TFWYH – Chapter 444 Go to see the bamboo forest

It seemed she was truly afraid the shopkeeper would smash the door.

As soon as those words fell, the door opened. Wen Dai’er covered her face and hurriedly fled, completely ignoring Cui Liu, whom she had implicated.

Cui Liu stared blankly at her departing figure, feeling both shocked and angry. This time, she truly burst into tears.

She knew Wen Dai’er was selfish, and she was well aware of her own status.

But human hearts are made of flesh.

When things really reached this point, she still couldn’t help feeling chilled to the bone.

Seeing the surrounding crowd pointing and whispering, she could no longer stay. Crying, she also ran away.

…

Ten li outside the city lay a vast sea of bamboo.

From afar, it looked lush and emerald green, quiet and elegant.

But as Tang Wan and Ling Yue drew closer, they noticed that many foundations had already been laid within the bamboo forest. Numerous workers were transporting stones and building walls.

Tang Wan and Ling Yue exchanged a glance.

Was this really the start of constructing an academy district?

“Misses, who are you looking for?” A sturdy barefoot man carrying a hoe noticed them and immediately walked over.

Ling Yue stepped forward with a smile. “Hello, big brother. We came from the city. Could you tell us how to get to Bamboo Village?”

“Bamboo Village? Just follow this path, go straight and turn left—you’ll be there. It’s very close!” The man pointed the way, then asked curiously, “Who are you going to see there? I’m from Bamboo Village myself. Maybe I can lead the way.”

“Big brother, aren’t you working today?”

“I’ve already finished my work for the day. I was just heading back.”

“That’s perfect—we’re going to the village head’s house!”

“Then come on, I’ll take you there!”

The man walked ahead, with Tang Wan and Ling Yue following behind.

He assumed the two women were relatives of the village head, so his attitude was extremely warm, chatting along the way about Bamboo Village.

The village was surrounded by bamboo on all sides—hence its name.

The villagers usually scraped by making bamboo handicrafts for a living.

But about a month ago, the Assistant Prefect from Wengcheng arrived. Without much explanation, he marked off several areas, ordered the bamboo cut down, and began construction.

The village head had gone to ask about it, but his position was too minor; the official didn’t take him seriously and dismissed him after a few words.

Later, many large foundations appeared, so whatever they were building clearly wouldn’t be small.

Afterward, workers were recruited, and many young men from the village came to do temporary labor.

They earned wages and even got meals—far better than weaving bamboo baskets and trays.

While chatting, the three of them entered what was called Bamboo Village.

It was truly tiny—only a dozen or so households.

Standing at the village entrance, one could see straight through to the end.

Every family lived in bamboo houses, yet the environment was quiet and refined.

The burly man led the two women to the largest bamboo house and knocked on the door.

“Village head! Someone’s here to see you!”

“Coming!” A young woman’s voice answered. Soon the courtyard door opened, revealing a dark-skinned woman with bright white teeth when she smiled. “Fang Hai? What’s the matter? My father-in-law and the others went to cut bamboo. Only my mother-in-law and I are home.”

“They’re the ones looking for the village head,” said the man named Fang Hai, stepping aside to reveal the two women.

The woman’s gaze landed first on Tang Wan’s face. She gasped in surprise.

“Oh my, where did such a fairy come from? Come, come—please come in and sit!”

Since Fang Hai was a man and only the mother- and daughter-in-law were home, it wasn’t convenient to invite him inside.

But it was different with women—no need to worry about propriety.

Besides, this woman was extraordinarily beautiful, and more importantly, the fabric she wore looked expensive at a glance.

She was probably very wealthy.