Chapter 226 The world is neither too big nor too small.
Jiang Ling smiled as well, looking at the two travel-worn people in front of her, and couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
This world is neither too big nor too small. We've only been apart for a short time, yet we've reunited in this way.
"Yes, what a coincidence." Jiang Ling nodded with a smile.
"It seems my shop and your Changfeng Escort Agency are truly destined to meet. You've all worked hard; please come in for a cup of hot tea after you've finished unloading the goods to warm yourself up!"
After giving instructions to his two companions from the escort agency, Dong Hao and Xiao Lin dusted themselves off and followed Jiang Ling into the warm and cluttered general store.
The shop was filled with the familiar aroma of sweet snacks, which made Xiaolin take a deep breath.
He still misses the tea he had at the shop last time, but unfortunately he's been busy with escort missions lately and hasn't had time to come over.
He really wanted to drink again, but as a guest, he couldn't be so impolite as to make a request to the host.
Jiang Ling brought out a pot of jujube and ginger tea that had been kept warm from the kitchen, and then brought out several clean earthenware cups, filling them one by one.
The deep red tea soup steamed with rising heat, carrying the spiciness of ginger and the sweet aroma of dates.
"There's nothing much to offer, just some ginger tea. Drink some to warm yourself up." Jiang Ling handed over the teacup.
Dong Hao accepted it with both hands, thanked him, felt the heat from his palms, blew on it, and carefully took a sip.
A warm current immediately slid from his throat into his stomach, dispelling the chill he had picked up along the way, and he breathed a satisfied sigh of relief.
"Thank you very much, Miss Jiang. I'm always troubling you."
Xiaolin also held the cup, blew on it like Dong Hao, and then took a big gulp. He frowned slightly at the spiciness of the ginger, but then the sweetness and warmth spread.
Although it wasn't as delicious as the tea last time, it still warmed me up from head to toe, and had its own unique flavor.
"Shopkeeper, your tea is always so delicious!"
The group sat down at a table and chairs near the door and chatted casually.
Dong Hao once again expressed his gratitude to Jiang Ling for the tools she had provided last time.
"The springs and tools that Miss Jiang provided last time were a great help to us. Those springs worked exceptionally well when installed on the caravan. Every time we went on a caravan trip after that, we were no longer bumpy. Even the chief caravan leader was amazed when he saw them. Now everyone in the caravan company wants to borrow our caravan for their missions."
Jiang Ling smiled faintly, "It's good that I can help."
Kobayashi, meanwhile, seemed to have too many eyes to take in all the dazzling array of goods on the shelves.
His gaze was quickly drawn to a small wing of a Luban lock, which was sitting quietly on a small stool by the counter, intently fiddling with it.
Xiao Yi sensed the gaze, raised her head, and looked at the unfamiliar older brother with her big, dark eyes.
Xiaolin saw Xiaoyi, but couldn't find Xiaoran.
"Shopkeeper, where is Xiaoran?"
He remembered that last time he came, there was a guy named Xiao Ran who was busy running around taking care of things.
Jiang Ling explained with a smile, "Xiao Ran went to the county town to deliver goods. She'll be back later."
Xiao Lin's eyes widened in surprise. "Delivering goods to the county town? Can he manage alone?"
They were about the same age, and he himself hadn't even been able to work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) on his own yet, while Xiao Ran was already delivering goods by himself.
"Don't let his young age fool you, he's very reliable and knows his way around. It's good for boys to gain experience. Didn't you also travel all over the country with Chief Escort Dong when you were young?"
Xiao Lin scratched his head a little embarrassed by what she said and chuckled twice.
His attention quickly returned to the intricate Luban lock, and he couldn't help but walk over to the boy, bend down, and ask:
"Little brother, what is this thing? It looks quite interesting."
Xiao Yi wasn't intimidated at all and answered loudly, "This is called a Luban lock, and it's a toy my sister bought for me."
"Sister? What's your name? Who's your sister?"
"My name is Jiang Yi, and I am my sister's younger brother."
Jiang Yi? The shopkeeper's surname is Jiang, so that means he's her younger brother?
Dong Hao chuckled upon hearing this: "So Miss Jiang has a younger brother? How come I didn't see him last time?"
Jiang Ling looked at Xiao Yi with gentle eyes, "You fled from the north."
She didn't say directly that Xiaoyi was an orphan, as those words would have hurt him.
Dong Hao took a sip of ginger tea, assuming they were distant relatives: "I see."
Xiao Lin looked curiously at the Luban lock in Xiao Yi's hand. He had seen this thing in town, but had never played with it before. It seemed to be made of pieces of wood pieced together.
"Little Yi, can I try this too?"
Seeing that the older brother was friendly, Xiaoyi nodded generously: "Okay, I'll teach you."
As he spoke, he skillfully demonstrated how to disassemble a small section.
Kobayashi watched with great interest and couldn't resist picking up the parts next to him and trying to tinker with them.
Watching this scene, Dong Hao said to Jiang Ling, "Miss Jiang's younger brother is so intelligent at such a young age; he will surely be extraordinary in the future."
Jiang Ling smiled and said, "Children from poor families mature early. I only hope that I can give them a stable place to stay, so that they can have the opportunity to grow up properly and learn some skills to make a living."
Just then, a series of heavy footsteps came from outside the door.
Grandpa Zhao lifted the heavy curtain and came in.
“Miss Jiang, all the timber and blue tiles outside have been unloaded and stacked in the east corner of the courtyard. They have been counted and the numbers are correct, and the materials are sturdy.”
Seeing that Dong Hao and Xiao Lin were also there, he nodded familiarly as a greeting.
He then turned to Jiang Ling, took out the ledger he always carried with him, flipped to the latest page, pointed to the entries marked with charcoal pencil, and began to report in detail:
"On the construction side, the walls of the east and west wing rooms will be completely capped today, and the mortar is completely dry. The beams and pillars of the main building were erected yesterday, and the next step is to install the rafters and lay the tiles. If the weather continues to be fine, I estimate that in another ten days or so, the roof will be completely finished, and then we won't have to worry about rain or snow."
He looked up at Jiang Ling, his eyes asking for her opinion: "The tiles have arrived now. What do you think? Should we lay the tiles on the main house first, or should we finish the roofs of the side rooms as well? The craftsmen will follow your instructions."
Jiang Ling listened attentively, but she didn't really understand what should be prioritized when building a house in ancient times.
After a moment's thought, she said, "Uncle Zhao, you are very experienced. Do whatever you think will go more smoothly. I trust your judgment."
Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Grandpa Zhao's dark face, and he nodded.
"Alright, I'll arrange it accordingly. I promise it won't take up too much time."
He closed the ledger, then looked at Dong Hao and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Chief镖东, thank you for your hard work this time. The materials arrived just in time."
Dong Hao quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Mr. Zhao, you're too kind. It's just what I'm doing. We're relieved that you can deliver the materials to Miss Jiang on time."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com