Chapter 20: Official Song, a Rogue
When Xiao Qi woke up the next day, she stared at the bed curtain for half the day before suddenly remembering that she had shared the bed with Song Liang Zhuo last night.
Xiao Qi cried “huuaaah” and used her elbow to attack towards the side, the mattress was beaten by Xiao Qi and emitted a bang sound. Xiao Qi blinked, then turned her head, sweeping her eyes across the absolutely empty side, then pressed her lips together as she rubbed her numb and in pain elbow.
Can’t stay in Song fu any longer, I’ll get eaten!
Once this conclusion was made, Xiao Qi swiftly jumped off the bed, not noticing the bright red horse next to the pillow.
Xiao Qi yelled for Lu Liu to come in and at lightning speed washed her hands and face. Then she spoke with a frown: “Lu Liu, let’s go home.”
“Huh?” Lu Liu couldn’t quite react.
“Go home.”
“No, what does Miss want to leave? It was not easy to finally chase away that Wen family’s Miss!”Please do not copy
Xiao Qi pouted, annoyed: “I didn’t chase her away, it was she that wanted to leave herself.”
Lu Liu nodded: “Then Miss still can’t leave.”
“Why?” Xiao Qi was a bit worried now.
Lu Liu’s pupils turned, then she smiled and said: “Think about it, Miss. Guye allowed Miss Ruo Shui to snatch away so many of Miss’s precious hairpins, no matter what Miss must at least made him suffer before leaving. Otherwise that’s letting guye off too easily!”Please do not copy
Do you think I’m dumb! Xiao Qi rolled her eyes and humphed: “This miss doesn’t want them anymore!”
“That can’t do!” Lu Liu hastily added: “Has Miss forgotten that in there were the treasures lao ye brought back from overseas? That time lao ye had repeatedly warned and told you to store them away carefully, and even said that if Miss, you, loses them then he’ll never buy you toys again. Miss should live here a while longer. Perhaps Miss Wen will come back soon and Miss can discuss about getting them back.”
Xiao Qi was too lazy to pay attention to her and started packing a small cloth bundle herself, then threw it on her shoulder. She took a look at the treasure chest in the corner and searched for a lock to lock it up. Then she took another look at the room, double checking that everything was ready before saying to Lu Liu: “Don’t try to deceive me. I know you want me to be the Official’s wife but I don’t want to. I just want to go home and be Qian Xiao Qi.”
Xiao Qi skipped out of the room then turned back again to say: “If you’re not going then first help me look after Ha Pi. Later I’ll send people here to get him.”
Lu Liu hurried to catch up and coaxed: “If Miss really wants to go back then at least let Auntie Feng know. Oh, and leaveguye a letter and eat breakfast before heading back!”
Xiao Qi thought for a moment and felt that she should eat a big meal before departing to minimize the loss. So she walked backed into the room, waiting for Lu Liu to serve breakfast and stuffed herself full, not caring whether the food was tasty or not. Lu Liu also took the opportunity to pack a small bag and spoke with a bitter expression: “Lu Liu will return with Miss.”
Xiao Qi thought for a moment, then put down the cloth bag and changed into menswear. Lu Liu also changed and then unhappily said: “Then, Lu Liu will find someone to drive for Miss.”
“No, let’s take a walk on the streets first. Let’s hire a cart when we’re halfway there, that way we’ll be able to get home by later today.”
Lu Liu knew that she still harbored the intention of taking a stroll on the streets and followed Xiao Qi out the door pouting.
The manservant in front of the door also didn’t really stop them, this made Lu Liu even more unhappy. As she walked behind Xiao Qi she carried a seething atmosphere.
Xiao Qi was a bit full. On the road she saw many food vendors, but though she was gluttonous, after taking a look she still bypassed them.
Xiao Qi swayed around, looking for the street that sold the clay whistles last time. She searched for half the day but still didn’t see the whistle selling uncle. Xiao Qi’s cheeks puffed unhappily, then seeing that everyone was gathering around the opening of the street, pulled Lu Liu and also went over.Please do not copy
“Water management? It’s going to flood again? But it hasn’t flooded for several years.” Someone at the periphery asked loudly.
From the crowd a middle aged man’s voice came: “The drafting report that Official da ren wrote said that the topography of Concave Village outside the city is low so there’s worries that with the coming large rains it may flood. It asks for healthy young men to head over and help out to first dam the surroundings.”
“Concave Village is a big village with several hundred families. Haven’t they flooded before already? Later when the water receded didn’t they all move back? In my opinion, wouldn’t it be better if they just moved out and switched to a better place to live?”
“Haaa, words are easy to say. A village that was passed down from ancestors, how could it be easy to say move and just move? I heard that place’s governor said that it used to be a good place. It faced a large river so it was convenient to irrigate the fields.”
保正 – “governor” actually the head of a ‘bao’. A ‘bao’ is made of 50 households/families.
An old man stroked his beard and said: “You shirtless men, just go over and help them out. These days Official da reneven eats at the river everyday, you guys should also do something to help.”
“Didn’t Official da ren marry the youngest daughter of the Qian family? Maybe they’ll even give us some reward money!” A voice laughed.Please do not copy
I think I’ve pointed this out before, but Qian Xiao Qi’s surname/family name ‘Qian’ means money.
“Bah, you want money like crazy, didn’t you see that the drafting paper is to have everyone help out? But it’ll certainly take care of food!”
Xiao Qi stood at the sidelines and listened for a while, then stomped inwards to take a look, only seeing the corner of a yellow page. An extremely thin body figure squeezed out from the crowd and bumped into Xiao Qi before disappearing into the alley nearby.
Xiao Qi have never seen a man that walked hiding his waist like that and couldn’t help look over a few more times. She unconsciously rubbed her waist and suddenly realized that her little embroidered pouch was gone.
Xiao Qi frowned and stared blankly for a moment, then reacted and pulled Lu Liu into the small alley to chase.
There was already no sign of a figure in the alley. Xiao Qi fumingly walked in, seeing that there was a bit of purple a foot outside, hurriedly ran over. Xiao Qi picked up her own embroidered pouch and pinched it while at it, angrily shouting: “Stinking thief! Official Song is so stupid, and they still call him a good official when he can’t even deal with thieves.”
Lu Liu’s mouth twitched: “Thieves are like fleas, you can never catch them all.”Please do not copy
Xiao Qi humphed, then bent down to pick up another ink blue embroidered pouch. When she pinched to feel the insides she became a bit surprised. Xiao Qi poured the thing inside out onto her hand and saw that it was jade pendant threaded with golden silk. Xiao Qi didn’t understand jade, but with one look could tell that this was a top quality jade.
Xiao Qi turned it over in her hand then propped it up to take a look. The jade pendant was engraved with a dragon. Xiao Qi knitted her brows and muttered: “Is it a big official’s jade pendant? But I haven’t heard Official Song talk about any big officials coming to Tongxu ah? It might be that they came incognito!”
It might look something like this with the name character engraved on the back.
“Eh?” Xiao Qi flipped the jade pendant over and thought out loud: “Wang what? What a thick word! It’s a big official surnamed Wang?”
Lu Liu moved closer to look at it and asked: “Does Miss recognize them?”
“Pei, you’re the one that would recognize. Trying to ruin my clean reputation.” Xiao Qi pouted and put the jade pendant back into the ink blue embroidery bag, stuffing it into her sleeve and walked back out.
A head poked out from the end of the alley, if you looked closely it looked very similar to the person that had just bumped into Xiao Qi. That person saw that the things were picked up and lifted his sleeve to wipe at his sweat, then disappeared again.
Lu Liu followed behind Xiao Qi and said in a low voice: “Miss, what should we do with this jade pendant?”
“Return it ah! Let’s go to the crowd and ask around, it might be something important.” Xiao Qi recalled the elaborately carved white jade Old Man Qian always carefully stored. That was half the proof for the money that the Qian family guaranteed.
There were already less people than before in front of the recruitment papers. Xiao Qi stood on her tiptoes and looked over forty, fifty people, looking for someone that seemed rich but after looking for half a day still didn’t find anyone that matched the look of a big official. Helpless, she could only put the jade pendant away and stand outside the crowd waving the embroidered bag.
Lu Liu was also looking in the crowd when her line of sight accidentally met a pair of mirthful eyes. Lu Liu hesitated for a moment, then tugged Xiao Qi and whispered: “Miss, it’s that gongzi we met at the large teahouse.”Please do not copy
Xiao Qi looked over, seeming to be not very interested in that pair of peach eyes as she looked towards someone else after one sweep. Chen Zi Gong with a ‘swish’ flipped open his paper fan and said something to the man behind him, then approached with a smile.
“Xiao Qi, what a coincidence.” Chen Zi Gong gave a glance at the embroidered pouch in her hand and said with a smile: “Could you return it to me? Of course, if Xiao Qi likes it, then it’s also fine if you keep it.”Please do not copy
Xiao Qi frowned slightly, then directly threw the embroidered pouch to his chest. She gave an angry humph before seeming to remember something and asked: “In your pouch is a jade pendant?”
Chen Zi Gong nodded. Xiao Qi pressed: “What does it look like? What kind of design is engraved on it?”
The corner of Chen Zi Gong’s mouth hooked as he warmly replied: “It’s circular, the edges have fretwork and a dragon design is engraved.”
Xiao Qi pouted and felt for the jade pendant in her sleeve and handed it over: “So your surname is Wang ah.”
Chen Zi Gong was a bit taken back but a moment later recovered his smiling expression. Xiao Qi casually waved goodbye then pulled Lu Liu and turned to leave. Chen Zi Gong jogged a few steps to catch up and said: “Xiao Qi, since you’ve helped me find back something important, I should properly thank you.”Please do not copy
Xiao Qi blinked and paused her steps: “How are you going to thank me?”
“Haha, how about I invite Xiao Qi to have a meal at Floating Fragrance House, is that good?”Please do not copy
Not good, of course it’s not good! The steamed buns she ate this morning are still stuck in her throat!
Xiao Qi shook her head: “Are you a big official?”
Chen Zi Gong thought for a moment then nodded.
“Then, are you in charge of Official Song?”
“Yes.” Chen Zi Gong mildly smiled.
“If you’re in charge of Official Song, then you’re in charge of Tongxu, right? Then shouldn’t you also manage Concave River’s flood problem? Then doesn’t that mean Official Song’s task of building the dam should also be your responsibility? How come you didn’t give Official Song money to use?”
Xiao Qi spoke this entire chain out loud and Lu Liu at the side was a bit shocked. Chen Zi Gong also didn’t think Xiao Qi say something like this and was also stunned for a moment.
“Humph. You guys sent a small little 7th ranked official to build a dam. A 7th rank, and you don’t give money either. You think everyone is Yu the Great!? Seriously!”Please do not copy
7th rank is a pretty low rank official with not much power. Yu the Great is someone in the legends that tamed a flood.
Originally this speech showing concern for the nation and for the citizen would seem extremely imposing, robust and straightforward. However, unfortunately because Xiao Qi’s appearance as she slightly lifted her chin seemed a bit spoiled and adorable, matched with her gleaming nose and fan-like long lashes, it ended up giving people a bashfully charming feeling.
Chen Zi Gong laughed and said: “Then Xiao Qi, tell me, what should I do?”
“There’s plenty of things you should do.” Xiao Qi wrinkled her nose: “For example, give Official Song money, give Official Song workers. Oh, and and help manage the branches of the Yellow River properly.”Please do not copy
Xiao Qi nodded, affirming her own beliefs, then thought for a moment and added: “That type of management, not letting water flow out, they should let it flow where it wants. Only that way would you big officials be doing good things.”
Lu Liu tugged Xiao Qi’s sleeve, a bit worried. Xiao Qi also seemed to have realized something and suddenly closed her mouth.
Chen Zi Gong laughed: “Xiao Qi’s words make sense. This flood does have to be properly managed.”
Xiao Qi nodded, then thought for a moment and retracted her chin and slightly hung her head.Please do not copy
Chen Zi Gong sized up the Xiao Qi that was currently faintly hanging her head and holding her breath. Looking from this angle was another Xiao Qi, cautious and on guard, making people that saw can’t help but want to cherish her.
Chen Zi Gong gave a light cough: “Xiao Qi, we’ve already meet by coincidence twice so it also counts as being brought together by fate. How about we be friends?”