Chapter 85 - 2#
World 4: You Are the Snow on the Branch#
After that, several more women came to collect their wages. Some were cruelly rejected, while others left happily with silver. Gradually, all the women who didn’t receive wages huddled together, silently looking at each other’s status, as if they suddenly understood something, and couldn’t help but shed tears.
They were all widows, so were they despised by the Little Marquis? Did widows not deserve to live in these troubled times? Did their husbands’ deaths make them tainted with bad luck, so they couldn’t touch those medicinal herbs?
The more everyone thought about it, the sadder they became, and some even cried out loud.
They didn’t dare to ask, didn’t dare to argue, and were reluctant to leave, so they waited bitterly in place with a last glimmer of hope.
The dry soil was watered into a large wet patch by their tears, as if it had rained. But Qin Qing turned a blind eye to this and was still excitedly distributing silver there.
Ah Niu gently tugged at the hem of Ye Li’s clothes and whispered, “This is too unreasonable, isn’t it? How can he treat these women differently? Giving silver to those who are physically strong, but not giving it to those who are weak and need food, what kind of logic is this! Brother Ye, go talk to the Little Marquis.”
“Why don’t you say it?” Ye Li frowned and asked back.
Ah Niu scratched his nose and chuckled.
Ye Li sneered in return: “You’re afraid that the Little Marquis has a deeper meaning in doing this, and saying too much will make you look stupid, right?”
Ah Niu chuckled again, cupping his hands awkwardly.
Ye Li wished he could punch him, gritting his teeth and whispering, “The Little Marquis has his own reasons for doing this, you know nothing!”
“Brother Ye, stop pretending, you don’t understand either.” Ah Niu exposed his master’s bravado with a single sentence.
Ye Li silently held his breath for a while before suppressing the urge to kill his subordinate with his own hands.
Although he didn’t understand, he knew that Qin Qing definitely didn’t do it out of malice. How could Qin Qing, who was so generous and kind, make things difficult for a group of women and children?
Don’t ask, asking is being stupid! Ye Li silently warned himself.
However, what made him indignant was that Jiang Feishi seemed to know Qin Qing’s intention in doing this, and actually smiled at Qin Qing with tacit understanding. His fair face exuded a romantic charm, which was very annoying to look at!
Damn it! Ye Li cursed secretly.
After distributing all the silver, Qin Qing stood up and said to the women who were crowded together and unwilling to leave: “Go and get some food. There are steamed buns, rice porridge, and some stir-fried dishes.”
After speaking, he turned and left.
A bold woman finally couldn’t hold back, reached out and called: “Little Marquis, why can others get advance wages, but we can’t? Did we do something wrong?”
Qin Qing turned back and said: “It’s not that you did something wrong, but for your safety. I have seen the roster and know that you are all widows, with no men in the family, and raising young children. Today, the Marquis’s residence is distributing wages widely, and news will inevitably spread far and near. How could the bandits on the mountain and the ruffians in the village not know? Other families have many men, so they dare not attack, but you people are the primary targets. I don’t give you silver, everyone sees it, and those with malicious intent will naturally not come to harm you.”
Qin Qing turned around and waved his hand: “Go get food. When the patrol team is formed and the bandits far and near and the ruffians in the village are cleared, you will naturally be able to get your wages with peace of mind. The Marquis’s residence provides you with one meal a day. You can take the unfinished food back to your children, so you won’t starve to death.”
He led two tall and sturdy guards and gradually went far away.
Jiang Feishi said to the group of stunned women and children: “What are you crying for? The Little Marquis has good intentions, but you almost mistook them for malice.”
The women then came back to their senses and knelt down one after another to kowtow in the direction the Little Marquis had left. What the Little Marquis considered for them was even more far-reaching than what they thought themselves. Even their relatives at home might rarely have such meticulous care, right?
“Thank you, Little Marquis! Thank you, Little Marquis!” Those women who were complaining just now were so moved that they kowtowed repeatedly.
“It’s really a great virtue accumulated in our previous lives to be able to live near the Marquis’s residence!” A woman said while wiping her tears.
The others all smiled gratefully, and then swarmed towards the straw shed under the leadership of the steward.
Jiang Feishi smiled at the relaxed backs of these people, and then quickly caught up with Qin Qing.
Ye Li glared fiercely at Ah Niu, then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Fortunately, he didn’t ask!
Ah Niu lowered his head, hiding his blushing face. Fortunately, he didn’t ask either!
Jiang Feishi caught up with Qin Qing and asked with a smile: “Little Marquis, where are the houses you want to expand? Can you take me to see them?”
“Just over there.” Qin Qing pointed to a large open space on the west side.
“What style of houses do you want to build? I know a little about carpentry and can draw a few sketches. Maybe I can help the Little Marquis.” Jiang Feishi said modestly.
Qin Qing lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then said: “I want to build low houses with north-south ventilation. Just small compartments, arranged neatly row by row. Each compartment must have an earthen kang, and a few latrines should be built separately. No exquisite design is needed.”
Who are these ant-nest-like houses built for? Surely not for the people in the Marquis’s residence?
Jiang Feishi understood as soon as he thought about it, and couldn’t help raising his lips: “Is the Little Marquis afraid that the heavy snow in winter will crush the villagers’ houses, so he is building shelters for them in advance? The Little Marquis is truly benevolent and righteous.”
Jiang Feishi bowed deeply to Qin Qing: “I thank the Little Marquis on behalf of the villagers in advance. The Little Marquis’s great kindness will never be forgotten by us!”
Qin Qing waved his hand and said lightly: “Thank for what? I just simply like the feeling of spending money like water.”
After speaking, he couldn’t help himself a little, so he covered his thin lips, bent his bright eyes, and laughed happily.
He really liked spending money, but the money he spent nourished many lives that were nearing withered.
On the other hand, the disaster relief silver issued by the imperial court was millions of taels when it left the capital, but only a mere tens of thousands of taels remained when it reached the disaster area. Where did that silver go?
Ye Li looked at Qin Qing’s thin back, his heart filled with emotion, and gradually burning with anger.
Everyone said that the Marquis’s residence oppressed the people and lived in extravagance, but he didn’t see it.
Jiang Feishi said he knew a little about carpentry, but he was actually proficient. After just walking around the construction site and thinking for a while, he planned the style, construction period, and budget of the houses. With him coordinating on the side, Qin Qing didn’t have to worry about anything at all.
“Will you be my chief steward in the future?” When parting, Qin Qing suddenly made a joke.
Jiang Feishi was stunned for a moment, then agreed happily: “Okay, as long as the Little Marquis doesn’t mind.”
The two looked at each other for a long time, and then laughed heartily together. That invisible tacit understanding was established in a very short time.
Ye Li watched with restless emotions, and was still recalling the scene of the two getting along when he returned to his room.
Seeing his brows furrowed tightly and his face turning blacker and blacker, Ah Niu couldn’t help asking: “Brother Ye, what’s wrong with you?”
Ye Li turned over, with his back to Ah Niu, and said sullenly: “In the past, my father asked me to read more books, but I didn’t listen to him. I just practiced martial arts every day. Now I know regret. If time could turn back, I would definitely study hard.”
Ah Niu touched his nose: “Brother Ye, let’s just talk less and do more in the future. You are not stupid, you just don’t understand the suffering of the people.”
Ye Li suddenly turned over and sat up, saying in a deep voice: “I’m going to the front hall to change shifts with Qin Qing’s personal attendant. You rest by yourself.”
“Why change shifts again? You just lay down not long ago! Don’t tell me you really treat yourself as the Little Marquis’s attendant?” When Ah Niu chased out, his master had already run away without a trace.
Ye Li came to the front hall, replaced a attendant guarding the door, and looked inside silently.
Tao Ran was chattering and scolding Qin Qing: “I just went to the side courtyard to see. Those orphan girls were so hungry that they couldn’t walk steadily. After drinking some porridge, they lay in bed and couldn’t get up. Little Marquis, do you have the heart to let them go to the mountains to gather herbs for you? For your long hair, do you want them to be eaten by wolves? When the people of Jiangbei City hear about this, they will say that you are extravagant and absurd again!”
Qin Qing said slowly: “Then what do you say we should do?”
“Give me ten thousand taels of silver. I want to open a Hall of Benevolence. I want to send all the homeless women and children to the Hall of Benevolence for support.”
“Do you know that if you want to save the old, weak, women and children, the first thing you have to do is change this world, not throw money meaninglessly.”
“Aren’t you throwing money too? But you throw money to nourish your hair and build your house. Changing the world is something only the emperor can do.”
“Changing the world is actually not difficult.”
“Changing the world is not difficult? Then what is difficult? Changing the world is harder than ascending to the blue sky! I oppose you letting those children go to the mountains to gather herbs. If they are eaten by tigers and wolves, how can your conscience be at peace?”
Ye Li silently held his breath, lest he impulsively run in and gag that woman.
Qin Qing obviously had the same idea, so he picked up a huge pig trotter for Tao Ran.
Tao Ran threw her chopsticks on the table and shook her head listlessly: “Others can’t even drink a bowl of gruel, what pig trotter am I eating.”
“Fine, I’ll give you ten thousand taels, you go build the Hall of Benevolence.” Qin Qing had to compromise.
Tao Ran then said happily: “Thank you, Little Marquis! I’ll take this pig trotter away for those children to eat.”
Qin Qing silently held his forehead, feeling a headache.
Qin Dehuai had to dissuade: “Those children have been hungry for a long time. Just drinking porridge will be uncomfortable, let alone eating meat. If you want to kill them, just take the pig trotter!”
Tao Ran’s face flushed red, and she was speechless for a long time. The original joy and excitement slowly faded away now.
Ye Li really felt embarrassed for her.
Just then, a servant ran into the hall and reported loudly: “Marquis, Little Marquis, Daoist Wuwei is here, saying he wants the Marquis’s residence to organize the celebration of sacrificing to the Dragon King with him.”
“What? Doesn’t the Qingxu Temple usually organize it themselves? Why come to the Marquis’s residence today?” Qin Dehuai slapped the table and stood up, looking troubled.
Ye Li’s dark eyes instantly burst with murderous intent, and his hand immediately pressed on the short knife at his waist. This Daoist Wuwei was one of the scourges he had to eliminate on this trip.
However, this person had the reputation of a living immortal in Jiangbei City, with many believers under his command, and was deeply involved with local officials, so he couldn’t be touched easily. Touching him would arouse public anger and then disrupt the local situation.
Daoist Wuwei always walked outside under the banner of the Dragon King. The people of Jiangbei City were thirsty for rain to the point of illness, so how could they dare to offend the Dragon King’s divine official?
Every time he prayed for rain, Daoist Wuwei would drown several pairs of boys and girls. The people dared not criticize, and even actively offered their own children for Daoist Wuwei to choose.
Those selected were sacrifices, with no place to bury their bodies; only those not selected could escape. Dozens of children had died at the hands of Daoist Wuwei so far. He was truly murderous and heinous!
While Ye Li was pondering, a hearty laugh approached the front hall. In an instant, an old man with crane hair and a childlike face, looking like an immortal, walked in from the flower-hung gate.
While stroking his beard, the old man said loudly: “Marquis, for this rain prayer, you must contribute a lot!”
Tao Ran slapped the table and stood up, saying angrily: “Speak, how much silver do you want to extort this time so that you won’t use boys and girls as sacrifices? Is five hundred taels enough?”
Daoist Wuwei’s eyes lit up slightly, obviously moved. Qin Dehuai also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that anything that could be solved with silver was not a big deal.
“Quickly go to the butler to get the silver!” Qin Dehuai hurriedly ordered Ye Li.
Ye Li agreed and was about to go, but was stopped by Qin Qing: “Wait, how can the rain prayer ceremony be done without boys and girls as sacrifices?”
Qin Qing stood up, walked slowly out of the hall, looked straight into Daoist Wuwei’s eyes, and said with a smile: “Daoist Wuwei, I think five pairs of boys and girls are too few. How about increasing it to ten pairs this time? You just go to Jiangbei City to find children with suitable birth dates, and our Marquis’s residence will prepare the rest.”
“Wh-what?” Daoist Wuwei was completely stunned. He never expected that the Little Marquis of the Tai’an Marquis’s residence would say such a thing.
Ten pairs of boys and girls meant twenty lives, even more ruthless than himself!
Ye Li: “…” What to do? Should I ask this time? Drowning twenty children at once is no joke!