Union

Chapter 125 Chapter 124 Tired

The hurricane lasted for eight days.

Fortunately, the rain was heavy to torrential for the first three days. By the fourth day, the rain had lessened considerably, but it could still be described as moderate rain.

The rain continued for two more days, making it the sixth day.

At this point, the rain had turned into a light drizzle, then gradually into a misty drizzle, until it completely disappeared over Yungui County.

The hurricane passed eight days later, and Second Master went out on the fourth day.

Not only the Second Master, but also the yamen runners and the many people who had gathered at the gates of various houses and mansions went out on the fourth day.

However, all that could be seen was a vast expanse of water, and ruins everywhere.

The houses were gone, the trees were uprooted, and the water in the streets was waist-deep. Inside were all sorts of gruesome dead snakes, rats, insects, and ants, all kinds of filth and belongings, and even the corpses of people who had been crushed or drowned.

The people braved the heavy rain, wanting to go home to check on things, but were pulled back by the crowd.

However, the people had too many things on their minds. They worried about their own houses, the crops in their fields, and even the chickens and ducks kept in the cellar.

Some people tried to stop them, but there were just too many people wanting to leave. They could stop one, but not many more, so gradually no one tried to stop them anymore.

Soon, scenes of many people wading through the water appeared on the street, and shortly afterward, their desperate screams and wails could be heard.

Yunying stayed in the front yard, which was very close to the street, and she could hear all the wailing outside.

Yunying didn't even need to go out to see what a terrible scene it was outside.

But what can be done?

This is a natural disaster, a calamity sent down by God. How can mere mortals possibly resist or cope with it?
There will definitely be heavy losses, but as long as people are alive, there is still hope.

Despite thinking this, Yunying's eyes uncontrollably reddened.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but fearing that the maids would see and cause them to panic, she quickly covered her eyes with her handkerchief and wiped away the water.

Even so, Sui'er noticed her appearance.

Sui'er said, "Girl, don't be sad. It's much better now. Although we lost money and crops, at least we've saved our lives."

Liu'er also said, "Isn't there a saying that as long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood? With them alive and with a capable official like Second Master in charge, things will get better eventually."

Yunying wanted to smile, but it was too difficult. In the end, she could only manage a weak smile. "That's true, but a lifetime of hard work has all turned to dust, and even this season's crops have yielded nothing. How are the people going to survive this winter?"

Upon hearing this, Sui'er and Liu'er both fell silent.

Sui'er, who had been holding back her tears, couldn't help but shed them at this moment.

Yunying and Liuer looked at her, and Suier cried and said, "I'm worried about my parents and in-laws. I don't know if they've hidden themselves well, or if they've been hurt. And my family's late rice, my mother-in-law's legs weren't fully healed when we were transplanting the rice, but she still went to work in the fields with us. In the end, the late rice ended up like this. My mother-in-law must be crying her eyes out."

Sui'er cried harder and harder, and perhaps hearing her cries, the maids in the side room also began to sob.

But crying is the most useless thing to do. Instead of wasting your energy, you should conserve your energy and think about what you can do for your family.

Yunying said, "Alright, stop crying. Once the rain stops, I'll give you a few days off so you can go back and see your parents and in-laws, okay?"

"Is what you're saying true, young lady?"

"Why would I lie to you about something so trivial? Alright, go wash your face, look how you've been crying, your face is all scrunched up."

The rain was quite heavy that day, but it gradually subsided over the next few days. The people couldn't stay at the county government office any longer and all ran back to their homes.

For the next few days, the streets were filled with wailing and people were holding funerals.

The water on the streets receded little by little, but the shadow left by this hurricane in people's hearts will take years, or even decades, to digest and erase.

When the weather turned scorching hot again, Yunying was so busy that she barely had time to breathe, and the Second Master had not returned to the mansion since he left on the fourth day after the hurricane.

Yunying took on the job of distributing porridge and medicine at the city gate, and was busy from morning till night every day.

Because she spent all day guarding the city gate, Yunying saw countless disaster victims.

From these disaster victims, Yunying learned just how much damage the hurricane had caused to Yungui County.

The crops are in slightly better shape because this is the growing season, not the harvest season or the heading stage. Although the seedlings have been soaked for too long, which will lead to root rot and deformed ears, and significantly reduce the grain yield, it is not to the point of total crop failure.

As long as the water in the fields is drained in time, there will always be some harvest. Although it may be negligible, something is better than nothing.

The situation isn't the worst for crops; the worst off are the merchants who specialize in raising fish, shrimp, and crabs, whose years of hard work have all gone down the drain.

Because the river water kept rising, all the fish, shrimp, and crabs ran away. There were no fish, shrimp, or crabs left in the ponds, not even a single fish or shrimp fry.

There are also some livestock at home.

When we stayed at the homes of wealthy families before, we were not allowed to bring livestock or other animals in order to make more room for the people.

The livestock were hidden by their owners in the mountains, in cellars, or in houses. They had hoped that they might be spared, but luck was not on their side; all the livestock and poultry died.

In some villages and towns, some families, unable to find wealthy landowners to rely on or caves to shelter in, had to stay in their homes and struggle to survive. As their houses collapsed, some were crushed to death, while others were injured, but due to a lack of medical care, they did not survive.

I've heard that in villages and towns, no more than five out of ten households survive.

Even though they had repaired their houses and made thorough preparations, this hurricane was simply too powerful, far surpassing many of the hurricanes that had passed through in the past decade.

The current situation is so tragic that just hearing about it is suffocating.

But Yunying couldn't rest after suffocating, and neither could the Second Master.

Yunying was busy distributing porridge and medicine, settling the injured and fleeing people, while Second Master had to rescue the wounded, drain the waterlogged fields, organize the dam to release floodwaters, and invite famous doctors to prevent any possible plague.

The next month passed in this busy routine.

During this time, Yunying caught a cold and developed a high fever, which made her whole body turn red and she couldn't even stand up. She thought she had contracted the plague and was so frightened that she kept shrinking and trembling. Fortunately, Doctor Qu examined her pulse and said that she was just sick from overwork.

On this very day, Yunying finally saw her second master, whom she hadn't seen for over a month. Upon seeing him, Yunying almost didn't recognize the man before her.

Second Master had lost a lot of weight, and his bones were showing. His outer robe, which had been very proper and fit him well before, now hung loosely on him, as if only a skeleton remained underneath.

The Second Master's clothes were also full of wrinkles and mud, and their original color was no longer visible.

Where was the refined and elegant young master Chen Yanzhou from a noble family? He had completely transformed into the magistrate of Yungui County, who spoke out for the people and took their honor and fortune upon himself.

Second Master's voice was hoarse beyond belief, and his face looked extremely haggard and exhausted. But seeing tears welling up in Yunying's eyes, he still smiled and teased her, "What's wrong? Are you so happy to see me that you're crying?"

Yunying didn't laugh; instead, tears welled up in her eyes even more.

Her eyes were like a spring of clear water, constantly overflowing with tears. The Second Master, initially calm, gradually became flustered, until he was completely at a loss.

He wanted to sit down by Yunying's bedside, but he was too dirty and smelled bad, and he was afraid she would find him repulsive.

The second master finally knelt down in front of Yunying's bed and tentatively touched her forehead to check her temperature. "Why is she still so hot? Didn't she already take her medicine?"

Second Master turned around and looked outside the door, calling Sui'er and Liu'er to come in.

Yunying grabbed his hand and stopped him, saying, "Stop shouting, I'm fine. The temperature has started to drop, and I feel much better now."

"What's so good about it? Your face is still all red."

"I really did take the medicine, and it's already working. But it's not a miracle drug; it can't cure my illness immediately after taking it. Second Master, don't worry too much; I'm really much better."

The second master grasped her hand, looking at her as if she were a withered flower, no longer possessing her former radiance. His throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and only now did he dare to speak his true feelings.

“How could I not worry? If it weren’t for me, you could have stayed in the manor and lived your peaceful life. Why would you have to guard the city day and night? You have to deal with distributing porridge and medicine at the city gate and also take care of the women and children who have fled. You shouldn’t have to suffer like this; it’s all because of me…”

“But that’s what I want to do, and what I’m willing to do. Second Master, even if you didn’t instruct me to do these things, as long as I have the ability, I would like to do my part to help those people in distress. I don’t feel bitter at all; on the contrary, I think this is quite meaningful. In short, it’s much more meaningful than having me stay in the backyard and busy with these trivial matters in the mansion all day long.”

The second master was amused by her. "You finally told the truth. So, in your opinion, the things in the manor are all trivial matters."

Yunying laughed along, "Of course! Anyone could handle these things. But I have to deal with them every day, and I find it annoying."

"When you're better, promote a few people yourself and hand over all the tasks you have to them."

"I think this suggestion is feasible."

Yunying did develop a fever. Although she felt a little better after taking the medicine, she soon felt drowsy because the medicine contained a lot of calming herbs.

Seeing this, the Second Master spoke softer and softer, and Yunying gradually fell asleep amidst his low voice.

After Yunying fell asleep, the Second Master watched her for a long time until his legs were numb and he could no longer feel anything. Only then did he slowly withdraw his hand from Yunying's hand, stand there for a moment, cover Yunying with the quilt, and then go out the door.

Outside the door, Dr. Qu was still there.

Second Master called Doctor Qu over to speak with her, "She's had a fever three or four times in less than a year, but her health is really too poor?"

Doctor Qu nodded, "Indeed, her health is too poor. Miss Yunying must have been poorly cared for in the womb, and after that, she didn't receive timely treatment. Instead, she lacked food and clothing, which caused her health to deteriorate further."

Prenatal ailments are notoriously difficult to cure. If she had been born into a good family and had been carefully nurtured every day, over the years, Yunying's health would have improved to the point where she was almost as healthy as a normal person.

It is clear that Yunying's family of origin did not have the means; otherwise, they would not have sent their perfectly good daughter to be someone's concubine.

Because of the lack of resources at home, Yunying's health naturally suffered. Although she appeared to be no different from ordinary people, her resistance was ultimately weaker.

This is why she gets sick every now and then and always feels physically exhausted.

Upon hearing this, the Second Master showed no unusual expression, indicating that he had already considered this matter.

But now that this has been discovered, it cannot be left untreated.

The second master said, "I would also appreciate it if you could prescribe some daily tonics, whether they are medicinal or dietary supplements, as long as they are beneficial to her health."

Doctor Qu nodded in understanding. "I understand. I'll write the prescription right away. But as you know, this kind of tonification isn't something that can be achieved in a short time. It might take three to five years, or even seven or eight years..."

"No problem, just write the prescription."

"Ah, then I'll go and write the prescription."

After Doctor Qu left, Second Master went out of Yunying's courtyard and headed to the county government office.

County Magistrate Liu Songyun and Registrar Lou Yongchun were both in the county office, calculating how to distribute the disaster relief grain provided by the imperial court. At this moment, they heard someone greeting the Second Master, and they quickly looked up. Sure enough, they saw their county magistrate, who was always busy and nowhere to be seen.

The two quickly came out from behind the table and respectfully greeted the Second Master.

Second Master helped the two up and asked them about the whereabouts of the disaster relief grain. Finally, he instructed, "The disaster relief matter is to be handled by Songyun. As for Yongchun, you should free up your time to continue to follow up on the replanting of crops by the people under the jurisdiction of Yungui County."

Both Liu Songyun and Lou Yongchun looked at the Second Master in surprise.

Having worked with the Second Master for over half a year, the two had a pretty good grasp of his personality. To put it nicely, he was a micromanager; to put it bluntly, he had an extremely strong desire for control, and he couldn't feel at ease until he handled everything himself. But now, it seems the Master intends to... delegate authority?
Both men looked on with suspicion, but before they could investigate further, the Second Master gave Lou Yongchun a few more instructions, and then, without needing the two men to see him off, he turned and left the county government office.

After the Second Master had walked away, Liu Songyun and Lou Yongchun called over a well-informed constable from outside. "Sir, you seemed to be in a hurry. Has something else happened?"

"Wasn't the master out inspecting the replanting situation? Why did he suddenly come back?"

The constable scratched his head, unsure of the answer. But then he suddenly remembered Doctor Qu, whom Mo Xue had seen off, and couldn't help but clap his hands, "Oh, I remember now!"

Liu Songyun and Lou Yongchun asked in unison, "How is it?"

The constable said, "It seems that the person in the manor has developed a fever, and I heard it's quite high. The lord must have been alarmed, which is why he rushed back."

Upon hearing this, Lou Yongchun and Liu Songyun exchanged another glance, a sudden realization dawning on them.

That must be the case.

If that girl hadn't fallen ill, why would the master have rushed back, and why would he have ignored everything outside and hurried back to the backyard?

It seems that everything is because of that Yunying girl.