Chapter 108: So Many Idle People

Inside the carriage, Wen Gu was thinking about the matters he had to attend to today when he was suddenly called out to.

He could tell who it was by the voice, and originally, he had no intention of paying them any mind.

The driver, Chang Shun, had a strained voice as he whispered to Wen Gu, "There are quite a lot of people watching outside."

A lot of people?

Wen Gu was suddenly intrigued!

He lifted the curtain to take a look.

Standing in front were two young men.

One had a sturdy build and was physically powerful; this man was Zhao Kun. It was said that when he first arrived in Xinzhou City, he would shout all day about going to the front lines to fight monsters, but unfortunately, his brain wasn't sharp enough, nor was he cautious enough, so his family was worried he would go out and get himself killed, and they didn't dare let him out.

The result of having nowhere to vent his energy was that whenever the young people of the Zhao and Shen families got into a fight, this guy was always there!

Wen Gu had heard Shen Qing and Shen Liu curse him many times, so he remembered him quite clearly.

The other person, Zhao Mu, looked refined and elegant. Among those who would sneakily run over to Qingyun Fang to poach talent, he was always one of them!

However, Wen Gu's attention was not on them.

He called for the carriage to stop, stepped out, and cast his gaze around.

The sky was somewhat overcast, and the wind still carried a chill, yet at this moment, on the courtyard walls, by the door frames, and at the corners of the courtyards, there were shifting figures everywhere.

There were even those who had built two-story houses, running to the high points to peer over in this direction.

How truly idle they are!

Just now, Zhao Kun had only shouted "Wen Gu" once, and so many figures had popped up to watch the excitement.

During this time after the New Year, although various places in the city were starting to get busy, there were still many people in Zhaohui Fang who were so idle they were just sitting at home picking at their feet.

In the entire Xinzhou City, Zhaohui Fang probably had the most idle people.

He rarely came to Zhaohui Fang, so he hadn't realized there were so many idle people here!

Wen Gu almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It was only almost; although he didn't laugh out loud, he did indeed smile.

However, to the people in front, did this sudden smile of Wen Gu's have some other meaning?

Zhao Kun gritted his teeth: "A provocation, that is definitely a provocation!"

He raised a hand and pointed at Wen Gu, trembling slightly, though it was unclear if it was from the cold or from rage.

Beside him, Zhao Mu pressed down Zhao Kun's arm. He was different from these martial men who only thought about fighting; he considered things more carefully and had also recognized the guards beside Wen Gu.

A fight definitely wouldn't break out. If they really did fight, it would be his own side that suffered.

He was more concerned about Wen Gu's purpose for coming here.

Under the gaze of many, Zhao Mu deliberated on what he should say, so as not to escalate the situation while also not losing his own side's prestige.

At this moment, Wen Gu gave them a refined bow, which counted as a response and a greeting.

Although Wen Gu wore a smile, that expression, while seemingly polite and courteous, felt wrong to Zhao Mu and Zhao Kun in some way they couldn't put their finger on.

Before they could react, the Second Grandfather Zhao, having received the news, hurried over with his old, cold-stricken legs, supported by a servant. He swung his cane twice, *swish, swish*, knocking Zhao Kun and Zhao Mu aside, and headed toward Wen Gu, calling out enthusiastically: "Ward Chief Wen!"

A more sincere look appeared on Wen Gu's face: "Old sir, why have you come over? It's cold outside, why not sit in the carriage for a while?"

"No need, no need, my place isn't far from here," said Second Grandfather Zhao.

Since that was the case, Wen Gu didn't get back into the carriage and walked forward with Second Grandfather Zhao.

As for Zhao Kun and Zhao Mu, and the gazes still fixed on them from all around, Wen Gu ignored them.

He was here to conduct business today, not to look for trouble.

In this Zhaohui Fang, there was no shortage of people watching the excitement or those itching to stir up trouble.

They were all just idle!

With time and energy, instead of stirring up trouble, why not go and stir up a career?

Look at He Wenyu; he wouldn't have this kind of idle time to watch the excitement!

He Wenyu, who was buried in his work at Centai Academy, suddenly sneezed violently.

The courtyard where Second Grandfather Zhao lived was indeed not far.

The snow had not yet melted, but the road had been cleared, with the snow swept to the sides.

One could hear the sounds of children running about; upon seeing the old man, some called out "Second Grandfather," and others called out "Second Great-Grandfather."

It was indeed still cold outside, but it was also a rare moment of relaxation; those who couldn't stay indoors, from children to adults, would visit each other or run around outside.

This kind of freezing weather was actually safe, but once the weather turned hot, they wouldn't dare let the children out.

Wen Gu looked at the snow piles outside the courtyard, where there were traces of children or teenagers having played.

Second Grandfather Zhao didn't care about anything else; as soon as they met, he kept telling Wen Gu how hard his precious grandson Zhao Han had been working lately, to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep.

In fact, the old man also knew the work progress was slow and was worried that Wen Gu would become dissatisfied, so he explained his family's difficulties and his grandson's hard work during this period.

"Han'er has lost a whole circle of weight. I, an old man, have no other skills, so I can only stew soup for him every day to help him recover."

Once inside, Zhao Han looked ashamed and brought out the sketches from the past few days for Wen Gu to review.

Wen Gu flipped through the sketches.

The progress was indeed slow; looking at the exhausted Zhao Han, three bowls of nourishing soup a day wouldn't be enough!

Wen Gu did not open his mouth to criticize, but his tone was regretful:

"I had originally thought that before the merchant caravan arrived, my cousin might have been able to spare some time to help take a look."

Second Grandfather Zhao and Zhao Han immediately showed expressions of deep regret.

Although there were people responsible for reviewing the picture books, having someone else review them versus having Zhao Shaozhu review them personally—the significance was completely different!

Second Grandfather Zhao also hoped his grandson could have more contact with the Young Master and build up his presence!

A silence fell over the room.

Wen Gu put down the drawing draft and continued, "You could try to increase efficiency; I have a suggestion, though I don't know if it is appropriate."

The dimming gazes of the grandfather and grandson suddenly brightened again!

Great-Grandfather Zhao said eagerly, "Ward Chief Wen, please, just say it!"

"Brother Han studied under a teacher before and must have many classmates and friends; you could invite them over to assist with the work."

Wen Gu picked up a drawing draft and explained it to the grandfather and grandson.

"Brother Han is the lead artist, but he does not need to be personally responsible for every single step... You can break down parts of the work into multiple segments and distribute them to suitable people. Whoever is skilled at a certain part can be tasked with completing it..."

"This way, efficiency can be greatly increased, and Brother Han won't be overworked. While the drawing drafts are important, it won't do if your health collapses!"

Wen Gu spoke with genuine sincerity, and the grandfather and grandson nodded repeatedly in agreement.

That was exactly it!

They didn't want to miss this opportunity, yet they were worried about not being able to finish it, and they were also anxious about their health collapsing.

For them, this suggestion from Wen Gu had a very high feasibility.

Great-Grandfather Zhao had his own considerations.

Wen Gu had said that his grandson was the "lead artist," which certainly meant he would take the main credit. As long as that point remained unchanged and they could complete the task on time, it was fine for his family to eat the meat while giving others a bit of the soup.

Wen Gu looked at Zhao Han again: "If the first volume of our picture book turns out well, we will certainly need to release more later. The workload will surely be even greater, and I fear it would be difficult for Brother Han to shoulder it alone. Why not start cultivating an assistant team now? For you, this is also a new exercise and test!"

Great-Grandfather Zhao did not know what he had thought of, but his old eyes burst with a sharp light.

A seemingly ordinary picture book hid opportunities and could also become their stepping stone!

Zhao Han's confidence was also greatly boosted at this moment; he only wanted to achieve results as quickly as possible and gain the recognition of Zhao Shaozhu. He clenched his fists: "I will go find people right now!"

"No rush. I see you haven't rested well during this time; why not slow down and conserve your energy first, and plan carefully."

Wen Gu patted Zhao Han on the shoulder: "The upcoming task is very arduous, but sharpening the axe will not delay the work of cutting firewood; be well-prepared before starting. In the near future, more people will see our picture book and recognize your talent; all your sweat will turn into the medals of your life!"

Zhao Han only felt a surge of hot blood in his heart; the lofty aspirations that had been suppressed by heavy difficulties during this time were once again surging like waves!

What he craved most was for his talent and ability to be recognized!

Go for it!

Call people! Call more people! Call all the little buddies over!

Everyone work together on the drawing drafts!

And then personally take the finished drawing drafts to Zhao Shaozhu for review!

Zhao Han felt as if he had already seen his own shining tomorrow!

Wen Gu stayed for a while longer to help them plan, politely declined Great-Grandfather Zhao's invitation to stay for a meal, and took his leave.

His suggestion to Great-Grandfather Zhao and Zhao Han to find some people to help—these "people" would certainly not be those who spent their days fighting and watching the excitement.

Those Zhao Han would find would mostly be youths.

These young members of the Zhao Family or relatives of the Zhao Family had not participated in the group fights between the Zhao and Shen families, and they did not have such intense negative emotions toward the Shen Family and those associated with the Shen Family.

First, pull these youths over to work... to make progress together.