Chapter 2684: The Capital (Part 40)

Yet of the Shorn-hair Thieves' invasion—their occupation of Lingao, their defeat of the government army, their siege of Guangzhou—he knew nothing. How could he call himself an Australian if he was ignorant of such momentous events?!

Truly strange indeed...

Master Wang's thoughts had barely formed when he heard the man speak again:

"Ah, that Viceroy Wang won't survive more than a few months, and then the Lord should take over." Mr. Zhou produced a cipher book to verify his claim. "Yes, correct—assuming office next year."

"The Teacher did mention something of this before, but such a matter carries enormous implications. I shall need considerable time to plan." Wang Yehao struggled to digest the information and chose instead to change the subject. "Yourong has been attending you these past days. I trust she meets with the Teacher's approval?"

"Quite satisfactory, quite satisfactory." Mr. Zhou nodded repeatedly, a lecherous smile spreading across his face.

The finest thin horses fail to please you, yet a kitchen maid you savor like candy! Master Wang felt secret disdain. Still, this worked in his favor—at least it saved him money.

"Might I inquire whether there have been omens of dreaming of bears?"

"Dreaming of bears?"

Zhou Lezhi hastened to whisper: "Master Wang is asking whether there are signs of pregnancy."

"Ah, ah." Mr. Zhou shook his head, his face clouded with loneliness and helplessness. "No."

"Perhaps you might invite a physician to examine..."

Mr. Zhou's expression immediately soured; clearly, he took great offense at anyone questioning his abilities in that particular area.

Master Wang was an old fox of officialdom, and reading faces was his specialty. Observing this reaction, he understood at once. So this Hearthstone Immortal, though lecherous, has difficulty producing heirs. It seemed he would need to continue relying on Zhou Juli's old methods to keep the man in check.

"Just last month, I obtained a supreme Korean ginseng. I shall have Wang Liang deliver it tomorrow. Perhaps it may prove beneficial."

"Many thanks, many thanks. Let us hope it has some effect."

To steer the conversation elsewhere, Master Wang brought up the construction project at the Dongyang Farm.

After purchasing the Dongyang Farm, Master Wang had consulted Hearthstone Immortal about potential construction projects. Mr. Zhou had initially shown little interest in the matter, but his attitude changed abruptly upon seeing the "Farm Panoramic Map" of Dongyang. Not long ago, he had proposed utilizing the abundant mountain springs to construct a water mill. Now he raised the subject again.

"Trip-hammer houses have existed since ancient times, and they're excellent for hulling rice. However, this farm has limited acreage—how much paddy could there possibly be?" Wang Yehao remained skeptical. Given the farm's modest holdings, spending money to build a water-powered trip-hammer house made less sense than simply hulling rice by hand. As for processing grain for customers, Dongyang was mostly mountainous terrain with few scattered fields and meager paddy yields. It hardly seemed worth transporting grain specifically for processing.

"Beyond paddy, a water-powered trip-hammer house can grind many things," Mr. Zhou replied with quiet confidence. "Incense, for example."

Traditionally, various incenses were made by crushing and blending aromatic plants or minerals. Without binder, the result was loose incense; with binder added, one produced stick or rod incense. Technically speaking, there was nothing mysterious about the process.

"Such products are everywhere in Dongyang and command poor prices," Wang Yehao said. "Besides, Zhejiang Province lacks precious spices—fine aromatics all come from the Southern Seas or the Western Oceans. Transporting them specifically to Dongyang for incense production would leave no profit margin."

Locally in Dongyang, the only plants that might qualify as spices were camphor wood and cypress wood. Cheap stick incense made from these had long since flooded the market. For the Wang family to enter this trade would yield only modest returns at best.

"I am aware of this. After all, I too hail from the Lord's hometown," Mr. Zhou said, appearing supremely confident. "Dongyang may lack other spices, but surely there is always Qinghao?"

"Qinghao grows everywhere, but it's used for smoking away mosquitoes and insects in summer." Wang Yehao shook his head reflexively. "Some do use it as mosquito incense, but it produces too much smoke."

The herb was indeed effective at repelling mosquitoes and insects, but the current method involved Qinghao sticks—bundles of dried Qinghao rolled with local paper into crude incense sticks, then ignited to drive away pests. The thick, billowing smoke did repel the mosquitoes, but people could scarcely tolerate it either. When lit indoors, doors and windows had to remain open for ventilation.

"That is because the incense-making method is flawed." With this, Hearthstone Immortal produced a folded paper from within his robes. "Have the farm prepare it according to my formula and process. The smoke will be greatly reduced."

Wang Yehao remained unimpressed. Glancing at the listed raw materials, he found nothing precious—all could be purchased cheaply in Dongyang. If this Hearthstone Immortal wished to dabble in some novelty, so be it. What the mountains lacked least were waterfalls, and constructing a trip-hammer house wouldn't cost much.

"Very well. I shall instruct my people to build one."

"Ah, wait—I also possess a secret method for the trip-hammer house itself, unknown in the Central Plains. If time permits, I should like to visit the farm personally to oversee construction."

A flicker of suspicion passed through Master Wang's eyes, as though questioning the man's true motives. Zhou Lezhi worried silently, but then the Teacher continued: "I have saved some silver myself. If funds for the reconstruction prove insufficient, I can contribute money for shares!"

Zhou Lezhi laughed inwardly. The Teacher truly lacked any ability to read the situation. Was this a matter of money?!

Unexpectedly, Master Wang nodded. "It is good that the Teacher has such enthusiasm. However, a mere farm hardly warrants the Teacher investing his own funds for its development." He paused to consider. Dongyang remained within his sphere of influence, after all. Moreover, the broader situation had stabilized; the posting to Liangguang would not come until next year. Keeping the man here for the intervening months served no purpose—better to let him tinker about and discover what intentions he truly harbored! He spoke decisively: "Very well then. In a few days, I shall send men to escort the Teacher to Dongyang."

"Excellent, excellent." Mr. Zhou's face lit up with undisguised delight. "Dongyang is a fine place."

"The hour grows late. Teacher, please rest the night here in this study."

After seeing Master Wang off, Zhou Lezhi helped his Master make the bed and pour water, attending him as he washed. But unexpectedly, Hearthstone Immortal showed no intention of sleeping. He sat upon the bed, eyes burning with intensity, his expression complex.

Zhou Lezhi worried silently: What scheme does the Teacher have in mind?

The Teacher had never mentioned anything to him about going to Dongyang, yet Zhou Lezhi knew the Master despised the local climate. The weather here differed entirely from the South—when dry, wind and sand filled the air; when raining, fetid mud covered the ground. The Master was not alone in his discomfort; even Zhou Lezhi had found it difficult to adjust. Upon hearing that Master Wang might be posted to Guangzhou, his heart had privately rejoiced for a time.

Yet now this sudden proposal to visit the Dongyang farm and build some water-powered trip-hammer—what did it mean? Could the Immortal be planning to flee? After all, the Shorn-hair Thieves currently causing turmoil in Qiongzhou Prefecture were indeed the Immortal's "fellow townsmen." That the Teacher longed for his homeland and might wish to escape back to it was only natural.

The question remained: if the Teacher intended to flee, should he follow or not?

Serving the Teacher in Master Wang's residence these past two years, he had wanted for nothing in food or clothing, and had learned much under the Teacher's tutelage—useful or useless, he could not say. If the Teacher fled, he would naturally be returning to Australia; Zhou Lezhi himself certainly could not follow. But if he did not flee—leaving aside whether Master Wang would punish him, even if shown mercy—he would become a useless person, fit only to pack his bedding and leave.

Though the clan would provide him with enough rice to survive, that amounted to merely not starving. How could it compare to his current life of fine food and drink, with the freedom to flirt with the maids and serving women...

It took but a few moments for Zhou Lezhi to make up his mind: he must not allow the Master to escape!

Even as these thoughts churned, the Teacher suddenly called him over. Zhou Lezhi started, fearing the Master had somehow perceived his true feelings, and hurried forward.

"Tell me—what is all this Australian rubbish?"

Zhou Lezhi had examined these objects earlier. Apart from a few shattered glass fragments he could guess had once been some sort of glass vessels, the various pieces of debris remained incomprehensible to him. The pile of metal pipes and castings on the floor, however, he understood somewhat.

"These items on the table—I cannot identify them. As for the things on the floor, they appear to be boiler accessories. Master Wang mentioned it just now: this is the machinery powered by water and fire in the Ziminglou."

"You are quite correct, but you've missed something." Mr. Zhou kicked at the heap of copper and iron debris. "This is a spray head, used for bathing..."

"A lotus head."

"Correct. In Australia, many people call it that," Mr. Zhou said. "This row of copper pipes is actually a heat exchanger—I have explained to you what a heat exchanger is."

"Yes, I remember."

"Mm. And this?"

"It is a valve. Used on water pipes."

"Mm, you haven't forgotten." Mr. Zhou sighed as he spoke. "A pity. This set of equipment was crafted quite exquisitely, but someone smashed it. Still, they are truly remarkable—to have manufactured so many things..."

Zhou Lezhi dared not interrupt, merely watching from the side as the Teacher rummaged through the rubbish on the table with keen interest, muttering to himself all the while:

"Damn it! Isn't this a bandage? They even collected medical waste!" "Good heavens, they made safety helmets too! Why not wear steel helmets when fighting?" ... "Sulfonamide?!"

Mr. Zhou cried out suddenly, clutching a small tube in his hand.

The tube appeared to have been fashioned from fine bamboo, coated with a layer of raw lacquer on the outside. The seal was wax, already broken. Small black characters were inscribed on the bamboo surface.

Whatever it was, the object seemed to deliver an enormous shock to the Teacher.

"They can actually produce Sulfonamide!" The Teacher's brow furrowed deeply. "Unthinkable. Truly unthinkable..."

During his lectures on medicine, the Teacher had explained that Sulfonamide was a most basic antibiotic, used to treat minor infections.

"Teacher, surely this medicine cannot compare to what you carry in your gourd..."

"Correct. The difference is vast," the Teacher replied. Yet for some reason, a bitter smile appeared on his face. "However, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That they have achieved even this much is incredible." As he spoke, his expression shifted to one of excitement. "Remarkable. Truly remarkable..."

With that, he picked up another piece of rubbish to examine...

The identification and lecture on Australian refuse continued until Hearthstone Daoist himself grew drowsy and began to yawn. Only then did it conclude. Zhou Lezhi had long since become unbearably sleepy. By the time he finished attending the Teacher to bed, it was past the third watch. He was so exhausted that his very bones felt limp—the Teacher's habit of conducting lessons at any hour, in any place, was truly difficult to endure.

He had just reached the outer room of the study, intending to make do for the night on the footrest, when Wang Liang suddenly pushed open the door and entered.

"The Master has instructions," Wang Liang said, his voice suppressed to barely a whisper. "When you travel to Dongyang in a few days, you must watch Hearthstone Daoist closely."

(End of Chapter)