After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 365 Finding a Master

The clerk racked his brains for a long time before awkwardly laughing, "Sir, I really haven't noticed this before, but I've lived most of my life and never seen such an amazing bridge!"

Standing to the side, Tian Ziyan proudly raised his chin, "This is the first pontoon bridge in Langya Kingdom, and also the longest bridge, as well as the first long bridge that can accommodate horse-drawn carriages, oxcarts, and donkey carts! Lord Duan, you are truly blessed!"

Duan Ren quickly cupped his hands in greeting, "Lord Tian too! Congratulations to you as well!"

The appearance of such a bridge in Zhaohua County would be a major political achievement for Duan Ren, and could lead to a promotion.

Tian Ziyan and You Kang participated in the construction, which will ensure their names are recorded in history. Upon returning to the capital, they may even receive rewards and commendations from the emperor, gaining substantial benefits.

The others realized what was happening and came forward to offer their congratulations.

Liu Tiechui felt the same way, but he was a little upset. If he had participated in the construction back then, he would have made a contribution. He missed out on a good achievement!
If even someone as open-minded as Liu Tiechui thinks this way, then Ma Yujie is even more so; she can't even maintain a polite, fake smile.

Shen Yi went there briefly and came right back. He checked the time; it hadn't even been half an hour. His smile stretched almost to his ears. "My lord, the bridge is even more stable than I expected, and its load-bearing capacity is good. There's no problem with vehicles and horses passing through."

"Good, good, good! Shen Yi, as expected of the person the Marquis has taken a liking to, well done! Such a good thing that benefits the country and the people must be publicized. Write down the detailed process of the pontoon bridge construction later, and I will report this matter to the court. I will definitely be able to get you a reward." Duan Ren said this in front of everyone, also to put an end to the thoughts of some people.

There must be many people envious of such a great achievement, so he deliberately revealed Shen Yi's background to prevent anyone from making any underhanded moves.

You Kang and Tian Ziyan exchanged a glance and then said, "When we get back, we will report to the Marquis in detail and then go to the palace to meet the Emperor. This bridge is of extraordinary significance and cannot be ambiguous in the slightest."

"Yes, yes, yes, what you two say is absolutely right," Duan Ren flattered and echoed.

Regardless of the circumstances, since the incident occurred in Zhaohua County, he will undoubtedly reap the benefits.

The other wealthy local gentry looked at each other, hesitant to speak, but none dared to step forward.

As soon as Master Zhu got into his carriage, his face darkened instantly. "Is this the same family that the young mistress caused such a scene at our door back then?"

The butler hesitated for a moment before nodding. "This should be the place."

"Woman's ignorance! It only leads to trouble!" Master Zhu slapped his thigh and muttered a curse.

The butler shrank back, not daring to provoke trouble at this moment.

Ma Yujie also muttered about this to Liu Tiechui in the carriage, "If you hadn't agreed to build the bridge in the first place, there wouldn't be this pontoon bridge. Now that the bridge is built, no one mentions you! You are the real town official of Moshi Town!"

Liu Tiechui retorted impatiently, his face dark, "So what if I'm the town official of Moshi Town? Did I handle this? Since I didn't get involved back then, I have no right to ask for a share now! Have you no shame?"

He still has the backbone he should have.

“Coco can’t just sever ties with you! Who knows if someone from a peasant background could actually accomplish this?” Ma Yujie was both angry and regretful, her heart was in turmoil, she was in agony.

Liu Tiechui glanced at her coldly, "I also come from humble beginnings, even less so than Shen Yi, and you look down on me too?"

Ma Yujie was stunned, then stomped her feet in anger, "You know perfectly well that's not what I meant!"

"I think that's exactly what you mean! Don't you think about it? Although Shen Yi comes from an ordinary background, he's capable. He can ferry people across the river, dig wells, hunt, do business, fight on the battlefield, make great contributions, and receive rewards from the emperor. Now he's the adopted son of a marquis, and he's even built a pontoon bridge. Can an ordinary person do all of that? Stop looking at him with such low standards. Who knows, he might not even look down on you right now!" Liu Tiechui vented his anger all at once.

Ma Yujie felt resentful and aggrieved. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that her family had indeed been surpassed by the Shen family. Despite her strong will, she fell ill as soon as she returned home.

Shen Yi's family had no idea what those people were thinking.

After the pontoon bridge is completed, the next step is to carve a stone tablet. After a month or two of trial use, if there are no problems, it can be opened to traffic.

Shen Yi doesn't need to worry about the rest; the county government will take care of it.

After seeing You Kang and Tian Ziyan off, Shen Yi's family could finally take a breather.

Shen Yuezhang and Shen Congrong were very reluctant to part.

"Father, Mother, after Mr. Tian and Mr. You leave, we will have to rely on ourselves again!"

Su Tai patted the two children's heads and comforted them, "Mr. Tian and Mr. You came here to repair the bridge. Teaching you is just a side thing. How can we keep them around forever? It just so happens that your aunt wants to hire a tutor. I'll ask around and see if there's one we can hire."

Since the child was eager to learn, Shen Yi naturally wanted to support him. He immediately assured him, "I'll go find Master Pu. He just hired a tutor for his youngest son, so he must know a lot about the subject."

Mentioning Little Twelve, Su Tai's expression brightened a bit. "If you're going, bring some snacks with you. Little Twelve will like them."

Master Pu is a good man; the couple both agree that they should befriend him.

The next day, Shen Yi, carrying brown sugar milk tea, durian pancakes, cumin roasted meat, and oil-sugar shortbread prepared by Su Tai, crossed the bridge in a donkey cart and went to Dahe Town.

The pontoon bridge was only opened yesterday, but there are already many people crossing it today. The bridge is guarded by elderly people from the village. Everyone remembers who donated money. If they see a familiar face, they let them pass directly, but if they see an unfamiliar face, they will stop them and ask them questions.

Seeing that everything was in good order, Shen Yi felt at ease and continued driving the donkey cart forward. It only took him a little over fifteen minutes to reach Master Pu's house, a speed that was truly astonishing.

The butler welcomed him in and went to inform Master Pu and Little Twelve.

The father and son entered the house hand in hand.

Master Pu, beaming with joy, offered his congratulations, "Congratulations, Magistrate! What brings you here today?"

Shen Yi looked at the well-behaved Xiao Twelve, a smile appearing in his eyes. "My wife made some snacks for Xiao Twelve and asked me to bring them over."

Little Twelve's eyes lit up suddenly, "Did Auntie prepare this especially for me?"

"Yes!"

Little Twelve couldn't wait to run out and see.

Master Pu chuckled and shook his head, his eyes full of affection. "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Magistrate. My child has had a hard life. Ever since we found him, my wife has doted on him like the apple of her eye. He's been unhappy that he can't go out, but there's nothing I can do. Once bitten, twice shy, he's really scared! It's rare to see him so happy!"

Shen Yi nodded understandingly. "It's normal for Master Pu to love his son so much. Besides bringing some food for Little Twelve, I also wanted to ask Master Pu about something. My family is planning to hire a tutor for the child, but there are very few scholars in our area. As far as I know, wealthy families usually hire tutors from other places. So I wanted to ask Master Pu if you have any recommendations?"