Union

Chapter 136 Happy New Year!!
Yunying asked, "If you don't agree to lend grain, will Prefect Zhang let you off the hook? Will the other county magistrates let you come back?"

Second Master shrugged, "Of course not."

It was precisely because he bit down so hard that it took so long.

However, the situation under his jurisdiction was indeed much better than in other counties. Furthermore, the miners had now been selected, the gold mine had begun operation, and the county government would soon have a large sum of money coming in—

Compared to other counties that have suffered major disasters and are still struggling on the brink of survival, Yungui County is on the verge of achieving a moderately prosperous society. No one would be happy to see that, would they?

The other county magistrates were also extremely envious, so they put all their effort into tearing a piece of flesh from Yungui County.

Then Prefect Zhang sat on the high platform, watching without saying a word. In order to extricate himself and for the sake of the county's future development, Second Master finally agreed to some things.

The Second Master spoke to Yunying about his considerations, saying, "When people are driven to desperation, they are capable of anything."

When people are truly at their wits' end, highway robbery is the least of their worries; murder and theft are not out of the question.

Those counties are all too close to Yungui County. If someone commits a crime, they can simply flee there and be impossible to find.

If such incidents become frequent, they will completely ignite the sense of complacency and resentment in people's hearts. At that point, the entire county will likely be gripped by fear and uncertainty. Forget about production; people will be too busy trying to survive to think about building terraces and roads to earn money.
Second Uncle said, “I discussed it with them, and it’s impossible to lend them grain. After all, the situation in the county has only improved slightly, and the people’s families are not yet at the point of having a surplus. However, the county has started to build roads, which requires a lot of young and strong men. If they have extra manpower in the county, they can come and do hard labor.”

Upon hearing this, Yunying couldn't help but nod repeatedly, deeply appreciating the Second Master's excellent idea.

While it's said that in life, one shouldn't argue with petty people, but only with virtuous people. However, a compromise might not bring peace, but rather relentless pressure from the other party. In such cases, it's better not to provide food, but rather to offer a way to earn it.

Yunying said, "That would be perfect... Perhaps we can take this opportunity to recruit all the young and strong men."

Upon hearing this, the second master couldn't help but glance at her with a smile.

Yunying felt embarrassed. Although her method was a bit underhanded, it was still because the other county magistrates had done the first thing before she was given the fifteenth.

Of course, this method is rather ungentlemanly, and she understands if the Second Master does not agree with it.

Unexpectedly, after laughing, the second master said directly, "I think this method is feasible."

The two looked at each other and then both laughed.

In just a short while, Sui'er and Liu'er brought over the meal that had been prepared on the stove.

There are chicken noodle soup, shrimp wontons, and a few side dishes to accompany the noodles.

Seeing that there was still a portion for her, Yunying couldn't help but glance at Sui'er. Sui'er then explained, "You haven't eaten properly today, and you only ate a couple of bites tonight."

Yunying noticed that the Second Master was looking at her, so she quickly told Sui'er to shut up.

After the two maids left, the Second Master and Yunying sat down at the table. Only then did the Second Master say, "Next time I go on a long trip, would you like to take me with me?"

"why?"

The second master chuckled, "I'm afraid if I leave you alone in the manor, you won't be able to eat or sleep, and you'll become so thin you won't even look like a human."

Yunying remembered Sui'er saying she looked thinner and couldn't help touching her face. She quickly realized what she had done and hurriedly withdrew her hand, saying, "I wouldn't."

"Really? I've only been walking for ten days, and you've already lost a lot of weight."

"You haven't lost weight, you must be seeing things."

“Yun Ying, I’m not old yet, not to the point of failing my eyesight.”

The two bickered but still enjoyed their belated dinner.

When the topic of mining came up, the second uncle spoke indifferently.

Yunying keenly noticed something, and then she recalled that Second Master had been suddenly summoned by Prefect Zhang because he had heard that the late rice harvest in Yungui County was quite good...

You know, this year's harvest hasn't been reported yet, so who did Prefect Zhang hear this from?
Yunying's mind raced. "You were summoned to the prefectural city. Was it because of that person causing trouble?"

Second Master chuckled, "Which one?"

"Oh, it's him, the mine supervisor. Yes, that's him. He must be the one causing trouble, right? What's his name again?"

“Zhang Meiling, his name is Zhang Meiling. It’s true that he was the one who interfered in the middle.”

Yunying said angrily, "How could this person be like this? You didn't even target him, but he secretly tripped you up. This person is really annoying."

"It was quite annoying, but I retaliated in kind."

Yunying was now genuinely curious.

The Second Master has only just returned, and he's already retaliated against Zhang Meiling?
Second Master said, "When I was still in the prefectural city, I wrote to Suiyun and asked him to find some things for Zhang Meiling to do."

He's just too idle, otherwise no one would bother him.

Even the Second Master didn't implicate him because of the other party's mentor's actions. But Zhang Meiling, did she think that just because he was demoted, he was easy to bully, and was deliberately trying to make things difficult for him?

Then the Second Master will have to teach him a lesson.

Second Master ordered Suiyun to smother Zhang Meiling to death in the mine.

It wasn't about taking his life, but about increasing his workload. He was a mine supervisor, after all; how could a supervisor just stand around watching all the time? He had to go into the mine to see which ores were suitable for mining, and what precautions to take during mining… Basically, day and night, his job was to keep people pinned down in the mine. Exhausted, he didn't have the energy to scheme against people anymore.

After the second master briefly explained his meaning, Yunying immediately showed a look of lingering fear.

The mine was dark and chaotic. Any normal person would break down mentally if they were to be in such an environment for years. Not to mention Zhang Meiling, who came from a wealthy family and had always been pampered. He would have to spend his days with some burly, illiterate men. Just thinking about his future made Yunying shudder.

"What, you've started to feel sorry for him?"

Yunying shook her head frantically, "That's impossible. He brought this upon himself. I don't pity him at all. I just think he's pretty brainless." He's already on Second Master's territory, couldn't he just stay quiet and behave himself? Does he want to scratch him to test Second Master's attitude towards him? He'll have to bear the consequences of that scratch.

Leaving aside Zhang Meiling, after the meal, the Second Master brought up the matter of gold mining again.

Lingnan Prefecture suffered a severe disaster this year, and every place needs money. However, Lingnan Prefecture was already poor, and the government could not find even two taels of silver.

With so many county magistrates requesting the allocation of disaster relief grain, the prefect gained a more detailed understanding of the situation in each county. As a result, he became so anxious that he couldn't sleep at night.

Before coming, Prefect Zhang had visited him several times, instructing him to make sure to deliver minerals to the prefectural city several times during the year.

He needed this gold to tide him over, and his superiors also needed it to achieve political success. It's fair to say that this gold mine was of paramount importance and could not afford any mistakes.

The purpose of Second Master telling Yunying this was to say, "Starting tomorrow, I will go to Wutou Mountain to oversee things. My initial estimate is that I will return to the county town after the first batch of gold mines is mined. If you need anything, you can come and find me yourself, or have someone send me a message."

Yunying nodded and said "okay," but her eyes were full of heartache: Second Master had just returned from a trip to the prefectural city and hadn't rested all day! After a while, the two chatted about this and that, and then Second Master prepared to go back to rest.

It was already past midnight, and I couldn't sleep for much longer before I had to get up again.

Yunying knew what was important and told the Second Master to quickly return to his room to bathe and change.

The second master bid her farewell, and the two walked into the corridor. But when it was time to part, the second master stared straight at her, his legs unable to move.

Yunying was silent for a while, then spoke softly, "Go take a shower first, and I'll cut your hair and shave you later?"

The second master chuckled softly, "Can you?"

"If you don't know how, you can learn. It shouldn't be too difficult."

"It's not difficult, I'll teach you."

Second Master went back to his room to take a bath, and Yunying entered his room after him.

Yunying had only been to the Second Master's room once before, and it was only after the hurricane passed that she began to visit the Second Master's room more frequently.

Perhaps she was tidying up the Second Master's room, or perhaps she was taking and putting away his clothes. She came frequently and thus became familiar with where everything in the Second Master's room was kept.

Yunying easily found the razor that Second Master used for shaving. The razor was very small, with intricate patterns carved on the handle, giving it a rustic yet sharp look. It was probably often handled and played with, as the razor had a lustrous sheen, making it appear extremely valuable.

Yunying sat on a small stool, quietly looking at the razor in her hand. Unconsciously, she became so engrossed in the sound of splashing water in the room that she completely forgot about the razor in her hand.

The sound of water was crisp and clear. At first, it was just a slight splashing sound, but then suddenly there was a loud rushing sound, and someone abruptly stood up from the bathtub.

Yunying's cheeks flushed uncontrollably. She couldn't help but turn her head away, then quickly got up and walked to the window.

The windows were tightly closed, but a strong wind was blowing in through the cracks. The gusts of wind slowly blew away the coolness from her face.

When the Second Master came out of the clean room, this was the scene he saw.

Yunying stood by the window. In the quiet night, under the dim light, her graceful figure was delicate and beautiful, radiating endless warmth, as if enticing people to step forward and embrace her.

Second Master called out "Yun Ying" in a slightly hoarse voice. Yun Ying looked over reflexively, her eyes still filled with confusion and bewilderment, as if she didn't know where she was.

Seeing this, the second master's heart pounded even harder.

"It's windy over there, come over here."

"Okay, here we go."

Yunying walked up to the Second Master and smelled the fresh scent of soap on him. At the same time, a burst of heat wafted towards her.

Looking at the Second Master again, his cheeks were fair and radiant, and his phoenix eyes were dark and deep. Perhaps because he had just taken a bath, his eyelashes were moist, and his lips were more hydrated than usual.

Water droplets slid down his hair onto his cheeks, then down his chin, past his Adam's apple, and onto the clothes on his chest.

His sexy Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his broad chest rose and fell; his clothes were half-undone, he was only wearing a plain white nightgown with willow leaf patterns embroidered on the collar...

Yunying pulled on his sleeve, making the Second Master lie down on the chaise longue.

She then picked up a dry cloth that had been prepared beforehand and began to wring out the Second Master's hair.

While they were getting their hair cut, perhaps the Second Master was too tired, or perhaps Yunying was captivated by the man's beauty, and also worried that speaking would reveal something, the two of them remained silent, letting the strong wind make everything in the courtyard rattle and clatter.

Second Master's hair was jet black and smooth, a thick, heavy clump in his hand. Yunying didn't know how long it took before she could finally manage to wring Second Master's hair dry.

It had been too long, and when Yunying turned to face the Second Master, she found that his eyes were closed and he had fallen asleep at some point.

This stumped Yunying.

She promised to shave Second Master's beard, so are you still going to do it?
Yunying stood there for a while, but the Second Master showed no signs of waking up. She wanted to wake him up, but then she remembered that he would be leaving for Wutou Mountain as soon as it was light, and he wouldn't be able to sleep for more than two hours.

Yunying ultimately failed to awaken the Second Master.

She turned and went to the Second Master's room, took out a quilt, and draped it over him.

Whether it was because her movements were too loud, or because the Second Master was already awakened from his sleep, or because the Second Master had not slept soundly at all, when Yun Ying made this move, her hand was undoubtedly grabbed by the Second Master.

Second Master's eyes were clear, showing no sign of sleepiness.

He didn't say anything, just held Yunying's wrist. Yunying tried to pull away, but couldn't. She laughed, thinking that the Second Master must be half asleep.

"Second Master, it's me."

The second master released her hand. "I knew it was you."

Even knowing it's me, why are you still holding onto me?
The thought crossed Yunying's mind, but she didn't say it aloud. She looked at the Second Master, who frowned at the brocade quilt covering him. "I just fell asleep."

Yunying chuckled, "I don't know... Do I still need to shave your beard? Or should you do it yourself when you wake up in the morning?"

"You shave me, I'm too lazy to move."

Yunying hadn't expected the Second Master to say something so lazy. But thinking about it carefully, this was the Second Master she knew.

Yunying then laboriously lifted the brocade quilt, allowing the Second Master to sit up slightly. She then leaned closer, gesturing as to how to proceed.

Second Master remained unmoved, as if the knife about to be brought to his eyelids didn't exist.

He remained calm and composed, while Yunying seemed at a loss for what to do.

I had a feeling that no matter which angle I attacked from, I might draw blood on Second Master's sharply defined face. Besides, we were so close, we could count the number of eyelashes on each other's eyelids, and their breaths were almost touching. This distance was too close.

Yunying hesitated, "Second Master, why don't you do it yourself?"

The second master looked at her and seemed to see her embarrassment, but this time he did not indulge her. He simply repeated in a hoarse voice, "Too sleepy, don't want to move."

Yunying held the knife in one hand and gently pressed the Second Master's cheek with the other, applying pressure little by little.

The black stubble was shaved off, revealing slightly bluish skin.

Yunying's hands were both steady and trembling.

Finally, she couldn't help but stop and looked at the second master, saying, "Close your eyes and don't look at me. Otherwise, if I mess up your face, don't cry."

The second master laughed, his chest heaving, but in the end he gave in to her wishes and stopped staring at her so fiercely.