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Fei Qian and Pang Tong stood outside the Huang family's secluded estate.
Coming to the Huang family was the second option Pang Tong had proposed.
Although they had already arrived, Fei Qian still felt uncertain and asked Pang Tong again, "Are you sure coming to the Huang family is the right move? We won't owe them a favor, will we?"
Pang Tong was a bit exasperated. This was the third time Fei Qian had asked the same question. But he still replied, "No! Definitely not!"
Originally, Pang Tong's suggestion had been to follow the Cai family's plan—simple and convenient, with the worst outcome being owing them a favor. However, Fei Qian, having lived in a later era, disliked the idea of owing favors and insisted that Pang Tong come up with another solution. Coincidentally, Pang Tong remembered something from the recent Liu-Cai marriage alliance and brought Fei Qian to the Huang family.
It was no wonder Fei Qian was skeptical. Favors were tricky things. In later eras, a single favor could sometimes play a decisive role, let alone in the Han Dynasty, where face and reputation were even more important.
Owing a favor might seem like a small thing, but it could become a big deal at a critical moment. What if the Cai family, currently dominating half of Jingxiang's political scene, ran into trouble when Cao Cao arrived? If they called in the favor, would Fei Qian be able to refuse?
Therefore, Fei Qian felt it was best to avoid owing the Cai family a favor if possible. But why wouldn't he owe the Huang family a favor? This was something Fei Qian couldn't understand, and Pang Tong wasn't willing to explain clearly. However, since Pang Tong had repeatedly assured him, it should be fine.
Pang Tong was quite familiar with the Huang family. If he had come alone, he could have entered without even announcing himself. But since he had brought Fei Qian along, he had to ask the Huang family's gatekeeper to inform the household.
Soon, two people emerged from the courtyard. One was Huang Chengyan, the head of the Huang family, and the other was a middle-aged man Fei Qian didn't recognize.
The middle-aged man had a square face with slightly prominent cheekbones, thick and short eyebrows, and an unremarkable appearance. However, his eyes were unusually sharp. Even though Fei Qian had only glanced at him briefly, the man noticed and immediately looked back, making Fei Qian feel a slight sting from his gaze.
The middle-aged man clasped his hands in salute to Huang Chengyan and said, "Thank you, Family Head! I'll take my leave now."
Huang Chengyan nodded and saw the man off before turning to Pang Tong. "Oh, so polite today, waiting outside? Did Pang Degong scold you, and now you're here to use me as a shield? Let me make it clear—that balance scale isn't in my hands anymore, so don't ask me for it." He joked with Pang Tong while nodding at Fei Qian.
"That's not it! By the way, the balance scale. Ah, forget it. We're here on serious business today." Pang Tong stepped closer to Huang Chengyan and whispered something, presumably explaining their purpose for visiting.
"What? Oh. I see." Huang Chengyan listened to Pang Tong's explanation and glanced at Fei Qian with some surprise.
Fei Qian, being the one asking for help, naturally put on a polite smile and clasped his hands in salute to Huang Chengyan.
".Alright, this isn't the place to talk. Come inside. Shiyuan, take Ziyuan to the side hall. I need to take care of something and will join you shortly." Huang Chengyan instructed Pang Tong to entertain Fei Qian while he headed to the backyard.
Pang Tong, being familiar with the place, didn't hesitate and led Fei Qian to the side hall to sit down.
Soon, servants brought some dried fruits and tea. Not long after, Huang Chengyan returned from the backyard with a smile and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
After taking his seat, Huang Chengyan didn't beat around the bush and said to Fei Qian, "Ziyuan, there's no need to worry. The Huang family will take care of this matter!"
It was that simple?
Fei Qian could hardly believe it, but since Huang Chengyan, the head of the Huang family, had given his word, it must be true. Fei Qian stood up to bow and express his gratitude, but Huang Chengyan stopped him.
"It's just a small matter, Ziyuan. No need for such formalities." Huang Chengyan laughed heartily. "It's also your good fortune. Normally, producing 40,000 arrows in a month would be quite challenging, but right now, we happen to have plenty of craftsmen available, so there's no need to worry."
Pang Tong blinked and said, "Ah, is it because of the Huang family's grand examination? Haha, that's perfect. By the way, are there any new and ingenious creations this year? I'd love to see them!"
Huang Chengyan laughed and didn't hold back. He reached behind him and took a small bronze cylinder from a wooden shelf, handing it to Pang Tong. "This is the work of a newly promoted master craftsman this year. Shiyuan, why don't you take a look and give your opinion."
Pang Tong took it with a smile. "Huang Gong, you're teasing me again. I'm just here to broaden my horizons, not to judge. Hmm, judging by the design, is this a water clock? Oh? There's a mechanism here."
Pang Tong, being clever, quickly understood the ingenuity of the water clock and couldn't help but praise it. "Truly a clever design! With this, you can measure three different time intervals with just one device. Convenient and practical—a fine piece of work!" Seeing Fei Qian craning his neck to look, Pang Tong, with Huang Chengyan's permission, handed the water clock to Fei Qian.
This was the first time Fei Qian had seen such an exquisite ancient timekeeping device.
The small bronze cylinder wasn't large, but its design was elegant. It had three delicate legs, a body engraved with cloud patterns, and even the handle was adorned with intricate designs. It was truly beautiful.
At the bottom of the cylinder was a small spout, and on the spout was a thin, rotating mica sheet with markings to control the flow of water. This was likely what Pang Tong had mentioned about measuring three different time intervals.
On the handle was a small hole with a rod inserted, marked with three different sets of values. This was probably used to further divide the time intervals and provide a visual representation of the passage of time.
With this cylinder of water, it could function like an hourglass, measuring three different time intervals based on the mica sheet's control. The floating rod on the handle could further subdivide these intervals and provide a clear visual indication.
However, the markings on the rod.
Fei Qian frowned slightly.
Huang Chengyan, who had been observing Fei Qian, noticed this expression and asked, "Ziyuan, did you notice something wrong? Feel free to speak up. Don't hold back."
Fei Qian thought for a moment. Since Huang Chengyan had agreed to help him so readily, it wouldn't be right to be overly cautious now. Besides, this was just a minor issue, so it shouldn't be a problem to mention it. He said, "Huang Gong, the markings on this rod are evenly spaced."
'Shouldn't they be? Is that a problem?' Huang Chengyan looked at Fei Qian with confusion.