Great Tang Idyll

ang was deliberately finding fault with him, ~ne.

“Looks like you won’t be telling the truth.
Little Mister and Little Miss Wang are monsters—could it be it wasn’t spread from your mouth? Let him know about formidability.” Steward Zhang stared at Xiaoqi and with a gesture, the two people behind him rushed forward.

Song Jing-gong waited in the parlor for an entire full hour before Steward Zhang finally returned.

“Mister Song, really beg your pardon.
Just a moment ago, Mistress actually couldn’t be found so I went outside to look, only to return now as a result.
Alas, Mistress experienced overexertion and so, after feeding Little Mister, has already retired.
Don’t know what matter Mister Song has? This little one shall certainly inform Mistress of it.” Steward Zhang finished grilling Xiaoqi, then came to the parlor and spoke thusly to Song Jing-gong.
This was also arranged beforehand.

Song Jing-gong had no way of guessing if these words were dependable or not.
After considering it, he decided not to speak of it with this steward and could only seek out the next opportunity.
He must come tomorrow.
At the very least, he couldn’t spend in vain that money and jade ornament.
So he said: “No harm.
Since your noble manor’s Mistress is not in, don’t know if I could see your family’s Master?” He was still unwilling to let his hope die here.

“Master never bothers with the trifling affairs of the manor; everything that should be taken care of is managed by Mistress.
Unless Mister Song is talking about matters of scholarship? Then naturally, you could seek out Master.” Steward Zhang’s reply was also airtight against any leaks.

“No, no, not scholarship.
It’s business, big business.”

“Oh, is that so? Then, request that Mister Song please come back the following day.
Mister, drink tea.” Steward Zhang here was driving off a guest.

Waiting until Song Jing-gong had turned around and left, Steward Zhang gazed at that slightly reluctant back silhouette as he coldly laughed once and said to himself: “Dare to aim your attentions at my house? At that time, you’ll know impressiveness.”

“So, he’s not a villain who was dispatched by other people to the manor and was actually having an affair with a maid servant of the manor.
This is easily handled—just drive them out of the manor is all.” Mrs.
Zhang-Wang received the steward’s report.
That Xiaoqi hadn’t been sent here by other people but had heard Master’s words and as a result of wanting to cajole a maid servant of the manor called Xiaohong,7 he blabbed these words to prove that he knew a lot of stuff.

Hearing the beginning and end of this matter at the same time, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan also breathed a sigh of relief.
No one was willing to have fire break out in their own backcourt when they were working hard to develop an enterprise.
In regards to his mother’s approach, Zhang Xiaobao didn’t agree but could only suggest: “Mom can’t have Xiaoqi driven out.
What if he harbored resentment and talked about this everywhere—that would be bad.
Rather beat him dead than let him go.”

“Don’t need to beat to death.
Since he’s good with that Xiaohong or whatever, then just ask Xiaohong what they intend.
If they’re both like this, then just betroth the two of them.” Wang Juan, seeing that Zhang Xiaobao wanted to commit murder for the sake of removing a hidden danger, quickly prevented it.

Mrs.
Zhang-Wang looked at her son and then looked at her daughter-in-law before happily kissing their two faces again and again: “Good, we’ll listen to Juan-Juan.
My son and Juan-Juan can actually say so many words like a grownup.
Even if you’re monsters, Mom will accept it.
Where would you go to find such dear monsters? It’s really all your Dad’s fault.
He had to say that word.
Wait a bit; Mom will go find your Dad to have a talk.”

Having finished talking and fed the two children, Mrs.
Zhang-Wang really did go seek out Father Zhang.
But she didn’t go by herself and called up Mom [in-law] and Old Master with a slight appearance of wishing to make a public trial of his crimes.8

Of course, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn’t care about other people as they lay down there, holding back the sleepiness overtaking them to discuss business for later on.

“These ideas of yours are one after another.
Do you intend to take them all out? Altogether, there are only two people working.
How could Yingtao and Erniu know of so many things? They’ll get exhausted silly.” Wang Juan felt that if Zhang Xiaobao continued like this, the expansion would be too quick so she was there giving advice.

“It is a bit much.
Then, just have Erniu’s family manage the affairs of that paste sauce, Yingtao will raise the chickens, the earthworms and other miscellaneous stuff will be given to Shiliu.
But then, wouldn’t we have nobody by our side again? Actually, it isn’t that I want to expand so quickly.
If we weren’t in the 2nd year of Kaiyuan right now and were 2 years earlier, I could still go slowly.
But time doesn’t abide me,9 ~ah.” Zhang Xiaobao sighed as he spoke.

“I don’t believe it, ~ne.
I feel that even if it were 2 years earlier, you would still say this.
Just like how some people who would always say if I were only younger, I would be like this or that.
Even waiting until they age bit by bit, they would still be like this.” Wang Juan basically treated Zhang Xiaobao’s words with disbelief.

Zhang Xiaobao turned over to lie there, pressing his face to the mat as he said with a hum: “Really, I’m afraid that Li Longji will take my family’s land.
My family doesn’t pay any taxes on those 100 heads.
If the land’s gone, what do the people of the manor do? Keep them? Those taxes are paid per head—how much money is required every day, ~ah! Don’t keep them; my Grandpa, Grandma, as well as my Dad and Mom, who’d wait on them? They’re people who’ve grown used to being waited on; I’m worried that they wouldn’t be able to take it.”

“Even if you have to earn it, you still want to buy such a big plot of land with this little money?”

“This money isn’t enough, of course.
I need a foundation.
At that time, there’d naturally be a way to get rich.
I won’t speak of it with you beforehand.
Otherwise, you’ll mourn the heavens and pity the people10again.
Anyway, it’s not by swindling.” Zhang Xiaobao continued explaining.

“Who cares? If you won’t speak of it, then don’t speak of it.
Don’t tell me in the future ever again.
Think on that Great Swindler Song, then.” Wang Juan said as if in a pique.

“What’s to worry about a swindler? It’s those of you who’re officials that are formidable.
How did I not think about using delay, ~ne? That is indeed bureaucracy.
Delaying him a few days is fine.
I’m impressed.” Zhang Xiaobao praised.
This was because today’s delaying tactic was Wang Juan’s own idea.
If it were up to Zhang Xiaobao’s thinking, they’d just be swindling each other directly.

“What do you understand? This is called battle strategy.
Sleep, we still need to continue training in the afternoon.”