Wufu did not seek to understand or investigate the outcome of the trouble-making Chang Gui, believing that such a person would not end up with anything good, nor would they ever amount to much.
Moreover, Shopkeeper Lin was not the type to be soft and doughy like a steamed bun, suffering injustice without a word of complaint; otherwise, he would not have achieved his current position.
Now that this incident had been ripped open, it was believed that the Hundred Treasures Silver Building would have its own share of covert battles in the days to come.
However, this had little to do with Wufu, nor would she get involved since she was merely an outside-hired craftsman.
But this event had instead kindled Wufu’s rebellious spirit. The more others did not want her to succeed and the more they tried to make things difficult for her, the more determined she became to forge ahead and create accomplishments that would astonish everyone.
Therefore, Wufu put her greatest sincerity and effort, unparalleled from both her lifetimes, into the bloodstone she was carving, focusing intently on crafting something exquisite.
In the following days, all was calm except for the increasingly scorching weather, which aggravated Wufu’s irritability, and she spent even more time by the creek in the mornings and evenings to cool off.
This damn weather had not brought rain in almost a month.
"Miss, would you like some mung bean soup? It has been chilled with ice," Jin Xi offered Wufu a bowl of iced mung bean soup.
Wufu thanked her with a smile, took a big gulp, and immediately felt a refreshing coolness. "Is there any more?" she asked.
Seeing the empty bowl, Jin Xi brought her another bowl.
"It’s so hot. Has it always been this hot in previous years?" Wufu asked, noticing that there were very few people walking in the streets outside the shop.
Jin Xi found the question strange. Shouldn’t she know whether it was hot in previous years?
Nevertheless, Jin Xi did not think much of it and replied, "I overheard some passers-by chatting at the teahouse a couple of days ago. They said some places are already experiencing drought. If it doesn’t rain soon, this year’s harvest will likely fail..."
Wufu frowned. "Drought? A drought disaster?"
"Yes, without rain, the crops in the fields will surely die," Jin Xi replied, equally troubled.
Wufu looked at the listless mutt lying in the shade by the shop’s entrance and said nothing for a moment.
"If there’s a disaster, life must be hard for the common people, right?" Wufu asked.
"Naturally, it’s difficult," Shopkeeper Lin walked in holding a bamboo umbrella and happened to hear this comment.
Seeing him return, Jin Xi swiftly wrung out a wet towel for him to wipe his face and poured two large bowls of iced mung bean soup.
Shopkeeper Lin, too, was red-faced from the heat and greedily gulped down the soup, saying, "No matter the disaster, it’s always the commoners who suffer. If there are excessive levies and miscellaneous taxes on top of that, life becomes even harder. I just heard that the situation is more severe in the Northwest; they’ve had nearly two months without rain!"
"Has it erupted into chaos there?" Wufu asked.
Shopkeeper Lin sighed, looked outside at the nearly empty streets, and in a lowered voice, said, "In these years, the imperial court hasn’t been very active, and the common people’s lives are already unbearable."
Wufu’s eyes widened; she had not heard about these matters before.
She recalled the geography of her previous life, thought for a moment, and asked, "The Northwest region is quite barren, isn’t it?"
Shopkeeper Lin nodded and said, "Not only barren but also plagued by drought and scarcity of rain all year long. Now, with a disaster underway and crops dying, life there is even more difficult."
It seems similar to the Northwest of her previous life, but in that life, water conservancy projects were better developed, so survival wasn’t a problem. What about now?
Wufu didn’t mention anything about water projects and softly said, "In that case, I’m afraid the Northwest may descend into chaos."
Shopkeeper Lin looked at her with some surprise.