Chapter 9. What's so difficult about that? A good whipping will naturally lengthen the whip...
Yuwen Kai didn't actually go to the construction site by himself; he didn't just wander off on his own.
He'd spent the last two days in his hotel room, engrossed in the books Lu Xiaoqi had found for him. Although he came from a wealthy and aristocratic family, and studying historical classics was a compulsory course, how could the historical classics of that time compare to those of today?
These books meticulously trace the entire lineage of history, from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties to modern times. From grand themes like the struggles for supremacy and dynastic changes to smaller details like biographies and folk tales, everything is recorded, with even commentary from later generations.
Yuwen Kai was completely captivated by what he saw.
Lu Xiaoqi ordered takeout for all three meals a day, which was delivered to his room. The robot that delivered the food initially startled him, but he eventually became indifferent to it, finding the future world truly wondrous. It was only a little over a thousand years ago, yet it felt like the difference between the celestial realm and the human world.
But when he looked at the street scene outside to soothe his eyes, he could clearly see that those rushing about on the streets and walking on scaffolding were just ordinary people. Moreover, he noticed a detail while reading: many characters were different from those in ancient times, simplified but still intricately connected. Combining this with the context, he could understand most of it.
Furthermore, all the content was divided into "classical Chinese" and "translation". The classical Chinese was the "elegant language" and "literary style" they used for writing, while the translation was simply plain language.
Yuwen Kai was initially confused, but then he realized that this was probably meant for people who didn't understand elegant language. He flipped through the other books and found that there was no elegant language at all; they were all in plain language, so straightforward that he found it a bit difficult to get used to.
He thought this was the opposite of the world he lived in.
Back then, refined language was the exclusive domain of the aristocracy. Even they had to study diligently day and night to master it, while ordinary people couldn't even understand it, let alone read it. The scholars took pride in their proficiency in refined language. But these straightforward characters now seem to have been created so that most people could understand them.
This includes simplified Chinese characters.
What an amazing world!
Just as he was gazing into the distance, Yuwen Kai saw someone waving at him from the street below the window. Upon closer inspection, he recognized Liu Qiang, the foreman he had met at the police station earlier.
The foreman was overjoyed. He only knew that Master Yuwen was staying at this hotel, but he never expected to see the master standing in front of the window when he casually looked up as he passed by.
What is fate? This is fate!
He immediately came to visit, inviting Yuwen Kai to continue inspecting the feng shui of the construction site. Yuwen Kai had been itching to take a closer look at the place, and upon hearing this, he immediately forgot about the books beside him and agreed after only a brief moment of thought.
Fortunately, he remembered to call Lu Xiaoqi.
Yuwen Kai promised, "Young friend, rest assured, I only want to go and see what's going on at the construction site, and I won't mention anything else."
Although Lu Xiaoqi was still a little worried, she thought that he had been here for two or three days and had already seen the world, including the police station, so what was there to be afraid of? Besides, they needed to integrate into society as soon as possible; they weren't children anymore. So, after hesitating for only a few seconds, she readily agreed and then told him to call her immediately if anything happened, just like she was doing now.
Before this, she had already discussed the character's persona with Yuwen Kai, portraying him as a reclusive sage who grew up in a secluded Taoist temple deep in the mountains and now, in his old age, wanted to see the world. Thinking about it, it's understandable that such a person might lack some basic common sense... right?
After hanging up the phone, she saw Zhao Feiyan and Sister-in-law Song looking at her intently, their eyes showing a hint of eagerness.
Lu Xiaoqi's alarm bells rang loudly: "No, you can't go out on your own yet. First, you need to familiarize yourselves with the situation here, just like Teacher Yuwen."
Zhao Feiyan and Song Wusao were both somewhat disappointed, but knowing that the other party meant well, they immediately promised that they would not wander off. Lu Xiaoqi breathed a sigh of relief, finished breakfast, and hurriedly went out. She needed to buy some daily necessities for the two of them that morning.
She vaguely felt like she had become a kindergarten teacher, having to worry about everything from food and clothing to housing and transportation.
The idea of a big boss in an ancient town is a misconception.
After finishing all that work, it was almost 1 p.m. I had to rush back to take the two of them to lunch, and then order takeout for Yuwen Kai on my phone. Only then did I remember he was at the construction site. Just then, I saw a message from Foreman Liu on WeChat:
【Miss Lu, Master Yuwen said he'll be staying at the construction site for lunch, and asked me to let you know. Don't worry, I'll definitely treat Master Yuwen to a good meal.】
Two hours later he posted another message:
[Miss Lu, Master Yuwen is truly amazing!!! He solved a huge problem for me!]
The use of three exclamation marks in a row clearly shows his excitement.
Lu Xiaoqi was completely confused and quickly replied: 【What happened?】
There was no reply from the other end, so Lu Xiaoqi called Yuwen Kai, only to hear that his phone was switched off. She then realized that she hadn't taught him how to charge his phone yet, so she could only nervously go home first. She took Zhao Feiyan and Song Wusao out for dinner and strolled around the surrounding neighborhood.
Both children are interested in everything, but they are also very smart and tactful. They won't ask questions or exclaim loudly, but will ask Lu Xiaoqi questions quietly behind her back. They are a group of children who are very easy to manage.
The hotel she booked for Yuwen Kai was nearby. When she got there, she saw a black sedan stop. Foreman Liu got out first and respectfully opened the door. Yuwen Kai stepped out.
Lu Xiaoqi: ...The construction site is only a little over 100 meters away from here, is it really necessary to drive there?
Clearly, Foreman Liu felt it was worth it.
After he finally left, Lu Xiaoqi took Zhao Feiyan and Song Wusao to meet Yuwen Kai. The three of them needed to get to know each other; barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would be colleagues in the future.
Yuwen Kai, a tech geek, was currently engrossed in the new things he saw today and seemed somewhat absent-minded. Zhao Feiyan didn't say much to the strange man either, but Song Wu Sao was very outgoing. She was natural and chatty, and with her around, the atmosphere among the three of them was polite and respectful.
Lu Xiaoqi then asked, "Teacher Yuwen, what trouble did you solve for Foreman Liu today?"
Everyone else looked over curiously.
Yuwen Kai smiled faintly and began to recount the events of the day: "Actually, it wasn't anything major..."
He had a very enjoyable day at the construction site. Although the machines were roaring and the ground was covered in dirt and dust, it was all fun for him. Yuwen Kai felt he could watch excavators digging for the rest of his life!
He also watched the cement mixing, the piling, and the steel reinforcement... These were all works of art, beyond comprehension.
While wandering around under the pretext of consulting feng shui, he was wearing a safety helmet. Yuwen Kai praised the helmet's design highly; in his past experience with construction projects, countless laborers had died from falling heavy objects, and such a helmet could surely save many lives. However, it was clear that this sturdy yet lightweight material was beyond the capabilities of his time.
Moreover, there are many rules to follow on the construction site, and all of them are aimed at reducing worker injuries.
For example, eating out is not allowed, and workers are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol at noon. But there are always some who don't think things through and can't resist taking a few sips. In the alcohol tests after the meal, some of them were slightly over the legal limit.
Foreman Liu was furious and berated the man mercilessly: "If you're not going to die, then die yourself! Don't drag me down with you! Get out of here! Go back and sober up, or I'll deduct your wages for today!"
After finishing the task, he complained to Yuwen Kai that the workers these days were really too difficult to manage.
Yuwen Kai frowned: "What's so difficult about that? A good whipping will teach him a lesson."
In the past, whipping was considered a light punishment; if someone caused trouble on the construction site, losing their head was common.
Foreman Liu stared in disbelief, then, remembering that he had always lived in a Taoist temple, he laughed: "That won't do! They are workers, not slaves! If we really whip them, they'll explode. Besides, this is a government project, and it's very strictly regulated."
Yuwen Kai couldn't help but sigh, "Your employer is quite rare, with a kind heart."
Foreman Liu: "These workers aren't like they used to be. The wages are much higher now, several hundred yuan a day. Many young people don't want to work on construction sites anymore; they think it's too tiring, and we have to coax them..."
He kept talking on and on, and Yuwen Kai listened intently.
Then someone came running over in a panic: "Brother Liu, it looks like the foundation pit over there is leaking!"
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