Xu Hengyan's first thought was whether something had happened to her, then he remembered her retinue, who carried various weapons, so even if they happened to encounter the three hundred bandits of Huanglan Mountain again, it would be nothing to fear.
Of the more than three hundred bandits in Gangshi Town, only a handful managed to escape.
Although his guards had joined the fray, the results were too disproportionate. In terms of combat power, his guards were far inferior.
If it were purely about martial strength, his guards would naturally not lose, but her retainers were well-equipped and almost invincible.
So what exactly had she gone to do?
Why hadn't she appeared yet when the sky was almost dark?
Xu Hengyi emerged from the back street of the county office and had just arrived at Xie Jiang's residence, intending to ask Aunt He about her whereabouts, when he heard movement at the door.
Aunt He said, "It must be the young master."
Xu Hengyan waited on the steps for a while and indeed saw Xie Jiang approaching, her face dusty and grimy, as if she had been to some unknown place.
"I heard you've been out all day, where are you returning from?"
"I went for a stroll in the wilderness."
"The wilderness?" Xu Hengyan looked at the mud on her shoes. "Did you go to the fields to check on the crops?"
Xie Jiang was taken aback by his words, then smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. Do you think I'm like you, staring at crops all day?"
Xu Hengyan sat down with her under the corridor. "Then where did you go?"
Xie Jiang smiled at him while drinking water. "I'm planning to build a factory here, and I'm hoping Lord Xu can make things convenient."
Xu Hengyan was very surprised. "Build a factory? What are you planning to make?"
Xu Hengyan pondered for a long time, considering the situations in Baiyou or Ninghe, but couldn't come up with anything.
Xie Jiang said, "Make some glass, or what you call liuli. Didn't Xu Hengyi say that this item is in short supply and will definitely make money?"
Xu Hengyan was even more astonished. "You want to produce liuli? Can you produce liuli?"
Xie Jiang said casually, "It's not difficult."
She had manufactured it in Lanyong and succeeded, though it had taken some time to figure out.
"Transporting it all the way from Lanyong is time-consuming and troublesome. It's better to build a factory here in Dayu to manufacture it. I went out today to scout, and the raw materials in the Ninghe area are very abundant."
"Although the transportation isn't very convenient, it's not an insurmountable problem. We just need to plan the site selection carefully. In short, it's quite suitable."
As Xie Jiang spoke, she put down her water cup and leaned forward unconsciously, gazing at him. A smile graced her features, making her eyes sparkle.
"Mainly, you are serving in Ninghe. If I build a factory here, then I can be closer to you, and we can spend time together."
Xu Hengyan was stunned by her last remark, then couldn't help but chuckle. "You're building a factory here just to spend time with me?"
"Isn't it good to kill two birds with one stone?"
"Why would you want to spend time with me? My third brother is about your age, and he wouldn't have such thoughts."
His younger siblings at home rarely dared to speak loudly in his presence and never got close to him. Outsiders were also often reserved around him.
However, she was somewhat different.
She was never reserved in front of him.
It could be said that she was never reserved in front of anyone.
It was always others who were cautious and fearful around her.
But the fact that she wanted to spend time with him was truly baffling. Did he look like someone who enjoyed leisure?
"Because they don't understand you! They only see your surface. I think you are very good, good in every way..." Xie Jiang said with utmost seriousness.
"But I don't know how to play anything..." He himself couldn't recall anything he knew how to play.
Originally, his life, like Xu Hengyi's, could have been spent as the second young master Xu, without too many worries, under the protection of his elder brother.
But then...
The burden his elder brother left behind could only be shouldered by him.
No one had asked him if he was willing.
"It's good for us to be like this, having tea together, talking together. I feel very happy just being with you," Xie Jiang said, smiling at him.
"So you just want to be with me?" Xu Hengyan blurted out, and as soon as he said it, he felt something was a bit strange.
"Young Master Xie is always so unpredictable. You are the first person in so many years to say you like to spend time with me."
Xie Jiang proudly sought praise. "Is my judgment good?"
What else could Xu Hengyan say? Should he say her judgment was poor?
She was so spirited and clever.
Xu Hengyan couldn't help but laugh.
She was truly an interesting person. Although she often left him feeling helpless, she was also very interesting most of the time.
"Have you been away from home for a long time?" Perhaps she saw him as an elder brother?
Xie Jiang nodded with a wistful sigh. "It has been quite a while."
So long that the real Song Er's soul had nowhere to return.
So long that although she was Xie Jiang, she had truly become Song Er.
Xu Hengyan knew it was so, and his eyes held a smile as he looked at her. "It's not easy for you at such a young age."
To ensure the Xie clan could return to their roots, she had crossed oceans to come to Dayu, an unfamiliar land, and would have to face even more complex situations.
"Since I have to return to Dayu anyway, I came back early to adapt."
Once she had deeply rooted herself in Dayu, and her branches had grown lush and her canopy towered, those who had tried to kill Song Er would not dare to make a move against her.
Then she could truly go home.
"It's a good thing that you're opening a factory here. If you need any help, just ask."
Xu Hengyan was very interested in the factory she was about to open and the manufacturing of liuli. They chatted until dinner was served.
In the following days, Xie Jiang was busy everywhere, buying barren mountains one after another, and also selecting suitable locations for the factory.
With Xu Hengyan's protection, and since she was buying only useless barren mountains, everything went smoothly.
One evening, as Xie Jiang returned from the countryside, she saw Wen Feng in the alley. As Xie Jiang passed by him, she casually called out, "Is your master on a business trip to Ninghe?"
Wen Feng, expressionless but respectful, replied, "Young Master Xie is joking. My master came to Ninghe specifically to find Young Master Xie."
Although he did not approve of his master's unwavering devotion to Miss Xie, his master was already like this, so he could not hold him back.
Xie Jiang felt her mood instantly improve. After being busy for many days, Yi Yancheng's arrival was just right to adjust things.
Xu Hengyan had also been busy these days, so they rarely saw each other.
Only when Xu Hengyan was rarely at the county office and she happened to return early could they sit together for dinner.
Xie Jiang walked towards the courtyard where she lived with light steps.
Passing a gardenia tree that had not yet bloomed, she saw Yi Yancheng sitting under the corridor. Hearing footsteps, he looked up.
A gentle breeze blew, and the wind chimes under the eaves swayed softly, creating a pleasant sound.
He looked at her and smiled slightly, the beauty of the world serving as his backdrop.
Xie Jiang ran over and leaned on his back, hugging his neck. "Why are you here? Do you know you were wrong?"