Wright

Stuart's return caused a small stir in the village. First, there was Lily's new dress, rushed to completion overnight— Lily used scraps of fabric to create a new collar style for the plain white cotton dress, inspired by the designs at York City Cloth Shop. But instead of using a single color, she incorporated colorful patches.

This white dress with its colorful collar and cuffs sent the entire village's women into a frenzy the very first day Lily wore it out. Xiao Zhen and Monica worked at the bread mill, earning among the highest incomes for girls in the village. Monica was fine, being older and with an unreliable father, she was already planning for her future and merely felt envy. But Xiao Zhen practically latched onto Lily instantly. When she learned Lily still had colorful fabric to sew onto her own recently made white dress, Xiao Zhen was so excited she nearly floated down the street.

When Lily bought the colorful fabric, she had already intended to use it as an accent for the dress. She was actually quite helpless— —such little tricks seemed terribly shabby to wealthier folks. Otherwise, why didn't sewing factories make dresses like this? It wasn't that no one had thought of it, but because these dresses cost slightly more than plain white cotton fabric. Poor people wearing white dresses couldn't spare even two extra pennies, while those who could afford colorful dresses disliked that shabby feel.

But Lily didn't care. After over a decade of marriage to Stuart, her once-innocent nature had grown more practical. When Stuart genuinely offered to make her a brand-new red dress that day, she was delighted—yet beyond that joy, she wouldn't actually accept it. They had children. Though their life improved steadily and her husband earned more, that didn't mean Lily would become a wasteful housewife.

Besides, Lily considered herself a country girl. No matter what the city folk thought, a simple white cotton dress with colorful collars and trim was the most practical choice for her. Pretty without being extravagant, it drew the envy of the neighbors without provoking gnashing-teeth jealousy—that was the wisdom of housewives. After all, they lived here, greeting everyone around them daily. A gorgeous, expensive red dress might make every woman admire it, but it could also stir up envy.

Especially since Stewart already had a job that drew envy, Lily didn't want anyone speculating about how well-off their family was.

As it turned out, Lily had judged the situation perfectly. Not only did the dress avoid making enemies, it actually made her a favorite among the women. Word spread that she'd agreed to remake little Jane's dress collar. First came the wives of Stewart's friends—all from reasonably well-off families. Seeing Lily in her red-and-white dress, her blonde hair pinned up with a red ribbon bow, they practically burned with envy.

"Goodness, Lily, one trip to town and you look like a completely different person! You're practically a noble lady now!" Lily's best friend Emily couldn't hide her astonishment. Her husband was friends with Stewart, and she herself was closest to Lily. Before anyone else could speak, she grabbed Lily firmly and declared emphatically, "Little Jane said you have some fabric there—you absolutely must save some for me!"

As soon as Emily spoke, Lily smiled. She beckoned everyone to follow her back from the mill and said, "Well, I've been thinking about this for a while now!"

The group followed Lily home. They rummaged through the scraps she'd bought, turning them over and over. Some larger pieces could be made into solid-colored fabrics, but most were finer scraps, leaving everyone feeling a bit disappointed.

Just then, Lily produced her daughter's dress—Penny's birthday was coming up in a few days, and Lily had carefully sewn it as a special gift for her little girl. The collar was made from scraps pieced together in a colorful patchwork pattern. While not as simple and elegant as a solid color, it looked delightfully playful and sweet.

Suddenly, everyone understood. Some bought scraps from Lily and hurried home to sew their own.

When Stuart returned, he saw Lily wrapping up a handful of pennies. He couldn't help but smile softly and said, "Darling, looks like you've already earned yourself a new dress."

Lily smiled and shook her head. "You should have seen it—they nearly snatched up all the scraps I'd saved for Adam."

"I'll be going to York again in a couple of days. If you need more scraps, I can buy some for you," Stuart said.

Lily was puzzled. Stuart slowly explained. It all came back to that compost pile. Stuart and the villagers had noticed the wheat sprouts growing in the duke's compost were twice as tall as those nearby. Without comparison, it hadn't mattered, but once they saw the difference, everyone grew increasingly restless. Whenever they gathered, they sighed. Now Stuart couldn't sit still either. He decided to tell them about the manure pile in York.

The journey was too long, and the manure was far away. A cart could only bring a little at a time. Though everyone was tempted, they had no plan. Just then, Tang Feiliu suddenly noticed the skirts of the village women.

It wasn't that Tang Feiliu was deliberately observing them. In this time and place, amidst a sea of green and white, the sight of women dressed in vibrant colors—and not just one or two—was impossible to ignore.

Tang Feiliu was busy planning drainage for the wheat fields. He was consulting an experienced farmer named Yu about the matter, discussing drainage methods while marveling at how rudimentary farming practices were here. It was then that women in colorful collared skirts, baskets slung over their arms, walked past in a group. They smiled and greeted Tang Feiliu as they passed.

Watching the women walk past in their matching outfits, Tang Feiliu was instantly struck by their striking appearance. He couldn't help but smile and ask the farmer beside him, "Is there some special occasion happening lately?"

"Hey, you womenfolk," someone called out to Tang Feiliu nearby, "Lately that Stewart lad took his wife into town, bought a bunch of colorful fabric, and made himself a skirt. Well, that's all it took—every woman in the village went crazy, all making the same style."

"Old John, your own wife made one too!" someone nearby laughed loudly, teasing him. "Not only did she make one for herself, she made one for your daughter too. Only you didn't get one!"

Old John clearly found the whole thing deeply vexing. Whether that was the reason or not, he snapped back at the teasing crowd: "As if your wife didn't make one!"

Amidst the chatter and laughter, Tang Feiliu finally understood—this was clearly the new trend Stewart and his wife had brought back from town. Honestly, Tang Feiliu found it rather heartening. People taking the time to dress themselves up meant their lives were improving. So on his way back, when he happened to run into Stewart on patrol, he casually struck up a conversation, smiling as he complimented Stewart’s wife on how lovely her dress looked.

Receiving Tang Feiliu's approval, Stewart felt his face glow with pride. Still unable to let go of his stubbornness, he casually mentioned to Tang Feiliu how excellent the manure in York City was. He never imagined Tang Feiliu would take it to heart immediately.

Tang Feiliu wasn't merely considering composting and increased yields. He was contemplating something far more terrifying—epidemics.

York City's population was too dense. If left unchecked, once spring passed and the weather fully warmed, the unclean environment would breed bacteria and disease on a massive scale. Combined with the population density, a devastating epidemic could strike at any moment.

The thought sent Tang Feiliu's nerves taut. Returning to the castle, he urgently relayed the matter. Edward took it extremely seriously. Having been saved from death's door by Tang Feiliu himself, he had found that maintaining cleanliness and regular bathing indeed made his body stronger than before. This time, he dared not delay. He allocated a large sum of gold coins to Tang Feiliu to proceed with this matter at full speed—within Edward's domain, York was a crucial economic city. If York were to falter, his rule would face a major threat.

Moreover, the waste could be used as fertilizer for the duke's nearby lands. The farmers' voluntary consumption would ensure these dreadful piles of manure were completely utilized—a truly vital benefit.

As Tang Feiliu explained, while the funds were spent, the bulk went toward road integration—a matter of utmost importance that had been neglected until now. In this era, unimpeded roads were often a major factor in securing direct rule.

Thus, during this period, Tang Feiliu received Edward's full backing as he embarked on the first step of urban development—transportation integration.

In the long-term vision for the future, Swan City and York City were intended to become twin cities. Adjacent to each other, they would form the Duke of Edward's stronghold. Yet, despite York's vital role as an imperial transportation hub, Tang Feiliu had yet to fully harness its potential. His recent focus had been on agricultural crops and the restoration of drainage channels. Fortunately, Stewart had spoken up. Had Tang Feiliu only remembered this when the plague struck, it would have been too late to do anything about it.

To express his gratitude, Tang Feiliu promoted Stuart. He transferred him from the patrol unit and appointed him as the chief supervisor for all road repairs. Moreover, since Edward had earned a substantial profit from selling flowers in addition to his regular winter income, the budget allocated was more than sufficient. Tang Feiliu contacted Ross, the head of the cement factory, placing a large order. Cement flowed steadily from the factory. By the time Prince Wright arrived, the main road planned from the castle to Swan City was already paved with clean cement.

This cement surface became a treasured asset for everyone. Children loved playing on the smooth ground, but adults forbade them from lingering too long, fearing they might damage the surface.

The road itself wasn't particularly long, yet even before construction was halfway complete, villagers were already driving oxcarts to York to transport fertilizer.

Tang Feiliu had authorized this. With spring already halfway gone, the cement road greatly accelerated oxcart travel. Tang Feiliu had chosen a shortcut, building bridges and roads that bypassed the mountain ranges. This drastically reduced the distance between York and Black Swan Castle. Once same-day round trips became possible, Tang Feiliu instructed Stewart to notify everyone: any oxcart owner could now transport compost materials to York independently.

York was a city where many possessed no land. Most of the surrounding fields belonged to Duke Edward, with a portion also held by the Templars. Duke Edward had already notified the administrators overseeing these lands and the city. Given the favorable location, it was clear the duke would reap a massive harvest this year.

Of course, beyond the duke as the greatest beneficiary, the remaining freemen would also reap substantial profits—watching the wheat seedlings grow like mad after the top dressing, they felt their whole bodies brimming with energy.

The people of York were also overjoyed, for they had recently discovered new avenues of income. After all, factory work was scarce, and factories had their off-seasons and peak periods. leaving many families penniless through winter. Such lean times were usually the hardest, but this year Aunt Emily's bakery nearly collapsed under the crowd—the men had found work. Road-building wasn't a job for just one or two, suddenly, the men's pockets jingled with extra pennies and shillings. They guzzled ale, gathered in taverns after work, and laughed loudly. Late at night, men with families handed their wages to their wives in exchange for food, basking in their families' adoring gazes; while those without families mostly slipped into the alleys where the nightingales sang... All of York had never seen such bustling activity in the early spring of any other year.

Tang Feiliu worked dawn to dusk, pouring himself into the road construction while also overseeing the waterworks. He was so busy during this period that he hadn't even seen Edward, let alone noticed the new guest in the castle.

This suited Edward just fine. He adored the spirited young Lance and longed to shield him from even the slightest trouble. In Edward's vision, Lance needed only to pursue his passions and bask in the family's affection and admiration. But perhaps it was fate. When Tang Feiliu returned exhausted that day, famished, he went straight to the kitchen without calling anyone. There he found Aunt Lai Li had left him a steaming bowl of chicken soup. He blew on the embers to warm it, then tossed in a handful of noodles.

These noodles were a special version Tang Feiliu had requested. Aunt Lai Li had pulled them exceptionally thin, and once submerged in the chicken broth, they softened in moments. Tang Feiliu served himself a bowl when a strange man's voice murmured from behind him, "May I try some?"

Startled, Tang Feiliu nearly dropped the bowl. He turned and steadied himself, only to see, in the dim candlelight, a man in a nightgown. His long, curly black hair fell loosely around his shoulders. The nightgown was tied loosely, revealing half a bare thigh—the man wasn't wearing pajama bottoms.

While Tang Feiliu stood there dumbfounded, the man had already approached and taken the bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"Don't mind me. Eat up," the man said calmly, then proceeded to dig in heartily.

Tang Feiliu stared blankly as the man slurped noisily.

"Ah, I was starving... But this is my first time trying these noodles. Edward's kitchen is truly extraordinary." After finishing, he smiled warmly at Tang Feiliu and added, "...The person in the kitchen looks pretty tasty too."

Alarm bells clanged in Tang Feiliu’s head. He forced an awkward smile, thinking, Damn it, is this guy the second of my kind I’ve encountered in this era?

"What's your name, sweetie pie?" The man didn't leave. He looked at Tang Feiliu with interest, asking slowly, "How could Edward bear to keep you in that smoky, fiery kitchen? You should be wearing silk, walking on pure white wool carpets..."

As he spoke, he slowly approached. Tang Feiliu sensed his hostile intent, panic rising within him. He backed away frantically, stammering, "H-hello... Who exactly are you?"

"Me? I'm Wright, sweetie. I was just feeling bored today." Wright smiled, reaching out to grab Tang Feiliu firmly, intending to pull her toward him.

Tang Feiliu felt his wrist pinned down with brutal force. Wright was incredibly strong, showing not a shred of mercy. He looked gentle, but Tang Feiliu could sense the latent violence radiating from him. Pain made tears well up instantly in Tang Feiliu's eyes, yet Wright seemed even more delighted. He murmured, "That look on your face... I really do like it."

You sick pervert! Tang Feiliu wanted to scream.

"What are you doing?" Duke Edward's voice cut through the tension. Tang Feiliu turned, pleadingly seeking help from Edward. This was his first encounter with such a situation since arriving in this world, and he was momentarily frozen in shock.

"Edward, keeping this child in the kitchen is such a waste... How about giving her to me?" Wright said with a sly smile, refusing to release his grip on Tang Feiliu.

Edward's response was to stride forward, his voice sharp. "Release my administrator, Wright. Are you challenging me?"

Lait froze, his grip snapping loose. Tang Feiliu’s heart lifted, and tears welled up in his eyes. Edward whispered, "Go back to your room."

Tang Feiliu, flustered and tear-streaked, glanced at Edward before darting away like a rabbit pursued by a hunter.

Edward's expression darkened. Seeing Tang Feiliu's tears felt like his heart was being torn apart.

That within his own domain, the child he cherished above all had been harmed... Edward watched Wright, still amused, his eyes holding a deep, dark gleam.

Author's Note:

I went out for a walk today and felt a bit better, so I wrote two chapters. But now my head is starting to ache... I've saved some drafts. If I suddenly stop updating in a couple of days, it means my cold has worsened and I'm back in bed... Please be patient... (And my mom seems to have a headache too... Is this some weird flu outbreak peak?!?)