Union

Chapter 69 It's all my fault
The next morning, there was movement in the yard again.

Yunying was worried that there were still guests she hadn't seen off, so she quickly got up when she heard the noise.

It was still dark, and the moon was still hanging in the western sky. But the backyard of the county government office had already awakened from its slumber, and the servants were all busy at work.

Yunying didn't go to the guest courtyard, but went directly to the carriage and horse courtyard.

Lei Ting was arranging manpower here, and when he saw Yun Ying coming over, he nodded slightly to her.

Yunying remained silent and listened for a while.

Seeing that Lei Ting had made perfect arrangements, not only had the gifts loaded into the car early, but he had also prepared pastries, cakes, and some soup for people to take and eat on the road.

She then left the carriage and horse courtyard feeling reassured.

After leaving the carriage courtyard, Yunying prepared to take a look at the guest courtyard.

If the guest house doesn't need her to make any arrangements, she's prepared to just give up and go back to sleeping.

Unexpectedly, they had only gone halfway when they encountered the Second Master leading the old men and gentry who were staying overnight out of the guest house.

She glanced at the faces behind the Second Master; these were all people Yun Ying had personally arranged, so she naturally remembered them all.

And those old people certainly had memories of Yunying.

When they first arrived at the county government office, it was this beautiful young woman who greeted them, arranged housing for them, and treated them to hot soup and rice.

The same girl showed no annoyance or disgust at the endless jokes they made; on the contrary, she was very caring and considerate.

She arranged for them to receive medical treatment and medication, and even comforted them kindly.

The elderly may be ignorant and timid, but when they see a beautiful and kind-hearted girl who is like their own granddaughter, they feel a deep sense of closeness from the bottom of their hearts.

Furthermore, since Yunying had always been in charge of the overall situation and managed all the affairs in the courtyard, they assumed that she was the mistress of the backyard.

The elders then vied to speak well of Yunying, saying, "The master is so fortunate. His wife is kind and considerate; she will surely be a virtuous helpmate to him."

"Your wife is virtuous; we will certainly praise her widely when we return to our hometown."

"The gentleman and his wife are a perfect match, living in harmony and mutual respect."

Yunying was about to bow to the Second Master when she suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Who is the lady?
Are you referring to her?
Yunying's fair and delicate face suddenly turned completely red. She didn't dare to look at the Second Master's expression and quickly stood up straight to defend herself, "Gentlemen, you've misunderstood. I'm not the master's..."

"My lord, the carriages and horses are ready, we can depart now." Lei Ting suddenly stepped forward, interrupting Yun Ying before she could finish speaking.

Second Master grunted in response, seemingly unaware of what Yunying had said earlier. He simply turned back and looked gently at the elderly people behind him, earnestly instructing them to be careful on their journey and to invite them to the banquet next year.

The attention of the local gentry and elders was completely diverted, and for a moment no one cared what Yunying was going to say in response.

Seeing this, Yunying lowered her head, trying to retreat to the backyard unnoticed.

Unbeknownst to her, the Second Master had been watching her closely. Seeing her move to the side, he called out to her first, "Come on, come with me to see them off."

The elders and gentry still misunderstood Yunying's identity, thinking she was only the wife of the county magistrate.

The fact that the magistrate was going to see them off was already enough to make them feel extremely apprehensive; how could they possibly ask the magistrate's wife to come out with them?
They were just old people with half their necks buried in the ground, who had been dirt poor all their lives and had no knowledge or skills.

They wouldn't dare argue if you called them lowly people.

How could they, so lowly as they are, dare to be seen off by such a noble lady?
Everyone quickly declined, saying, "Madam, please go ahead with your business. We'll go on our own."

"Please wait, sir. You are busy with official duties, so please go ahead with your business. We have guards to escort you, so you don't need to worry about us."

"Sir, Madam, please wait, please wait."

Naturally, they couldn't stay any longer. In the end, Yunying could only silently follow behind the Second Master, seeing off these elders and gentry one by one onto the carriage.

Once all the carriages and horses had set off, the area outside the county government office quieted down again, and the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Seeing that the Second Master was staring in the direction the carriages had left, Yunying asked him, "Are you really going to continue hosting the Thousand Elders Banquet next year?"

"A banquet for a thousand elders?" The second master turned to look at her. "You flatter me. What I've put together is more like a banquet for a hundred elders than a banquet for a thousand elders."

Yunying chuckled at Second Master's teasing. "Whether it's a banquet for a hundred or a banquet for a thousand, as long as your original intention for holding the banquet hasn't changed, then there's no difference. Even if there is a difference, it's only in terms of time. Perhaps in another ten or twenty years, when Yungui County is thriving and the elderly have something to rely on, we can really hold a banquet for a thousand. That would be a great achievement for Second Master."

The second master's gaze as he looked at her was more profound than ever before.

She understood the deeper meaning behind his hosting of the centenarian banquet, which didn't surprise him.

After all, in his eyes, she was such an intelligent and outstanding woman. However, "Putting aside the question of merit, according to your words, do you mean I'm going to stay in Yun Gui County for one or two decades?"

Yunying was stunned. Did her words just now have such a hidden meaning?
She quickly explained, "That's not what I meant."

Before she could finish explaining, the Second Master continued, "If Yun Gui County could be under my rule, the people would not pick up lost items on the road, and every household would have surplus grain. The people would not have to suffer from extreme cold and poverty, and every family would be able to support their children's education and progress... If that were truly the case, what would it matter if I stayed in Yun Gui County for one or two decades?"

The Second Master looked at Yun Ying with deep, bright eyes and said, word by word, "This is a feat that will last for generations, and I am willing to go."

His hot breath sprayed onto her fair cheeks. At such close range, Yunying could even count the number of eyelashes on the Second Master's face.

She stared at the spirited, ambitious man before her. He was radiant and dashing; he didn't speak with grand pronouncements, but the few words he uttered so simply moved her deeply. At that moment, her heart pounded faster than ever before.

She was so close that she had to reach out and cover her chest, worried that she might faint from palpitations at any moment.

She stared blankly at the refined and elegant face before her, unable to come to her senses. It was the Second Master who noticed her clutching her chest and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's wrong? Have you been working too hard these past few days? Is your body unable to take it?"

After regaining her senses, Yunying turned her head away in a flustered manner, refusing to look at the Second Master's concerned expression.

She coughed lightly, and only after the palpitation subsided did she reply, "No, it's probably because it's too cold, and I inhaled too much cold air into my lungs, so I feel a little cold."

Second Master clearly didn't believe her story.

If it were cold, she would be shivering, or like when she was first seen, she would be hiding her head with only the upper half of her face showing.

But she was clearly clutching her heart just now.

The second master didn't expose her insincerity, but simply took off his cloak to put it on her.

"Wear something warmer next time you go out. The New Year is coming soon, and the county government can't do without you. Please take good care of yourself."

The second master's tone held a hint of teasing, which made Yunying recall the words of the old men and gentry from earlier. Her face flushed again; she wanted to explain, but found herself at a loss for words.

Besides, since the Second Master doesn't mention it anymore, if she brings it up on purpose, it will seem like she cares about it a lot.

Yunying then skipped over the matter.

But we can leave that misunderstanding behind, and we can't afford to create a new one right now.

This is in front of the county government office. If she were to wear the Second Master's cloak, who knows what kind of rumors would spread.

In fact, Yunying's worries were completely unnecessary.

After all, the rumors had already spread throughout the mansion and beyond. Even if she believed that she and the Second Master were innocent, what good would it do?
The common people only believe what they hear and see.

Yunying was the Second Master's bedmate, a fact that was already an open secret among everyone.

Yunying refused twice, but in the end she couldn't resist the Second Master's insistence.

She reached out to untie the sash, but the Second Master said, "Just wear it like this. We have nothing to do right now, so come with me for a stroll in the city."

Yunying paused, "Shall we go for a stroll in the city?"

"Yes, it's almost the end of the year, and the streets have become more lively lately, but there have also been some disturbances. Come with me to the streets and take a look. If there's anything the household is lacking or missing, you can take this opportunity to buy it back."

Is this an invitation for her to travel incognito, or an invitation for her to go shopping?

But whether it was traveling incognito or strolling around town, Yunying shamelessly fell for him.

She didn't refuse anymore, and wearing the Second Master's cloak, she walked beside him and followed him onto the street.

It was already broad daylight, and you could see many vendors setting up their stalls as you walked down the street.

Perhaps because it was near the end of the year, the county was much busier than usual. Even though it was early morning, there were still quite a few pedestrians on the street.

Many elderly women, men, or pretty young wives would call out their wares as soon as they saw customers walking by.

"Wontons, delicious shrimp wontons, piping hot wontons."

"Big meat buns, vegetarian buns, freshly steamed hot buns..."

"We have freshly made maltose; if it's not sweet, you don't have to pay!"

"Baked flatbread, selling baked flatbread..."

"Peach wood charms and couplets, a set only costs three coins..."

The marketplace was filled with the warmth and life of everyday people. As Yunying walked through it, she gradually forgot her embarrassment and troubles, and instead became very interested.

But she only ate a few pastries last night to fill her stomach, and she got up very early this morning to work. Her stomach was empty, and now when she heard the food vendors and smelled the aroma of the food, she shamefully wanted to drool. Her stomach was growling with hunger.

Second Master laughed out loud, "Are you hungry?"

Yunying blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.

But what's there to be embarrassed about?

Life is nothing more than eating and drinking.

She frankly said, "It's not just that I'm hungry, I'm so hungry that I want to eat everything on every food stall. But it's not my fault, as you know, I haven't eaten much since last night."

The second master looked at her, and she felt even more wronged.

"I'm too busy, so busy that I don't even have time to eat. If this continues, I might really ruin my stomach from hunger."

Second Master's face was full of sincere apology. "It's all my fault, I've made you go through all this trouble. So, as punishment, I'll treat you to breakfast and buy you a portion of everything you just looked at. How about that?"

Two updates today, will fix bugs later.

(End of this chapter)