“I’m sorry. We’ve only got hot flatbread.” The woman came out again, this time
bringing a plateful of flatbread with minced meat on it. She then poured the dark-
faced man a bowl of water.
The man devoured the food, taking an occasional gulp from the earthenware. “I’ve
been to lots of places before, but I have never seen a village as well-off as this.”
The plate was empty in a blink of the eye. The woman could tell he was still hungry,
so she went inside for more food.
Her husband was chewing when he replied, “We’re lucky to have a nice landlord—or
else we’d be suffering like the others.”
The muscular man nodded and asked, as if casually, “I wonder who your landlord is.
He must be the kindest man in the world. I’ve never met tenants who don’t curse
their landlord day and night.”
“Haha! Ours is certainly different. You must have heard of her husband—the
provincial chief of Xu! Ever since the lady bought our village, I dare say there are
hardly any tenants who live as happily as we do. We can even have meat every
couple of days. Can you believe it? Before, we could only have it once a year at New
Year…” the tenant recollected.
The lady was the most kind-hearted. After her death, almost every household in the
village had given her a place on the ancestor table, and they still showed respect to
her three times a day.
“They say her husband is a generous man, too,” the dark-faced man replied. His
expression changed slightly, but it was hidden under the dirt on his countenance.
“And they are right! Master Liu and his family are the best masters in Dongqing…
They are very different from all the others who will only squeeze every coin out of
us!”
Provincial chief of Xu—that’s Liu She, Liu Zhongqing! The man’s hands clenched into
tight fists while he said, “I hope I could have a chance to meet them.”
The tenant replied without a second thought, “Oh, the langjun is here today. If you…”
His wife gave him a slap on the back of the head before he could finish.
“Hush! What if we offend the langjun? Is this the way you thank the lady?” His wife
frowned. “Besides, what if our guest gets into trouble? Can you help then?”
She was concerned for both the langjun and their guest, worrying that the coarse
man would be punished for scaring the precious teenager.
It reminded her husband, who tittered at the man.
The dark-faced man waved. “Never mind. We shouldn’t disturb the langjun.”
Still, the tenant was embarrassed.
The next moment, they heard someone yelling outside the fence. “Tiezhu, do you
have a fishing rod?” It was the housekeeper from the main village house.
The tenant looked at him, puzzled. “Yes. Why?”
“The langjun has come to fish with his friends but we do not have any rods. Quickly,
lend me yours!”
The tenant mumbled, “I made them by myself. Won’t they be too cheap for the
langjun?”
The housekeeper was impatient. “We won’t steal your rods.”
“That’s not what I meant!” The tenant put down the beard he was chewing and
grabbed a pile of equipment, including fishing nets and self-made baits. “Should I go
now?”
“Of course!” The housekeeper added, “Also, find two men who can swim in case the
langjun needs help.”
“We are all doing farm work now. Where can I find people in such a short time?”
complained the tenant.
The dark-faced man rubbed his hands uneasily and hesitantly suggested, “May I go
with you? I can swim and hold breath for a long time underwater.”
The housekeeper glanced at him, then at the tenant. “No way. He’s too scary.”
“That’s because I’ve walked in the woods for some days. I can clean up myself.”
“You see, our guest is an honest man. He has heard about the good deeds of our
master and would like to see the langjun for once. Besides, I can find no one else at
the moment. Please allow him to come with me. I promise not to let him frighten the
langjun.” The tenant helped persuade the housekeeper, who thought for a second.
They really could not wait.
At last he nodded, but repeated, “Remember what you’ve said. Bring him a barrel of
water. See the mud on his face!”
The dark-faced man thanked him. After he tidied up himself, they realized he was, in
fact, a good-looking person.
“What can we catch in this season?” Jiang Pengji was sitting on a folded stool,
bored. She wondered why Qiguan Rang and Xu Ke liked to fish.
“Fishing in springtime is a delight! The fish are now fat, especially those in Hejian,”
Xu Ke said before thanking the tenant for his fishing rods. The tenant instantly shook
his head to say it was nothing.
“You can’t swim, right? Be careful not to fall into the water.” She moved her stool. “I’ll
leave you here to have fun.”
“You’re leaving?” Qiguan Rang asked, turning his head.
Jiang Pengji touched her chin and pointed out, “Staying longer won’t help attract a
fish to me.”
Qiguan Rang laughed. Anyone with patience could catch something in the end.
He did not know that it was not an excuse. Fish were more sensitive than humans
and they would swim away from her once they had detected her bloodthirsty air,
however well she concealed it in front of people.
The two remained at their positions. Their backs were as straight as ever. Jiang
Pengji looked aside without the slightest interest and kicked a basket next to her.
Suddenly, she looked up and met a gaze that had never turned away from her.
“You’re not from our village,” she said.
Her statement caused the dark-faced man’s heart to skip a beat. He felt like she had
read everything in his mind.
But he composed himself quickly and pulled an honest grin. “I’m not. I met Tiezhu
today and heard about his kind-hearted landlord, so I’ve come along to see what he
looks like.”
“You’ve seen me now. Do you think I look kind-hearted?”
After watching how she drove all the fish to her companions, could he say yes?
The man decided to remain silent. Could she change a question?
“I’m sorry. We’ve only got hot flatbread.” The woman came out again, this time
bringing a plateful of flatbread with minced meat on it. She then poured the dark-
faced man a bowl of water.
The man devoured the food, taking an occasional gulp from the earthenware. “I’ve
been to lots of places before, but I have never seen a village as well-off as this.”
The plate was empty in a blink of the eye. The woman could tell he was still hungry,
so she went inside for more food.
Her husband was chewing when he replied, “We’re lucky to have a nice landlord—or
else we’d be suffering like the others.”
The muscular man nodded and asked, as if casually, “I wonder who your landlord is.
He must be the kindest man in the world. I’ve never met tenants who don’t curse
their landlord day and night.”
“Haha! Ours is certainly different. You must have heard of her husband—the
provincial chief of Xu! Ever since the lady bought our village, I dare say there are
hardly any tenants who live as happily as we do. We can even have meat every
couple of days. Can you believe it? Before, we could only have it once a year at New
Year…” the tenant recollected.
The lady was the most kind-hearted. After her death, almost every household in the
village had given her a place on the ancestor table, and they still showed respect to
her three times a day.
“They say her husband is a generous man, too,” the dark-faced man replied. His
expression changed slightly, but it was hidden under the dirt on his countenance.
“And they are right! Master Liu and his family are the best masters in Dongqing…
They are very different from all the others who will only squeeze every coin out of
us!”
Provincial chief of Xu—that’s Liu She, Liu Zhongqing! The man’s hands clenched into
tight fists while he said, “I hope I could have a chance to meet them.”
The tenant replied without a second thought, “Oh, the langjun is here today. If you…”
His wife gave him a slap on the back of the head before he could finish.
“Hush! What if we offend the langjun? Is this the way you thank the lady?” His wife
frowned. “Besides, what if our guest gets into trouble? Can you help then?”
She was concerned for both the langjun and their guest, worrying that the coarse
man would be punished for scaring the precious teenager.
It reminded her husband, who tittered at the man.
The dark-faced man waved. “Never mind. We shouldn’t disturb the langjun.”
Still, the tenant was embarrassed.
The next moment, they heard someone yelling outside the fence. “Tiezhu, do you
have a fishing rod?” It was the housekeeper from the main village house.
The tenant looked at him, puzzled. “Yes. Why?”
“The langjun has come to fish with his friends but we do not have any rods. Quickly,
lend me yours!”
The tenant mumbled, “I made them by myself. Won’t they be too cheap for the
langjun?”
The housekeeper was impatient. “We won’t steal your rods.”
“That’s not what I meant!” The tenant put down the beard he was chewing and
grabbed a pile of equipment, including fishing nets and self-made baits. “Should I go
now?”
“Of course!” The housekeeper added, “Also, find two men who can swim in case the
langjun needs help.”
“We are all doing farm work now. Where can I find people in such a short time?”
complained the tenant.
The dark-faced man rubbed his hands uneasily and hesitantly suggested, “May I go
with you? I can swim and hold breath for a long time underwater.”
The housekeeper glanced at him, then at the tenant. “No way. He’s too scary.”
“That’s because I’ve walked in the woods for some days. I can clean up myself.”
“You see, our guest is an honest man. He has heard about the good deeds of our
master and would like to see the langjun for once. Besides, I can find no one else at
the moment. Please allow him to come with me. I promise not to let him frighten the
langjun.” The tenant helped persuade the housekeeper, who thought for a second.
They really could not wait.
At last he nodded, but repeated, “Remember what you’ve said. Bring him a barrel of
water. See the mud on his face!”
The dark-faced man thanked him. After he tidied up himself, they realized he was, in
fact, a good-looking person.
“What can we catch in this season?” Jiang Pengji was sitting on a folded stool,
bored. She wondered why Qiguan Rang and Xu Ke liked to fish.
“Fishing in springtime is a delight! The fish are now fat, especially those in Hejian,”
Xu Ke said before thanking the tenant for his fishing rods. The tenant instantly shook
his head to say it was nothing.
“You can’t swim, right? Be careful not to fall into the water.” She moved her stool. “I’ll
leave you here to have fun.”
“You’re leaving?” Qiguan Rang asked, turning his head.
Jiang Pengji touched her chin and pointed out, “Staying longer won’t help attract a
fish to me.”
Qiguan Rang laughed. Anyone with patience could catch something in the end.
He did not know that it was not an excuse. Fish were more sensitive than humans
and they would swim away from her once they had detected her bloodthirsty air,
however well she concealed it in front of people.
The two remained at their positions. Their backs were as straight as ever. Jiang
Pengji looked aside without the slightest interest and kicked a basket next to her.
Suddenly, she looked up and met a gaze that had never turned away from her.
“You’re not from our village,” she said.
Her statement caused the dark-faced man’s heart to skip a beat. He felt like she had
read everything in his mind.
But he composed himself quickly and pulled an honest grin. “I’m not. I met Tiezhu
today and heard about his kind-hearted landlord, so I’ve come along to see what he
looks like.”
“You’ve seen me now. Do you think I look kind-hearted?”
After watching how she drove all the fish to her companions, could he say yes?
The man decided to remain silent. Could she change a question?
