"I'm not willing to accept it. If you were in my shoes, would you be willing to keep such an exquisitely crafted chariot map, which was finally made with great difficulty, even if it's just a pretty surface and not actually usable? However, I definitely won't vote for them. Now they can't even vote for themselves. If they get zero votes, they'll be laughed at to death."
"Who in their right mind would vote for that junk car? I bet that junk car is going to break the one-vote minimum and become the only exhibit with zero votes, hahaha..."
——
Although Mu Gaoyi and his group couldn't hear the other craftsmen's private conversations, they could tell from the constant babbling of their lips and their lewd and disdainful expressions that they were definitely not saying anything nice.
Dozens of menial soldiers were quickly cleaning up the area for them, while the craftsmen from Mu Gaoyi's side went to steer the horses and pull the carts.
During this free time, the remaining car-making team had nothing to do, so they glared fiercely at the even more idle craftsmen across from them.
If looks could kill, they would try to shut the other person up with their eyes.
Zheng Quchi also wanted to avoid a certain gaze, so she moved closer to Mu Gaoyi and the others, followed their gaze, and asked, "Do you know what they're talking about?"
Mu Gaoyi snorted: "I don't want to know."
Shi Hetong frowned and said sullenly, "Who cares about them? Let them say what they want. Are we afraid of them?"
Zheng Quchi chuckled softly. Her eyes were like the brightest stars, shining even more brightly and brilliantly as the night grew darker.
"Believe me, they're spitting filth at us now, but we can definitely make them stuff what they vomit back into their mouths and swallow it themselves."
Seeing her confidence and the words she used that hit their sweet spot, everyone's previous frustrated and indignant expressions relaxed considerably, and they started laughing.
Although their hearts were still heavy, at least they dared to face it.
Shi Hetong didn't ask any more questions, only asking, "Can it really work?"
Zheng Quchi met his eyes without blinking and simply replied, "Don't you understand why I'm here?"
He stared at her, a flicker of hope appearing in the darkness in his eyes. Though it didn't ignite into a galaxy of light, it brought a glimmer of hope.
"Okay, we understand!"
"Come on, whether it's glory or hell ahead, it all depends on this one round!" Mu Gaoyi's chuunibyou spirit also ignited.
Shi Hetong said disdainfully, "Shut up."
The others burst into laughter.
——
The craftsmen opposite noticed the change in the expressions of the group building the car, but they were all puzzled.
"Why aren't you glaring at us anymore? Instead, you're laughing to yourself?"
"Are you stupid? Are you crazy?"
"I feel like they've suddenly come to their senses and don't want to talk to us anymore?"
That made them unhappy: "Hey, it's not like we want to keep going on with them forever."
——
"What did Madam say to them that made those bitter and resentful faces suddenly relax?" Fu Rong asked, his curiosity churning.
Wei Yao shared the same sentiment: "That's right, it's a pity we're too far away to hear it. It must have been something really interesting."
"Being curious about everything will only get you into trouble!" Wang Zebang sneered.
Yuwen Sheng, however, understood lip reading. He clearly read her every word, so he smiled particularly warmly and pleasantly. Only when his dangerous, reddish eyes swept over Mu Gaoyi and the others who were close to her did his thoughts begin to slip.
How could she become so close to others after only a few days?
She could become familiar with others so quickly, chatting and laughing without restraint. Could it be that in her heart, he was the most special one? Otherwise, why would she treat him differently?
"Don't you find it strange?" Wang Zebang suddenly asked.
"What's strange?" Fu Rong and Wei Yao asked at the same time.
Wang Zebang didn't know what to say. He glanced warily at the general's retreating figure and whispered, "Madam has only been at the artisan guild for a few days, but those people seem to be subservient to her..."
"Oh, is that so? What's so strange about that?" Wei Yao said dismissively after hearing this. "When Madam was in Guixu Ridge, didn't she also lead all the stonemasons to complete the city wall construction? How many people are there? They'll be completely subdued by her in no time."
Wang Zebang wanted to say, how can these be the same?
Can ordinary craftsmen be compared to proud and arrogant master craftsmen?
But on second thought, it's actually the same.
Back then, Zheng Quchi was just an ordinary craftsman who hadn't even been promoted, yet she could win people's hearts and minds. Why can't she do the same now?
Looking at the lady across from him, chatting and laughing with the craftsmen, he suddenly had a question in his mind: had he been looking at her with too narrow a perspective all along?
If she weren't a spy sent by the Mohists, if she weren't from a poor farming family, if she possessed good manners, and if there hadn't been all those past misunderstandings...
He recalled their first private conversation in the tent. He couldn't deny that he felt relaxed and comfortable talking to her. Later, he witnessed her courage in risking her life to save others, and he also saw her unwavering resilience as she single-handedly shouldered heavy responsibilities and took on the main task of building the city wall...
He thought that if it weren't for the previous events, he might have admired and praised such a woman.
“Perhaps my judgment is not as good as yours,” he suddenly said to Wei Yao.
Seeing his complicated expression, Wei Yao laughed and said, "When it comes to insight, I'm no match for Fu Rong. Look at him, haven't you noticed that he seems to treat Madam differently since we came back this time?"
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