Chapter 49: The Rascal Official Li Holds Sway

The pitch-black stone possessed a strong magnetic force. Xiao Zhi was overjoyed; he adjusted the direction of the magnet so its orientation matched that of the dragon’s mouth, and decided to remove the blade altogether to avoid accidental injury.

After further careful work, Xiao Zhi finally completed the Compass Dragon carving. At first glance, it appeared no different from an ordinary dragon sculpture, but in truth, it served as a compass. Zhang Bamboo and Xiao Zhi were filled with hope for the future market of their Compass Dragon.

“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!” Zhang Bamboo exclaimed.

Xiao Zhi rubbed his nose. “At least all my efforts weren’t wasted.”

Zhang Bamboo stared fixedly at the Compass Dragon, reluctant to let it go. “Remarkable! Who would have thought that with a magnet inside, a dragon carving could become a compass? Ingenious!”

“It’s just a pity that magnets are still scarce. Otherwise, I’d install one in every piece,” Xiao Zhi said, a trace of regret in his voice.

Zhang Bamboo smiled warmly. “No matter. Water wears through stone, after all. Rome wasn’t built in a day—we’ll get there bit by bit.”

Xiao Zhi teased, “Since when did you become so eloquent, brother? Words just flow out now.”

Zhang Bamboo replied, “Oh! It’s from dealing with all those customers and master craftsmen. If I can’t understand them, I can’t communicate.”

Seeing Zhang Bamboo still fiddling with the Compass Dragon, Xiao Zhi felt deeply satisfied with his new invention.

“I heard that Brother Luo is returning tomorrow. I’ll show him the Compass Dragon; perhaps it might be of some use,” Xiao Zhi said.

Young and inexperienced, Xiao Zhi didn’t yet understand the complexities of human relationships. For Zhang Bamboo, Luo Gan was far from a good sort, certainly not someone who would bring good fortune to others, and he found it impossible to tolerate Luo Gan even a little.

Zhang Bamboo set down the dragon carving and spoke earnestly, “Xiao Zhi, I think you’d be better off keeping your distance from someone like Luo Gan.”

Xiao Zhi’s enthusiasm was dampened by Zhang Bamboo’s words, leaving him puzzled. “But Brother Luo helped arrange work for us. Shouldn’t we distinguish between good and bad?”

Zhang Bamboo’s pride, encased in glass, was suddenly shaken. Yes, all the work at Tiger Perch Pavilion was arranged by Luo Gan. Just a moment ago, he’d felt proud of the respect he received in the kitchen, but that pride vanished in an instant.

“It’s true, but just be cautious. People can hide their intentions,” Zhang Bamboo managed to recall a few old sayings, relying on his seniority to sound wise. “We’re simple folk, not worldly, and easily deceived.”

Since his second brother had spoken so frankly, Xiao Zhi had nothing more to say. He could only wonder privately about what had gone wrong in their relationship, though he couldn’t quite figure it out.

Outside, the frozen pine branches stood motionless, only lazily lifting their heads to shake off lingering ice when snow fell upon them.

The neighbor’s aunt hadn’t managed to save her child. She’d conceived last year, and the baby should have been born recently, but fearing the ominous snow, she’d tried to maintain the pregnancy until now; still, the child was lost.

Whenever Xiao Zhi passed the neighbor’s house, it felt lifeless—sometimes he heard desperate, anguished cries, which unsettled him, though he didn’t know how to help.

Li Bu Er, making the most of the cold, was adept at shirking work. He could often be seen with his hat askew, scavenging favors from street vendors, oblivious to how much people disliked him.

“Hey! Peaches today. They look fresh, but I wonder about the taste…” Li Bu Er sampled the fruit directly from the farmer’s stall, not even spitting the pit onto the ground—instead, he rolled it in his mouth before spitting it into his hand to take home for planting.

The greedy official was naturally unwelcome. The fruit seller greeted Li Bu Er with a smile, but after he passed the stall, glared at his swaying figure with resentment, spitting on the ground once he was gone.

“That bastard, someday he’ll get what’s coming to him.”

Xiao Zhi, not being a merchant, didn’t understand why those in business treated Li Bu Er like a plague. Yet when he was with Xiao Zhi, he acted like a caring grandfather—wasn’t it exhausting?

Luo Gan returned from outside the city gate, accompanied by Er Hu, Uncle De, and Farmer Jia, all fully equipped with various mysterious talismans. Entering the city, they were stopped for the customary inspection.

Li Bu Er feigned diligence, weighing Uncle De’s bundle. Seeing that Uncle De was old and unfamiliar with protocol, he freely groped through the belongings like a rogue, never stopping.

Er Hu, waiting nearby, broke out in a cold sweat—this wasn’t an inspection, it was blatant bullying.

From Uncle De and Farmer Jia’s bundles, Li Bu Er produced a series of odd items: a feng shui compass, an empty wooden box, an ordinary stone, even a crooked hoe—all useless bits and pieces.

Li Bu Er’s brow furrowed as he drew his knife and pointed at the bundles, treating them with utter disdain.

“A hoe on the ground, eh? Planning to secretly till some land in the county for yourself?” he sneered.

Farmer Jia protested, “Sir, look—there’s not a blade of grass in the city. How could we till land?”

Li Bu Er pressed on, “No grass to farm? Hmph, who knows if you’re planning to break the ice on the lake and fish with that hoe!”

The three—Er Hu, Uncle De, and Farmer Jia—looked at the crooked, unusable hoe, exchanging glances.

Luo Gan understood well why Li Bu Er was giving them such a hard time—it wasn’t really about keeping farmers from making a living in the city; it all came down to money.

Luo Gan bowed to Li Bu Er, pulling him aside for a private talk. Li Bu Er held his head high, putting on a show of innocence, which looked utterly ridiculous.

“Officer Li, didn’t I give you some money last time to smooth things over? Why is it already—” Luo Gan began.

Li Bu Er cut him off, hurriedly denying. “Money? Hmph, nonsense! I am a good official for the people, why would I take money from the commoners?”

Li Bu Er’s corruption was not only greedy but also deeply hypocritical. No wonder people despised him for his petty, thuggish demeanor. Luo Gan could only pull out some loose change to bribe him, but Li Bu Er, having tasted better last time, wasn’t satisfied with small coins anymore.

The money Luo Gan earned barely warmed his pocket before the official extortion forced him to share it. Luo Gan felt thoroughly disgruntled.

With no other choice, Luo Gan handed over more money to avert trouble, finally allowing the group to enter the city.

Just then, Xiao Zhi was at the morning market, buying ingredients for Old Lin, and happened to run into Luo Gan. Xiao Zhi eagerly rushed up to him.

“Brother Luo, why are you only just back?” Xiao Zhi asked, out of breath.

Luo Gan greeted Xiao Zhi warmly. “Ah, had some extra business to handle. Found some brothers for our Grand Guild—let me introduce you. Uncle De!”

Uncle De, gentle and kind, bowed to Xiao Zhi, who returned the gesture. Farmer Jia followed suit, and Xiao Zhi reciprocated once more.

Er Hu, fed up with the tedious greetings, slapped Xiao Zhi on the shoulder. “Little brother, it's been ages! How’s your big brother’s hand doing?”

Xiao Zhi still felt a lingering fear—it was only thanks to meeting Luo Gan and Er Hu after the robbery that his kind-hearted big brother received help; otherwise, Han Chong’s pride might have left him crippled, if not dead.

“Much better, much better. He’s living carefree and happy now.”

Luo Gan got straight to the point. “Good. Since everyone’s here, let’s gather the Grand Guild members and discuss the next steps. We must overcome these challenges!”

Their spirits high, the group headed straight for the Bamboo Grove Grand Guild.