Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 47 Showing off your fishing rod!

Before looking for anyone else, Xiao Ran wanted to take Zhang Dalang there first, get some tree stumps or something, make a plank, and block up the cave.

It's quite rudimentary now, just some shrubs and weeds to cover it up, not very secure.

I don't want too many people to know about my RV.

As for how to build the house, Xiao Ran had already come up with a plan.

A storage room was built directly in front of the cave. It's called a storage room, but it's actually to leave a path so that RVs can drive out in the future.

Next to the storage room is Xiao Ran's bedroom, with a door left open for easy access to the cave to retrieve things.

In front of the bedroom and storage room is the main hall, which is divided into two sections, left and right. The right section can be the same as the one in this era, while Xiao Ran wants to build a large kang (heated brick bed) on the left.

Although there are alternatives to cement in this era, Xiao Ran wanted to make some cement himself for the sake of the quality of the house.

The large kang (heated brick bed) on the left is for heating, and the stove outside is the kitchen.

The outhouse was located on the right side of the hall.

These rooms are far from enough; side rooms also need to be built on both sides of the main hall.

Prepare more rooms, considering the possibility of raising livestock in the future. To the left, that is, upwards from the valley, you can build cattle sheds and chicken coops.

This is a valley, so we also need to consider drainage to prevent the houses from being washed away during the rainy season.

It has a bit of a stilted house feel to it; the back part is supported by the mountain, while the front part needs to be supported by pillars.

The mountain opposite the cave is not high and does not obstruct the view.

Qin Tai returned to the Duke of Ji's mansion and saw Qin Qiong waiting for him at the door.

The carriage stopped, and Qin Tai quickly got out, "My lord!"

Qin Qiong strode towards Qin Tai, excited when he saw the fishing rod.

"Hahaha!" Qin Qiong laughed as he took it. "Yes, yes, this is it, this is it!"

Qin Tai smiled obsequiously; it didn't look like a fishing rod at all.

"Ah Lang, here are these things too." Qin Tai took out the fishing line and hooks as well.

Qin Qiong was no stranger to fishing line; it was a kind of line that was somewhat transparent yet very strong.

"Do you have any bait?"

"Bait?" Qin Tai shook his head. "No, this is all the young master gave us."

"Very well, contentment is happiness, these are good enough." Qin Qiong stopped worrying about the bait and returned to his residence.

With a twist, the fishing rod grew longer.

Qin Tai, standing nearby, was dumbfounded; he never imagined fishing rods could be used like that.

"Ah Lang, how... how did it get longer?" Qin Tai was completely baffled.

"Hahaha!" Qin Qiong burst into laughter. "Otherwise, why would you call it a treasure?"

Qin Qiong lowered his voice, "His Majesty is also envious, but he doesn't have one yet!"

Congratulations, Ah Lang!

"Great stuff, great stuff. It's a pity it's a bit late today, otherwise I would have gone out to try it." We don't necessarily have to go to Kaolao Village to fish. There are many rivers near Chang'an City, and we can even go without leaving the city.

Qin Qiong thought for a moment, then put away his fishing rod. "Prepare the carriage, let's go to the Duke of Su's mansion!"

"Yes, Ah Lang!"

Qin Qiong smiled. What's the difference between having such a good thing and not showing it off?
The carriage soon arrived in front of Cheng Yaojin's residence. The two families were close, so Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin did not need to announce their arrival when visiting each other.

Everyone in the household knows them and won't stop them.

Upon hearing that Qin Qiong was coming, Cheng Yaojin, along with Cheng Chumo and Cheng Tiehuan, immediately came out to greet him.

"Brother Qin! Hahaha! What brings you here!"

Cheng Yaojin had a lot to do, while Qin Qiong was much more relaxed, spending most of his time recuperating at home.

"Nothing much, just passing by and thought I'd take a look." Qin Qiong picked up the retracted fishing rod and clapped his hands.

Anyone who didn't know better would think Qin Qiong was holding a flute!
When Cheng Yaojin saw what Qin Qiong was holding, his eyes widened immediately. "No, Brother Qin, where did you get this?"

Cheng Yaojin waved his hand, signaling everyone else to step back.

"Brother Qin, are you going to find young master Xiao Ran?"

"No, not at all. It was my nephew who came to the Duke of Ji's residence to see me off." Qin Qiong's lips curled up slightly, quite pleased with himself.

"This is a precious item, and I don't want it, but I can't refuse your kind offer, so it wouldn't be right to refuse."

When Cheng Yaojin heard Qin Qiong mention Versailles, he was utterly speechless.

Cheng Yaojin had always coveted Xiao Ran's fishing rod.

This made Cheng Yaojin extremely envious.

"Brother Qin, let me take a look."

Cheng Yaojin finally managed to get his hands on it and took a look at it.

I also like this feeling of flexibility.

After showing off to Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong left the Duke of Su's mansion. "Is Yuchi Jingde in Chang'an again?"

"The Duke of Wu has been appointed as the Prefect of Tongzhou, but it seems he hasn't left yet after returning!" Qin Tai quickly said.

Tongzhou was not far from Chang'an.

"To the Duke of Wu's mansion!" Qin Qiong boarded the carriage.

As Cheng Yaojin watched Qin Qiong's carriage leave, he wondered how he could buy a fishing rod.

Cheng Chumo leaned closer and asked, "Father, what is that thing that Uncle Qin is holding that can go from long to short?"

Cheng Yaojin flicked Cheng Chumo on the forehead, "Don't ask such nonsense!"

In the evening, instead of millet rice, Xiao Ran thought the flatbread was quite delicious.

This stuff is expensive, but it tastes good and keeps you full for a while.

"This is delicious." Third Aunt hugged the sesame cake and ate it with relish.

"Second Aunt, the salt you used before is fine for pickling vegetables. Just add a little more salt when pickling vegetables, otherwise they might spoil after a short time. From now on, when we cook at home, just use the salt I gave you. Just use the normal amount. Don't be stingy. If you don't have enough salt, you won't have the strength to work!"

Xiao Ran even brought over the fine salt from his RV to cook.

"Alright, young master, I'll remember that!"

"We don't advocate waste, but there's no need to be too frugal either. Eat and drink as you please."

"Okay!" Zhang Erya took a bite of the sesame flatbread.

There were also more than two thousand coins at home, which made me feel relatively safe.

The next day, after roasting the chestnuts and delivering them, Xiao Ran looked at Zhang Erya and said, "Second Aunt, when you and Jinniang go to collect the chestnuts, ask if there are any idle children in the house who can cut grass, and invite them to help cut grass."

"it is good!"

“There should be plenty of these. There are probably no chestnuts left now, and you won’t be able to find any more on the mountain,” Zhang Jinhe said. “I’ll ask around for you.”

"How much money is appropriate for the young master?" Zhang Erya had no idea.

Xiao Ran doesn't mind giving more, but it can't disrupt market prices, such as affecting Zhang Jinhe's family.

“Mowing grass is a relatively easy job. Six coins for a meal is about right, or eight coins if you don’t provide meals,” Zhang Jinhe suggested.

"Cooking is inconvenient, so give me eight coins! I won't provide meals!" Xiao Ran said.

The matter is settled.

There are many weeds in the village, but relatively few livestock, so the supply is quite sufficient.

Xiao Ran led Zhang Dalang and San Niang to the front of the cave.

Xiao Ran blocked the cave. Pointing at the cave, he said, "Get some wooden stakes to make this place sturdy. Then we'll find someone to help us build a house."

"Good!" Zhang Dalang looked around and felt that building a house here seemed like a good idea.

Third Sister was playing with Little Black on the other side of the grass.

Xiao Ran and Zhang Dalang were busy looking for wooden stakes.

Hearing a noise from behind the bushes, Third Sister turned around to look.

The silver shaded cat had somehow slipped out of the cave.

Third Sister had never seen a silver shaded cat before, but this one looked quite pretty, and she wasn't scared. Third Sister ran to Xiao Ran's side, "Young Master, Brother, what does it look like?"

Xiao Ran looked in the direction San Niang pointed and saw the silver shaded cat. "It's my cat, Coco, come here."

Although cats are usually a bit aloof and not as lively and affectionate as dogs, they do know when you call their names.

"Meow~"

The cat meowed and ran over to Xiao Ran, rubbing against him.

The Zhang siblings had never seen the cat before, because it spent most of its time in the car and only occasionally wandered around the cave.

It won't go too far.

"Wow! The kitten is so cute too." Third Sister squatted down and gently stroked it.

"Third Sister, let's take her along to play!"

"Okay!" Third Sister picked up the cat and took Little Black to the other side.

Having a pet to keep a child company is actually quite nice; at least it's better than being all alone.

Pets at least won't isolate or bully vulnerable children.

Tai Chi Hall

The desk in front of Li Shimin was piled high with memorials. After reading and annotating one, he would pick up another.

Zhang Anan approached Li Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Wu requests an audience!"

"Jingde! Speak!" Li Shimin then put down the memorial and shook his neck.

Yuchi Jingde, with a full beard and a burly build, strode into the Taiji Hall.

He bowed respectfully, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

"Jingde, no need for formalities, sit down and let's talk!" Li Shimin pointed to the cushion.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"What brings you to see me?" Li Shimin had always been very fond of this great contributor to the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

"Your Majesty, I must return to Tongzhou now. I have come to bid you farewell, and I do not know when I will be able to see Your Majesty again!"

Li Shimin nodded, "Tongzhou is not far from Chang'an. When you are not busy, I allow you to return to Chang'an to see me. If you need anything, you can send someone to tell me!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yuchi Jingde quickly expressed his gratitude.

There was really nothing wrong; he simply wanted to leave to see Li Shimin.

It's a way to reconnect.

Yuchi Jingde is the governor of Tongzhou, and he has a lot to do this season.

"Your Majesty, I will not trouble you any further!"

"okay!"

Yuchi Jingde stood up, thinking of Qin Qiong, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask, the Duke of Ji has been unemployed at home recently. Why don't you find him some work to do?"

"Huh? Why is that?"

"The Duke of Ji said he was recuperating, but I see he is doing very well now. Yesterday, he somehow got hold of a special fishing rod and showed it off at my house."

Li Shimin could tell it was a joke, "Fishing rod? What kind of fishing rod?"

Yuchi Jingde thought for a moment, then gestured, "The color is a bit dark, and I don't know what kind of material it is. It looks like a flute. When you swing it out, it's very long, and it can even extend and retract freely."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was no longer calm. Wasn't this Xiao Ran's fishing rod?

"Is this true?" Li Shimin asked hurriedly.

Yuchi Jingde was just saying it casually, but he realized something was wrong.

"Yes! Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you. The Duke of Ji also said that the fishing rod is not only retractable, but also very sturdy, much better than bamboo."

Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That fishing rod is indeed a fine item. I understand!"

"Your Majesty, I retire!"

Li Shimin nodded slightly.

After Yuchi Jingde left, Li Shimin fell into deep thought.

Qin Qiong was a low-key and cautious person. Although he had a good relationship with Yuchi Jingde, his boasting was clearly for ulterior motives.

He simply wanted to tell Li Shimin about this.

I don't mean to brag, but it's better for Li Shimin to know about this, otherwise it's easy to misunderstand.

Previously, Qin Qiong had learned from Li Lizhi and the others that Xiao Ran had come to Chang'an City, and now he had obtained the fishing rod.

Qin Qiong wouldn't have approached Xiao Ran on his own initiative; it must be that Xiao Ran needed something from Qin Qiong, which is why he took out the fishing rod.
Li Shimin didn't know the specifics of the matter, but he was certain that Xiao Ran had taken the initiative to approach Qin Qiong.

"Oh dear! I didn't expect the Duke of Ji to get it first." Li Shimin was indeed very envious.

Zhang Anan, who was standing nearby, said with a smile, "Your Majesty, the young master has more than two fishing rods. You can buy another one when you have the chance."

Li Shimin was too embarrassed to speak up, so he suggested that Li Lizhi find Xiao Ran instead.

Previously, Li Lizhi and Xiao Ran had been exchanging letters.

"No rush, there's plenty of time!"

Anyway, Xiao Ran is clearly going to settle down in Kaolao Village, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Zhang Dalang is really strong, but he's not good at much else besides farming.

They are indeed not very old.

You need strength, you need skill, you need technique!

"Okay, that's fine!" Xiao Ran looked at the cave.

Pick up a bottle of mineral water and throw it over.

Zhang Dalang looked at the bottled water, unsure how to open it.

I've never seen anything like this before.

Xiao Ran realized what was happening, opened his bottle and handed it to Zhang Dalang, "It's just water, nothing special."

When Third Sister saw the plastic bottle, she thought it contained something delicious.

After taking a sip, his little head looked completely bewildered.

Xiao Ran chuckled, "Let's go home!"

"Okay!" Third Sister took Xiao Ran's hand.

This time I brought the cat home with me.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya prepared the chestnuts for the afternoon and also arranged for someone to cut the grass.

Xiao Ran saw people cutting grass on the nearby field ridges from a great distance.

Back in the courtyard, Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya were kneading persimmons.

"Second Aunt, Jinniang!"

"Sister!"

"You're back!" Zhang Jinhe asked, "Young master, when are you going to roast chestnuts?"

"We'll talk about it later. The wheat needs to be soaked before we make maltose."

"I'll go soak right now!" Zhang Erya said, and went inside the house.

"Third Aunt, I want to build a house, but I don't know how. Is there anyone in the village who knows how to do this? I need someone to oversee and direct the process."

“There’s none in Kaolao Village. My third grandfather can make doors and windows, but for building a house, you’ll have to find Wang, the village head.”

“The village head is probably too busy, everyone’s pretty busy. Is there no one else?” Wang Shen is, after all, a grassroots official!

“The other people who approached him before, young master, you could actually give it a try.” Zhang Jinhe knew about Qu Yuanli’s situation; Wang Shen and Xiao Ran actually had a good relationship.

"What's a reasonable price for the other workers, who are found from the village?"

“Young master, this kind of work is quite tough and tiring, unlike what we do at home. It will definitely pay more.” Zhang Jinhe knew that Xiao Ran had always been hesitant about paying wages.

"It's about fifteen coins. If my great-grandfather were to do carpentry, it would be much more expensive."

"If the young master needs it, I can help him make some contact. It's not busy this time of year."

(End of this chapter)