Chapter 81

It was a rainy day, and the weather was damp and cold. Pedestrians in groups of three or four on the road were hunching their necks and crossing their hands in their sleeves to keep warm.

Yu Ying had a piece of cotton cloth wrapped around her neck and a conical hat on her head. Under the cotton coat was a linen sweater that she had tried several times to make, so she was warmer than others.

But after sitting in the ox cart without any shelter for more than half an hour, the damp and cold wind made his teeth chatter and he shivered, unable to even speak clearly.

After entering the house, I sat in front of the brazier for a long time before I gradually felt relieved.

After a while, Fu Wei brought a cup of freshly brewed hot ginger soup and handed it to her: "Drink some ginger soup to warm your body first."

Yu Ying took it, said "thank you", and then sipped the steaming ginger soup.

The hot ginger soup slowly went down her throat and then into her stomach. The warmth gradually spread, and Yu Ying's complexion regained its vitality.

Holding half a bowl of hot ginger soup to warm her hands, Yu Ying looked at Fu Wei, whom she had not seen for more than a month.

He was also looking at himself.

Yu Ying had no choice but to look away and look at the brazier on the ground that was crackling.

Fu Wei sat down on a nearby stool and asked, "Why did you arrive so late?"

Even if we hadn't taken Uncle Chen's ox cart, we would have arrived at about the same time as usual.

After entering the house, she changed into a pair of muddy shoes, as if something happened on the way.

Yu Ying shuddered as she exhaled a breath of cold air. After taking another sip of ginger soup, she explained, "The ox cart got stuck in the mud halfway, which is why we arrived so late."

No wonder we arrived in Yu County at this hour.

Seeing that she had not yet recovered, Fu Wei stood up and went back to the house. After a while, he took out his thick coat and gently draped it over her shoulders.

Yu Ying was slightly stunned. Just as she was about to say no, Fu Wei warned her, "The weather has been exceptionally cold these past few days. We're leaving for the county seat tomorrow. Don't catch a cold at this critical moment."

After hearing this, Yu Ying gave up.

However, putting on one more piece of clothing means one more bit of warmth.

While the outer coat conveyed warmth, it also carried a faint scent of ink and bamboo, which was the scent of Fu Wei.

This breath is very comfortable.

Yu Ying pulled the clothes on her shoulders.

Seeing that she did not refuse, Fu Wei smiled again.

He told her, "Before the policy was implemented, I told the magistrate that it was you who proposed the medicinal fields. Furthermore, you paid the annual rent when you rented the fields, so there was no need for the local clinic to send someone to instruct you on how to plant and collect the herbs. The magistrate therefore agreed to buy your herbs at the clinic's purchase price."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ying felt relieved.

The purpose of her coming to Yu County this time, in addition to going to the county seat with Fu Wei, was also to inquire whether the medicinal herbs she grew could be sold at a price that remained the same as before, instead of being sent to the clinic.

Fu Wei then explained, "This policy is mainly aimed at herbal farmers. It will be improved later. For example, herbs collected in the mountains will be more valuable than those grown in the fields. However, it's still early days, and we haven't even sold our first batch of herbs yet. Furthermore, the mountains are dangerous, so we don't encourage people to go into the mountains to collect herbs."

Yu Ying agreed with Fu Wei. Indeed, if the people knew that these wild herbs were more valuable, they might risk going into the mountains to collect them, or even abandon their herb fields.

Speaking of policy, Yu Ying couldn't help but ask Fu Wei about the affairs of the government office.

"Is there anyone in the government office giving you trouble now?"

Fu Wei calmly picked up the tongs and stirred the firewood in the ceramic basin, then put in two pieces of wood. The flickering firelight reflected on his face, making his facial features look even more profound and handsome.

Compared with half a year ago, Fuwei has changed a lot.

When we first met, he was just a young nobleman in distress, but in just six or seven months, he has become a responsible, calm and reserved adult man.

Or it is more like a dragon lying deep in the water, which will one day soar into the sky.

After Fu Wei finished fixing the brazier, he looked up at her with a smile and replied, "I'm doing well in the government office, don't worry too much."

"That's good." Yu Ying also smiled.

Fu Wei briefly told her about the arrangements for this trip to the county seat.

"Your Excellency will be staying in the county seat for approximately five days, and you will stay with me at the inn during these five days. I will accompany you to the county seat during the day, and you can also go out."

If it's five days, it will cost some money.

However, this was to make the year-end report. Regarding this kind of business trip, there are various reimbursements in later generations. I just don’t know if the Yu County government, which is so poor, has any reimbursement.

After considering it for a moment, Yu Ying asked, "But I have to pay for food and lodging out of my own pocket?"

She only had about three taels of silver in her pocket. If she stayed in a good inn, it would cost seventy or eighty coins a night, which was too expensive.

Fu Wei knew that she cared about money and that she worked hard to earn it, so he asked her carefully.

"The yamen provides food and lodging, but the staff have single rooms, and the yamen runners have rooms for four."

There were only two staff members who went with him, Fu Wei and Qian, so the cost of two rooms was not that much.

But there were so many yamen runners that they could only make do.

Yu Ying sighed that the treatment of the staff and the yamen runners was very different, and even she could benefit from it.

Although there was no need to worry about food and accommodation, Yu Ying was still a little worried when she thought about what would happen after Fu Wei and the magistrate went to the county seat.

At this time, Fu An's voice calling for dinner came from outside the house. Fu Wei stood up first. After Yu Ying hesitated for a moment, she called him.

"Fu Wei."

Fu Wei turned to look at her: "Hmm?"

Yu Ying said, "If anything happens in the county seat, don't dwell on it alone. You can also consult me."

"Why do you suddenly say that?" Fu Wei was a little confused when she said that.

Yu Ying smiled and said, "I'm just afraid that something unexpected will happen."

For example, during this trip to the county seat, Fu Wei will meet an old friend of his biological father. From the old friend's words, he will doubt whether his biological father has really colluded with the enemy, and he will also suspect his adoptive father.

Fu Wei smiled and nodded in response: "If anything happens, I will tell you."

After hearing what he said, Yu Ying also got up and went to the main room to have lunch.

In the afternoon, after Fu Wei went to work, Yu Ying went to the market to buy some food to prepare for the three-day journey.

Even if the weather is cold, you don’t have to worry about the food spoiling. You can cook during your lunch break and have a hot meal.

*

Because it was close to the government office, they didn't have to rush out the next day. After breakfast, when it was a little light, Yu Ying and Fu Wei went out together.

The bag was placed on Fu Wei's legs. Yu Ying held up an oil-paper umbrella to avoid the drizzle while helping to push his wheelchair.

It had been drizzling for two days, and the road was very muddy, with small potholes making it difficult for a wheelchair to move.

When they arrived in front of the yamen, the yamen runners just came with a horse-drawn carriage.

Yu Ying once again felt the poverty of Yu County.

There were four carriages, and only the leading one with a red roof was made of wood.

Probably this time all the county magistrates of Cangwu County gathered at the county seat. In order not to embarrass himself, the county magistrates specially ordered people to repaint the wall with red paint.

The other carriages looked shabby. They were not made of wood but of cloth, and some parts of them were even badly discolored.

Even so, compared to most people who travel by ox cart, this horse carriage is a rare commodity that they can only dream of.

This time when they went to the county seat, the county magistrate's wife and children also went, as well as the wife and daughter of Qian's staff.

Yu Ying did not ride in the same carriage with Fu Wei, but with Qian Muliao's wife and daughter.

Yu Ying had met the county magistrate before, but this was the first time she met his wife.

Unexpectedly, a man with a strong physique like the magistrate's wife was a gentle and dignified woman.

She is about thirty years old and not very pretty, but she has an elegant and clean temperament, which gives people a very comfortable feeling.

Yu Ying followed Fu Wei to pay respects to the magistrate's wife.

After paying her respects, Madam Zhou looked at Madam Yu and said with a gentle smile, "I've heard that Madam Yu is capable. I've always wanted to meet Madam Yu, and today I finally get to see her."

She had heard about Madam Yu from her husband and the people in the yamen, and heard that Madam Yu was a very capable woman.

Seeing it today, I couldn't help but feel a little more curious.

After taking a closer look, his eyes fell on the "spot" on Madam Yu's cheek.

I was thinking that it was a pity to waste such delicate facial features, but then I thought of something and paid more attention to those "spots". Then I smiled faintly and no longer felt regretful.

Yu Ying lowered her head and said, "I'm just an ordinary woman. Although I can recognize a few herbs, I don't have any special abilities."

Madam Zhou's smile did not fade as she continued, "Madam Yu is a modest person, similar to Mr. Fu in this respect. No wonder they are husband and wife."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ying couldn't help but glance at Fu Wei beside her.

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.

The time for departure was approaching, and Yu Ying and Fu Wei parted ways.

Yu Ying watched Fu Wei being helped into the carriage by Huo Yacha and his men. When she was about to look away, she inadvertently saw an old man standing in front of the yamen.

The old man was about fifty years old. He was not wearing the clothes of a yamen runner, but a wide coat with a cross collar and a crown on his head.

Dressed like this, he is considered a wealthy family in Yu County. No need to guess too much, this person should be Sun Muliao.

When Yu Ying looked over, she saw Sun Muliao looking at Fu Wei with gloomy eyes, like a poisonous snake in the dark, who might jump out and bite him at any time.

Sun Muliao seemed to notice that someone was looking at him, and he immediately hid the displeasure in his eyes.

Yu Ying could probably guess why Sun Muliao had such an expression.

In previous years, when the magistrate went to the county seat, he took him and his staff member Qian with him, but this year he took Fu Wei with him and left him behind. How could he feel balanced like that?

Yu Ying recalled that in the book, Sun Muliao tortured Fu Wei, who had just entered the yamen, the most severely.

Thinking of this, Yu Ying frowned.

But on second thought, the situation was completely different now, and Fu Wei was not tortured by him.

Now that Fu Wei has conquered Luo Dianshi, the hearts of the people in the yamen are gradually turning to Fu Wei, and it will be a matter of time for him to gain a foothold in this yamen.

As for Sun Muliao, unless there is an accident, he will leave the yamen before the New Year.

After Yu Ying figured it out, she looked away indifferently and stepped on the pedal to get on the carriage.

After getting into the carriage and settling in, Yu Ying nodded slightly towards Qian Muliao's wife and said politely, "Greetings, Madam Qian. I am Fu Muliao's wife, my surname is Yu."

Madam Qian was just like her husband, aloof and arrogant. After glancing at Yu Ying, she nodded and said "hmm" as a response.

The little girl, who was about seven or eight years old, looked at Yu Ying, took a few glances at her appearance, then curled her lips and looked away without saying a word of greeting.

The reactions of the mother and son were just right for Yu Ying. She was not a talkative person, so it was not bad for her to spend these few days quietly.