A Dwelling to Settle In

Chapter 23: A Temporary Place to Stay

"If there is anything you wish to accomplish, you may handle it yourself, or you may have Qianshan arrange for people to assist you. As long as you complete this task for me, you may mobilize anyone throughout Mengcheng, and you are free to come and go within and outside the prefecture as you please." The Prefect truly lived by the philosophy of not doubting those he employed, which made one feel quite at ease, even though Zi Bofeng knew this fierce, burly soldier would likely be shadowing him all day long.

"Qianshan, you will have to work hard to protect Bofeng during this time and ensure he is not disturbed," the Prefect said, looking at the travel-worn Luo Qianshan.

"This subordinate obeys!" Luo Qianshan cupped his fists and answered crisply. Given the Prefect's trust in this matter, how could he dare not pledge his life to the task?

After Zi Bofeng exited the Prefect's study, the Prefect grabbed Luo Qianshan and said, "Nan'er, keep a close eye on this lad. Don't let him stir up any trouble."

"Please rest assured, Foster Father." Luo Qianshan patted his chest. Having traversed the battlefield and killed countless men, how could he be outwitted by a weak, bookish scholar who couldn't even truss a chicken?

"Be careful; this lad is sharp."

"This subordinate understands." Luo Qianshan toyed with the steel saber at his waist, which let out a sharp clack.

Little Stone, perched on the wall, watched Zi Jian and the mortar as they patched the seams of the courtyard wall. Bored, he began looking around. Across the street stood the grand compound of the Mengcheng Prefecture. A little chubby girl dressed in vibrant, flowery clothes was playing inside, holding a pair of wooden carvings—a boy and a girl—that looked like they had been carved by his older brother. Beside her, a woman in green watched over her, occasionally calling her "Young Miss."

Was that Qiu'er?

Little Stone looked left and right, and seeing that Zi Jian's attention was not on him, he quietly slid off the wall. He ran to the other side of the street, grabbed onto a large tree, and climbed up onto the wall of the Mengcheng Prefecture. Peering over the top, he whispered, "Qiu'er! Qiu'er!"

Qiu'er looked up, stared at the dirty little head before her, and asked in confusion, "How do you know my name?"

"Because I am your Little Stone brother!" Little Stone said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Of course I know Qiu'er's name, and Qiu'er knows my name too, right?"

"Little Stone brother?" Qiu'er blinked, looking down at the wooden carvings in her hands. Though they were simple, they were vivid and lifelike. Qiu'er immediately smiled. "You are Little Stone brother? Come down and play with Qiu'er, okay?"

"You wait..." Little Stone looked around, flipped over the wall, and stuck his little bottom out, sliding down the wall with his legs dangling until he landed with a thud on his backside. He stood up immediately, patting his bottom as if nothing had happened.

Zi Bofeng walked out of the Prefect's study and, through a cluster of trees, witnessed this very scene. He rolled his eyes, thinking, My brother beats the drum to seek justice, and Little Stone scales walls to meet his future wife—this level of prowess is truly formidable. As expected of the Little Stone of our family!

However, he dared not let Luo Qianshan see. Seeing Luo Qianshan emerge, he immediately pointed to the sky on the other side: "Look, a flying machine!"

Luo Qianshan followed his finger to look, but saw only the vast blue sky and drifting white clouds—a rare, beautiful day.

"Where is the flying machine?" Luo Qianshan asked, puzzled.

"Forget it if you didn't see it." Zi Bofeng shrugged and walked forward.

Luo Qianshan scratched his head and immediately followed.

Seeing Little Stone climb over the wall from that direction, he roughly knew where his father was. Zi Bofeng exited the mansion gates, turned a corner, and saw Zi Jian's figure.

Upon seeing Zi Bofeng, Zi Jian hurriedly stood up and asked, "How did it go?"

Then, seeing the government soldier following behind Zi Bofeng, he was startled. Could something have gone wrong? Did they send Bofeng here to settle his final affairs?

But then he saw the soldier cup his hands and say, "Uncle!"

"It's all done," Zi Bofeng said with a grin. "The taxes for our Lower Yan Village don't need to be paid."

"Really?" Zi Jian was overjoyed, but he dared not be disrespectful to Luo Qianshan. "Bofeng, you haven't introduced this official yet."

"I am Luo Qianshan, a good friend of your son," Luo Qianshan introduced himself. "Uncle can just call me Qianshan."

Although Luo Qianshan was wearing military attire, Zi Jian did not recognize their rank, so he was only slightly puzzled. It wasn't strange for Zi Bofeng to have two or three friends after studying in Mengcheng for a year, but he didn't know why his son's friend was a common soldier.

"General Luo..." Zi Jian hesitated with the title, then pulled Zi Bofeng aside to ask for details.

Zi Bofeng proudly recounted how he had beaten the drum to seek justice, how he had argued eloquently in court, and how he had made Hu Caijun howl in misery. He omitted the later events, saying only that the Prefect wanted his help in organizing the mansion's accounts and that they would be staying in the city for a few more days.

Watching Zi Bofeng's smug expression, Luo Qianshan shook his head slightly. Although he had wanted to chop Zi Bofeng down earlier, he still admired the young talent who had argued so brilliantly in court. Seeing him now, however, the facade had fallen away, revealing nothing more than a posturing, bratty kid. He had plenty of such subordinates, all of whom he had trained to be as obedient as monkeys.

"I intended to go to the clinic to see Zhuzi's Mother later. If you have time, come with me. Then Little Stone and I will head back first."

"Father, you haven't eaten yet," Zi Bofeng said, holding his father back. "Let's go eat first."

He added, "Besides, someone is treating us."

I can't be doing work for you and still have to pay for my own meals, can I?

"I will play the host," Luo Qianshan said, forcing a smile.

"That's too embarrassing." Zi Jian was genuinely embarrassed. He looked around and asked, "Where is Little Stone?"

"I saw him playing with the local children over there just now. We can just bring him some food after we finish," Zi Bofeng said. Little Stone was still over there playing with his future wife, and Zi Bofeng certainly couldn't tell Zi Jian that, or his honest, upright father might be frightened into an illness.

Luo Qianshan did not neglect Zi Bofeng. Knowing he was a talent the Prefect relied upon, he led them directly to a restaurant and ordered fine wine and dishes.

"Tsk tsk, it's been a long time since I've had a good meal," Zi Bofeng said, swallowing his saliva. "Sigh, staying in the village, my mouth has become so bland it's practically tasteless."

Watching his son's beaming face, Zi Jian felt a pang of heartache. He was useless, and because of him, his son had never eaten anything good.

However, having eaten countless delicacies in his past life, Zi Bofeng ate while critiquing the food, feeling a bit sorry for Little Stone—he wondered if the boy would rather be playing with his wife or eating a grand feast.

At that moment, Little Stone was sharing snacks with Qiu'er. After finishing, he quietly hid one in his pocket to take back for his uncle and brother to taste.

"Father, don't be so formal. Qianshan and I are very close; I'll be with him for the next few days," Zi Bofeng said, patting Luo Qianshan on the shoulder. "Right, Qianshan?"

"That's right, please don't be formal," Luo Qianshan said with a forced smile. My salary...

Seeing Zi Bofeng eating until his mouth was glistening with oil, Luo Qianshan steeled his heart and began to eat with gusto as well. He couldn't let all the good food go into Zi Bofeng's stomach alone.

After a satisfying meal, Zi Jian and his son headed to the clinic to visit Zhuzi's Mother. While still some distance away, they saw a flatbed cart parked outside the clinic entrance. Zhuzi was squatting beside it, dry-swallowing a steamed bun and rolling his eyes from time to time.

This was completely different from what Zi Bofeng had imagined. It turned out the clinic did not house patients; although they had come to the city for medical treatment, there were no wards available. Fortunately, the weather was warm, so it wasn't cold at night. Zhuzi's Mother rested on the flatbed cart covered by a quilt, while Zhuzi had been huddled beside it for two or three nights. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were as red as a rabbit's.

In the past, when Zi Jian came to the city for work and didn't leave the same night, he would just find any corner to make do for the night. Only when the weather was bad would he pay for lodging at a roadside inn, squeezing into a large bunk shared by eight people. Earning money wasn't easy; staying a single night meant a whole day's income would go down the drain.

"Zhuzi, here is some food and wine, take it and eat," Zi Jian said as he stepped forward. Earlier, Zi Jian had only eaten a little, and he had packed up all the leftovers. Aside from a few buns saved for Little Stone, everything else was here. To the poor, these leftovers were still a gift worth offering.

Only then did Zhuzi notice that the three people approaching were Zi Jian, his son, and a soldier he didn't recognize. He stood up, his gaze landing on Luo Qianshan, and he was immediately startled. What a man!

Zhuzi was the best hunter in Lower Yan Village, but compared to Luo Qianshan, his spirit and vitality were clearly a cut below. Seeing that the man, despite being travel-worn, wore clothes that remained crisp and straight, it was clear he was no ordinary soldier.

"This is General Luo, a good friend of Bofeng. We came together to see your mother."

"Mother, Brother Zi Jian has come to see you. And General Luo, and... Bofeng." When he mentioned Zi Bofeng's name, Zhuzi glanced back at him, leaving Zi Bofeng speechless. What kind of grudge was this?

Zhuzi's Mother took Zi Jian's hand. Seeing her thin, withered fingers, Zi Bofeng couldn't help but think of Blind Granny, and an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

"Uncle Zhuzi, why are you letting Grandma stay out here?" Zi Bofeng asked. Wasn't the point of recovering from an illness to actually rest? Being exposed to the wind and sun—how could that be considered recuperation?

Zi Bofeng turned to look at Luo Qianshan, then said to Zhuzi, "Uncle Zhuzi, I have a temporary residence in Meng City. If you don't mind, bring Grandma over. It will certainly be better than staying out here."

Zhuzi stared at Zi Bofeng, tongue-tied. He hadn't expected that even after he had slapped Zi Bofeng, the boy would hold no grudge against him.

However, remembering what Zi Bofeng had said previously, he grew angry again. Stiffening his neck, he said, "No need."

"Zhuzi, you are strong and don't fear the wind and sun, but your mother is weak and cannot endure this suffering. You should come with us."

"We don't need to go inside the house; just a porch to shield us from the wind and rain will be enough." Only then did Zhuzi agree.

"Father, you should also stay in the city for a few more days," Zi Bofeng said. The Prefect would surely provide him with good food and drink, and he wanted his father and Little Stone to get some nourishment as well. Their lives were truly too bitter, with barely a drop of oil in their stomachs.

Record of Raising Monsters