Chapter Eighty-Seven: Thanks from the Neighboring Village

Seeing how many people were gathered around, Wei Renshi and Li He changed places and sat down wherever they could. Li He said, "That fellow just now was far too rude. The second one was a bit better."

Wei Renshi smiled and said, "If that's how you judge people, Changji, then your eye for character is not as good as mine. In my view, the first was at most reckless, but the second was calculating."

"How so?" Li He asked.

Wei Renshi only smiled and said nothing. Then he turned his head and suddenly noticed several students wandering about with folding fans in their hands, which caught his curiosity.

When he had earlier arranged for storytellers at the Dream Inn, he had specifically inquired about such things and observed for himself, and there had been no folding fans in use at that time.

Yet the folding fans in those students' hands were exactly like the ones he had prepared for the storytellers.

So when the students came near, Wei Renshi stepped forward and asked, "My brothers, this... this thing looks truly elegant. May I ask where you obtained it?"

"It's you?" The students recognized Wei Renshi at once; that was not difficult, for in the poetry gathering only he and Li He were of that age.

"They're sold in Luoyang," another student with a folding fan answered.

Wei Renshi nodded and took his leave.

The imitation business really was fast.

Still, he did not mind. He and Li He went back to eat their dry provisions, and then began the journey back to Changgu.

Along the way the two of them chatted and laughed, so the road did not feel long at all.

From afar, however, they saw many people standing at the village entrance, looking back and forth, a dark mass of them, as though the whole village had come out there.

"Could something have happened in the village?" Li He asked in surprise.

Wei Renshi shook his head. "I don't know. Come on, let's hurry and see."

They quickened their pace and soon ran to the village entrance.

"Look! Lord Wei is back!" The moment they arrived, the crowd burst into motion and surrounded them.

Wei Renshi was bewildered. "What is all this?"

The crowd parted at the sound of a voice from behind them. Several strangers came forward and stopped before Wei Renshi.

"So this is Lord Wei?" The old man in front looked blankly at him, then at the people beside him.

"Lord Wei is only a child?" said a robust young man behind him, still dazed.

Village Head Zheng smiled. "Lord Wei is precocious beyond his years, and the county office has even praised him. Could there be any falsehood in that?"

The old man and those with him looked at one another, then all bent low and bowed together.

Wei Renshi was startled and quickly stepped aside, helping them up as he asked, "What's all this about?"

"I am from Upper Village," the leading old man said. "I have a little standing there, so the villagers pushed me forward to bring a modest gift and give thanks to Changgu."

"I am from Lower Village as well!" another old man said, stepping forward. "Thanks to Changgu's help, more than eighty percent of the wheat was gathered in before the rain. Otherwise, at least half of it would have been soaked!"

Wei Renshi scratched his head. "But that wasn't me. It was Village Head Zheng who arranged the hands. If you want to thank someone, thank Village Head Zheng, and those men like Brother Stone who went out to help cut the wheat."

"Of course, of course!" one of them said. "We've already thanked Village Head Zheng and the rest. And from Village Head Zheng himself we heard that it was Lord Wei who made the harvest sickles, which is why the wheat could be cut so quickly. It was also Lord Wei who foresaw the rain, so Changgu hurried to reap in time and was able to spare men to help our villages. Without those sickles, my village could never have gathered the wheat so fast."

Village Head Zheng also said from the side, "Indeed. In the end, it was still Lord Wei's credit. Wheat is no small matter, and Lord Wei deserves the thanks of these villages."

Old Master Qi waved a hand and shouted, "Come on then. Now that we've found Lord Wei, let's carry the gift over to him!"

"My good sir, I accept your thanks, but the gift is not necessary. We are all neighboring villages; helping one another is only proper." Wei Renshi waved it off. "Please, truly, there is no need. This year brought rain, and we only just paid the summer tax. Everyone has had a hard time. Really, don't bother."

"This is only right!" said Old Master Qi. "We all chipped in from the village, and it's only a modest gift, nothing rare. Divided among the households, each family gets very little."

Having said that, he motioned for the gift to be carried over.

Several stout young men from their village then led sheep and drove pigs, following Village Head Zheng toward Wei Renshi's home.

The others from neighboring villages likewise drove pigs and sheep along together to Wei Renshi's house.

When they arrived, the pigs and sheep were rushed into the courtyard in a clamor. Old Stone followed and quickly ordered people to drive the animals out into the fields; otherwise the yard would be a complete mess in no time.

Everyone sat down. Wei Renshi said, "You two elders, and all of you brothers, this truly makes me ashamed. I did nothing at all..."

"If there had been no harvest sickles made by Lord Wei, even trying to snatch food from the Dragon King's mouth would not have gotten anything out. With Lord Wei's sickles, we were able to bring in so much. Though this year brought rain, what we saved was still enough to pay the summer tax. All of that is thanks to Lord Wei and the young men of Changgu. And among them, Lord Wei's credit is the greatest."

Old Master Qi said, "When one has received a kindness and does not know gratitude, that's like a dog biting conscience. Lord Wei must take this. Only then can we, the neighboring villages, continue to deal with you in the future. And in the years to come, we hope Lord Wei will continue to look after our villages."

"Since we are all neighbors, looking after one another is only right," Wei Renshi said with a nod.

Village Head Zheng laughed beside him. "Old Uncle Qi, if you want those sickles, just say so. Why go on about looking after you in the future? Hahaha... Lord Wei has a very kind heart; he'll surely agree. But you'll have to wait a little longer. There's no need for them just now anyway. Wait until I report the merit to the county office, and then we'll make more."

Old Master Qi's thoughts had been seen through, and his old face reddened. He smiled awkwardly. "This old man knew Lord Wei must be a man of kind heart."

Wei Renshi smiled and said, "Old Master Qi, these farm tools are made to be used. The sickles themselves are not difficult to make. Since you've seen them, you can certainly make them yourselves. Or you can take one back and make more by copying it. Why go to such trouble and bring gifts instead?"

Old Master Qi scratched his head and smiled again. "This old man does have a small thought in mind. I was hoping that if Lord Wei foresees anything again in the future, you might send someone to tell us!"

Wei Renshi laughed as well. "Ha ha, Old Master Qi, I don't have the power of foresight. This time it was only a coincidence."

"Then that's fine. If Lord Wei happens to have another coincidence like that, you must let us know!"

"Don't worry. If I ever truly happen to guess something by chance in the future, I will certainly tell everyone. Though, as the saying goes, the weather differs every ten li, and as for whether I'd be right, I dare not make any guarantee." Wei Renshi smiled.

"Then that's enough! That's enough! Many thanks, Lord Wei!" Old Master Qi thanked him repeatedly.

After more expressions of gratitude, everyone took their leave and departed together.

Once they were gone, Wei Renshi went with Village Head Zheng to the fields to count the pigs and sheep. At a glance, there were indeed quite a lot.

Wei Renshi shook his head and sighed. "It seems it's time to build a livestock pen."

"Build what?" Village Head Zheng asked.

Wei Renshi shook his head and asked instead, "Uncle Zheng, can you find someone who knows how to castrate animals?"

Village Head Zheng blinked. "Castrate? For what?! What are you planning to do?!"