Union

Chapter 110 Surprise discovery
After Yunying finished speaking, she looked at the Second Master, only to see him staring at a stain on the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

Yunying stepped forward, called out "Second Master" again, and waved her hand in front of him.

The second master finally looked at her and grabbed Yunying's hand.

"Second Master, what's wrong? Second Master, please talk this out."

The second master gripped Yunying with such force that it seemed he could easily break her bones.

Yunying felt a little pain and couldn't help but frown.

Second Master finally came to his senses and saw that he had gripped Yunying's wrist so tightly that it was red. He almost immediately released Yunying's wrist and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry."

Yunying said, "It's nothing, it just looks red, but it doesn't really hurt. By the way, Second Master, what did you see that made you so lost in thought?"

Second Master looked intently at Yun Ying and led her to a place, saying, "Come and take a look."

"What are you looking at?" Yunying asked, but her actions were very obedient. She followed the Second Master obediently, stepping on the charred tea branches, and stopped after walking more than ten steps.

Yunying remembered this place; this should be where the fire first started.

Because the fire started early, almost all the tea trees here were burned to the ground. The ash from the burned tea trees was washed away by the rain, and the exposed ground was vigorously washed away by the torrential rain, revealing the deep soil.

Wait, the soil.

Yunying glanced at the Second Master and saw that he was looking down at her. Yunying pointed to the object with a slightly unusual color and asked, "Second Master, is this what you want me to see?"

Second Master nodded. "So you do know him."

"No, I don't know it... Well, I can't say that. I think I've seen it in a book."

Yunying took a deep breath, walked closer, squatted down, and reached out her finger to touch the black or brown object on the ground.

The surface of this thing was uneven, even cracked and peeling, and its luster was very dull, making it look very rough and unremarkable. At first glance, it seemed no different from the many burning logs on the tea mountain.

Upon closer inspection, one can discover that in addition to black or brown, there are also some yellow or brown spots, and even some green spots.

The sight of so many colors appearing on a single object, coupled with the recent fire on this tea mountain, reminded Yunying of something.

But is it possible?

Regardless of whether it was possible or not, Yunying, clinging to the hope that it might be true, asked the Second Master, "Is this brass?"

"I'm not sure, I've only read about chalcopyrite in books."

The second master said softly, "It is yellow or brown in color, with green copper spots. After being burned, it turns dark and appears black or dark brown."

Yunying nodded and naturally continued, "After being burned, it became uneven, even cracked and deformed, the color became dull, and the luster was lost..."

The scene was completely silent.

After a long while, Yunying softly called out, "Second Master."

"Ah."

"This is most likely brass."

"Are you sure?"

Yunying shook her head, then nodded. "Take it back and have someone take a look. It'll be pretty close to the truth."

The Second Master's gaze fell on Yun Ying's pale white palm.

For the first time in his life, his attention was not on Yunying's hand, but on the dark brown object in her hand.

But then he looked up at Yunying, his gaze deep and unfathomable, "Brass is usually a byproduct of gold and silver mining..."

Yun Ying nodded, her voice very, very low, "So, it could be a gold mine, it could be a silver mine, or it could just be ordinary chalcopyrite."

"It's copper ore, that's good too." Second Master finally reached out to take the dark brown object, but Yun Ying withdrew her hand.

She took out her handkerchief, wrapped the object tightly, and handed it to the Second Master, saying, "This way, my hands won't get dirty."

Second Master silently watched her, then handed her his handkerchief. "Wipe your hands."

"Oh well."

When the two came down the mountain, everyone, including Suiyun, noticed that their expressions were much more serious.

Sui'er naturally assumed that the young lady and the second master had quarreled again. She felt anxious, thinking that since they rarely met, the young lady should tone down her temper and try to appease the second master. If she angered him again, he would go looking for Mu Jin, and wouldn't the young lady be the one crying then?
But the young lady's affairs were none of their business, and the two maids could only purse their lips and worry helplessly.

Unlike the two maids, Suiyun and Leiting were skilled in martial arts, and their hearing and eyesight were naturally much better than those of ordinary people.

In addition, since their attention was always on the Second Master, they noticed that he had been staring at a certain spot with a serious expression.

Later, Yunying also went over, and the two of them talked about something around the thing. After they finished speaking, their expressions became even more serious.

Because of the distance, Suiyun and Leiting naturally couldn't hear clearly what the two said, but seeing that the Second Master put the black object that Yunying handed over into his arms, it was clear that the two had made an unexpected gain.

But what will this delivery be?

Suiyun and Leiting's curiosity didn't last long, because after the Second Master came down the mountain, he called the two of them aside and handed them the thing he was carrying.

When the two learned that it might be brass, and that there might be a brass mine, or even a gold or silver mine, they both felt a chill run down their spines.

Lei Ting was fine, but Sui Yun was about to explode.

At this moment, he couldn't help but wonder if Yunying was really the Queen Mother of the West in heaven in her previous life?
The area including Wutou Mountain and Xiwangmu Niangniang Village is her sacred site.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why Yunying encountered so many lucky things after coming here.

First, the fire on the tea plantation was extinguished in time, and then the ore on the tea plantation was exposed.

It should be noted that Changshun has been operating this tea plantation for over a decade or two, and the people of Wutoushan have lived near these five mountains for generations.

For so many years, this mineral had never been exposed, but Second Master and Yunying recognized it after just one trip up the mountain.

While the ignorance of the common people and the erudition of the Second Master certainly played a part, Yunying's luck undoubtedly also contributed the majority of the credit.

This cloud oriole must be the Queen Mother of the West descended to earth!
As Suiyun pondered these thoughts, Second Master withdrew his hand.

Lei Ting had already reached out to take the things when he suddenly saw the Second Master make this move, and Lei Ting was dumbfounded. "Second Master, don't you need me to deliver them?"

“Use it,” the second master said. “Take out your handkerchief and use it to wrap the wound.”

Thunder: "..."

Lei Ting glanced at the handkerchief again and, sure enough, saw a crooked "cloud" character embroidered on the corner. This must definitely be Yun Ying's handkerchief.

This explains the Second Master's actions.

Lei Ting, his face expressionless, wrapped the ore in his handkerchief, bowed to the Second Master, and then turned to lead his horse back to the county town. As for Sui Yun…

Second Master asked Suiyun, "What were you thinking about just now?"

Sui Yun glanced at Lei Ting, who had walked away, and then at the Second Master, who was right in front of him. He gritted his teeth and finally told the Second Master what had happened along the way.

Especially when it comes to the people of Xiwangmu Niangniang Village's faith in Yunying, which has even reached the point of blind devotion, Yunying's voice begins to become hoarse.

After saying all that, let's talk about the tea plantation fire, the timely downpour, and the Second Master and Yunying's good fortune in finding the ore. Suiyun, forcing a smile, asked, "Second Master, tell me, is Miss Yunying really...?"

"No!" The Second Master's voice became more stern. "It's just hearsay, and you actually believed it."

"I don't want to believe it, it's just too much of a coincidence."

Second Master: "Even if it's a coincidence, she's not! What kind of gods are there in this world? If there really were gods, could they bear to see the people of the world suffer so much?"

"As for the claim that she is the Queen Mother of the West descended to earth, that's utter nonsense. Have you ever seen a goddess like her..."

"How about this, Second Master?"

"So lazy!"

Sui Yun: "..."

The two exchanged a few more words before returning.

Meanwhile, Yunying was telling Wang Sou not to go up the tea mountain for the time being, fearing that there might still be embers of the fire. Also, the mountain was slippery after the heavy rain, and she wouldn't compensate anyone if they slipped and fell.

The reasons Yunying gave for prohibiting people from going up the mountain were rather ridiculous.

But Wang Sou was a shrewd old man; he saw through some things but didn't say them aloud.

Besides, this tea plantation originally belonged to Yunying, so of course whatever she said went.

But what about the people who worked on the tea plantation before? Should they not come up the mountain for the next few days?

Yunying nodded, "Don't come up here. It just rained here, so there's no need to water it. Besides, the tea leaves are in their growth period, so they don't need frequent care."

"Alright, then I'll understand."

"In short, I'm entrusting everything to Uncle Wang. Please take good care of it. If I buy more mountain land to grow tea later, I'll also hand it over to you for management."

Wang Sou was offered a sweet date and happily agreed to the matter.

Second Master walked over, and Yunying asked him, "Is everything arranged?"

"It's all arranged. Is there anywhere else you want to go?"

"There's nothing left... Shall we head back to the city now?"

After the "mineral" incident, there's no need for Yunying to check the other mountains. It would be pointless for her to do so.

Because if there are minerals below, even if her tea trees grow very well, they will have to make way for mining.

So, let's leave it at that for now. Everything depends on Second Master confirming the types and extent of the minerals before she can figure out the next step.

Yunying hinted her idea to the Second Master, who nodded and said, "That's fine too."

The second master asked her, "Would you like to ride back on my horse, or go to the village of the Queen Mother of the West and take a carriage?"

Yunying wondered if she was being too sensitive, but she felt that the Second Master's tone was somewhat strange when he mentioned the words "Xi Wangmu Niangniang Village." However, when she looked over, she saw that the Second Master's expression was no different from usual.

He still maintained his dignified and solemn demeanor, exuding nobility and elegance, clearly a noble son from a prominent family.

Yunying thought to herself that she must be overthinking it.

As for whether to ride a horse or a carriage, Yunying said, "I think riding in a carriage is better."

She turned her head away from the Second Master, who pretended not to notice her embarrassment and shyness.

The group headed towards the entrance of Wutou Village, while Suiyun hurried to find a driver to bring the carriage over.

Yunying felt that the Second Master's arrangement suited her well, after all, she was truly afraid of the people in Xi Wangmu Niangniang Village. They would bow down and worship at the drop of a hat, which she couldn't bear; she was afraid it would shorten her lifespan.

The Second Master's arrangement was very thoughtful; this way, she wouldn't have to face the common people directly, and her mind would be at ease.

As they walked, Yunying began to tell the Second Master about her experiences over the past two days.

When the topic turned to the village of the Queen Mother of the West, Yunying only briefly mentioned that Sui'er's grandmother made delicious glutinous rice. However, it was hard to digest, and she tossed and turned all night, unable to get a good night's rest.

Second Master chuckled softly, "Is it because of indigestion that you can't sleep, or is it because you're in a new place that you can't sleep well?"

"There are two reasons," Yunying said. "I actually don't like changing places frequently. Every time I change places, it means I won't get enough rest for a while. When I don't get enough rest, I feel depressed and lazy and don't want to talk to anyone."

"How did you get through the southward journey?"

"Is Second Master referring to the route from the capital to Yungui County?"

"if not?"

Yunying smiled and said softly, "Actually, this journey was quite difficult. As you know, Second Master, the weather was already getting hot when we set off from the capital, and it got even hotter the further south we went. But just in case, we weren't allowed to open the windows in the carriage under normal circumstances. It was so hot that we got heat rash all over our bodies and almost smelled bad. It was a little better when we arrived at our lodgings at night, at least we could change and move around freely. Perhaps because I was too tired during the day, I actually slept quite well at night."

But there was a period when she was very anxious at night and couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

That period was when she was contemplating escaping, yet unable to do so. She was nearly depressed at that time.

Yunying couldn't help but smile as she recalled the past.

The second master asked her, "Did something funny come to mind?"

Yunying thought about it and felt that there was no need to hide those things from Second Master anymore.

She told the second master, "For a period of time, I stayed awake all day until dawn."

Second Master looked at her and said, "Didn't you just say that you slept quite well at night because you were tired during the day?"

That was at the beginning.

Second Master suddenly realized, "You mean, you started having insomnia later? Because we were getting closer and closer to Lingnan Prefecture?"

"Hmm." Yunying said softly, "The reason I stepped forward when the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion was choosing people was because the steward there was not a good person. He tried to scheme against me several times, and I almost lost my life. I am small and weak, and I don't have the ability to do anything to them. I just want to get away as soon as possible. Whether I become a concubine or a beauty, as long as I can get away from that den of wolves and tigers, it is better than anything else."

"I was chosen as I wished, but at that time, I didn't intend to actually go to Lingnan. I planned to run away halfway."

Second Master chuckled, "You've got some nerve. So what happened later? Why didn't you run away? Was it because you didn't have a contract of indenture and were afraid of being caught and brought back?"

"It's not just because of that. Also, even though I'm beautiful, I don't have the ability to make a living on my own. If I leave the protection of the manor, I'll be sold to some filthy place. I'm scared, so I don't dare to run away."

(End of this chapter)