Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 173 Outing
Several newly built stone canals stretch across the fields like silver ribbons, cleverly channeling in the clear Fen River.

Along the canal, there are several simple wooden waterwheels that turn slowly with the flow of water, lifting the water to a higher slope.

“Waterwheel irrigation can make farming twice as efficient, no wonder the magistrate said it saves manpower.” Ma Yan’s eyes showed joy.

"However, if the tilting angle of the water bucket could be improved, the efficiency might increase by another 10% or 20%."

She was almost subconsciously thinking about the details again.

Zhang Xian looked at her focused profile; her skin was delicate in the sunlight, a tiny bead of sweat glistened on the tip of her nose, and her lips were slightly pursed.

He smiled slightly, a thought stirring in his heart, "It seems that Miss Ma never forgets to study, no matter where she goes."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yan turned her head, her face slightly flushed, and smiled shyly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, my lord. I often study these strange and ingenious techniques with my father, and I can't help but ponder them."

“This is the heart of a child, what is there to laugh at?” Zhang Xian said gently.

"If all craftsmen in the world had the same dedication to their craft as this young lady, it would be a good thing for the people."

His words were sincere, without the slightest bit of politeness or condescension, only pure appreciation.

Ma Yan felt a warmth in her heart and looked up at Zhang Xian.

Today he was only wearing a dark blue robe, his figure was as upright as a pine tree, and his brows were less sharp and decisive than when he was directing things in the workshop, and more relaxed and gentle like someone enjoying a spring outing.

Those deep eyes were looking at her with a smile, and her image was clearly reflected in them.

Her heart skipped a beat for no reason, and she quickly looked away, pointing to a spot and saying, "Jun'er, look at the water birds over there!"

The Fen River is wide, and its waters shimmer with golden light under the spring sunshine.

Near the shore, several white waterbirds were leisurely strolling and foraging in the shallow water, occasionally stretching their necks and calling out in a clear and melodious voice.

Ma Jun pointed excitedly behind her: "Sister! It's an egret!"

They traveled for a while longer.

The three of them dismounted and tied their horses to newly planted willow trees on the bank.

Zhang Xian took a small food box from beside the saddle.

"I brought some newly made pastries from your residence, as well as some honey water. It's a good time to rest here."

He found a flat, dry patch of grass on the riverbank and spread out a clean piece of kudzu cloth.

The food box was opened, revealing several exquisite pastries: red bean buns shaped like little rabbits, translucent glutinous rice cakes, and a few sesame-sprinkled shortbreads.

A small pot of still-warm honey water exudes a sweet aroma.

"Want to try some?" he invited.

"It smells so good!" Ma Jun's eyes widened, he swallowed hard, and looked at his sister with longing eyes.

"Eat up." Ma Yan nodded with a smile and picked up a piece of chilled rice cake for herself.

It has a cool and soft texture, with a subtle rice aroma and just the right amount of sweetness.

Zhang Xian poured her a glass of honey water and handed it to her: "Slow down, be careful not to choke."

Ma Yan took the bamboo cup, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against his fingers, the warm touch making her heart skip a beat again.

She lowered her head and sipped the sweet honey water, concealing her slightly flushed cheeks.

A river breeze carrying moisture blew in, rustling the weeping willows and newly grown reeds on the bank.

The warm sunshine bathed me, and the distant shouts of farmers, the calls of water birds, and the creaking of waterwheels created a truly pleasant atmosphere.

After finishing a piece of pastry, Ma Jun couldn't sit still any longer. He was attracted by several oddly shaped pebbles on the shore and ran over to pick them up.

Zhang Xian and Ma Yan sat side by side on the burlap, watching Ma Jun's small figure playing in the shallow water.

“Jun’er seems to really like this place.” Zhang Xian looked at the child intently picking up stones, a gentle smile in his eyes.

"Mmm." Ma Yan nodded, her gaze following her younger brother with the tenderness characteristic of an older sister.

"He has loved these stones and wood since he was a child, and he likes to tinker with small mechanisms."

Father often said that Jun'er was even more clever than me in this regard.

Her tone was full of pride when she spoke of her younger brother.

"Like father, like daughter; like sister, like brother," Zhang Xian chuckled.

Ma Yan sighed softly, her eyes dimming slightly: "My mother passed away early, and my father had to take us in, not only to study those strange and ingenious skills that others considered ingenious to make a living, but also to deal with the gossip in the clan. It was really not easy."

If it weren't for my father's unwavering will and the fact that we had a superior like the governor who was so open to employing talent, we would have…

She didn't finish her sentence, but Zhang Xian understood what she meant.

In this era, artisans, especially those who were passionate about their craft, had to bear a great deal of burdens.

"The greatest truths are the simplest, and the greatest skill appears clumsy." Zhang Xian looked at the shimmering river surface, his voice steady and powerful.

"The ability to alleviate the people's suffering and strengthen the nation's military and national defense is the right path. Miss Ma and your father and brother are treasures in Bingzhou and in the world."

Why bother with the words of those short-sighted people?

His words were like a rock, carrying a convincing power and a heartfelt respect.

Ma Yan stared blankly at his sharply defined profile, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up inside her.

Was it gratitude? Was it recognition? Or... a deeper stirring of emotion? She couldn't quite tell.

"My lord..." she began softly, wanting to say something, but not knowing where to begin.

Just then, a short scream and a splash came from Ma Jun's side!

"Jun'er!" Ma Yan's expression changed drastically, and she jumped up and rushed over.

Suddenly, Ma Jun slipped and stepped into the shallow muddy water on the bank. Half of his body was submerged in the water, and he was thrashing about in a panic, splashing water everywhere.

He was still clutching a strangely shaped stone he had just picked up.

Zhang Xian was faster than Ma Yan!

Almost at the same time as Ma Jun's cry of alarm, he had already shot out like an arrow, rushing to the bank in a few big strides and stepping into the knee-deep river water without hesitation.

The icy river water instantly soaked through his trouser legs and the hem of his robe.

He grabbed Ma Jun's arm and steadily lifted the soaking wet, pale-faced child out of the mud.

"Jun'er, don't be afraid!" Zhang Xian's voice was steady and powerful, which reassured people.

Still shaken, Ma Jun clutched Zhang Xian's clothes tightly and burst into tears, the cold river water mixing with his tears and snot, smearing his face.

Ma Yan rushed over and saw her younger brother's pitiful appearance, soaked to the bone and shivering. She felt both heartache and lingering fear, and quickly took off her half-sleeved outer garment to wrap around Ma Jun.

"It's alright, it's alright, Jun'er, don't be afraid, your older sister is here." She gently comforted her younger brother while checking him for injuries.

Fortunately, they were only startled and got some mud on their skin; they were otherwise unharmed.

She then looked up at Zhang Xian and saw that the hem of his robe and the legs of his boots and trousers were completely soaked and covered with mud from the riverbed. He looked disheveled and had lost all semblance of the dignity of a magistrate.
“My lord! Your clothes…” Ma Yan was both grateful and apologetic.

"It's alright." Zhang Xian waved his hand dismissively, looked down at Ma Jun who was sobbing in his arms, and asked gently.

"Where's the stone? Is the stone that Jun'er picked up still there?"

Ma Jun, sobbing, unfolded a flat, round pebble with a natural hole in the center from his tightly clenched fist.

“It’s…it’s here…” he said, his voice trembling with tears.

"Yes, Jun'er is very brave. He didn't let go even after falling into the water." Zhang Xian praised with a smile, took the wet stone, rinsed it briefly in the river water, revealing the bluish-gray stone and the natural round hole.

“Look, this stone is very special. It looks like a natural spinning wheel. Jun’er has a good eye.”

He spoke casually, as if he hadn't been the one who had awkwardly jumped into the water to save someone, but had simply picked up a toy for the child.

When Ma Jun heard the praise and saw that his beloved stone was still there, his crying gradually subsided, though he was still hiccuping.

Zhang Xian carried Ma Jun ashore.

The cold river water soaked the fabric against my legs, bringing a chill.

He looked around and pointed to a small, simple temple dedicated to the river god on the riverbank not far away: "Let's go there to avoid the wind and make a fire to warm ourselves."

As he spoke, he picked up Ma Jun and placed him on Mo Ying's back, then climbed on top of him himself.

With a gentle nudge to the horse's belly, Mo Ying lifted the horse's hoof and strode away.

Ma Yan also mounted her red horse and followed, and soon the group arrived at the entrance of the small temple.

The small temple had been in disrepair for many years, and the clay statues of the gods were already mottled, but it could still provide shelter from the wind and rain.

Zhang Xian quickly gathered some dry firewood and lit a bonfire in the open space inside the temple.

The orange flames leaped up, dispelling the coolness and bringing warmth.

Ma Yan held Ma Jun and sat him by the fire, carefully helping him take off his soaked shoes, socks, and trousers, and then carefully wiping his cold calves and feet with her own outer shirt and handkerchief.

The firelight illuminated her profile, which was filled with heartache and remorse.

Zhang Xian didn't say anything more. He found a spot with his back to them, took off his half-soaked outer robe and lower garment, wrung out the wet clothes, and spread them out by the fire to dry.

His tall and robust figure brought a sense of reliable security to those in the temple.

The temple fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling of burning firewood and Ma Jun's occasional sobs.

Zhang Xian dried his undershirt and trouser legs by the fire, feeling the warmth dispel the chill, before putting on his clothes and turning around.

Seeing that Ma Yan was looking down, intently rubbing Ma Jun's cold little feet.

"Is Jun'er feeling better?" he asked softly.

Ma Yan looked up, and in the firelight, her eyes were clear and bright.

"Much better, my feet are warmer now, all thanks to you, Your Excellency..."

"It was nothing, nothing to mention," Zhang Xian interrupted her gently.

"Jun'er was frightened. Come, Jun'er, look at this."

He picked up a dry blade of grass from the ground and quickly wove it into the shape of a grasshopper.

The lifelike quality of the creature was as if he were actually holding a grasshopper in his hand.

Ma Jun's eyes suddenly lit up. With great curiosity, he took the grasshopper and examined it carefully for a while. Then, he looked up at Zhang Xian and asked timidly.

"My lord, may I take this apart?"

Zhang Xian was taken aback, then laughed: "Take it apart. If you can't restore it, just ask me, and I'll tell you the key."

"Alright! Thank you, Your Excellency!"

The lingering fear on the child's face completely disappeared, replaced by a curious thirst for knowledge.

Children's attention is easily diverted by novel things.

Seeing her younger brother stop crying and start playing with the grasshopper, Ma Yan finally felt relieved.

She looked at Zhang Xian again, her gaze complex and indescribable.

I am grateful to him for saving Jun'er, moved by his patience and care for the child, and even more shocked that as a high-ranking official, he could step into the icy river without hesitation to save a child.

He didn't care at all that he made himself look so disheveled.

"My lord..." she called softly.

"I will always remember your kindness today."

Zhang Xian looked at her face and said gently, "Miss Ma, what you're saying is unbelievable. If I hadn't invited you two to see the water, Jun'er might not have suffered this ordeal."

His words were light and easy, cleverly easing the heaviness in Ma Yan's heart.

Upon hearing this, Ma Yan looked at the magistrate in front of her who was already playing with her younger brother without any airs, and the tension in her heart completely relaxed, and she couldn't help but smile.

That smile was as dazzlingly bright as spring flowers in full bloom.

"Is the magistrate always so...unpredictable?" she asked softly, her tone carrying an intimacy she herself was unaware of.

Zhang Xian didn't answer, he just focused on playing with Ma Jun. "You can guess, little sister."

On the way home, the sun was shining brightly.

Zhang Xian carried Ma Jun, who had fallen asleep in his arms after playing, while Ma Yan led the two horses slowly along the official road back to the city.

The sunlight cast long shadows of the two people, which occasionally intertwined.

We walked in silence, yet there was a strange sense of peace.

As they approached the entrance of the craft workshop, Ma Yan stopped and took her sleeping younger brother from Zhang Xian's arms.

The little guy was sleeping soundly, still clutching the grasshopper tightly in his hand.

"Thank you for today, Your Excellency... and for this little trinket." Ma Yan's voice was very soft, afraid of waking her younger brother.

"No need for thanks," Zhang Xian said, looking at her with gentle eyes.

"Springtime is still pleasant. If you have some free time, you can take Jun'er out for a walk again. There are other places to see in the mountains and fields of Bingzhou."

Ma Yan met his gaze, and her heart started beating a little faster again.

She nodded slightly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks: "Yes, Your Excellency... you should also go back and change your clothes early, lest you catch a cold."

She held Ma Jun in her arms, turned around, and walked into the workshop.

Their fathers have been invited to become foreman in the workshop, and they are now living in the workshop's residence.

Zhang Xian stood there, watching her figure disappear through the door. He looked down at the hem of his clothes, which was still stained with mud, and a faint smile slowly appeared on his lips.

He doesn't seem to be too opposed to getting married anymore.

street corner.

Two heads were peeking over, one of them, a slightly graying head, anxiously asking the head below it.

"As for Wenruo, this old man cannot see very clearly!"

"Good! Very good! The lord personally saw Madam Ma back inside, and he's still watching her closely, not wanting to turn back!"

"Hahaha! Good! Wenruo, tell me how good this old man is at finding people!"

"Your Highness is truly remarkable; there is still much for me to learn."

"Haha, Wenruo is not bad either. To be able to orchestrate several chance encounters between the magistrate and Madam Ma in such a short time, this strategy truly lives up to the name of the prodigy!"

The two heads flattered each other, and one by one they left satisfied.

To ensure the continuation of the Bingzhou legacy, these civil officials surrounding Zhang Xian racked their brains.

(End of this chapter)