Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 116 Rewarding the Soldiers
Zhangye County, Lude County.

The marriage party had been gone for over twenty days, and by some calculations they were almost near Louyang City.

Shentu Zhuo, wielding a sturdy, work-friendly shorts, braved the warm late winter sun as he inspected the progress of each ditch. Because he constantly walked alongside the ditches, frequently entering the water to clear silt and help correct the digging direction, he, like all the other ditches workers, had taken off his boots and walked barefoot, his body smeared with mud. If he stood on the embankment for too long, the mud on his legs would dry out and flake off in clumps.

As the newly appointed Water Officer of Chi County, Shentu Zhuo had long since grown accustomed to a life spent working the ditches and back to the sky. A departure from his former refined demeanor as a musician, he now cared little for the image of a noble son. He spent his days wading through water and mud, intent on completing the Qianjin Canal before the spring thaw.

He was quite tanned, his hair haphazardly pinned up with a tree branch, a few strands stuck to his temples by the mud. Sharp gravel had scratched his legs, leaving him with tiny cuts. He hadn't bothered to apply medicine or bandages, just letting them scab over and heal on their own. Besides the calluses on his palms from plucking the strings of the qin, he also had calluses from working with farm tools.

When Chi Fanyu came looking for him, he walked back and forth on the dirt ridge several times, but he didn't recognize him. It was only when Shen Tuzhuo took a break that he saw him, climbed up, patted him on the shoulder, and asked him what he wanted.

"..." Chi Fanyu looked sideways at the mud marks on his shoulder, then at the rough man in front of him whose face he couldn't recognize, and couldn't help but sigh, "Brother, you are so unkempt, aren't you? You are even sloppier than the last time I saw you."

The last time he accompanied his uncle, the county magistrate, on an inspection tour of the county, he happened to be on leave for two days due to urgent matters. Back then, he'd at least freshened up and even borrowed two decent sets of clothes from him. How could he have fallen so low after just a few days? Was he still the same dandy young man renowned throughout the four counties?

"There is so much work to do, who can care about being sloppy or not." Shentu Zhuo rubbed the mud on his feet on the ground, "Besides, who should I show myself to after taking the trouble to wash myself clean? You?" Tan Huaike was not at home, and he didn't want to go back and be scolded by his mother, so it didn't matter how sloppy he was.

"Okay, I'm not as free and easy as you." Chi Fanyu brushed off the mud and dust on his shoulders with disdain and said, "If my uncle saw you like this, he would scold me for not striving for progress."

"I'm busy. Tell me what you want from me." Shen Tu Zhuo urged when he saw someone waving at him from afar.

"Digging the canal is a major undertaking that benefits the people. Recently, many merchants have volunteered to donate money, saying they want to reward Master Zhuo and the canal workers. My uncle thinks this is a good thing, as it will at least help fill some of the county's deficits, and it will also keep you well-fed and warm, giving you more motivation to work. So, I asked you to let them know. When they come forward, don't be ungrateful. Remember to say something nice when you receive their kindness."

"That's it, I understand. Just don't make any comments in front of me and disrupt our progress. I'll lead everyone to deal with it properly," Shentu Zhuo said. "But let me be frank. Anyone who tries to use this method to make me modify the canal diversion plan or bribe the canal manager to dig a different route privately, I will not pay any attention to them."

"Of course." Chi Fanyu agreed readily.

The canal guard in the distance couldn't wait any longer and came trotting over to report, "Master Zhuo, it looks like we've hit an underground spring over there. Come and take a look. How should we dig next?"

Shentu Zhuo was surprised: "So fast?" According to previous calculations, the underground spring should be a little further east. I didn't expect it to be dug out so quickly. The subsequent route will have to be slightly changed.

He immediately took two handfuls of dry mugwort and went to the canal. Chi Fanyu was curious and followed him.

Shentu Zhuo lit the mugwort in his hand and placed it in the newly dug ditch. The smoke from the mugwort rose up and drifted towards the southeast from the point where the ditch was connected.

He dug a little further with the shovel, burned the mugwort again, and observed where the smoke spread.

Chi Fanyu couldn't help but ask: "What are you doing?"

Shentu Zhuo said, "This is called finding the spring with moxa fire. Using this method, we can find the direction of this underground spring."

Looking at his dirty but tough back, Chi Fanyu thought to himself that his brother was really different from before. His uncle was right, he was indeed a man capable of doing great things.
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From then on, along the route of the canal dug by Shentu Zhuo and his men, merchants would come every now and then to give them money, send them clothes and food, and buy them new farm tools.

Some people did try to bribe Shentu Zhuo and the canal managers to benefit their own fields or shops. However, Shentu Zhuo sternly rejected their suggestions. He explained that the layout of the branch canals had been measured using four instruments: a ruler, a rope, a compass, and a square. He said that they couldn't arbitrarily change the layout to suit their own ideas. If the dikes broke or the water supply was cut off, it would be too late to regret.

The "reward" on this day was particularly grand. Some wealthy merchants even cooked sheep and slaughtered cattle and held a grand banquet in front of all the soldiers.

Shentu Zhuo looked closely and saw that it was Mr. Tan.

It was no wonder. The fields beneath their feet belonged to the Tan family. Not far away, he could still see the old Tan family mansion where he had secretly investigated Tan Huaike's background. Mr. Tan was wealthy and powerful, and he was also good at pretending to be rich and winning people over. This feast was extremely sumptuous, and even wine was provided, which really made the soldiers happy and satisfied.

But Shentu Zhuo didn't appreciate it.

Giving away clothes and farm tools would be best, and hosting a feast to fill everyone's stomachs would be fine, but what are we going to do with all that alcohol? Can we still work if we're drunk? What if we fall into the river?
Although he ordered that drinking was prohibited, there were so many canal soldiers who took turns to eat at the banquet from noon to night, and it was impossible for him to keep an eye on them all the time. He could not stop someone from drinking secretly.

Seeing that some people were already staggering, Shentu Zhuo was helpless. For the sake of everyone's safety, he had to finish work early today. The delayed excavation progress could only be made up in the next few days.

When someone treats you warmly, you should always show up to express your gratitude.

Shentu Zhuo was busy at noon and only ate a Hu pancake in a hurry. At this time, night fell, and after he finished inspecting the last section of the canal, the sumptuous feast was almost over.

Several canal leaders were already drunk on the ridge.

Tsk, there are indeed few obedient ones.

Shen Tu Zhuo walked over and bowed to Master Tan. "Thank you for your hospitality, Master Tan. We've had a feast today. But please don't bring alcohol with you next time. Look at those drunks. They get carried away after drinking and can easily cause trouble here."

Mr. Tan cheerfully stepped forward to help him up. "I was careless. I thought wine would invigorate the blood and warm the body, so I carried it here for everyone. Master Zhuo, your lesson is, next time you don't bring wine, how about just some hot tea?"

"So good."

"Ah, it's so rare that Master Zhuo has honored me with his presence. I'll open another table for you," said Mr. Tan cordially. "I haven't eaten yet either, so I'll have dinner with you."

It was obvious that there was a very ugly commotion in Shentu Mansion that day, but these two people seemed to have forgotten it and no one mentioned it.

Mr. Tan felt embarrassed. He was still so high-spirited because of the money Tan Huaike gave him when he took over the five shops. Everyone in the Shentu family knew it. Shentu Zhuo didn't want to be associated with Fu Niangzi anymore. Tan Huaike had specifically told him before he left, not wanting him to become his brother-in-law inexplicably.

It was just a simple meal, so I just ate it.

But Master Tan insisted on offering him a drink, and advised, "Master Zhuo, haven't we already called it a day? I heard you like to drink fruit wine, so I specially brought this wine from Yanzhisi in Huai Ke. Now that you're here, why not have a drink?"

The familiar aroma of wine made Shentu Zhuo stop trying to refuse.

It has been a long time since I last went to Yanzhisi, and it has also been a long time since I last climbed over the wall to the side courtyard. The man who used to scoop wine for him has gone on a long journey. The long nights are without any comfort, and it really makes me want to drink.

So he took the wine cup.

Looking down, under the moonlight, the deep red wine was rippling with translucent ripples, just like his thoughts drifting towards Andu.

Shentu Zhuo paused, then finally raised his head, raised his sleeves, and drank it all in one gulp.

Soon the bottle of wine was empty, and Shentu Zhuo fell drunk on the table.

Mr. Tan had a triumphant smile on his face and ordered the servants, "Come, take Master Zhuo down to rest."

When Shentu Zhuo opened his eyes again, he found himself in a boudoir in the old house of the Tan family.
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Next chapter: You call this deep love?