Miao Chu

Chapter 159 Voluntary
Whether it was the horse's mischievousness or his own mediocre riding skills, the bumpy ride left Lu Wenming with a ringing in his ears.

Upon hearing this shout, the voice was no longer as clear as before, but the tone and intonation remained familiar, leaving him no time to pay attention to sleeves or turbans.

Looking up, he saw a dim yellow lantern leading a person towards him. The shadows were indistinct, and he couldn't make out the face, but Lu Wenming shouted in response, "Huai Duan!"

Calling out, he didn't even bother to grab the torch hanging to the side; he took a few steps forward to meet them.

When old friends meet, they can only put their arms around each other and pat each other on the shoulder, and they can't even speak properly.

Lu Wenming had prepared countless questions along the way, and now he asked whichever question he could get his hands on, without caring about the order of things. Li Huaiduan across from him also started asking questions, while pulling on Li Huaiduan's arm and leading him toward the back office.

Two men and two crows chattered for a long time, asking about the old man, his wife and children, and his health.

Finally, they returned to the house and sat down. Li Huaiduan personally served tea and asked, "How is my aunt's health? I asked you last time, but you wouldn't say. I sent someone back to the village to inquire. They said she has been suffering from rheumatism in recent years, and her knees hurt every few days. I found a medicinal wine recipe for her. One of the ingredients is ten centipedes that are over seven inches long. I asked many merchants for help and finally found them in Guangnan. It's already brewed. They say it takes a year to take effect. Since you're here, take it back with you. If you meet someone you know, ask them to take it back to the village."

Centipedes are easy to find in Guangnan; you can find one just by turning over a piece of wood. But seven-inch-long ones are almost like spirits; they're not so easy to find.

Lu Wenming gulped down three cups of tea in one go before saying, "Keep this rare stuff for yourself as a favor. Once it's brewed, give a bottle to your mother."

Li Huaiduan, who was still smiling, slowly stopped smiling and asked, "Old Lu, you still consider me an outsider, right?"

He added, “I didn’t give it to you, it’s for my aunt. I took her as my godparent back then. If it weren’t for you taking the oath and if it weren’t for my aunt’s help, I, a country boy, wouldn’t have survived that winter. How could I have passed the exam for the prefectural school, how could I have gotten an official position, and how could I be where I am today? I might as well have been a schoolteacher in the countryside.”

“Although I’m not a high-ranking official and I don’t have much power, I still have an official position. Brother, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart, why won’t you listen? Instead of being someone else’s advisor, which won’t do you any good, why don’t you come here with me? You don’t have to worry about food, clothing, or lodging, I’ll take care of everything. Bring your wife and children with you, they’ll keep my family company. Isn’t that better?”

"Then you can study on your own. If you fail for three years, you can take the exam again for three more years. With your knowledge and ability, it's just a temporary bad luck. How can it last? When you finally achieve success, we brothers can take care of each other. Wouldn't that be better?"

Li Huaiduan had said this many times in his letters before, but Lu Wenming simply ignored it and later stopped even opening the letters.

He had a bit of scholarly pride, so he could work as a staff member under someone else, even if it was tough, at least he could earn his own living. But if he went to Li Huaiduan's place, what difference would it make if he were a kept man, not to mention he would have to take care of his family?

Moreover, after taking the exam for many years and failing each time, his spirits had waned, and he had begun to doubt his own abilities.

If you never succeed, are you going to rely on old friends for a living your whole life?
Huai Duan was not a high-ranking official. He used to be destitute, and now he was just a struggling official with little power to spare.

It just so happens that the two sides have such a relationship.

Lu Wenming used to ignore it, but at this moment, he raised his head and said decisively, "Huai Duan, don't try to persuade me. I'm fine right now."

"You're my ass!"

Li Huaiduan cursed.

While cursing, she pointed at his robes and shoes, then at his face, and said angrily, "Your mouth and face are chapped. Look at you covered in yellow mud, dirt, and sweat. Your turban is soaked. Is this how you use people? Running here to deliver a message in the middle of the night. Anyone who knows you would think you're a staff member, but anyone who doesn't would think you owed someone a terrible debt from your past life!"

Lu Wenming shook his head and said, "I came here voluntarily. Knowing that you are an official here, I volunteered to come here because I need your help."

He recounted in detail how he had been sent by his master to Huazhou to help repair canals and dig rivers, and how Han Li had assigned him to be a group leader, what he had done along the way, what he was doing now, and what he would do in the future.

He said that everyone had worked hard and devoted themselves to the journey, and talked about how many obstacles they had encountered. Finally, he said, "I have lived half my life. In the past, I always talked about things on paper. Now I am really doing something practical. Whether I succeed or not, I have started and I do not want to stop. Even Han Zhengyan, with his reputation and talent, looks no better than me when he is busy running around."

"You don't know, we have a young lady in the kitchen who takes care of an apprentice. Not only is her cooking skill excellent, but she can also manage everything from food and clothing to housing and transportation. I don't have to worry about anything."

“Even old women we met on the road, upon hearing about the dike repairs and river dredging, all wanted to contribute.”

"Am I, a grown man, supposed to back down and play dead?"

At first, he only spoke, but as he spoke, a surge of emotion welled up inside him, his nose tingled, and his vision blurred. He didn't shed tears, though the tears were already welling up in his eyes, not from sadness or grievance, but from excitement. In the middle of the night, Li Huaiduan saw his old friend's expression and had nothing more to say. He took out the document from his pocket, read it again, and then cursed, "You want to mobilize so many ships in one day, prepare the warehouses, and arrange manpower? You might as well force me to my death!"

He then scolded, "I'm afraid you've been bewitched by some ghost or monster. You've never been this concerned about your own affairs before!"

While cursing, he went out the door and soon returned with a map, a roster, and a stack of white paper. He compared the roster to the map and copied it onto the paper.

Lu Wenming hurriedly asked, "What are you doing? Can I lend a hand?"

Li Huaiduan said irritably, "Why are you helping me? Do you even know how anyone can divide it?"

He added, "These many ships, lined up and moored at the dock, also need people to manage them. And what about the grain and people that were supposed to be transported later? Will they really arrive on time? If they don't, it will all be for nothing!"

Lu Wenming then said, "Han Zhengyan personally followed up on this matter. He has never gone back on his word before."

He added, "He said I could make all the decisions here, and even if the grain and people didn't come, all the expenses would still be paid."

As he spoke, he took a cloth bag from his bosom.

Li Huaiduan snorted and said, "Does he think money can solve such a difficult problem?"

After years of friendship, upon hearing this, Lu Wenming knew perfectly well that things were on the horizon, and laughed, "Isn't Huai Duan here for us!"

Li Huaiduan rolled his eyes, but still opened the money note inside. Seeing the amount, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "With this, I can talk to my subordinates. Otherwise, I would have to use force to coerce them. Even though I am an official, it is not convenient to force people to do things."

He observed for a while and said, "It's too late now, there's no use in rushing. Tomorrow morning I'll assign tasks, with each subordinate responsible for a section of land. It would be best if the ships arrived in batches..."

As Li Huaiduan spoke, he wrote and drew. Suddenly, he heard a long "gurgle" sound. He looked up and saw Lu Wenming opposite him looking down at the source of the sound with a blank expression. It turned out that Lu's belly was making a sound.

"Didn't you have dinner?" Li Huaiduan was taken aback. "I'll send someone to buy some food!"

"It's the middle of the night, what kind of food can I buy? I haven't seen many shops open along the way."

Just as Li Huaiduan was about to speak, Lu Wenming took out an oilcloth bag from his pocket. When he opened it, there was another lotus leaf bag inside.

"I brought my own food—Huai Duan, do you have a stove here?"

Li Huaiduan had just returned from fetching a stove when he saw the contents of the lotus leaf package that Lu Wenming had opened. He couldn't help but frown and asked, "What is this?"

"Miss Song said this is a barley cake."

Li Huaiduan frowned even more and said, "Why are you eating oats all of a sudden? Is there no fine grain left to eat?"

He added, "Wait until I finish this, then I'll find you something to eat."

As he spoke, he hurriedly buried himself in tidying up.

After he finally managed to establish a framework and was just beginning to breathe a sigh of relief, he felt something was wrong when he took another breath.

This breath... it seems... to smell a little strangely fragrant?

　That's all for tonight. Sorry, the plot is a bit slow because there aren't many words QAQ...

　　(End of this chapter)