In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 824 It was just normal at that time

In a corner of the first floor of Yingtian Trading Company, two employees were carefully placing fish they had caught from the Yingtian River into a fish tank from their baskets.

One of them looked around and said in a low voice:
"Have you heard? The houses that the managers discussed the other day have been settled."

"What house?"

Another employee was somewhat stunned and asked in surprise.

But he quickly realized what was happening, his eyes widening:
"Is it settled?"

The first employee to speak nodded repeatedly:

"I have a relative who works as a servant to Manager Wang on the third floor."
He said the shopkeepers had agreed to build a house, a newly rented warehouse not far from Fudong Street.

Don't tell anyone else, okay? Otherwise, word will get out and the shopkeepers will refuse to build anymore.

For a moment, the employee in his thirties across from him stood there, stunned.
I felt a slight soreness in my nose, and the pungent fishy smell in front of me became insignificant.

"I know, but I won't say."

His voice choked up, as if he had thought of something that had wronged him.

The slightly younger employee said:

"This time it was the order from the head manager that led the business to prepare to build houses for you outsiders to live in."

I'm only telling you this because I see you're raising two children alone; please don't sell me off.

He emphasized it again.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else."

The older employees nodded repeatedly, lowered their heads, and obediently began to prepare the fish.
After a long while, the entire basket of fish was poured into the fish tank.

He then paused briefly and tentatively asked:

"If a commercial firm builds a house, can someone like me really make a profit?"

The young employee glanced at him, looked him up and down thoughtfully, and then explained:
"If it were any other business, you definitely wouldn't get a share; it would have been taken by the relatives of the managers."

But that's not necessarily the case here; the shopkeepers and managers don't care about such small gains.

Moreover, I heard that this house renovation project is intended to set an example for Beijing.
Let other businesses see what it means to take from the people and use it for the people.

If you keep doing this, you'll definitely have it.

His wife died young, his elderly mother is seriously ill, and he has two young children.

The whole family is counting on you.
It wouldn't be right not to get you a place to live nearby.

The older employee nodded repeatedly, somewhat bewildered, his nose slightly red:

"Yes, yes, yes, the reason I was able to get into the business was because the manager saw that I was pitiful and an outsider."
That's why they took pity on me and let me come in to work.
If only there were a house closer,

Then I won't have to get up early every day, I can rest more, and I can save a lot of money.

"Don't worry, you do more work than anyone else, you'll definitely get some work."

The young employee smiled, picked up the fish basket, and headed elsewhere.

Not far away, a graceful figure in yellow stood quietly.

Although he was holding tongs and quietly selecting prawns, his attention was entirely focused on something not far away.

Beside her, a young maidservant babbled incoherently:

"Miss, the shrimp you picked are all wilted."

These words brought Song Wan'er back to reality, and she looked at the bamboo basket beside her.
The shrimp inside all looked half-dead, and she suddenly laughed:

"You've been a little distracted. You pick one."

"okay."

The maid took the tongs and began scooping shrimp from the large pool in front of her, completely ignoring the young lady beside her who was frequently distracted.

"Housing...Manager?"

Song Wan'er's beautiful eyes flickered repeatedly, her hands clenched tightly in front of her, and her face showed some emotion.
“Sages are always good at saving people, so they have no abandoned people; they are always good at saving things, so they have no abandoned things.”

Even though Young Master Lu holds a high position in the imperial court, he can still see the suffering of the common people. This is true chivalry.

Song Wan'er murmured, her hands unconsciously cupping her chest.

She felt as if a deer was pounding in her heart, making her cheeks even redder.

In comparison, even the most outstanding students at the Imperial Academy seemed insignificant.
Song Wan'er even thought of the boastful words her fellow students had uttered in class today.

Everyone felt a little embarrassed, and I felt ashamed for them.

"Only someone like Young Master Lu can be considered a true hero."

For some reason, Song Wan'er suddenly wanted to see him.

She looked at the maid who was selecting prawns and said:
"Xia, after you've finished picking the shrimp, go back home first. I have some things to do."

After saying that, Song Wan'er turned and walked towards the checkout counter where the merchants were gathered.

The maid Xia looked up blankly, staring at her retreating figure, lost in thought:
"Miss, where are you going!"

Even though she asked loudly, no one answered.
Xia turned to look at the two guards who were stunned to the side, and stamped her foot:
"What are you all standing there for? Follow them!"

The two guards then realized what was happening and hurriedly ran after them.

As his departure from the capital drew near, Lu Yunyi did not remain at home.

Instead, they wandered around Yingtian, intending to bring back some local specialties.

Now he works at a pastry shop in the south of the city.

It is said to be the best-tasting pastry in the entire surrounding area.

Lu Yunyi tasted it, and the flavor was indeed different, with a faint floral fragrance.

Unfortunately, these kinds of pastries can only be stored for ten days at most.

The taste will even change after three days, making it impossible to bring back to Daning.

At this time, the pastry shop was packed with people.
Most of them were servants from various mansions, who jostled and pushed their way to the front.

Lu Yunyi and Xu Cheng sat silently at one of the few square tables, eating pastries and sipping tea.
Xu Cheng left the group after entering the capital region and went to the capital alone.

To be on the safe side, he didn't even travel to Beijing by land.

Instead, they turned around and bypassed Zhili, heading to Huguang.

Then they took a boat from Huguang to Yingtian.

After hiding and fleeing all the way, more than a month has passed since they arrived in Yingtian.

When he stepped onto the bluestone slabs of Yingtian City,

The first thing he saw was a notice that everything had been settled, which left him feeling quite bewildered.

Fortunately, Xu Cheng was able to stay in the 30,000 guards; his temperament was unlike that of others.
He remained completely indifferent to this, and even his recent promotion didn't elicit any reaction from him.

The only change is that, after a long and arduous journey, they must have endured a lot of hardship.

So they didn't hold back on the pastries in front of them, launching a relentless attack.

When Lu Yunyi spoke to him, he only responded with "uh-huh" and "yeah," unable to keep up with the conversation.
Listening to the noise from the pastry shop, Lu Yunyi didn't find it noisy; instead, he felt a sense of tranquility that soothed his mind.

"This is the kind of life a human being should live."

Living a life of bland food and water all day long, even if one lives in a large village or holds a high position, one rarely sees anyone and finds it quite boring.

At this moment, Feng Yunfang hurriedly squeezed in through the shop door.

He was covered in sweat and handed over several letters:
"Sir, this is a letter from Yunnan."
The first two letters are from the Marquis of Xiping to General Mu Sheng.
The next letter is between Yin Haoran and Chunniang from the Dali Almshouse.
Oh, and there's also a letter from Lord Yue Zhongda, the garrison commander of Yunlong Prefecture.

"so much?"

Lu Yunyi took the thick stack of letters, somewhat surprised.

Feng Yunfang explained:

"Sir, the post station is preparing to collect all the letters received and send them to Daning."

"If my subordinate hadn't gone to mail the letter today, it probably would have been sent out in a few days. This post station is really something; they know we're in the capital, yet they don't deliver it."

Lu Yunyi nodded upon hearing this:
"The post stations have their responsibilities; they're supposed to deliver to wherever they're told, so you can't blame them."
There are too many people around here, so I'll put the letter away and read it when I get back.

At this moment, Xu Cheng, who had straightened his neck and was trying to swallow a large piece of pastry, let out a tired sigh, as if he was tired of eating.

He said as he drank his water:
"My lord, what is Yunnan like? I have never seen it before."

"Yes, it's similar to Yingtian, except that it has high mountains and dense forests, lots of water, and is just as hot in the summer."

However, Yunnan province is far apart from north to south.
It has both cold and hot places; it's a great place to visit. You should check it out if you have the chance.

Xu Cheng's expression was complex, and he shook his head with a touch of emotion:

"My lord, I thought I could finally leave Liaodong this time, but unexpectedly, not only did I not leave, I was also promoted and settled here." "Hahahaha." Lu Yunyi laughed heartily.
"You're being hypocritical after getting the benefit. If someone else were promoted to the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief, countless people would fight tooth and nail for it."

But Xu Cheng didn't think so; instead, he felt extremely uneasy.
"My lord, you know what the 30,000 guards look like."
It was called a garrison, but it was actually an iron smelting workshop.
Although I possess some military skills, they are merely mediocre.
Now that I've been promoted so suddenly and am in charge of the defense of a region, I'm actually a little nervous.

"What are you afraid of? The Jurchens have been beaten half to death."
"If you can still let the Jurchens break in, then that's real skill."

Xu Cheng thought about it and agreed, nodding earnestly as he said:

"Thanks to your greatness."

"Alright, are you finished eating?"

After finishing our meal, we went to the next store. We'd been browsing all morning, but hadn't bought anything.

Xu Cheng looked at the square table, picked up the last piece of pastry,

Then he waved his hand, signaling his attendant to pay the bill.

The group squeezed out of the sea of ​​people.

The bright sun generously showered down its rays, causing both of them to squint.

Xu Cheng asked, "Sir, where are we going next?"

"Go go."

Lu Yunyi looked around, but hadn't made a decision yet.

He opened a pot of iced tea and sipped it slowly while looking around.

A short while later, his eyes lit up:
"Come on, there's a spiced sesame seed cake shop up ahead, let's go try it."

Xu Cheng was stunned on the spot:

"Sir, why do you keep choosing shops that we can't take back with us?"

"Hey~ I'll wander around some more. I want to see how much worse the people of Daning and Liaodong are than the people of Yingtian."

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, picked up his iced tea, and walked forward. Xu Cheng had no choice but to follow.

But before they even reached the pancake shop,
A carriage suddenly stopped at the street corner, appearing quite impatient.

Lu Yunyi recalled some unpleasant memories, imagining that dozens of burly men wielding machetes would suddenly emerge from the carriage.
But when the carriage curtain was lifted, a figure that was all too familiar appeared.

He breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and waved in greeting:

"Miss Wan'er!"

Song Wan'er paused as she was about to dismount from the carriage. Her initial dissatisfaction at not seeing anyone after looking around quietly vanished, replaced by a beaming smile.
"Young Master Lu, what a coincidence! What brings you here?"

The group of people in front of us looked quite comical.
The entourage behind him carried large and small bags.

Lu Yunyi and his companion walked ahead leisurely, each carrying a bottle of sweet soup from Yingtian Trading Company.

"Well, I had nothing to do, so I came out for a stroll. Now that I'm leaving, I thought I'd buy a few things to take back with me."

"After not seeing you for a few days, Miss Wan'er has become even more radiant and beautiful."

Lu Yunyi didn't hide his purpose and said with a smile.

Song Wan'er had just jumped off the carriage when she was immediately stunned:

"Leaving already? So soon?"

After the initial shock, she felt inexplicably wronged, followed by nervousness.

This time we part ways, and who knows when we'll meet again.

"Yes, things in the capital are almost done. I can set off on an auspicious day."

Lu Yunyi responded with a smile.

"Aren't you going to stay a little longer?"

Song Wan'er looked at him expectantly, feeling extremely regretful for not taking the initiative to meet him during this time.

"I'm not staying here anymore. The capital is too bustling."

The longer I stay, the less I want to leave; I still have so much to do in Da Ning.

Lu Yunyi stepped forward and tidied her messy hair that was hanging in front of her forehead.

"Miss Wan'er, it's fate that we met. Shall we go for a stroll together?"
You can also recommend some good things about Beijing.
"Lord Xu and I wandered around here aimlessly for ages, only managing to buy some food. It was quite frustrating."

"Pfft."

Looking at his helpless expression, Song Wan'er suddenly found him somewhat adorable, and she smiled mischievously:
"In that case, I will reluctantly show Lord Lu around."

"Alright, thank you very much, Miss Wan'er. I'll cover all the expenses for today."

Xu Cheng looked up in a daze, only to find that the two had already left, chatting and laughing.

He smiled helplessly and followed.

A day passes in the blink of an eye, and as evening approaches, the sun sets in the west.
The blood-red setting sun dyed the entire city of Yingtian orange-red.

The clouds in the sky were painted with vibrant colors by the afterglow of the setting sun.
Red like fire, pink like the sunset, purple like a dream.

The number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased.

The vendors also began packing up their stalls, preparing to end their day's business.

Long shadows, stretched by the setting sun, intertwined on the ground.
A gentle breeze, carrying a hint of warmth and a touch of melancholy, rustled the willow branches by the roadside, as if sighing softly for the day that was about to pass.

Lu Yunyi and Song Wan'er walked side by side on the way back to the Lu residence, both of them somewhat silent.
The day spent together stirred up ripples in their hearts.

Those unspoken emotions,

In the afterglow of the setting sun, it appeared even more intense and complex.

A flutter of excitement, like a new bud breaking through the soil in spring, quietly grows between the man and woman.

Song Wan'er lowered her head slightly, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes, a blush rising on her cheeks, and she occasionally stole glances at the person beside her.

Lu Yunyi remained calm and composed, fully aware of the stares but offering no response.

Finally, they arrived at the gate of the Lu residence.

Lu Yunyi stopped, turned to look at Song Wan'er, and said softly:

"Miss Wan'er, thank you very much for today."

Song Wan'er raised her head, suppressing her reluctance, and said with a smile:

"Young Master Lu, please be careful on your way back and have a safe journey."

Lu Yunyi's heart stirred, and he took a step forward.
He then tidied up the few strands of hair stuck to Song Wan'er's forehead and said:

“Miss Wan’er, if I have the chance, I will definitely come to Yingtian to see you again.”

Song Wan'er's body trembled slightly, her heart filled with both joy and sorrow.

What's gratifying is that he has himself in his heart.
Sadly, I don't know how long it will be before we meet again.

She smiled and said, "Young Master Lu, I will wait for you."

At this moment, the gatekeeper of the Lu residence came out and respectfully said:

"My lord, dinner has been prepared in the manor."

Lu Yunyi nodded, then looked at Song Wan'er and said:

"Miss Wan'er, why don't you stay for dinner?"

Song Wan'er shook her head and said:

"It's late, I should go home now, otherwise my family will be worried."

Lu Yunyi nodded, and did not insist:
"Alright then, I'll see you to your car."

He accompanied Song Wan'er to the carriage and lifted the curtain for her.

Song Wan'er slowly boarded the carriage, and the moment the curtain was lowered...
She couldn't help but turn back to look at Lu Yunyi, her eyes filled with longing, as if she wanted to etch him deeply into her heart.

Lu Yunyi stood still, waved at her, and said:

"Miss Wan'er, please take care on your journey."

Song Wan'er nodded gently, then lowered the carriage curtain.

The carriage slowly started moving and headed into the distance.

Lu Yunyi stood at the doorway, the setting sun casting its light upon him.
His shadow stretched ever forward, but he could never reach the departing carriage.

Sitting in the carriage, Song Wan'er couldn't hold back her tears.

She lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.
Looking back towards the Lu residence, one can still see Lu Yunyi standing there.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her face, reflecting her reluctance, melancholy, and a trace of regret stemming from her cowardice.

(End of this chapter)