Chapter 330 Life is a journey, every day.
Shopkeeper Yan's home was completely renovated, with various exquisite and luxurious decorations. It was obvious that Lord He had brought them from the capital on a special trip. Wherever he lived, he had to display them there. What sixth-rank official would have such a grand display? He was only relying on the He family.
“Lady Sui.” He Yan read the three words with great interest. “Last year, when His Majesty decided to bestow the title of Lady upon a commoner, the entire court held differing opinions. Only the He family thought it was feasible. In fact, the He family is Lady Sui’s benefactor.”
"Then I must thank Lord He." Cheng Wanwan had a faint smile on her face. "More than a dozen officials came to the village this morning. Does Lord He have any plans for arranging their lodgings?"
He Yan said nonchalantly, "They can decide where they want to stay. Do you think I should worry about such a small matter?"
Cheng Wanwan retorted, "Then when they seize people's homes and beat up villagers, doesn't Lord He do anything about it?"
"Those villagers must have disobeyed orders. They deserved to be beaten, as long as they don't die." He Yan leaned back in his red-lacquered yellow pearwood chair, a cold sneer on his face. "A bunch of troublemakers dare to go against the government? Do they have a death wish?"
Cheng Wanwan smiled.
Just as she had imagined, it was because Lord He indulged them that his subordinates dared to be so presumptuous.
Then don't blame her for plotting and taking action.
"In that case, I will take my leave now."
After she finished speaking, she turned and walked outside.
He Yan narrowed his eyes. He had always thought that Lady Sui was a frail old woman in her fifties or sixties, but he didn't expect her to be so young.
Her face was snow-white and without a single wrinkle. Although she was a bit older, she had more charm than girls in their teens or twenties.
Even if she was personally appointed as a Lady by the Emperor, so what? She was only a ninth-rank official, and He Yan didn't even consider her worthy of his attention.
However, precisely because this woman is of some rank, we cannot simply rob her by force; it seems we will have to use some tricks.
Cheng Wanwan walked out of the courtyard and saw Zhao Shagen's family still waiting for her at the door. When she came out, Zhao Yougui hurriedly came up to her: "Auntie Dashan, did Lord He make things difficult for you?"
"It's alright." Cheng Wanwan looked at Sun Shuiqin. "You'd better go to Guihua Village to lay low for a while and don't come back for a while."
That Lord He is utterly ruthless; no one knows what he will do next.
Sun Shuiqin nodded.
If this Lord He were younger and gentler, perhaps she…
She shook her head, quickly banishing the thought. She was already pregnant; she should just focus on living a good life with Sha Gen.
Cheng Wanwan went straight home, where Master Yu was waiting for her with two pieces of paper: "Grandma Dashan, take a look and see if this is written correctly?"
She took it, glanced at it, and immediately laughed: "Master Yu is indeed a man of great learning, his writing is even better than I imagined."
"Manager Yan has arrived."
Zhao Ergou had just driven to Ping'an County to pick up Manager Yan. The two of them, looking travel-worn, walked straight in.
Manager Yan, still confused about what had happened, asked with a bewildered look, "Madam Sui, why did you summon me here in such a hurry...?"
“The Yan family is a family of storytellers. For three generations, our ancestors made a living by storytelling. Although the family has declined in the generation of Manager Yan, the family’s skills have not been lost.” Cheng Wanwan handed over the manuscript in her hand. “This is a story written by Master Yu. Manager Yan, are you confident that you can spread this story?”
Manager Yan glanced at him and was immediately shocked: "Isn't this the Salt and Iron Commissioner He who has been making headlines these past few days? I heard he's a sixth-rank official from the capital. How could he... commit such a heinous act?"
“With someone backing him, he’s naturally fearless.” Cheng Wanwan frowned and said, “Let’s serve up an appetizer first to force this Lord He to take action again. I want to see what other outrageous things he can do.”
Master Yu spoke slowly, "The entire He family, from the legitimate sons to the collateral branches, are all narrow-minded. If Lord He were to find out that this story originated from Manager Yan, I'm afraid..."
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Let's do it my way..."
Manager Yan stayed in Dahe Village for about half an hour before Zhao Ergou sent him back to Ping'an County.
These past few days, the topic of conversation among the people of Ping'an County has been the coal mountain in Dahe Village. When talking about it, everyone is beaming with excitement.
"That Dahe Village is truly a blessed place; they've actually discovered coal there!"
"What is coal? I've never even heard of it?"
"You're so ignorant! I heard this is fuel that the imperial court uses specifically for iron smelting. A small piece of black stone can burn for a whole day and night. There are more than a dozen hills behind Dahe Village that are full of coal. The whole village is going to be rich."
"Dahe Village is truly a blessed land. Last year, they discovered ratooning rice, which helped us through the crisis. They also produced a lady named Sui Ru. And now they've discovered coal, which is only found in the north..."
The adults discussed these matters with great insight and knowledge.
The children, of course, didn't understand these things; they played games like kicking shuttlecocks and throwing stones in small groups in the alleyways.
An oddly dressed old man suddenly appeared in the alley. He had a full head of white hair, a face full of wrinkles, and a hunched back. He sat at the entrance of the alley. When the children saw him like this, they were so frightened that they wanted to run away.
The old man slowly took the bundle off his shoulder, opened it, and found it full of pastries and fruits, emitting a sweet and tempting aroma.
"Children, come and have some snacks!"
The shopkeeper, disguised, beckoned kindly.
Although the children were scared, they couldn't resist the temptation of the snacks and tentatively came over one by one.
"Life is but a fleeting day, and time flies by year after year." Shopkeeper Yan sighed and began his storytelling. "Little children, little children, sit in a row, and Grandpa will begin his tale. Once upon a time, there was a village called Dahe Village, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a great river flowing through it. It was truly a blessed land in terms of feng shui. Dahe Village has been passed down for thousands of years, and in this generation, it has become the most prosperous village within a ten-mile radius. Not only did it produce a lady named Sui, but it also discovered a coal mine, a sight only found in the north..."
“I know Dahe Village!” a child said, raising his hand as he ate a snack. “My mother said that when she makes money, she’ll go to Dahe Village and buy a farm!”
“That’s right, Dahe Village has plenty of land, so buying a manor won’t be a problem,” Shopkeeper Yan said with a smile. “The county magistrate is a benevolent official who cares about the people. After discovering the coal mine, he immediately informed the prefect, who then reported it to the imperial court. As a result, the court sent a sixth-rank official to be in charge of mining the coal mine in Dahe Village.”
"The people of Dahe Village were overjoyed, thinking it was a blessing in disguise. Who would have thought that this Lord He was no different from the bandits of Xishan, seizing homes, stealing livestock, and abducting women... Now, Dahe Village is in dire straits, everyone lives in fear. It's a pity, a truly lamentable situation..."
As he spoke, Manager Yan stood up, leaning on his cane.
"With the reigns of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, dynasties rose and fell in succession, and there was fierce competition and struggle. Who could truly bring happiness to the people? It was difficult—difficult—difficult indeed!"
He sang loudly as he slowly walked out of the alley, his voice echoing in the alley for a long time.
Then, he would find another alley, gather another group of children, or call over a group of beggars, and continue telling the story with great emotion...
The children could only understand half of the story, so they went back and asked their families. That's how the story of Dahe Village spread. In the teahouses of Ping'an City, some storytellers changed only the village name and the specific events, and enthusiastically used the story to attract customers. Stories based on local material are always the most attractive, and the teahouses became very popular.
This story naturally reached Dahe Village as well.
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