Chapter 27: Day of Farewell
The document from the Weaving Bureau’s Wenshu Pavilion arrived swiftly.
Five days after the Li County Pear Blossom Lantern Festival incident, everything had been decided.
Liu Sheng spent a morning in the Imperial Storage packing all her belongings, taking what she could and leaving what she couldn't for the Weaving Bureau staff to sort out later.
The imitation version of the original analyzer, which she had already completed, now lay on her workbench.
In this lightless little room in the Imperial Storage, she had worked countless extra hours, writing innumerable flowery documents.
However, it was also here that she wrote the article included in “cultivation theory,” created the “world,” began her first high dimension analysis, and gained her good partner— “Mommy”...
Many times she was exhausted, secretly cursing Zhang Yuanzheng countless times.
But the gains were also considerable.
She took one last look and closed the door.
Stepping out of the Imperial Storage gate and onto the corridor, Liu Sheng ran into Wang Dongdong, who was evidently also there to pack her things.
After that day, Liu Sheng hadn’t seen her; she heard that her family had taken her to a nearby recuperation resort.
As soon as Wang Dongdong saw Liu Sheng, she immediately embraced her with tearful eyes, unable to speak.
Liu Sheng quickly pulled her arm away, led her to the small garden beside the corridor, and found two stone stools for them to sit on.
“Sheng Sheng, I almost thought I wouldn’t see you again! I heard you were the one who saved me, and I’ll be forever grateful to you.” Wang Dongdong’s eyes were teary, and she clutched Liu Sheng’s arm tightly again.
“It wasn’t entirely my doing...”
“I don’t care, I don’t care, I only remember you! I told my parents, and they also said they want to thank you properly. They’ll send the thank-you gift directly to Qinghe...”
At the mention of Qinghe, both fell silent.
Due to the severe population loss in Li County, and with almost no one left at the Li County Weaving Institute, the Weaving Bureau decided to merge the Li County Weaving Institute directly into the Qinghe Weaving Institute.
From then on, the Li County Weaving Institute would cease to exist.
Qinghe is the largest city closest to Li County, named for the wide river that flows through it.
Given Qinghe’s position as a hub radiating northwards for water and land transport, merging the Li County Weaving Institute into it was entirely reasonable.
Of course, this also meant that Liu Sheng would be going to Qinghe from now on.
Truth be told, Liu Sheng had actually benefited from this misfortune.
The Qinghe Weaving Institute is one of the top ten Weaving Institutes in the system, with over a hundred people. Neither its resources nor its elite members could be compared to the Li County Weaving Institute.
It wouldn’t be easy to get in if one wanted to, especially for someone like Liu Sheng, who had no cultivation. Through normal procedures, they would never accept her.
It’s just that it wouldn’t be as easy for Liu Sheng to go home as it was now.
Qinghe is much farther from Little Green Garden.
“Are you feeling better?” Liu Sheng decided to change the subject.
“Yes, actually, I just suffered too much Spiritual Qi depletion and my Meridians were empty and damaged. Then, because I almost suffocated, my lungs were a bit injured, but now I’m much better.”
“Then, what about Miss Yi Chunxian?”
Wang Dongdong fell silent, her eyes filled with pain.
“I don’t know either. She doesn’t want to see me. When I send her medicine, she throws it out.”
Liu Sheng hadn’t expected the usually gentle and quiet Yi Chunxian to change so much after being injured.
“Why is she like this?”
“I don’t know either. Maybe she resents me for pulling them out to play that day, which resulted in this disaster...” Although Wang Dongdong felt wronged, she could understand, and could only sigh helplessly.
After this incident, Wang Dongdong had become much more subdued. The fearless, carefree girl she once was seemed to have grown up overnight.
“You can’t completely blame yourself. The Li County Pear Blossom Lantern Festival is a county-wide event. If you hadn’t dragged them, would they necessarily not have gone?” Liu Sheng comforted her.
Wang Dongdong showed a bitter smile: “These rights and wrongs are hard to explain.”
“Let’s not talk about this. Even if I hadn’t met you in the Institute today, I would have gone to the Courtyard to find you and say goodbye in person.”
Liu Sheng looked at Wang Dongdong in surprise: “Aren’t you going to Qinghe with us?”
Wang Dongdong sighed and said: “My parents won’t let me stay in the Weaving Institute anymore. They say it’s too dangerous, and they want me to go home and focus on preparing for the imperial examinations.”
Working in the Weaving Institute was indeed considered a good “iron rice bowl” in many people’s eyes—a state-owned institution with good benefits.
But that was only for those who had no connections or didn’t understand the true situation.
Firstly, the Weaving Institute often had to deal with anomalies, which were extremely dangerous, especially the Exploration Division, where deaths were common. Even the Imperial Storage, which was responsible for logistics, could lead to loss of life if containment was not handled carefully, resulting in a leak.
Not every Weaving Institute was as lucky as the Li County Weaving Institute, which usually had few anomalous incidents to deal with.
But Li County only had this one major anomaly, which almost wiped out everyone, and the Weaving Institute itself ceased to exist.
Moreover, the Weaving Institute was, after all, just a grassroots organization, with many tasks and few opportunities.
Dealing with common people inevitably led to all sorts of annoying troubles, such as the cat-sucking pervert and the snoring expert Wang Dongdong had mentioned before.
Furthermore, apart from those at the level of Yuan Zheng and Vice Yuan Zheng, no one else had official ranks.
So, if one had family resources and background, and also possessed cultivation, why would they struggle in this grassroots Weaving Institute? It would be better to enter the National Academy through the imperial examinations and become a Beijing official, which offered a much brighter future.
Therefore, Liu Sheng was not surprised by what Wang Dongdong’s family said. Wang Dongdong herself was only here for training and would eventually return home.
However, thinking that this parting meant not knowing when they would meet again, she felt a little sad.
Then Wang Dongdong said her car was waiting for her outside and she had to leave.
Before leaving, Wang Dongdong turned back and said one last thing: “Sheng Sheng, I’ll wait for you in Chang’an.”
Liu Sheng waved goodbye and replied: “Okay.”
...
Liu Sheng still had one more thing to do before leaving the Li County Weaving Institute.
She climbed up the back mountain and arrived at the Courtyard of Rectification.
Fortunately, she arrived just in time. Inside the Courtyard of Rectification, Zhang Yuanzheng was carefully putting the calligraphy and paintings from the walls into boxes. The elderly attendant was nowhere to be seen.
With the Li County Weaving Institute gone, Zhang Yuanzheng was naturally no longer Zhang Yuanzheng.
The Weaving Bureau’s document stated that Zhang Yuanzheng was directly dismissed, but considering his advanced age, he was specially allowed to retire to his hometown with the treatment of a Yuan Zheng, which was considered preferential treatment.
Zhang Yuanzheng saw Liu Sheng and laughed heartily: “I didn’t expect to see Siku Liu before I left.”
“Zhang Yuanzheng...”
“I’m not the Yuan Zheng anymore, you don’t have to call me that. You can call me... Zhang Laoweng, that’s fine. I can finally go home and be a rich old man, haha!” Zhang Laoweng stroked his beard and laughed.
Liu Sheng felt that Zhang Laoweng was merely putting on a brave face, which was evident from his almost bald head.
Zhang Laoweng could tell what Liu Sheng was thinking from her sympathetic gaze.
“You don’t have to pity me. I became an official in middle age and served for forty years. I’m tired. At my advanced age, it’s time to enjoy life...”
“It’s just that I once thought I could rise higher, then move to Chang’an with my wife, buy a two-Courtyard house, and become a Chang’an resident.”
“I know I’ve done many things you might not agree with, but I’m just a common person who wanted to climb up.”
Perhaps Zhang Laoweng had shed his official pretense, and his words became much more direct.
“Although the outbreak of anomalies at the Li County Pear Blossom Lantern Festival was a sudden event, so many people died. Someone has to take responsibility, right? Otherwise, how can the imperial court explain it to the world? Moreover, am I entirely innocent?”
“If I hadn’t just made you report daily, but instead spent more effort training you and helping you improve your strength, perhaps everyone wouldn’t have been so unprepared when facing the anomaly.”
“If I had paid attention to arranging people to stay at the Weaving Institute on days off, things might have been easier to resolve, and you and Vice Siku Song wouldn’t have been sent in for nothing... Thankfully, you’re okay...”
“I always thought, how many anomalous incidents could there be in a small place like Li County? I always lived by chance, even perfunctorily arranging Exploration Division matters. This top-down effect ultimately harmed everyone and myself...”
As Zhang Laoweng spoke, his eyes reddened slightly.
Liu Sheng hadn’t expected Zhang Laoweng to say such words. In those days, she had more or less harbored some resentment, but she also felt that blaming such an unexpected disaster solely on Zhang Laoweng was perhaps unfair.
But seeing an old man like Zhang Laoweng blaming himself and reflecting in front of her, her feelings became somewhat complex.
“Zhang Yuanzheng, whether you are still Yuan Zheng or not, I will always remember your kindness. You will forever be my benefactor.” Liu Sheng bowed solemnly.
Although there was also the suspicion of a severe shortage of personnel, if Zhang Laoweng hadn’t employed people unconventionally and allowed Liu Sheng to undertake analysis work, Liu Sheng wouldn't have learned so much. To put it more seriously, without the “world,” she might have died in the Li County Pear Blossom Lantern Festival.
Zhang Laoweng smiled faintly, seemingly relieved: “Siku Liu, hearing you say that makes me feel better. I don’t know why I’m telling you, a little girl, so much. Perhaps it’s fate. My life has been a struggle for gain, yet in the end, I gained nothing. Now, to be able to go home peacefully is also a kind of release.”
“Zhang Laoweng, I came today mainly to return this to you.”
Liu Sheng took out the seven profound token Zhang Laoweng had lent her.
“Thank you, it’s just a pity that I truly cannot communicate with the Supreme God...”
From the day she first glimpsed the mysterious Void Realm in Little Green Garden and saw the Supreme God, Liu Sheng had tried meditating with this seven profound token every night.
Even when she was busy modifying the “world,” she persisted.
However, every time she meditated, her consciousness would be drawn to that vast Void Realm, facing the Supreme God, but as soon as Liu Sheng tried to regain consciousness and think in that Void Realm, she would be expelled.
Zhang Laoweng did not take the seven profound token.
“You keep this. It can be a memento or you can continue to try; either way, I don’t need it anymore. I’m going home to live out my retirement in peace, and cultivation will be left to fate from now on. So, this item will be more useful to you.”
“You still have two months, you cannot give up. Although I can no longer recommend you for the Honghu Plan, I have already sent a spirit message to Lord Anchashe, explaining the current situation, and he has agreed to write you a letter of recommendation if you can reach the Initial Realm.”
Liu Sheng gripped the seven profound token and sincerely thanked him.
On this day, Liu Sheng saw off Wang Dongdong and watched Zhang Laoweng embark on his journey home.
And she, too, was about to set off for Qinghe.
Time to open a new map!