Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As soon as Yan Liqiang and his group arrived at the entrance of the Lu Residence, he saw the head steward and two rows of guards were already there, expecting their arrival. At the sight of Yan Liqiang’s carriage, the head steward personally welcomed them and led the carriage inside…
Although it was snowing, the path that led to the manor was spotless. The limestone path was visible and the guards from the Lu Clan were standing straight, several meters apart from each other, on both sides of the path. A scene like this could be considered a very grand welcome.
“Who is that man?” Yan Dechang pointed at the head steward from the Lu Clan who was leading the way in front, and asked Yan Liqiang in the carriage.
“That’s the head steward of the Lu Clan, Lu Qi. He’s a very capable old man in the Lu Clan and Old Master Lu wholeheartedly trusts him. Lu Wenbin and several other stewards in Liuhe Town all work under Head Steward Lu!” Yan Liqiang explained. “Old Master Lu must have arranged this grand welcome because he knew you were coming, Father!”
Yan Dechang shook his head. “I am a blacksmith, hardly anyone worthy for the Lu Clan to do something like this. They have only arranged this grand welcome for you!”
“Regardless, I’m still your son!”
Yan Dechang laughed.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Lu Residence’s manor. Yan Liqiang and Yan Dechang alighted the carriage. Although it was snowing, important figures from Lu Clan, including Lu Peien, a few of Old Master Lu’s sons, and his grandson were all waiting there.
When they spotted the two living deer that followed Yan Liqiang here on the carriage, they exchanged looks with each other before their faces broke into happy smiles. According to the local traditions observed in Gan Province and other places in the northwestern region, a pair of living deer wasn’t a common gift. Only men who visited a lady’s family for the very first time to ask for her hand would bring a pair of living deer as a gift.
Of course, this was only done by influential clans as ordinary families wouldn’t be able to afford a pair of living deer. Instead, they would bring a pair of living fish as an auspicious gift. Since the Yan Clan had brought a pair of living deer among their gifts on their visit to the Lu Residence this time, that meant a marriage would be set in place. Naturally, everyone in the Lu Clan was happy, especially for Old Master Lu, who pretty much had one of his long time wishes fulfilled.
“Master Yan, it’s an honor to meet you at last!” As soon as Yan Dechang alighted the carriage, Old Master Lu came over with all smiles and passionately grabbed Yan Dechang hands. “I have been waiting to meet you for so long. You certainly have a fine son, Master Yan! Hahahaha…!”
“You are too courteous, Old Master! I have to thank you for the wonderful cure you sent us when I was injured last time!” Yan Dechang became less reserved at Old Master Lu’s enthusiasm.
“I am only a blacksmith and a boorish man. There’s no need for you to be so courteous with me, Old Master. No one has ever `addressed me as ‘Master Yan’, so I feel a little awkward when Old Master addresses me that way!”
Old Master Lu smiled. “Haha, alright then. I might as well just call you the father of my son-in-law! You shouldn’t be calling me Old Master then, I am only a few years older than you. If you don’t mind, you can just call me Brother Lu!”
“Alright, I shall address you as Brother Lu from now on. We’ll be family soon, being so courteous makes it feels like we are estranged from each other!”
“You are right, being courteous with your own family indeed makes it feels like we are estranged from each other!” Old Master Lu smiled. He pointed to Lu Peien, then the other men beside him, and introduced them to Yan Dechang.
“This is my eldest son, Shunen. My fifth son, Zhongen. My sixth son, Peien, whom you should have met before. My seventh son, Xuen. I have only nine children. Apart from Beixin, the other daughters have gotten married. The furthest is in Gan Provincial City, I only meet her once every year or half a year. As for my sons, only Shunen stays here. The others are usually working away from home all year round, taking care of the clan’s businesses. Zhongen manages the lotus root briquette business and our restaurant. Xuen overlooks two mines and pastureland, so he rarely comes home too.”
As Old Master Lu introduced his sons, they also respectfully greeted Yan Dechang. Apart from Lu Xuen, Yan Liqiang had pretty much met Lu Peien’s other siblings. In fact, this was his first time meeting Lu Xuen who appeared to be quite young, only around his twenties. His facial features resembled Lu Beixin’s. He was a handsome man with a nice physique, and his smile made him seem like he was a good-natured person.
Yan Liqiang was a little surprised when he saw Lu Xuen, because he could feel Lu Xuen’s energy. It was a little mysterious, but he was sure that the man had already progressed into a Supreme Martial Warrior. Qi had channeled deep into his bones, and it would appear that he was going to progress into a Martial Master soon.
“This is my eldest grandson, Shaolin. He is the child you saved back then, Liqiang!” Old Master Lu patted his grandson’s head affectionately.
Lu Shaolin stepped forward with a serious face, then bowed deeply to Yan Dechang and Yan Liqiang. “Greetings from Lu Shaolin, Grandfather Yan and Uncle Liqiang!” It had only been a few years since Yan Liqiang saw the child whom he saved back then, but the child had certainly grown up a lot.
“Old Master, it’s still snowing here. Let’s continue our conversation inside!” Yan Liqiang looked around, then chuckled. “I brought two Aquapyro Engines that the manufacturing bureau just built to the Lu Clan. One can be used for sawing wood while the other can be used for milling grains. I shall have people unload it later and show you how to use them…”
“Alright, alright. Let’s continue inside. I’ve heard about the wondrous Aquapyro Engine from Lu Peien, but I didn’t expect the manufacturing bureau to be able to produce them now. Good timing, you can enlighten me and the people in the Lu Residence…”
While Old Master Lu was speaking, the group of people from the Lu Clan led Yan Liqiang and his father into their manor. The other guards from the Yan Clan stayed behind to unload Yan Liqiang’s gifts from the carriages. The two steam engines were quite heavy, but they were able to easily unload them with help from other curious guards in the Lu Residence.
The people from the Lu Clan brought Yan Liqiang and his father to the drawing room. There, they reminisced the old days over some tea. With Yan Liqiang and Lu Peien around, there was plenty to talk about. From the lotus root briquettes to the Aquapyro Engine, and from the times when Yan Liqiang stayed in the Imperial Capital, there were plenty of stories between him and the Lu Clan. They had a joyous time together without a moment of awkward silence. Although Yan Dechang was a frank person and Old Master Lu was a wise person, both of them still got along very well when they started conversing with each other.
They had only been in the drawing room for less than half an hour when the head steward of the Lu Clan came in to inform that the Aquapyro Engine had been set up in the courtyard. Everyone from the Lu Clan went out together in excitement to have a look at the invention.
The Lu Residence’s courtyard was crowded by people — even the flying snow couldn’t dampen the excitement burning in their heart.
The running steam engine generated heat while spinning the circular saw blade at a rapid speed. A few guards from the Lu Clan found a log that was thick enough for a man to wrap his arms around it. When the log was pushed on the saw table, a sharp noise was heard and wood shavings started flying everywhere. In just the blink of an eye, the log was cleanly split into two. It was a hundred times faster than sawing manually with hands.
Upon seeing something like this for the very first time, the guards and servants from the Lu Clan cheered loudly. Old Master Lu, Lu Peien, and the rest had a look of surprise on their faces too. Although Lu Peien had seen a running Aquapyro Engine, it was his first time seeing the engine being used with a saw blade to cut a log.
“If I hook a rope to this spinning wheel, can it be used to pull the mined ores out of the mine?” Lu Peien suddenly asked.
“It should be possible with some modifications…” Yan Liqiang replied.
Old Master Lu observed the invention for a moment before excitedly giving his comment. “Impressive…! The speed that this thing can saw a log is faster than having several people doing the job! With this, we can open up a sawmill to make money…!”
