When he arrived at the county government office, the servant who investigated Rong Xi’s affairs returned home.
After seeing Qin Ke and the others, the servant reported everything about the investigation.
“Report to Your Highness, I have investigated and found that the honeycomb briquettes, coal stoves, thin pots, white sugar, and tofu were all made by Young Master Rong.”
Liang Siwen, who was holding the candy box, opened his eyes instantly.
How is this possible?
This time, when he went out of Shengjing with his father, he gained a lot of knowledge along the way. The trip to Mengshan County really opened his eyes.
Especially the transformed Rong Xi.
Compared to him, Qin Ke and Chen Chuangu looked like “As expected”.
“What else?” Qin Ke asked.
What he wanted to know was anything new about Rong Xi.
The servant’s forehead was sweating, and he thought hard for a moment before replying: “A few days ago, Young Master Rong bought several acres of land and hired workers to cover the straw with soil..”
“Why?” Liang Siwen asked curiously.
He was born in the border area when he was a child, and he also farmed, but he had never heard of the method of burying straw.
“I don’t know.”
Chen Chuangu couldn’t help but continue to ask: “Besides those, what other interesting things does he have?”
“I heard that Young Master Rong seems to have a good relationship with Lady Jiang.” He couldn’t think of anything, so he brought up the rumors in the market, “Before, Lady Jiang often came in and out of Rong’s house. A few days ago, Young Master Rong also frequently visited Jiang’s house.”
There was sudden silence in the room.
After a long while, Liang Siwen whispered: “Doesn’t he like men?”
Qin Ke glanced at him lightly and said calmly: “You go down first and set off back to Shengjing tomorrow.”
After the servant left the house, Chen Chuangu said with a smile, “The method of smelting iron will soon come to the Ministry of Industry, and then the Ministry of Industry will be busy again.”
“It’s better than sitting around doing nothing.” Qin Ke looked calm.
Liang Siwen asked cautiously: “Father, if all these novel things were made by Rong Xi, why haven’t we heard of his name when we came to Mengshan County?”
No matter what was mentioned, only the Hu family, Jiang family, Zheng family, and Jin Shi Xuan were famous, and the iron smelting method was also reported in the name of Jiang family, without any trace of Rong Xi.
It’s really puzzling.
Qin Ke had a smile in his eyes, “When he said goodbye today, he said he loved the pastoral scenery, probably because he didn’t want to be disturbed.”
Liang Siwen seemed to understand but was about to ask again when he heard his father say, “Go back to the room and rest early.”
His father seemed reluctant to talk more.
Thus, he could only hold the candy box and leave together with Chen Chuangu.
The next day, Cao Xianwei of Mengshan County was escorted to Shengjing, and the people cheered.
The county magistrate was in charge of law and order, but Cao often abused his power. In his hands were countless wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice.
He had a backer and power, and people had to submit to him. With the corrupt official punished, both the honest officials and the common people were overjoyed.
The autumn rain had just subsided, and a cool breeze was blowing.
After Hu Yulin found potato and corn earlier, he followed Rong Xi’s instructions and began to purchase these two crops on a large scale.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Although Mengshan was remote, there were many traders. Some merchants really had such things in their hands, so they sold them all to Hu Yulin. Hu’s coal stone and coal stove had spread widely in Qingzhou area. The slightest movement from Hu Yulin aroused suspicion in the city.
Ktf kfjiats wfgmtjcar kfgf ecojwliljg klat qbajabfr jcv mbgc, yea eqbc rfflcu Le Teilc’r qegmtjrf, atfs jirb ybeuta rbwf, bcis ab fcv eq atgbklcu atfw jkjs ja tbwf, ecregf bo atflg qegqbrf.
Qlat Le Teilc’r tfiq, Ebcu Wl jmdelgfv j ijguf dejcalas bo qbajabfr jcv mbgc, ktlmt tf rabgfv jii lc tlr mfiij.
Maple leaves were ablaze in red, chrysanthemums bloomed in vibrant hues, and frost painted the ground white.
Rong Lian arrived by carriage from Shengjing and stopped in front of Rong’s house.
The book boy was named Xi Yan; his body looked weak. He helped Rong Lian get out of the carriage. Seeing that the door of the house was closed, the two couldn’t help but look at each other.
Xi Yan stepped forward and knocked on the door.
After a moment, the door of the dilapidated house creaked open, and an old man’s face peeked out from the door.
“Who are you?”
“May I ask, is this the Rong family’s ancestral home?” Rong Lian asked politely.
Liu He carefully examined him and saw that he had a handsome face and a demeanor as sturdy as pine and bamboo. He must not be a bad person, so he nodded and said, “That’s right. What’s the matter, young man?”
Xi Yan replied on behalf of Rong Lian: “The young master is the second son of Rong family in Shengjing. Is the eldest son here?”
Liu He heard this and saw that Rong Lian had a similar appearance to the Master in his memory, so he led the two of them into the house and replied: “The young master went to town and is not here.”
As soon as he finished speaking, voices outside the house came.
Rong Lian turned to look, and saw a man enter the gate of the residence, with a smile on his face and a leisurely expression. As he walked, he was graceful and elegant, set against the backdrop of the brilliant sunset, his radiance in full bloom.
“Brother?” He said it in surprise.
The immense changes in his elder brother’s appearance over the past few months left him at a loss for words.
Liu’s grandfather and grandson lived with Rong Xi day and night, so naturally they had no way of feeling Rong Xi’s changes. The same was true for Jiang, Hu and others.
However, Rong Lian’s memory of Rong Xi’s appearance was extremely vivid. Now that they met again, he could only feel disbelief.
Rong Xi walked slowly forward, stopping about half a person’s distance away.
“Second brother.”
Another protagonist in the book suddenly appeared in front of Rong Xi.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds. Rong Xi came to his senses first and told Liu Zishi behind him: “Go and unload the second young master’s luggage.”
Liu Zishi responded and walked to the carriage, carrying boxes and chests to the residence.
Rong Lian glanced at Xi Yan, who understood and ran off to join Liu Zishi.
There were many people in the residence, which was both unexpected and reasonable.
Seeing Rong Lian, Rong Xi remembered that it was written in the book that after the Rong family’s eldest son unfortunately fell into the water and died, the Rong family’s second son returned to live in Linxi’s ancestral home for nearly a year on the grounds of peace and quiet.
After the provincial examination the following year, he returned to Shengjing.
“Grandpa Liu, clean up the wing room for the second young master.” After Rong Xi gave the order, he took Rong Lian to the main hall.
“How come my second brother is here?” Rong Xi asked even though he knew it well.
The man before him had lost a considerable amount of weight, and his features now revealed a clear and handsome outline. Rong Lian sighed and said, “Shengjing is full of turmoil. I have come here to study in peace. It has been a few months since we last saw each other, and you have lost much weight.”
Rong Xi remembered the contents of the original book and knew Rong Lian’s character.
As one of the protagonists, he appeared aloof and arrogant, but his heart was not narrow-minded. Among the Rong family members, he was the most outstanding, and he was also the one who treated the original body with the most sincerity.
He had great ambitions and talents, and he would be highly respected by others. However, although his official career was smooth, his love life was extremely bumpy.
One person thought too much and the other person thought too naively, making the entire book a grand tragedy of unrequited love.
The most insurmountable obstacle was that they were both men.
“Brother?” Rong Lian couldn’t help calling out when he saw him in a daze.
Rong Xi came back to his senses and said with a sudden smile: “Second brother, study in peace; I will not disturb you.”
Presumably, Rong Lian stayed away from Shengjing to escape his inner feelings.
It is really pitiful.
Rong Xi secretly sighed in his heart. They were both good men. Although they shared the same place when they died, they never slept together during their lifetime, which was really heartbreaking.
His eyes were incomprehensible, and Rong Lian couldn’t help but feel a chill on his back. He said with a stern face, “Brother, you should study with me.”
No, he doesn’t want it.
“My second brother is tired from a long journey. Grandpa Liu has already finished cleaning up. I will take you there to have a rest.” Rong Xi tried to change the subject.
Rong Lian understood that Rome wasn’t built in a day, so he didn’t say anything more and followed him to the side room.
The room was neatly decorated and had complete appliances, all of which are new.
Rong Lian was secretly startled. He knew that the ancestral home did not have much income, and the money he had given to his brother that day could only be used for basic necessities.
Where could his brother find the money to customize new appliances in this house?
Since he was new here, he didn’t ask questions rashly, he just kept it secretly in his heart.
After placing Rong Lian properly, Rong Xi went to the study and wrote at his desk.
By dusk, the meal was set on the table. Since Rong Xi was occupied today, Liu He had to take on the task of cooking. However, the meal of salted pancakes and soup was indeed a bit meager.
Rong Lian looked at it and felt guilty.
That day, when his brother bullied Liang Siwen, he was also filled with anger. His father angrily sent his brother to Linxi, and he did not try to stop his father.
Now that he thought about it, his brother was living a hard life, while they were enjoying the good life in Shengjing. It really wasn’t right.
“Brother, is there a shortage of food at home? I brought some money and silk. If…”
“Second brother,” Rong Xi interrupted him, “Your money and silk should be used for pens, ink, paper and inkstones. Your brother can take care of you.”
When Rong Lian heard the words, he stopped talking, but he made up his mind to take charge of the family affairs.
The next morning, Rong Xi and Liu Zishi got up early and exercised in the yard.
Rong Lian and his servant arrived in haste, their bodies weary and minds still groggy from sleep. As the golden sun ascended, they stirred from their slumber in disarray. Seeing that Rong Xi and the others were all in good spirits, waiting for them to have a meal together, they both looked ashamed.
The morning meal was cooked by Rong Xi himself. The lean meat porridge was fragrant and soft, and the scallion pancake was crispy and refreshing. Even though Rong Lian was reserved enough, he couldn’t help but eat three points more than usual.
After the morning meal, Rong Lian thought that what he said yesterday had touched Rong Xi’s self-esteem, which was why the breakfast was so rich and delicious.
Seeing that Rong Xi was about to leave the house, he asked, “Brother, are you going to the county town? Can you take me with you?”
Upon hearing this, Rong Xi saw that the carriage and horses had stopped outside the house, so he agreed.
The original owner had been driven out to Linxi. A family servant drove him to the ancestral home and then returned. Rong Lian and his servant came by themselves in their own carriage, so that carriage did not return to Shengjing and was left behind, which was just right for them to use.
The two of them drove to the county town with their two servants.
Rong Lian wanted to buy rice, paper and ink, while Rong Xi wanted to find Hu Yulin, so they went separate ways.
Upon arriving at the Hu residence, they were warmly welcomed by Hu Yulin.
“Brother Rong rarely leaves the house. It’s rare to come here today. Why don’t we call brother Jiang and let’s gather together at Jin Shi Xuan.”
Thinking of Rong Lian, Rong Xi shook his head and said, “My second brother arrived yesterday, so I can’t stay long.”
“No problem, I’ll send my servant to invite him. Since he is your brother, I will be the host.” Hu Yulin narrowed his eyes and waved his sleeves to order the servant.
Rong Xi said helplessly, “No need, he is also in the county town.”
“That’s great. We’ll go to brother Duan’s place then.”
With the conversation having reached this point, Rong Xi’s attempts to deflect the topic were in vain. He could only change the subject and say, “I came here today to ask for your help with something, brother Hu.”
Upon hearing about the matter at hand, Hu Yulin adopted a serious demeanor and said, “Please speak freely, brother Rong.”
“Brother Hu is well-informed. Does he know if there are any skilled kiln workers in Mengshan?” Seeing Hu Yulin’s surprised expression, he explained, “I want to make new utensils, and I need help from the kiln workers.”
Hu Yulin was attracted by the “new utensils” he mentioned. Although he was curious, he did not ask. He only said: “Let me take care of it.”
Rong Xi smiled, took the paper from his sleeve, and handed it to Hu Yulin, “What is written on the paper is the raw material for making new utensils. I want to buy it, but I don’t know where to buy it?”
“Quartz sand, alkali, limestone…” Hu Yulin scanned the list, a slight smile playing on his lips. “You are a man of mystery, brother Rong. If I help you procure these materials, will you tell me what your new invention is?”
Rong Xi knew that he had glimpsed another business opportunity and didn’t want to hide it from him, “Glass.”
Hu Yulin frowned, “I only heard about colored glaze, and colored glaze is a rare thing. What is glass? Could it be more precious than colored glaze?”
“I don’t know if it can be made successfully. I just want to give it a try.”
Hearing this, Hu Yulin had no choice but to give up.
At this moment, Hu’s housekeeper arrived and said respectfully: “Young master, the caravan has returned.”
Since the briquette coal stove became famous, Hu has expanded his caravan and traveled all over the country to transport goods.
Hu Yulin looked happy, “How is it?” he asked as he led Rong Xi outside the house.
The caravan leader was waiting outside the residence, his face etched with anxiety when he saw Hu Yulin arrive.
“What happened?” Hu Yulin felt a little scared when he saw his expression.
The leader, who appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties, had red-rimmed eyes and looked as if he were on the verge of tears. It was a sight that was truly distressing.
“Report to the master, the goods are safe, but the caravan needs to rest for a few days before it can continue its journey.”
He choked up as he spoke, “Several horses have injured hooves and cannot carry goods.”
Hu Yulin knew well that the caravan leader was a man who loved his horses. The leader had spent countless hours with the horses, forming a deep bond with them. It was only natural that he would be overcome with sadness and grief upon seeing their injured hooves.
“In that case, let’s take care of them for a few days.” He sighed softly.
During their extensive travels, horses often suffered from injured hooves, the leader was really too sentimental.
“Brother Hu, when horses endure long journeys resulting in hoof injuries, it’s advisable to affix iron horseshoes to safeguard their hooves and feet.”
Rong Xi suddenly suggested.
The author has something to say:
Spoof Little Theater:
One day, Rong Xi, who had lost weight, returned to Shengjing together with Rong Lian.
When people in the Rong Mansion met Rong Xi, they all said: Life in the ancestral home must be extremely miserable.
Rong Lian:…
The much fatter Rong Lian: (crying loudly) Brother’s cooking is so delicious, I accidentally became a fat man…
Thanks for the chapter! I really like this story! MC is always making some fun little things, managed to easily find suppliers/partners & is improving things for the public too!
I am happy that you like it ^^!
😂😆the little theater lol!
Thank you for the chapter!
So who was rong lian supposed to be in love with in the original book? Poor little brother is being fatten up by his elder brother back in linxi 😂👌💯
In the book, he has the relationship with Liang Siwen. Though they couldn’t unite in life as they longed for, their spirits would entwine in death. In the book, his mind is fragile and he struggles to cope with discussions about same-sex relationships.
Hopefully style of writing and translation is light so Mary Sue of MC is not annoying!
Thank you for your translation 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙