Union

Chapter 121 Typhoon
Two days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Second Master seemed to have a lot more free time.

Not only could he eat three meals a day at the mansion, but he also frequently sat down with Yunying to talk to her.

Second Master was never a talkative person. Even when he talked a little more in front of Yunying, he was definitely not talkative.

But in the past two days, Yunying didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the Second Master was talking a lot more and always seemed to be asking about her past.

Yunying's past cannot withstand scrutiny.

The key point is that she's not the original.

She was afraid that she might say something wrong and arouse the Second Master's suspicion and vigilance again.

After casually answering three or five of the Second Master's questions, Yunying would shut up whenever he inquired about her past. She would even deliberately change the subject to avoid his questioning.

She evaded the matter, and it seemed that the Second Master wouldn't pursue it any further.

But perhaps because the Second Master was worried that she would be bored, he has been frequently summoning her to his study these past few days.

The first time, I had her grind the ink.

Yunying was familiar with this task, so she started working on it right away.

But just as Yunying was about to find a place to sit down and read for a while after the ink was ground, the Second Master called her over again to see how his handwriting was.

Second Master's calligraphy is naturally excellent.

Having studied the calligraphy of the Sage of Calligraphy since childhood, coupled with strict upbringing, Second Master's calligraphy was truly exquisite. Yunying once said that if Second Master ever stopped being an official, he could become a calligrapher, and a highly sought-after one at that.

This gives a glimpse into the exquisite nature of Second Master's calligraphy.

Although Yunying had been practicing calligraphy since she was a child, she didn't have the means to hire a master calligrapher to teach her, nor did she have the time to practice diligently.

She only enrolled in an extracurricular calligraphy class. Because her family wanted to temper her temper, it became a habit, and she continued to practice it even after she grew up.

But although her handwriting was presentable, compared to Second Master's, it was like a firefly compared to the light of the sun and moon—there was simply no comparison.

So, asking her to evaluate the Second Master's calligraphy... she should probably give up.

Yunying humbly replied that "she is not worthy," which amused the Second Master.

Second Master said, "What do you mean by 'good enough' or 'not good enough'? This is the first time I've ever heard someone say that about themselves."

“I’m just telling the truth. I know my own skill level perfectly well. My handwriting is just barely passable, but it’s only at a child’s level… With my skill level, it would be ridiculous for me to even comment on you.”

"Your handwriting is only at a child's level?" Second Master became interested. "I remember you wrote quite well. Yunying, come here, write a few words for me to see."

Yunying quickly waved her hand, "I won't embarrass myself in front of an expert."

While the Second Master was rinsing her brush, Yunying darted away.

But in the afternoon, the second master made her accompany him to paint and play chess.

As for painting, Yunying is quite good at sketching and can also do some meticulous landscape painting, but she hasn't even scratched the surface of freehand painting, which is something that all literati can learn these days.

She only knew a little about the rules of chess; she knew nothing else.

Yunying was dumbfounded, feeling that the Second Master was deliberately making things difficult for her.

She even kindly asked the Second Master, "If you really need a maid to keep you company, I'll buy you one, what do you think?"

That's obviously not very good.

Yunying was chased out by the Second Master.

But Yunying breathed a sigh of relief and ran as fast as if a ghost were chasing her.

She felt it was best to stay away from the Second Master for the next few days; she couldn't handle his unpredictable nature.

Fortunately, Second Master quickly got busy again and had no time to pay attention to Yunying.

Yunying was initially relieved, but when she learned about the things the Second Master was currently busy with, she felt like she was about to break apart.

Yunying grabbed a maid and asked, "Who told you a hurricane was coming?"

A hurricane is a hurricane with winds from all four directions.

The book "Miscellaneous Records of Exile" records that "all the prefectures in Lingnan experienced hurricanes because winds came from all directions."

Hurricanes are what we now call typhoons.

Consider modern society: despite having various forecasting methods and preventative measures, typhoons still frequently destroy houses, uproot trees, capsize boats, and cause flash floods and urban flooding.

In ancient times, there was nothing at all; even houses were thatched huts. How could they possibly withstand the devastating hurricanes?

Yunying felt dizzy and felt like she couldn't stand up.

She didn't believe the news was true, grabbed the maidservant and said sternly, "Who told you this rumor? Go and warn that person to shut up. If she dares to talk nonsense and stir up trouble again, I will punish her severely later."

The maid was about to cry, "It's not just one or two people spreading this, everyone outside is saying it. Miss, a typhoon is really coming. This is the result of the blind fortune teller's divination, it can't be wrong, Miss."

"Gu" is a term for someone who is blind. Adding "shen" before "Gu" highlights its divine nature.

In fact, Shen Gu was indeed a somewhat divine shaman in Yun Gui County who could perform divination.

It is said that this person was blind from childhood, but was born with innate knowledge. He never made a mistake in divination, and was enshrined on a shrine from a young age.

Yunying had also heard some stories about the blind god, such as how he guided people to find lost oxen, or how he helped an elderly couple find their only son who had drowned long ago by setting fire to his clothes at midnight; and how he divined auspicious times for weddings or burials, and suitable days for travel...

In short, in Yunying's eyes, although this person had some strange and inexplicable abilities, he was basically just a charlatan.

This charlatan even predicted that a hurricane would hit Yungui County in the next few days.

How……

Yunying dared not say that it was impossible, after all, Lingnan Prefecture has been a region prone to typhoons since ancient times.

There were no hurricanes last year, and no hurricanes in the first half of this year. Everything is on track and things are going well in Yungui County. Is a hurricane coming?

Yunying refused to believe it. She threw aside the maid and ran towards the front yard, lifting her skirt.

Along the way, she saw many maids and servants, all of whom were in a state of panic.

"It was the blind fortune teller who predicted the hurricane was coming. Oh dear, I knew it! These past few days, rats and cockroaches have been running around everywhere, and they're not afraid of people anymore. The birds in the trees have also disappeared; they must have flown far away to avoid the hurricane."

“What are we going to do? People are going to die. I don’t know how many more people will die this time. My father and mother died in the hurricane. That was so many years ago. The rain was pouring down for seven or eight days. Our straw house collapsed, and everyone except me was crushed to death underneath.”

"This season's crops are going to be ruined."

"Finally, a just and upright official came, and the people's lives improved, but Heaven doesn't give people a way to live. Heaven is so cruel."

Yunying ran all the way to the front yard, so fast that the hairpin in her hair fell off. Sui'er and Liu'er ran behind her, and when the two maids saw that her hair was disheveled, they kept calling out "Miss".

But Yunying couldn't hear anything. She held her breath and ran straight to the Second Master's courtyard.

But there was no one in the courtyard. Second Master had left early in the morning and hadn't returned yet.

Suiyun and the other three were nowhere to be seen, and the entire front yard was quiet.

Yunying gritted her teeth, turned around and walked out.

Sui'er and Liu'er quickly stopped her, tied her hair with a ribbon, and then followed Yun Ying out of the mansion.

As soon as they left the county government office, they saw that the streets were in complete chaos.

The street where the county government office was located was relatively good, but panicked and uneasy people could be seen everywhere.

Some people bravely bought rice and flour, while others carried bundles of firewood, trying their best to bring them home.

Many women held their children's hands tightly, saying, "Be good these next few days, stay indoors and don't go out, or you'll be swept away by the hurricane and your mother won't be able to save you."

"We need to repair the house quickly, make some dry food as soon as possible, and buy some medicine to prepare in advance."

This is near the county government office, but the street in the distance, especially the rice and flour shop, is packed with people.

The shop was relatively close to the county government office, so naturally they didn't dare raise prices at this time. However, the people rushed in, and those who couldn't buy anything even tried to grab it, which led to a fight. This commotion quickly attracted the attention of the government troops.

Seeing this, Yunying's heart beat even faster.

But she only glanced at it before walking straight into the county government office.

Liu Songyun was hurrying out of the county government office.

This Liu Songyun is none other than the scholar whom the Second Master favored.

After the seal was opened this year, the Second Master issued his appointment document, and Liu Songyun took office as the county magistrate of Yungui County.

Since Second Master was away most of the time, Liu Songyun was left to look after the county government. Liu Songyun was able to handle all the legal cases and some less important official documents, which greatly helped Second Master.

Liu Songyun had worked diligently and conscientiously in the county government for more than half a year. Second Master had a high opinion of him, and Yunying naturally greeted him with great respect.

Liu Songyun initially wanted to scold the woman for being so ignorant of etiquette, daring to even barge into the county government office.

When he saw that the person who entered was Yunying, the girl who was by the magistrate's side, he quickly swallowed back the words he was about to say and put on a polite demeanor.

"Is Miss Yunying here to see the magistrate?"

Yunying nodded, "That's right. I wonder if you are at the county office now, sir?"

"That's unfortunate, the master went out early this morning."

"Does Magistrate Liu know where the Magistrate has gone?"

Liu Songyun stroked his beard. "I do know that. The master went to Houtang Village."

Yunying received a satisfactory answer, bowed to Liu Songyun, and then took her leave.

Seeing her anxious expression, Liu Songyun took two steps after her and asked, "I wonder what urgent matter Miss Yunying has with you, sir?"

Upon hearing Liu Songyun's question, Yunying immediately looked at him.

If Second Master isn't in the county office, isn't there still County Magistrate Liu?

Second Master hadn't experienced the hurricane, but Liu Songyun was a native of Yungui County, so he should know how dangerous it was.

Yunying couldn't wait to tell her why she had come.

Upon hearing this, Liu Songyun was naturally surprised and looked at her a few more times.

Yunying added, "If this is a rumor, it should be stopped immediately to prevent public panic and further chaos. If it isn't... we should seize every moment to make thorough preparations."

Seeing Liu Songyun looking at her with a solemn expression, Yunying assumed the old gentleman was annoyed that she, a woman confined to the inner quarters, was meddling too much. She knew she had overstepped her bounds; running out of the county office so rashly was indeed somewhat unruly. But she was all too aware of the dangers of a typhoon. She was afraid, and she wanted to do as much as she could.

“I understand your considerations, young lady. To be honest, a hurricane is indeed coming in a few days.” Seeing that Yunying was about to speak, Liu Songyun interrupted her in time, “As you know, I am from Yungui County. I have experienced a lot and know a lot. In fact, not only me, but all the older people have noticed the abnormal weather in the last two days.”

If you grab any elderly farmer, they can tell you exactly what's wrong.

First of all, the sea breeze and land breeze are not as noticeable.

It's important to understand that although Yungui County is located inland, its straight-line distance from the sea is not too far. During the day, the wind blows from the sea to the land, and at night, it blows from the land to the sea. This pattern is very clear, but since the Mid-Autumn Festival, it has become blurred.

Furthermore, the distant mountains and trees are clearly visible, with excellent visibility.

In addition, horsetail or feather-shaped clouds appear in the high sky, and the cloud layer tends to gradually thicken.

There are other signs, such as long waves crashing against the cliffs, making a sound, waves in the sea becoming higher and longer, and animals exhibiting panicked or unusual behavior, and so on.

If one or two hurricanes appear, it doesn't prove that a hurricane is about to hit. But if all of them appear at once, anyone who has lived in Lingnan for a few years should understand that the sea god is angry and a hurricane is coming.

Hurricanes are far beyond human control; even though they were discovered early, Liu Songyun still needed to discuss with the county magistrate how to minimize the damage.

But the county magistrate has not yet returned, so he cannot do anything important. What Liu Songyun can do now is to stop the road construction and clean up the sand, gravel and timber.

He thought of the small hill of gravel and the countless logs, and his anxiety grew.

These are all things bought on credit. If they get washed away by the rain, we can only accept our loss. But if they get swept into the air and fall down, killing or injuring people, that would be bad.

Thinking of this, Liu Songyun hurriedly cupped his hands to Yunying and prepared to deal with the matter first.

Seeing this, Yunying quickly moved aside and made way for her.

She didn't want to delay Liu Songyun, and she also knew that as a woman in the inner quarters, she couldn't help the Second Master with official matters at all.

Rather than rashly running to the county government office to inquire about these irrelevant matters and being labeled as arrogant, she would rather go back to the backyard.

I prepared rice, flour, and cooking oil in advance, cut down the lush tree branches, tidied up the flower pots outside, locked and sealed off the empty yard, and bought some medicinal herbs and dried goods to stock up.

In short, doing what a good wife should do, so that the Second Master can focus on his work without having to worry about food, clothing, or shelter, is all she can do now.

Yunying took a step to go back, just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

The sound of hooves was like thunder. Although there were not many horses, it gave people the impression of a massive army approaching, instantly making their hearts beat faster.

Yunying stood still, and sure enough, a group of five people turned around from the street corner a short while later.

His face was cold and aloof, his aura as deep as an abyss, and he sat astride a galloping black steed, dressed in a black outfit.

For Yu Yunying at this moment, the Second Master was like a god descending from the heavens.

(End of this chapter)