“You’re the ones, aren’t you?”
Liu Tie asked respectfully, “Do you have business with us, sir?”
Jin Feng also remembered. The day they brought the tiger, this yamen runner had handled it.
“It’s really you!”
The runner looked delighted.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Jin Feng hadn’t brought his crossbow to the yamen.
The runner almost didn’t recognize them and had asked tentatively.
Last time, the noble from the Qing family arrived at the inn too late; the archer who killed the tiger had already checked out and left.
The noble had sent people to inquire twice since, clearly very interested in this tiger-slaying hero.
Though the noble had fallen on hard times, for a yamen runner, he was still a big shot worth currying favor with.
Helping the noble find the person would at least earn a reward.
If the noble was pleased and raised his rank, even better.
The runner had planned to search the villages, but with too many refugees lately, he hadn’t had time.
Now, he’d run into them here.
The noble’s task had a lead.
“You killed the tiger?”
The runner asked Liu Tie.
“Not me, it was Fengzi.”
Liu Tie pointed at Jin Feng.
“Him?!”
The runner looked at Jin Feng, full of surprise, “Don’t fool me!”
To him, a tiger-slayer should be a burly man, not someone as slight as Jin Feng.
“Sir, why would I lie?”
Liu Tie said, “When Fengzi killed the tiger, dozens of villagers saw it.”
“You can’t judge a man by his looks!”
The runner cupped his hands to Jin Feng, praising him.
“Overkind words.”
Jin Feng bowed slightly, giving a scholar’s salute, but inwardly grumbled, “What’s wrong with my looks?”
He could tell the runner meant to praise him but wasn’t good with words.
“You’re a scholar, hero?”
Seeing Jin Feng’s scholar’s salute, the runner grew even happier.
His tone became much friendlier.
Scholars were rare in Dakang, and a tiger-slaying scholar was rarer still.
A true man of both letters and martial prowess.
The noble, also a man of letters and martial skill, would surely be thrilled to hear this.
“Read a few years.”
It was easily verifiable in Xihewan, so Jin Feng didn’t deny it, nodding and asking, “Sir, may I ask why you’re looking for us?”
“The noble from Qingfeng Villa bought your tiger and greatly admires the hero who killed it. He wants to meet you, but you left too early last time. By the time we got to the inn, you were gone.”
The runner said with a smile.
“The noble from Qingfeng Villa?”
Jin Feng looked puzzledly at Liu Tie.
Liu Tie was equally confused, clearly unaware of Qingfeng Villa.
“You don’t know, hero. The noble from Qingfeng Villa is a marquis and a great general, fond of befriending capable men.”
The runner cupped his hands to Jin Feng, “A hero skilled in both letters and arms, following the marquis, your future is boundless.”
Whether Jin Feng prospers or not, saying nice things can’t hurt.
If this scholar rises later, it’s a good connection made.
Jin Feng’s brow furrowed slightly.
If possible, he really didn’t want any dealings with some marquis.
In feudal times, there were no human rights; many nobles didn’t see commoners as human.
The highest officials in county seats were called pastors, like Zhao Prefecture Pastor or Yong Prefecture Pastor, meaning they herded people for the emperor.
Here, herding people didn’t mean guiding them but treating them like cattle or sheep, with officials as the emperor’s shepherds.
In ancient times, nobles often married kin for alliances or so-called pure bloodlines, producing many fools and deviants.
Currently, he was just a penniless scholar. If the noble was reasonable, fine, but if a deviant who killed on a whim, what then?
Best to steer clear.
But Liu Tie was thrilled, “May I ask, sir, when will the marquis summon us?”
In his mind, a marquis was a godlike figure.
Heavens, a legendary figure wants to meet him?
“The marquis went hunting in Wulang Mountain, left two days ago, probably back in half a month.”
The runner asked, “Where do you live? When the marquis returns, I’ll notify you right away.”
“We just arrived in the county, haven’t found a place to stay yet.”
Jin Feng shook his head.
The runner wanted to ask more, but a servant ran out from the yamen, “Constable Zhang, why aren’t you inside yet? The master and advisor are getting impatient.”
“Coming, coming.”
The runner said to Jin Feng, “Please wait here a moment, I’ll be right back.”
Before finishing, the servant dragged him into the yamen.
As the runner and servant turned the corner, Jin Feng turned to leave.
“Fengzi, where you going?”
Liu Tie asked anxiously, “Not waiting for the officer?”
“Wait for what?”
“To introduce us to the marquis! Fengzi, this is a chance to soar!”
“Not interested.”
Jin Feng walked faster.
“You!”
Seeing Jin Feng far off, Liu Tie stomped his foot and followed.
At the agreed spot, Tang Dongdong had sold all the hemp thread, and shop assistants were loading bundled hemp bark onto the cart.
Tang Dongdong held a heavy money bag, while Chen Laoliu and Zhang Liang, crossbows in hand, kept watch.
“How much did it sell for?”
Jin Feng asked Tang Dongdong.
“Two thousand three hundred wen.”
Tang Dongdong patted the bag excitedly, “I calculated, after hemp bark costs, wages, and food, we can make over nine hundred wen.”
“Not bad.”
Jin Feng nodded, satisfied.
With these twenty-plus spinning wheels, he’d solved his basic needs.
Monthly, he could earn over four thousand wen, or four taels of silver, enough to live well in Dakang.
“Not bad?”
Tang Dongdong was very dissatisfied with Jin Feng’s reaction, “Other workshops, with twenty spinning wheels, need a month of nonstop work to earn nine hundred wen, but we did it in six days, over five times faster.
If other workshops knew, they’d go mad.”
“Trust me, once Xiao Bei and the others get used to the spinning wheels, it’ll be even faster.”
Jin Feng said confidently.
The women hadn’t used pedal spinning wheels before, so they were still adjusting.
Once skilled, their spinning speed would surely increase.
He could make even faster, more advanced spinning wheels for quicker profits, but Tang Dongdong firmly opposed it.
After thinking, Jin Feng gave up the idea.
