Union

Chapter 94 I was tricked

The group stayed in Houtang Village until late afternoon before returning home.

After having lunch with Mr. Lu, Second Master went to Crescent Moon Pond with the village head, leaving Yunying at the village head's house to wait.

Seemingly concerned for Yunying's safety, the Second Master even stayed behind to accompany her.

Then, under Sui Yun's astonished gaze, Yun Ying naturally and smoothly blended into the everyday chatter of the group of women and old ladies.

She doesn't talk much, but she has a knack for making people feel like she's a confidante, and they wish they could tell her everything they know.

Of course, her good looks play a significant role in her charm.

Regardless, Yunying gleaned a wealth of information from the chatter of the villagers of Houtang. This information was far more abundant and comprehensive than what the old woman from the village head's family had previously told her.

Thus, Yunying, without making a sound, thoroughly investigated the Lu family's affairs.

This skill was something that Suiyun admired immensely.

As the group set off back to the county town, Suiyun took advantage of the moment when Second Master and Mr. Lu were saying goodbye to each other and leaned close to Yunying to ask, "Didn't you hate socializing? How come you're getting along so well with everyone here?"

Yunying looked suspicious. "When did I ever dislike socializing?"

She thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Are you implying that I rarely go out while working in the county government office and don't interact with people very much?"

Sui Yun nodded, "Isn't that just a dislike for socializing?"

“That’s really not it.” Yunying laughed. “I’m not a eccentric person with a withdrawn personality, so why would I want to stay alone all the time? It’s just that those people are too cunning for me to handle, so I always act cold and indifferent, not very enthusiastic.”

Sui Yun pondered, "Second Master is also very shrewd. Is it because you're worried about not being able to handle him that you don't want to be with him?"

Yunying looked shocked.

Yunying felt like she was about to shatter.

How did the conversation turn to Second Master?

She doesn't get along well with the Second Master because she really doesn't want to be a concubine. It's not because the Second Master is cunning.

Suiyun, what's wrong with you?
Why are you concerned about these things?

Why are you putting a label on me?

Sui Yun nodded slightly. "I understand."

Yunying reached out her hand, trying to stop Suiyun from leaving.

You should explain yourself clearly. What exactly have you figured out?

Yunying looked at the Second Master again, only to see that he had already said goodbye to Mr. Lu at some point and was now standing leisurely not far away, watching her.

Suiyun walked to the Second Master's side and whispered a few words to him. Yunying immediately felt that Suiyun must have told the Second Master about their conversation.

The second master's eyes looked strange.

But Yunying truly felt wronged.

She didn't think the Second Master was cunning.

She didn't think the Second Master was cunning... Well, whether the Second Master was cunning or not, he didn't use his cunning on her, so that really wasn't the reason she chose to distance herself from him.

Yunying was still confused when the Second Master called her to get into the carriage.

She responded and walked forward hesitantly. Just as she passed by the Second Master, Yunying couldn't help but defend herself, "Second Master, I really don't think you're cunning."

"What?" The Second Master looked down at her. "Shrewd and calculating? What do you mean by that?"

Yunying's heart skipped a beat. Instead of answering the Second Master's question, she asked him, "Second Master... what did Suiyun say to you just now?"

The second master looked at her with deep eyes, "She said you did a great job today, and you found out most of the Lu family's background."

"that's it?"

"that's it."

Yunying revealed a look of utter despair.

She had actually been tricked by Sui Yun.

She looked at Suiyun, who had already mounted his horse and was now looking down at her.

If you look closely, you can see that the corners of his mouth are slightly upturned, and there is a faint smile in his eyes.

Yunying's expression froze.

When did she offend Suiyun? How could Suiyun treat her like this?

Second Master asked again, "So, what exactly does 'having many cunning thoughts' mean?"

Yunying was on the verge of tears. "Second Master, would you believe me if I said it meant nothing?"

……

On the way back to the city, the Second Master did not ride a horse, but sat in a carriage with Yunying.

As Yunying recalled what she had found out, she told the Second Master the details of the information.

She didn't add any subjective judgments or her own emotions to the narrative; she simply and objectively recounted the events concerning the Lu family.

Second Master listened attentively, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

But from his overly calm expression, Yunying guessed that the Second Master must have overheard her words and would definitely send someone to investigate the Lu family afterwards.

This matter is extremely important.

If artificial pearl cultivation can truly succeed, it will be a monumental achievement. Leaving aside how much this will contribute to the Second Master's career, if it is successful, this skill alone can lift the people of Yungui County out of poverty and completely remove the label of being a poor and barren place.

However, if artificial pearl cultivation is a stolen secret technique, then the family that possesses such a technique must be a wealthy and powerful family.

This does not mean that if the technology belongs to someone else, Second Master will not use it.

not really!

As long as it greatly benefits the people's livelihood, Second Master will definitely continue to use it.

However, before using it, you must be fully prepared and have solid evidence to hold the other party accountable, so that even if the other party firmly believes that they are "stealing secrets", they will not dare to act rashly.

Yunying finished speaking quickly and then fell silent again.

The second master did not express his opinion, but his eyes were deep and dark, clearly indicating that he had already been scheming for some time.

Yunying was worried that sitting quietly like this would be too awkward, so she took the tea from Liu'er and poured tea for the Second Master herself.

Liu'er was deprived of her job, so she could only try to shrink her figure and hide in the corner of the carriage.

That being said, she was also somewhat afraid of the Second Master.

The second master drank his tea and sat quietly, pondering his matters.

Because his attention wasn't on Yunying, Yunying wasn't as worried.

She quickly relaxed, and her expression became calm and peaceful.

The carriage quickly entered the city and soon arrived at the county government office.

Yunying followed behind the Second Master, watching him walk into the front yard, and then prepared to take Liu'er to the back yard.

It was at this moment that the Second Master spoke up, "Yun Ying, come here for a moment."

Yunying was stunned for a moment, then braced herself and followed him until they reached the Second Master's study.

Yunying hadn't been to Second Master's study for almost two or three months, but Second Master's study remained the same.

The wall still has rows of bookshelves, and a large huanghuali wood table sits under the window; in the corner between the table and the wall is a large blue and white plum blossom painted jar.

The painting scroll that Second Master's rascal friend in the capital sent him is now kept in this painting jar.

Behind the door, there was an hourglass, and next to it was a cloisonné three-legged elephant trunk incense burner.

At this moment, wisps of smoke were rising from the incense burner, filling the study with the elegant and pure fragrance of sandalwood.

The second master stood beside the bookshelf and took out many booklets from it.

His tall, slender back exuded a powerful aura.

Yunying felt her heart pounding like a drum just by looking at her.

She stood at the doorway, not daring to take another step forward.

After finding his things, the second master turned to look at her and asked, "What are you still doing standing at the door?"

He suddenly spoke up, "Suiyun is guarding outside, so you don't need to guard the door for him. Come in and check these booklets."

Yunying snapped out of her daze and mechanically repeated Second Master's words, "Accounting booklet...accounting for what booklet?"

Second Master said unhurriedly, "The previous field measurement has been completed. You can check the specific data."

Yunying's confused mind finally cleared up.

Accounting data?

Did she agree to this beforehand?
It seems she only promised the Second Master that she would go with him to measure the fields?
But so much time has passed that she has completely forgotten what she said back then.

As Yunying pondered to herself, the Second Master asked again, "Can you do this?"

"I think so," Yunying replied absentmindedly.

But before she could finish speaking, Yunying suddenly became alert.

It's understandable that a beautiful woman raised on a farm since childhood would know how to do mental arithmetic, but is it plausible that she could also calculate the area of ​​farmland?
It's important to understand that land calculation today is a very complex undertaking. It involves length, width, and the application of formulas from the "Nine Chapters on Land Calculation," things that even well-read scholars often don't know.

Yunying said she could, but isn't she just undermining herself?
She quickly changed her mind, "No, no... I probably won't."

The second master's eyes pierced through the air. "So, does he know how, or doesn't he?"

Yunying turned her face away, no longer looking directly at the Second Master's face. His face was too alluring to her; just looking at him made her thoughts uncontrollably become tainted.

Yunying said, "The old women in the manor didn't teach me in detail, but I've read a lot of miscellaneous books before, some of which talked about how to measure area. I learned some in my spare time, and I feel... it's not too difficult."

"So you've learned it?"

"Maybe."

"Then come over and have your calculations done."

Yunying braced herself and sat down in the seat she had sat in before.

Her armchair remained in its original spot, with even the cushions neatly and securely covering the seat.

The cushion seemed so out of place in the solemn study, yet it remained unmoved, which made Yunying feel dazed. She sat down, and the Second Master casually handed her a booklet.

The exact area of ​​each plot of land for each household has already been calculated in this book. However, it has only been calculated and has not yet been reviewed and corrected. This is the task that Second Master has assigned to her.

Yunying opened the booklet, and Second Master had also ground the ink and pushed the inkstone in front of her.

Yunying was skilled in mental arithmetic, so she didn't need to write down simple addition and subtraction data.

However, calculating acreage is not as simple as just addition and subtraction; it involves unit conversions and basic multiplication. Most importantly, as a self-taught novice, Yunying is undoubtedly quite inexperienced in calculating acreage. If she could determine the accuracy of the data in the booklet without writing out the calculations, it would make her background seem highly questionable.

Not wanting to give herself away, Yunying pretended to be a novice and painstakingly wrote out the first three steps. She quickly obtained the data she wanted, and since it matched the data in the booklet, Yunying happily circled it.

She was about to continue the calculations when the Second Master spoke again, "You've indeed learned very well. But..."

Yunying's heart skipped a beat, thinking that the Second Master had seen through something, and her body immediately tensed up. "But what?"

"There's just a simpler formula."

Second Master took the paper and pen from Yunying and wrote a new formula on the paper with great flourish.

Yunying had studied the Nine Chapters carefully, so she was naturally familiar with this formula in the Nine Chapters.

However, this is an advanced formula for calculating the area of ​​farmland from the "Nine Chapters". Although it is simpler and more convenient, it is definitely not knowledge that a novice like her could understand by simply reading one or two books.

Yunying feigned ignorance, "Second Master, is this formula also used to calculate the area of ​​farmland?"

"Correct."

The second master then explained to Yunying in detail the origin of the formula and how to use it.

His deep, resonant voice was close to her ear, and his hot breath fell on Yunying's ear and cheek.

This moment was so unbearable that Yunying felt a pang of regret, regretting that she shouldn't have pretended to be stupid and should have used the simplest method to calculate the area.

But she didn't dare.

Therefore, she could only humbly accept the Second Master's teachings.

Fortunately, Yunying was very "clever". When the Second Master first asked her, "Have you learned it?", she nodded eagerly.

"I'll count as one for Second Master to see."

Yunying calculated quickly and wrote down her thoughts just as fast. In just a few breaths, she had actually used the new knowledge that her second master had taught her to calculate the area of ​​another acre of land.

The second master's eyes lit up with admiration, and he couldn't help but say, "You have quite the talent, what a pity..."

Unfortunately, the Second Master didn't say anything, and Yunying didn't ask any further questions.

What the Second Master regretted was that she hadn't met him earlier and didn't have a good family background. Otherwise, based solely on her talent in mathematics, she would have easily earned herself the title of "talented woman."

Yunying didn't speak, keeping her head down and silently studying the accounting books.

The small wolf-hair brush seemed to come alive in her hands; with casual strokes, a series of numbers poured out from the tip of her brush.

She was so skilled and so at ease, roaming freely in her familiar territory. She no longer hid her brilliance; she was so confident and charming.

The second master's eyes darkened further, and his throat involuntarily began to move up and down.

He clenched his fingers and pursed his lips. He reached out to touch her flowing hair, but in the end, he only said softly, "The light isn't good here. Come sit over there."

Yunying paused, and refused in a low voice, "It'll be fine once the lights are turned on. My eyesight is good, I can see clearly."

"Go sit down. I have some things to do and need to go to the county government office. You can calculate faster if you sit over there."

After saying this, the Second Master did not linger and turned to leave the study.

After he left, the study became even quieter.

Yunying's pen also came to a complete stop.

She turned her head to look behind her, but there was no longer any sign of the Second Master. Only the incense burner was silently emitting wisps of smoke.

Yunying ultimately did not sit in the Second Master's seat. She silently calculated, her pen moving swiftly, trying to calculate all the data as quickly as possible.

But considering that Yungui County is still a county seat, it has more than ten towns under its jurisdiction, and each town has one or two dozen villages, totaling more than three hundred administrative units.

Although Yungui County is mostly hilly and barren, with not much land actually suitable for cultivation, each household still has at least one or two acres of land, and each village has at least fifty or sixty households... The workload is truly terrifying to even think about.

Even if she doesn't eat or drink, she'll probably be busy for half a month.

As Yunying was pondering her thoughts, she followed Yun through the door.

Yunying heard a creaking sound and turned around. Suiyun then waved the tinderbox in his hand at her, saying, "Second Master asked me to light your lamp."

Yunying said, "Actually, it's okay to be a little late, it's not dark yet."

"Let's order it now, this is Second Master's order."

"Ok."

After a brief exchange, Suiyun lit all the candles in the room and then left.

Looking at the dazzling candlelight, Yunying struggled to pull her gaze away and tried to focus her attention on the booklet.

Finally, she began to focus intently on the calculations, turning page after page of the booklet. It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also seemed like only a moment, when there was movement coming from inside the room again.

"Take a break, you've had a long day. We can deal with the rest tomorrow."

Yunying looked in the direction the sound came from. Actually, she didn't need to look for it. She just looked up and saw the Second Master sitting in the opposite seat.

He had returned at some point and was now sitting in a chair, patiently flipping through a book.

Yunying vaguely remembered this book; it seemed to be a book sent to her by her second master's senior brother from the Northwest.

Yunying said "Oh" and began to tidy up the things on her desk.

The inkstone was pushed back to the Second Master's side, and the wolf-hair brush was rinsed clean with water and placed back on the brush holder.

The booklets that were half-calculated were placed to one side, while the uncalculated ones were placed in the corner of the table.

Once everything was in order, Yunying finally had time to look out the window.

It was already completely dark outside; she should go back.

Yunying said, "Second Master, I'll take my leave now and come back tomorrow."

Second Master grunted in agreement. "Go ahead."

Yunying turned and walked out, opened the door, and then closed it again.

After leaving the courtyard where the study was located, Liu'er picked him up, and they went back to the backyard together.

Liu'er glanced at the young lady's expression and asked curiously, "Miss, why aren't you dining with the Second Master?"

Liu'er said, "Second Master hasn't eaten yet."

"Second Master is busy, how can he have the mind to eat? Besides, I am just a steward, how can I overstep my bounds every day and eat the master's share of food?"

"But……"

Liu'er gritted her teeth and tried for a long time, but couldn't come up with anything.

Of course, she didn't say it aloud, but she was thinking to herself, "But in the past, whenever the young lady was busy in the front yard, she always ate in the front yard."

Moreover, the young lady always dined with the second master. Why didn't the young lady think of the word "overstepping the bounds" back then?

Liu'er was inwardly grumbling, but she dared not say these words aloud.

Although she was extremely puzzled, she could only talk to Sui'er about it. She wouldn't dare to say anything nonsense in front of Yun Ying.

Back in the backyard, Sui'er was already making a bed for Yunying.

When Sui'er heard Liu'er say that the young lady had not eaten yet, she was stunned for a long time.

According to her, the young lady went out with the second master again, and after returning to the mansion, she went directly to the study with the second master and stayed there for more than an hour. Isn't it obvious that the young lady and the second master have made up?
In fact, the news that the young lady and the second master had reconciled had already spread throughout the entire mansion.

Sui'er silently agreed that the young lady would have dinner at the Second Master's place before returning.

But the girl returned without having eaten.

Is it because they haven't completely reconciled, or is there another reason?

Sui'er couldn't ask Yunying directly, so she took advantage of the time when Yunying went to wash up to call Liu'er over, and the two whispered to each other for a while.

Then, having received the answer she wanted, Sui'er's round face was filled with distress.

Why is the girl acting all high and mighty?
What's with all this talk about overstepping boundaries? As long as the Second Master invites you to stay for a meal, and as long as the young lady is willing, who in this mansion would dare say that the young lady is overstepping her bounds?

Sui'er wanted to advise the girl not to be too pretentious, since a man's favor comes and goes quickly.

The smartest thing the girl could do was to take advantage of the fact that the Second Master still had feelings for her, try her best to hold onto him, and ideally have another son.

In this way, the girl's life is guaranteed, and she can even be promoted to concubine. Although she is a concubine, the original wife in the capital is unwilling to accompany the second master on his exile. So how is the girl any different from the first wife?
If a girl takes advantage of her youth and popularity to accumulate more weight, her life will be visibly smooth sailing.

The road was clearly a smooth path right in front of her, so why did the girl refuse to take it?
Sui'er was extremely worried. She used her clever little brain to think about what she could do to bring the young lady and the second master together.

However, thinking about the Second Master's character and the girl's bad temper, Sui'er quickly wilted again.

Let's just forget about it; she might make things worse.

After Yunying finished washing up, the food was served.

She had been busy and tired all day, and had spent half the afternoon calculating the area of ​​the fields. She should have been very hungry. Seeing the delicious-looking food, she should have had a great appetite and eaten more.

But in reality, she seemed to have something on her mind. She only ate half a bowl of rice before having all the dishes removed.

After dinner, Yunying strolled around the courtyard for a while before heading back to her room to rest.

Unexpectedly, when the maid went to lock the door, she happened to run into Qiu Ning returning from her walk.

Qiu Ning spotted Yun Ying in the middle of the courtyard at a glance. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed in in a few steps.

"Oh dear, you and Second Master have made up, haven't you? Oh dear, you'd better be nice to Second Master from now on, and you can't make him angry again."

Qiu Ning continued, "See? I told you long ago to go and apologize to Second Master, but you wouldn't listen. And look what happened! You don't care, but someone else does. Mu Jin taught you a lesson today, didn't she?"

"You know about Mu Jin's matter too?" Yun Ying asked Qiu Ning.

Speaking of this, Qiu Ning's eyes lit up even more, and she became very excited. "It's not just me who knows, everyone in our county government knows, okay?"

"Oh, what a cunning and scheming Mu Jin! I heard she dressed up specially today and even circled around the gate waiting for you, all so she could go with you to find the Second Master and then go out with you. But look what happened, the Second Master chased her back. Hahaha, Mu Jin lost face big time. She locked herself in the courtyard all day and I heard she didn't even step out of her room."

Two updates combined today! La la la la...

(End of this chapter)