Chapter 116 Drunkenness (First Update)
Xiao Liulang hired the fastest carriage, and they arrived at Qingquan Town at the end of August.
When passing by Tianxiang Academy, Feng Lin first carried his luggage back to his dormitory, and then ran into Dean Li.
Dean Li was quite surprised to see him: "Huh? How come so fast? Weren't you going to take the provincial examination? Did you miss it or what? Where's Liu Lang?"
"We made it! We'll be back as soon as we finish the exam! Um... I'll tell you more later. Liu Lang, wait for me outside. Goodbye, Dean!" Feng Lin said with a dry laugh, then ran off in a flash!
Everyone knows that Xiao Liulang is Dean Li's precious darling. If you don't hurry up, Dean Li will keep you questioning you until the end of time.
Feng Lin jumped onto the carriage in a flash.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Liulang asked.
"Dean Li!" Feng Lin said, "Don't let him catch you, or he'll interrogate you so much you won't be able to go home!"
Xiao Liulang agreed wholeheartedly and urged the coachman to hurry the carriage back to the village.
The fare had been settled in the provincial capital long ago, but the driver had followed them all the way, working as a driver and servant, and had worked hard without complaint. Xiao Liulang gave him another tael of silver.
The driver was flattered and hurriedly bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Be careful on the road," Xiao Liulang said.
"Oh! Thank you, Young Master Xiao!" The coachman happily boarded the carriage.
Those who work in this line of work earn their money through hard work. Even though they've been away for more than a month, they only actually receive two or three taels of silver. With that extra tael, their family's finances will be much better next month!
Xiao Liulang and Feng Lin walked into the village.
When they left the village at the end of June, the late rice had just been planted, and there were only sparse little rice seedlings. Now, they have all grown into a lush green field.
Wow! The wheat in your village is growing so well!
This year's abnormal weather, with scarce rainfall and drought in farmland, has caused many crops to wither and die in the fields. They traveled all the way from the provincial capital, witnessing this firsthand, and were deeply shocked.
However, the crops in Qingquan Village seemed unaffected by the drought, growing exceptionally well.
“It’s rice,” Xiao Liulang corrected him, but the same question flashed through his mind: why were the crops in his village growing so well?
"Oh," Feng Lin responded, then suddenly pointed ahead, "Look! An irrigation ditch! Not bad, your village has all had irrigation ditches dug! It really makes a difference with a new village head!"
After Old Master Gu stepped down, the village elected a new village head, who was Uncle Luo, a relative. It was said that they were almost beyond the fifth degree of kinship, but because they lived close by, the two families visited each other quite often, so their relationship was still quite close.
Luo Lizheng didn't care that the old man was educated, but he was a man of action. Whenever any villager was in trouble, he would lend a helping hand.
But if we're talking about digging ditches...
It wasn't that Xiao Liulang looked down on Luo Lizheng, but rather that they were neighbors and had known each other for so long, so Xiao Liulang had seen what Luo Lizheng was capable of and what he wasn't.
He was a relatively conservative village head who would not easily undertake large-scale construction projects, and the village also did not have the money for such projects.
"Hey! Liu Lang!" Feng Lin exclaimed again, "Look! A waterwheel! Good heavens! Am I seeing things? Your village actually has a waterwheel!"
In all his years, Feng Lin had only seen a waterwheel a handful of times.
Waterwheels are wonderful things; they can divert water from low-lying areas to higher ground, making them perfect for irrigating farmland.
Waterwheels are not common in small county towns like this. Only relatively wealthy villages can afford them. They had seen waterwheels a few times on their way back from the provincial capital, but due to drought, the village ponds were dry, so the waterwheels were just for show.
Feng Lin asked, puzzled, "By the way, where does the water in your village come from?"
Xiao Liulang's gaze followed the irrigation ditch all the way to the back mountain of Uncle Luo's house. He frowned and muttered, "Did they divert the waterfall from the mountain?"
That was no ordinary irrigation canal; it spanned half a mountain and would have required a tremendous amount of manpower and resources to dig. Moreover, it demanded an exceptional understanding of the mountain's terrain.
"Oh my! Liu Lang is back!"
It's Aunt Zhang.
Aunt Zhang had just come out of Uncle Luo's house, carrying a basket of wild fruit. She felt that her family was about to have good luck, because every time Liu Lang returned from his exams, she was the first person he saw!
"Aunt Zhang," Xiao Liulang greeted her.
"Aunt Zhang!" Feng Lin greeted her with a smile.
Feng Lin often came to the village, and Aunt Zhang already recognized him. Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "You're finally back! This time you've been gone longer than last time! The provincial capital must be very far away!"
The country folk didn't understand the days of exams and results announcements. They didn't know that Xiao Liulang was actually the first out-of-town candidate to return home in the provincial exam; they only thought he had been away for a month longer than last time.
Xiao Liulang didn't explain anything, but said, "Yes, the provincial capital is farther than the prefectural capital. It took us more than half a month to get there."
"I knew it!" Aunt Zhang said, looking at me with an air of self-assurance. "Alright, you've been away from home for so many days, you must be missing your sweetheart, hurry back, she's here!"
Today, Tianxiang Academy is closed, but the private school is open. Gu Xiaoshun went to town to take care of the two babies, while Gu Jiao stayed home to do chores.
When Xiao Liulang and Feng Lin entered the house, the first person they saw was not Gu Jiao, but a man dressed as a farmer.
Both of them were taken aback.
Hearing the noise at the door, the man turned around, his eyes lighting up: "Sixth Brother? This must be... Scholar Feng?"
Feng Lin stammered, "Uh... I am, and you are..."
"Luo Lizheng," Xiao Liulang greeted.
Rory was scratching his head and smiling.
Feng Lin suddenly realized: "You're the newly appointed village head? You're really amazing! You've dug irrigation ditches and built waterwheels; you've revitalized the entire village's crops!"
Luo Lizheng was taken aback at first, then smiled honestly and said, "Scholar Feng has mistaken me for someone else. I didn't dig the irrigation ditch, nor did I build the waterwheel!"
Feng Lin looked astonished: "If it wasn't you, then who was it?"
Xiao Liulang had a vague guess in his mind. He subconsciously looked towards the back door of the main room. Just then, Gu Jiao entered the main room while wiping her hands.
When she saw Xiao Liulang, she stopped in her tracks.
She knew when the provincial examination would end and roughly when the results would be released. She estimated that Xiao Liulang would not return until after the results were released, but she did not expect him to come back so soon.
Her stunned expression was somewhat naive.
Xiao Liulang felt his heart tremble uncontrollably.
He subtly averted his gaze and greeted Rory.
Luo Li was completely confused. Hadn't they just greeted each other?
Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Liulang and unconsciously curved her lips into a smile: "Why are you back so soon? Why didn't you stay in the provincial capital for a few more days?"
Xiao Liulang said nonchalantly, "There's nothing fun in the provincial capital."
Gu Jiao: "Oh."
Luo Lizheng laughed and said, "I was just talking about you. Scholar Feng asked me if I dug the irrigation ditch and made the waterwheel. Haha, how could I have such abilities?"
As he spoke, he said to Feng Lin, "It's Jiao Niang!"
"Ah..." Feng Lin was dumbfounded.
Gu Jiao cleared the mountain to plant medicinal herbs and also dug a fishpond. When the waterfall water was being channeled into the fishpond, she also dug a canal that led directly to the village.
The drought has reduced the size of the waterfalls on the mountain, but it's still enough to irrigate the farmland in the village.
Xiao Liulang gave Gu Jiao a deep look.
"No way? You've only been gone for two months and you've already dug up a fishpond?" Feng Lin knew about Gu Jiao buying the mountain, but he didn't expect Gu Jiao to be so decisive.
Luo Li said to Gu Jiao, "By the way, the wooden carts for threshing and winnowing that you mentioned to us last time, I went to the village carpenter to make them, but they're not finished yet. They told me to ask you which type of wood is best."
Gu Jiao thought for a moment and said, "Red pine, aspen, ailanthus, and linden are all fine. They are hard and not easily deformed."
"Alright! I'll go first then!" Luo Li said, then turned around and congratulated Xiao Liulang and Feng Lin in advance, wishing them success in the provincial examination.
"What kind of carts are used for threshing and winnowing grain?" Feng Lin asked curiously.
Gu Jiao explained, "It's a vehicle that can separate grains from rice ears, and it can also sift out the chaff that isn't plump enough, leaving only the normal grains."
"There's such a thing?" Feng Lin asked skeptically.
Although he couldn't distinguish between wheat fields and rice fields, he still knew how to thresh grains.
They would grab a bundle of rice and slam it to the ground with brute force. It was a lot of work, and they weren't even sure they could get all the rice off. They would then have to carefully pick out the remaining rice ears by hand.
When he was a child, he picked millet for others and earned half a copper coin a day.
As for separating the chaff from the good grains, the grains are usually dried first, and then winnowed on a windy day. The good grains, being heavier, will fall to the ground; the chaff, being lighter, will be blown aside by the wind.
After pounding the rice, winnowing is used to separate the rice from the husks.
The winnowing cart that Gu Jiao had someone make works on the same principle as winnowing grains. It can separate chaff from good grains, and also separate rice from husks. However, the winnowing cart is more efficient, less labor-intensive, and cleaner.
Originally, Luo Lizheng didn't quite believe that such a useful thing existed, but after seeing Gu Jiao dig irrigation ditches and build waterwheels for the villagers, Luo Lizheng had no doubt about her abilities and character.
The three Gu brothers arrived home in the evening.
Xiao Jingkong's eyelids had been twitching since noon. When he entered the house and saw his bad brother-in-law, he finally understood why his eyelids had been twitching all afternoon!
He walked into the house and looked at his wicked brother-in-law with a serious expression.
Hmm, I haven't lost weight.
Jiaojiao shouldn't worry.
He then pulled Xiao Liulang to the backyard and asked Xiao Liulang to pick dates from the date tree for him.
Xiao Liulang looked up at the tree branches: "It's almost September, where are there any dates left?"
Xiao Jingkong's gaze was fixed on the top of Xiao Liulang's head. He had previously meticulously recorded his brother-in-law's height, which was barely enough to reach the first branch. Now, his brother-in-law had surpassed the branch!
My bad brother-in-law has grown taller!
In fact, according to his close observation over the past two months, not only has his bad brother-in-law grown taller, but Brother Gu Yan and Brother Xiao Shun have also grown taller, and even Jiao Jiao has grown taller.
The only ones in the family who haven't changed are him and his great-aunt.
Jiaojiao said it was because he was still young.
But Gouwa is even younger than him; Gouwa has grown taller!
Xiao Jingkong looked worried and distressed!
"What's wrong with you?" Xiao Liulang asked, looking at him.
"Sigh, it's nothing, let's not talk about me." Little Jingkong sighed like a little adult, and looked up at Xiao Liulang with a serious expression, saying, "Let's talk about you! How did you do on the exam this time? Were the questions difficult? Were you confident? If you don't pass the exam, your family will have to support you for another three years!"
Xiao Liulang never expected that he could evade Dean Li, but not the little monk...
What kind of patriarchal tone is this?
"You actually know that the exam is only held once every three years." Xiao Liulang moved his short hair, amused and annoyed, and handed him a red date he had picked. "Here, take it and play with it."
Little Jingkong looked at the shriveled jujube in his hand and pouted.
Who wants to play? Childish!
Xiao Liulang brought gifts for his family; for the old lady, they were sesame candy and soybean cakes.
The old lady was happy!
Gu Jiao confiscated the sesame candy, and the soybean pastry could only be eaten one piece a day.
The old lady was unhappy!
The gift given to Gu Yan was a round jade inkstone, as he liked round things, especially those made of jade.
Gu Yan: "Thank you, brother-in-law."
The small ceremonial space was given a set of nine interlocking rings.
Xiao Jingkong accepted it with an arrogant expression, saying, "What is this? So childish!" He then turned around and hid inside the house, secretly starting to solve the Nine Linked Rings puzzle!
Gu Xiaoshun was given several pieces of high-quality wood carving materials. Now he had no shortage of tools, only good wood for him to mess with.
"Brother-in-law, what kind of wood is this? I've never seen it before!" Gu Xiaoshun asked, holding a dark piece of wood in his hand.
“Ebony,” Xiao Liulang said.
The ebony did not belong to Zhao Kingdom; it was transported from Chen Kingdom. They were lucky enough to encounter a caravan on the way.
Everyone was very satisfied with their gifts.
It was finally Gu Jiao's turn.
Gu Jiao thought to herself that he couldn't possibly send her a calligraphy brush this time, but Xiao Liulang did not send her a brush, but instead sent her a stack of paper.
Gu Jiao: "..."
This is not the rough paper sold on the market, but a very precious watermark paper. When held up to the light, it will show curtain patterns, bamboo patterns or floral patterns, hence the name patterned paper.
Patterned paper is a complex and expensive craft, and it's not even available in the prefectural city; it can only be found in the provincial capital.
In Zhao Kingdom, sending patterned paper is roughly equivalent to sending flowers.
Under the flowers and the moon, a beautiful woman adds fragrance to the scene.
However, Gu Jiao's smile gradually froze on her face.
The old lady, whose sesame candy had been confiscated, laughed so hard she bent over.
There's a kind of romance that Liu Lang finds very romantic!
——
Feng Lin also brought some things: several large pieces of smoked donkey meat and a bottle of strong liquor, which was a gift from the restaurant.
Gu Jiao had never drunk ancient wine before. It didn't smell too strong, so she took a couple of sips. She didn't feel anything during dinner, but the effects kicked in when she was washing the dishes.
Xiao Liulang first took Feng Lin to the village entrance, then came back to give Xiao Jingkong a bath. When he went to the kitchen to find Gu Jiao, Gu Jiao had already thrown the half-washed bowl into the pot and sat on the threshold of the back door of the main room.
She stood with her back to Xiao Liulang, gazing motionlessly at the starry sky.
Xiao Liulang walked over: "What are you looking at?"
Gu Jiao slowly turned her head, her expression blank and wooden, her little face flushed, and her big eyes wet and glistening with tears.
She looked different from her usual aloof self; she seemed to have suddenly become a child, looking especially innocent.
"Look at the stars."
She said.
Their voices were soft and sweet, with a slightly dazed, babyish tone.
Xiao Liulang took a deep breath, composed himself, and said, "Let's go back inside, it's getting dark."
"No." She shook her head, pouting.
Well, that's how Xiao Jingkong usually is.
I drank some alcohol and ended up looking like a three-year-old.
Gu Jiao continued to look up at the stars.
“Liulang,” she suddenly spoke.
Yesterday's quiz prizes will be awarded on the 6th.
(End of this chapter)
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