Section 05: Plucking a Feather Benefits the World

What is there to thank? Women are of no use, they can only sew and mend, this is their duty

At the bend of the road, a chestnut steed burst forth like lightning. Immediately, a robust man clad in armor, wielding a spear, charged to the front of the formation. He pulled on the reins, and the steed let out a long neigh, raising its front hooves to kick the air a few times before coming to a sudden halt. A loud shout rang out: "Where is Zhang Cheng?"

"It is the Captain!" The woman released her hands. Yun Ye shook his arms, estimating they were bruised and hurt badly. The air in his chest dissipated, and he immediately slumped to the ground. Seeing the two women flustered as they tried to put shoes on him, Yun Ye's face turned red with embarrassment; it was too humiliating that his shoes had actually gone missing. Yun Ye was suddenly filled with anger towards the Captain, wondering if he would die if he didn't create such a commotion.

Zhang Cheng leaped down from the withered tree by the roadside, caught the two women thrown by Yun Ye, and shouted, "Form the formation!"

After receiving a definite promise, Zhang Cheng impatiently urged Yun Ye to write down the various tools and materials needed for salt production. Without paper and pen, he was in a state of agitation, while the two women also appeared anxious. The soldiers were all beating their chests and stamping their feet, continuously complaining about not bringing writing materials.

What is vinegar cloth? Is it edible?

Yun Ye was deep in thought, while the men around him eagerly awaited his decision, as this was a significant matter. It is clear that anyone who could conjure up a secret formula for salt would regard it as a matter of life and death, and would not easily share it with others

Oh my, wwwhetushu.com, Yun Ye let out a mournful cry. How coarse must this person be to eat the food cooked with such ingredients? No wonder Zhang Cheng was so furious when he saw me adding salt to the meat; he was overjoyed to hear that I agreed to teach them how to make salt, to the point of tears. A tough man crying like a baby in the womb, and no one can persuade him; whoever tries to will get beaten. Well, if it's about making salt, then so be it; being able to help them is always a good thing

Yun Ye let out a long yawn, as if the fatigue accumulated over the past month suddenly surged out from the very bones. Lying on a thick blanket, leaning against the fire pit, he listened to two women chattering and laughing as they helped him change his clothes. A long-lost sense of security filled his entire being, and he fell into a deep sleep against Wang Cai.

A slightly older woman approached with a few pieces of clothing, smiling, and said, "Still feeling shy, are we? If my first child grows up, they will be a bit bigger than you, young master. Please try on the clothes; if they do not fit, I will make adjustments."

After waiting for a long time, Yun Ye still could not make a decision. Disappointment was evident on Zhang Cheng's face, and he realized that his request was unreasonable. Gritting his teeth, he was about to say to drop the matter, not wanting to let Young Master Yun down in front of his ancestors.

Before he could even speak, Yun Ye raised his head and, glancing at the eager eyes around him, smiled calmly: "Yun Ye never thought that mere salt would be so important to you and to the Tang Dynasty. I used to think of it as just a condiment, something whose presence or absence would not significantly harm the world, merely affecting appetites. Now I realize that the benefits and losses of salt are indeed related to life and death. The rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty—if pulling a single hair can benefit the world, why would I not be willing to do so?"

Emerging from the woods, I saw Zhang Cheng obsequiously whispering something to the school officer, even pointing at me in a rather lewd manner

"Young Master, have you agreed?" Zhang Cheng exclaimed with surprise, prostrating himself. In that moment, only Yun Ye remained standing, while everyone else bowed down.

The auxiliary soldier beside him quickly pulled out a strip of vinegar cloth and handed it to Yun Ye. The four-finger-wide strip was stiff and hard, resembling dried kelp, and emitted a sour smell reminiscent of spoiled food.

Zhang Cheng seemed to have not slept all night, standing by the roadside like a stone waiting for a husband, staring in the direction of Lanzhou. Two women were cooking porridge, and upon seeing Yun Ye awake, they surrounded him, stretching and yawning while covering their mouths and giggling. It was only then that Yun Ye realized he seemed to be exposed, hurriedly covering himself and awkwardly chuckling.

Brothers, without further ado, if the Qiang people come, we will delay for as long as we can. Protecting Brother Yun is the right thing to do. The brothers are still waiting for him to produce salt. We can forgo the grain carts; as long as we hold out until the magistrate arrives, we will have won.

Yun Ye is struggling with a pile of clothes. He recognizes the pants, but what is this entire piece? Why are there skirts as well? Where are the buttons? There are fabric straps everywhere. What, do I have to put on socks first? This pile of clothes is the famous Tang suit, which is fastened from left to right, a characteristic of Han civilization. The way Yun Ye just fastened it from right to left is purely a sign of barbarism, with hair disheveled and left lapel.

You know what, producing salt a day earlier means an increase in the army's combat strength. The Turks have breached the pass again; we cannot allow these ruffians to act with impunity. One day, we will eliminate these Turks completely. Relying on vinegar and cloth for sustenance, we cannot endure this life for even a single day.

Yun Ye straightened his clothes and respectfully clasped his fists together towards the school officer, saying, "I, Yun Ye, have come to pay my respects to the school officer."

Upon seeing this, Yun Ye could not help but laugh. In the future, the entire population of the Republic, numbering 1.3 billion, would be nothing but uncivilized savages. If, in the early years of the Tang Dynasty, you captured a wild man without an owner, that is to say, a foreigner, congratulations, he would be your private property, no different from capturing a wild boar

Zhang Cheng nodded eagerly. However, he saw the captain become furious, raising his foot to kick Zhang Cheng to the ground. His fists struck like a descending tiger, and his feet moved like a rampaging dragon in the sea. Amid Zhang Cheng's desperate pleas for mercy, the captain continued to beat and scold him: "You little dog, how many people are in dire situations, and you bring a child to deceive me. It would be better for me to beat you to death than to punish you for falsely reporting military information."

Once the conversation began, the atmosphere became lively. One by one, they fondly patted Yun Ye's head and tugged at his face, their smiling faces filled with respect. Yun Ye's mood also brightened in an instant.

"Uncle Zhang, riding a horse at night is too dangerous. This matter is not urgent; after all, I have promised to meet with the library, so delivering it tomorrow is not too late." Yun Ye did not understand Zhang Cheng's urgency

Only about thirty men quickly took cover behind the grain carts, with gunmen in front and knife-wielders in the back. Zhang Cheng stood in the middle of the group, while two men stood outside the circle. On the ground in front of them, more than ten arrows had already been planted, ready for an attack. Two women dragged Yun Ye towards the woods, and Zhang Cheng turned back to shout: "Stay hidden, do not come out, even if everyone dies, do not come out"

"Look at you, living in luxury, unable to even dress yourself; enjoying life has become a sin." Zhang Cheng, this bastard, might harbor a resentment towards the wealthy. Seeing two women dressing Yun Ye, he felt a deep dissatisfaction towards this lazy creature who is unskilled in labor and ignorant of the basics of sustenance.

Yun Ye quickly stopped Zhang Cheng, who was about to bleed himself, took his dagger, and instructed the auxiliary soldiers to find two wooden boards. He used the dagger to carve words into the two boards. Despite the crookedness of the writing, Zhang Cheng held them in his arms as if they were treasures, carefully wrapping them in a cloth, no, it was burlap. Two fully armed auxiliary soldiers carried the boards on horseback and rushed towards Lanzhou City. Of course, they also took half of the salt as evidence. Two fully armed auxiliary soldiers carried the boards on horseback and rushed towards Lanzhou City. Of course, they also took half of the salt as evidence

Uncle Zhang, what is this for? If you want to learn, I will teach everyone; it's not that difficult. Uncle Zhang, I still prefer you to call me "little rascal" or "Yun Ge'er". Don't use titles like "young master" or "young lord"; it makes everyone uncomfortable, and I feel uneasy too. To meet all of you uncles and brothers at the most unfortunate time is my fortune; otherwise, I would have been eaten by wolves long ago, and there would be no talk of any young master or young lord.

Thank you very much, sisters, for your hard work

Upon hearing these words, a rush of blood surged to Yun Ye's head. He grabbed the shovel and rushed outside, but the two women firmly held him back behind the tree, preventing him from leaving. Dust swirled along the official road, and he could only vaguely see some dark figures approaching like a whirlwind. Is this the power of cavalry? Yun Ye's heart raced violently, and he could hear nothing but the thunderous sound of hooves, his hand gripping the shovel drenched in sweat

At that moment, a whistle sounded, and the sentinel shouted hoarsely: "Cavalry is approaching, approximately twenty riders!" Just as he finished shouting, the thunderous sound of hooves erupted.

Two women pushed aside Zhang Cheng, sizing him up from head to toe, clapping their hands in approval: "Ah, what a handsome young man! I wonder how children from wealthy families are raised; are they all this good-looking?"

The officer stared at him intently, making Yun Ye feel extremely uncomfortable. He thought it might be due to his clothing being inappropriate and hesitated whether to have someone check it again, as mistakes are inevitable in a rush. However, he saw the officer rudely pointing at himself and asking Zhang Cheng: "Is this the person you referred to as a master?"

As the sun was about to rise, I woke up habitually, and a deep sleep from the previous night had completely dispelled my fatigue. I stretched lazily, hearing the joints crack, indicating that I might still grow. Otherwise, a height of 1.6 meters would drive Yun Ye to despair.

Yun Ye thought to himself, asking me that, how would I know, all the more than thirty people I have seen in the Tang Dynasty are all here