"Sir, you still remember us?" Liu Tie asked respectfully. "Is there something you need?"
Jin Feng also recalled that this was the same constable who had handled the tiger they brought in that day.
"So it really is you!" The constable looked delighted.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Jin Feng hadn't brought his crossbow to the county office. The constable had almost failed to recognize them and had only asked tentatively. The last time, when the noble from the Qing family had gone to the inn, they had arrived too late—the archer who had killed the tiger had already checked out and left. Recently, the noble had sent people to inquire twice more, clearly very interested in this tiger-slaying hero. Even though the noble had fallen on hard times, for a constable, this was still a valuable connection to cultivate. If he could help the noble find the person, he could at least earn a reward. And if the noble was pleased, he might even get a promotion. The constable had originally planned to search the villages, but with the influx of refugees, he hadn't found the time. Now, unexpectedly, he had run into them here. The noble's request was finally within reach.
"Was it you who killed the tiger?" the constable asked, looking at Liu Tie.
"I don't have that kind of skill. It was Fengzi who did it," Liu Tie said, pointing at Jin Feng.
"Him?!" The constable looked at Jin Feng in astonishment. "You're not lying to me, are you?"
In his mind, the person who had killed the tiger must have been a burly, strong man. Jin Feng, thin and frail, didn't look like someone capable of such a feat.
"Sir, why would I lie to you?" Liu Tie said. "When Fengzi killed the tiger, dozens of villagers were watching."
"Truly, appearances can be deceiving!" The constable clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and admiration.
"You flatter me," Jin Feng said with a slight bow, performing a scholar's salute. But inwardly, he couldn't help but grumble, *What's wrong with my appearance?* He could tell the constable meant to compliment him, but the man's choice of words left much to be desired.
"Hero, are you a scholar?" the constable asked, noticing Jin Feng's scholar's salute. He grew even more excited, his tone becoming much friendlier. Scholars were rare in the Great Kang Empire, and a scholar who could kill a tiger was even rarer. This was the epitome of both literary and martial prowess. The noble, he had heard, was also a man of both letters and arms. Knowing this, the noble would surely be even more pleased.
"I've studied for a few years," Jin Feng admitted. It wasn't something he could deny, as anyone in Xihe Village could confirm. He nodded and asked, "Sir, may I ask why you were looking for us?"
"The noble from Qingfeng Villa bought the tiger you killed. He admires the hero who slew it and wanted to meet you. But last time, you left too early. By the time we got to the inn, you were already gone," the constable explained with a smile.
"The noble from Qingfeng Villa?" Jin Feng looked at Liu Tie in confusion.
Liu Tie also looked puzzled, clearly unaware of what Qingfeng Villa was.
"Hero, you may not know, but the noble from Qingfeng Villa is a marquis and a general. He loves to befriend capable heroes," the constable said, clasping his hands respectfully toward Jin Feng. "A scholar with both literary and martial skills like you would surely have a bright future under the marquis."
Regardless of what the future held for Jin Feng, it never hurt to say a few kind words. If this scholar were to rise to prominence later, it would count as having forged a good connection.
Hearing this, Jin Feng couldn't help but frown. If possible, he really didn't want to have anything to do with some so-called marquis. In feudal times, human rights were nonexistent, and many nobles didn't treat commoners as human beings. The highest-ranking officials in the prefectures were often called "shepherds," such as the Shepherd of Zhao or the Shepherd of Yong, meaning they were acting as shepherds on behalf of the emperor. Here, "shepherding" didn't refer to tending livestock but to treating the people as cattle, with the officials serving as the emperor's herdsmen. In ancient times, nobles often intermarried to maintain alliances or so-called "pure bloodlines," resulting in many offspring who were either fools or degenerates. Right now, Jin Feng was just a penniless scholar. If the marquis were reasonable, that would be one thing, but if he were an unreasonable madman who might kill Jin Feng on a whim, what then? It was better to stay far away from such people.
But Liu Tie was thrilled. "May I ask, sir, when will the marquis summon us?"
In his mind, a marquis was like a celestial being from the heavens. *Heavens, a legendary figure wants to meet us?*
"The marquis has gone hunting at Wolf Mountain. He left two days ago and probably won't be back for another half month," the constable said. "Where are you staying? When the marquis returns, I'll notify you immediately."
"We've just arrived in the county and haven't had time to find a place to stay yet," Jin Feng replied, shaking his head.
The constable was about to ask more when a servant rushed out of the county office. "Constable Zhang, why haven't you come in yet? The magistrate and the advisor are getting impatient!"
"Coming, coming!" The constable turned to Jin Feng. "Please wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."
Before he could finish speaking, the servant dragged him into the county office.
As soon as the constable and the servant turned the corner, Jin Feng turned and walked away.
"Fengzi, where are you going?" Liu Tie asked anxiously. "Aren't you going to wait for the constable?"
"Why should I wait for him?"
"To get introduced to the marquis! Fengzi, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rise to greatness!"
"Not interested," Jin Feng said, walking even faster.
"You—!" Liu Tie watched as Jin Feng walked away, stomped his foot in frustration, and hurried to catch up.
When they reached the agreed meeting spot, Tang Dongdong had already sold all the hemp thread. The shop's clerks were loading bundles of hemp skins onto the cart. Tang Dongdong held a heavy bag of coins, while Chen Laoliu and Zhang Liang stood guard with their crossbows, scanning the surroundings.
"How much did we get?" Jin Feng asked Tang Dongdong.
"Two thousand three hundred coins," Tang Dongdong replied excitedly, patting the money bag. "I've calculated it. After deducting the cost of the hemp skins, wages, and food, we've made a profit of over nine hundred coins."
"Not bad," Jin Feng said with a satisfied nod.
With these twenty-some spinning wheels, he had effectively solved the problem of basic survival. Each month, he could earn at least four thousand coins—four taels of silver—which would allow him to live very comfortably in the Great Kang Empire.
"Not bad?" Tang Dongdong was dissatisfied with Jin Feng's reaction. "Other workshops would need at least a month of nonstop work to earn nine hundred coins with twenty spinning wheels. We've done it in just six days—more than five times faster. If other workshops found out, they'd go mad."
"Trust me, once Xiao Bei and the others get used to the spinning wheels, we'll be even faster," Jin Feng said confidently.
The women had never used foot-operated spinning wheels before, so they were still getting accustomed to them. This was still a breaking-in period. Once they became more skilled, the speed of spinning would increase even further. In fact, Jin Feng could have made even more advanced and faster spinning wheels, which would have increased their earnings even more. But Tang Dongdong had firmly opposed the idea. After some thought, Jin Feng had decided to drop the plan.