Union

Chapter 115 Pay Back Double
With Mulan and Ruzhu taken away, the grand drama came to an end.

The maids and servants who were watching were quite clever; they slipped away quietly while the Second Master and Yunying weren't paying attention to them.

When Yunying came to her senses, only she and the Second Master remained. Lei Ting was nowhere to be seen, and Liu'er had already run to the door at some point.

Yunying raised her head to look at the Second Master, and coughed lightly, "Thank you for standing up for me, Second Master."

The second master raised an eyebrow. "Is this something you should thank me for? If you're going to be so polite, then shouldn't I thank you properly for donating the tea plantation to pave the way for my career?"

"How can this be the same? The tea plantation was bought with your money..."

"But to me they are the same."

Yunying lowered her head, twisting the handkerchief in her hands, and remained silent.

The scene was quiet, but the atmosphere was sweet and cloying.

At this moment, the sun seemed less scorching, the cicadas less noisy, and even the sounds of the wind and water were pleasant to hear.

A gentle breeze blew a strand of Yunying's hair, which fluttered and suddenly landed in the Second Master's hand.

The second master's fingers twitched slightly, just as he was about to touch that strand of hair, but the fragrant long hair was blown away elsewhere.

"Let's go, this isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere to sit down and discuss this."

"Is there something you want to tell me, Second Master?"

"It's still related to the gold mine. You deserve a lot of credit for discovering the gold mine, and the prefect has given you a generous reward."

Upon hearing that there was a reward, Yunying's bright eyes immediately lit up.

She pressed the second master, "What is it? Is it a reward of silver?"

Second Master laughed, "All you care about is money. You really are a money-grubber."

The miserly Yunying was not ashamed but rather proud. She was about to tell the Second Master that even a hero can be brought down by a single penny, and how she had been so poor before that she couldn't even afford a piece of osmanthus cake. However, after taking two steps forward, a sharp pain shot through her tailbone. Yunying cried out in pain and stopped in her tracks, her face contorted in agony.

In the end, Yunying was carried to the pavilion by the Second Master.

It's the pavilion where Yunying sewed clothes for the Second Master before.

The pavilion was in the backyard, very close to the previous courtyard. In addition, it was located on the artificial hill, with a gentle river breeze blowing, making it a very cool place to sit and enjoy the cool air. So, Second Master chose this spot.

After placing Yunying on the stone bench, the Second Master turned back and urged Liu'er, "Go and see if the doctor has been summoned yet. If not, have Leiting make the trip himself."

Liu'er responded and ran off.

Yunying said, "Sui'er has been gone for quite a while. Something must have happened to her, otherwise she wouldn't still be here."

Second Master ignored her words and simply said, "Since you're in so much pain, you should lie in your room and rest. Why did you come out here? Do you think you're not in enough pain?"

Yunying: "I just really wanted to know what would happen to Mujin. She had ulterior motives and made me fall so badly. I couldn't sit still in the house without seeing her punished."

Upon hearing this, the second master couldn't help but laugh, "I didn't expect you to be so vindictive."

Yunying turned her head away. "I hold grudges. If anyone harms me, I will definitely pay them back tenfold."

"What if you treat me well?" Second Master's voice was a little hoarse as he asked softly.

Yunying was silent for a moment, then replied in an even softer tone, "Then we should return the favor tenfold."

The atmosphere quieted down again. This time, the Second Master coughed lightly and asked her what was going on with her pregnancy.

This is too embarrassing, Yunying doesn't want to talk about it.

She said awkwardly, "It's a bit impolite of you to ask me that."

"Then how should I ask?" the Second Master said righteously. "After all, this matter concerns my reputation, and I can't let it go without finding out the details."

Yunying was speechless for a moment, but in the end, under the Second Master's teasing smile, she vaguely recounted her conversation with Qiu Ning.

She spoke very vaguely, but the Second Master understood the general meaning.

Upon understanding, the Second Master showed an embarrassed expression, and his pair of jade-white ears blushed slightly.

"Second Master."

"what happened?"

Yunying changed the subject, saying, "You said before that the prefect wanted to reward me. What did he reward me with?"

The second master laughed, but it was unclear whether he was laughing at Yunying's escapism or at her greed.

But he couldn't continue teasing her, as it concerned a young woman's reputation and menstruation, things he couldn't joke about.

However, the prefect rewarded Yunying with a sum of money and a set of headdress and jewelry, which should have suited Yunying's wishes.

Yunying asked incredulously, "Really?"

"It's true. It's just that there are only one hundred taels of silver, and the jewelry isn't very valuable. It was a gift from the prefect's wife. Just don't mind that the jewelry isn't fashionable."

"Not at all, not at all." She hadn't expected the prefect to reward her; it was a pleasant surprise. It was as if the silver and jewelry were found on the street; not having them wouldn't have mattered, but having them was certainly a bonus.

Yunying smiled and said, "That's great, my assets have increased a bit more."

She asked the second master, "Did the prefect give you any rewards?"

Second Master shrugged, "Of course not."

Yunying wasn't surprised by the Second Master's answer at all. After all, the Second Master had already forcefully taken over three-tenths of the gold mine. If the Prefect were to reward him again, the Prefect would not be able to swallow his anger.

After mentioning the gold mine, Yunying asked when the road construction would begin.

"Recruitment will begin tomorrow. The people of Yungui County will be responsible for repairing the section of road from Wutou Mountain to the county government office, while the rest of the road will be assigned by Prefect Zhang to other counties along the route for repair."

Yunying asked casually; she didn't care about the specifics of how the road would be repaired. What she cared about was when the road would be finished, and when she wouldn't have to travel on the muddy, bumpy path anymore.

Second Master said, "Before the new year, we can only guarantee that the roads in Yungui County and the area near the county seat will be repaired. We will try to finish the repairs on the rest of the roads by the end of next year."

There was a hint of regret in the Second Master's tone, but Yun Ying was already overjoyed.

After all, this was almost exactly what Second Master had promised her, and even earlier than the previously estimated time.

Yunying nodded repeatedly, "This progress is already very fast."

"The key is that there is enough funding, which allows for such a large-scale construction project."

As the two were talking, Yunying suddenly felt something was wrong with her body.

She felt a dull pain in her lower abdomen.

This feeling is not unfamiliar, it's even all too familiar.

This is a sign that your period is coming.

Yunying had a bad feeling. She held onto the stone table and prepared to stand up and go back first.

However, before she could even leave the stone bench, the red stream burst through the sluice gate and surged down.

Yunying was stunned.

She sat on the stone bench, feeling as if she were already dead.

Yunying's face was blank, her fists clenched, and she felt her consciousness leave her body.

Second Master noticed her unusual behavior and called her name twice.

Yunying belatedly came to her senses, "What did you call me for?" The Second Master frowned, "What's wrong with you?"

"me……"

Yunying wanted to cry but had no tears. Her usually aloof and ethereal face was now contorted into a bitter expression.

Why does it smell like blood?

The Second Master blurted out these words almost without thinking, but as soon as he said them, he noticed that Yun Ying became even quieter.

Second Master's eyelids twitched, and he stared straight at Yun Ying. Then, face to face, their faces flushed red in an instant.

Finally, Yunying was carried back to the courtyard by the Second Master.

Today she is wearing a light pink silk blouse with auspicious cloud patterns, and a milky white, soft, floor-length skirt.

Her attire was always simple and understated, especially in the summer.

There's nothing wrong with dressing like this on a normal day, but it only makes her seem more aloof and cold, giving people a sense of coldness that makes them reluctant to defile her or reach her.

But at this moment, because the color of her clothes was too plain, the red mark was particularly noticeable.

Not to mention, she was carried back to the backyard by the Second Master in broad daylight. All the maids and servants in the backyard were focused on them, and the bright red under Yunying's clothes was even more difficult to escape everyone's eyes.

As a result, the backyard of the county government office was in an uproar once again.

The maids and servants ran around spreading the news: It's terrible! Miss Yunying has miscarried!
Yunying buried her head in the Second Master's arms, but even so, she could hear the whispers of the maids and servants not far away.

Those people thought they were hiding well, and that they were speaking very quietly, so she and the Second Master shouldn't have been able to hear them. But in fact, she and the Second Master heard everything.

The maids and servants beat their chests and stamped their feet, saying, "Good heavens! Miss Yunying said she wasn't pregnant, but she is! She's still too young and doesn't understand these things!"

"Oh dear, Mu Jin has really committed a terrible sin this time! She plotted to make Yun Ying miscarry, and as a result, Yun Ying really did lose her baby. I was saying before that Second Master had thrown Mu Jin and her maid to dig canals, and those two were probably going to suffer a lot. I even said that Second Master's punishment was too harsh and cruel. But it turns out, alas, Second Master probably wants to kill that pair of mistress and maid now."

"Second Master must be feeling terrible right now; this is his eldest son!"

"Are you sure you've miscarried? Maybe it was just a miscarriage scare. Go get a doctor quickly, at least try to save her."

"With all that bleeding, she's definitely miscarried. We should all be on our guard these days. The two masters in the county office are in a bad mood, so let's not upset them and get ourselves into trouble."

At this moment, Yunying's body stiffened and her breathing became heavy. She wished she were deaf and mentally challenged, so that she could face the pitying gazes of the crowd without any burden.

But she is not.

So she was devastated.

She was completely devastated!
The second master escorted Yunying back to her room, where, with the help of a maid, she went to the washroom to tidy up again.

When she returned to the living room, she saw that the Second Master was still there, sitting in the living room slowly drinking tea.

Yunying wanted to ask Second Master why he was still staying here.

However, before she could even ask the question, Liu'er came running back.

"Miss, Sui'er is back. Oh dear, it was Doctor Naqu who was doing free clinic at the gate, but he encountered a difficult patient, which is why Sui'er was delayed. Fortunately, the two of them have already entered the backyard and are coming this way."

"Oh dear girl, what are people outside whispering about? I heard them say you had a miscarriage. You weren't pregnant, were you?"
Liu'er didn't say the last two words because she saw the Second Master sitting in the flower hall drinking tea.

The Second Master had a refined and elegant appearance, exuding grace and nobility in every gesture. Yet, he was also cold and aloof, his imposing presence inspiring awe.

Yunying waved her hand at Liuer, "It's all just nonsense from others. You should explain it to them properly later."

Liu'er muttered softly, "Even if I explain, they might not listen. They'll probably believe what they see more than my explanation."

Yunying: "..."

In just a short while, Sui'er arrived, panting, with Doctor Qu in tow.

When Dr. Qu saw Yunying sitting at the table, he reflexively said, "Nonsense."

He had heard on his way here that Miss Yunying had miscarried.

You've had a miscarriage and you're not resting in bed? Why are you sitting here? Do you think your body isn't completely ruined yet?

But Yunying interjected just in time, "Dr. Qu, I stepped on tung oil last night and fell and injured myself. Could you please check if my bones are broken?"

Dr. Qu was stunned. "It's a fall injury, not... you know?"

Yunying pretended not to understand what Doctor Qu was talking about, and emphasized again, "It really was a fall injury, nothing else."

"Where did the girl fall?"

"Fell down..."

Yunying touched the location of her tailbone, then quickly withdrew her hand.

She looked at Sui'er, who belatedly realized that she had consulted the wrong doctor.

The girl broke her coccyx; how could she call a male doctor? She should have called a female doctor.

Dr. Qu clearly realized that he had made a blunder.

Fortunately, the old doctor was truly a model of medical ethics. He recommended a female doctor who was skilled in treating sprains and bruises to Yunying. He then greeted the Second Master and turned to leave.

Yunying told Sui'er to hurry out and see him off, and Sui'er went to see Doctor Qu off without stopping.

The room became even quieter. Yunying lay face down on the table, withdrawing into herself for a minute.

Second Master coughed lightly, "I feel your bones are fine. You must have just fallen hard. You'll be fine after a few more days of rest."

Yunying raised her head and asked softly, "How did you know?"

The second master touched his nose awkwardly, "I could tell."

Finally, Second Master was kicked out of the door by Yunying.

This was the first time Second Master had ever been kicked out, and I must say, it was quite an amazing experience.

He glanced back at Yunying's courtyard gate, which slammed shut in front of him with a bang.

Upon seeing this, the Second Master couldn't help but chuckle.

Second Master said, "I'll go back first. You should go inside and rest too. I'll have Suiyun bring you a bottle of ointment later. It's from the Imperial Hospital and it's very effective for reducing swelling and bruising. Use it first, and if the symptoms get worse, let me know and I'll get you another doctor."

Yunying muttered, "You should leave now."

"Okay, I'm leaving now."

Although that's what the Second Master said, he still stood at Yunying's door for a while before stepping into the front yard.

When they returned to the front yard, the second master summoned Lei Ting and ordered him to set some rules for the people in the county government.

Thunder asked, "What rules?"

"Tell them to shut up. Don't say what they shouldn't say, and don't discuss what they shouldn't discuss. Anyone who dares to gossip about the master's affairs behind his back will be sold off."

Sui Yu clicked her tongue in disapproval, saying that the Second Master had acted rashly for the sake of a woman.

Lei Ting, with a cold face, nodded without hesitation in response to the Second Master's order. Then, he decisively went to establish rules for everyone in the county government office.

Two updates today, as usual.

(End of this chapter)