Chapter 128 Display of Strength at the Society (Part 3)

As expected, Hou Yuebai's face was pale with fury. "You dare to belittle me?" he thundered.

Lin Wanrong replied coolly, "You scorn the countless skilled craftsmen of our nation and dismiss their monumental contributions. Why shouldn't I scorn you in return?"

Hou Yuebai retorted, "The pillars of our dynasty have always been scholars of deep learning, masters of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as strategy for governing the country. When have we ever seen a mere mechanic ascending to the court as a minister? How can such practical skills possibly govern a nation? Speaking with a vulgar person like you is indeed a disgrace to my refinement."

‘Damn, does being an official make you so high and mighty? What I hate most is your pretentiousness, thinking you're superior to everyone else,’ Lin Wanrong sneered. "The practical skills you're dismissing are the accumulated wisdom of our ancestors over thousands of years. They are precious assets of natural science and the driving force of societal progress. The rice you eat, the clothes you wear, the bench you sit on, the writing materials you use, which one wasn't made by these skills? Even your whole being, besides your flesh, what isn't crafted by these skills?"

‘Damn, even your body was created by this "practical skill," wasn't it?’

"As for these so-called scholars you claim to govern the country, it's even more laughable. Without the hard work of the countless craftsmen and ordinary people, how can there be a nation to govern? These craftsmen, with their labor and wisdom, improve production and living tools, create tax revenues, and forge the foundation of our society. But the so-called governing scholars? They can be replaced at any time. However, those ancestors possessing skills are irreplaceable. This is the difference between roots and leaves. I'm sure you are more familiar than I am with the old saying about the sparrows in the eaves of the halls of the ancient kings, entering the homes of ordinary people."

Hou Yuebai's face became even grimmer. He wanted to retort, but didn't know how to begin.

"If one wants to govern the country, one must recognize its foundation. Our ancient sages have taught us, 'the people are the most precious, the state is secondary, the ruler is the least.' If you believe only officials are the pillars of the state, then you are sorely mistaken. Young Master Hou, you need to read more of these books of sages and scholars."

Lin Wanrong's last statement was bold to the point of arrogance. A mere servant daring to advise the city's top scholar to read more? If it got out, it would make people laugh out loud. Yet at this moment, the hall was quiet, no one dared to laugh. This servant's words were striking and thought-provoking, leaving these self-proclaimed talented women deep in thought.

Hou Yuebai was momentarily stunned, then he remembered who he was - the top scholar of Jinling. Master of poetry and painting, why was he arguing with a lowly servant? He was disgracing himself, and making Miss Luo look down upon him. He snorted, "I won't argue with a crude person like you today. At next month's Jinling Poetry Competition, I'll show you what true talent is."

He hadn't been bothered by the mention of the poetry competition until now, but the moment it was brought up, Lin Wanrong was irked. ‘Who the hell do you think you are? The funds for that competition come from my pockets. At that time, your food, drink, and entertainment will be at my expense. If I were to get angry, you'd be off to the bottom of the Qinhuai River, competing in poetry with the turtles.’

Lin Wanrong spat in disdain. Why was he even bothering to argue with this idiot? He was wasting his breath.

From the debate, it was clear to anyone that Young Master Hou was thoroughly defeated. Had his opponent been a scholar from any other province, it might have been tolerable. But his opponent was a mere servant from the Xiao family. This was a significant loss of face for Hou Yuebai.

Seeing Hou Yuebai's discomfiture, Miss Wanying wanted to defend him. However, this Lin San had made valid points, each word a dagger's point, impossible to refute. She contemplated for a moment, unsure of what to say. Hou Yuebai was indeed foolish to dismiss everyone else's intellect in one stroke.

Lin Wanrong felt a profound sense of exhaustion as he looked at these talented men and women. He was, after all, from a different world. He helplessly slumped in his chair, unable to utter a word. The Eldest Miss was sitting next to him, noticing his unusually solemn demeanor. His usual playful grin was gone. She found him then to be desolate and difficult to approach. Comparatively, she preferred the Lin San who would always take advantage of her.

She had seen how Lin San had brilliantly drawn on a wealth of references, rendering the city's top scholar speechless. It was as though he was a completely different person. She wondered how many more hidden talents Lin San had yet to reveal.

"Lin San, are you okay?" she asked gently, her heart fluttering. Somehow, Lin San seemed less familiar, making her feel a hint of fear. She wished she could see the less serious Lin San again.

"I'm fine." Lin Wanrong sighed, thinking, ‘Why bother arguing with that good-for-nothing scholar? Besides knowing a few more complex characters, what use was he?’

"As for the soap business, I'll take forty percent of the profits. What do you think?" Seeing his desolate expression, the young lady couldn't resist teasing him, barely suppressing her laughter.

"Alright--"

Before he could finish the word, Lin Wanrong realized what she was up to. Ah, the Eldest Miss was trying to take advantage of him when he was off guard. He quickly changed his answer, "No, you can only take thirty percent."

The Eldest Miss smiled, covering her lips with her hand. She glanced at him, as if to say, I knew you'd respond like that.

Seeing her expression, Lin Wanrong realized that she was deliberately stirring him up to distract him from his desolation. He hadn't expected the Eldest Miss to have such a considerate side. His impression of her significantly improved. He thanked her sincerely, "Eldest Miss, thank you. I'm alright."

The Eldest Miss turned her head and said, "Why are you thanking me? I'm taking advantage of you."

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "I won't budge on the money, but you can take advantage of me in other ways."

The young lady's face flushed a deep crimson. "You're an incorrigible rogue," she scoffed. "Fine, thirty percent it is, hmph! It seems my family is in your debt."

Lin Wanrong slumped in surprise. ‘This wily vixen,’ he mused, ‘somehow twisted it so she seemed the aggrieved one even while benefiting herself.’ Truthfully, their business arrangement was mutually beneficial. He had the technical expertise, while she had the distribution channels. Their union ignited like dry wood catching fire.

A bit dazed, Lin Wanrong noticed a young lady from some unknown family, face flushed and head down, rushing towards him. She lifted her gaze for a brief moment before dropping it once again, stuttering, "Lin...Lin San, Brother San. You..." She mumbled on, failing to articulate a complete sentence.

Lin Wanrong felt a surge of confusion. Could it be that she wanted his autograph? Astonishing! How courageous she was to defy the shackles of feudal family traditions. The pitfalls of being too charming, he sighed.

"Brother San, where is that heavenly lake? Is it truly the Jade Lake? Can I seek it out?" After stammering for a while, she finally mustered the courage to ask her question in a breath.

"Brother Lin San, is there truly a place called the end of the sky and the corner of the sea on Hainan Island?" Another lady, emboldened by her predecessor's example, approached with her question.

"Brother Lin San, is there really a Penglai fairyland on the coast of the Eastern Sea..."

"Brother Lin San..."

Suddenly, these young ladies, usually confined to their homes, swarmed around the fascinating servant with utmost interest. Using their collective courage as armor, no one laughed at another, and they encircled Lin San.

When women go wild, there was no way to predict their actions. Even these reticent ladies, in their hearts, held extraordinary fervor. Brother San having spoke of mountains and sea, fairylands and far-off islands, felt as though he were besieged by thousands of buzzing flies, causing his head to spin.

Unable to watch any longer, the Eldest Miss stood and addressed the crowd, "Ladies, if you are all interested, I shall ask our Lin San to write travel journals tomorrow. That should satisfy everyone's curiosity."

After sharing a glance with Brother San, the ladies blushed and dispersed. Lin Wanrong bowed towards Xiao Yuruo, "Eldest Miss, you truly are my savior, a real Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Her cheeks flushed at his words, she thought, ‘Serves you right for showing off and attracting these fluttering butterflies. Now you know what it's like to be afraid.’

Next, it was time for the Eldest Miss to promote her perfumes and soaps. Following Lin San's performance, these privileged young ladies would no longer dare to underestimate the Xiao family. Imagine, a man of such talent as Lin San was merely a servant in the Xiao household - the family's might was indeed daunting.

The perfume already had a good reputation in Jinling, and the ladies had heard of it. However, due to supply constraints, it was seldom seen. The Eldest Miss' arrival today had piqued their interest greatly. After a mere whiff, they were reluctant to part with it. Xiao Yuruo then introduced the soap - a product she herself had personally experienced. Not only did it clean effectively, but it also left a faint fragrance. It would indeed be strange if these ladies didn't find it appealing.

Seeing the perfume and soap become highly sought-after, Lin Wanrong sighed deeply. Making a few small inventions, earning a bit of money—was it really so easy? If he didn't make a profit, how could he justify his hard work?

Luo Ning walked up to him and asked, "Brother Lin, what are you thinking about?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about how many suitors Miss Luo has," Lin Wanrong said with a smile, nodding towards Hou Yuebai who was staring at them from afar.

Luo Ning's expression sobered. "So, Brother Lin, you're also one for such idle chatter. I'll leave you to it then." With that, she turned to leave.

Lin Wanrong shook his head in resignation. This young lady, with her distinctive temperament, was quite interesting. She might not be his type, but she was amusing to observe.

Luo Ning took a few steps, then abruptly halted and turned back, smiling. "Brother Lin, why didn't you call after me?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head and laughed. "If I had stopped you, I would have simply fulfilled your expectations. Then you would have truly looked down on me."

Luo Ning sighed softly. "Brother Lin, you truly are a unique person. It seems you always see through my intentions."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. "Miss Luo, you're mistaken. I've never paid attention to your intentions. You might consider yourself a friend, but that's all you are." ‘If you're trying to act proud,’ he thought, ‘I can act even prouder.’

Unperturbed, Luo Ning laughed, "So, in Brother Lin's heart, I'm already a friend? I didn't feel that at all when we were conducting business that day."

Lin Wanrong understood that she was using this opportunity to retaliate for being forced to advertise for him that day. But he had no regrets; business was like that—if you cared about face, then don't think about earning money.

Seeing Lin Wanrong remaining silent, Luo Ning looked at him and softly asked, "Brother Lin, did I upset you by saying that?"

This lady is quite imaginative, thought Lin Wanrong, laughing. "I'm not upset. I just wanted to tell you that if it happened again, my price would be even higher."

Luo Ning laughed sweetly. "Brother Lin, you always make me nervous when you speak."

This Luo Ning was Luo Yuan's sister, and some kind of talented lady. ‘I have no interest in talented ladies,’ he thought, ‘Better to avoid her and prevent little Luo from advising me to give up again.’ Remembering Luo Yuan's advice, Lin Wanrong chuckled to himself, gave Luo Ning a glance, and didn't respond.

Noticing he had no intention of initiating conversation, Luo Ning said, "Brother Lin, those places you spoke of—Europe, Africa, America—where are they, exactly? Could you draw me a map? I'm genuinely curious."

"Miss Luo, why the sudden interest in these places? Are you planning to become a navigator?" Lin Wanrong laughed, but inwardly he admired Luo Ning. Despite being a woman, she possessed more wisdom than many men. Not only was she incredibly curious, she also had a strong desire to learn—she would make an excellent student.

He took out the pencil he always carried with him, found a sheet of white paper, and drew a large circle on it. "The place we're in now is called Earth, which is round and divided into two hemispheres, north and south..."

As Lin Wanrong guided Luo Ning through his rudimentary sketch of the Earth, her curiosity was piqued. She was new to this strange world, naturally raising a flurry of questions. Lin Wanrong answered what he could, but glossed over anything he was unsure of.

Stunned, Luo Ning exclaimed, "Brother Lin, if it weren't for your guidance today, I fear I would remain a frog at the bottom of a well for my entire life. This world is truly amazing—I long to visit these places you mentioned: Europe, Africa, America."

Hearing her enthusiasm, Lin Wanrong was reminded of Xiao Qingxuan. When he had spoken about such matters with her, hadn't she too expressed the same yearning? The day of the seventh of July seemed still distant, and he wondered where she was now. That girl, making him worry so much. When the time came, he was sure to give her a good spanking.

"Brother Lin, Brother Lin—" Luo Ning's call pulled Lin Wanrong back from his memories. He uttered an acknowledgment and asked, "What did you say, Miss Luo?"

Luo Ning bit her lip gently and said, "I was asking, could you... could you take me with you—"

The pencil in Lin Wanrong's hand clattered to the ground.