Chapter 24 (1/2)

Chapter 24: Official Song, a Rogue

Mrs. Mei, like before, didn’t have Xiao Qi stay for lunch and prepared steam buns and slowly simmered pork elbow soup, then had the carriage directly send Xiao Qi to Concave Village while Lu Liu carried a chest of books back to Song fu.

Xiao Qi was very excited, it was that entire body’s pores felt keyed up type of excitement. Since leaving Qian fu Xiao Qi had already wiped away her sweat two times. When Xiao Qi once again lifted her hand to wipe her sweat, she giggled with a ‘hehe’ and fished out the booklet again from her chest to carefully take a look.

Calling it a picture booklet, wasn’t false at all.

Half a foot or so of hemp paper was stapled into a small booklet. Inside were carefully drawn models of dams, floodgates, and the main points of the methods to control floods were transcribed. The last page was folded up, when unfolded it was a sheet four times as large. It was a picture, to the side of the mud dam were square pits built with stone, just like what Xiao Qi talked about before. What made people most unable to s.h.i.+ft their eyes away were the continuous rows of rich peach flowers along the two sides of the dam, the two rows of pink that seemed to extend endlessly into the distance.

“hemp paper” not quite the right term, it references a particular type of paper.

In the drawing were the vague back figures of a guy and a girl. The peach flowers were drawn hazily, the figures were also hazy, but their clasped hands were very clear. Xiao Qi thought, this is definitely her dream, what an exceptionally beautiful dream ah. Regardless of who the man in the painting is, she must definitely stand on a dam as beautiful as this and enjoy the feeling of being like a floating immortal. Hehe, it really resembles the peach flower fairy from the folklores!

Think about it, standing on the dam, in front a mist of flower petals, separating you from that torrential river water. People will no longer have to fear floods striking and in the fall can even come to pick honey peaches. Waah, it’s paradise on earth! Helping Official Song build the dam will fulfill her own dream and she could also confidently go home to be the Third Miss, it’s two birds with one stone.

Xiao Qi giddily and lightheadedly got down from the carriage, standing still to first change this wilderness into the scene in the drawing. She faced the scene, showing off her good looks shamelessly for a while, before taking several small quick steps as befitting a wise and virtuous lady and walking a few steps forward.

Xiao Qi wanted to find a place to sit, but unfortunately, it had recently just rained so the gra.s.s was moist, drops of water could even be seen on the gla.s.s blades.

When Song Liang Zhuo walked over Xiao Qi was still smiling foolishly, her eyes were hazy and swayed a little. Song Liang Zhuo lifted his brows, puzzled, then took the jar from her hand and walked towards the tree.

“What did you bring today?”

“Crystal pork elbow.” Xiao Qi touched her chest excited and said with a smile: “I found something good.”

“Oh?” Song Liang Zhuo’s lips hooked: “What?”

Xiao Qi paused, tilted her head, then stuck out her tongue: “I’ll give it to you, but the money that’s left is gone. I had my dad change it into stone materials and send it over.”

Xiao Qi didn’t wait for Song Liang Zhuo to reply and said with a taut face: “You can’t get mad at me, ok? And, once the plan succeeds I’m going home. You must keep your word.”

Song Liang Zhuo slightly knitted his brows and didn’t speak.

Xiao Qi sat down on the folding stool underneath the tree, fished out the booklet from her chest and handed it over like she was presenting a treasure. Song Liang Zhuo put down the jar and sat facing her, took it and flipped through it casually. The disbelief in his eyes slowly turned into pleasant surprise.

“Deepening the river, building the dam, installing a waterway lock? And, it was drawn by you?” Song Liang Zhuo smiled and looked up.

Xiao Qi rubbed her eyes and turned her head slightly to avoid Song Liang Zhuo’s uncomfortable gaze. She held back for a moment, then couldn’t resist laughing and delightedly lifted her chin, saying: “I drew it. Official Song, look at the last one. If in a few years it’s like that how great would that be? Hehe, when that time come, I and my family’s husband……”

Xiao Qi glanced at Song Liang Zhuo and bashfully covered her mouth as she smiled: “Then that, wouldn’t that be great?”

Song Liang Zhuo bowed his head silent for a while, then nodded and started eating. Xiao Qi was like a child that didn’t get her candy and pouted, grumbling for half the day before saying unhappily: “Just that?”

Song Liang Zhuo lifted his head, but there was no smile. Xiao Qi saw that he returned to an expressionless face and felt something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t quite right and she started to get nervous.

Xiao Qi studied her fingers. Song Liang Zhuo gave a soft sigh, then hooked the corners of his mouth: “Xiao Qi did very well. Did Xiao Qi start collecting it from before?”

Xiao Qi blinked, then pouted: “Y, yeah. Lu Liu said so.”

“It was Advisor Lu that told you?”

“Huh? No, I don’t know. Why?”

Song Liang Zhuo put down his chopsticks and lifted his hand to rub the top of Xiao Qi’s head. Xiao Qi s.h.i.+vered and gooseb.u.mps rose along her entire body, terrifying!

Song Liang Zhuo spoke gently: “Is Xiao Qi afraid of me?”

Xiao Qi shot a glance at Song Liang Zhuo, frowned and thought for a moment before saying: “I don’t know. It’s just, it’s just strange.”

“Xiao Qi, don’t be afraid of me.”