Chapter 3: Facing the Sea, Blooming Flowers in Spring

  When a group of people arrived at this seaside house in Nan Shidun, Yang Bo hated to kick this stupid Han Kouer to death. What timed sprinkler? What eight-room mansion?

  The several rooms under the platform are all crooked and irregular, mostly made of mud walls and thatched cottages. Ironically, these few mud-walled thatched cottages are actually much better than most of the houses they have seen along the way, at least in appearance.

  An old soldier with a runny nose walked out upon hearing the commotion, and despite Yang Bo standing in front of him, he still bowed his head towards Han Die'er, Yang Bo looked down on this old soldier's foolishness and blindness.

  "Go and call for General Flag to see me." Yang Bo was finally enraged, as a sixth-grade official, he should have been treated with some respect, wasn't that also the face of the imperial court?

  "Lord Hu, he..."

  Han Yuer saw Yang Bo get angry, and hastily bowed: "Lord Hu went to the Stone Mill King's place today, I'm afraid he won't be back for a while?"

  "Mr. Wang? Which scallion is Mr. Wang?"

  "Is it Vice Commander Wang Yuanshan of the Stone Mill Battalion?"

  "Oh? This official suddenly feels that the scenery here is still pretty good, facing the sea, warm flowers blooming, what do you think..."

  "Hmm..."

  It's actually Yang Bo's fault for having high standards, at least Han Xiao'er thinks it looks pretty good inside.

  The main room was cluttered with several sets of rickety tables and chairs, a large table in the middle, its surface worn off in places, on which a tea set covered in tea stains was neatly arranged. Above it were dark-colored tiles, wooden beams, windows that opened upwards and downwards, and some yellow paper pasted on them.

  Fresh sea breeze poured into everyone's nostrils through the large hole in the window, and inside the house were several tall cabinets that reached the beams, a table, a bed, and some miscellaneous items. The other rooms were roughly the same.

  "Not bad, not bad"

  Yang Bo nodded with a smile: "Ah, this windowless room belongs to me. I've never been tolerant of the heat, but unexpectedly, the sea breeze here is quite refreshing."

  Han Yuer was about to speak but was stopped by Yang Bo

  "Ah, Xiao E, not bad, not bad, you're also a clever person. Following me from now on will surely bring you boundless prospects! You're probably around 50 this year, right? As the saying goes, '50 is like a wolf'! Don't be disheartened, being older means being more reliable when handling things. I detest those young whippersnappers with no hair on their lips..."

  Hearing the warm words of encouragement from his superior, Han Xiao'er was so excited that his face turned bright red. He took a step forward and clasped his hands together in gratitude, "Thank you, sir, for your kindness and recognition. I am but a humble..."

  Yang Bo looked displeased and said with a straight face: "What, don't you believe what I'm saying? I don't have many good qualities..."

  Han Xiao'er was extremely embarrassed and said with difficulty: "I'm a small person, I'm actually twenty-eight this year, it's just that my face looks old, but... but it's actually a misunderstanding on your part, sir."

  Han Yuer was so wronged that she almost cried, what kind of eyes are these, blind? This is also too far-fetched, he doesn't even know how Yang Bo has lived safely to this age.

  "Huh?"

  Yang Bo's face was as calm as a still lake: "Alright, alright! You're quite capable for your age, I didn't misjudge you. Now go find some soldiers and get them to repair this place quickly, I'll go to the garrison to inspect..."

  Han Yuer just walked out of the house, and Qian Xiucai couldn't help but snort, although the sound was small, it was heard by Yang Bo.

  Yang Bo suddenly became furious, glared at him sideways: "Xiucai, wait a moment and go with me to the Thousand House, I'll take you to see the world"

  "Yang Gong..."

  "Huh?"

  "What's going on, Master? Where are you taking me?" The scholar was inwardly disdainful, but outwardly put on a respectful expression.

  "Xiucai brother, I want to open the eyes of those thousand-household officials' country bumpkins. The small followers that this official casually brings along are all literary stars descending from heaven..." Yang Bo replied with a smile, his heart feeling refreshed and all his annoyances swept away.

  Scholar: "......"

  Qianhu Village was over ten miles away from here, and Han Chao'er was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. He asked Grandfather to tell Nainai to go door-to-door begging, promising a small amount of silver, and finally borrowed an old cow from a Yao family and a rickety cart frame from another family. This barely allowed the cold and noble Yang Da Guanren to save some face for the imperial court...

  "What's wrong with this Lord Yang? Clear the way? Get out of the way for ordinary people?" Han Chaoer held up his sore hand, looking at the ox cart that had been walking in front of him for half a day and still within his sight. He secretly lamented in his heart, running into such a muddle-headed and unreasonable superior, and from now on, his days were doomed to be unlucky.

  Yang Bo shook his head and looked around at the scene. The scholar had intended to curry favor, but seeing that Yang Bo was not pleased, he did not dare speak up and add fuel to the fire.

  The flattery was met with a severe beating, and the scholar realized that Yang could indeed do such a thing. Thinking of Yang's brutality, the scholar couldn't help but feel sad.

  "Alas, how sorrowful!... When a petty person achieves their goal, they become arrogant and domineering, and the way of the gentleman disappears. Is this not painful? Is this not sad? In a world without virtue, the small bully the large, and the weak bully the strong - these two things are the will of Heaven! However, there is Wang Zhuo and Wang Songzhu from Huai'an Prefecture, also known as Master Bing Hou, who recognized characters at the age of three, composed poetry at five, and was skilled in all aspects of domestic work. The world calls him a great sage, who endures humiliation and bears heavy responsibilities, teaches and transforms the multitude of fools, and exerts his strength to stem the tide..."

  Bookworms have always liked to comfort themselves, and Xiucai Ge is no exception. With nothing to do on the way, a 6,000-word battle article that is fresh out of the oven, but unfortunately, no one appreciates it, and Xiucai Ge doesn't know who to ask for payment either.

  The whole way was filled with sewage, the stench was overwhelming, and the sparse houses were crooked and leaning to the east and west. A few snotty kids followed behind the ox cart, chasing and playing, which actually brought a bit of vitality to this dull and lifeless village.

  After wandering around for half a day, two disheveled men got off their vehicle by the broken outer wall of a stone mill.

  The scholar looked at the robust Yang's outstretched arm, his heart filled with extreme disgust.

  "With a figure like yours, you still think you're Yang Yuhuan? Learning what kind of maid to support the weak and delicate?"

  But the situation is stronger than people, and people under the eaves have no choice but to bow their heads...

  The scholar could only pinch his nose and lift up Yang Lao's scale-like arm, struggling to move him towards the official residence.

  In the fifth year of Chongzhen, on the ninth day of September, in the afternoon, in the grand hall of the Andong Garrison's Shi Tui Temple, Commander Zhou Guangbi, Deputy Commander Wang Yuanshan, and various battalion commanders and flag bearers were all watching without any mental preparation as a pair of men supported each other and walked in.

  Hiss!

  Jaws dropped all over the hall...

  Yang Bo pushed aside the scholar, dusted off his official robes, pinched his buttocks, and bowed deeply to the two thousand households sitting high in the great hall: "Stone mill trial hundred households Yang Bo Yang Zhi Xian pays respects to all the dignitaries"

  The hall was quiet, and even the sound of a needle dropping on the ground could be heard. Countless eyes were fixed on Yang Bo, who was making every effort to maintain his posture. Everyone had the same thought in their mind.

  "What kind of idiot is this...?"