Chapter 324 Master Yu's Wife

The main road in Dahe Village was extremely lively.

The most eye-catching were Master Yu and that beautiful young woman.

Master Yu is in his early forties and has a beard, so he looks rather old.

However, this beautiful young woman, who looked to be in her twenties, had a son and a daughter with her. The son was about ten years old, and the daughter was only five or six years old. They were clinging to Master Yu's leg and calling him "Daddy." The two children were crying very sadly.

The villagers were stunned.

"My goodness, Master Yu's wife is so young, she's at most twenty-eight!"

"Calling her 'old woman' is too vulgar. She should be called Madam Yu. She's beautiful and has an air of elegance. She must be a noblewoman from a wealthy family."

"These two children are so beautiful, they look like lucky babies from New Year paintings."

"..."

Surrounded by villagers, Master Yu felt extremely embarrassed.

He quickly pushed his wife away, coughed, and said, "Mind your manners. Don't pull or shove each other in public..."

The beautiful woman cried and sobbed, "Then we'll stop arguing when we get to your place. Come on, take me and the children to your room."

Master Yu cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd, then, holding his wife's hand in one hand and his child's in the other, quickly disappeared down the road.

Everyone was celebrating the reunion.

Only He Xiao stood alone by the snowdrift.

"Master." Zhao Sidan walked over with a grin, "Your family knows how capable you are and that nothing will happen to you, so they haven't come looking for you. Don't be sad."

Some of the women in the vicinity also offered words of comfort.

"Yes, Master He is a master. You will be fine even if something happens to anyone else."

“If your family knows you’re doing well, they naturally won’t be waiting here.”

"Master He, how about I introduce you to a wife? Even if your family doesn't care, there are plenty of wives and children who do..."

He Xiao's name in the village is Xiao He. Because calling him Master Xiao sounds like calling him Little Master, the village head felt it was very disrespectful, so everyone called him Master He.

Master He will be twenty-seven after the New Year, and he is still single. Naturally, some women in the village who like to act as matchmakers are eager to try their luck.

“I have a niece on my family’s side, she’s the perfect match for you.”

“There’s a very good girl in our village, eighteen years old, a real workhorse, Master He, you’ve met her before…”

He Xiao's head suddenly felt like it was going to explode: "I have something to do, I'll take my leave now."

He turned and fled in panic.

Cheng Wanwan couldn't help but chuckle. That's just how the villagers are; they always have inexhaustible enthusiasm.

She walked to the roadside and said gently, "Everyone has worked hard to help. I had someone make ginger soup. Please drink the ginger soup before you go."

Both villagers and outsiders had worked all day in the cold wind, and it was easy to get sick if they didn't drink some ginger soup.

Several large pots in her house were simmering ginger soup, with a strong old ginger flavor. Drinking a bowl of it made her feel completely comfortable.

By this time it was already quite dark. The people who had helped clear the way had finished their ginger soup and dispersed, leaving only the Shen family in the courtyard.

Magistrate Shen stood under the eaves, holding a bowl in his hand. He dared not look directly at her, only glancing at Cheng Wanwan's busy figure out of the corner of his eye.

He has insisted on staying until now, firstly because it is his duty as an official, and secondly because he wants to see with his own eyes whether Lady Sui is doing well.

"Dad, go on!" Shen Zheng gestured with his lip. "You don't come for ten days or half a month at a time, and when you do come, you act all sullen and difficult. With your attitude, when will you ever win Aunt Zhao's favor? Hurry up and go over there!"

Shen Zheng reached out and pushed.

Caught off guard, Magistrate Shen nearly bumped his head into the door.

Cheng Wanwan was clearing away the dishes when she was startled and quickly asked, "Sir, are you alright?"

“It’s alright.” Magistrate Shen straightened up. “Ahem, I’m here waiting for Village Chief Zhao. He… he said he has something important to report.”

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Shen felt an urge to slap himself across the face.

Serious matters can be discussed at any time, but this is the only opportunity to speak alone with Lady Sui.

He was about to change his tune and explain.

The village headman hurried over: "Sir, it's good that you didn't leave. I need to explain this matter to you as soon as possible."

In a village full of gossips, coal mining news can easily spread in various versions. The county magistrate must not hear about the illegal coal mining from others; he must report it himself. Master Yu said that this is called "bearing thorns to plead guilty," which means that one should confess and be treated leniently.

Cheng Wanwan nodded: "Let's go inside and talk on the kang (heated brick bed)."

She walked to Zhao Sidan's room, where the kang (a heated brick bed) was meant for men to sit on.

The county magistrate and the village head were sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), while she sat on a chair next to them. The whole room was warm after the kang was heated, so she didn't feel cold sitting on the chair.

“Our village almost froze to death.” The village head began to describe the situation in Dahe Village. “But on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the low hill behind the village suddenly caught fire. My wife and I went up the hill and saw a lot of black stones. Master Yu and Master He said that these black stones are called black gold stones, which are called coal in the local area, and they can burn.”

He took out a piece of raw coal and placed it on the table.

Magistrate Shen was a well-traveled man who would go to the capital every three years to report on his duties, so he had naturally seen this thing before.

He was somewhat stunned: "Isn't this something that only grows in the north? How come Dahe Village has it too?"

"So it's truly a blessing from Heaven for our Dahe Village!" the village head exclaimed. "Dahe Village is blessed with continuous good fortune; Heaven has taken pity on us and sent us coal. Because of this, every household can keep warm, and we've managed to get through this bitter winter. My lord, I know that black gold stone belongs to the imperial court, and it's forbidden for ordinary people to mine it privately... but I still took it upon myself to mine a lot. I will bear all the blame myself, and I beg you, sir, not to hold the other villagers responsible!"

The village head knelt down with a thud.

"Village Head Zhao, please rise!" Magistrate Shen personally helped him up. "If it weren't for Village Head Zhao's profound understanding of righteousness, people in Dahe Village would surely have frozen to death or suffered frostbite. Compared to human lives, coal is insignificant. Coal is used by the imperial court for smelting iron and other materials, and it can burn day and night. The discovery of this substance in Dahe Village is a blessing for the village! I must report this matter to the Prefect as soon as possible! Village Head Zhao, you can expect a reward!"

The village head was taken aback: "Aren't you going to investigate the matter of Dahe Village's unauthorized coal mining?"

"Making the best use of resources and saving lives is a good deed, so why should we investigate it?" Magistrate Shen said. "In my opinion, human sentiment outweighs legal principles. Village Head Zhao, you did nothing wrong; on the contrary, you have performed a great service!"

He straightened his clothes and said, "I must hurry back to write a memorial and report this matter to Huzhou first thing tomorrow morning!"

He finished speaking and left, walking hurriedly.

Cheng Wanwan originally wanted to mention the honeycomb briquette machine incident, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that Magistrate Shen wouldn't understand these things, so it would be better to wait until the actual mining was underway and then talk to the professional technicians in coal mining.

She sent Magistrate Shen away.

The night was pitch black, and the wind was biting cold.

"Father, are you in such a hurry to leave?" Shen Zheng asked, puzzled. "It's too late. Why don't you stay and sleep here for the night?"

He has his own room here. His father and Master Yuan will squeeze into his bed, and he will squeeze in with Afu. His father will stay overnight, and tomorrow morning he can also get to know Aunt Zhao better...

"No, I must go back." Although Magistrate Shen was calm and composed, he was also a man of action. He put on his cloak. "It's almost midnight, and it's getting late to go back. I need to finish writing the memorial before dawn, and I have to go to Huzhou as soon as it's light... Xiao Zheng, you stay here. Master Yuan, mount your horse, let's go!"

Master Yuan's lips twitched slightly.

Their family members take official business too seriously. What if they dealt with it tomorrow? What if they stayed overnight?

It seems that the master will never be able to marry Lady Sui in this lifetime.