Chapter Nine, Kou Feng

Then hurry to move, striving to spend the first day of the New Year in our new home

Currently, Dengjia Village finds itself in a somewhat precarious position, feeling neither fully connected to the world nor entirely detached from it. The family in Wancheng considers them merely a branch of the family business, showing little concern for their well-being. Meanwhile, the residents of Dengjia Village in Xinye County believe they are the true roots of the family, looking down upon the main family in Wancheng. Thus, Dengjia Village has managed to survive in this ambiguous state, and as the relationship between the two sides deteriorates further, it ultimately descends into a situation where they rely on renting for their livelihood

How has it come to be classified as a civil service position now ?

Zhang Xi, however, felt that although this Kou Feng had a tendency to be self-important and showy, he was not fundamentally an arrogant person. He still possessed the nature of a youth and would feel embarrassed when praised.

What Zhang Xi finds particularly strange is that Kou Feng should be a military general; whether in the legends or in history, he is of military origin.

Zhang Xi is not particularly concerned about these matters, as having a place to live is sufficient for him

One guan of money is one thousand wen, thirty guan of money... Well, fortunately Liu Bei arranged for two soldiers to accompany Zhang Xi to help carry it back; otherwise, Zhang Xi really would not have been able to take so much money.

Zhang Xi truly did not expect this particular tactic, which startled him into hastily returning the favor, repeatedly saying he dared not.

Now that I have some money, I must first buy land, and then gradually accumulate... Who knows, one day I might have accumulated several thousand acres of land and settle down in this Xinye County

Therefore, in the days leading up to the end of the year, Zhang Xi continued to "work" as usual, while Xiao Qibao took the opportunity to inquire everywhere about available rental properties

At a year-end banquet, Zhang Xi became acquainted with several colleagues

But Zhang Xi does not think so

Faced with such a large sum of money, both the master and the servant felt a sense of unease

A fifteen-year-old person sought refuge with Liu Shijun, who probably had not yet determined whether this individual should be classified as a civil official or a military general, and could only rely on appearance for judgment

Moreover, Kou Feng is only fifteen years old this year

The two individuals were so engrossed in their conversation that an event occurred at the banquet which neither of them noticed

"Let's rent a house first!" Zhang Xi said

Thus, in a moment of helplessness, Zhang Xi presented a jar of wine to Zhang Fei, again under the pretext of a yearly reward, leaving Liu Bei at a loss for words

However, Liu Bei was unaware of the actual work capabilities and character of the individual

In summary, Liu Bei, accompanied by the reluctant Zhang Fei, apologized to Zhang Xi, who promptly accepted the apology. In this harmonious atmosphere, Zhang Xi also received an additional year-end bonus—30 guan of money

This time, Zhang Fei went to find Zhang Xi. Although it was not instructed by Liu Bei, Liu Bei was indeed pleased with the outcome.

Although they had met once at the Recruitment Hall and exchanged a few words, Liu Bei acknowledged that Zhang Xi was at least a knowledgeable person

Today, my third brother disturbed you, and I hope you can forgive him! Liu Bei, accompanied by Zhang Fei, went together to apologize to Zhang Xi.

In the eyes of Xiao Qibao, the master faced misfortune upon coming out to divide the family assets, with wealth either being robbed or completely depleted, making it impossible to fulfill the task of division. The master could never return to Yingchuan.

After this incident, Liu Bei still intended to bring Zhang Fei to apologize to Zhang Xi, as he did not want a virtuous person to harbor any grievances over such trivial matters. Although, in reality, Zhang Xi was completely unaware of Liu Bei's many concerns.

The two continued their conversation until the banquet was nearing its end, and they agreed to visit each other on another day before finally parting ways

Zhang Xi decided to take some time to visit Dengjia Village, where, in the presence of the clan elder, both parties signed the lease agreement

The reason is simple: to test Zhang Xi's character

Having his own immediate superior, the official in charge of all logistical affairs under Liu Bei, the attendant Mi Zhu, also known as Mi Zizhong, there is a loyal follower of Liu Bei, the diplomat Jian Yong, and then there is this person before me... Kou Feng!

However, Liu Bei knew that Zhang Fei could not control himself and would definitely look for an opportunity to ask Zhang Xi for more wine. If Zhang Xi were to give it again this time, it would be unacceptable. It would not be surprising if Liu Bei decided to assign Zhang Xi to a different position, at the very least, he could no longer allow Zhang Xi to remain in the logistics management role

To purchase land, to establish a family and career, one must first wait until the ordeal of Changban Slope has passed before proceeding

At this point in the banquet, it is about time to conclude.

Apart from the Left General's Mansion of Liu Bei, which was a gift from the Huang family, a prominent clan in Xiangyang, all the other civil and military officials under Liu Bei were living in rented accommodations; renting a house is not something to be ashamed of

Xinye County is not a large county, and naturally, the inns here are not large inns either. This place has all kinds of people from various walks of life.

A soldier accidentally dropped a piece of roasted lamb on the ground while serving tonight's main dish of roasted lamb

Therefore, purchasing a house can be set aside; renting a house is comparatively more cost-effective

However, regarding the matter of buying a house, Zhang Xi is not considering it... Still, as I said, Xinye is not a place for settling down. If one were to settle down, it would have to wait until after the Battle of Changban Slope, and then the question of where to settle would be considered.

Heavy and oppressive

Therefore, it is essential to have one's own house

They chatted for a long time and both felt that the other person was quite nice

Indeed, after a conversation, it turned out that this Kou Feng was actually only 15 years old, the same age as Xiao Qibao

Kou Feng, or perhaps... Liu Feng?!

Master, shall we... buy some land?" proposed Little Seven Treasure

Moreover, renting a house is not something to be ashamed of

Deng Yu was originally from Xinye, thus the foundation of the Deng family can be said to be in Xinye

In this day and age, people's inherent belief is such that when they have money, they naturally buy land

However, with the development of the times, the Deng family experienced several ups and downs. Given that Xinye County is relatively small, it is difficult to develop into a large aristocratic family. Therefore, all members of the main branch of the Deng family migrated to Wancheng for development, leaving only a small branch behind in Xinye County.

Zhang Fei's incident of drinking a jar of wine from Zhang Xi was known to Liu Bei as well, but Liu Bei did not intend to blame Zhang Xi for this matter. After all, Liu Bei himself could not control Zhang Fei's drinking problem, so how could he expect a newcomer like Zhang Xi, who had just joined, to manage it

The money was wasted

Liu Feng, originally surnamed Kou, styled Gongzhong, changed his name to Liu Feng after being adopted as a foster son by Liu Bei

Moreover, although Dengjia Village is located outside the city, it is only about five or six li away from the agreed distance, making the daily commute similar to the current one. Xiaoqibao also mentioned that although the place is not large, all kinds of furniture are already in place, so there is no need for additional purchases, which can save a lot of trouble

However, in Liu Bei's view, this matter is indeed significant

After nearly three months of observation, Liu Bei found that Zhang Xi was at least not the kind of person who rigidly adhered to books without being adaptable. There were no major issues with the logistics and other affairs entrusted to Zhang Xi, which led Liu Bei to tentatively acknowledge Zhang Xi's capabilities

It is certainly not possible to continue staying at the inn.

Kou Feng felt that Zhang Xi's way of speaking was very much to his liking; whatever he said, the other party would always respond enthusiastically, which satisfied Kou Feng, who had a penchant for showing off.

This is also the reason why Liu Bei did not pay attention to Zhang Fei's behavior at the banquet, and why he quickly called Zhang Fei back after Zhang Xi shifted the blame onto him

The ancestors of the Deng family were the founding heroes of the Eastern Han Dynasty, with Deng Yu, the Marquis of Gaomi, being the foremost among the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai

After all, I have spent a long time with Little Seven Treasures

But now... he is called Kou Feng

Well, this is a trivial matter, yet it is also a significant one; however, neither Zhang Xi nor Kou Feng is aware of this at present

Only with stable property can one have steadfastness, and in this era, stable property refers to land

At this moment, Liu Bei took the opportunity to change clothes and discreetly sent someone to summon Zhang Xi to the backyard.

At the age of fifteen, Kou Feng, despite appearing composed in his words and actions, still carried a hint of the demeanor of a half-grown child. Zhang Xi had some experience in dealing with such half-grown children.

In just a few days, Xiao Qibao found a suitable place

Having seen Zhang Xi's statement is sufficient; we cannot allow Zhang Fei to cause a disturbance over this matter

Not within the city of Xinye, but in Dengjia Village, located five li outside the city, there is an old house in the village available for rent.

More importantly, Kou Feng is quite handsome, with an air of a scholar about his face... This is probably the reason he occupies a position among the civil officials

The origin of this Dengjia Village is, in fact, quite significant

The matter of Liu Feng, thanks to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, has led many to harbor a deep-seated resentment towards him, as he indirectly caused the death of Lord Guan. In the end, he was also ordered by Liu Bei to take his own life

However, compared to the Little Seven Treasures, this fifteen-year-old boy has already grown tall and strong, completely matching the twenty-year-old Zhang Xi.

Fifty guan of money were placed in the room, guarded only by a small servant... Just thinking about it feels dangerous

They are a branch of the Deng family, a prominent clan from Nanyang.

Xiao Qibao went to see it and said that the place has two sections: the front hall is the living room, and the back hall is the bedroom. The space is not large, but it is quiet, belonging to the family estate

Otherwise, even if one spends money to buy land now, when the troops of Cao arrive, if one runs away, won't this land become unclaimed once again

Only character matters, which Liu Bei is temporarily unaware of

This is truly not a big deal; Zhang Xi is puzzled as to why Liu Bei would specifically mention this to him.

Not quite understanding, but... this is indeed Kou Feng. After some conversation, Zhang Xi learned that Kou Feng indeed has an uncle named Liu Bi, who is the magistrate of Xinye County, and that his mother’s surname is Liu, confirming that he is related to the Han royal family

After all, I can now be considered an official, and officials must always engage in the rituals of greeting and sending off... What does it mean to greet and send off in an inn!

With these thirty guan, along with the twenty guan "settlement fee" that Liu Bei provided three months ago, Zhang Xi now has a total of fifty guan.