The benefit of running an inn is that friends often come to visit.
But the downside of running an inn is often having to send friends away...
In the several days after seeing off Zhou Fu, Liu Tang, and others, Yang Ge found everything dull and boring; even when Xiao Baoqi and the others repeatedly called him to play cards, he was too listless to move, never able to muster up any enthusiasm.
In his younger days, "he galloped joyously in the spring breeze, not believing there could be partings in this world."
He wasn’t young anymore, so he knew that for some people, once you have seen them for the last time, there is no promise of meeting again.
Such are the ways of an emperor’s heart...
"Shopkeeper, the Tianjing Tea House is ready for your inspection," said the voice.
It was on the twenty-sixth day that Yang Ge had handed over Tianjing to Zhao Hong when he finally said his first words to Yang Ge in twenty-four days.
Yang Ge glanced at him expressionlessly and said, "The month isn’t up yet; do you really want me to inspect it now? Have you thought this through?"
Zhao Hong, who had been standing proudly beside him, felt a sudden inexplicable nervousness and quickly ran through every single detail of the tea room’s renovation in his mind like a flash.
Moments later, he clenched his teeth, "I’ve thought it through, please inspect it now!"
Without another question, Yang Ge got up to return to the inn, holding the crooked-mouth teapot and walking unhurriedly through the front hall to enter Tianjing.
The courtyard wasn’t big, only a little over forty square meters. Zhao Hong had transformed the original ice cellar in the center of the courtyard into a rockery fish pond, divided the square courtyard visually into four parts with four petal-like sections, then used finger-thick bamboo as screens to create four separate themed tea rooms for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
The reserved passageway was in the center, circling the rockery fish pond, leading straight through the front hall to the kitchen on one end and, with the square outer drainage channels, made the entire tea house look like a waterside pavilion, with a layer of pebbles at the bottom of the drain that was not only functional for drainage but also added to the landscape, and could replenish water for the lotus pond in the center.
In short, Zhao Hong had indeed put considerable thought and effort into this project.
The final effect was even better than Yang Ge had previously imagined.
Yang Ge carried the teapot, carefully inspecting each tea room, "Miaomiao, bring me the account book for the tea room renovation!"
"Coming!"
Zhao Miao called out from the front hall and, holding the account book, hurried across it. As she brushed past Zhao Hong, she gave him a "good luck" look.
Zhao Hong stood at the entrance of the pathway with his arms folded, confidently erect.
Yang Ge sat in the spring room, took the account book from Zhao Miao, and scrutinized each item, carefully checking each material listed.
The accounts were complicated, but he understood them well and had a fair price in mind for each material used.
After a while, he closed the account book and handed it back to Zhao Miao, nodding, "Well done. You can move into the Huang-character room today."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hong nearly lost his composure... Was this only ’well done’? And he could only move into the Huang-character room?
’Would you like to try?’
But before he could voice his thoughts, Yang Ge had already picked up the teapot and stood up, striding towards the front hall, "Follow me."
Zhao Hong stiffened, standing in place with trembling legs, stubbornly wanting to hold out against him.
Yang Ge did not pay him any attention, walking straight past him.
Seeing this, Zhao Miao quickly went forward and nudged him, "What are you waiting for? Go!"
Zhao Hong’s eyes revealed a struggle, but he quickly turned and followed Yang Ge’s steps... he didn’t even notice himself letting out a sigh of relief.
Yang Ge led Zhao Hong out of the building and pointed across the street, about a hundred steps away to an alley, "Do you know what that place is?"
Zhao Hong looked in the direction Yang Ge was pointing, "The public toilets, how could I not know."
Yang Ge lowered his hand, "Do you know how many public toilets there are in Lu Ting County?"
Zhao Hong was taken aback, "How would I know that?"
Yang Ge answered, "Eight."
Zhao Hong gave him a surprised look, "You even know that?"
Yang Ge did not answer his question, but instead asked, "Have you been to the public toilets?"
Zhao Hong shivered unconsciously and shook his head sharply as if playing a tambourine, "I’ve never been, never been..."
Yang Ge gave a small lift of the corner of his mouth, which he quickly suppressed, "It seems you’ve already been there, so you don’t need me to describe what it’s like inside, right?"
Zhao Hong began to retch, "No need, no need, definitely no need..."
Once he had been taken by Zhang Erniu to a market when he was desperate to urinate. He didn’t make it and vomited instead. Since then, whenever he was in dire need outside, he would rather run all the way back to the inn than use those public toilets again.
Yang Ge said indifferently, "Previously, the volume of people in Lu Ting wasn’t too large, and the eight public toilets were enough for pedestrians. But in these past two years, the permanent population of Lu Ting has increased fivefold, and the volume of people has grown more than tenfold. These eight public toilets are no longer sufficient, not only has their sanitary condition continuously deteriorated, but people are also relieving themselves everywhere. If this continues, sooner or later it will lead to a large-scale outbreak of infectious diseases..."
Zhao Hong looked at him with a face full of horror, "What do you mean?"
Yang Ge glanced at him and laughed, "Don’t worry, I’m not some devil, I won’t make you scoop poop."
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This was the first time he had smiled at Zhao Hong, but this smile sent shivers down Zhao Hong’s spine, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
And sure enough, Yang Erlang opened his mouth wide and let out a string of words that made Zhao Hong shudder: "But this matter needs to be addressed. If there are too few public toilets, then build more public toilets. If the sanitary conditions inside are questionable, then find a way to improve the sanitation inside… We must not only allow every person with a pressing need to pee to find a toilet nearby but also make sure they can relieve themselves cleanly and comfortably."
"This beneficent policy that benefits the nation and its people is now in your hands."
Zhao Hong, in disbelief, pointed at his own nose, "Me?"
Yang Ge ignored his existential crisis and continued, "Later, I will notify the right division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and assign you some staff with a small banner. Lead them to build public toilets in every busy area of the county according to the standard of two per ten thousand people. Funding will be sourced from the county office, manpower you will recruit on your own… First, make ten sets of plans, then select the best for construction."
"My requirements are as follows:"
"First, the land for building public toilets should be acquired through fair transactions, without using one’s power to bully or forcefully seize."
"Second, consider the geographic location comprehensively. It should facilitate the transport of waste without contaminating the groundwater sources throughout the city."
"Third, all the public toilets that are built must be well-lit, ventilated, and have plants to separate and nullify the odors… At the very least, you yourself should be able to enter!"
"Time limit: three months."
"Depending on your progress, I will decide whether to allow you to return to the capital for the New Year."
"If the progress is too slow or the work is not done right, then spend the New Year diligently working in Lu Ting, and don’t think about going anywhere else."
After speaking, he patted the bewildered Zhao Hong on the shoulder, and with a smile, he soothingly said, "Make an effort, I have high hopes for you!"
He turned and walked back into the inn, waving at the fish playing mahjong inside, "Let’s go, let’s go play mahjong at Tianjing, it’s brighter there, and the air is better..."
"Exactly, I’ve been saying that place was made for playing mahjong, and you didn’t believe me!"
"Er Niu, come play a few rounds..."
"I’m coming, who’s afraid of whom!"
Zhao Hong, left standing alone outside the inn, looked up at the sky distractedly, then down at the ground, and after a long while, he heavily sat down on Yang Ge’s rocking chair, "I’m really stupid, for real..."
Zhao Miao emerged, cracking sunflower seeds nonchalantly, and looked at the lifeless Zhao Hong, "What’s wrong?"
Zhao Hong looked up at her and suddenly, like grabbing a lifeline, he clutched the hem of her clothes, crying without tears, "Sister, help me, that guy really wants to torture me to death!"
Zhao Miao brushed his hand away with disgust, "Speak properly, what happened?"
Zhao Hong, feeling both wronged and angry, recounted the task of building public toilets that Yang Ge had given him. At the end, he lamented, "He just wants to torture me, can I even do this job? If I did this, wouldn’t history books remember me for dealing with shit and urine?"
Zhao Miao couldn’t help but laugh and became curious, thinking to herself, ’My second brother really is something else!’
"You don’t want to do this job?"
She asked casually while cracking seeds.
Zhao Hong shook his head without hesitation, "Of course not!"
Zhao Miao grudgingly said, "Well then, how about this, I’ll persuade my second brother, let you go back to your life as young master and have him take over this task... Don’t worry, second brother dotes on me, he will agree to my suggestion."
Upon hearing the first part of her sentence, Zhao Hong’s face lit up with joy, but upon hearing the second part, he became wary, "Why have him take over? What are you planning?"
Zhao Miao simply smiled, "You said you didn’t want to do it, right? So, let him do it, he surely won’t mind."
Zhao Hong pondered for a moment and then stood up, "No need to trouble him, such a small matter, I am enough for it!"
Zhao Miao shook her head helplessly and with a headache, "You, oh you..."
Zhao Hong said earnestly, "Sister, there’s no need to worry about him. As long as you’re at the inn, he can rest easy. If you make him come to the inn… wouldn’t that be forcing us into a fratricidal struggle?"
Zhao Miao looked at him in surprise, "You’re improving, taking such a quick turn..."
Zhao Hong helplessly responded, "If I don’t turn now, I’ll get beaten up again!"
"You really..."
Zhao Miao couldn’t help but laugh, and imitating Yang Ge’s manner, patted him on the shoulder, "Not bad, not bad, keep it up."
Right on cue, Yang Ge’s loud calls came from Tianjing Tea House, "Miaomiao, refill my water."
"Coming!"
Zhao Miao replied and tossed the seeds in her hand to Zhao Hong before running off towards Tianjing like the wind.
Zhao Hong stood outside the inn alone, watching people come and go in the streets with a flickering gaze. After a long while, he clenched his fist and silently cheered himself on, ’At least being the Emperor of Shit and Urine is still being an Emperor!’