In the carriage, Ouyang Rong was stunned when he heard this:
"What is it, is it important?"
Ah Qing silently twisted her baggage straps with her fingers, lowered her head and said:
"The master folded the flowers for me."
"So this is it."
Ouyang Rong breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "It's not important, as long as you don't fall behind."
Ah Qing whispered: "It's very important, this is..."
As if she noticed the eyes of the beautiful elder sister in the carriage who was putting great pressure on her, she paused and explained softly:
"This is a birthday gift... Grandma said that birthday gifts are other people's wishes, and no matter how small they are, they should be kept and cherished."
Ouyang Rong waved his hand: "It's okay, I'll just fold one for you tomorrow."
Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered the sudden surge in merit points in the morning, as well as his speculation not long ago.
Is this really the case?
Ouyang Rong turned around and asked directly:
"Wait a minute, Ah Qing, how did you drop the origami flower?"
Ah Qing held the warm bundle in her arms, looked into his eyes, and said truthfully:
"I worked in a breakfast shop in the morning market every day. I met an old craftsman, and I helped him bring wine every day. For a year or two, the old craftsman gave me a lot of money for running errands.
"In the morning, he saw the flowers that the master had folded, and he seemed to like them very much. He asked me for them. I was too embarrassed to shirk them, so I lent them to him. Later, when I was in a hurry and had to rush to the workshop to work, he was still looking at the flowers.
I didn't have the nerve to rush him, so I left first and asked him to pay me back tomorrow."
The delicate girl with a red forehead raised her head and asked:
"Master, can I go over there again tomorrow? Just one trip. I'll get the blue butterfly flowers back, and then I'll give all the wine stored in the kitchen to the old craftsman, and say goodbye to him. By the way, there's also
Sister Cheng who runs the morning shop..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head silently.
"No, we can't go anymore." After a pause, he comforted softly:
"Ah Qing, not all separations require saying goodbye. You are still young, so don't dwell on the past and look forward."
Xie Lingjiang glanced at the senior brother with a gentle voice.
The latter continued:
"Ah Qing, this old craftsman who borrowed your flowers, do you know what he does in the sword shop?"
"He must have made a sword. He wears clothes made by a craftsman. Like many guests, he must be a craftsman who forges swords."
"Do you know what sword furnace the sword was made in?"
"I don't know, but it shouldn't be those big sword furnaces by the lake."
"Then does he have anything special about him, such as his identity or what he said?"
Ah Qing saw the serious expression on the master's face. She pursed her lips and thought hard for a moment, then shook her head helplessly:
"It doesn't seem like that. He just has a lonely personality. I guess... he probably doesn't have a wife anymore and lives alone. Old Jiangzuo hasn't said a few words to me. The most he talked to me was when he borrowed flowers this morning."
"is that so."
Ouyang Rong was thoughtful.
He actually quite suspected that it was this strange old man who borrowed flowers, who intentionally or unintentionally saved Ah Qing, or received some kind of help from the paper flowers.
This is also the possible source of the large amount of inexplicable merit in the morning.
Later, Ouyang Rong asked Ah Qing about the characteristics of the old craftsman's work, but he didn't gain much, but he remembered it in his heart.
Ouyang Rong introduced Ah Qing to Xie Lingjiang again, and they looked at each other for a while.
"Miss Ah Qing's eyes are really big and beautiful." Xie Lingjiang said seriously.
"Sister Xie, too!" Ah Qing raised her face and said.
The last sentence made Ouyang Rong think a little, and he glanced at the broad mind of his junior sister.
After realizing that Ah Qing could not mean this, he quickly took it back.
About a quarter of an hour later, the carriage stopped outside a simple farmhouse, and Ah Qing said goodbye and got off.
The carriage continued to drive.
There were only two people left in the carriage, Ouyang Rong asked directly:
"Junior sister, I remember you mentioned something called a tripod sword before. Does its casting require human sacrifice or something?"
Xie Lingjiang immediately shook his head:
"The tripod sword is not an evil object, so how can it be used as a human sacrifice? Senior brother, please remember that all the evil ways of killing people and offering sacrifices in this world come from the group of alchemists."
Ouyang Rong said with a smile: "I haven't seen them before, but I wonder why everyone shouts about these magicians?"
Xie Lingjiang nodded, "This is the consensus of the world. It cannot be said that there are no good people in that group, but it is a mixed bag."
Ouyang Rong nodded.
…
Early the next morning.
County government.
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face and walked into the office.
"Hey, junior sister, why are you so early today?"
He said to his little junior sister who was looking down at his documents curiously behind the public case table.
Xie Lingjiang was dressed in red clothes today, put the book in his hand back to its original place, and smiled:
"Why, am I that lazy in the eyes of my senior brother?"
Ouyang Rong smiled, did not answer, and walked behind the table.
Ever since that horse-drawn carriage meeting, these days, Xie Lingjiang has been working with him every day, euphemistically called protecting safety.
"Have you thought about the little wish that junior sister mentioned last time?" Ouyang Rong lowered his head and asked.
"Not yet, why, senior brother is a little anxious?"
"I'm not in a hurry, as long as Junior Sister doesn't give me any problems."
"Senior brother, what do you think is the problem?"
"Then junior sister will follow suit, right?"
"uh-huh."
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but glance again: "Senior brother, why is the left side of your face so red?"
"Is it red?" Ouyang Rong touched the left side of his face and nodded helplessly:
"Recently, my aunt hired a new cook, and the food was a bit spicy. I accidentally ate too much because I was greedy. When I woke up in the morning, my face and mouth felt spicy."
"Brother, wash with cold water more often."
"OK."
The two of them didn't take it seriously and changed the topic. When the clerks in the hall gradually arrived, they started their morning business until Xie Lingjiang came back from outside the office to report:
"Senior brother, someone from the Liu family is here, and Diao Xiancheng is waiting in the lobby to receive them."
"Let's go and have a look."
Ouyang Rong, who wanted to fold another butterfly flower for Ah Qing during his office break, stood up and said.
After a while, Ouyang Rong brought Xie Lingjiang to the county government hall.
As soon as they entered the door, Diao County Prime Minister and the Liu family members who were originally holding cups of tea stood up and saluted.
"Haha, Mingfu came just in time. I would like to introduce you to you. This is Liu Fu, the chief steward of the Liu family. Mingfu may know him.
"This is Uncle Chen from Guyue Sword Shop. He is a famous swordsmith in Longcheng County and is highly respected in Guyue Sword Shop.
"Mr. Chen is also the leading craftsman sent by An, the head of the Liu family, to assist the county government in rebuilding the Di Gong Gate. He has also helped the county government repair the Di Gong Gate once before, so he has rich experience.
"Mingfu, the Liu family is really sincere this time."
Ouyang Rong did not comment, glanced at the familiar lame middle-aged boy servant, passed it, and then turned his attention to another thin old man sitting there wearing a felt hat and a gray beard.
Master swordsmith?
He took a closer look and found that it did not match the old craftsman's work described by Ah Qing yesterday.
However, Guyue Sword Shop has many famous craftsmen, and I think there is more than one master swordsmith of this kind.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly as a greeting:
"I'll have to work hard for you all next."
The lame butler named Liu Fu clasped his fists and said respectfully:
"Your Excellency, the county magistrate, the young master of the family sent a man to deliver the money. It was agreed upon that day, and the young master of the family attaches great importance to it. The one in the yard is the first one, five thousand guan, to match the first phase of Zheyi Canal; the remaining five According to the construction period of Zheyi Canal, Qianguan will be delivered on time before the second phase of Zheyi Canal starts."
"Thanks for your hard work."
“It’s hard work that you don’t deserve, it’s just your job.”
Ouyang Rong nodded, he was more concerned about Mr. Di right now.
The Liu family's 10,000 yuan is just the icing on the cake for the county government.
However, Di Gongzha can be regarded as a timely help at the moment.
The old swordsmith known as Mr. Chen also stepped forward and chatted with Ouyang Rong about the Duke Di Gate.
Among craftsmen, only craftsmen with superb skills and high moral integrity will be honored as sir.
However, Ouyang Rong thought that the Liu family would not be so honest and directly send the most core and most powerful craftsmen. Such beings are the most valuable core assets of the sword shop.
But for Mr. Chen in front of me, it should be more than enough to build a Dickong Gate.
When Diao Xian Cheng saw this harmonious coexistence in the lobby, he couldn't help but twist his beard and smile.
After Ouyang Rong sat down with him to drink tea, Diao Xiancheng came over and whispered:
"Before, I was a low-ranking official who dared to teach the Ming Dynasty how to play chess. Now it seems that the Ming Dynasty is still very clever. They are very good at this trick... Now with the cooperation of the Liu family, they send money and send craftsmen. The construction of Digong Gate and Zhiyi Canal both started... There is no need to worry about subsequent floods, the Ming Dynasty is so powerful! I admire the Ming Dynasty..."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head to sip his tea, read the sluice drawing handed over by Mr. Chen, and turned a deaf ear to the flattering words of the county magistrate next to him. Well, useless nonsense.
However, Diao Xiancheng is right about one thing. From being impoverished when he first came to the county government to now the Liu family bowing their heads and cooperating sincerely, it has indeed not been an easy journey.
It's just that it's not the time to remember the bitter and miss the sweet yet.
Xie Lingjiang did not join the chat in the lobby. She pulled out a chair and sat not far behind Ouyang Rong. She 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. He is always concerned about the potential dangers around his senior brother.
Just like right now.
She glanced at the lame butler's palm on the handle of the chair, and his right foot wearing cloth shoes that subconsciously took a half-step forward.
The craftsman surnamed Chen is not dangerous, but the lame butler named Liu Fu is a practicing master.
However, Xie Lingjiang was confident that in the event that he was violent and threatened his senior brother's safety, he could place the bitten pear in his hand on his head wearing the butler's hat.
On the other side, Ouyang Rong didn't know about his junior sister's thoughtful behavior. He leaned on the armrest with his right elbow, looked down at the finished drawings, and handed them back to the old craftsman opposite, who asked:
"Lord County Magistrate, if there are no problems, we will start repairing according to this plan and start construction tomorrow."
"Okay." Ouyang Rong nodded: "Next, we have to work hard for Mr. Chen and all the masters."
"You're welcome, sir."
"Do you have an approximate construction period?"
"If there is less rain..." Mr. Chen carefully said, "It should be within twenty days."
Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows. This is much faster than the first phase of the Zheyi Canal. The latter has not even dug a third yet, and this is only a shallow excavation of the first phase.
After the matter was finalized, the young magistrate took a breath and took a sip of tea. Seeing this, Diao County Magistrate seemed to have received a signal and stood up to send Liu Fu and Mr. Chen out of the lobby.
Just when everyone was about to go out, Liu Fu suddenly stopped and turned around. Under Xie Lingjiang's calm eyes, the lame steward took out a neat roll of paper from his arms and presented it with respectful hands:
"There is one more thing. Lord County Magistrate, the master of the house ordered the villain to bring it. He asked the villain to hand it over to the master. The master said that the master will be satisfied."
The young county magistrate, who was lowering his head and sipping the edge of his cup, raised his eyes slightly, looking at the lame middle-aged steward and the roll of paper in his hand, and said nothing for a moment.
Xie Lingjiang took the thing, looked down at it, looked a little strange, and handed it to Ouyang Rong.
"Ah."
Ouyang Rong looked over it, smiled, turned to Liu Fulang, who bowed his hands respectfully and said:
"Go back and tell your master that I have received the sincerity of the Liu family, and I have sincerely given it to you. That night, the ribbon-cutting meeting proposed by the Liu family was held by the county government meeting. The adults in Jiangzhou City, I also
Someone will be sent to invite you."
"I understand, sir. I'll take my leave."
Liu Fu and Mr. Chen were sent out by Diao County Cheng.
In the lobby, only a certain brother and sister were left.
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but said:
"Senior brother, the Liu family is really on the right track. Before we even took action, they had already processed Ah Qing's redemption certificate and sent it over."
"On the road? It's just a matter of following the trend after losing your mind."
Ouyang Rong's smile faded, he shook his head and said:
"It seems that we have been keeping an eye on Ah Qing for a long time. If we were later, something might happen."
Xie Lingjiang nodded thoughtfully.
"But it's easier to deal with smart people." Ouyang Rong smiled and suddenly said: "Go and call Ah Shan."
"good."
About half a quarter of an hour later, Liu Ashan, who had been out on business, returned in a hurry and walked into the lobby covered in dust.
"Master, what happened?"
Ouyang Rong handed Ah Qing's redemption certificate to the tall and thin man, who was stunned when he saw it:
"Master, this is..."
"It's Ah Qing's redemption contract. It was sent by the Liu family. You don't have to go through it anymore. From now on, Ah Qing will be a free man with good status."
"Liu family?" Liu Ashan was not happy at all when he heard this.
"Yes, the Liu family. The people we picked up yesterday have prepared their things today. They are very sensible." Ouyang Rong nodded with emotion, squinted his eyes and whispered softly: "Go and withdraw all the other informants from Guyue Sword Shop, and go to the county government office."
Find something else to do."
Liu Ashan's face suddenly became serious: "What the master means is..."
"That's what I mean. You have to be more careful in your actions in the future. This time you should be taught a lesson."
"I understand, sir." Liu Ashan lowered his head.
"By the way, you go find Liu Lang now, and together we can dig out those 'rats' in the county government office. There is no need to keep them anymore."
"Didn't the master say that we should keep it?"
Ouyang Rong nodded gently and sighed:
"Since the Liu family is so sincere, wouldn't it look too petty if we don't show some sincerity?"
"Yes, sir."
Liu Ashan looked serious and turned around to retreat.
"Wait a minute, keep one of the 'rats', and clean up the others."
Ouyang Rong changed his mind and said, after a pause, he looked serious again:
"One more thing. Go and bring my sister and mother to live in Meiluyuan. Luming Street is safer here. The courtyard on the outskirts of the city is too far away, so I'm not worried."
"Thank you, sir, I'll go now."
Liu Ashan was a little moved and hurried out.
After they left, Xie Ling Jiang E frowned slightly and said:
"This kind of local snake is really annoying. We must guard against being bitten at any time. Senior brother, what should we do now?"
"What should I do? Just follow the old rules, he will hit his, and I will hit mine."
The young county magistrate gently uttered four words: