Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The Docks.

Magistrate Pang, his face still swollen, had long since slunk away in disgrace with his entourage of officials.

Shen Yuan helped Ji Pingan and Ji Mingfeng to their feet. Ji Mingfeng glared at Shen Yuan, furious. "Who are you? How dare you act so wild in front of Fifth Uncle Xie!"

"I wasn't acting wild, I just mistook him for someone else," Shen Yuan replied straight up, disliking being falsely accused.

Ji Mingfeng’s face flushed red with anger, the veins bulging in his neck as he glared at Shen Yuan, raising a hand to strike. "You dare talk back!"

Ji Pingan grabbed his father’s wrist. "Father, he’s the kid I’ve taken as a brother. You can't hit him."

Shen Yuan lowered the hand he had ready to block the blow, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Ji Pingan.

Ji Mingfeng had thought his son’s earlier statement was just an excuse to get out of trouble, but it turned out to be true.

He said, bewildered, "When I told you to make connections, I meant with your superiors! Not to go around befriending all sorts of lowlifes!"

Ji Pingan had his own way of dealing with his father. The more you argued, the more worked up the old man got. So he stayed silent, letting the old man chatter away.

He simply wouldn't listen or look.

After scolding for a while, Ji Mingfeng found Ji Pingan as unresponsive as a block of wood, while the other one just stared at his son like an idiot, grinning. Furious, he flicked his sleeve and stormed off.

To think he, so shrewd all his life, had ended up with such a foolish son!

"Brother Ping'an! You’re really taking me as your brother?" Shen Yuan asked happily.

Ji Pingan crossed his arms, his face wooden. "It was fake."

Shen Yuan didn't believe him. "I think it was real."

Ji Pingan said, "Then why ask?"

Shen Yuan was overjoyed. After calling out "Brother Ping'an!" he held up two fingers.

"What does that mean?" Ji Pingan was completely baffled.

Shen Yuan said seriously, "It means I need help with two things. First, help me find someone named Shen Yushu. Second, help me find five people, all at the yamen."

"You little rascal, you sure don't hold back when using people, do you? Picking on just me, huh?" Ji Pingan reached out and lightly flicked Shen Yuan’s forehead.

Shen Yuan rubbed his forehead. "So, Brother Ping'an, will you help me find them or not?"

Ji Pingan fell silent for a moment, then said impatiently, "I'm serious, Shen Yuan, you're really annoying."

He seemed even more annoyed with himself, as if he simply couldn't refuse Shen Yuan. "Give me the details, then wait for news."

"Okay!" Shen Yuan immediately described Shen Yushu, the four yamen runners who had beaten Shen Nan, and the one who had tried to stop them.

Ji Pingan had to return to the yamen. He took all three bowls of steamed sugar pastry, saying he'd eat them himself.

Before leaving, he took off the waist token engraved with the character "Ji" and gave it to Shen Yuan. "You want to build a house. Have someone take this token to the county's brick and tile workshop to buy materials. Otherwise, with your status, you won't be able to buy any. Even if you could, it would cost several times the price."

Due to primitive techniques, bricks and tiles were limited. They were generally used for constructing palaces, government offices, mansions of the wealthy, ancestral temples, and city walls.

Ordinary people without status didn't even have the right to purchase them.

The class distinctions here were more severe than imagined, and the power of status was even greater.

Shen Yuan had originally planned to build a courtyard using a combination of blue bricks, wood, and earthen bricks—using blue bricks for the foundation to save money. It was fine if they were expensive, as long as he could buy them.

Now, with Ji Pingan giving him the Ji family waist token to buy materials in their name, his biggest problem was solved.

Based on the size of the courtyard he wanted, if he built it entirely with blue bricks, the cost for bricks alone would be at least three hundred taels. That was assuming he could buy them at double the price, which was usually impossible.

Even if he managed to buy them, the bricks would likely be substandard, posing a high risk of the structure collapsing and burying people.

With the waist token, even if he used blue bricks for the entire courtyard, he could get enough for just over one hundred and sixty taels. Tiles were even cheaper; twenty taels would suffice.

Moved, Shen Yuan held the token tightly and hugged Ji Pingan. "Brother Ping'an, you're too good! You're like my own brother from another mother and father!"

Ji Pingan was amused by the strange phrase and, used to Shen Yuan’s impulsive hugging, didn't push him away. "You're a smooth talker. When the house is built, invite me over for a meal."

"I definitely will! You can stay overnight, and I'll cook something delicious for you," Shen Yuan promised.

Ji Pingan nodded. "Alright, I need to get to the yamen. Let go now, aren't you hot? If you need anything else, just take the token and find me at the Xie residence."

Shen Yuan obediently let go. It was a bit hot.

"Got it, Brother Ping'an."

The two parted ways at the docks, and Shen Yuan returned to the teahouse.

Ji Xingwang had put aside a meal for Shen Yuan. He sat down beside him and asked curiously, "So, Xiao Yuan, how was it? Does Fifth Grandfather look especially impressive, like a real big shot?"

Shen Yuan scooped a mouthful of rice, chewed, and clicked his tongue. "He is a big shot, but I don't like him."

"Ancestors, ancestors, little ancestor, living ancestor! Stop talking! You dare say it, but I, the manager, dare not listen!" Ji Xingwang's survival instinct was extremely strong. He couldn't bear the charge of gossiping about such powerful figures.

Offending a big shot would surely cost him his life.

Shen Yuan had no choice but to stop. *Sigh*, he still wanted to say he didn't like Ping'an’s father either. Always getting angry, fond of hitting people.

Fortunately, Ping'an had stopped him today, or he might have lost his job for fighting with his immediate superior.

Although one shouldn't gossip, Ji Xingwang couldn't help but be curious. Shen Yuan was good-natured; this was the first time he'd heard him dislike someone upon first meeting.

After work, Shen Yuan and Wang Sanhu went to the county's brick and tile workshop to place an order, bringing some food with them.

"Who are you? Is the brick and tile workshop a place you can just enter? Get out, get out!"

As soon as they arrived, a tall, thin young man came out and started shooing them away. Wang Sanhu protectively shielded Shen Yuan, glaring and saying gruffly, "Why are you pushing!"

The young man scoffed, spat, and rolled up his sleeves. "Keep shouting and see if I don't call someone to beat you up!"

Wang Sanhu turned to shield Shen Yuan completely. As tensions rose, Shen Yuan patted the big man’s shoulder. "It's okay, Brother Sanhu, let me talk to him."

Only then did Wang Sanhu step back, his gaze fixed on the man. If the other made a move, he looked ready to pounce and bite.

Shen Yuan looked down at his own coarse hemp clothes and straw sandals, then at Wang Sanhu’s short coat which was clearly too small.

Indeed, when out in the world, people judge by appearances first.

Shen Yuan promptly handed over the token given by Xie Ping'an. "This is the identification plaque of the Ji family from the southern district. See for yourself?"

The guy looked suspicious and disdainful, rolling his eyes as he took the token. Servants from the Ji family in the southern district wore cloth shoes, not straw sandals. These two looked like villagers from who-knows-where, here to scam bricks and tiles from the workshop.

Just you wait—once he verified the token, he’d have them seized and turned in to the magistrate!

The smoothly polished wooden token landed in his hands. The tall, thin young man lowered his head to look, and his eyes, which had been rolled back, instantly snapped back to normal. After examining it carefully several times, his scornful attitude was replaced by fawning servility.

He held the token with both hands, a fawning smile spreading across his face. "Oh! My apologies for my blindness! I didn't recognize you were from the Ji family. May I ask, young sir, are you here for bricks, tiles, or both?"

Shen Yuan took in the man's complete about-face, then took the token back and tucked it away.

"Both."

"Right! Right this way, sirs! The bricks and tiles from our workshop are the finest in Qingyun County!"

The tall, thin young man ushered them toward the workshop, but Shen Yuan didn’t move.

Since he didn’t move, Wang Sanhu didn’t either.

Fortunately, he had Brother Ping'an’s token today to borrow some authority. Shen Yuan wasn’t about to suffer in silence after being slighted.

He wasn’t a pushover, after all.

The tall, thin young man wore an ingratiating smile. "Why aren’t you coming, gentlemen? Are you tired?"

Shen Yuan ignored his gaze. "Get the manager out here. I don’t dare follow you—I’m afraid you might beat me up halfway and throw me into the furnace."

"Oh! That’s terrifying! How could I dare?" The tall, thin young man knew his earlier attitude had displeased them. He hadn’t expected this seemingly easygoing young man to be such a hardhead.

It was his own fault for being shortsighted—but what noble family’s servant would dress so shabbily to visit a brickworks? He couldn’t just talk his way out of this and send them away now. It seemed his punishment today was unavoidable.

"Alright, please wait here for a moment, gentlemen. I’ll be right back."

Not long after the tall, thin young man went inside, two figures came rushing out.

The workshop manager was already aware of the situation. Even as he ran, panting heavily, he respectfully addressed Shen Yuan and Wang Sanhu. "It’s due to lax discipline in the workshop that you were offended. I will definitely punish him properly today. Please, don't be angry."

Both Shen Yuan and Wang Sanhu were somewhat surprised.

They knew the Ji family had status in the county town, but to this extent?

The owner behind the brick workshop was also a prominent figure. Since the manager assumed they were servants of the Ji family, there was no need for him to be so deferential to another household's servants, was there?

It was truly excessive.

The tall, thin young man was shoved hard by the manager. He kept his head bowed, crying and saying it was his fault and he would never dare do it again.

The manager chimed in, "I’ll deduct his wages for this month. If you’re still unsatisfied, just say the word. We can even expel him from the workshop."

Shen Yuan hadn’t intended to go that far. "That’s not necessary. Let’s go in and look at the bricks."

"Ah, of course, of course. Please, gentlemen." The manager wore an ingratiating smile, gesturing for them to enter. He seemed to ask casually, "I wonder when the Ji family will hold a banquet to welcome Young Master Lin?"

A lightbulb went off in Shen Yuan’s mind. Oh, it seemed the authority he had borrowed this time wasn’t his Brother Ping'an’s.

It was the intimidating aura of that Fifth Granduncle who enjoyed watching people kneel and beg for mercy.

He cleared his throat lightly. "I’m not from the Ji family. Brother Ping'an and I are good friends. He was the one who recommended I come here today to purchase bricks and tiles."

The manager couldn’t help but take another look at Shen Yuan. This plainly dressed person could actually call nobles his brothers?

Impressive!

With the Xie family present, the Ji family’s status had risen even higher than before.

Even Magistrate Pang had to show deference. The manager didn’t dare cause trouble for his employer. If they had truly been Ji family servants today, it would have been one thing.

But to have a friendship where he called Ji Ping'an "brother"... Thankfully, he had come out quickly and prevented the situation from worsening.

Otherwise, given Ji Ping'an’s fiercely protective and reckless nature, there would have been hell to pay.

The manager maintained his plastered-on smile. "So you’re a friend of Young Master Ji. My apologies for the poor reception; please don’t take offense. Let me show you our finest bricks. This batch isn’t easily available to just anyone."

Good bricks meant a sturdy house, so Shen Yuan was happy to agree.