Chapter 761: The Disciple of the Mo Family (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Are you all alone now?
Lin Feng's expression clearly showed disappointment and regret.
If we could follow the trail and uproot their entire sect, transplanting them all into our lord's territory, they would surely be pleased when our lord returns in triumph. The common people of Longwu, Sibao, and Minfeng counties would also benefit from this. What a pity…
The queen was unaware of Lin Feng's thoughts, only seeing the undisguised disappointment and regret on her face. Her chest trembled slightly, as if touched by something soft. Because craftsmen were not respected in this world; among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, they were only slightly better off than merchants. Calling themselves a master-disciple relationship was really just self-aggrandizement; frankly, they were just two craftsmen making a living through their skills.
The teacher came from a poor family; she was just a peasant girl. She was an orphan girl whom the teacher had picked up from a pile of corpses when he was middle-aged.
The master and apprentice became inseparable, wandering the world and earning meager wages by crafting tools for those in need. Because they had no fixed abode, lived a nomadic life, often facing the threat of wild animals, and never had a day of peace.
Officials were unattainable figures to her.
The fact that Lin Feng, the official in charge of household affairs, was expressing regret for a deceased craftsman instantly boosted the Queen's favorability towards him; she felt he was a kind and approachable person. "Hmm, a good official!" she thought, lost in thought for a moment. Lin Feng had already settled everything.
He ordered his servants to tidy up the rooms in the backyard of the government office, prepare several new outfits, and even set up a separate "studio" for the Queen—the noise she made while sawing and chiseling wood last night was quite loud. Lin Feng, with his sharp hearing, couldn't possibly miss it.
No, there's no need for that.
The queen waved her hand somewhat fearfully.
Lin Feng said, "This is what the Northern Queen deserves."
The queen looked confused, so Lin Feng explained to her, "The cotton-removing machine you created will benefit countless ordinary people. Because of its existence, an unimaginable number of commoners will benefit in the future, and no one will even freeze to death in winter!"
The queen was so surprised she couldn't close her mouth: "Really?!"
Lin Feng patted her shoulder: "You have done a great service!"
The impact and shock of those five words left the Queen speechless for a long time—did she, an ordinary craftsman, deserve such high praise? She wanted to question it, but since the words came from Lin Hu Cao, she had no choice but to believe them.
Lin Hu Cao would never lie to himself!
By midday, the woman's "workshop" was ready. The walls, desks, and even the planer were filled with a dazzling array of new tools of all sizes. As soon as she entered the room, she was immediately captivated and couldn't look away.
"Lin Hucao, are all these for me?"
She almost became incoherent.
Although she also had many of the tools, the wooden handles of many of them were worn smooth and patina-covered, and a large portion of them were passed down from her grandmaster to her master, and then from her master to her. She had always wanted to get some new equipment for herself, but due to a lack of funds, she could only watch helplessly.
She touched this piece and touched that piece.
I wish I could hold onto them forever.
To everyone's surprise, Lin Feng smiled and gestured for her to proceed.
The queen's heart pounded with joy: "Anything else?"
"Lady of the North, come with me."
She personally led the queen to the screen behind the "studio," where there was a small room with stacks of books and bamboo slips lining three walls, and a bed that looked very comfortable to sleep on in the middle. A quilt was neatly stacked at the head of the bed.
Lin Feng pointed to the bookshelves on several walls, his eyes gentle as a clear spring: "Lady Bei, these are books that I had people organize from the Household Archives. I think you might like them."
The woman remained silent, feeling her heart pounding wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat. Nervously, she stepped forward, taking down a scroll of bamboo slips from beside her. The scroll was strung with small bamboo strips, inscribed with the words "Mo Jing: Jing Shuo" (墨经·经说).
It also contains many notes and comments!
Her eyes widened with joy, and she screamed uncontrollably.
They even jogged around in the small room.
When she came to her senses, she met Lin Feng's smiling eyes, and her face flushed red. She realized that her embarrassing loss of control had been seen by others.
"Lin, Lin Hucao... I can see these too?"
He asked questions verbally, but his actions showed that he had already clung tightly to that scroll.
Lin Feng nodded: "It was originally prepared for the Queen."
The queen turned her back and patted her burning cheeks, then secretly pinched her wrist, causing her to gasp in pain.
It would hurt if I pinched her; she wasn't dreaming!
But soon, her attention was drawn to the bamboo strips on the other side of the bookshelf, all of which were copies of "Tiangong Kaiwu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature).
The woman clung to the bookshelf, trying to suppress her breathing.
"This...this...this can be viewed? Really?"
Lin Feng confirmed, "Yes."
The queen immediately let out a loud cry of excitement.
Her master's greatest regret in life was not being able to see the "Tiangong Kaiwu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature) in person. Her teacher also said that her teacher told her about the existence of this book. The "Tiangong Kaiwu" circulated among their disciples, but no one in any generation had ever actually seen it.
because--
This divine book is said to be in the sacred land of mountains and seas.
Only those with both literary and martial talents can set foot in the sacred land of mountains and seas.
The awkward thing is that nine out of ten Mohists in her sect are women, and the remaining ten percent of men are all ordinary people without talent. In her teacher's words, wouldn't it be better to have this talent and become a high-ranking official? Who would want to do these hard jobs? This has led to fewer and fewer successors, and life has become increasingly difficult. She is the only one left in this branch. She doesn't know if there are any successors in the other branches.
Even if they did have some, they'd probably live a very hard life.
As a child, the woman didn't understand why she was so attached to a book. But as she grew older, she, like her teacher, developed a deep fascination with the *Tiangong Kaiwu* (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature). To this end, she diligently cultivated friendships with those possessing talent for cultivation. By building good karma, perhaps one day they would enter the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas and be willing to help her find the *Tiangong Kaiwu*. Even if the possibility was slim, well—what if?
I never expected it to be right here!
She felt she had never been so happy in her life!
If Lin Hucao hadn't been there, she would have wanted to let go and roll around on the bed with these treasures in her arms.
Hmm, speaking of the bed, she noticed something strange about the blanket.
She couldn't resist reaching out her small hand to touch it. In an instant, an unprecedented silky smooth sensation ran from her fingertips, like an electric current coursing through her entire body. The quilt was silky yet slightly cool, and most importantly, it was lightweight, soft, and fluffy to the touch: "Is it cotton?"
Lin Feng said, "It's silk."
The queen froze on the spot.
She had heard that silk quilts were light and warm, but her limited imagination couldn't describe the actual feel of them; she never imagined it would happen today. The queen was now a little flustered, nervously clutching the book and refusing to let go: "You...you're too good to me."
She was so impressed that she didn't know what to do. Her mind inappropriately drifted to the stories Yun Yuanmou had told her, about heroes rescuing beauties and then offering themselves in return... Although she had also fantasized about it, marriage was a serious matter, not something to be taken lightly. She was not good enough for him.
The queen waited anxiously for Lin Feng's response.
Lin Feng honestly revealed the real reason: "The Queen is very talented, this is just to win her over and curry favor."
The queen pointed to herself: "Me? A great talent?"
How could she possibly associate herself with this word? Even though Lin Feng had previously said that the cotton-removing machine she made could benefit all people, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, so she only thought that he was exaggerating.
Lin Feng nodded again: "Yes."
She then used a feigned retreat to advance: "However, I know that a pillar of society as talented as you, Lady, may not like the constraints of officialdom, and that is fine. Recruiting people is largely a matter of fate, so you need not worry. Before General Bai returns, you can stay here in peace, so that we can fulfill our duty as hosts."
By the time the Queen came to her senses, Lin Feng had already left.
She patted her face: "Dreaming?"
He took out his teacher's memorial tablet from the large wooden box, waved a copy of "Tiangong Kaiwu" in front of it, smiled somewhat foolishly, and scratched his head, saying, "It's a pity this is someone else's treasure, otherwise I would definitely make a copy for you to burn..."
"However, my reading is the same as your reading."
Not knowing when Bai Su would return in triumph, she spent her days and nights reading the books in her small room, reading for three whole days while servants brought her food from the canteen. When she finally emerged from the workshop, she smelled slightly rancid.
There are too many books.
The more I looked, the more insignificant I felt, and the less time I had.
So she made a decision that went against her ancestors' wishes: "Lin Hucao, is it too late for me to accept the recruitment now?"
She didn't bother to tidy herself up and ran as fast as she could.
Following her memory, she headed straight for Lin Feng's government office. The officials along the way had already been instructed not to rush.
With a loud bang!
She opened the door to the government office.
Unfortunately, we met the eyes of three people.
She stammered, "I'm...I'm sorry—"
At that moment, I wished I could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Lin Feng smiled gently and said to the young scholar beside him, "Registrar, this is the capable person who presented the cotton-removing machine."
Upon hearing this, the young scholar's cold expression melted away like ice and snow.
Another scholar dressed as a woman looked over with delight, her eyes lighting up. She said, "I have long heard of your great talent, sir, and it is only today that I have the honor of meeting you. Upon closer inspection, you truly possess the bearing of a dragon and phoenix. I am a clerk in the Household Department, my surname is Shen, my given name is Zhi, and my courtesy name is Yaohe."
The queen also followed Chen Zhi's example and returned the greeting.
She said, "My name is Bei Qiu, and my courtesy name is Zhou Kou."
Chen Zhi asked in confusion, "Sir, that's a rather strange name."
“When my master found me, he said my crying was louder than the chirping of sparrows, so he named me Bei Qiu.” Bei Qiu scratched her head. More than one person thought her name was strange, but she was very satisfied. Her surname was “Bei” after her teacher, her given name was Qiu, and her courtesy name was a combination of the character “啁”.
Shen Zhi smiled gently: "I see. Now that you mention it, the name is not only childlike but also full of your teacher's affection."
Bei Qiu blushed deeply at her words.
Sigh, it's always the cultured people who speak so nicely.
Unlike that fool Yun Yuanmou, who only knows how to make fun of himself.
"Was what the Queen said just now true?"
Lin Feng hadn't forgotten what Bei Qiu had said when she pushed open the door.
"Mmm," Bei Qiu said softly.
Although the sound was soft, which of the three people present had poor hearing?
Qi Shan secretly transmitted her voice to Lin Feng.
This person is now your responsibility.
These books, including "Tiangong Kaiwu," are of great significance and should not be easily seen by outsiders. However, Lin Feng urgently sent a message requesting permission, which Qi Shan finally granted. He had originally wanted to meet Bei Qiu to personally assess his character and integrity, but Bei Qiu remained holed up in the workshop, so he had to give up on that idea. Today, by chance, they met, and Qi Shan's impression of Bei Qiu wasn't bad.
Lin Feng and Shen Zhi got up together to see Qi Shan off.
As soon as Qi Shan left, Bei Qiu visibly relaxed.
Chen Zhi teased, "Are you afraid of the registrar?"
Bei Qiu nodded timidly: "This is the first time I've seen someone with such a strong presence and such a serious demeanor. But he must be a good person."
Chen Zhi burst out laughing.
"We'll be colleagues from now on, so let's get to know each other."
"I'm afraid I won't do it well..."
Shen Zhi comforted him, saying, "Everything is difficult at the beginning."
Fortunately, these were all her strengths. Lin Feng also assigned several subordinates to the workshop to help her understand government affairs.
Lin Feng instructed, "The most important thing is to help improve and organize farm tools, draw on the experience in 'Tiangong Kaiwu' (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature), and create more items that benefit and facilitate the people. Summer is approaching, and the surrounding counties experience less rainfall in the summer. Even though the lord has built many irrigation canals in recent years, manpower is still needed to draw water for irrigation. If we can put effort into this, the people of the counties will all benefit."
Bei Qiu straightened his posture and accepted the task.
Over the years, she had wandered to many places, meeting many ordinary people and even the lowest social classes, but she rarely heard them speak highly of those in positions of power. The atmosphere in Xiaocheng was completely different; she—truly, truly, truly loved it here!
Lin Feng was busy, so Chen Zhi took Bei Qiu to familiarize herself with the household registration office and register her so the office could distribute her salary each month. After the rounds, Bei Qiu was in a daze, with only one thought in her mind—she was out of poverty!
The misunderstanding about Lin Feng and Chen Zhi's genders didn't end until many days later, when Chen Zhi dug her out of the wood shavings pile and invited her to a massage parlor. When the two removed their oversized outer garments, leaving only thin inner shirts, Bei Qiu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Breathe, breathe—chest—"
She was horrified and pointed to the undulations under their clothes.
Chen Zhi looked at Lin Feng, and Lin Feng looked at Bei Qiu.
Then, she looked down at herself and said, "I'm fine."
Whether it was from being crushed by a large wooden crate or from poor living conditions in Bei Qiu, her curves were comparable to those of her master.
Bei Qiu: "..."
In a moment of distraction, they stumbled upon the steaming hot bath at the perfume shop, where Lin Feng and Shen Zhi were soaking in the water, wearing only their waist towels.
Bei Qiu blushed and shrank into the corner. After a long while, she couldn't hold back any longer: "But...but aren't you literary scholars?"
Could the literary scholar be a woman?
Lin Feng smiled slyly: "Why not?"
Chen Zhi's cheeks were flushed from soaking in the bath, and her eyes were hazy. She looked at Bei Qiu with seductive eyes and teased her, "Zhou Kou, we have been completely honest with each other today. Can't you tell whether I am a man or a woman? My heart hurts. Would you like me to rub it for you?"
Bei Qiu was bewitched by her seductive charm.
Tick-tock, tick-tock—
Strands of red spread across the surface of the bathwater.
She had a nosebleed.
The next day.
Bei Qiu made another decision that went against the wishes of his ancestors—
"Lin Hucao, I want to cultivate!"
Although she started late and missed the early stages of her education, she believed that as long as she had determination, it was never too late for her! She wanted to become a true Mohist!
She met Lin Feng's smiling eyes and saw his gentle smile.
"good!"
A single word is enough to rival the most beautiful music in the world.
|ω`)
I feel much better today, and my head isn't as heavy. I'll start making it up to everyone tomorrow.
P.S.: Shiitake mushroom is truly a naming genius, kudos to myself. Even a character like "Zhoukou" (周口) can find a name that perfectly matches it.
(End of this chapter)
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