Chapter 62: He Offered Far Too Much
Chapter 60 of "The Great Ming in the Box" begins revealing: When Thirty-Two and Third Lady returned to their home in the county town, they discovered... Continue the adventure!
When Thirty-Two and Third Lady returned to their home in the county town, they discovered that all their belongings had been completely looted.Days earlier, due to Bai Shui Wang Erâs rampage, every residence in the âwealthy districtâ had been ransacked. The entire neighborhood was in ruins, with several houses burned down, leaving only charred timbers behind.
Thirty-Two was clearly a benevolent man who often spoke out for the common people, yet his home hadnât escaped the plundering. The door had been kicked in, and anything of value had been taken, leaving it utterly empty.
Other kind-hearted families he knew had met the same fate.
When the scattered troops swept through, did they care about who was good or bad? Blinded with the urge to kill, they had no patience to discern. The rich and cruel were cut down with a slash; those who built bridges and repaired roads were cut down with a slash; even the quiet and moderate were cut down with a slash.
Third Lady thought it over carefully: âI simply wonât live at home anymore. Iâll go straight to the City God Temple to seek lodging.â
Third Lady continued: âI often visited the City God Temple to offer incense, giving robes and provisions like rice and flour to the monks. Today, if I bring more silver, the monks will surely be willing to let me stay.â
Thirty-Two chuckled: âThatâs true indeed. With money, nothing is impossible to accomplish.â
Third Lady patted the jar containing the divine medicine: âOnce I move into the City God Temple, Iâll put on a robe and use the god of the Deity to treat the illnesses of some impoverished good citizens who canât afford medical care. That way, Iâll be saving the world.â
Thirty-Two said: âIâm just worried the monks at the temple wonât permit itâŚâ
Third Lady smiled: âThe City God is an immortal of the Daoist, and so is the Deity. Since they belong to the same Daoist tradition, why wouldnât they allow it? Iâve never heard of the Temple of the Primordial Deity forbidding offerings to the Supreme Lord of Dao.â
Thirty-Two replied: âAh, I see.â
His eyes rolled thoughtfully, and he grinned: âUse more effort, save more poor commoners. If anyone here finds life unbearable, urge them to come to Gaojia Village. Our village still needs a lot of hands.â
Third Lady retorted: âI donât need you to tell me that.â
With their plan settled, they made their way to the City God Temple. True enough, money made lodging seem as easy as lifting a finger. The monks welcomed their benefactor with deference. No, not âbenefactorâ â Benefactor Mother settled in.
With his wife comfortably arranged, Thirty-Two prepared to start his own task.
He walked to a private school in the eastern part of town.
To be precise, it wasnât a private school but a âfamily school.â
It lacked official certification; it was simply run by a poor scholar with no wife who had set up a few desks in his own home and enrolled a handful of children from the nearby community as students.
The scholar wore a faded blue robe, its hem patched in places. As soon as he saw Thirty-Two, his face lit up with surprise and relief. âSir Thirty-Two! Since Bai Shui Wang Erâs uprising days ago, your precious daughter hasnât attended class. Iâve been very worried. I went to your home to inquire, but saw⌠ah⌠it truly frightened meâŚâ
Thirty-Two said: âThank you for your concern, Mr. Wang. At that time, my family fled the county town and took refuge in Gaojia Village. My daughter remains there still and hasnât dared return to the county.â
Mr. Wang clasped his hands respectfully: âSafe and sound, thatâs what matters. That villain Bai Shui Wang Er is truly despicable, disrupting your daughterâs studies. When she returns to the county, I will dedicate my full effort to catching her up on the missed lessons.â
Thirty-Two shook his head: âMy daughter likely wonât be returning to the county any time soon.â
Mr. Wang sighed: âAi!â
This sigh carried profound disappointment. Fewer students meant less tuition income. The patches on his robe werenât for show; Mr. Wangâs life was truly hard.
Thirty-Two shifted the topic: âMr. Wang, the reason Iâve come today is to request a significant favor. Iâd like you to come and stay temporarily in Gaojia Village to help with my daughterâs education. Naturally, I will show substantial gratitude.â
Mr. Wang shook his head: âThis⌠Iâm afraid⌠thatâs not appropriate. I still have several other students here. If I go to Gaojia Village, abandoning those others⌠my heart couldnât bear it.â
He was unwilling to venture outside the city. What awaited out there? Rebels running amok, killing everywhere! With the Chengcheng County Magistrate dead, and the Inspector Cheng Xu holed up into a Sharp Knife Troop, and the Provincial Governor of Shaanxi ignoring the turmoil â leaving the city was a death wish!
Thirty-Two knew it was time for silver to enter the stage. Thá´ link to the origÉŞn of this information rá´sts ÉŞn novel_fŃre.net
He reached into his bundle, pulled out a lump of silver the size of a big fist, and placed it firmly on the table.
The sight of the silver made Mr. Wang seem to shrink physically: âAiya? Sir Thirty-Two, what⌠what is the meaning of this?â
Thirty-Two replied: âHow could we ask Mr. Wang to travel over a dozen miles to Gaojia Village, enduring the toil of the journey, without some compensation for your hardship? This silver is solely meant to ease your burden. As for your other students, I will visit their families myself and refund their tuition fees.â
Mr. Wang grew agitated: âHow could this possibly be done? Though the tuition fees from those students are meager, I have already accepted them and thus have a responsibility to see them through! How could I abandon them halfway just because you offer me more money? This behavior, Sir Thirty-Two, is unworthy of a sage! It insults propriety! We scholars bear brushes, ink, integrity, and fists! We neverâŚâ
Thirty-Two reached into his bundle again. With a soft brash, he pulled out an even larger lump of silver, bigger than a fist. The two massive blocks of silver glistened side-by-side on the table, blindingly bright.
Mr. Wang declared: âI will go!â
Meanwhile, in Shuangqing City.
Li Daoxuan carefully carried a large box over to his scenic box.
He lifted the lid gently. Inside lay a miniature version of a Hakka roundhouse. His custom-ordered Hakka roundhouse was finally complete.
This model was meticulously scaled down based on the famed âChonglin Manor.â Measuring 0.54 meters long and 0.64 meters wide, its enclosing walls stood an impressive 4.5 centimeters tall. Inside, it boasted 262 rooms, 9 main halls, and 18 courtyard wells. (See chapter comments for image.)
While real roundhouses lack a base, Cai Xinzi had created this âmodelâ for Li Daoxuan with one. It was securely mounted onto a large, thick, and sturdy composite material board. Underneath this base, Cai Xinzi had installed a motorized electric control system featuring two rows of tires, each tire boasting a diameter of 6 centimeters.
The internal dividing walls within the roundhouse were made of thin sheet metal. However, Cai Xinzi hadnât used metal for the roofs or outer walls. The demanding client, Li Daoxuan, had altered his specifications multiple times! Heâd thrown out a chaotic list of requirements like âsunlight resistantâ and âlightning proof.â Consequently, roofs and outer walls employed composite material board coated with waterproof sealant. Only the interior partitions used thin sheeting to conserve space.
This project cost Cai Xinzi at least 500 silver.