Union

Chapter 131 If I laugh again, I'll throw you down.

After leaving Cheng Niangzi's place, Yunying went to a silk shop.

This silk shop caters specifically to wealthy and influential people, but there are very few such people in Yungui County. Therefore, the place is visibly deserted, and it would not be an exaggeration to describe it as practically empty.

When Sui'er and Liu'er learned that there was actually a silk shop in Yun Gui County, they were quite surprised.

Are there any wealthy people in our county who can afford to wear silk?

"There are some, but they must be very few, right? Can just a few influential families support the business of this silk shop?"

“For an ordinary family, a silk garment can last for several years. Especially here, the winters aren't too cold, and you can easily wear two layers underneath. So, a silk garment can last for several years. So how exactly do these silk shops survive?”

Yunying remained silent, sitting to the side, sipping tea and listening to the two maids whispering.

Hearing this, Yunying silently thought to herself: How could the common people know about the extravagant lives of the upper class?
The wealthy at the top of society are extremely rich, living in luxury, always surrounded by carriages and guests.

A single meal for them can consume the equivalent of a lifetime's income for an ordinary person; money is just a number to them.

They are so incredibly wealthy, spending countless amounts of real gold and silver every year, that they wouldn't care about having a few more silk clothes each year. That would be a joke.

Although Yunying thought these words aloud, she didn't say them out loud. She simply reminded the two maids, "Rich people have many social engagements, and outsiders always respect clothing before respecting the person. If they wear the same clothes all year round... how fine must those clothes be to remain intact after so many washes?"

Upon hearing Yunying's words, the two maids were immediately amused. But after the laughter subsided, they couldn't help but think of the Second Master.

Isn't Second Master a member of the upper class?

Look at the Second Master's clothes; they are countless times more numerous than those of his own daughter.

Even so, new clothes are still delivered from the capital every season. Different styles, different materials, some elegant, some dignified, some luxurious, some simple and neat, there is practically everything you could want.

The wealthy people in Yun Gui County are naturally not comparable to the Second Master. But if you think about it, they also have social obligations, they also have to meet with relatives and friends, and they also have to meet with their parents and superiors, so it is only right that they make more clothes to wear.

If the men in the household dress well, the women in the family can't dress poorly. If the women's clothing and appearance improve, the children in the family can't be left behind.

Therefore, it's possible that a wealthy family could support such a silk shop. Not to mention that although Yun Gui County was poor, there were still a few wealthy families. Surely these families could support even a single silk shop?
As the group chatted, the carriage stopped in front of the silk shop.

Yunying went to the silk shop to inquire about the matter. This time, she didn't need to bribe them with silver, as they wouldn't even look at such a small amount.

The manager of that silk shop was truly a sharp-eyed and discerning woman.

She discovered that the carriage Yunying was riding in resembled the attire of the legendary young lady, who was greatly favored by the county magistrate. Looking at Yunying's delicate, porcelain-like face and refined, elegant demeanor, she realized that there were probably only two like her in the entire Yungui County.

Yunying's identity was immediately recognized, and the stewardess treated Yunying with great courtesy and consideration.

Furthermore, what Yunying was investigating wasn't exactly a secret. Even if she didn't tell, others would, and moreover, if Yunying sent someone to inquire elsewhere, she might find even more detailed information. Therefore, the stewardess would certainly not hide anything; she would tell Yunying whatever she asked, and even if Yunying didn't ask, she would supplement it with whatever she knew.

Thus, the two talked and listened, enjoying their conversation immensely and feeling like they hadn't had enough.

Yunying spent a lot of time at the silk shop, and by the time she left, it was well past lunchtime.

She was starving, and her two maids were also extremely hungry.

Thinking that she had things to do in the afternoon, and that going back to the county office would take too much time, Yunying didn't go back. Instead, she took Sui'er and Liu'er to the nearest restaurant for a meal.

After a short rest following the meal, Yunying led her people out of the city.

She planned to go and check on how the crops were growing on the terraced fields.

Although she had mentally prepared herself for reduced yields, or even a complete crop failure, and someone had already taken care of the work of draining the terraced fields, weeding, and catching insects, Yunying was still secretly very concerned about this being her "first innovation" in this era.

Along the way, because the road was paved with bluestone slabs, the carriages and horses traveled much more steadily. Yunying was no longer shaken so much that she felt dizzy, nauseous, and vomiting.

The road to the terraced fields was the same as the road leading to Wutou Mountain. Although the road had suddenly changed direction halfway through construction due to a landslide, it didn't affect Yunying much. The landslide site wasn't far from the terraced fields, only a few hundred meters at most. If she really disliked the bumpy ride, she could get off and walk; it wasn't far in total anyway.

Soon, the group arrived at the terraced fields.

It was late afternoon, and there was no one on the terraced fields.

Yunying strolled up the terraced fields and carefully examined the growth of the dry rice.

To be honest, it's not good.

The dry rice on the terraced fields was sparse, with many fewer plants, and some plots even had large empty spaces. The color of the dry rice was not the bright green of fertile soil, but rather a yellowish-green, giving it a malnourished appearance at first glance.

In a normal year, the dryland rice should be ready for harvest by mid-to-late October. At this time, the ears of dryland rice are heavy with grain, and the stalks are bent over under the weight.

Thanks to that hurricane, this year's dry rice is still accumulating starch. If you rub a grain of rice, most of them are hollow and shriveled, and the remaining small portion is not filled with hard rice grains, but with a milky white slurry.

This is also called the milk ripening stage.

After the milk stage, there is a wax stage.

During the waxy ripening stage, the rice grains become waxy. After growing like this for about nine days, the greenish-blue color on the back of the rice grains disappears, and the rice grains are considered ripe.

Yunying climbed up to the back of the mountain, but the dry valley here was no better than before; the overall conditions were about the same.

Upon seeing this, even though Yunying had prepared herself mentally, her heart sank heavily.

But what's done is done, and there's no better way. We can only hope for a warm winter this year and that the temperatures will hold up well afterward, so that the remaining dry grains can grow longer and yield more.

As we descended the terraced fields, the sun had already sunk in the western sky and was about to set.

At this moment, the air became a bit cooler, and seeing this, Sui'er and Liu'er quickly put the cloaks they were holding on Yunying.

Seeing that Yunying was very disappointed, the two wanted to persuade her to take it easy.

This is the first year the terraced fields have been established; the fact that there's a harvest proves the idea is indeed feasible, which is good enough. Expecting high yields from the terraced fields is something to look forward to next year, isn't it?
Before the two maids could finish speaking, the sound of galloping hooves came from afar, rushing towards them.

A strange intuition told Yunying that it was Second Master coming, so she immediately looked up.

After bypassing a deep, dense forest, the three of them appeared as if riding the wind.

The leader rode a swift and agile steed, its mane flowing like the wind as it sped towards them, its proud head revealing its extraordinary and divine nature.

But Yunying's attention was completely elsewhere. She only saw the Second Master.

The second master rode on the horse, skillfully controlling it with one hand. He lowered his body, his upper body almost level with the horse's.

He was like a bowstring poised to be released, aiming at his target and forging ahead with all his might.

He did have a goal in mind; his dark, deep eyes remained fixed on Yun Ying from beginning to end.

Lock her up, entangle her, make her heart pound like a drum, yet her body cannot move an inch.

With a "whoosh," the horse raised its forelegs, its large and agile body suddenly rising higher.

The scene was so familiar, yet so unsettling. So unsettling that Yunying couldn't feel her own breath; she completely forgot everything else.

In her eyes and heart, there was only Second Master.

The second master sat upright on his horse, suddenly raising his eyebrows and revealing a bright smile in his eyes.

"What are you looking at? Are you dumbfounded?"

Yunying murmured in silence, but her heart pounded as if it would burst out of her chest.

After a long while, when the Second Master dismounted and walked towards her, Yunying suddenly said, "I want to learn to ride a horse."

"Now?" The Second Master's lips curled slightly. "It's not impossible."

The second master mounted his horse and reached out his hand to Yunying below.

Yunying placed her hand in the Second Master's palm, and the Second Master gripped her soft, white hand tightly. With a slight exertion, Yunying leaped up and sat directly in front of the Second Master.

"Sit tight, I'll take you for a run first."

The second master placed one hand on Yunying's waist, holding her tightly, while his other hand gently tugged at the reins.

Zhuifeng was Second Master's mount, accompanying him from the capital to Yungui County, and was the most familiar to him.

Because the Second Master was nearby, it showed no aversion to Yunying. After receiving the Second Master's signal, it even bounced its hooves twice, and then shot out like a sharp arrow.

The clatter of hooves reached her ears, the wind whistled past, and distant mountains and nearby trees seemed like fleeting shadows. The warbler's body seemed to float in the sky, yet also felt as grounded and solid as if it had landed firmly on solid ground.

The grip around her waist was strong and intense, and the body behind her was so broad and steady. His breath, hot and unrestrained, brushed against her ear, carrying a hint of the scent of paper, ink, and sandalwood.

Yunying wanted to savor this feeling, this heart-pounding sensation, forever.

The horse quickly rode away, and Sui'er and Liu'er were both happy and worried.

The joy was naturally due to the intimacy between the second master and the young lady, but the worry stemmed from the fact that the horse was moving so fast that the young lady might be frightened.

Just as they were lost in thought, Sui Yu's voice suddenly rang out, "What are you two standing there for? Hurry up and get in the carriage, let's go back to the city."

Liu'er tugged at Sui'er's clothes, as if to say, "So we're just going to abandon the girls then?"
Sui'er understood her thoughts and thought to herself, "Since the young lady is with the Second Master, he would rather get hurt himself than harm a single hair on her head."

Sui'er said, "We're coming right now." She pulled Liu'er into the carriage.

With rain and thunder in front of the carriage, the group slowly made their way to the county town.

As they walked along the road, Sui Yu couldn't help but approach Lei Ting and softly clicked her tongue, "Why is Second Master spreading his tail feathers like a peacock?"

Lei Ting gave him a warning look, but Sui Yu, seemingly unconcerned, continued, "I'm telling the truth, you can't not even let me speak the truth. It's not that I'm blaming the Second Master, it's just that when he sees Yun Ying, he really can't see anyone else. It's alright in Yun Gui County, since Yun Ying is the only one in the inner court right now, and there's no question of anyone vying for favor or being unable to tolerate Yun Ying. But what will happen when the Second Master is transferred to the capital? That lady is not someone to be trifled with. Don't think that just because Yun Ying was sent by her, her existence has diminished her face. Do you think she'll make things too easy for Yun Ying?"

Thunder finally spoke, "Can you stop worrying about all that nonsense?"

"What do you mean by 'nonsense'? A person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. I'm just worried about the future for Second Master."

"You don't need to worry about the future; you don't need to fret about Second Master's affairs either, Second Master has his own plans."

“Still plotting? Second Master’s mind is only on women right now. By the time he remembers to plot, it will be too late.”

Lei Ting stopped his horse, reined it in, and stared straight at Sui Yu.

Sui Yu was terrified of Lei Ting's gaze, which was sharp and intimidating, making him feel breathless.

Sui Yu felt guilty and breathless, so her voice was a little lower, "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm just worried about Second Master. Hey, Brother Lei, take your eyes off me, you're scaring me to death."

Lei Ting scoffed, "Keep it to yourself. If you dare to gossip about these things behind my back again, I'll have your brother deal with you."

Suiyu wants to say, do you think my brother is as cruel as you?

But then he thought, whether his brother was cruel or gentle depended on what he said, what he did, and who he was targeting.

Outsiders aside, his brother is fiercely protective of his own and will definitely side with him.

But if the person on the other side is Second Master, well, his brother might be even more brutal than Brother Lei.

Thinking about his brother's methods, Sui Yu felt a chill run down his spine. His brother seemed quite easygoing, but when he got ruthless, he was someone even Brother Lei had to give way to. Otherwise, the four subordinates around Second Master wouldn't have treated his brother with such respect.

After being threatened, Sui Yu became completely obedient.

The group quickened their pace and, thankfully, caught up with Second Master and Yunying before entering the city.

Yunying said she was learning to ride a horse, but she only learned how to pull the reins and how to sit. As for the simplest thing, mounting the horse, well, given her short stature and lack of skill, Yunying hasn't learned yet.

The second master seemed to recall Yunying's embarrassment when she mounted the horse, and he buried his face in Yunying's neck and laughed incessantly.

Yunying was already feeling uncomfortable because of the constant stares from passersby. Then, the Second Master buried his head in her neck, his warm breath brushing against the back of her ear, his cool cheek brushing against her soft skin. Yunying felt a tingling sensation all over her body, an uncontrollable itch from head to toe.

She finally couldn't hold back any longer, turned her head and glared at the Second Master, "If you dare to laugh again, I'll throw you down."

Second Master paused for a moment, then responded to Yunying with an even more unrestrained and carefree laugh.

Yunying's face turned red with anger.