Chapter 106 Full of Sincerity
Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong was taken aback upon hearing this:
"What it is, does it matter?"
Ah Qing silently tugged at the strap of the bundle, and said with her head down:
"The flowers that the master folded for me."
"So that's what it is."
Ouyang Rong breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "It's not important, as long as you didn't miss it."
Ah Qing whispered, "It's very important, this is..."
As if sensing the gaze of the beautiful older woman inside the carriage who seemed to be putting pressure on her, she paused and explained softly:
“This is a birthday gift… Mother said that birthday gifts are people’s good wishes, and even the smallest things should be kept and cherished.”
Ouyang Rong waved his hand dismissively: "It's alright, I'll fold another one for you tomorrow."
Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered the sudden surge in merit points that morning, as well as his recent speculation.
Is that really the case?
Ouyang Rong turned his head and asked directly:
"Wait, Qing, how did you drop the origami flower?"
Ah Qing, holding the warm bundle in her arms, looked into his eyes and said truthfully:
“I work at a breakfast stall in the morning market every day. I met an old craftsman there, and I’ve been bringing him wine every day for a year or two. The old craftsman has given me a lot of money for running errands.”
“In the morning, he saw the flowers that the master had folded and seemed to like them very much. He asked me for them, and I felt bad refusing, so I lent them to him. Later, I had to rush to the workshop to work, and he was still looking at the flowers. I didn’t feel comfortable urging him, so I left first and told him to return them to me tomorrow.”
A pretty young girl with a rosy forehead looked up and asked:
"Master, can I go again tomorrow? Just once. I'll go get the blue butterfly flowers back, give all the wine stored in the kitchen to the old craftsman, and say goodbye to him. Oh, and Sister Cheng who runs the morning stall..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head silently.
"No, you can't go anymore." He paused, then softly comforted her.
"Ah Qing, not all partings require saying goodbye. You're still young, don't dwell on the past, look ahead."
Xie Lingjiang glanced at her senior brother with the gentle voice.
The latter continued speaking:
"Ah Qing, do you know what this old craftsman who borrowed your money does at the sword shop?"
"He must be a swordsmith. He's dressed in craftsman's clothes, and like many of the guests, he must be a swordsmith."
Do you know which forge was used to forge the sword?
"I don't know, but it shouldn't be one of those large sword furnaces by the lake."
"Does he have anything special about him, like his status, or anything like that?"
Ah Qing noticed the serious expression on the master's face. She pursed her lips, thought hard for a moment, and then shook her head helplessly:
"It seems not, but he has a somewhat lonely personality. I guess... he probably doesn't have a partner and lives alone. The old craftsman hasn't said more than a few words to me. The most we talked was this morning when I borrowed flowers."
"is that so."
Ouyang Rong seemed to be deep in thought.
He actually suspected that this strange old man who borrowed the flower had saved Aqing, whether intentionally or unintentionally, or had received some kind of help from the paper flower.
This is also a possible source of the large sum of inexplicable merit accumulated this morning.
Afterwards, Ouyang Rong inquired about the characteristics of the old craftsman's work from A Qing, but didn't gain much information, though he did keep it in mind.
Ouyang Rong then introduced Aqing to Xie Lingjiang, and the two, one big and one small, looked at each other for a while.
"Miss Aqing has such big, beautiful eyes," Xie Lingjiang said earnestly.
"Sister Xie too!" Aqing said, looking up.
The next sentence made Ouyang Rong's mind wander a little, and he glanced at his junior sister's broad chest.
Realizing that Ah Qing couldn't possibly mean that, he quickly retracted his words.
About fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped outside a simple farmhouse, and Aqing said goodbye and got off.
The carriage continued its journey.
With only two people left in the carriage, Ouyang Rong asked directly:
"Junior sister, I remember you mentioned something called the Ding Sword before. Does its forging require human sacrifice or anything like that?"
Xie Lingjiang immediately shook her head:
"The Ding Sword is not an evil object, so how could it be used for human sacrifice? Senior brother, please remember that all evil practices of killing and sacrificing people in this world originate from the group of sorcerers."
Ouyang Rong laughed and said, "I haven't seen them yet, but it seems like everyone hates these sorcerers?"
Xie Lingjiang nodded, "This is a consensus in the martial arts world. It's not that there aren't good people in that group, but it's a mixed bag."
Ouyang Rong nodded.
...
The next morning.
County government office.
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face and walked into the government office.
"Hey, why are you up so early today, Junior Sister?"
He turned to his junior sister, who was behind the desk, looking down curiously at his documents.
Xie Lingjiang, dressed in red today, put the book back in its place and smiled faintly:
"What, do you think I'm that lazy in my senior's eyes?"
Ouyang Rong smiled, didn't answer, and went behind the table.
Since that day when they held a meeting in the carriage, Xie Lingjiang has been accompanying him to work every day, ostensibly for security reasons.
"Junior Sister, have you thought about the little wish you mentioned last time?" Ouyang Rong asked, looking down.
"Not yet? What's wrong, senior brother? Are you in a hurry?"
"I'm not in a hurry, as long as my junior sister doesn't give me any problems."
"What do you consider a difficult problem, senior brother?"
"Then junior sister should follow suit, right?"
"uh-huh."
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but glance at him again: "Why is Senior Brother's left cheek so red?"
"Is it red?" Ouyang Rong touched his left cheek and nodded helplessly.
“My aunt recently hired a new cook, and the dishes are a bit spicy. I accidentally ate too much, and when I woke up this morning, my face and mouth felt spicy.”
"Senior brother, wash with cold water more often."
"OK."
The two men didn't take it seriously and changed the subject. Once all the clerks in the hall had arrived, they began their morning business, until Xie Lingjiang returned from outside the office to report:
"Senior brother, someone from the Liu family has arrived. County Magistrate Diao is receiving them in the main hall."
"Let's go take a look."
Ouyang Rong, who had intended to fold another butterfly flower for Aqing during a break in the office, stood up and said.
A short while later, Ouyang Rong brought Xie Lingjiang to the main hall of the county government.
Upon entering, the county magistrate, Diao, and the Liu family members, who were originally drinking tea, all stood up and bowed.
"Haha, Your Excellency, you've come at the perfect time. Let me introduce you. This is Liu Fu, the head steward of the Liu family. Your Excellency may know him."
"This gentleman is Uncle Chen from the Guyue Sword Shop. He is a renowned sword-making master in Longcheng County and is highly respected in the Guyue Sword Shop."
"Mr. Chen was also the leading craftsman sent by the Liu family chief to assist the county government in rebuilding the Di Gong Gate. He had previously helped the county government repair the Di Gong Gate once, so he was quite experienced."
"Your Excellency, the Liu family has truly shown great sincerity this time."
Ouyang Rong remained noncommittal, glanced at the familiar lame middle-aged servant boy, then ignored him and turned his gaze to another thin old man with a felt hat and a gray beard.
A master swordsmith?
He looked closely and found that it didn't match the old craftsman that Aqing had described yesterday.
However, there are many famous craftsmen in the ancient Yue sword shop, so there must be more than one master swordsmith.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly, as if to say hello:
"I'll have to work hard for you all from now on."
The lame butler, named Liu Fu, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said:
"Your Excellency, the young master has sent me to deliver the money. It was all agreed upon that day, and the young master takes it very seriously. The money in the courtyard is the first payment, five thousand strings of cash, to support the first phase of the Zheyi Canal project; the remaining five thousand strings of cash will be delivered on time before the second phase of the Zheyi Canal project begins, depending on the project's schedule."
"Thanks for your hard work."
"I dare not say it's hard work; it's just my duty."
Ouyang Rong nodded; he was more concerned about Di Gongzha at the moment.
The ten thousand strings of cash from the Liu family were merely icing on the cake for the county government.
Di Gongzha could be considered a timely help in the current situation.
The old swordsmith, known as Mr. Chen, stepped forward and began to discuss the matter of Di Gongzha with Ouyang Rong.
Among craftsmen, only those with superb skills and high moral character are respectfully addressed as "Mr."
However, Ouyang Rong thought that the Liu family would not be so honest as to send their most core and skilled craftsmen directly, as such people were the most valuable core assets of the sword shop.
But this Mr. Chen in front of us should be more than capable of repairing the Di Gong Gate.
Seeing this harmonious scene in the main hall, Magistrate Diao couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile.
After Ouyang Rong and he sat down at the head of the table to drink tea, Magistrate Diao leaned over and whispered:
"I was too presumptuous before, daring to give you unsolicited advice on 'playing chess,' but now I see that you are far more skillful than I am. Your mastery of the 'training the hawk' technique is truly superb... Now, with the cooperation of the Liu family, who are sending silver and craftsmen, both the Di Gong Sluice and the Zhe Yi Canal are under construction... The subsequent floods are nothing to fear. You are truly amazing, Your Excellency! I have the utmost respect for you..."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head, sipped his tea, and looked at the sluice gate blueprints handed to him by Mr. Chen. He ignored the flattering words of the county magistrate beside him, thinking them useless and pointless.
However, Magistrate Diao did make one valid point: from being penniless when he first took office at the county government to now having the Liu family bow down and cooperate sincerely, it has indeed been a difficult journey.
It's just not time to dwell on past hardships and appreciate present happiness yet.
Xie Lingjiang didn't join the conversation in the lobby. She pulled up a chair, sat not far behind Ouyang Rong, took a pear from the fruit plate, wiped it, and took a bite.
She glanced at Liu Fu and Mr. Chen from time to time.
Xie Lingjiang's focus is different from others; she is always paying attention to the potential dangers around her senior brother.
Just like right now.
She glanced at the limping butler's hand resting on the armrest of his chair, and at his right foot, clad in a cloth shoe, as he subconsciously took a half-step forward.
The craftsman surnamed Chen was not dangerous, but the lame steward named Liu Fu was a skilled martial artist.
However, Xie Lingjiang was confident that he could, in the event of a sudden outburst that threatened his senior brother's safety, place the half-eaten pear in his hand on the head of the butler's hat.
On the other side, Ouyang Rong was unaware of his junior sister's thoughtful actions. He rested his right elbow on the armrest, finished reviewing the blueprints, and handed them back to the old craftsman opposite him. The latter inquired:
“Your Excellency, if there are no problems, we will proceed with the construction according to this plan and begin work tomorrow.”
“Alright.” Ouyang Rong nodded: “Next, I’ll have to trouble Mr. Chen and all the other masters.”
"You're too kind, sir."
"Do you have a rough timeframe for the project?"
“If the rain is light…” Mr. Chen carefully chose his words, “it should be within two weeks.”
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow. This was much faster than the first phase of the Zheyi Canal, which hadn't even reached a third of its current depth. This was just the first phase of shallow digging.
With the matter settled, the young county magistrate breathed a sigh of relief, took a sip of tea, and County Magistrate Diao, seeing this, seemed to receive a signal and got up to see Liu Fu and Mr. Chen out of the hall.
Just as everyone was about to leave, Liu Fu suddenly stopped and turned back. Under Xie Lingjiang's calm gaze, the lame steward took out a neatly rolled-up piece of paper from his pocket and respectfully presented it with both hands:
"There's one more thing. Your Excellency, this is something my master ordered me to bring. He instructed me to make sure you deliver it to him. My master said you would be satisfied."
The young magistrate, who was taking a sip of his cup, glanced up slightly and looked at the lame middle-aged steward and the scroll of paper in his hand. He remained silent for a moment.
Xie Lingjiang took the item, glanced at it with a slightly strange expression, and handed it to Ouyang Rong.
"Oh."
Ouyang Rong glanced through it, smiled, and turned to Liu Fu, who stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, and said loudly:
"Go back and tell your master that I have received the Liu family's sincerity, and I also have something to offer in return. The county government will hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony that the Liu family head proposed that night, and I will also send people to invite the officials from Jiangzhou City."
"Understood, sir. I shall take my leave."
Liu Fu and Mr. Chen were seen off by Magistrate Diao.
Inside the hall, only a pair of senior and junior disciples remained.
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but say:
"Senior brother, the Liu family is quite cooperative. Before we even made a move, they had already processed and delivered Aqing's redemption certificate."
"Going with the flow? It's just going with the flow after your plans have failed."
Ouyang Rong's smile faded, and he shook his head, saying:
"It seems they've been keeping an eye on Ah Qing for a while now. If we had been any later, who knows what kind of trouble they might have caused."
Xie Lingjiang nodded thoughtfully.
“However, dealing with smart people is quite convenient.” Ouyang Rong smiled and suddenly said, “Go and call Ashan here.”
"good."
About fifteen minutes later, Liu Ashan, who had gone out on business, hurriedly returned and walked into the hall, looking travel-worn.
"Master, what has happened?"
Ouyang Rong handed the market certificate used to redeem Aqing to the tall, thin man, who was taken aback upon seeing it:
"Master, this is..."
"This is Aqing's redemption contract, sent by the Liu family. You don't need to go through the process anymore. From now on, Aqing is a free person with a good household registration."
"The Liu family?" Upon hearing this, Liu Ashan showed no joy whatsoever.
“Yes, the Liu family. The people we brought back yesterday have already prepared their things today. They’re very sensible.” Ouyang Rong nodded with admiration, narrowed his eyes and said softly, “Go and withdraw all the other spies from the Guyue Sword Shop, and settle them in the county government for other matters.”
Liu Ashan's expression immediately turned serious: "What does Master mean..."
"That's exactly what I mean. Be more careful in the future, and consider this a lesson learned."
“I understand, sir.” Liu Ashan bowed his head.
"Oh, and one more thing, go find Liu Lang now and let's go together to drag out those 'rats' in the county government office. We don't need to keep them around anymore."
"Didn't the master say he wanted to keep her?"
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly and sighed:
"Since the Liu family is so sincere, wouldn't it seem petty of us not to reciprocate?"
"Yes, sir."
Liu Ashan's expression turned serious as he turned to leave.
"Wait, leave one 'rat' and get rid of the rest."
Ouyang Rong changed his mind, paused, and then his expression became serious:
"There's one more thing. Go and bring your sister and mother to live in the Deer Garden. It's safer around Deer Street. The courtyard in the suburbs is too far away, and I'm worried about it."
"Thank you, sir. I'll go right away."
Liu Ashan was somewhat moved and quickly went out.
After the person left, Xie Lingjiang frowned slightly and said:
"These local bullies are really annoying; we have to be careful not to get bitten at any time. Senior brother, what should we do now?"
"What to do? The old rules apply: he can do his thing, I'll do mine."
The young magistrate softly uttered four words:
"Repair the sluice gate and dig the canal."
(End of this chapter)
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