Chapter 646: A Youthful and Handsome Face
lowed the sound and saw that it was Luofengtang and Zuo Junmo coming over.Along with them was a middle-aged man. That roar just now came from that middle-aged man.“The village head is here…”Someone in...Hu Guang County is the neighboring county of Wang Hai County. To the east, there are also mostly mountains and forests.
Yang Ruqing and Luo Fengtang set off at the break of dawn, racing against time to reach Zuojiazhuang in Huguang County by carriage. By the time they arrived, the sun had already begun to set.
"It's impolite to visit someone in the afternoon. Let's find a farmer's house to stay at first and go visit Lord Left tomorrow morning," Yang Ruqing suggested.
Luo Fengtang naturally had no objections.
Farmers in this era are mostly simple and honest.
Soon, the two people came to a stop at a peasant's house at the entrance of Zuojiazhuang.
This farming household, was a couple of elderly.
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All his hair turned white and his back hunched, his son and daughter-in-law rented a small shop in Hu Guang County with their grandchildren to sell breakfast.
Once every three months, I would go back home and give my parents some money and clothes.
The elderly couple were tending to a few vegetable patches at home and raising some chickens and ducks.
I couldn't manage the few acres of farmland, so I rented it out.
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Yang Ruqing gave the two elders five hundred wen as payment for their two days' food and lodging.
The two elders were overjoyed. They cooked a pot of mixed grain rice at night, fried some eggs, and took out the salted fish they had saved from Chinese New Year to treat her and Luo Fengtang.
After dinner, the four of them chatted under a soybean oil lamp.
Yang Ruqing seized the opportunity to inquire about the head of the Zuo family's estate.
About Zhuozhuang's existence, she heard it from the Bald Man.
Before she came, her imagined Left Manor Lord was someone who could make Li Caizhu fear him and become a rival to check his power.
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Then, this Left Manor Lord must also be a tyrant in the manor.
Like Li Cai, he was a powerful figure who made the villagers in Zhuangzi afraid to even mention his name.
But when the old man spoke of Lord Zuo Zhuang, a proud smile blossomed on his weathered face.
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"Speaking of our Master Zu, he's truly a great man..."
The old man's floodgates had been opened.
“Our Zuojiazhuang village owes everything to Master Zuo! It's because of him that we villagers can eat!”
“Good job, Master Zhuo! You’re quite skilled. You can help our village build roads and bridges, and even houses.”
"Make us a plow head board ladder."
"Whoever's son gets married, they always ask Left Village Head to make the tables and chairs."
“The same wood saw, if used by Master Zhuo, the furniture produced is truly beautiful...”
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About the deeds of Lord Zu, one by one, they were recounted by the old man like beans being poured out.
The old woman on the side couldn't help but add a few words.
“Master Zuo’s family has a large business and most of the fields in this area belong to them.”
"His tenants and hired laborers were well-treated."
“The county town has many industries, but Master Zuo never gets too big for his britches and is always kind to our villagers.”
“Look, this walking stick in my hand was given to me by the master of the Left Estate after I fell and injured myself last time…”
Yang Ruqing was stunned.
So, it seems that this Left Lord is taking a completely different approach than Li Cai Master - a more populist one!
Upon seeing the elderly woman extend her cane toward her, Yang Ruqing took it and examined it for a few moments.
Oh my god.
This cane isn't like the simple, single-headed stick you see old women using these days.
Under the cane, there are three more branches extending out.
Atop the pillar, a piece of elliptical wood is inlaid.
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The wooden board can be folded.
When folded up, it is just an ordinary walking stick.
A small stool unfolds when the wooden board and three legs are opened.
Convenient and portable, it can be carried with you.
This kind of crutch, Yang Ruqing had seen in modern times.
In ancient times, this was the first time.
This Lord of the Left Manor is quite interesting.
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After chatting with the elders for a while, they each went to rest.
The next day, Yang Ruqing got up early and helped the old woman cook breakfast.
At the dinner table, she told her parents-in-law that she came to visit Master Zuo.
The old man said: "Lord Zuoyang's house is at the southernmost end of the village, but he's probably not home during the day these days."
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"Where is it" Yang Ruqing asked.
The old man said: "In our area, we've always had water shortages during spring planting. Master Zuo has been thinking about how to irrigate the fields."
These days, I should be busy working in the fields behind the village during the day.
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After breakfast, under the guidance of the old man, Yang Ruqing and Luofengtang went straight to the fields behind Zuojiazhuang.
This place is also surrounded by mountains on three sides.
On her way to find the old master, Yang Ruohui saw many uniquely characteristic small bridges and rivers.
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Agricultural tools such as plows used in the fields of peasant households.
Are all these from Zhuangzi's hand
This lord seems to be quite knowledgeable about agricultural tools.
"Miss Yang, Brothers Luo, we're almost there!"
The old man leading the way stopped and pointed to something not far ahead, addressing the two of them.
Yang Ruqing raised her eyes and looked in that direction.
Between the green hills and waters, there are patches of farmland shaped like the Bagua.
There is a small river by the field, and the water flows gently.
A wooden windmill, which at first glance resembles a Ferris wheel, stands in the middle of the river.
The windmill, with a wooden frame, had a circular disk made of wicker.
... Powered by the flow of water, it slowly began to turn.
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On the bamboo strips, many bamboo tubes were tied.
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The bamboo tube, full of water from the river, slowly rose in the 'creaking' sound of the windmill turning.
Then, when the windmill reaches its highest point, the water in the bamboo tube will flow out due to gravity.
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Fell into a trough made of split bamboo at the edge.
The sink was connected to other channels of circulation, so the river water constantly drew up from the river and slowly flowed into the irrigation ditches, nourishing the crops...
What a clever design!
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Yang Ruoqing narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze to the several men by the windmill.
Two men carrying buckets stood on the bank beside the waterwheel.
He was about the same age as Lao Yangtou, with white hair.
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The middle-aged man on the side looked just like the elder's son; they were almost carved from the same mold.
Looking at their joyous expressions, they must be the owner of that piece of land nearby.
Seeing water in the fields, both father and son showed excited and happy expressions.
He kept thanking the other man standing in the river.
Her gaze fell on the man in the river.
He looks very young, probably in his early twenties.
The clothes she wore were very simple, and the trousers reached her knees.
Standing in the babbling river, he raised a handsome young face, his gaze fixed on the spinning windmill blades.
He was still holding a woodworking tool, occasionally tapping it against something.
His focused look gives off a sense of dedication.
"The one in the water, is that Lord Zuo"
Yang Ruqing asked the old man who was leading the way.
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The old man nodded proudly: "That's right, that's our Lord Left Zhuang!"
Having said that, the old man quickened his pace and ran towards that direction, to introduce Yang Ruqing and Luofengtang to Lord Zuo.
Here is the translation:
Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!ith the Black Lotus Sect, but also has clandestine dealings with the Northern Liao.”“Previously, we've been investigating the covert dealings between Daliao and them. What exactly did Daliao provide,”...