"They?
You mean Yan Tinghao and Murong Bai?"
The manor grounds were vast. Besides Murong Bai, Yan Tinghao, with his thick skin, had also managed to secure a secluded single room courtyard from Lin Qingge.
"Is there a problem with Yan Tinghao and Murong Bai?"
Just as Lin Qingge was utterly bewildered, Leng Ningyue, while rubbing her subtly aching temples, made a decision:
"Forget it, I won't send Mo'er to school anymore.
Since Assistant Magistrate Murong has moved into the neighboring courtyard, I'll have Mo'er offer him a cup of disciple's tea later. From now on, Assistant Magistrate Murong will personally tutor Mo'er.
Also, it's better to rely on oneself than others. Only by becoming strong can one fear no threat.
Mo'er is almost five years old and it's time for him to learn martial arts, starting with the most basic horse stance.
After the Cuju大会 (Cuju Competition), I'll have Ling Han formally teach Mo'er martial arts.
In winter, Constable Yan will take over. If Constable Yan is not up to it, we'll hire a martial arts instructor to come to the manor."
∑(o_o;)!!!
Lin Zimo, having finished playing in the courtyard, ran excitedly into the house. His face, still beaming with a smile, immediately fell upon hearing this devastating news. The child was utterly miserable!
Although Lin Qingge wanted to say, 'Mo'er is still young,' hearing Leng Ningyue's unmistakable tone, she could only cast a gloating—no, an extremely sympathetic—glance at the little boy, who stood frozen as if struck by lightning.
With tears welling up in his eyes, Lin Zimo dared not defy his mother's wishes, as defiance would be futile anyway. He could only sniffle hard, silently bearing everything...
Fearing she might be caught in the crossfire if past grievances were brought up again, Lin Qingge excused herself, claiming she needed to practice Cuju.
Arriving at the Qi Yun Society with Yan Tinghao, Ling Han, and others waiting at the entrance, Lin Qingge suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, the constables at the manor are all strong and robust. Shouldn't they be the ideal candidates for playing Cuju?"
"My lord, you have the intention, but I fear others may not have the desire~"
Lin Qingge looked at Hua Jinrong, who was lounging by the entrance, lazily fanning himself, and asked curiously, "Master Hua, shouldn't you be at the manor reviewing account books and case files?"
"Reporting to my lord, to avoid being a burden to you, I've asked Brother Lin to handle this small matter for me in exchange for a meal~"
"In exchange for a meal?"
Lin Qingge, feeling that her household's provisions might end up being fed to the dogs, narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Hua Jinrong with some displeasure.
Hua Jinrong, being highly perceptive, quickly took out a bag of silver from his sleeve and handed it over. Lin Qingge took it and weighed it in her hand before squeezing out a rather reluctant syllable from her nose:
"Hmph, don't let it happen again!"
She didn't particularly mind outsiders viewing the manor's account books and case files. After all, Xu Changling had frequently had private discussions with Lin Moyuan in the study for half a day. Moreover, the attitude of the formidable Mrs. Yan, who seemed to want to say something but stopped herself when speaking to Lin Moyuan, indicated his not-so-simple identity. It was entirely possible that having him help her review the account books and case files was an underutilization of his talents.
However, she simply found Lin Moyuan, that married man, to be an eyesore. What could she do about it?
Before Lin Qingge could dwell further on this, after a simple warm-up, the day's training began.
First, Yu Wan explained from the side, while Yu Qian and Yu Bai demonstrated, clarifying the rules of Cuju to everyone. Cuju, however, had some differences from modern football. Not only was touching the ball with hands forbidden, but the ball could not touch the ground midway until it was kicked into the 'fengliu yan' (wind-flowing eye), which was the goal about three zhang high.
As the highest-ranking official, Lin Qingge naturally took on the role of the ball leader. Through actual practice, Lin Qingge discovered that as long as she didn't overthink things, for physical activities like Cuju, Yan Hanhan performed quite well. Although Ling Han maintained a poker face, appearing unapproachable, when the Cuju reached him, he could still kick it, and he always accurately kicked it back to Lin Qingge. Ye Shengxiao also fully utilized his talents. Whenever everyone thought the Cuju was about to fall, he would quietly appear at the spot where it was about to land.
What surprised Lin Qingge the most was Hua Jinrong. He wasn't just dabbling as he claimed; he played quite well. The fancy footwork he displayed even earned praises from the three Yu brothers. However, this fellow had a fatal flaw: after playing for just half an hour, he needed to rest for two sticks of incense. Others could charge for five minutes and talk for two hours. He was completely the opposite, resting for two hours and playing for five minutes!
Reluctantly, Lin Qingge had Lu Mingxuan serve as a reserve player and join the training. To her surprise, Lu Mingxuan was of the same ilk as Hua Jinrong, or even worse! At least Hua Jinrong could play and play well. Lu Mingxuan, however, was so incredibly unskilled that it was painful to watch! Speechless, Lin Qingge told Lu Mingxuan to continue his role as manager, that is, the logistics support staff. As for Hua Jinrong, he would just stand on the sidelines to make up the numbers during the competition.
At this point, Yu Wan walked over and cupped his fists towards Lin Qingge, saying, "Reporting to my lord, we need to wear uniform attire for the competition. What do you think...?"
Understanding his meaning, Lin Qingge's spirits immediately lifted. She beckoned Hua Jinrong over. "Master Hua, how many merchants in Fengtian Prefecture do you know?"
"Reporting to my lord, while I may not know them all by name, I know most of them."
"In that case, first find some who are more amenable. Tell them that if they donate a sum of silver to the Cuju team, they can have their shop's name embroidered on a designated spot on the Cuju uniforms. But be sure to emphasize to them that Fengtian Prefecture's Cuju team is the hottest favorite and a very sought-after candidate for this Cuju大会. Since there's limited space on the Cuju uniforms, it will be first come, first served to the highest bidder."
"As expected of you, my lord. Such a brilliant idea truly makes me admire you to the point of prostration. I truly hope to see what's inside your skull in my lifetime~"
"Enough of that, hurry up and get it done! Once the list is finalized, find a tailor shop as soon as possible to make the Cuju uniforms."
"Alrighty then~"
...
Hearing the two of them settle the matter of the Cuju uniforms and, in the process, raise funds in the name of the uniforms within a few words, the three Yu brothers wore peculiar expressions of confusion, realization, and regret.
The Cuju大会 was held every two years. How had they managed to run the Cuju hall to its current state, where they couldn't even afford their father's medicine money?
Training continued until sunset. The famished group emerged from the Qi Yun Society. Hua Jinrong, who had been slacking off the entire time, fanned himself and suggested, "My lord, today is your first official day in office. Shouldn't we find a place to celebrate?"
As soon as Hua Jinrong finished speaking, Er Niu, whom Lin Qingge had left at the manor, ran over breathlessly from a distance and panted, "Reporting to my lord, a citizen has just come to the manor to report a crime. They found a dead body by the Willow River!"