Chapter 784: Switching Out Materials

Editor: Henyee Translations

Lu Yichen hugged Wu Yaqing, showing a rare smile, “I sneaked in, let’s not wake anyone up.”

Wu Yaqing immediately subdued her breathing and joy, “It must have been hard with so many guards outside.”

Lu Yichen, skilled in martial arts, didn’t see the guards as a challenge, “It’s a small matter, but seeing you indeed wasn’t easy.”

Wu Yaqing felt somewhat embarrassed, “My mother is too strict.”

Lu Yichen comforted her in return, “It’s okay, your mother is just concerned about you. But don’t worry, I will marry you openly and honorably.”

Wu Yaqing gazed at Lu Yichen intently, “I’ll wait for you.”

Lu Yichen’s eyes softened with affection, “Your uncle has already arranged everything for me. I’ll be setting out to suppress bandits in a few days, so I won’t be able to visit you for a while.”

At the mention of this, Wu Yaqing couldn’t hide her worry, “Officials sent to fight the bandits by the court were all killed by the bandit leader. I tried to persuade my mother not to let you go, but she insisted. Yichen, please be careful and don’t get hurt.”

Lu Yichen assured her with confidence, “They won’t be able to hurt me, don’t worry.”

“I have something for you.” Wu Yaqing let go of Lu Yichen and ran to her dressing table to retrieve a box from the drawer, then came back and placed the box in Lu Yichen’s hand, “This is medicine from Qingzhi, it can save your life. Keep it with you.”

Touched, Lu Yichen tightened his grip on the box, pulling Wu Yaqing into a hug.

Such a pure and kind girl, wholeheartedly devoted to him, it was hard not to be moved and to love her.

“I will come back safely, wait for me!”

“Okay.”

The couple enjoyed their sweet moments until Lu Yichen left in the middle of the night. The next morning, he set out with his soldiers on the mission to suppress bandits.

It was another beautiful day.

At breakfast, Chu Qingzhi placed the four new products on a plate on the table, “I made these last night, everyone, please try.”

Chu Xuyao cheered, “Sister has made something delicious again!”

Everyone gathered around the table.

Chu’s grandparents, knowing their teeth weren’t what they used to be, reached for what seemed like the softest sachima.

Chu Rong and Li Qingyu chose peanut candy, preferring something more substantial in their middle age.

Chu Xuyan, Chu Qingyan, and Chu Xuyao went for the potato chips, which seemed more like snacks.

Others opted for the pork jerky.

Chu Qingzhi also took a piece of pork jerky, as she preferred meat.

After trying all the new products, everyone shared their opinions. Based on their feedback, Chu Qingzhi concluded that the first item they tried was their favorite, though they liked the others as well, just slightly less.

With a plan in mind, after breakfast, Chu Qingzhi and Shen Ruyue headed to the workshop to prepare for the new product trial sale.

She had already arranged everything for the road construction, so she didn’t need to monitor it closely, just check in from time to time.

After several days of effort, the road from Chu Village to Tongzi County had been extended by two thousand meters. There was no slacking or cutting corners, and the road was built very well. From above, it looked like a smooth stroke of gray-green paint on the earth.

However, a problem arose that day.

Two workers were placing a slate on the ground when it suddenly split into two upon being hammered into place.

The slate’s ability to pave roads was due to its high hardness and wear resistance, making it difficult to damage. Such easy breakage puzzled the workers.

Everyone gathered around the broken slate.

“You said you used too much force, that slate is expensive, now let’s see how you’ll compensate.”

“I’ve been laying slates for a while, don’t I know how much force to use?”

“Then why did it still break?”

“How should I know? It wasn’t intentional.”

“It’s just one slate, it’s okay. Just tell Brother Rong, he won’t blame you. Let’s quickly replace it so as not to delay the project.”

Perhaps it was a one-time mistake, and no one made a fuss. They dispersed to continue their tasks.

The workers cleared the broken slate and brought another to lay.

“Crack!” The second slate also split. This time, not only did theirs break, but others did too.

Seeing this, everyone sensed a bigger issue.

One worker examined the broken edge of the slate, “Is this really a slate?”

“Yes, the color and texture are the same.”

“That’s strange. How could a slate break just by being hit?”

Chu Shi’an called Chu Rong over to inspect the situation. Seeing the first broken slate, he had gone to inform Chu Rong.

“Rong, take a look.”

Chu Rong bent down to examine the broken edges but found no obvious problems.

He frowned slightly after inspecting all the broken slates but couldn’t pinpoint the issue.

Unable to figure it out on the spot, Chu Rong decided, “Set aside the broken slates and lay new ones.” They would find the cause later; the project couldn’t be delayed.

Everyone stepped back and resumed their work, but the mystery lingered.

Unexpectedly, no matter how they laid the slates, they would break upon being hammered, sometimes shattering into several pieces, proving to be very fragile.

Everyone gathered to find the cause.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s clear, isn’t it? These slates might not actually be slates.”

“Do you have any proof? They look exactly the same.”

The debate continued without reaching a definitive answer. With no other option, Chu Rong had to return to consult with Chu Qingzhi.

Chu Qingzhi quickly came over and saw a pile of broken stone pieces, her expression darkening immediately.

“These are Yunhua rocks, not slates at all!” Yunhua rocks looked exactly like slates but were very brittle, similar to porcelain in texture, virtually useless, and worthless.

Chu Qingzhi asked the crowd, “Who was responsible for purchasing the slates?”

“I was,” Chu Mingyuan pushed through the crowd to stand before Chu Qingzhi, his expression uneasy.

Chu Qingzhi sternly asked, “Didn’t you notice these were not slates when you bought them?”

Chu Mingyuan was displeased with Chu Qingzhi’s confrontational tone, “It wasn’t intentional. Qingzhi, there’s no need to be so serious, is there?”

“I can be less serious,” Chu Qingzhi’s tone immediately softened, “as long as you replace these Yunhua rocks with actual slates.”

Chu Mingyuan retorted discontentedly, “Didn’t you receive a lot of donations? For a few slates, is it necessary to be so stingy?”

Chu Qingzhi firmly replied, “That money belongs to everyone, not to me, and certainly not to you.

Now that there’s a problem with the slates, instead of reflecting on your mistake, you’re acting self-righteously, expecting everyone to cover for your error. How is that reasonable?”

Chu Mingyuan was indignant, “I didn’t do it on purpose. What’s the point of making such a fuss?”