ma even felt it was smooth. He looked at Xu Zhenying expectantly and bewilderedly, muttering, "City Lord, is this so?"
Xu Zhenying couldn't answer either. She just felt that it looked right, but she couldn't guarantee the specific effect. "Let's see if there's any bleeding. We'll observe the situation for two days before we decide."
Then she seemed to remember something and instructed, "Don't clean the floor for the next two days. Don't let water get on the piglet's wound. If he's still alive and kicking after two days, you can continue to castrate the other pigs."
Ma the butcher wiped the sweat from his forehead, seeming unsure that it would end so soon.
As soon as my hand loosened, the piglet howled and limped away quickly.
He looks very energetic.
Ming Xiaoshuang also wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing Xu Zhenying's calm face, he realized that his own training was not enough, so he calmed down and said, "City Lord, is this the end?"
"That should be about right. After all, knowledge gained from books is shallow; true understanding comes from personal experience. Let's try it out first and see how it works."
Fang Xun looked at the jubilant pigs, then looked at the key points of pig slaughtering recorded in the notebook, and couldn't help falling into deep thought.
But the others had already rushed over, and the brave ones even tried to catch the pig, as if they wanted to observe it more closely.
After walking out of the pigsty, Ming Xiaoshuang looked at Xu Yinxi with envy and said to Xu Zhenying, "City Lord, when can we use pencils? You can't be partial to one and treat the other differently!"
Xu Zhenying took out the pen he had brought with him and threw it to Ming Xiaoshuang, saying with a smile, "You can use mine first. This batch is for testing, and the refills are a bit soft. We don't have enough craftsmen right now, so I'll wait until Zhenniang hires more people, then I'll improve the technology and start mass production. Then everyone will have one!"
Ming Xiaoshuang was flattered and immediately took the pencil. The pencil still had the warmth of Xu Zhenying on it. Looking at the envious eyes of the crowd, Ming Xiaoshuang felt his back straighten.
This is not a pencil, it is clearly the city lord’s favorite!
After explaining the things about the pig house, it was almost evening.
Today Xu Zhenying invited several doctors in the city to dinner.
Xu Zhenying only brought Xu Yinxi and Jiang Yongkang with him.
The evening breeze was blowing gently, and the people of Lan County hung long lanterns in front of their doors. Xu Yinxi saw that in the dim light, Xu Zhenying's profile was shrouded in a dim light and shadow. She always frowned habitually, but her eyes were fixed on the road under her feet, as if she was in a trance.
After following Xu Zhenying for a long time, Xu Yinxi also got to know this sixth sister better.
The name "Sixth Sister" seems to have become very distant and has become a memory of the previous life.
Except in private and at family dinners, she often called Xu Zhenying "City Lord".
And Xu Zhenying is indeed worthy of the title of city lord.
Since they entered Lan County, the Xu family seemed to be doing well on the surface, but in fact it was not the case.
They were used to obeying Xu Zhenying's orders. When Xu Zhenying said to attack the city, they attacked the city. When Xu Zhenying said to defend Lan County, they defended Lan County.
But no one has ever thought about why.
Why did Xu Zhenying stay here?
Why did Xu Zhenying insist on taking on the responsibility of supporting the livelihoods of these 15,000 people?
Why does Xu Zhenying look so tired and anxious?
Xu Yinxi got to know Xu Zhenying more and more. This sixth sister has always been a person who thinks three steps ahead, and she is deep-minded and good at strategy.
She had a premonition that behind Xu Zhenying's silence, there must be a huge storm.
However, ever since Xu Zhenying gave up everything to help her solve the Huang Yazi issue, she had already made up her mind that even if Xu Zhenying went to hell in this life, she would follow him without hesitation.
If a woman obeys her father before marriage and her husband after marriage, then she has convinced herself that Huang Yazi's whereabouts are unknown, and her father was no longer her father when he promised her to Huang Yazi, so she can only belong to Xu Zhenying in this life.
Including this life.
She rarely enjoyed the time alone with Xu Zhenying.
There were no crowds following them, no busy political affairs, only the two sisters, walking quietly along the river, looking at the lights of thousands of homes in the city.
Even if I don’t know where I’m going tomorrow, even if I don’t know what the future will be like.
But at this moment, Xu Yinxi's heart was at peace.
"Sixth sister." Xu Yinxi called softly, unable to ignore Xu Zhenying's frown, "What are you thinking about?"
Xu Zhenying tilted his head and smiled slightly, with a glittering glint in his eyes.
She is truly a contradiction.
Obviously very tired, yet very energetic.
"I'm thinking about... a lot of things. For example, how long can we maintain the peace in Lan County now? How long can my eldest brother and Feng'er and the others arrive safely after more than ten days of walking? How can we divide the land and build the city in spring?"
Xu Yinxi smiled, "You have too many things to worry about."
Xu Zhenying also smiled. "You may not believe this, but I never imagined I would become so hardworking. Ever since I was a child, I've always been content with a small fortune, pursuing neither fame nor wealth. But now I feel like I have a lot to do. Agriculture, animal husbandry, training soldiers, spring plowing and sowing, education, healthcare—many things need to be done sooner rather than later. If we want to see earth-shaking changes in Lan County within a few years, many things must be planned now."
Xu Yinxi has always been curious, "Sixth sister, what kind of Lan County do you want to create?"
Xu Zhenying looked at the twinkling lights in the distance, a trace of longing in his eyes. "I want a fair world."
"fair?"
"Fairness means no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, no hierarchy, no kings, generals, or prostitutes. No matter what kind of family you were born into or what kind of parents you have, you can achieve the life you want through your own hard work and talent."
Only after careful consideration did Xu Yinxi realize how turbulent the simple word "equality" meant.
She is no longer the girl who lived in seclusion and was not concerned with worldly affairs.
During this period, she continued to observe, analyze, think, learn, and improve, constantly discovering the cruel truth of this world.
The equality that Xu Zhenying talked about was to abolish slavery, the system of inheritance between legitimate and illegitimate children that had been passed down for thousands of years, and the inequality between men and women. Such changes, which were spoken about lightly, would take decades, hundreds of years, or even thousands of years to implement in reality.
"It's fair... To be honest, I never thought about these issues when I was in Bianjing City. Now that I think about it, under the current system, I have suffered injustice, but I have also enjoyed social rights."
Xu Zhenying raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to continue.
"As the child of a fifth-rank official, even though I've made no contribution to society, even though I've never worked the land, even though I've never done any labor, I can easily enjoy the resources that society provides me. This is extremely unfair to others, especially the working class. Yet, because I have a father who serves in the government, everyone takes it for granted. Behind this sense of right, the blood and tears of ordinary people are condensed."
After staying with Xu Zhenying for a long time, Xu Yinxi's speaking style has also changed significantly.
Those words that once sounded difficult to pronounce, now sound so natural and fluent to Xu Yinxi.
"However, as one of the millions of women, I became a victim. Huang Yazi first pushed me into the water, then rescued me. My father clearly despised Huang Yazi. He also knew how important choosing a husband was for a woman, and it affected the rest of my life. But he promised me to Huang Yazi just to save face."
It had been such a long time since Xu Zhenying heard Xu Yinxi mention the incident with Huang Yazi for the first time.
"To be honest, I was completely hopeless and filled with hatred. I hated my father, Huang Yazi, and the world. I couldn't understand why I, Xu Yinxi, had never done a bad thing in my life, ended up like this. They say there are no parents in this world who don't love their children, but I also understood that my father loved me, but his love could only be when I was obedient, flawless, and had a certain value. Not only me, but also Zhaodi, she..."
Speaking of Zhaodi, Xu Yinxi's eyes reddened slightly. "She was such a simple girl. She was kind, brave, hardworking, and pure. But so what? In the end, she still died at the bottom of the river. Just like my sixth sister said, I often ask myself why. Why do good people in this world never get good rewards? Why are women always forced to sacrifice? Is it because women are weak? Is it because women can't stand up for themselves? So we are born to be bullied, to swallow our anger, to compromise? I don't accept it, not only for myself, but also for Li Zhaodi, and even more so for the millions of women in the world!"
Jiang Yongkang followed behind him at a distance, listening quietly. In the past, he would have felt somewhat dissatisfied and would have argued on the man's behalf.
But now Xu Yinxi told the story slowly and steadily. Her tone was gentle, but it contained sadness and anger that could not be ignored.
Jiang Yongkang thought seriously. As a man, he had never thought about the situation of women before.
In his opinion, his parents had a very good relationship. Although his mother was trapped in the backyard all day, she rarely looked sad.
But now I think about it, my mother has loved swordplay since she was young, and she was also very heroic in her youth. She even made friends with my father through martial arts, and they got to know each other through fighting. But after marrying my father, she had to put down her swords and weapons and turn her attention to taking care of her husband and raising her children.
When he was young, he saw his mother sitting under a lamp, lovingly wiping the sword she had used in her youth, but there was a silence in her eyes that he could not understand.
Xu Yinxi is right, why is it always women who sacrifice?
Just like his father, he obviously liked the bright and lively mother at the beginning, but in the end he could only trap her in a corner of the backyard, letting her slowly wither away and become a good wife and mother in the eyes of ordinary people.
It was obvious that her martial arts skills and knowledge were not inferior to her father's. It was obvious that what she wanted most in her youth was to be a female knight. She also wanted to follow her father on a journey of escort, to see higher mountains, more beautiful rivers, and more distant clouds. However, she could only cherish her childhood dream until the day she died.
My mother must have a lot of regrets in her heart.
Has she ever felt that the world is unfair?
Jiang Yongkang listened silently, but his mind was full of complicated thoughts.
Xu Zhenying squeezed Xu Yinxi's hand, reassuring her as she had countless times before, even with a smile on her face. "Yes, so we have to transform this world ourselves. The road is still long, and we have at least decades to go. We have to take it one step at a time. There's no need to rush."
The two people smiled at each other, both of them understood each other tacitly.
Xu Yinxi suddenly moved closer. She seemed to be hesitant to speak, but finally chose to speak, "Sixth sister... there is a question that has been weighing on my mind for a long time. I have always wanted to ask you, but I didn't dare."
"You ask. I'll try to tell you the truth. If I can't tell you the truth, I'll choose to remain silent."
Xu Yinxi felt that Xu Zhenying was a very frank person.
It's frank to an endearing degree.
Even though she is now the ruler of the city, and even though she is always calculating in her dealings with others, she is still the Xu Zhenying who is trustworthy and worthy of your life.
Xu Zhenying took a deep breath, then clenched his fist in the dark. "I want to ask... did you... kill Huang Yazi?"
Xu Zhenying was stunned, but he didn't expect Xu Yinxi to ask this.
She pursed her lips, looked at Xu Zhenying's clear black and white eyes, and the expectation in them that could not be ignored, and whispered: "Yes, he died a long time ago. The grass on his grave is probably almost two meters high."
Hearing this answer, Xu Yinxi's held breath suddenly relaxed.
Her eyes suddenly became moist.
Xu Zhenying patted Xu Yinxi's shoulder, whether to comfort her or to promise her, "You don't have to worry about him showing up again, trying to force you to marry him or slander you. You don't have to be frightened by these evil spirits anymore. The road ahead will be a bright one."
Xu Yinxi, however, shook her head with red eyes. Her gaze was firm, and there was no trace of the softness and weakness of the past between her brows. Instead, there was a calm but murderous intent that could not be ignored. "Now I am no longer afraid. If he dares to show up, this time, the one who kills him will definitely be me!"
"Sixth sister, I will never again put myself in a situation where I have to wag my tail and beg others for help, or leave my fate in the hands of others. They say that fate is beyond our control, but I, Xu Yinxi, refuse to believe in fate. I want to see whether the heavens are determined to suppress me, Xu Yinxi, or whether I can fight against the heavens!"
——————————————————————
At this moment, in the largest private room on the second floor of Huamanlou, the largest restaurant in Lan County, there are two large round pearwood tables.
There were more than a dozen people in the room, but no one sat down.
Everyone stood there with a sad look on their faces. Some of them looked out the window at the hustle and bustle of traffic from time to time, while others shook their heads and sighed.
Doctor He from Huichun Pavilion, a time-honored restaurant in the city, is now sixty years old. He has a head of silver hair but bright eyes, and does not look old at all. He is the undisputed backbone among the dozen people in this room.
"Mr. He, why did the king suddenly call you and me here? You are well-informed. If you hear anything, please let me know so that we can prepare!"
Another young doctor also had a gloomy face. "It's over. First he killed the Chen family, then took over the Chen family's property. Now he's not going after our pharmacy, is he?"
"As the saying goes, there's no good banquet. I think this king is either out to kill people and rob them, or he has some other agenda!"
This immediately aroused everyone's curiosity, "What's the purpose?"
"Who knows what disease he has? Let's gather all the doctors together to treat him."
Everyone nodded frequently, "Doctor Chang is right. If you didn't need anything from us, why would you set up two banquets?"
Old Master He stood in the center, reassuring everyone, "Don't panic, everyone. I might as well be honest with you all. I also received the invitation yesterday. However, I, an old man, relied on my age to ask the messenger a few more questions. He said that the city lord wanted to discuss something with us. As for whether it's good or bad, we can only wait until the king arrives to find out. We must cheer up and deal with it later. Don't panic like we are now. The king is not a bloodthirsty person. As long as we behave ourselves, our lives should be safe."
Sitting in the corner was a young woman. She was wearing dark blue clothes and her hair was neatly tied up. She was thin and had a cold look, but she had a pair of eyes that could not be ignored.
She sat there quietly, isolating herself from everyone else.
"There's nothing to be afraid of with all these men in this room!" The woman began to scold, her voice cold and clear. "Besides, ever since this new king entered the city, he's been opening granaries to provide relief to the people, distributing land to refugees, and even building city defenses to protect the people. From all of this, it's clear that he's no ordinary bandit, much less a killer. He's also been so polite and polite, giving us so much face. Why should we be so worried and so terrified?"
Doctor He narrowed his eyes, and the people around him seemed to have just noticed her and frowned, "Why did the king invite her here as well?"
"Hmph, what kind of place is this? There's no place for a woman like you to act wildly. Don't let your husband's medical training get you in the air. I'm telling you, as long as we're still in Lan County, we won't tolerate a woman like you being a doctor!"
"You're a woman, a widow at that, and you've already shown up so quickly since Doctor Tang's death! Even before Doctor Tang's body is cold, you're eager to show off your medical skills. Besides, it might be the medicine you prescribed that killed Doctor Tang!"
Qiu Ju Niang stood up and glared, "That's nonsense! My case was decided by Magistrate Sun! We hired doctors from Ye County to diagnose my husband, and my late husband's case has been concluded. If you think I, Qiu Ju Niang, poisoned my husband, why not bring out the evidence and let's go to Magistrate Sun and have a say!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com