Chapter 135

Ling Chenghua and Ling Jingwei-the aunt and her nephew had intercourse in the wildness. After being separated, they even insulted a lot of men and women, which had a huge bad influence. The whole life’s fame the old xiucai had accumulated for his life had been ruined. On the side of the ancestral hall, on seeing that they still hadn’t come to admit their mistake and ask for punishment till noon, the old chief brought people to go to the xiucai’s place to catch them. Except Ling Jingxuan who was busying with building his house, all villagers dropped their work at hands and went to the xiucai’s place to watch.

When hearing it, Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui smiled at each other, like it had nothing to do with them at all. Ling Jinghan and Ling Jingpeng both had similar reaction, one was reading a book casually sitting under the roof of the backyard, while the other kept burying his head working with those workers. Only Ling Chenglong had a mood swing. But thinking of his sons’ warning, he could only give a deep sigh and do nothing.

“Shuisheng, you don’t have to help your dad in the future, I heard that you also know a few words, when you have time, you can ask Jinghan to teach you, and you can be his attendant boy.”

Not long after sending the bone soup and meat stuffed buns to the workers, those for building the road and walls came. Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui made arrangements for them separately. When they came back, he saw that Song Shuisheng was going to help his dad again, he stopped him.

On hearing he could be Master Jinghan’s attendant boy and learn some more words, after a moment’s blankness in the head, Song Shuisheng showed great excitement, so did his dad. Although they hadn’t been here for long, they also heard things about Ling Jinghan, and knew that he was endowed with extraordinary talents. If it hadn’t been his illness, maybe he would have already gotten a xiucai title or what. If Shuisheng could be his attendant boy, his future would very promising, at least it wouldn’t be so hard like now. That’s a huge good thing to their whole family!

“What are waiting for? Thank Master Xuan!”

Song Gengniu who came to his sense first pushed his son grumpily. Now his little son became the attendant boy of the two little masters and learned things from Mr. Chu, and now his big son would be Master Jinghan’s attendant! A bright future is waving hands at them!

“Yes, yes, thank you, Master Xuan.”

Finally coming to his sense, Song Shuisheng hurriedly kowtowed to Ling Jingxuan. Wherever it is, to those poor families, reading would be a whopping blessing.

“Jinghan, from now on he’s yours. You haven’t been fully recovered, so if there’s anything, you can let him do it for you. Rest when you need to. As the saying goes, it’s better to travel ten thousand li than to read ten thousand books. Only burying your head among books is no use. Don’t give yourself too much pressure. You are only 14 years old. It’s fine even you can’t pass the examination for a tongsheng title. You can try next year. Don’t tire yourself out.”

Raising a hand to signal him to stand up, Ling Jingxuan turned to say those words to Ling Jinghan who was going to the backyard with a book in his hand. He knew his younger brother learned very hard, and he felt gratified about that, but meanwhile, he also felt sorry for him. Is there anyone who could sit there reading books a whole day? If it went on like that, soon he’d have ischialgia or lumbar disc herniation.

“Hmm, ge, I’ll take care of myself. Shuisheng, go get a pot of tea in the kitchen for me.”

Ling Jinghan nodded, and then left asking giving Song Shuisheng the order. Now the whole family was busy with this and that. How could he really drop his book and rest? With such a weak body, he could no other abilities except reading.

“Don’t worry. He is not a kid. He knows what he is doing. But you, is it OK if you don’t take nap?”

Seeing that he frowned watching the back of Ling Jinghan, Yan Shengrui said worriedly. Before, however busy, he’d take a noon nap, even if it was only a few minutes. Today the construction teams came right after lunch. After making arrangements of those people, it was already nearly an hour later. He was really worried about him.

“I’m fine. It’s Ok that I don’t take a nap at noon occasionally.”

Withdrawing his eyes, he threw him a comforting smile, then turned to Song Gengniu and others, “Gengniu, you help my dad and others temporarily. Remember! Don’t forget about picking up the kids. Sister-in-law Song, I’ll leave the cleaning job of those rooms and the kitchen to you. Make sure to prepare each meal on time. And my mom, don’t forget prepare her medicine. Shuiling, milk the cow every morning, and decoct herbs for Shengrui three times a day, that’s your job. You are a thirteen-year-old big girl now. Don’t already try to help your mom and others. We don’t have so many rules at home. After finishing your job, you can accompany my mom. I heard your embroidery skills are not bad. When you have time, make us some pouches or what.”

Now that they were with him, he wouldn’t maltreat them, of course, given the premise that they would never betray him.

“Yes, thank you, Master Xuan.”

A family of three all bent to him happily. Lady Yang looked at him and hesitated to say, “Master Xuan, I see that the whole family doesn’t have enough clothes to change. I see you bought a lot of cloth yesterday. When I am done with work at hand, how about I make every one of you some new clothes?”

People are complementary, if you good to others, others would be good to you. Besides, he is their savior.

“Hmm, as for those minor things, you just make the decisions yourself. Besides, don’t forget to take the two puppies in the backyard out to have some fresh air. The little buns are not home, they’d also feel bored.”

Ling Jingxuan nodded, but before leaving, he suddenly remembered Dahei and Xiaohei. They all thought they were two puppies, and he didn’t want to explain, so if they thought they were puppies, then they were, although that was kind of result to their dignity as wolves.

“OK, please rest assured, master Xuan. I will take good care of them and ease the little masters’ mind.”

Lady Yang was also a straightforward person, she patted on her chest and instantly agreed. Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui nodded with satisfaction, and then went to the backyard. Although building the house was extremely urgent, they still needed to make money. Now they got more mouths to feed, they also needed to prepare more food. The kitchen was already not big enough for them to make jam. So they asked the Zhao&Han couple to help. In the after while they were free, they built a simple temporary shed in the backyard, make some earth stoves to temporary use.

“Ow~”

“Hehe… I think they’ll hate you for the rest of their lives.”

As soon as they went into the backyard, the two cubs tethered there showed their teeth at him, and kept growling. Ling Jingxuan couldn’t help teasing him. Ling Jingxuan gave him a sulky look. Whose fault is it? If it hadn’t been that he brought the mother wolf to them, did he need to kill her?

“Jingxuan, you are here. Take a look, is it OK?”

As Han Fei who was working saw them, he raised a hand to say hello to them, with sweat all over the face. It was only an hour’s time, they already finished the basic framework. The temporary work shed that nearly took half of the backyard was really big. For their convenience, he specially used some bamboo racks separate the two sides, on one side it was totally empty, while on the other side, you could already see two earth stoves in a row.

“Well, that’s the feeling I want, Brother Zhao, brother Han, sorry to trouble you.”

Ling Jingxuan walked over and checked it, then raised his head with a satisfactory smile. The empty side was used to wash the wild fruit. They could put some big wooden basins there. As for the other side, he planned to make four earth stoves, as large as it could accommodate the biggest-size iron pans, which would be convenient for making jam. Simple though, before the house was built, they could only temporarily work here.

“Come on! Why say thank you! Why didn’t you say we troubled you when you helped us? Look! Now we only need another two earth stoves. Later, when Gengniu buys the oilcloth on the way picking up the kids, the temporary work shed would be done.”

His being polite undoubtedly received complaining from Han Fei. Ling Jingxuan shook his head helplessly. Only he would complain him about this and that.

“By the way, Brother Zhao, I heard that you often work for the smithy in town. I wonder whether they accept customized things.”

The more he said, the more mistakes he made. So Ling Jingxuan and Yan Shengrui rolled their sleeves and joined them. While busying working, Ling Jingxuan asked so casually. He still remembered his scalpels. Not only for precautions, the more important reason was that a scalpel was also his weapon. Without a satisfying weapon, he already felt insecure.

“Why bother? Just tell brother Long what you want. It’s not that I am boasting. Dalong’s iron forging skills are a lot better than that black smith in town. It’s just we don’t have money to open one, or the smithy in town already closes.”

Before Zhao Dalong said anything, Han Fei already picked up the conversation and said half-jokingly. The four of them all laughed. Then Ling Jingxuan asked, “If so, brother Zhao, with the present iron forging skills of our Qing Kingdom, can you refine high quality steel?”

Stainless steel was refined by high quality steel step by step, and the scalpel could only be made by stainless steel.

“High quality steel? Isn’t that unique to the Xi Kingdom? I heard that while forging iron, if add a little of that in it, the forged iron weapons would be sharper and harder. When I used to send goods to town, I heard from someone say that the only defeat of the invincible Prince Sheng was that he lost to a general using a high quality steel knife of Xi Kingdom. Of course, Prince Sheng is a war of god in our kingdom. Although we lost in that war, Xi Kingdom was no better. And that’s also why they dare not start a war again these years.”

No matter how humble, ordinary or silent a man was, when talking about wars, he’d become hot-blooded. Zhao Dalong was no exception. It’s just that no one but Ling Jingxuan noticed that when Yan Shengrui heard the words Prince Sheng, he stopped the work at hands, and that pair of bright and deep tiger eyes had a slice of sharpness and countless doubts. Apparently his reaction about the title Prince Sheng was big.

“Is that so? So even our Prince Sheng would suffer defeats sometimes. Since he is so powerful, why are there wars at the borders all those years?”

Ling Jingxuan threw a meaningful glance at Yan Shengrui who got stoned there, and asked more things about Prince Sheng for him. If possible, he hoped that he could remember everything soon. People’s emotions couldn’t be controlled by sensibility. He really did not hope that they’d end up wanting to kill each other because their relationship. One day earlier he could regain his memories, only step earlier there’d be a final conclusion of their relationship.

“That’s all because of Dong Kingdom’s wild ambition! They have been planning to annex our kingdom and Xi Kingdom, so every year, they’d sow discord among those nomads in the north. And in spring, they’d start to harass attack our borders, burning, killing and pillaging, committing all sorts of crimes. So every year, Prince Sheng would lead troops to the borders personally. But those nomads in the north have no fixed abodes. So they’d run away immediately after robbing things. The icebound terrains and boundless grassland become their natural barrier. Every time Prince Sheng led troops to chase after them, they’d end up with nothing, only killing a few subchiefs at most. It’s say the civilians there are having a hard life all the year round.”

Rarely mentioning a topic he was interested, Zhao Dalong was like plunging into his spiel, and kept saying those things he heard from the storyteller on and on and on. Although there should be a lot of exaggerating parts, it should be mostly true, as you could tell from Yan Shengrui’s expression that became gloomier and gloomier. Ling Jingxuan heaved a sigh in the heart. Although having lost his memories, this man’s heart was still on the battlefield. If they really got married in the future, he could only help him suppress pacify the borders for him first if he wanted to love a quiet life. Or maybe some day he’d go to the battlefield again. He didn’t want to stay in an empty room waiting for him to come home all day long.