HNYWEF -Chapter 53 Oblivious to Good Intentions

Twentieth day of the first month, second year of Zhenguan.

The weather was still cold.

In the shaded parts of the alley, the leftover snow still hadn’t fully melted. It crunched beneath one’s feet.

The door to the Zhou family smithy stood open.

The sound of hammering came steadily from inside.

“Clang.”

“Clang.”

“Clang.”

Li Shimin stood at the doorway and glanced inside.

Zhou Xiong stood by the long workbench, hammer in hand, striking a piece of iron.

The furnace burned brightly, its glow flickering across his face.

He didn’t turn around.

Li Shimin stepped over the threshold.

The hammering didn’t stop.

“Clang.”

“Clang.”

Li Shimin walked up beside the workbench and stopped.

He looked at Zhou Xiong’s profile. His face was expressionless, sweat running down from his temples.

Then he spoke.

“I came to thank you.”

The hammer still didn’t stop.

“Clang.”

Li Shimin waited a breath.

Then continued:

“About the poultry method for controlling pests. The counties that raised chickens and ducks now have clean fields. The ones that didn’t still have insects.”

The hammer kept going.

“Clang.”

Li Shimin stepped closer.

“You’ve rendered a great service.”

The hammer stopped.

Zhou Xiong’s hand hung in midair, hammer raised but not falling.

Slowly, he turned around.

And looked at Li Shimin.

There was mist in those eyes.

And beneath the mist, something stirred.

Then he spoke.

The words squeezed out from his hoarse throat.

“Li Er.”

Li Shimin froze for a moment.

That opening line was familiar.

Last time Zhou Xiong had started with that exact tone, he’d ended up getting cursed out.

Li Shimin instinctively took half a step back.

But Zhou Xiong gave him no chance to speak.

“Have you fucking lost your mind again?”

Li Shimin opened his mouth.

Zhou Xiong slammed the hammer onto the anvil.

Bang!

“What great service did I render? I said one sentence, you had people carry it out, and because it worked, now it’s my achievement?”

Li Shimin said nothing.

Zhou Xiong stepped forward.

“Do you even know who actually did this?”

Li Shimin paused.

Zhou Xiong said:

“It was the farmers! They’re the ones who raised the chickens and ducks! They’re the ones who turned the soil and fed the insect eggs to the birds! What the hell did I do? I just said one sentence!”

He took another step forward.

Li Shimin retreated another half-step.

“And besides, I told Qin Er-ge about it and had him pass the message along. If I really wanted the credit, couldn’t I have just gone directly to you, Li Er?”

Zhou Xiong stood there, staring at him.

“If you want to reward someone, go reward them!”

Li Shimin stood frozen, heart pounding.

Not from fear.

From bewilderment.

The first thing he realized was—

This brat’s talent for cursing people had truly returned.

The second thing was—

Right.

If Zhou Xiong wanted rewards and honors, why hadn’t he asked for them himself?

Such an enormous contribution… and he actually wanted to give the credit to others?

Li Shimin stood there, looking at Zhou Xiong.

Zhou Xiong looked back at him.

The furnace crackled softly.

After a long while—

Li Shimin suddenly spoke.

“Then what do you want?”

Zhou Xiong didn’t answer.

Li Shimin waited a breath.

Then asked again.

“You must want something.”

Zhou Xiong looked at him.

For three breaths.

Then said:

“I want you out of my sight. Right now.”

Then he shook his head, turned around, walked back to the workbench, and picked up the hammer again.

“Clang.”

Li Shimin stood behind him, staring at that back.

Suddenly, he no longer understood why he had come.

To reward him?

Zhou Xiong didn’t want rewards.

To thank him?

Zhou Xiong didn’t appreciate it.

Then why had he come?

He stood there thinking for a long time.

But couldn’t figure it out.

The hammering continued, steady and unhurried.

“Clang.”

“Clang.”

“Clang.”

Li Shimin remained there for a long while.

Then finally turned and walked out.

When he reached the doorway, he stopped.

Without turning back.

He stood there for a breath.

Then pushed the door open and stepped outside.

Cold wind rushed in.

He stood at the entrance, looking toward the far end of the alley.

Looking for quite a while.

Then suddenly, he laughed softly.

Very softly.

“He was trying to hand the credit to me… and I was actually thinking of pushing it away…”

He muttered the words to himself.

Then started walking forward.

The alley was long.

The wind was cold.

He walked very slowly.

And only one thought kept circling in his mind—

Since when did I become so oblivious to good intentions?

At the end of the alley, the door to the smithy still stood open.

The hammer rang out steadily.

“Clang.”

“Clang.”

“Clang.”