"The scenery is so beautiful. I didn't expect there to be such a beautiful place here. There are mountains and water, and the lotus flowers are blooming so beautifully." Xu Youtang praised.
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "If you had come here last year, you would not think so. Last year, this place was a barren mountain and wild land. When there was a heavy rain, the river burst out and flooded the fields below. The people in the manor had suffered enough. So I made up my mind.
This reservoir was built. There have been several heavy rains this year, but there have been no flash floods again.”
Xu Youtang said in surprise: "So this reservoir was built by your own manpower?"
Zhang Yanling said: "Of course, at this time last year, the reservoir was not completed yet. In one year, this place has changed a lot. Our hard work last year was not in vain. When the reservoir was being built last year, the whole manor, young and old, men and women came together, and the weather was very bad.
It’s hot. It’s really hard.”
Xu Youtang was filled with admiration and asked softly: "Did the Marquis and Sister Xiuer meet here?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Yes, Axiu is the daughter of the old blacksmith. Naturally we met here."
Xu Youtang nodded and said: "That's great. Mr. Hou is a good person, and sister Xiu'er is also a good person. It's a good thing that sister Xiu'er married you. A good man marries a good man."
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "Axiu is a good person, but I am not a good person."
Xu Youtang looked at Zhang Yanling with dark eyes and said, "Why aren't you a good person? You went to relieve the people and help the poor who were affected by the disaster. Aren't you a good person?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "You are still young and don't understand this."
Xu Youtang said coquettishly: "I'm not young anymore, I'm seventeen years old. Why do you all say I'm young?"
Zhang Yanling chuckled and said: "Then let me ask you, how do you measure the boundaries between good and bad people? You said that I am a good person if I save someone, but what if I kill someone? Then I am a bad person, right? So am I a good person or not?
Where are the bad guys?”
Xu Youtang asked: "Master Hou...have you ever killed anyone?"
Zhang Yanling pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "I killed him. And more than one."
Xu Youtang trembled, a panicked expression appeared on his face, and he looked at Zhang Yanling blankly.
"Are you scared? I didn't want to tell you the truth, but we are friends and friends can't deceive. Did it scare you?" Zhang Yanling said with a smile.
Xu Youtang was silent for a long time and said softly: "I'm not afraid."
Zhang Yanling deliberately teased her and said in a deep voice: "You know my secret now. If you expose me, wouldn't I be doomed?"
Xu Youtang hurriedly waved his little hands and said: "No, no, I won't expose you. I won't tell anyone."
Zhang Yanling said: "Words are useless, and swearing is useless. Do you know what is the best way to shut someone up?"
Xu Youtang said in astonishment: "I don't know."
Zhang Yanling said angrily: "Dead people can't talk. Do you understand that people kill people and silence them?"
Xu Youtang was startled, stared at Zhang Yanling blankly, and suddenly smiled and said: "You are lying, so you won't kill me."
Zhang Yanling said coldly: "What? Aren't you afraid of death? I kill people without blinking an eye."
Xu Youtang said: "Master Hou, don't scare me, I'm not afraid either. If Master Hou really killed people, those people must deserve to die."
Zhang Yanling said in astonishment: "Do you really think so?"
Xu Youtang said: "Yes, how can a person like Mr. Hou kill innocent people indiscriminately? If Mr. Hou is a person who cares about human life, how can he spend so much money and energy to save the people who are affected by the disaster? When it snows heavily, others hide.
You are indifferent at home, but you are not. So, in my heart, Mr. Hou is a good person."
Zhang Yanling chuckled and said: "Miss Xu, I didn't expect you to think so. I thought that if I said I had killed someone, you would be so scared that you would run away immediately."
Xu Youtang smiled sweetly and said: "I won't run away. I'm not a bad person, and you won't kill me."
Zhang Yanling nodded and said: "You are right, how could I kill you? You are kind, cute, and capable, and it is too late for me to like you."
Xu Youtang blushed and said, "Am I... really that good?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "It's better than I said."
Zhang Yanling was stunned, and immediately realized that there was an ambiguity in his words, and said hurriedly: "Don't misunderstand me, I'm talking about the love between friends, not any intention towards you. Don't worry."
Xu Youtang looked at Zhang Yanling blankly and said, "Is it just a liking between friends?"
Zhang Yanling was stunned. She looked at Xu Youtang's eyes and was speechless. She didn't know how to answer for a moment. Could it be that this little girl fell in love with her? Listening to her tone and demeanor, it seemed that she was complaining that she only treated her like a friend.
"I know that I am from a humble background and have no ability. I am not as good-looking as Miss Guan and your princess. How could the Marquis like me? But...I...I always have the shadow of the Marquis in my heart. I...many...
I can't sleep all night, I always think about you. Mr. Hou, don't be ashamed of me. I actually don't want to be like this, but I can't control myself. I always... miss you." Xu Youtang summoned up the courage to say.
Zhang Yanling's mind was buzzing. She looked at the shy Xu Youtang's face in front of her, and her heart was in confusion. She didn't expect that this little girl really liked him. With her sweet and cheerful temperament, she didn't hesitate at all, so she just said it.
.
To be honest, although Xu Youtang is cute and cute, Zhang Yanling really doesn't have any bad thoughts about her. Since they met, Zhang Yanling has always treated her as a cute little sister. It's not that she hasn't been moved by her cuteness.
However, after all, when a young, beautiful and lovely girl is in front of him, he will have some unreasonable thoughts. However, Zhang Yanling warned himself not to make any mistakes.
On the one hand, Xu Youtang is very young, only seventeen years old this year. Although this age is already old enough to get married and have children, Zhang Yanling feels that Xu Youtang is still an underage girl, and sometimes she has some thoughts in her mind.
Then he would call himself dirty.
On the other hand, she is Xu Gao's daughter, and she came to help him make firearms. He and Xu Gao are equals, and Xu Gao is such an old-fashioned person. How can he have any thoughts about his daughter? Xu Gao
Now that you know it, why don’t you still fight yourself?
In view of these aspects, Zhang Yanling did not dare to think wildly. But at this moment, Xu Youtang took the initiative to confess, and Zhang Yanling was not mentally prepared for the moment.
"Oh, I... what am I doing? I knew the Marquis wouldn't like me, why did I say this? I just didn't say it." Seeing Zhang Yanling's surprised look, Xu Youtang's face turned red and she covered her head.
He buried his head in his hands with a sullen face, stamped his feet and cried out.
"Miss Xu." Zhang Yanling said softly: "I didn't mean it like that, I just thought it was too sudden. I never thought about it."
Xu Youtang covered her face, twisted her body and said with a cry: "I don't blame you, I don't blame you. I should listen to my mother. My mother persuaded me and said... There is a huge difference in status between you and me, so she told me not to have wishful thinking. Besides,
My dad again
I offended Mr. Hou, how could Mr. Hou like me? I just refused to give up. No matter what, I said it, and I felt at ease. Even if Mr. Hou didn't like me, at least I said it. It's uncomfortable to hold it in my heart.