Chen the county magistrate rubbed his hands together eagerly.
Not only that, but he also planned to name the well that supplied water to the academy the "Think of the Source Well", reminding the students to be grateful for the water and never forget those who dug the well.
On the one hand, this was to express gratitude to Qi Huan, and on the other hand, to teach the students the importance of gratitude.
At the same time, by making such a big deal about honoring Qi Huan's generosity, he could also attract the attention of other wealthy families in the city, and encourage them to willingly donate money for the development of Mo County.
Chen the county magistrate felt increasingly pleased with his own cleverness.
In truth, he had always been clever, but without enough funds, everything had merely been empty talk.
Chen the county magistrate gazed at the selfless Qi Huan, growing fonder of her by the minute. He warmly invited her to sit at the red sandalwood chair by the table, and brought out a thick stack of xuan paper.
"Little Qi, don't be nervous. If you don't write it well on one sheet, we have plenty more."
"...Thank you, Uncle Chen."
Qi Huan took up a brush, dipped it in the ink, and carefully wrote the horizontal inscription, stroke by stroke.
After finishing, she blew on the ink to dry it, then handed the paper to Chen the county magistrate for inspection.
Her calligraphy style had initially been taught by Li Shuchen, and she had later studied the works of other masters, gradually developing her own unique style. But when she wrote carefully, her characters were still very neat.
Compared to the first draft she had hastily written, this version was much better. However, Chen the county magistrate aimed for perfection, so he had her write a few more drafts. Finally, he selected the best one and sent it to the craftsmen.
After finishing, Qi Huan rose to take her leave.
But Chen the county magistrate gestured for her to sit back down and had someone pour her another cup of tea. "Little Qi, are you free on the tenth of September?"
"Yes," Qi Huan nodded.
"By then, the prisoners will have mostly finished building their new huts. After they're done, I'll split them into two groups – one to clear wasteland for potato farming next year, and the other to assist the craftsmen in building the Hengqu Academy. We'll break ground on the tenth of September, and I'd like you to attend the ceremony."
Understanding his good intentions, Qi Huan readily agreed.
Throughout history, reputation has always been crucial. Those with good reputations tend to receive more kindness from others.
After asking Chen the county magistrate for the specific location, Qi Huan repeated it in her mind, instructing her system to remember it and set an alarm for the morning of the tenth.
Seeing her positive attitude, Chen the county magistrate stroked his beard with satisfaction.
He then glanced at his eldest son, who was lazily sprawled on a lounge chair, legs crossed and grinning foolishly as he listened to their conversation.
"You'll go on the tenth of September too!" Chen the county magistrate ordered him.
"I don't want to go," Chen Jinyou shook his head vigorously, swaying like a wave-drum. "It's too early, I can't get up that early."
"You're lazier than a pig!"
"What's wrong with being lazy? I haven't done anything anyway."
Chen Jinyou protested, reasoning in his mind:
Laziness = Not doing anything.
Not doing anything = No opportunity to make mistakes.
Therefore, laziness = No mistakes! He puffed out his chest and held his ground.
Seeing his defiance, Chen the county magistrate habitually reached for a broom, but then remembered Qi Huan was present.
He suppressed his anger and softened his tone as he turned to Qi Huan. "Little Qi, please persuade him!"
"Okay." After agreeing, Qi Huan faced Chen Jinyou. "If you come to the groundbreaking ceremony on the tenth of September, I'll bring you tiger-skin chicken feet!"
"What are tiger-skin chicken feet?" Chen Jinyou's interest was piqued.
Seeing him take the bait, Qi Huan smiled mysteriously. "I'll tell you on the tenth of September."
"Oh." After hesitating for a moment, Chen Jinyou made his choice. "Then don't forget, okay!"
Hearing his agreement, Chen the county magistrate looked at Qi Huan with admiration. At the same time, he silently reflected that Chen Jinyou was a stubborn mule – coaxing would work better than scolding. It seemed he needed to change his approach in the future.
As noon approached, Qi Huan excused herself to leave.
She called for Yan Qing, who had been waiting for her at the gate, and the two exited the county office together.
When they arrived home, Li Shuchen had already brought back takeout from the restaurant. After a quick meal, they each went for an afternoon nap.
About half an hour later, Qi Huan woke up naturally, faintly hearing a commotion from the neighboring courtyard.
She got out of bed, put on her shoes, and stretched lazily before walking into the courtyard.
Seeing her emerge, Yan Qing and Zhao Man immediately flanked her, one on each side.
Qi Huan took out two sorghum candy bars she had modified last time from her pouch and handed them to the girls.
Peeling off the wrappers, Yan Qing devoured hers in one bite, chewing and then swallowing, before licking her fingers contentedly.
Considering Qi Huan's usual appetite, the thoughtful Zhao Man offered her own candy to her. "Here, this is for you."
"Why aren't you eating it?"
"I don't like sweets."
"Okay then, I'll help you!"
Witnessing this, Qi Huan couldn't help but laugh. She shared the few remaining candies from her pouch with them.
After distributing them, Yan Qing held out her little hand to Zhao Man. "Do you need me to help you with yours too?"
Seeing the few candies she was clutching in her other hand, Zhao Man shook his head. "No need, Sister Qi said we should do our own things ourselves. So I'll eat my own candy and won't bother you."
After speaking, he peeled a candy and popped it into his mouth, eating and grinning with satisfaction.
"Isn't it delicious?" Undeterred by the rejection, Yan Qing smiled and shared her thoughts. "You can also pull it into strings, look, like this."
Watching their adorable interaction, Qi Huan beamed with an indulgent smile. This must be what they meant by childhood friends having an innocent bond, right?
At that moment, Yan Qinghe's voice rang out from the neighboring courtyard.
Recently, he had been busy helping Xiu Wen prepare for his wedding, so he had been rarely seen.
Qi Huan pushed open the gate and walked over to the adjacent residence.
Through the open main door, she could see Li Shuchen, Yan Qinghe, Xiu Wen, Yan Wu, and some people from the Yunying Caravan all gathered inside.
Li Shuchen was holding a brush, writing auspicious couplets, while Yan Qinghe and Yan Wu were hanging red cloths and lanterns. There were also some wooden crates scattered around the courtyard.
Upon seeing Qi Huan enter, Li Shuchen paused his writing.
"You're awake?"
"Yes. Why did they suddenly move in here?"
This new residence owned by Lu Yueming had been completed a few days ago but was still unoccupied. Today, however, it had suddenly become lively.
Hearing her question, Yan Qinghe, who was known for his quick tongue, answered first.
"Originally, Xiu Wen planned to buy another courtyard to welcome Lady Du. But Lady Du said she wanted to live in this new residence, so Xiu Wen paid her to buy this place."
"It was an auspicious occasion, with the joy of moving into a new home and the joy of marriage, bringing double happiness to the doorstep - a good omen."
Qi Huan was delighted to learn that Lu Yueming and Xiu Wen would be moving in as their neighbors, and he helped paste up the "Double Happiness" character.
*
In the blink of an eye, the Double Ninth Festival arrived in September.
That day, just as the sky was turning light, Lu Yueming was called out of bed by her maid. After washing up, she was ushered to the dressing table, where Lady Du began the ritual of threading her face.
The thin red thread stung her face, causing her to cry out "Mother!" in an instant.
Lady Du patted her hand sympathetically: "Bear with it for a little while longer, and it will be over soon. Once your face is threaded, you'll be a grown woman, soon to become the daughter-in-law of another family..."
Speaking these words, Lady Du choked up with emotion.
She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, her gaze filled with reluctance and longing, fixed firmly on her daughter.
Lu Yueming didn't have much facial hair, so it was quickly removed by the threading. She was then served to wash her face again.
When she returned to the dressing table, Huixin handed Lady Du a peach wood comb to arrange Lu Yueming's hair. Her lustrous black tresses were exceptionally smooth and easy to comb through from root to tip.
After praising her hair, Lady Du began reciting the auspicious comb-binding verses: "With the first combing to the head, wealth and honor need not be worried; with the second combing to the head, no illness or sorrow; with the third combing to the head, many children and long life; with the next combing to the ends, cases will be resolved with ease; with the second combing to the ends, you will soar together as inseparable mates; with the third combing to the ends, forever bound by a heart-held token; with head and ends complete, a lifetime of wealth and honor is yours."
Having spoken these auspicious words, Lu Yueming's thick, beautiful hair was coiled up, and a full set of ruby-encrusted golden hair ornaments was slowly inserted into her tresses.
