Chapter 75 Twin Trees

Jiangnan is usually the most convenient place for waterways, but recently there have been continuous torrential rains, and no one can say for sure whether the rain will continue. Many docks have been closed due to the floods, and many boats of all sizes have stopped operating.

Fortunately, the journey by land was not far. Cen Yan and his group were in the disaster area, where there were official residences specially prepared for them, the imperial envoys.

But with government officials coming and going and floods raging outside, it wasn't a suitable place for a child like Cen An'an.

Therefore, the final decision was to book an entire inn nearby, so that the Prince's personal guards would have a place to stay and horses to travel back and forth every day. It would also be better for Cen An'an as it was some distance away from the center of the disaster area.

It was Cen An'an's first time traveling far from home, and everything she saw was fascinating.

The father and son looked exactly alike in the morning. To get on their journey, they had to get up early. Zhuang Dongqing was tidied up by Liu Fu, and with his eyes half-open, he boarded the carriage and fell asleep on the couch.

Cen An'an was also rubbing her eyes, looking like she could fall asleep leaning on her grandmother's shoulder.

Grandma simply put the two of them together. Zhuang Dongqing held Cen An'an, which saved them the trouble of having a blanket. The two of them snuggled together and slept soundly.

Cen An'an went to bed earlier that night. The two of them woke up around the same time in the carriage. They sat there rubbing their eyes, then quickly washed up again and had some dry food for breakfast.

Oh, by the way, Cen An'an really loves Grandma's flower cakes. If it weren't for the fact that children can't digest too much, she would eat a whole plate of them every day.

"Bang, a pastry." Cen An'an took a fresh flower pastry that she had made at the mansion this year and held it up for Zhuang Dongqing.

After Zhuang Dongqing took a big bite, the rest was all Cen An'an's.

In order to make the journey faster, he ate a lot of dry food. His grandmother was worried that Cen An'an could not digest it, so she further restricted the amount of cakes he ate each day.

The first day after leaving Suzhou was alright. Although we saw some migrants on their way, there weren't many, and they were all dressed quite smartly, looking like they were just going to visit relatives.

The next day, they left Suzhou completely and entered other areas. Gradually, the effects of the disaster became apparent.

During the rest stop, the guards dispersed around the carriage. Zhuang Dongqing got out to stretch his muscles, while Cen An'an, nestled in Liu Fu's arms, held a large steamed bun, eating while curiously exploring the world around her.

The number of refugees along the way had increased by this time. Initially, they were all dressed neatly, but as they went deeper into the disaster area, they gradually saw people covered in dust and carrying only a small bundle.

"Dad, do they need help?"

Cen An'an pointed with her chubby little hand, and following the direction, Zhuang Dongqing saw a family of three helping each other. The woman in the middle seemed to have a problem with her legs and was walking with a limp.

They would regularly stop some refugees, inquire about their disaster situation, and see if they needed anything else.

Cen An'an asked them what they were doing, and Grandma said they were helping people. The little boy remembered it.

Zhuang Dongqing glanced at the guards beside her, who understood, and soon someone stepped forward to inquire.

After asking the questions, they returned and reported: "They said they were farmers from Tianshui County, whose homes were close to the river embankment. This year, the floods destroyed their fields and houses, so the family of three had no choice but to go to a distant place to seek refuge with relatives."

“Tianshui County is very close to the flood-stricken area,” Liu Qi said.

Xu Si asked, "What happened to the woman's leg?"

"They said he was injured during the first attempt to salvage the fields."

Zhuang Dongqing: "Go and ask them what the situation was like in the disaster area when they left, and whether any villagers got sick along the way."

The guards agreed.

He returned and said, "When they left, their houses and fields were already flooded. The government officials were mostly focused on the areas where the riverbanks had been destroyed, saying that no one could take care of them. Seeing that they really couldn't stay, they decided to leave their homes."

"They were among the first to leave; anyone in their line of work who got sick was later on."

Zhuang Dongqing understood and had someone relay the situation to Master Zhao. Soon after, a doctor got off a carriage, examined the peasant woman's leg, inquired in detail about the injury, and asked about the illnesses of people who had come from the disaster area.

The family needed to continue their journey, and although the traditional Chinese medicine doctor prescribed medicine, there was nowhere to prepare it, so in the end, they could only give them a bottle of external wound medicine.

Zhuang Dongqing took Cen An'an from Liu Fu's hands, and Cen An'an suddenly asked, "Dad, can I give the steamed bun to that older sister?"

"?"

Cen An'an: "She kept looking at the steamed bun in my hand, she was hungry."

"Does An'an want to give her a steamed bun?"

"Um!"

Zhuang Dongqing patted Cen An'an's head and praised, "Our An'an is so kind, but how about letting Uncle give it to them? An'an can just stay here and watch."

"Besides, An'an has already eaten her steamed buns, so it's impolite to give them away. How about we get a new one for her?"

“Okay,” Cen An’an nodded, and seeing that her steamed bun was safe, she took another bite.

After the doctor got the medicine, the logistics staff brought some dry rations, and as instructed, they specially put a steamed bun inside. They then had a personal guard hand it over to the family of three, and the steamed bun was mentioned in detail, saying that it was a gift from their young master to the child.

The other party was extremely grateful.

He wanted to come and thank her in person, but Zhuang Dongqing politely declined.

If it were just the adults, it would be fine, but with a little kid in tow, they have to be extra careful.

This time it's a flood, and after a major disaster, there will inevitably be a major epidemic. In this era where medicine is not yet advanced, Zhuang Dongqing can only try his best to cut off the transmission route to ensure the health of his little one.

As they were leaving, the family of three sat down on the edge of the grass to apply medicine. Cen An'an returned to the carriage, poked her head out from inside, waved goodbye to them, and said farewell.

The little girl under the carriage was holding a steamed bun, and Cen An'an on the carriage was also holding a big steamed bun. They waved to each other, creating a heartwarming scene with a touch of comical humor.

Half a day later, the number of refugees on the road increased, and fearing a collision, Zhuang Dongqing and his group did not get out of the car.

When there were few refugees, it was manageable, but when there were many, the distribution of supplies would go on and on. In order to keep on the road and to prevent them from gathering and causing trouble over the supplies, the distribution was stopped. Instead, personal guards were sent to inquire about the situation and point out towns with better conditions for them to seek refuge in. At other times, the caravan would just keep moving forward in silence.

Although Cen An'an wasn't allowed to see the tragic scene outside, the child seemed to sense it and didn't sleep well that night, fussing for Zhuang Dongqing. Since Grandma was old and had been traveling with them, Zhuang Dongqing was afraid the little one would disturb her, so he slept with the child that night.

They charmed Cen An'an with a story about a frog princess and a little mermaid.

Rubbing her eyes, Cen An'an asked before going to sleep, "Will I really be able to see Daddy tomorrow?"

Zhuang Dongqing: "It should be possible, but if we don't see them, it means that Father is still helping people, just like the people An'an saw on the road. If Father comes back to see An'an early, then some people will go hungry. Does An'an want that?"

The little boy was very conflicted. After a while, he muttered, "Then Daddy should see An'an a little later."

Zhuang Dongqing gave the little one a big kiss, "Our An'an is so sensible."

"Have you remembered what Daddy told you?"

Zhuang Dongqing told Cen An'an not to bother her grandmother and not to run around outside easily once they arrived, otherwise she would easily get sick. If she got sick, she wouldn't be able to eat delicious food on her birthday, such as flower cakes, and she would also be in pain, which would make everyone sad. She told Cen An'an to be good.

"Know!"

The little brat was so sleepy he was barely conscious, but he still used his little hands to pat Zhuang Dongqing's cheek and gave him a big kiss.

"Don't worry, Daddy, An'an is the best girl."

"Okay, let's go to sleep, our good baby."

Zhuang Dongqing gently patted the little one, and soon the little one fell soundly asleep.

Zhuang Dongqing covered the baby with the blanket before moving to the outside and closing her eyes to sleep.

*

We arrived at the inn at noon the next day.

It was booked in advance, and I specifically instructed them to send someone to supervise the cleaning and tidying done by the innkeeper. We had lunch at the inn.

Cen An'an and her grandmother were arranged by Zhuang Dongqing to be in the innermost two rooms on the second floor. His two guards lived in the two outermost rooms. Further out were the rooms of Liu Fu and Liu Qi. He arranged them to be at the very front of the corridor. There was an empty room in the middle, which was not occupied and only served as a partition.

When Zhuang Dongqing sent Cen An'an upstairs, she was still a little reluctant, but for Cen An'an's health, she had no choice but to take this measure. She explained to Grandma again, held Cen An'an for a while, and then handed him over to Grandma to take a nap.

Coming out of the room, Liu Qi said, "Young Master, the instructions have been given that no one returning from the disaster area is allowed to come near here. Several large pots of water have been boiled, and the water bags have been filled as you instructed. The doctors are also ready. Apart from the guards who stay at the inn, Xu Si will lead a team to find the Prince and the others this afternoon."

Liu Qi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Zhuang Dongqing: "Go ahead."

Liu Qi hesitated and said, "Why don't you stay here with An'an, young master? I heard from the innkeeper that there have been a lot more sick people along the riverbank in the county these past two days. They don't have enough manpower and are still transferring troops from the surrounding areas. They are in a lot of trouble."

Zhuang Dongqing understood; she was afraid he would catch the disease if he went, and wanted to persuade him to stay.

Instead of answering, Zhuang Dongqing asked, "Have you given me the instructions before?"

"Oh, they've already given the orders. No drinking water or eating food from outside. We have enough cooks with us. The people from the Prince's Mansion will all be staying at the inn for the next few days."

Zhuang Dongqing: "Hmm, see if you can manage. If possible, boil all the outer garments you change out of on the day you come back from the disaster relief efforts in boiling water before drying them."

Liu Qi noted it down.

Zhuang Dongqing then said, "Unlike you, I don't manage things in an orderly manner. I only have a little knowledge of basic medicine. There's no use for me staying here. I might as well go and help out. I'll do my part."

He always offered scientific solutions for modern isolation measures and the treatment of epidemics.

Zhuang Dongqing: "The epidemic is still small in scope, and it can be controlled if we intervene early."

He smiled and said, "If you're really worried about me, then you should keep an eye on Cen An for me."

Liu Qi sighed, "I understand."

Having spent so much time together, Liu Qi understands Zhuang Dongqing well; when she really gets stubborn, she can be quite headstrong.

Thinking that Cen Yan was also on the front lines and that there were many people in the Prince's Mansion, Zhuang Dongqing would not suffer any losses, so Liu Qi did not say anything more.

After a while, Xu Si counted the number of people and they lined up to set off.

Zhuang Dongqing also changed to a different horse.

Yes, I learned it after giving birth to Cen An. Carriages are inconvenient; riding a horse is much faster.

This was also the first time he had ridden a horse outside since he learned to.

Once all the doctors had gathered inside the carriage, Master Zhao checked them and inspected the medicines and clean cotton cloths they had brought before the group set off.

The view became much wider on horseback. The scenes that I had deliberately avoided yesterday were all seen today. There were refugees everywhere. The further we went into the disaster area, the muddier the roads became, because they had been flooded.

The group went to the government office first. Cen Yan was not there, but Hao San happened to be resting there, with two huge dark circles under his eyes.

"My God, they've all come! That's great, we're so short-handed!" Hao San said happily after greeting them.

Xu Si: "Can't we get the people from the surrounding area to handle this?"

Hao San broke down: "They can come over, but you have no idea what kind of slackers they are. They make me do whatever they want, and it makes me furious."

Zhuang Dongqing looked around the government office and could tell that it was temporarily vacated. It had probably been uninhabited for a long time, and it smelled musty. It was not as good as the inn they had booked.

Zhuang Dongqing: "Have you been staying here these past few days?"

Hao San: "Young Master, don't underestimate this place. Compared to others, it's already considered good."

Zhuang Dongqing believed this.

"If you're so short-handed, why didn't you mention it in your last letter?"

Hao San shut up as soon as this was mentioned, scratching his head and grinning foolishly at Zhuang Dongqing. Zhuang Dongqing understood.

“We’ve booked an inn near the closed port. If Commander Hao is tired, why don’t you go and rest for a while? Commander Xu can take care of this.”

Zhuang Dongqing was afraid that Hao San would die from overwork.

Hao San: "Is Liu Qi here too? Did you bring the cook? Putting everything else aside, I really can't eat the food the cooks here make. If there's any leftovers, I'll go over right away."

Xu Si: "Then go ahead. I made extra food at noon just in case. Take your trusted men who are too tired with you. Also, have Liu Qi send some food over here for the brothers who aren't eating well."

"Okay~"

Zhuang Dongqing: "Where is the Prince?"

Hao San: "Today I was on the riverbank, supervising the dredging work with the Third Prince. Oh, and Master Zhao..."

Hao San explained the situation of the past few days to the two men in detail. The number of patients had indeed increased, and there was a tendency for it to get out of control. Their truckload of doctors and herbs had arrived just in time.

After Xu Si took over the work from Hao San and assigned people to the task, Zhuang Dongqing went to the riverbank with him.

It had just been washed away. Riding a horse, the embankment was surrounded by river sand and silt, as well as sandbags left over from flood control efforts a few days ago.

"Master~"

Xu Si was the first to spot Cen Yan and called out to him.

Zhuang Dongqing was observing the surroundings when she spotted Li Yang in the distance, whose clothes had changed color.

Everyone must be tired.

After following Xu Si and reining in his horse, and seeing Cen Yan again, Zhuang Dongqing became even more certain of his guess.

Cen Yanyi's appearance was alright, but there was a faint black ring around his eyes, and his lips were dry and cracked.

Cen Yan spoke to Xu Si, but his gaze fell on Zhuang Dongqing.

Zhuang Dongqing wasn't in a hurry. He led the horse, took something out of the horse, and put it in his hand.

Turning around again, Cen Yan had already finished explaining to Xu Si and was walking towards him.

Zhuang Dongqing looked around and went to a secluded place. After getting away from the crowd, he paused in a quiet spot and stood still.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Zhuang Dongqing smiled at Cen Yan and handed him what she was holding, "Clean, boiled water."

It was originally a water sac.

Cen Yan was somewhat helpless, but he was really thirsty. He took the bottle and gulped down most of it before tightening the cap again.

Their eyes met again, and Cen Yan said helplessly, "Didn't I tell you not to come?"

Zhuang Dongqing nodded, "Yes."

"Do you miss me?"

It was a joke, but the voice was very soft, with a hint of reluctance to criticize.

Zhuang Dongqing smiled and said, "Your son misses you quite a bit, but that's not entirely true of me either..."

"I am..."

After a pause, her gaze slid from Cen Yan's tired brows and weary expression to his chapped lips due to dehydration, and his clothes, which were not exactly neat even for someone with his obsessive-compulsive disorder, before finally looking up and fixing on Cen Yan's light-colored eyes.

He said slowly, "It's what I mentioned before."

"I don't want you to shoulder everything alone; it's too tiring."

Although he can't take on much, every little bit helps.

Zhuang Dongqing laughed and mimicked Cen Yan's shameless manner, saying, "We're family, it's only right."