Wuxia: Drinking with Spring Breeze

Chapter 80 - 69: After the Rain, Clear Skies

Fang Ke was a very capable man.

After leaving Yang Ge’s house, he turned around and engraved Yang Ge’s words into a stone tablet without changing a single word. He personally escorted it in his commander uniform to the east city gate, where he carefully set it up.

After setting up the stone tablet, he didn’t rush to leave, but stayed by the stone tablet, tirelessly reading the inscription aloud to the onlookers again and again.

The passersby entering and leaving the city gate naturally didn’t know that a large group of Jianghu people would soon surge into Luting County.

But that didn’t stop them from discerning the determination of Lu Ting’s Imperial Guards to maintain peace from the powerful and resounding words of the inscription, immediately drawing rounds of applause.

To be honest, the reputation of Wei’s Imperial Guards among the lower classes wasn’t good!

Half of this was because of the natural fear the common folk had towards the governmental authority’s violent institutions.

The other half was because there indeed were many scoundrels within the Imperial Guards who would seize any opportunity to exploit and act unscrupulously.

However, the reputation of Lu Ting’s Imperial Guards in Luting was generally quite good.

This was partly because Yang Ge strictly controlled them, and Lu Ting’s Imperial Guards seldom harassed the common people.

It was also because last December when there was a raid for grains, Lu Ting’s Imperial Guards stood on the side of the people of Luting.

Don’t think the common folk are ignorant just because they can’t read; they can discuss and understand the underlying reasons even if they didn’t grasp it at the moment...

Take last year’s grain raid for example, if Lu Ting’s Imperial Guards had decisively sided with the three major grain depots, they could have sealed the doors and

It was just as lively on Yang Ge’s side; he ignited a string of firecrackers to announce the opening of the Yuelai Inn.

At the sound of the festive firecrackers, the neighboring locals all rushed over to congratulate Shopkeeper Liu.

Shopkeeper Liu stood on the steps outside the inn, his old face blossoming like a chrysanthemum with continuous bows and greetings.

Yet, as time passed, the crowd surrounding Shopkeeper Liu not only did not thin out, it actually grew bigger and bigger, enclosing the old man in multiple layers, all speaking auspicious words to him.

Some even started to cry while speaking those lucky words, insisting on kneeling and kowtowing to Shopkeeper Liu...

The old man, his eyes also brimming with tears, circled around pulling up neighbors who insisted on kneeling, offering comforting words such as, "It’s all in the past," and, "Don’t mention it or it’ll be awkward."

Many others, brought buckets of water and cleaning cloths from their homes, and cleaned the tables, chairs, and benches in the inn as if tidying their own homes. Even when Yang Ge stepped forward to help, they insistently pushed him outside the doors.

He could only stand idly on the steps outside the inn’s main entrance, watching the old shopkeeper beaming amid the crowd with his old neighbors and locals, feeling joy and warmth in his heart.

Who says good deeds don’t pay off?

Who says that mending bridges and roads leads to no good?

Look...

So many people still remember!

The world is in tatters.

Some people patch it up...

"Old Shopkeeper, may your business prosper!"

A voice, booming with joy, came from afar. Yang Ge turned around and saw Wang Dezhu pushing a handcart full of firewood, running towards them.

Yang Ge, laughing, waved to Wang Dezhu, "Uncle Wang, slow down, watch out for the people!"

Wang Dezhu, laughing heartily, came closer and, like performing a magic trick, produced a large basket from under the firewood and handed it to Yang Ge, "You’re in luck, boy! I found these on the mountain today!"

Yang Ge, at a loss, looked down and saw a nest of rabbit kits, about the size of apples, in the basket and immediately pushed it back, "I can’t take this, Wang. Your child just turned a year old, right? He needs it for growing... "

Wang Dezhu pretended to be upset and stuffed the basket into his arms, "What are you being so formal with your uncle for!"

After saying this, he turned to unload a bundle of firewood from the cart and hurried towards the inn’s backyard.

Yang Ge looked at the nest of little rabbits in his arms, then at Wang Dezhu humming a tune and briskly walking away, a slow smile spreading from his lips to his eyes.

The storm had passed!