C60. Comedians Joking.

C60. Comedians Joking.

After returning to the dining hall, the Yuan brothers had almost finished their meal.

Seeing Yuan Li bring an unfamiliar man over, they instinctively took a few more glances at Chu Hechao. They felt that this man in front of them was tall, powerful, handsome, and exceptionally extraordinary.

Feeling a bit restrained, the brothers asked, "Who is this?"

"This is General Chu Hechao of Beijiang. He hasn't had his dinner yet, so he came over to have a meal together." Yuan Li smiled and introduced them to each other.

Chu Hechao nodded casually at the two of them and sat down in an empty seat.

He appeared calm, but the Yuan brothers were taken aback.

Chu Hechao?!

This man was actually Chu Hechao!

The brothers locked eyes, their hearts pounding. They never expected to one day meet the general known as the War God of Beizhou. They quickly stood up and respectfully greeted Chu Hechao, "The humble ones greet the General."

Chu Hechao nodded and said softly, "Please, have a seat."

The two of them sat down cautiously.

Yuan Dan had always admired Chu Hechao since he was young. Every time he heard of Chu Hechao's achievements, he would feel excited and often dreamt of fighting alongside him on the battlefield.

However, when Chu Hechao appeared in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe towards the general. He wanted to speak but dared not say much, feeling nervous and restless.

Yuan Li noticed his demeanor and teased, "Do you want the general to give you an autograph?"

"Autograph? What is that?" Yuan Dan asked in confusion.

His expression was so innocent, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Yuan Li found this unexpectedly amusing and burst into laughter, bending over with his head almost touching the table, leaving only one hand waving at Yuan Dan.

The others looked at each other, wondering what he found so funny.

Chu Hechao twitched his mouth and lifted him up, saying, "Just eat your meal."

Yuan Li blushed and stood up, offering Chu Hechao his bowl and chopsticks, and picking up a piece of meat to feed him.

After watching how he ate, Chu Hechao mimicked his actions and tasted the food. He raised his eyebrows slightly in approval.

However, his appetite was not good at the moment. Even the best tasting food seemed mediocre in his mouth. Chu Hechao lazily played with his chopsticks, casually picking up a cup of water and finishing it in one gulp.

After seeing him finish the water, Yuan Li quietly said, "That was mine."

"Cough, cough," General Chu suddenly coughed loudly, "Yours?!"

Yuan Li nodded generously, saying, "It's okay, you can have it."

Chu Hechao pushed the cup away as if he had touched something dirty.

Yuan Li stared at him, "Are you rejecting me?"

Chu Hechao lowered his eyes and chuckled, "Dear sister-in-law, we don't need to be so considerate."

It had been a while since he called Yuan Li "sister-in-law," and when he said it this time, Yuan Li was caught off guard.

By the time he regained nis composure, Chu Hechao had already continued to eat and drink silently.

After that, Chu Hechao didn't say another word until the meal was over, and they each returned to their rooms.

The next day, Yuan Li rallied himself and began experimenting with the vertical windmill's effectiveness.

He remembered that Yang Zhongfa was also very interested in the vertical windmill and didn't forget to send someone to inform Yang Zhongfa.

Yang Zhongfa came joyfully and brought two children with him. One was Han Yan, the daughter of Han Jin that Yuan Li had met before. The other was Yang Zhongfa's young son, the five-year-old child Yang Xuan.

Both children were well-behaved, and Yuan Li carefully examined Han Yan. With her rosy complexion, thick and warm clothes, and a shy smile on her face, it was evident that she was well taken care of.

Yuan Li felt content and then turned his attention to Yang Zhongfa's young son.

Yang Zhongfa often boasted to others about his son's intelligence, quick learning ability, and even Yuan Li had heard him mention it several times, so he was already very curious about Yang Xuan.

Now, seeing Yang Zhongfa's son, he looked indeed extraordinary. At only five years old, he performed his greetings meticulously, his chubby face still retaining a hint of baby fat. He spoke clearly and in an organized manner, calm and composed, completely different from his quick-tempered father, Yang Zhongfa.

The child was chubby, but his chubby cheeks were simply adorable and heart-melting when put on a child's body. Xuan'er was also dressed warmly, and when he walked, he resembled a ball, moving slowly as if it was a challenge for him, showing no signs of impatience.

"It seems a young nobleman was raised in a bandit's den," Yuan Li couldn't help but sigh.

However, this little nobleman ran straight to Yuan Li and looked up, "Young Master Yuan."

Yuan Li crouched down to his level and asked with a smile, "Call me uncle."

"Uncle," the chubby-faced Yang Xuan immediately said, his pronunciation clear as he asked, "Can uncle give me a windmill like the one for sister?"

"Of course," Yuan Li couldn't help but rub his face, "Once uncle is done being busy, I'll make a small windmill for you."

Yang Xuan's eyes lit up, "Thank you, uncle."

Soon, everyone gathered together.

Upon hearing that Yuan Li had created something new, Liu Jixin, who had recently recovered, Wang Er, Wu Kai and others rushed to the estate, eager to see what the new invention was.

The grindstone had been properly set up beneath the vertical windmill and was ready for action.

In the cold winter days of Youzhou, the cold northwest wind blew every day, so in fear of the children catching a cold, the servants were instructed to take the children back to the house. The adults stood in groups beside the vertical windmill, watching as the whistling cold wind made the wind sail of the vertical windmill continuously flutter.

In the bone-chilling wind, everyone shivered uncontrollably.

Liu Jixin was bundled up warmly and stood next to Yang Zhongfa. Yang Zhongfa hugged himself for warmth and shivered slightly as he whispered to Liu, "Young Master Yuan says this contraption can rotate the millstone simply with the wind. Do you believe it?"

"Of course, I do."

With a sniffle, Liu Jixin remained composed.

Yang Zhongfa sighed, "It's not that I don't believe Young Master Yuan, but I'm not confident in my heart. Although this millstone is small, it still requires a person or a donkey to move it. Can this contraption made of wooden sails and relying on the elusive wind truly rotate the millstone?"

In truth, Liu Jixin had his doubts as well.

He had never heard of using wind to rotate a millstone. Just like Yang Zhongfa, this seemed unlikely to him as well. However, even if he was skeptical, Liu Jixin believed in Yuan Li.

If Yuan Li had brought out the vertical windmill, then it meant he was confident.

After waiting for a while, the vertical windmill still did not move, and people couldn't help but start talking quietly, feeling anxious.

Yuan Li remained calm on the surface, but internally, he was feeling tense, staring at the windmill intently.

He had built this windmill himself, with only Chu Hechao assisting him. While the chances of success in his experiment were slim, he earnestly hoped for success this time.

Finally, amid the increasing tension, the vertical windmill started turning.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the spectacle.

In the beginning, the windmill turned extremely slowly and subtly, as if the millstone at the bottom was firmly holding onto the windmill, preventing it from rotating. But soon, as the windmill's speed increased, the gears engaged and the millstone began spinning faster and more effortlessly.

Between the grinding stones, the crisp sound of grains being crushed "crackle, crackle" filled the air as the stone mill slowly turned the grains into powder, spilling out from the mill.

"Really moves..." murmured Wu Kai softly.

Yuan Li exhaled a breath of relief and smiled slightly.

Everyone was amazed, on that day they gathered around the vertical windmill for quite a while. When they finally carried the grinding stone back, they felt reluctant to leave.

After confirming that the vertical windmill was functional, Yuan Li planned to have craftsmen build a larger windmill following the same structure. He intended to test it in Jixian next year, so that when the people were grinding grains during the autumn harvest, they could use it.

Nowadays, few households had animals that could be used for labor, so the people had to grind grains themselves. With the vertical windmill, the people would no longer have to toil so hard after the autumn harvest and could cultivate more grains.

Among the group, the one who loved the vertical windmill the most was Wu Kai.

In the past, when grinding grains at home, Wu Kai would manually rotate the grinding stone. He never imagined that with just this device, the stone mill could rotate on its own.

Watching this scene, Wu Kai remembered the sight of his mother sweating profusely while grinding grains. He gently touched the windmill and thought that if his mother saw it, she would surely be overjoyed.

His careful touch on the windmill, afraid of causing any damage, caught Yuan Li's attention. Seeing how much Wu Kai loved the vertical windmill, Yuan Li simply joked, "On the day of your wedding, I will give you a vertical windmill."

Wu Kai was stunned, worried that this item might be too expensive and reluctant to burden his master with the expense. However, deep down, he wanted one for his mother to use in the future. Ashamed, he lowered his head and blushed, thanking his master.

With the matter of the vertical windmill settled, Yuan Li was planning to have the craftsmen try making a water mill. However, a few days later, he received a letter from his mentor, Ouyang Ting.

In the letter, Ouyang Ting mentioned that his mentor's wife, Madam Lu, particularly liked the soap Yuanli had sent, especially those Yuan Li into plum and chrysanthemum shapes. She was reluctant to use these soaps and would praise them whenever she went out with other ladies. The ladies would all love the soap as soon as they saw and tried it.

Out of the twenty sets of soap Yuan Li had given Ouyang Ting, Madam Lu had already given away fifteen sets and kept only five for herself.

However, these fifteen sets were like a drop in the bucket, unable to satisfy the demand of the ladies. Many local merchants saw a business opportunity in this and approached Ouyang Ting, hoping he could recommend them to Yuan Li to do soap business.

Ouyang Ting was also amazed by this turn of events.

His situation in Xuzhou was not great as the officials there were mostly locals. Despite his reputation as a great scholar and former high-ranking official, he, as an outsider, became the governor of Xuzhou, and the local officials were reluctant to follow his orders.

Ouyang Ting had tried many methods, but progress was slow. However, thanks to the soap, the wives of these officials spoke highly of him, and even the officials showed more warmth towards him.

Ouyang Ting found this situation both funny and frustrating. Though the attention did not have a substantial effect, he could use it to his advantage.

Who would have thought that a piece of soap could have such an impact?

Because of Ouyang Ting's experiences, Yuan Li also wanted to do business with merchants from Xuzhou and Yangzhou in the south. Therefore, he did not refuse the merchants' advances.

Concerned for his disciple's sake, Ouyang Ting carefully examined these merchants and selected ten reputable ones to introduce to Yuan Li. Ouyang Ting informed Yuan Li that he would send these merchants to meet Yuan Li in Youzhou after the spring thaw.

As for the sugarcane Yuan Li mentioned, he had found a supplier locally and arranged for it to be sent to Youzhou along with the merchants.

After reading the letter, Yuan Li's smile faded.

The merchants from Xuzhou and Yangzhou would not depart until February, so it would be May by the time they reached Youzhou. Yuan Li set this matter aside for the time being and focused on the upcoming wedding day of Wu Kai.

Soon enough, the day arrived.

Marriages among wealthy families were known for their extravagance and lavishness, showcasing the family's heritage. This trend swept through the entire Northern Zhou, even prompting poor families to borrow money from relatives and friends to host extravagant celebrations for joyous occasions.

However, the wedding between Wu Kai and Yunniang was kept exceptionally simple.

The two of them, with only Wu Kai's elderly mother living far away in Ruyang, and Yunniang without parents or siblings, simply decorated their home with red silk and "joy" symbols on the wedding day.

Yunniang prepared a few tables of food herself, and that was all there was to it.

Yuan Li was seated first and was followed by Chu Hechao. However, Chu Hechao did not sit in the seat beside Yuan Li but chose a seat a bit further away.

Yuan Li gave him a curious glance, but Chu Hechao, sitting very upright with a physique as firm as a stone carving from the waist to the thighs, raised his head sharply and asked, "Brother's wife, is something the matter?"

Yuan Li shook his head.

Chu Hechao then turned his face away.

The simple wedding banquet was warm and cozy. After the meal, the guests helped tidy up the tables and chairs and respectfully left, giving the newlyweds time alone.

After attending Wu Kai's wedding banquet, He Lang, who had hurried back from the border region, eagerly brought Yushi Meiren back to his house. In contrast to the simplicity of Wu Kai and Yunniang's wedding, he directly hired performers to entertain everyone at the house.

The performers were traditional artists who specialized in music, dance, and comedy, similar to stand-up comedy. Their witty and humorous stories entertained the guests, making them burst into laughter.

Yuan Li couldn't contain his laughter, as his sense of humor was quite low, and people were falling off their seats due to laughing too much.

Yang Zhongfa, sitting next to him, glanced at Yuan Li repeatedly and couldn't help but tease Chu Hechao on the other side, "General, look at this, Yuan Gongzi is like a child."

Chu Hechao fixed his gaze on the stage, not sparing Yuan Li a glance, and casually sipped his tea, saying, "Hmm."

Yang Zhongfa chuckled, "General, look at Yuan Gongzi, he's about to slide under his chair from laughing."

Chu Hechao still appeared disinterested, supporting his cheek with a gloved hand and tapping his fingers lightly, not even wanting to glance over, "I don't feel like watching."

As if the performance on the stage was some extraordinary spectacle, missing even a glance would be a loss.

Yang Zhongfa sighed quietly, covering his mouth, "General, you've been quite indifferent towards Yuan Gongzi these days."

It wasn't indifference, more like being polite.

The once affectionate relationship between brothers-in-law seemed to have faded into the background, turning into an ordinary bond.

Chu Hechao lazily, eyelids half-drooping, "Hmm."

Yang Zhongfa asked, "Are you two having another disagreement?"

"No," Chu Hechao glanced at the performers on the stage, disdainfully pulling his lip, "Just think it's meaningless to mess around with a child."

Yang Zhongfa shrugged, "Alright then."

Unaware of their conversation, Yuan Li's face ached from laughter. He drank a few more glasses of water but soon needed to visit the restroom due to drinking too much water, so he excused himself and left temporarily.

The performers were engaging the audience with captivating stories, and everyone was laughing heartily, completely unaware of Yuanli's departure.

Chu Hechao's peripheral vision followed his retreating figure, then quickly snapped back, so swiftly that even Yang Zhongfa failed to notice.

On the stage, the geishas continued their lively banter and performances, accompanied by the vibrant melodies of traditional instruments.

Chu Hechao closed his eyes, massaging his temples, his handsome face etched with a somber intensity that emerged from the shadows.

His lips remained a straight line, devoid of any trace of a smile.

Suddenly, the storyteller's voice takes a dramatic turn, weaving into a folk narrative that has been passed down through generations.

"The story goes that a young man, driven by concern, embarked on a journey to visit his ailing elder brother. Upon arrival, he was met with a heartbreaking sight – his once robust brother, now reduced to a mere skeleton, his face etched with the pallor of illness. Tears streaming down his cheeks, the young man collapsed beside the bed, his sobs echoing through the room. As he regained his composure, his gaze fell upon his beautiful sister-in-law, her slender figure approaching with a bowl of medicine in hand. Her eyes, resembling delicate willow leaves, and her lips, akin to blooming peonies, momentarily stunned the young man into silence..."

The audience, swayed by the storyteller's captivating narrative, erupted into bursts of laughter, interspersed with reprimands directed at the young man's despicable behavior. They urged the storyteller to continue, eager to unravel the tale's unfolding drama.

"The young man's heart succumbed to temptation. Though he knew his actions were akin to those of a beast, he found himself unable to resist his widowed sister-in-law's alluring gaze. With a surge of determination, he pulled her into his embrace, his intentions clearly evident..."

A deafening crash reverberated through the hall, jolting the storyteller out of his narrative. The sudden silence was palpable, the audience's eyes turning in unison towards Chu Hechao, who had risen from his seat, his face contorted in fury.

Overturning the table before him, Chu Hechao stood amidst the scattered debris, his gaze fixed upon the storyteller. His voice, laced with suppressed rage, echoed through the room, "Silence!"

His eyes, burning with intensity, reflected the depths of his anger. "A tale of illicit relations between an brother and his sister-in-law – such a sordid affair, you dare to bring it to light in this public setting? Do you seek to defile the ears of all those present?"