Chapter 40

Xu Qixian saw these two people arguing, so he tried to mediate, but the young girl was very determined, insisting that a servant bring a basin of water to see how Xia Hongsheng would deal with the spilled water. Soon, a maid came with a copper basin full of water, which she placed in front of Xia Hongsheng with great effort.

"Hmph, the water is here, Young Master Xia, quickly show your divine skills!" The young girl looked at Xia Hongsheng with disdain, as if she were looking at a street charlatan, full of contempt.

"Wait a moment. Just now, you used your chess skills to trick me into betting with you. Let's make another bet. If I can collect the spilled water, what will you do?" Xia Hongsheng looked calmly at the large basin of water, then raised his eyes to ask the young girl Xu Hui.

"You definitely can't collect it!" Xu Hui said dismissively.

"Just say what you'll do if I succeed!" Xia Hongsheng's eyes twinkled as he said, "If I really can't collect it, I'll follow your lead from now on. If you point east, I won't go west; if you tell me to beat a dog, I won't chase a chicken. Conversely, if I can collect it, you name your prize!"

The young girl's eyes twinkled. "Then... I'll agree to one thing for you, and I'll keep my word!"

"Ah, that's quite a big prize. Would you even become my maid if I asked you to?" Xia Hongsheng laughed.

"Hmph, I don't believe you can collect the spilled water!" Xu Hui raised her chin, full of disdain, but then added, "It must be spilled into the soil, no tricks allowed!"

Xia Hongsheng chuckled. "Does this young master need to use tricks? Watch carefully, and see how I use my divine skills to collect the water spilled into the soil!"

Saying this, Xia Hongsheng picked up the copper basin and walked out of the corridor to a sunny spot, then slowly poured the water onto a small area of the ground. The copper basin of water quickly soaked the ground, and Xia Hongsheng deliberately poured it slowly to let the water seep into the soil.

"Miss, please find a lotus leaf. If there's no lotus leaf, any large leaf will do," Xia Hongsheng said to the maid who had brought the water. "Also, bring a large bowl."

The maid nodded and ran off to find the items. She was also very curious to see if Xia Hongsheng could really collect the spilled water.

Soon, a lotus leaf and a large bowl were brought. Xia Hongsheng rolled up his sleeves, got down on the ground, and started digging where the water had been poured. He dug a circle around the wet soil, placed the large bowl in the hole, and then covered it with the lotus leaf. He pressed the edges of the leaf firmly with soil and sprinkled some soil in the center to make it concave.

"Done, just wait." Xia Hongsheng patted the dirt off his hands and ran to the pond to wash them.

"Dig a hole, place a bowl, and you think you can collect the spilled water?" Xu Qixian waved his fan, disappointed that Xia Hongsheng hadn't performed any grand, thunderous, or wind-summoning feats.

Xia Hongsheng sat down by the corridor. "Don't let anyone destroy this. Wait a few hours, and water will start to collect. If you have patience, wait until tomorrow morning, and I'll give you a bowl of clear water."

"Fine! I'll wait until tomorrow morning!" Xu Hui scoffed at Xia Hongsheng's method.

Xia Hongsheng laughed and patted her head. "Little girl, remember, there's always someone better out there. There are many things in this world you don't know, so don't speak too confidently, or you might regret it."

Waiting until the next morning, even if the soil hadn't been directly wet, it was close to the pond, and the soil was naturally damp. Even without the water, a night would be enough to fill the bowl.

This was actually a very simple principle, a very practical method for obtaining water in the wild, using the principles of evaporation and condensation. As the wet soil heated up, the water evaporated into steam, which then condensed on the surface of the lotus leaf and dripped into the bowl below.

Thanks to Bear Grylls, if Xia Hongsheng hadn't watched his shows frequently, he wouldn't have known these little tricks. Xia Hongsheng looked at Xu Qixian and Xu Hui, who were skeptical of his words, and laughed. "Just wait and see, when you lift the lotus leaf tomorrow morning and take out the bowl, you'll be surprised!"

"No culture is truly terrifying." Xia Hongsheng waved his fan smugly. "I'll be off now, I have other things to do this afternoon. Brother Xu, see you at the academy tomorrow. Little girl, get ready to be my maid! Hahaha..."

Xia Hongsheng left with a laugh, waving his fan, looking like a rogue who was harassing virtuous women on the street, making Xu Hui glare at him with anger and grit her teeth.

After leaving Xu Qixian's house, Xia Hongsheng didn't go home but went directly to the market. Lin Ergou and his wife had already started helping, and their child was also helpful, assisting with small tasks. It was past lunchtime, so there weren't many customers, and his sister-in-law was teaching Lin Ergou's wife how to make scallion oil pancakes. The process was simple, and since they were both used to doing household chores, they should learn quickly.

Xia Hongsheng didn't go to the stall but went straight to Yixiangju. As soon as he entered, the manager saw him and ran over, bowing respectfully. "Young Master Xia, please come in!"

Xia Hongsheng had already taught the chef at Yixiangju all the dishes and given them the seasonings, explaining what the powders were made of. He didn't keep anything secret, as they were all common dishes that he didn't find mysterious. Because of this, the people at Yixiangju were very impressed with Xia Hongsheng.

"No problem, I just came to check. My sister-in-law hasn't mentioned any issues, so it seems the stall is doing well. Thank you all for your help," Xia Hongsheng said sincerely to the manager and the waiters.

"Of course, since Yixiangju has promised Young Master Xia, we must keep our word. It's our duty," the manager said smoothly. "However, a few days ago, two notorious ruffians from Luozhou City tried to cause trouble, but I managed to talk them away. Still, I want to remind Young Master Xia that these ruffians are very troublesome and are a scourge in Luozhou City. At Yixiangju, we can take care of it, but on the way back and forth, please remind your sister-in-law to be careful."

Xia Hongsheng nodded, asking for the names and details of the ruffians, which the manager provided. He had expected such trouble, as it was common in the modern world. The situation was better now, as there were gangs, but they didn't act like the lawless gangs of the modern world. In ancient times, these gangs claimed to be part of the green forest and followed green forest rules, valuing chivalry. They would collect protection fees from large shops but would genuinely protect them and generally wouldn't extort small vendors. Otherwise, they would be looked down upon by other green forest heroes. Small vendors, without protection, became targets for ruffians, while large shops either had official connections or protection from gangs, making the ruffians afraid to provoke them.

However, in Luozhou City, such green forest gangs were not a problem.

Lin Ergou was tall and strong, and a few ruffians wouldn't be a match for his fists. The concern was if they gathered more people and ambushed his sister-in-law and the others on the way. Fortunately, the market wasn't far from where Xia Hongsheng lived, so they could walk through areas patrolled by the city guards, which should be safe.

Still, some precautions were necessary.

Leaving Yixiangju, Xia Hongsheng went straight to the home of the carpenter, Old Zhang. His yard was piled with folding stools and tables, which were popular in Luozhou City because they were light and portable, making them very convenient. Old Zhang's family had improved their living conditions because of these items. The people were simple and knew that their better lives were thanks to Xia Hongsheng, so they were very grateful. When Xia Hongsheng arrived, the whole family came out to welcome him.

"Xia's boy, what do you need this time?" Old Zhang knew Xia Hongsheng wouldn't visit without a reason, so he asked with a smile.

"I need a hollow bamboo tube, not too big, something that can be carried easily. The main thing is to seal it, and I want to make it so that pressing a button will spray the water inside. Do you have any ideas, Old Zhang?" Xia Hongsheng explained, "I want to fill the tube with water, and it won't leak when not in use, but pressing a button will spray the water out."

If there were only a few ruffians, Lin Ergou's strength should be enough to handle them, but if there were more, they would need something to protect themselves. Xia Hongsheng thought of the pepper spray from the modern world. Without the chemicals, he could use something else, like the juice from crushed evodia fruit. Using a bamboo tube to hold it would be perfect, but he wasn't sure how to make the nozzle, so he hoped Old Zhang could help.