Union

Chapter 120, 119: Three People in One Shadow

This year, Yunying spent the Mid-Autumn Festival with Second Master.

During the day, Second Master was busy, so it was only after nightfall that he gave Suiyun and the other three a day off and took Yunying boating on the lake alone.

Although it was already mid-August, the weather in Yungui County showed no signs of getting colder. The weather remained unbearably hot, and mosquitoes were in their peak breeding season.

Yunying was afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes, so when Second Master took her out, she couldn't help but hang two mosquito-repelling sachets on her body.

Seeing that the city gates would be locked soon if they didn't leave, Second Master urged Yunying a couple of times. But Yunying got upset and retorted, "Fine, I'm not going out. You go out by yourself."

The Second Master was rarely speechless, and after regaining his senses, he laughed in exasperation.

He shook his head. "Your temper..."

What's wrong with my temper?

Your temper is getting increasingly out of control.

Of course, the Second Master only dared to say these words in his heart, for he was afraid that if he said them out loud, Yunying would really not go out with him.

It's always been Second Master who's in charge of others, but when it comes to Yun Ying, he's the one who has to give in to her time and time again. I wonder if he owes her something in his past life.

Yunying lingered for a while longer before carrying the food box and going out with Second Master.

The second master took the item from her hand and, noticing its weight, asked Yunying, "What's inside?"

"I've prepared a pot of wine for you, along with a few side dishes, a fruit platter, and mooncakes."

"No wonder it's so heavy."

Upon reaching the door, Sui Yun was sitting on the carriage shaft, waiting.

Second Master stopped in his tracks. "Didn't we give you a holiday so you could go out and have some fun?"

"Second Master, do you mean you want us to go to brothels?"

Sui Yu, Lei Ting, and Mo Xue jumped out from the other side. "Second Master, you don't mean that, do you?"

The Second Master glanced at his subordinates with an air of authority, then looked at Yun Ying.

Yunying didn't speak, but blinked her watery almond-shaped eyes and stared straight at the Second Master.

So, when you say let them go out for entertainment, you don't really mean let them go to brothels, do you?

Second Master wiped his face. "Alright, stop making a fuss, everyone follow along."

Sui Yu responded loudly, "Alright, Second Master, please get in the car."

Second Master grabbed Yunying's waist and placed her on the carriage shaft, then quickly stepped on himself.

When the carriage started moving, the Second Master's expression was still somewhat depressed.

Clearly, the appearance of these insensible subordinates had spoiled the Second Master's mood.

Yunying couldn't help but smile slightly, "They must be worried about your safety."

Second Master raised an eyebrow at her, "I'm more inclined to believe they just want to see me make a fool of myself."

"It's not that bad, Second Master, please don't overthink it."

Sui Yu shouted outside, "That's right, Second Master, we're really worried about your safety. Otherwise, wouldn't it be more comfortable for us to stay in the manor, drinking and having fun? Second Master, we grew up together, and there should be basic trust between us. Why do you keep thinking about us in such a despicable way? Second Master, where is the trust between us?"

Second Master grabbed a piece of fruit from a low table in the carriage and threw it out, saying, "If you say another word, get back to your room right now."

Sui Yu took the fruit and took a bite. "Thank you for the reward, Second Master."

It's truly both laughable and frustrating.

With Sui Yu, this eccentric person, around, Yun Ying didn't find the journey boring or unbearable at all.

They left the city before the city gates were locked and quickly arrived at Qingyue Lake on the outskirts of the city.

Because the south is mountainous and has many rivers, many place names here are derived from the mountains and rivers.

For example, Lingqu Village, which was involved in the smuggling of salt, was named after the Lingqu Canal that runs through the middle of the village; then there is Wanyuetang, which is now trying to cultivate pearls artificially. The two villages in front of and behind it are named after Wanyuetang, namely Qiantang Village and Houtang Village; there is also Wutoushan, and even Qingyue Lake in front of us - there is a Qingyue Village next to Qingyue Lake. The people here have always believed that there is a water god in Qingyue Lake. During festivals, they come to the river to worship and return home all night.

When Yunying and Second Master arrived at Qingyue Lake, they indeed saw a large number of people scattered around the lake.

Beside them was a brazier, in which gold ingots or paper money were burning. In front of the brazier were also a variety of offerings of fruits and vegetables.

Similar scenes of offerings were countless. The entire shore of Qingyue Lake was filled with bonfires of all sizes, the flames reflecting the withered and numb faces of the people, a sight that was unsettling to behold.

Second Master reached out to help Yunying out of the carriage. He noticed that Yunying's eyes were darting around and her body trembled slightly, so he knew she was frightened.

Second Master laughed, “It’s just a matter of faith. Don’t worry, they only offer fruits and vegetables to the water god, they never offer living people.”

Yunying raised her hand and patted the Second Master's shoulder. "You still dare to talk back." She was already a little scared, and the Second Master's words made her even more afraid.

……

Qingyue Lake has two wonders: First, the water is so clear that you can even see the aquatic plants, crabs, fish, and shrimp clearly during the day. Second, it's a great place to admire the moon; on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, if you're lucky, you might even see three moons.

When Second Master talked to Yunying about the peculiarities of Qingyue Lake, Yunying finally put the strange feeling of "exorcising the souls of the dead" out of her mind.

When Second Master said there were three moons, wasn't that a classic case of "three people in the shadow"?

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there will be many passenger boats on Qingyue Lake.

Some are passenger boats, some are bamboo rafts, and some are dilapidated fishing boats. All of these boats are for tourists to use when visiting Qingyue Lake on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Second Master had already arranged for a passenger boat to be rented, and he took Yunying aboard.

Sui Yu and the others were quite shrewd; this time, they didn't follow the Second Master closely. They also rented a bamboo raft, and the four of them sat on the raft, drinking wine, enjoying the scenery of the lake and mountains, and smelling the fragrance of lotus flowers. They looked very content and at ease.

Yunying withdrew her gaze and set out the wine, dishes, mooncakes, and fruits.

The Second Master went directly to the backyard to pick up Yunying after finishing his official business, which means he hasn't eaten yet.

Yunying handed him the chopsticks, urging the Second Master to eat something to fill his stomach first.

She had eaten a little bit earlier, so she's not hungry now.

But just watching it like this isn't quite right either.

Yunying simply poured wine for the Second Master, and then picked up her chopsticks and took a bite every now and then.

The second master took a sip of wine, raising an eyebrow slightly. "This wine is quite strong. Is it newly delivered from the capital?"

Yunying nodded.

A few days ago, the Rongguo Duke's Mansion sent many festival gifts to the Second Master. I won't go into the clothing, ornaments, tonics, and spices. Just the wine alone filled a whole carriage.

Yunying was puzzled as to why the Duke's Mansion had sent so much wine this time. She asked the Second Master and learned that it was because of the discovery of a gold mine in Yungui County. The report had reached the Emperor through the Prefect's memorial.

I heard that His Majesty was overjoyed that day, and exclaimed "Good!" several times in a row!

The gold mine was discovered by Second Master, and it was located within the jurisdiction of Yungui County. Others could only feel envy, jealousy, and resentment at Second Master's achievement.

The Duke of Rong was beaming with pride and overjoyed. In his excitement, he wrote a letter to his son, complaining that his second son should have been informed of such a significant matter beforehand. At the same time, he also selected many fine wines from his private treasury for his son.

Second Master has been so busy these days that he's either at Wutou Mountain or on his way there.

Construction has already begun over there.

This commencement of construction does not mean that mining has started, but rather that preliminary preparatory work has begun.

Originally, the residents of Wutoushan did not need to be relocated, but considering the safety of the mine and the need to prepare food and lodging for the miners, it would be best to relocate the residents of Wutoushan collectively.

It's hard to leave one's homeland, and the discovery of a copper mine in Wutou Mountain further proves that the ancestral teachings left by our ancestors were correct.

This Wutou Mountain is a place with excellent feng shui!
As a result, the people of Wutou Mountain voiced their strong opposition, and the Second Master had to appease them and provide some compensation. After many days of this, he finally managed to persuade the people to move away from Wutou Mountain and settle down in a place not far from the village of the Queen Mother of the West.

Second Master was so busy that sometimes he didn't even go back to the county government office, let alone sit down to enjoy tea and wine; it had been so long since he'd had that opportunity.

It was because the Second Master had been working too hard and was under too much stress that Yunying agreed without hesitation when he suggested that they go out for a walk.

Since she had made up her mind to let the Second Master relax, Yunying went to the storeroom and selected several kinds of wine and spirits.

There are many kinds of items, but each kind is only contained in a small bottle. Together, they can ensure that Second Master gets slightly tipsy, but not to the point of being drunk and causing trouble.

Now that Second Master said the wine was strong, Yunying said, "If you don't like it, you can drink something else. I've picked out several for you, there's bound to be one you like."

Second Master took another sip. This wine must be tribute wine, with a rich and mellow taste and a lingering aftertaste. Just one small sip sent a spicy sensation straight to his abdomen. The heat that had just subsided suddenly returned.

Second Master picked up a piece of cold lotus root salad and ate it.

It's lotus root season now, and it's cheap on the street. The cook knows Yunying likes lotus root, so she often buys some to eat.

It can be stir-fried, served cold, or stewed with yam and pork ribs. At the very least, it can be made into lotus root sandwiches or osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root.

As Yunying ate more frequently, these dishes often appeared on his table as well.

The second master ate a few more bites of the dish before the spiciness subsided.

He picked up the wine again to drink, but Yunying quickly stopped him, saying, "Let's drink something else."

Second Master looked at her fair palm, which was placed in front of his palm. It was slender, soft, and white, as delicate as a scallion root.

Second Master felt his temper rising again. He looked at Yun Ying and said, "Actually... it's not that bad, not that spicy."

Yunying asked suspiciously, "Didn't you just say that this wine is very strong?"

"After a few more sips, you get used to the taste, and it's not bad."

"really?"

"really."

But Yunying was still somewhat skeptical, so she eagerly suggested, "Why don't I... give it a try?"

Second Master gave a hearty laugh, "Yun Ying, don't you remember how much you can drink?"

Yunying was unhappy.

She could admit that she had a low alcohol tolerance, but she was unhappy when the Second Master said it to her in such a mocking tone.

"I absolutely have to try it today."

She picked up the wine jug and poured herself a small cup. The rich aroma of the wine wafted over, and just smelling it made one feel as if they were about to get drunk.

Yunying also smelled the pungent aroma and began to have second thoughts.

Second Master seemed to have seen through her thoughts and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "If you don't want to drink, then don't. It would be good if you could eat some food with me and chat."

"I'll just have a little, not much."

Yunying said it, and she did it. She brought the wine glass closer and took a small sip.

The second master asked with a smile, "How is it?"

Yunying put down her cup, covered her mouth, and quickly drank a cup of water. Not satisfied with just that, she searched the table for more water, then picked up the cup on her right and drank it all in one gulp.

Her face flushed red, and her almond-shaped eyes, though beautiful, were glistening with a captivating, alluring light.

Yunying fanned herself with her hand, her brows furrowed. "It's so spicy, so spicy!"

Not far away, Sui Yu seemed amused by her appearance and pointed at her, laughing heartily.

But the Second Master had no intention of disciplining Suiyu.

He glanced at the teacup painted with Xiangfei bamboo beside Yunying, his fingers twitching slightly, his expression tightening.

That teacup was his, and he drank half a cup of the water inside.

Looking at Yunying again, she was exhaling somewhat inelegantly, her fair cheeks flushed as red as the sunset in the mountains.

She looked at the Second Master with a complaint, "This wine is too strong, it doesn't taste good."

"Actually... it tastes pretty good."

"Could it be because I didn't drink enough?... I'll try again."

Yunying picked up her wine cup again, wanting to drink, but this time she was stopped by the Second Master.

"Don't drink it, this wine is not suitable for you. Did you bring any fruit syrup? If you did, drink that instead."

Guozilu Yunying also brought some fruit, which was pomegranate-flavored, and she quite liked it.

Since the Second Master doesn't mind that she's treating him poorly by drinking fruit syrup, then she'll drink fruit syrup.

The two of them took turns drinking from their cups, leaning closer to whisper among themselves.

Yunying mainly asked Second Master about the progress at Wutou Mountain. Had the personnel been confirmed to be settled? Should recruitment of miners begin? And when it came time to house the miners, would it be necessary to rebuild, or would they simply make do with the houses left behind by the villagers?

In addition, the prefect said he would send a few people who are experts in minerals. Should we arrange accommodation for them in the county town as well?

There's also the gold mine. Previously, the plan was simply to transport the mined ore to the prefectural city, out of concern that the local smelting technology wasn't up to par, and also because they worried that the gold would be easier for criminals to rob. But Second Master's idea is that there are some skilled craftsmen in Yun Gui County, and he wants to secure gold smelting jobs for them, so he wants to take on those jobs himself. Have they reached a conclusion on this matter yet?

While talking, eating, and enjoying the beautiful scenery, Yunying unknowingly finished a small bottle of fruit syrup.

After finishing the fruit syrup, she also drank the remaining half-cup of strong liquor.

She had just eaten spicy food, so she didn't feel any spiciness from the strong liquor. It might also be the alcohol content of the fruit syrup itself that made her a little tipsy, to the point that she couldn't tell whether she was drinking alcohol or water.

It was only when the Second Master noticed that she was talking too much and her words were becoming rambling and illogical that he looked at her more closely.

Upon closer inspection, the Second Master noticed that Yunying's cheeks were flushed, her eyes were unfocused, and her once bright and lively eyes were now filled with confusion.

Second Master laughed, "Why are you drunk again?"

Yunying pursed her lips, persisting, "Who's drunk? I'm perfectly sober. Second Master, look at this number, how many is it? I can clearly see it's 'three'."

Second Master looked at the two slender white fingers waving in front of him and laughed so hard he trembled. The wine in his glass sloshed and sloshed, threatening to overflow.

Seeing that the Second Master was swaying, Yunying felt even more dizzy. She couldn't help but reach out and place her hands on the Second Master's cheeks. "Don't shake me, I'm dizzy."

Second Master laughed out loud, "Yun Ying, I wasn't swaying, you were the one swaying."

"Nonsense, I sat up straight. I was the most well-behaved person in school, even my teachers praised me for being obedient."

Yunying spoke the words "going to school" and "rules" very vaguely, but Second Master's hearing was exceptional, and he still managed to hear them clearly.

The Second Master was also quite puzzled about the connection between going to school and having a teacher. But after thinking it over, Yunying had only had a similar "study" experience at the Marquis of Chang'an's estate. In addition, teachers and masters seemed to be the same type of people, so the Second Master felt that this was probably just a different way for the girls on the estate to refer to their governesses.

Second Master didn't pursue the matter too much because Suiyun next door was making a ruckus again.

"Hey, three moons! Second Master, look! There are three moons!"

Besides their group, there were other people in Qingyue Lake. However, Qingyue Lake was quite large, and everyone wanted to avoid being disturbed, so they kept a respectful distance from each other.

Now, Sui Yu's shout startled everyone around.

Then, many people exclaimed in surprise, "Sure enough, there are three moons."

Second Master also looked over and saw that on the clear lake surface, one moon shone with white light, while the other was slightly dark. Looking at the sky, the bright moon hung high, round like a jade plate.

Yunying was so drunk that she was passed out. She was so drunk that she couldn't sit up straight and her body slid down the table.

Second Master scooped her up in time and pulled her into his arms.

Yunying mumbled twice, as if saying "I feel dizzy" and "I'm going to fall down." Second Master was both annoyed and amused by this.

It still knew it was going to fall, which shows it still had a shred of rationality left.

Second Master patted Yunying's face, "Open your eyes and take a look. This is a wonder of the world. If you miss it, who knows when you'll see it again."

"What kind of amazing sight is this?"

Yunying tried hard to open her eyes and peek out, but all she saw was a silvery glow in the sky and the moonlight illuminating the entire world with its bright and boundless light.

The lake water flowed gently, and the chirping of crickets and insects could be heard from not far away. Everything was so peaceful that it made one feel particularly sleepy.

The second master repeated, "There are three moons in the world, are you really not going to open your eyes and see?"

“Three moons? That’s not strange at all. I’ve seen them before. Not only have I seen them, but I also know the cause.”

"What caused it?" Second Master frowned, slightly puzzled.

"It's about the reason for the three moons." Yunying leaned close to Second Master's ear, exhaling warm breath that carried the fragrance and scent of wine. "It's a secret, I'll only tell you. One of these moons... is the moon itself, another is the moon formed by direct sunlight, and the last one is the moon formed by reflected light... The saying 'Raise a cup to invite the bright moon, with my shadow... we become three' describes the scene before us exactly."

What can I do to get my six-month-old baby to sleep through the night? I'm honestly not a superstitious person at all, but I've tried everything to get this little devil to sleep. But for some reason, she wakes up frequently at night, crying, and her dad's attempts to soothe her only make it worse, so I have to do it myself. It happens seven or eight times a night, sometimes more. I can't sleep at all, I'm about to break down. It's been over a month already, please help me! I really can't stay awake any longer, my eyes are all dark circles. I didn't do any bug removal today, I'm too tired, let me rest, I'll do it tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)