Union

Chapter 57 has a strong aftereffect.

One person knelt, and the rest of the people followed suit. In just a short while, everyone except Yunying and the other two who were still standing was kneeling on the ground.

Second Master might be recognized, after all, when he came to inspect, it was during a drought in Qiantang Village. It was also the grain-filling stage of the late rice, and the people were busy carrying water and fertilizing, all gathered in the fields.

As he inspected the area, only the village head and his family knew who he was; the rest of the people were completely unaware. Even when they bumped into each other on the road, the people hurried past, having no time to be curious about anything else.

However, it seems that after he left, the village head must have told the people about this, otherwise the people wouldn't have recognized him so immediately.

With the county magistrate's identity exposed, Second Master could no longer maintain his aloof demeanor. He immediately became approachable, inquiring about the village head's situation, and was then welcomed inside amidst the Wang Shouheng family's apprehension and trepidation.

At this point, even more people gathered outside the gate, calling out to their friends and family, and some even went to other villages to spread the news.

Second Master didn't care about these things. After exchanging pleasantries with the village head, he looked at Yunying.

Yunying had just found an opportunity to walk aside and exchange a few words with Wang Shouren and his wife.

The aunt kept saying that she never expected Yunying to be the magistrate's maid. She also said that it was no wonder that Yunying was so beautiful and kind-hearted; she was from a big place and had been educated by the magistrate. She was truly remarkable.

Yunying blushed as she listened, and it took her several attempts to interrupt her aunt's praise.

She also explained the purpose of her visit to Wang Shouren and his wife.

When the couple learned that the magistrate had come for their grandfather's letter, they were both so excited that they could not speak.

But once they calmed down, disappointment welled up in their eyes. Seeing this, Yunying knew that Second Master had probably come for nothing.

But she didn't want to talk to the Second Master, so when the Second Master looked over, she called Uncle Shouheng over to answer.

It was from Uncle Shouheng that Yunying learned that the patriarch of the Wang family had served as the head of the Water Department during the reign of the late emperor, and was ordered to manage the Yellow River.

However, controlling the Yellow River floods is not a task that can be accomplished in a day. The old man took office in late spring and early summer. In the middle of summer that year, torrential rains fell for five days and nights, causing the Yellow River to overflow and flood the farmland and people on both banks. The scene was too tragic to bear.

To silence public opinion, the late emperor dismissed the old official from his post and exiled him. The place of exile was this so-called Lingnan Prefecture, Yungui County.

After arriving in Yungui County, the old man performed his labor service while inspecting the river during his work hours. At night, he would write, putting all his lifelong learning into words on paper.

However, due to the excessive physical strain of his labor service, his depression and frustration, and his guilt over the deaths of the people in the Yellow River flood, the old man was restless day and night. He passed away only three years after arriving in Yungui County.

Upon hearing this, the Second Master frowned even more deeply. "Besides that letter, is the old master sure there are no other pieces of paper and ink in existence?"

Mr. and Mrs. Wang shook their heads in unison, "There really aren't any left."

Second Master asked again, "Is there anyone in the family who studied under the old master and learned even a little bit of water management skills?"

Mr. and Mrs. Wang shook their heads again, Wang Shouheng's expression becoming even more somber and wistful. "My father and uncles learned a bit, but because of my grandfather's mistake, the whole family was exiled. Life in Yungui County was hard, and we couldn't even afford three meals a day. My father and uncles were forced to work themselves to the bone to make a living, and they died young."

Because of the hardship and lack of medical care, several of his cousins ​​did not survive. Even his own brother died from a high fever.

He was the only one left in the entire Wang family. He was lucky enough to recognize a few characters, but he didn't have the ability to learn the skill of flood control.

At this point in his speech, Wang Shouheng seemed to recall the tragic deaths of his relatives and could no longer hold back his sobs.

The Second Master's brows were now furrowed into a knot.

……

Having made a wasted trip, Second Master returned home looking troubled and in a very bad mood.

Yunying remained seated outside, not daring to bother the Second Master inside the carriage.

If she were the Second Master, her feelings at this moment would definitely be very complicated.

They had hoped to find a capable person to manage the chaotic waterways of Yungui County, but it turned out that person had already passed away, and apart from that handwritten note, no other knowledge or writings had been left in the world, nor had anyone inherited his skills...

Speaking of how much the Second Master values ​​his manuscripts, we have to mention Yun Gui's predicament.

Yungui County is located in the south, so water resources are naturally plentiful. However, the rivers are silted up and difficult to manage, and their distribution is uneven. During rainy weather, some areas inevitably experience flooding; while if it doesn't rain for more than a month, other areas will suffer from drought.

In addition, the land here is barren and mountainous, resulting in insufficient arable land and extremely low grain yields.

People work hard all year round, but they can't even afford a proper meal, and sometimes they can't even afford porridge.

This was only because Magistrate Fan did not increase various exorbitant taxes and levies to enslave the people during his tenure in Yungui County; otherwise, the people's lives would probably have been even more miserable.

Second Master went to take up his post in Yungui County with the intention of making a name for himself.

Having eliminated the evils of Yungui County, the most important thing to do next is to improve people's lives, that is, to make people's lives better.

Her birthday gift inspired the Second Master, who probably wanted to start by managing the waterways. Unfortunately, Master Wang had long since passed away and had no successor... The Second Master was currently very frustrated and irritable, so she should stay away from him to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

The road back to the city remained quiet, and by the time they entered Yungui County, it was already dusk.

After a long day of travel, they were able to have lunch at Uncle Shouheng's house because they couldn't refuse his hospitality. However, most people in the village are poor, and Yunying didn't dare to eat much of their food. She only ate a few bites and pretended to be full.

Her stomach was growling with hunger, and she wished she could just swallow a whole cow whole.

Sui Yun had obviously heard the sound coming from Yun Ying's stomach, and looked over in surprise.

Yunying didn't feel ashamed at all, so she whispered to him, "I didn't eat enough at noon."

Sui Yun nodded slightly. "I saw you put the purse you were carrying into the baby's swaddling clothes."

The baby that Sui Yun mentioned was the child who survived the ordeal. Now, less than two months old, he is no longer the small and frail baby he was at birth, thanks to the devoted care of his family.

The child's mother held her and came to see Yunying, her savior, in person.

Yunying felt bad that they had slaughtered chickens and ducks to treat them, and she would feel bad if she didn't give them something in return. She also genuinely liked the little baby who smiled whenever he saw her, so she secretly slipped the purse into the baby's swaddling clothes when the child's mother wasn't looking.

But there was nothing valuable in the purse; the most valuable item was only two taels of silver, which could be considered a small gift for the child.

Upon hearing Yunying's words, Suiyun replied, "Second Master also instructed me to give him silver, which I put in the table hole at that house."

It's called a table hole, but it's more accurate to call it a tree hole.

Because the Wang family was poor and couldn't afford a table, they used a large tree root as their dining table. Over the years, the children dug holes in the root, which became what they called "table holes."

Yunying wanted to laugh at the thought of that scene, but just then, the Second Master, sitting in the carriage, instructed Suiyun: "Stop at Yuelai Restaurant for a while, and we'll go back to the mansion after dinner."

Sui Yun immediately replied "Yes," and the carriage then traveled for a short while before stopping at its destination.

As dusk settled, the streets remained dark except for the Yuelai Restaurant, which had its lights on while all other shops had closed.

Upon seeing the carriage approaching, the waiter eagerly came forward. The waiter must have recognized Suiyun, as he bowed even lower than usual.

Yunying and Suiyun followed the Second Master into the restaurant. As soon as they entered, Yunying felt an itch in her nose and couldn't help but sneeze.

Looking up, Yunying saw that the Second Master had turned around and was looking down at her.

The candlelight was dim, and the Second Master blocked the light in front of him, so Yunying could not see the expression in his eyes.

But Yunying still remembered that the Second Master was in a bad mood, and she was worried that he would vent his anger on her because of her sneeze, so she quickly said, "This servant just couldn't help it for a moment, and I won't lose my composure again. Second Master, aren't you hungry? Let's go upstairs quickly."

Second Master: "..."

The second master's eyes were brimming with emotion, but in the end he said nothing. He simply turned around and went upstairs under the innkeeper's attentive guidance.

Even though he hadn't said anything, Yunying could still sense a hint of resentment in his tall, straight back.

In an instant, Yunying couldn't help but think that the effects of that handbook were too great. If she had known, she wouldn't have given that book to the Second Master as a birthday gift.

But there's no going back, and no going back.

Yunying could only awkwardly touch her nose and follow Suiyun upstairs.

Whether it was because the Second Master was still thinking about the manuscript, or because the dishes at Yuelai Restaurant were simply unpalatable to him, it is unclear.

Just like at noon, Second Master only took a couple of bites of food before drinking his tea.

Yunying wanted to serve the Second Master his meal, but he had already refused her once before, only telling her to sit and eat in peace. Now, Yunying dared not move. She could only hurry up and fill her stomach, fearing that if she kept the Second Master waiting too long, he would become impatient.

When Yunying finally left the Yuelai Restaurant, she was full and her face was flushed. In contrast, the Second Master's expression remained cold and indifferent, making it impossible to discern whether he was happy or angry.

By the time they returned to the county government office, it was already completely dark.

He Sui met Yun Ying at the door and happily followed her back to the backyard.

Along the way, the ears of rice chirped and twittered, like baby swallows that had just seen their mother return.

Although this description is not quite accurate, it is indeed the case.

He Sui was annoyed that she hadn't come out with Yun Ying to see Aunt Ding off today, which meant she couldn't go out with Yun Ying. She also told Yun Ying that she had been bothered by Mu Jin and Qiu Ning countless times today, and if she hadn't had to go out to wait for Yun Ying, she would have locked herself in the house and never come out.

(End of this chapter)