Chapter 39: There Are Those Who Hear the Way First and Those Who Hear It Later

The siblings had never met Tiewind face-to-face and didn't recognize him. Wang Ge first signaled her grandfather to speak with the peddler; she didn't let A Xing follow, instead stepping forward herself. She ignored Tiewind's question and the lantern in his hand, responding with a question of her own: "Sir, you aren't from this village, are you?"

Tiewind inwardly praised her caution. "Miss Wang, do you know this kudzu lantern?"

"Kudzu lantern? What's the matter?"

In a low voice, Tiewind said, "By the banks of the Qing River, with the mountains high and the waters long, who can say we won't meet again? You needn't be suspicious. My young master is Lord Huan; I am of the Huan household guard. Our men were watering horses by the river that day."

Wang Ge recalled there had indeed been many guards present at the time and quickly bowed. "Forgive me. Please, sir, have a seat and a bowl of water?"

"No need for hospitality. Here's the matter: last night, after my master and your brother exchanged tokens, he took a liking to these kudzu lanterns. He wants to purchase a batch of them before noon the day after tomorrow. They must be of identical size, with no outer seams, no hemp candles, and the candle trays must be spotless." He drew out a string of coins from his cloth pouch. Seeing the smile that reached Miss Wang's eyes, gratitude glimmering with unshed tears, he raised his voice so everyone in the courtyard could hear: "We'll pay two coins for each bamboo lantern. Is that price acceptable to you?"

"Yes, sir. Rest assured, I'll use only fresh bamboo for every strip," Wang Ge replied, overjoyed, glancing back at her grandfather and the others.

Old Wang excused himself from the peddler and hurried over. Tiewind bowed to the old man and handed over the string of coins. "Elder, here is a deposit for two hundred lanterns. Please count it." He turned again to Wang Ge. "I'll return at noon the day after tomorrow to collect them. However many you can make, my master will buy. If the deposit is too much or too little, we'll settle it then."

"Don't worry, sir. I'll work as fast as I can."

Old Wang counted the coins slowly, but Tiewind was in no rush.

Wang Ge called out to her brother, "Bring over two bamboo dragonflies."

Obediently, Wang Xing did as asked. For every bamboo dragonfly, Wang Ge had gently heated the pointed tip over a small flame, bending it into a slight curve. This not only made the dragonflies look livelier, but it also helped them rest more securely on a finger or stick.

Once her brother brought them, Wang Ge first offered one with both hands to Tiewind.

Tiewind accepted, not at all disdainful of this simple, handmade toy—after all, it was a token of the siblings' goodwill. See how seriously the young lady treated it, even presenting each one with both hands...

With a courteous smile, Wang Ge balanced the bamboo dragonfly on her own fingertip. Instantly, it hovered in midair, poised just like a dragonfly touching the water, steady as could be.

Tiewind's smile stretched so wide he almost drooled before closing his mouth.

The peddler strode over eagerly, eyes shining. "Miss Wang, I'll take this one!"

On the brand-new road at the west end of the village, paved with packed earth, the village soldiers first drove donkeys hauling stone rollers to compact the loose surface. Then, in pairs, the bonded laborers faced each other, gripping iron tampers by their handles, lifting and pounding them down with force, tightening the soil layer.

This was only the first round of tamping. As the earth was laid, more and more laborers joined in, pounding again and again, until the entire road was as hard as brick or stone. Such a road, if tamped thoroughly, would not sprout weeds, would not be washed away by rain, and would not be crushed by carts or horses, lasting ten, even dozens of years with regular use.

Huan Zhen, though some distance away in the latrine, could hear the rhythmic pounding of the tampers.

Cheng Shuang crouched outside, sorting through a pile of grass that had once been the latrine's roof. He searched meticulously; forget a bowstring, even a single needle would have been found by now. "Huan Zhen, any luck?" he called.

"None," Huan Zhen replied. The roof was empty, sunlight streaming through, only three pits and the cleaned-out cesspool remaining. A few drops of blood stained the ground, and four earthen walls just taller than a person enclosed the space. What could possibly be left unsifted? Even the cobwebs in the corners were plain to see.

The web was well-woven. Tilting his head slightly, Huan Zhen used his foot to break it. As expected, nothing was hidden beneath. He came out with hands folded and shook his head at Cheng Shuang.

The two returned to where Hu Fu's corpse lay. Ren Suozhi and Shan Ying, already panting, were there. Cheng Shuang joined them, and the three began cursing out loud. Only Huan Zhen remained unsatisfied, studying Hu Fu's body from above, and suddenly asked, "Has anyone searched him?"

Shan Ying replied, "He was the first we searched, even cleaned out his ears, except the back end..."

He trailed off, and he and Ren Suozhi turned the corpse over.

Huan Zhen turned away in disgust, but a few breaths later, Ren Suozhi burst out laughing. "Found it! Hah, this wretched laborer really knew where to hide things..." His glee quickly vanished, overtaken by a wave of nausea.

Half an hour later, the village chief arrived and gave Ren Suozhi and the constables a fierce scolding.

For the moment, no one paid attention to Huan Zhen, who was balancing a bamboo dragonfly as he explained to Tiewind and Thunder Iron, "This bamboo dragonfly doesn't just balance on a fingertip; it can perch anywhere its pointed tip can rest. Its ability to hang in midair is actually an illusion for the eye. The center of gravity is at the tip, and all the weight around it is perfectly balanced—that's the key."

Thunder Iron, enlightened, praised him: "Master Huan, you're truly learned, to have worked out such a principle."

"I only understood it after seeing the thing itself. Miss Wang, on the other hand, grasped the principle first and then designed the dragonfly. The order is reversed, a world of difference. Are you sure she placed first among the apprentices this time?"

Tiewind replied, "Yes. I asked several villagers to confirm. What's strange is that an official specially came to Jia She Village, and using her top marks as a reason, rewarded the Wang family with a string of coins."

"Even if she had passed as a master craftsman, there's no precedent for such a reward. I see—it's my dear cousin's doing. If you consider the timing, both the fire striker and the fire-extinguishing tube appeared during the carpentry exams at Qinghe Village."

"Shall we buy more bamboo dragonflies from her?" Thunder Iron asked.

"No. When a tree stands tall in the forest, the wind must break it; when one excels, many will criticize. She's only ten—it's best not to lift her up too high."

Thunder Iron scratched his nose. Master Huan, did you forget you're only twelve yourself?

Tiewind added, "Yes. The Wang family are ordinary farmers. Sudden wealth is bound to draw envy."

Huan Zhen smiled unconcernedly. "That's secondary. Only when people are in hardship do they sharpen their wits, striving to survive and reveal their unique talents. I'm eager to see what else she can invent besides the fire striker, extinguisher, rolling lantern, and bamboo dragonfly."

"Master Huan, look—that's the peddler from the Wang house just now," Tiewind pointed out.

Huan Zhen followed his gaze.

The peddler Feng had come to the worksite to lodge for the night. He had just bought fifty bamboo dragonflies, and, hoping to wait for the bamboo lunch boxes and mats Miss Wang mentioned, had brought his mule here. The guards at the riverside pavilion were used to peddlers staying over and allowed him to sleep in the soldiers' thatched shelter.

As for Wang Ge, the six rolling lanterns certainly wouldn't be sold to the peddler now. She removed their kudzu covers and replaced the candle trays with new ones, still needing ninety-four more for the order. From this point on, she devoted herself to making the rolling lanterns, explaining the principle of the bamboo dragonfly's balance to her grandfather so he could handle the peddler's order.

Wang Peng and Wang Xing were kept busy too, cutting hemp rope into short lengths for later use.

All Wang Dalang needed to do was watch over Wang Ai.

With her plans set, Wang Ge took advantage of the remaining daylight to split bamboo strips and prepare materials. Since the riverside pavilion had patrols every night, she no longer dared to work until midnight, but working until the tenth hour should be safe. By then, tying the hemp rope onto the bamboo rings by firelight would be easier, and her grandmother, second uncle, and younger cousin Ashu could all help.