The flames were blinding, and upon closer inspection, they saw a group of fierce-looking soldiers in Ziyi uniforms. Old Man Sang was being dragged backward by two strong men who were holding his arms. Because of his leg injury, he was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely and trembling all over.
"Big brother, let go of my big brother—"
When the little girl saw that Boss Sang was being bullied, she immediately started crying loudly.
"Who's making a scene!" The captain in the group glanced over with displeasure. His eyes were unusual, carrying the murderous aura of someone who had killed.
Zheng Quchi quickly covered his younger sister's mouth.
Oh, ancestors, please stop calling me that.
Sang Yaomei whimpered a few times, probably sensing the oppressive and tense atmosphere, and gradually quieted down.
The flames immediately focused on Zheng Quchi.
All the pressure suddenly fell on her.
She put her younger sister down. She guessed that she had gotten up in a hurry and now felt a tightness down there. So without thinking, she used her hand to move it.
But the next second, when she realized what she had done in public... her expression froze instantly.
Those who were looking at her were also stunned.
Holy crap, this dark-skinned kid... he's adjusting his crotch right in front of them?
Is he openly provoking them?
The officer slammed his hand on the public knife and asked in a gruff voice, "Are you Sang Xuanqing, the carpenter from Hegou Village in Fuxian County?"
Zheng Quchi comforted herself, telling herself that she was a man now, and that men all loved doing such lewd things... right?
With the strong mindset that "I'm not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed," she bravely endured the sharp, scrutinizing gaze of the head of the unit and quickly looked at Boss Sang. She saw him looking embarrassed and anxious, desperately shaking his head to signal her not to admit it.
As she considered the consequences of denying it, she saw the head of the household narrow his eyes and swiftly pull a notice from his waist—
The imperial court issued a severe order to Fu County to construct military camps, drawing on the expertise of all the county's craftsmen.
This time, the county even issued a strict order.
Those who shirk work, conceal their identities, abscond, or feign illness to avoid work will have their entire families executed.
"Did you understand?"
Zheng Quchi's concerns vanished instantly: "Sir, I am Sang Xuanqing."
After speaking, fearing that the official might misunderstand her as having a sour face, she smiled amicably.
Goodness, when he smiled, all you could see in the darkness was a row of bright white teeth.
When the head of the team heard her admit it, the look of disgust in his eyes was almost overflowing.
In his opinion, his short stature meant he couldn't do much work on the construction site, but considering the tight construction schedule, even a small amount of work was still work.
"Every carpenter here, you'd better come to Changxunpo to serve your labor! Damn it, once the project is successfully completed and inspected, you can go home and even get a hefty wage subsidy from the county magistrate. But anyone who dares to evade their duty, I'll make sure their whole family spends their life in jail!"
Huh? What did he say? He said there would be wages?
Zheng Quchi perked up instantly, his eyes lighting up immediately.
She was being naive, thinking that a craftsman serving in the military meant he was just working for the county for free.
For people who are so poor they don't know where their next meal will come from, money is absolutely more important than any unknown adventure.
She shed her previous timid demeanor and sincerely said, "Sir, I was being modest just now. I am concerned about the country and I am determined to achieve excellence. I am very willing to serve and follow the county's arrangements."
The foreman, who was about to unleash his official wrath, was completely taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm: "..."
This realization came rather quickly, catching people off guard.
She ran up to Brother Sang and saw that his eyes were full of worry and anxiety. She quickly stopped him and said, "Brother, I'll build you a big house when I come back."
For Qing Ge'er, being forced to build a camp might have been like being in a den of wolves and tigers, but as a civil engineering expert who had organized countless major engineering projects, this was like a small boat revisiting the Red Cliffs—a task she was very familiar with.
Her eyes were full of confidence, but Brother Sang only saw clear stupidity in them.
This silly girl, does she really think she's a man? Besides, with her terrible skills, if she showed off her clumsy cooking, it would definitely be a case of "slacking off." Does she want to die?
Unfortunately, Brother Sang wanted to stop it, but he didn't have the power to do so.
The other side's process of conscripting men was so smooth and efficient that they were even so cunning as to wait until the dead of night to arrest them, fearing that the men might get wind of it beforehand and escape.
Finally, Zheng Quchi, carrying his chest, was sent to the hut, where he joined dozens of smelly men and rode on a cart up Changxun Slope.
Zheng Quchi, riding in a horse-drawn carriage for the first time, was curious about the ancient craftsmen's skill in building carriages. After some observation, he discovered that the open-top carriage had an excessively long wheelbase, only considering the load-bearing capacity for carrying passengers while neglecting stability and speed...
This is even worse than the baggage carts of the Later Han Dynasty.
She was somewhat surprised by the simplicity and crudeness of the transportation in Ye Kingdom.
Just then, a harsh voice approached: "Hey, you're here to build the camp too? This is a government project. I heard that a group of carpenters failed the inspection and were all executed for delaying the project... If your carpentry work slows things down, you'll probably be in trouble too..."
Who is this person with such a foul mouth?
She frowned and looked over, and saw a smooth-faced, bald-headed man... The man's distinctive features immediately made her know who he was.
Lowering her eyes, she measured the most vulnerable point of the cart. With a press of her finger, the seemingly sturdy cartboard immediately shook violently, as if it were about to fall apart.
The scoundrel was jostled so hard that he cried out and fell to the ground.
Zheng Quchi looked down at him calmly, his dark little face looking like a vengeful ghost when he wasn't smiling: "If you keep nagging, I'll smash your son to death."
The bald-headed man had never seen her look like that before, and he was momentarily terrified.
——
Changxunpo is not far from Shangou Village, only a dozen or so miles away. People ride horses in front and pull carts behind. While the people on the carts have their legs free, their mouths are always busy.
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