Chapter 3, The Cloud Maiden and the Blade

Good grandson, I thought you were still out having fun, only just now did I learn that you returned early. I didn't know you came to see your grandmother, as you were too busy playing chess with that girl from the cloud. The old lady's face bore a smile; although her words carried a hint of reproach, she was not truly angry. Usually, she looks at this grandson with great fondness.

Xu Zhongwen nodded and said, "Old Eight, do as Jie'er suggested, bring the person in first. We will assess the situation tonight and decide what to do next"

"Yun Guiniang" is the term Xu Zhushi usually uses to jokingly refer to Yun Shuhuan. Xu Jie has also learned to call him that, and when Xu Zhushi uses this term, Yun Shuhuan does not mind and even responds with a smile. However, when Xu Jie calls him that, Yun Shuhuan protests by remaining silent and working all day. Consequently, Xu Jie no longer uses that term and instead refers to him as "Yun Xiaozai".

Therefore, how could the constable send someone to handle this case? If the salt goods are taken to the yamen, it would not only offend people but also bring no benefits. Moreover, under the urging of the county magistrate to investigate a murder case, it becomes even more difficult. When Lao Ba goes to report the case, he cannot even meet the county magistrate. Arriving at Constable Liu's place, it would be better to suppress the matter, or even quickly notify someone to go to Xu Family Town to retrieve the items, which would be a way to achieve multiple objectives.

To this day, Xu Zhushi still has one eye that is blind, and the vision in the other eye is also poor. This is the reason why Xu Zhushi does not move around carelessly, as he fears that a moment of carelessness may result in him being unable to see his precious grandson again

The long knife in Xu Jie's hand was nothing extraordinary, nor was it a legendary treasure blade; it was merely a standard long knife used in the military, and the scabbard was an ordinary wooden one, lacking any embellishments. After Xu Zhong and others returned to their hometown, they secretly forged a batch of swords and spears, which were favored by these military men during their leisure time in farming.

In the inner courtyard hall, a regular hexagonal table was already set with four dishes and a soup. At the front sat an elderly woman with white hair, who, despite her age, appeared quite spirited and lively. Upon seeing Xu Jie enter, she smiled warmly with a kind expression. This was Xu Jie's grandmother, Xu Zhushi.

Xu Jie had also criticized Aunt Gu for frequently coming over while he was eating. Naturally, Aunt Gu did not heed this, which reflects a certain simplicity. The host family is kind, and it is only proper for the servants to be so as well

Xu Jie reacted swiftly and said, "Second Uncle, regarding the matter that has cost several lives, the head constable mentioned he would come again tomorrow. It seems that the head constable will not be coming; someone else will come tonight to demand something."

Xu Jie leaned the long knife against the side of the chair, sat down, but did not reach for the chopsticks

Seeing that Xu Jie had not picked up his chopsticks to eat, the elderly man was first puzzled, but then quickly realized, and hurriedly released the hand of his grandson that he was holding, saying, "Hurry up and eat, hurry up and eat"

As he spoke, Xu Zhong inexplicably felt a sense of sadness arise, the smile on his face fading away. He simply looked up at the moon that had just risen in the sky and let out a long sigh

Yun Shuhuan was tidying up the chessboard and pieces, while Yan merely nodded and uttered a soft "mm".

The elderly man repeatedly picked up several pieces of meat with a mix of fat and lean, raised his eyes to look at his grandson, and waited for his grandson to eat. It seemed that watching his precious grandson eat brought him immense joy

Xu Jie glanced at his second uncle and replied, "Eighth Uncle, gather everyone together. Someone will surely come tonight to demand something. We should act according to the situation; if we can resolve it peacefully, that would be best. If not, then we need not fear anyone!"

Xu Zhong also replied with a smile: "Having grown up, one has indeed grown up. Uncle Er has not let down your father who is beneath the nine springs; even in death, he can still face others with dignity"

Xu Jie picked up the long knife that the old butler with a missing tooth had brought over from one of the chairs. He played with it in his hands for a moment, then drew the knife out to examine it, and said with a smile: "Yun, this knife of mine glimmers with a cold light, did you polish it for me recently?"

Sitting beside them, Xu Zhong looked at the two, a smile on his face. Perhaps this is the true meaning of family in Xu Zhong's heart. A resilient and unyielding disabled man, who has managed to live until now, finds all his motivation for survival at this dining table

Xu Jie and Xu Zhong's speculation is undoubtedly accurate. A single shipment of several hundred taels of silver in private salt passing through Qingshan County would certainly benefit the county's constables, who would receive at least a dozen or twenty taels. A dozen or twenty taels is not a trivial amount; for an ordinary family, this is roughly equivalent to two years' income. Even if some of it must be shared with the subordinate officers and constables, the majority would still end up in the hands of the head constable. This is the true source of income for the head constable of the county office; in comparison, the official salary of the county office is hardly considered money. Even if some of it must be shared with the subordinate officers and constables, the majority would still end up in the hands of the head constable. This is the true source of income for the head constable of the county office; in comparison, the official salary of the county office is hardly considered money.

After Xu Jie finished two bowls of rice, he laughed and patted his belly, saying he was full. At that moment, Yun Shuhuan quickly walked in and said, "Master, Uncle Ba has arrived, he is in the outer courtyard hall."

Thank you very much, I am going to have a meal now. Xu Jie expressed his gratitude and headed towards the inner courtyard with a knife in hand

There is also a point for self-preservation. The Dahua court has never explicitly prohibited the possession of knives and guns by the populace. It only forbids the private ownership of strong bows and crossbows from the military. This is also because there are simply too many weapons in the world.

Upon seeing Lao Ba in the outer courtyard, the two approached him as he frowned and said, "Elder brother, Liu the constable from the county office will come again tomorrow"

Lao Ba already felt that something was amiss, and Xu Zhong's expression also changed upon hearing this

Xu Jie did not respond further, but looked up at the crescent moon. He imagined the father he had never seen, as well as his third and fourth uncles. He pondered what these three elders might look like.

It was precisely because of the presence of the infant Xu Jie that the Xu Zhu family was able to emerge from the grief of having lost three sons and having one son disabled. Xu Jie had always been by Xu Zhu's side, witnessing his mother weep incessantly every day, to the point that she lost sight in one eye from crying. The young Xu Jie, who had just begun to walk and speak, made every effort to please her, gradually restoring her hope for life.

"Eat, eat quickly, and have more meat." The elderly man held his grandson's hand in his left hand while his right hand had already picked up chopsticks to serve meat into the bowl for his precious grandson

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhong rose and went outside, and Xu Jie also got up, taking a knife, to accompany Xu Zhong.

A family of three happily enjoyed their dinner. The toothless old steward Xu Youjin was having dinner with the Gu family couple and the Yun family siblings in the hall of the outer courtyard. While eating, Aunt Gu would occasionally put down her bowl and chopsticks to check inside the hall, ready to assist with any tasks that needed attention; if there was nothing to do, she would return to her meal. Even during her usual meals, Aunt Gu could not sit still.

Xu Jie smiled at his grandmother, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat voraciously. Even though he was not particularly hungry, he ate in a ravenous manner, solely to keep the kind smile on the old lady's face, bringing her joy and happiness

"Grandmother, your grandson knows his wrongdoing. I should not have only focused on playing with Yun. Next time, I will definitely pay attention and come to see you first before going to play." Xu Jie bent down and extended his hand to shake hands with Xu Zhushi, his smile unceasing. The kindness and love of this grandmother, which Xu Jie has felt for over ten years, truly leaves him with no way to repay.

Xu Jie saw that his knife was still shining brightly, and he speculated that Yun Shuhuan had helped him maintain it

Upon hearing this, Lao Ba turned around and went to call for someone

Xu Zhong suddenly had a flash of inspiration in his mind, deciding to let his nephew engage with those rogue traders of illicit salt, as a way to train Xu Jie. A man like Xu Zhong clearly was not one to indulge in mere pampering. As his nephew grew up, he would ultimately need to rely on himself to venture out into the world. Whether it was to take the imperial examination and enter the court as an official, or to pursue other avenues, it would ultimately depend on his own efforts.

Xu Zhongye turned his head to look at Xu Jie, noticing that Xu Jie's stature was subtly taller than his own. He suddenly spoke, saying: "Jie'er, if someone truly arrives tonight, you should go and negotiate with them, and your second uncle will support you."

Three hundred years after the Tang Dynasty, there arose the Great Hua Dynasty, which has now existed for two hundred years. The Great Hua Dynasty was established in the aftermath of a chaotic world, and the remnants of that chaos have continued to affect the Great Hua Dynasty. This has resulted in a multitude of powerful factions among the populace. The Great Hua Dynasty itself relied on the influential families from various regions to gain its dominion, and it can even be said that these regional families elected the leaders of the dynasty.

The world that Xu Jie has traversed to shares some similarities with the history he was familiar with in his previous life. However, since the Anshi Rebellion during the Tang Dynasty, things have changed. The chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms is entirely different from the history that Xu Jie knew in his past life

Xu Jie smiled and said, "Second Uncle, do you think your nephew has grown up?"

The Spring Festival is not far away, and on this winter night, there is a penetrating chill in the air

Xu Zhongwen said: "Jie Er is clever. It seems that the constable does not want to get involved in this matter. If the salt goods are successfully transported, it appears that he stands to gain from it."

In Xu Zhong's words, "Second Uncle will support you," there is also a hint of confidence in his heart. He usually avoids trouble and lives a comfortable rural life. When issues arise, Xu Zhong shows no signs of fear whatsoever

Upon hearing this, Lao Ba was taken aback and said, "Elder brother, it seems that this time we cannot escape unscathed"

Therefore, for the past two hundred years, the residents of Xujia Town, who rely on agriculture for their livelihood, have inevitably considered issues of self-preservation. Although many strongmen in the jianghu tend to act based on their interests and generally do not actively oppress honest commoners, having a means of self-defense is undoubtedly the best option.

Eighth Uncle is the Old Eight who was sent by Xu Zhong to report to the authorities in Qingshan County. This ranking is based on the ages of peers within the clan. Old Eight's name is Xu Cai. In rural areas, names are often chosen without much cultural significance, and a name with a good omen is considered quite good. Commonly, there are also names like Dog and Pig, which are chosen for their practicality in terms of raising them. Among the children who grew up with Xu Jie, there was a clever one named Xu Dog. Commonly, there are also names like Dog and Pig, which are chosen for their practicality in terms of raising them. Among the children who grew up with Xu Jie, there was a clever one named Xu Dog.

Thus, the Dahua Dynasty had an inherent deficiency, which was its limited control over local aristocratic families. This issue persisted for two hundred years and indirectly led to problems in the national legal system. The flourishing underworld and similar entities emerged as a result, with interests intertwined and complex. The court did have the determination to govern, but it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens

Xu Jie has not practiced with the sword for about a month, so the long sword in his hand has also been hanging on the wall for a long time without maintenance. In this era, ironware, once neglected, will immediately lose its luster and will also rust

Xu Jie raised the knife in his hand again to take a look, and then glanced at his second uncle, Xu Zhong