After putting Sang Yaomei to sleep, Brother Sang asked her worriedly, "You haven't been seen all day, what have you been doing?"
Zheng Quchi seemed very tired. He grabbed a towel to wipe his hands and neck, then snuggled into bed and hugged his warm little sister. He mumbled, "Get things done."
work?
What can she do?
He guessed that she must have gone to ask someone for help.
I wonder how things went with her.
Despite her unpretentious nature in front of him, he couldn't see through her thoughts at all when it really mattered.
But considering that the Sang family had no relatives or friends in Fuxian County and had offended five prominent local families, it was highly unlikely that the deal would go through.
Looking at his younger sister sleeping soundly on the bed and his son, Qingge, who looked pale and tired, his usually stern expression softened. He decided that no matter how difficult or painful it was, he had to support his family.
As long as their family doesn't fall apart, they'll be able to get through even a life of hardship and wandering.
He moved his slow body, intending to pack up his belongings before dawn.
Since I'm destined to leave, rather than being chased away in disgrace, I'd rather leave with the last shred of dignity.
The next day.
The five major families of Hegou Village, along with other villagers who wanted to join in the fun, all gathered at the Sang family's house early in the morning.
They braved the damp fog and cold early in the morning, wanting to see how Sang Xuanqing, who had spoken so arrogantly yesterday, would end up today.
If we can catch them sneaking away out of fear of losing face, then this trip will be even more worthwhile.
They waited and waited... Damn it, they were still sleeping in late. Who made the bet? They were all standing in the cold wind looking like fools.
They waited anxiously for more than half an hour, gritting their teeth and nearly fainting from the cold, before the Sang brothers finally arrived.
They were immediately roused, their lips trembling from the cold.
Ha, they haven't run away yet.
They've come at the perfect time. We'll humiliate them thoroughly in a bit, and then make those two disgraced brothers get out of their river village.
This time, not only did the wives of the five families come, but their husbands also came.
"Where are they? Didn't you say someone would come to help you build the house today?"
"That's right, some people are so shameless, they boast as if it were the truth, making us come all this way for nothing."
“Sang the Cripple, our Hegou Village will not keep unlucky people like you. Today someone came to burn down your house, and tomorrow it will bring disaster to Hegou Village. You’d better leave our village quickly.”
"I see you can't call anyone else..."
Amidst the ridicule and attempts to drive him away, Brother Sang felt both embarrassed and angry. However, Sang Xuanqing yawned, a strange smile on her face, and lazily glanced behind them.
"See for yourself."
What?
A rosy glow rose over the eastern side of the village, and the thin mist gradually dissipated under the sunlight.
They turned their heads suspiciously, wondering if she was just faking it.
In the distance, amidst the scattered houses and winding paths shaded by trees, a corner of clothing was first blown by the morning breeze, then half a figure was revealed. As the distance grew closer, a tall man carrying a chest on his back could be clearly seen.
At first, they thought the sunlight was too bright and they were seeing things, so they rubbed their eyes vigorously.
It was fine when I wasn't kneading, but as soon as I put my hand down and looked again, I found that there was another one, no, two, three...
When the five major families and the villagers saw who this group of people was, they were completely stunned.
"They are craftsmen from the village or county..."
Among them were familiar stonemasons and masons, carpenters who used to pay exorbitant prices to make furniture, and even a self-important fourth-grade carpenter who only built houses for the wealthy in the county.
There are also many more artisans who are not well-known, but whose exquisite craftsmanship is often talked about by the villagers.
In short, they were all people who would only gather in the construction of imperial projects, but who should never have appeared in this barren and desolate Sang family residence.
Their hearts were pounding, and they felt a suffocating sensation as if water was about to reach their noses.
Impossible! It must be a misunderstanding!
These people might just happen to be here on business; they definitely didn't come because of Sang Xuanqing.
That's absolutely impossible.
But no matter how they tried to comfort and convince themselves, as these people drew closer, accurately bypassing any forks in the path and arriving directly at Sangjiabaokan—
Their fragile confidence has begun to crumble.
At this moment, Brother Sang was also out of his mind. He stared wide-eyed, astonished, and stood there motionless like a piece of wood.
Zheng Quchi took in their expressions and saw that the people who were just now so arrogant and aggressive were now as if their tongues had been cut out, unable to utter a single word.
Not far away, a booming voice rang out: "Brother Sang, we've all come to help you build your house."
Snap!
What was that sound?
Oh, so that's the sound of an eyeball falling to the ground and shattering.
This shout shattered the hopes of the five families and the villagers who were desperately praying for an impossible outcome. Instead, it slapped them to the ground, their faces being trampled and ravaged repeatedly.
Zheng Quchi immediately stepped forward with a smile to greet them.
She feigned a surprised and unexpected expression.
"What are you doing...?"
A young worker dressed in shorts stepped forward, each carrying a toolbox on his back. His smiling face was as kind as ever.
"Brother Sang, is this a sign that we're not welcome being uninvited?"
"Yes, if we're not welcome, we'll turn back."
The other craftsmen also laughed and joked with her.
They had all heard about what happened in Hegou Village yesterday.
Back in the camp, it was all thanks to her that we were able to successfully pass General Yuwen's project inspection.
Unconsciously, each of these craftsmen owed her a favor. At the same time, she was definitely a promising talent, and they were eager to befriend her.
With such a great opportunity presented to them, they naturally wanted to seize it.
Today, they came here to support Sang Xuanqing!
Zheng Quchi looked flattered and said, "Not at all, how could I not welcome you? On the contrary, I was just worried that I couldn't cook without rice. Now that you've come, I definitely won't have to worry about not being able to build this house."
How did such a seemingly insignificant matter spread like wildfire throughout several villages in just one day, and even reach their ears?
Relying on fate?
Don't joke around, it's all the result of Zheng Quchi's hard-earned money.
She had been busy all day yesterday, but instead of asking anyone for help, she bought food and distributed it to the idle vagrants in the vicinity, letting them scatter and spread the word in various villages about how the Sang family had encountered difficulties while building their house.
She didn't ask for favors, but she knew that if they found out about this, someone would definitely come.
But who exactly will come, and how many will come, is still unknown.
But now, this unknown has moved her somewhat, as most of the nearby craftsmen have rushed over overnight.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
