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“Eh, isn’t that Brother Qin Niu? What brings you to look for Master Tang?”

After greeting Tang Fang, Steward Yan Qi lifted his gaze to survey the others, and to his surprise, he found Qin Niu right there among them.

A fervent smile immediately spread across his face.

“I have seen Steward Yan Qi! I want to ask Master Tang to help me build a house.”

Qin Niu responded politely.

“Then you have come to the right person. The skills of the two Tang brothers are very good, and they always consider the homeowner’s interests when working. Every time I need masonry work done, I seek the two of them.”

Steward Yan Qi heaped praise upon the Tang brothers.

It was unclear if he was speaking so highly of them because the youngest of the Tang family was an official.

“Wow, Brother Qin Niu, that’s impressive!” Yan Qi was extremely shocked; he knew Qin Niu’s background—his family lived in abject poverty.

It had only been a little over ten days since he last saw him, and now Qin Niu wanted to build a house, which was indeed surprising.

However, thinking of Qin Niu’s shoddy house, and considering Qin Niu had reached the age to marry and needed to build a new house urgently, it was understandable.

“Building a house is a big deal; if Brother Qin Niu’s budget is not enough, come to me anytime. I can’t promise much, but five or six taels of silver should be no problem. I was planning to come to you in a couple of days to have you send me more of that mountain fertilizer. The last basket I bought from you worked quite well, and this time, I plan to buy ten baskets.”

Steward Yan Qi had only recently been promoted to the position within the Yan Family, and his savings were limited. The fact that he was willing to lend five or six taels of silver to Qin Niu for his house was a tremendous show of trust and kindness.

It was also with the intention of maintaining a good relationship with Qin Niu that he made such an offer.

Otherwise, who would lend so much silver to someone else?

“Thank you, Steward Yan Qi, for giving me a safety net. Now if I run short of money when building the house, I won’t panic.”

These words brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

He continued.

“I will deliver the fertilizer to you in a couple of days.”

He happily accepted this big order.

Ten baskets of fertilizer cost five wen of silver, a substantial income for the average person.

The key was that the mountain fertilizer had virtually no cost; as long as one had enough strength, the mountains had plenty of it.

Even though Qin Niu no longer needed to earn money by selling fertilizer, getting into this market could lead to a steady income in the future.

The Yan Family was a major client, and as long as the fertilizer worked well, they would surely increase their orders in the future.

Tang Fang and his family listened to the warm conversation between Steward Yan Qi and Qin Niu, amazed that Steward Yan Qi, a man of such high status, was making friendly overtures to this young man.

They had thought this young man was a bit mad and a bit foolish, but it seemed now that appearances could be deceptive!

Steward Yan Qi would not engage in such enthusiastic conversation with a mad and foolish youth.

Let alone buying fertilizer and offering to lend several taels of silver voluntarily.

This revealed that they really didn’t know the full story of this young man.

“Brother Qin, come to me anytime you need silver. As long as I have it to give, I will not be stingy.”

Steward Yan Qi readily agreed.

After speaking, he turned to look at Tang Fang.

“Master Tang, this is the payment for you and your brother’s work, a total of three hundred and seventy wen. Count it.”

The daily wage for a bricklayer is about fifteen wen a day, plus an additional two wen for tea money.

That would be seventeen wen a day.

Altogether, it’s less than four hundred wen for the work they were hired to do, which probably took just a few days.

“Thank you, Steward Yan Qi! Tang is indeed grateful!”

Tang Fang took the money and didn’t count it, instead quietly taking out twenty wen and surreptitiously handing it to Steward Yan Qi.

“It was hard work for you to come and deliver this personally to me. Please take this as a token of my gratitude for a drink. In the future, we hope for your continued patronage.”

This Tang Fang knew how to conduct himself.

Giving Steward Yan Qi a small kickback now would ensure that future work would come their way first.

“Master Tang, you’re too polite! There might be a big job coming up soon, and I will recommend you and your brother for it to Master Yan. However, there are many others with a say in this, so I can’t guarantee anything. Once I have confirmation, I’ll come find you.”

Steward Yan Qi’s movements in taking the money were extremely smooth.

In those days, anyone with a little power would take their cut. How else could they afford to live in imposing brick and tile houses and ride in carriages?

“I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now! Brother Qin Niu, remember to send me the fertilizer, same tea garden as last time!”

“Of course! Thank you for your care, Steward Yan Qi.”

Qin Niu smiled and nodded.

“Why be so formal between us? See you later.”

Steward Yan Qi waved his hand and boarded the carriage and left.

This was the first time Qin Niu had seen this carriage, and it seemed extremely luxurious to him.

Now, upon seeing it again, it appeared quite ordinary.

After his status and income had increased greatly, his mentality and perspective had also changed.

It was a subtle shift in attitude.

Perhaps this was the reason everyone strived to progress!

“Master Tang, I’ll pay five taels as a deposit now. If it’s convenient for you, I would appreciate it if you could bring people to start the work today. I’ll procure whatever materials are needed.”

Qin Niu did not dare to have the contractor supply all the materials.

Selecting the materials himself could save some silver and prevent the contractor from using inferior materials to cut corners.

“Well, building a house is no problem at all. But to build three rooms with seven beams, one needs at least the rank of a ninth-grade official, or else it’s illegal, and I’m worried that you might be caught by the authorities and be punished for it!”

Tang Fang took the heavy Silver Money with joy in his heart.

It was a sizable payment for construction work.

He now believed that the young man before him truly had the financial capability to build a grand mansion.

However, he was very worried that Qin Niu, being young and impulsive, with a reverence for officials, would insist on copying the construction of an official residence with three rooms across and seven bay areas. This would surely bring trouble upon himself.

His third brother held an official position, and it wasn’t a lowly one, so he personally had no fear.

But he couldn’t bear to see the young man pay a painful price for his ignorance.

“Hehe, Master Tang is truly reliable! With this, will the officials still charge me with any crime?”

Qin Niu chuckled as he took out the Fish Talisman plaque.

“My heavens… it’s actually a Bronze Fish Talisman! I am but a lowly fool who failed to recognize a great man, unaware that you are the distinguished Insect Master. Please forgive my offense.”

Upon seeing Qin Niu’s plaque, Tang Fang was nearly scared witless.

Old man Tang was equally terrified.

He quickly bowed to the ground before Qin Niu with his hands clasped, volunteering an apology.

“This old fool is overcome with fear. Had I known you were Insect Master, I would never have dared to let you help carry the load!”

“Haha, get up, get up! It’s not a crime if one is unaware. Master Tang, I’m entrusting you with the construction of the mansion. You won’t be shortchanged for the work, and there’s additional reward money for a job well done.”

Qin Niu helped the two men up, gave a couple of instructions, and then left casually.

In terms of status, he was already far above Steward Yan Qi.

That’s why the Tang father and son were so terrified.

As they sent off Qin Niu, the Tangs exchanged glances and nearly in unison, they wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

Despite having a relative in a high official position, they knew well the consequences of offending an Insect Master.

It could easily bring great disaster to their family.

The better their days were, the more cautious and careful they were in their actions.

“I never imagined that Shuangfeng Village would produce an Insect Master! It seems the western district’s dynamics of Jade Stream Town are about to change!”

Old man Tang murmured to himself, as if discussing the matter with his eldest son.

“Father, I don’t see this as a bad thing. Our village neighbors Shuangfeng Village. Since I’ve been chosen to construct the house for Master Qin this time, I’ll put in extra effort. If I can establish a good relationship with him, perhaps it can benefit our third brother who is an official in the city. His foundation is not stable yet, and although the Yan Family supports him outwardly, they do not put forth true effort. If our third brother can gain Master Qin’s support, that would be far more secure.”

Tang Fang’s gaze flickered with a glint of wisdom.

“If you’re thinking like that, it shows you’ve made progress over the years from taking on various jobs. Make sure to tell our second brother to be thoughtful in every aspect of constructing Master Qin’s house. Then Master Qin will be able to feel our good will.”

Old man Tang’s ability to raise three such outstanding sons was no less remarkable.

Normally, the older one gets, the wiser they become.

Because with age comes increased knowledge, life experience, and worldly insight, leading to a more comprehensive approach to problem-solving.

Qin Niu had just returned to his front door when he heard voices conversing inside.

The front yard had been cleaned up substantially, looking much tidier now.

Brooms, trash bins, and shovels were left by the fence.

It seemed Xiao Qing had been cleaning the yard and had stopped halfway because of visitors.

Upon entering, Qin Niu’s eyes brightened slightly.

In addition to Aunt Hua and Sister He, there was a beautiful young girl around fifteen years old, and sitting next to her was a young man around seventeen or eighteen with light stubble, who must have been married.

Men start to grow beards after they get married.

It’s also an important sign of a man becoming mature.

This young man had an impressive appearance and clear eyes, clearly an enterprising, honest young man devoted to his career and family.

The around fifteen-year-old girl had a graceful figure, fair and radiant skin, and was as lovely as any daughter of the nobility from within the city.

With light makeup, almond eyes and rosy cheeks, a delicate nose and white teeth, and matched with her lively and enchanting bright eyes, she was undoubtedly a rare beauty in the making.

She sat there with her knees together, her posture elegant.

It was evident she was the educated daughter of a major family.

The pink pleated skirt she wore added even more charm and grandeur to her appearance.

“Ah Niu, this is the eldest young master of the Tang Family, Tang Bin. And this young lady is Tang Bin’s sister, Tang Caixian.”

Aunt Hua hastened to stand up and introduce them when she saw Qin Niu’s arrival.

Who would have thought that Miss Tang would come to visit in person?

In her pursuit of love, she truly was bold.

It’s commonly believed in this world that women should be shy and restrained. Eligible girls as well as married women should always show a blushing demeanor in presence of guests or men, half-covering their faces with a handkerchief, which is considered demure and attractive.

For Tang Caixian to come over personally despite a clear refusal from a man, it’s truly unusually bold.

It requires immense courage.

And the support of her family as well.

At the same time, she would have to endure the judgment and gossip from neighbors and villagers.

If matters turned out well, it would certainly be regarded as a wonderful story.

But if the marriage failed to materialize, who knows how others might speculate and gossip.

“Greetings, Young Master Tang, and greetings, Miss Tang!”

As Qin Niu noticed both of them standing up, he felt that the Tang siblings had particularly good upbringing and manners.

He was impressed with the first impression.

“Qin Niu, we have taken the liberty to visit you this time to discuss my sister’s marriage. If there is any intrusion, please forgive us.”

Tang Bin said to Qin Niu..