Bad news struck
The villagers of Jinxi Town chatted amongst themselves, their voices carrying the earthy smell of the soil, surging out of the alley, even making the old locust tree at the alley entrance seem to sway.
Jiang Manyan raised her hand and pressed down, and the noise gradually subsided.
He looked at the townspeople in the yard, clutching their farm tools, and his voice was deeper than usual.
"Thank you all for trusting me. The Qin family is powerful, and a direct confrontation is not the way to go, but we must not back down either."
He pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket, and the wind made the corners of the paper tremble slightly as he unfolded it.
"This is the new irrigation canal I drew. It bypasses the 'ancestral property' that the Qin family mentioned, and it can also draw two more tributaries to irrigate the newly reclaimed wasteland in the west."
I leaned closer to look. The lines on the drawing were neatly drawn, the locations of the tributaries were clearly marked, and even where to build a dam and where to raise the elevation were indicated.
It turned out he had been prepared all along. My panic dissipated considerably, and I was filled with nothing but admiration and respect.
"But what if the Qin family doesn't agree?" a young man asked in a low voice, gripping the carrying pole tightly in his hand.
“They want the ancestral property, and I’ve already had someone check the land deeds from back then.” Jiang Manyan’s eyes shone brightly.
“The land in Jinxi Town has belonged to the townspeople for a hundred years. Where did the Qin family’s ancestral property come from? As for the canal blocking the road, our newly built canal has bypassed it. If he still wants to cause trouble, he has no right to do so.”
Grandpa Zhang slapped his thigh and laughed, tears of excitement welling up in his eyes: "Good! With evidence and proof, let's see what the Qin family has to say!"
...
No sooner had the Qin family's matter been settled than nobles from the southeastern region, like wolves drawn by a scent, began flocking to Jinxi Town.
Some sent their stewards to "borrow grain," demanding 40% of the new wheat; others carried yellowed old documents, claiming that the irrigation canal south of the town had encroached on their family's "ancestral wasteland"; still others brought their servants to block the town entrance, demanding to "take over" the defense of Jinxi Town, or else they would let bandits in...
Whenever someone came to cause trouble, Young Master Jiang would sit under the old locust tree at the entrance of town to deal with them.
When asked to borrow grain, he took out his account book and meticulously calculated the grain reserves in Jinxi Town, the seeds for the coming year, and the elderly and children to be supported. The account was so clear that the other party was speechless.
When faced with a key location, he invited several elderly people who still remembered the old boundaries, then produced a newly drawn topographical map, and even a large number of land deeds for Jinxi Town. Pointing to the old river ditch and old earthen slope on the map, he shattered the lie of "ancestral property".
When faced with someone acting arrogantly, his guards would line up behind him, their weapons gleaming brightly—these were crafted by the town's blacksmiths, led by Young Master Jiang, with considerable effort.
The guards were trained by instructors hired by the big man. The young men, armed with sharp weapons, all had determined eyes and were a hundred times more spirited than the servants of noble families.
...
The mayor of Qingquan Town brought some respected elders from the town to visit. Holding Jiang Manyan's hand, he sighed, "In the past, our town was always bullied by the powerful and wealthy, and we didn't even dare to fight back. Now, following you, we can finally stand up straight!"
Not long ago, the powerful and wealthy in the southeast, seeing that they could not break through the tough nut of Jinxi Town, turned their greedy eyes to Qingquan Town.
Young Master Jiang led his young guards, utilizing the natural waterways and setting up a network of hidden stakes, routing their forces and forcing them to flee in disarray.
Chunxi Town also took the initiative to send craftsmen to help Jinxi Qingquan repair bridges and pave roads, and from then on the three towns cooperated seamlessly.
The three towns are interconnected by waterways, with a dense network of rivers, making them ideal for building a water network that would not only boost the economy but also create a natural defensive wall.
If connecting walls are built between the town walls, guard posts are added, and a natural moat is added, the three towns will become a self-sufficient, easy-to-defend, and difficult-to-attack geomantic treasure land!
Jinxi Town and the Qin family have clashed multiple times, with Jinxi Town relying on water gates and underwater concealed weapons to prevent the Qin family and other powerful figures' ships from intruding, inflicting heavy losses on the Qin family...
It is conceivable that if the three towns could unite, they would no longer have to worry about the covetousness of local powerful figures.
It was for this reason that Jiang Manyan initiated the plan to develop the three towns, embarking on a grand vision of becoming "Jincheng"...
Soon, sentry posts and irrigation canals were built in various places, and elite defense teams were trained, and the three towns developed rapidly.
Gradually, the name "Jiang the Benevolent" spread throughout the southeastern district, and people from other towns were willing to take a long detour to Jinxi Town to buy wheat and learn how to farm.
But every time someone calls him "Jiang the Benevolent," he just smiles and turns to head towards the granary or construction site.
I often saw him holding a thick ledger, calculating under the oil lamp until midnight.
I've also seen him under the scorching sun, discussing the details of sluice gate repair with the craftsmen on the riverbank. Sweat soaked through his long blue robe, clinging to his back and making him look even thinner.
One day, I went to deliver some documents to Young Master Jiang and happened to run into Big Guy in the kitchen stewing soup. The aroma of red dates and fish wafted from the clay pot.
I couldn't help but ask, "Brother Zhong, you make sure to nourish the young master in different ways every day, so why is he still so thin?"
The burly man added more firewood to the stove and lowered his voice: "Young master suffered when he was young. He went hungry for several days while fleeing from disaster and was also caught in a downpour and developed a high fever. That time, his health was damaged."
Later, when I studied with my teacher, I often stayed up late on an empty stomach. My body couldn't be repaired by just a few bowls of soup.
I gripped the document tightly, my knuckles turning white.
Thinking of his warm hands as he taught me to write, and his smile as he stood on the edge of the field looking at the wheat fields, my heart aches with a bittersweet pain, and even my breathing feels heavy.
I don't understand what this emotion is. I only know that when I think about the suffering he has endured in the past, I want to give him the best of everything and take on all his burdens.
That night, I found Jiang Manyan on the riverbank. He was staring blankly at the lights of the three towns in the distance.
I walked over and said softly, "Young master, if anything happens in the future, don't always bear it all by yourself. We can help you."
He turned his head, the moonlight falling on his face, his honey-brown eyes filled with gentleness.
"I know you can help me, so I'm very happy."
His smile was brighter than moonlight…
I looked at him and couldn't help but say what was on my mind.
“Young master, I used to be a good-for-nothing who just drifted through life. You showed me that there is hope in life and that we can do something worthwhile. In this life, I am willing to follow you. No matter what, I will follow you through fire and water or through mountains of knives and seas of fire. Just say the word and I will do it without hesitation.”
He paused for a moment, then patted my shoulder, his fingertips carrying a familiar warmth.
"Don't talk nonsense. We should work together to see the three towns get better and better, and watch this barren land grow more wheat and more hope."
The wind carried the fresh scent of wheat stubble. Gazing at Jiang Manyan's profile, I secretly vowed in my heart: In this life, I will protect him, protect these three towns, and protect the good life we have earned with our blood and sweat.
Two years have passed in the blink of an eye...
The three towns finally built Jin City.
From then on, the people no longer needed to live in fear, nor worry about coercion and harassment from local powerful figures, and could finally enjoy a peaceful life...
However……
Fate seemed determined to shatter this peace, and the blissful period was as fleeting as a dream.
Just over half a month later, devastating news struck Jin City like a thunderbolt—Young Master Jiang, while searching for skilled craftsmen to reinforce the city's defenses, was ambushed by an unknown force halfway through his journey.
When Jiang Zhong led the defense team to search for them, they only brought back the coffins of everyone; no one survived!
Not a single one survived!
The moment the news reached them, the entire city of Jincheng seemed to have lost its soul.
The cries and screams in the streets and alleys were heart-wrenching. The old people leaned against the city wall and slumped to the ground, still clutching the cotton quilts they had prepared for their young master to keep warm.
The women held their children and wept bitterly. The young master had specially ordered the construction of a small square in the center of the street so that the children could play safely. Now, only scattered kites remained there, swirling and falling in the wind.
I stood at the entrance of the Jiang family courtyard, feeling a chill run through my body, my ears ringing, and I couldn't even hear people calling my name clearly...
Before the morning mist had even dissipated, slow and heavy footsteps echoed on the stone-paved streets of Jincheng.
More than thirty coffins were lined up in a row, each reinforced with thick hemp rope. The dark coffins gleamed coldly in the mist, like heavy mountains pressing down on people's hearts.
On the foremost coffin was the blue cloth robe that Young Master Jiang often wore in his lifetime. The hem of the robe was wet with morning dew and hung down on the edge of the coffin, swaying gently. In a daze, it looked as if he was walking on the street, the hem of his robe swaying with his steps.
Beside the coffin behind, followed townspeople dressed in plain clothes, including an elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, who touched the coffin with each step, his withered fingers tracing the coffin walls as he murmured something.
"Good child, come home."
...
A young woman was holding her one-year-old child in her arms. The child, not understanding, reached out to touch the white cloth strips on the coffin. The woman's eyes suddenly reddened, and she quickly hugged the child tightly. Her tears fell onto the child's clothes, leaving a small wet patch...
The funeral procession had no gongs or drums, only suppressed sobs drifting through the mist.
Some people carried the coffin, their shoulders marked with red welts from the hemp rope, but they dared not stop, fearing that if they slowed down, they would never be able to send off all those who had risked their lives for Jincheng.
Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow, swirling up the paper money on the ground and letting it fall onto the coffin, as if it were touching the coffin of the relatives who couldn't be there one last time.
The procession passed through the small square where the young master once built it. On the stone table, there were still pebbles that the children hadn't finished playing with. But now, no one would come over with a smile and arrange the pebbles into the shape of "Peace and Prosperity in Jincheng" anymore.
More than thirty coffins stretched out in a long line in the morning mist, making each step exceptionally difficult.
The dull thud of the coffin hitting the stone pavement, mixed with the townspeople's cries, cut into everyone's heart like a blunt knife.
The sky was overcast and gloomy, and even the sun hid behind the clouds, as if it too was weeping and mourning for the more than thirty people who would never be able to go home again.
Until the pitch-black coffin was carried back to the Jiang residence, the dew still wet on the coffin mixed with mud, just like the young master's eyes that had secretly reddened when he saw the people suffering.
I lunged forward to touch the coffin, but my fingertips only touched something cold. My pent-up emotions finally broke free, and my sobs mingled with gasps for breath, making my chest ache.
In a daze, I seemed to see the young master standing on the city wall again, smiling and saying, "Once Jincheng is built, everyone will no longer have to live in fear."
But now, my world has collapsed, and the faith that sustained me through those difficult years has shattered into countless irreparable fragments.
For the next few days, I was like a puppet who had lost its soul, not eating three meals a day, just sitting by the window staring blankly in the direction of the Jiang residence.
Magnolia blossoms lay scattered on the ground outside the window. They were planted by the young master and everyone else, who said they wanted to make Jincheng bloom with flowers in all four seasons. But now the flowers are still there, while the people who planted them are gone.
When Jiang Zhong pushed open my door, his eyes were red, but he still forced his back to straighten, his voice still hoarse.
"Third brother, the young master left a message before he left, saying that Jincheng is not completely finished yet. The drainage ditches on the city wall still need to be repaired, and the drawbridge at the east gate also needs to be reinforced. He is hoping that everyone can have New Year's Eve dinner in a warm house in winter."
He pulled out a yellowed roll of blueprints from his pocket. The paper was covered with the young master's dense annotations, clearly indicating the dimensions of each brick.
I took the blueprints, my fingertips touching the ink left by the young master, and suddenly remembered what he had said.
"Everyone is a master of Jincheng; protecting Jincheng is protecting our home."
Yes, the young master risked his life to protect Jincheng, how can I just collapse like this? Tears fell again, but this time, I gripped the blueprints tightly and wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes…
Even if the sky falls, I will finish what the young master hasn't done, so that his wish can take root and sprout in this brocade city.
The next morning, I got up very early, spread the drawings on the wooden board on the table, and went from house to house knocking on the doors and windows of the "old man" who used to be by the young master's side.
At first, everyone remained silent, their eyes red with tears. But when I pointed to the young master's annotations on the blueprints and spoke of his hopes for Jincheng, some people slowly wiped away their tears, picked up their tools and weapons from home, and said...
"The young master risked his life for us; we cannot let his efforts be in vain."
In the morning light, more and more people gathered at the edge of the city. Some were carrying bricks, others were mixing mortar. The familiar sound of hammering echoed again near the drawbridge at the east gate. Even technical difficulties were quickly resolved under Mr. Zhang Qiong's guidance...
The air was thick with tension in the newly built training ground.
Hundreds of guards were dressed in black, their belts tightly cinched at the waist, their knuckles white from gripping the long swords in their hands—the blades reflected the morning sun, but instead of their usual brightness, they were shrouded in an unyielding somberness.
Standing on the high platform, Jiang Zhong did not shout "Start the battle" as usual, but said in a deep voice: "Young Master is gone, but Jincheng is still here."
As soon as the words were spoken, the crisp sound of swords being drawn pierced through the morning mist. The sound lacked its usual crispness and instead carried a fierce, clenched edge.
The guard in the front row assumed a horse stance, his arms taut like a fully drawn bow. When his long sword struck the wooden stake, a muffled thud shook the ground, and amidst the flying wood chips, he let out a suppressed growl.
The young guards in the back row had bulging veins on their foreheads, and sweat streamed down their faces...
The bloodshot eyes of everyone, mixed with sweat, reflected a burning anger of resentment—they were still too weak!
They failed to protect the young master. If they had been stronger, they might have been able to go to the East District with him. This guilt was like a red-hot iron, burning their hearts with pain. They could only vent their anger by swinging their swords and spears.
Everyone silently prayed: "Young master, we failed to protect you. From now on, we will risk our lives to protect the city you built with your own hands, and protect every family member here. We will never let your hard work suffer even the slightest damage."
The wind swept across the training ground, swirling up bits of grass and the cold glint of the weapons, as if echoing this silent vow...
Standing in the crowd, watching Jincheng gradually recover, I suddenly felt that the young master had never left—he was in every brick of the city wall, in the figures of everyone working together.
The light has been rekindled in the eyes of the people of Jincheng.
A breeze brushed my cheek, carrying the lingering fragrance of magnolia blossoms. I whispered, "Young master, look, we're all here. We'll definitely build Jincheng well, even better than you can imagine."
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
