Chapter 65 [VIP]
The lingering rain dripped down the eaves with a tinkling sound. When the window was opened, the moisture rushed in. Mi Yao had only taken a few breaths when she heard the fine raindrops pattering on the banana leaves again. The summer rain, which had only stopped for a quarter of an hour, started falling again.
Seeing the moss on the wall, its color a sickeningly green and soaked with water, slowly rotting from the swelling, Mi Yao frowned for the first time because of the continuous rain.
"I wonder how long this rain will last. Shuanghua complained that the street where the shop is located is flooded, making it much more difficult to get in and out."
Seeing her master frown, Shiya said from the side, "Fortunately, there's been a lot of rain, so there are fewer vegetables on the market. Plus, the vegetables taste bad because they've been soaked in water. Our shop also offers home delivery, so many people are willing to order our cooked food."
"This is not a good thing."
Hearing Shi Ya's relieved tone, Mi Yao said calmly.
At the beginning of the rainy season, she felt poetic and even brewed tea with Zhen Jing while listening to the rain. But after a week of continuous rain, it was no longer a fun activity but a disaster.
The location of the old street entrance is not low, but the water on the road reached up to the calves. You can imagine how deep the water was in the low-lying areas of the city.
As the afternoon approached and the rain intensified without showing any signs of stopping, Mi Yao sent someone out to inquire about the situation. However, just as the person she sent left, Yan Yun, dressed in an oilcloth, arrived at the door.
Yan Yun sat down, took a sip of hot tea, and said directly, "Several alleys on the west side of the city are flooded. People have moved to the City God Temple and Xiangci Temple in the south. If only a few alleys are flooded, it will be fine, but judging from the rain, it doesn't look like it's going to stop. I'm afraid that if it continues overnight, the entire west side of the city will be flooded."
Mi Yao thought that some places in the city might be difficult to get through, but she didn't expect that in some places the water had already spread up to an adult's waist.
"Is everything alright at the Yue residence?"
Mi Yao remembered that although the Yue family mansion was not in the west of the city, it was not far from the west.
"It's alright. My mansion is in a high position, and there are many officials and wealthy families in that area. There are always servants patrolling and draining the water. Even if the entire west of the city is flooded, that area won't be affected."
Yan Yun's tone clearly didn't convey joy at the safety of her home; instead, it carried a hint of frustration.
Yesterday, her husband Yue Jin had already left the city to help with the rescue efforts. She thought there was nothing to worry about inside the city, but who knew that the flooding would start in the city as well, starting last night and continuing into today.
“The government has sent people to dredge the drainage in the city, but there are simply not enough people. I’m thinking of asking the servants in my household to go to the west side of the city to help. What do you think, Hu Hu?”
Before Yue Jin left, he told her that things were not peaceful in the city recently, and that she should keep her door closed and not go out unless necessary.
She knew that no matter how much water was poured on the Yue family mansion, it wouldn't reach them. Sending all the servants out might even endanger the safety of the household, but she couldn't just ignore it.
Meeting Yan Yun's anxious eyes, Mi Yao felt no less uneasy than her.
In particular, Yan Yun mentioned Yue Jin's statement that the city was currently unstable.
After the Shangsi Festival, she began to stay at the Xiao residence to fatten herself up, partly because the weather was getting hotter and partly because rumors were spreading throughout Yizhou that Zhao Tianhe was seriously ill in bed and had lost his mind.
The fact that Zhao Tianhe was suffering from a chronic illness was an open secret among the upper echelons of Yizhou, but it remained a secret to the common people.
No common people would want the military governor who was protecting them to be a sick man who could die at any moment. Zhao Tianhe always appeared in public looking vigorous and spirited.
So the news of his serious illness began to spread widely in the city, which was obviously not a good thing.
Who would have thought that Yizhou, which was already on the verge of storms, would be hit by floods in May?
"I sent someone to find Lieutenant Su to see how the military camp is doing and how many people can be sent out for disaster relief. I will then organize a few squads and report to the government to see how we can help."
The government and the military operate under two separate systems. Now that Zhao Tianhe has been switching between the two systems, it's unclear whether he's truly seriously ill and unable to devote himself to these tasks or what. All we can do is see what we can do to help.
"I'll send someone to ask the ladies of the other mansions if they have time to get together for a meeting. We can't send many people to dredge the river, but it shouldn't be difficult to get some food and bedding."
Mi Yao was already hesitant about whether to do it, but Yan Yun's arrival essentially made the decision for her.
Previously, she had confronted her "third sister-in-law" at the Jiedushi's residence, saying that in order to prevent those gossipy people from succeeding in ruining women's reputations, they should unite and help each other, because if one is harmed, all will be harmed, and they should not allow rumors to spread.
Her original intention was merely to appease the situation, but who would have thought that there were many kind-hearted ladies who arrested and threw many people into the government, thus erasing the rumors circulating in the city about the ladies.
She later had several gatherings with these ladies, and even received opening gifts from them when her shop at the old street entrance opened.
It can only be said that things often don't go according to plan. She didn't intend to get involved with too many people, but she still unconsciously became a support for Yu Xiu and the others, and also made friends with Yan Yun, whom she often interacted with.
Seeing the rain and the raindrops hanging from the eaves, I could only think about the people who had worshipped her, wondering if their homes were flooded.
As it was nearing the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM), Mi Yao, without waiting for the other ladies' responses, learned that the government had no plans to send food and clothing to the temples and the City God Temple. She then sent Pu Qing to check on the situation of the disaster victims in these two places and delivered noodles there first.
As the night passed, the rain did not stop, and the government had no choice but to open the granaries and distribute grain.
Only a small amount of grain was released.
After discussing with the other ladies, Mi Yao realized the difference was too great, so she didn't spend all the money on bedding. Instead, she prepared a lot of rice and flour to send over.
One organization sent a supervisor to several disaster-stricken areas to oversee the work.
The disaster situation in Yizhou City was still under control, but the nearby towns, where Yue Jin went, suffered a major disaster.
The chief envoy was so busy and overwhelmed that he had no choice but to ask Mi Yao for help, hoping that she could mobilize the wealthy households in the city to donate disaster relief funds.
Mi Yao didn't believe that the entire Jiannan region didn't even have this much disaster relief money, but seeing that the chief clerk's face was swollen with worry, and considering that this world wasn't modern, even if Jiannan had money, it would have to prepare for military supplies to prevent others from taking advantage of the situation.
"Does Father have any plans?"
"Lord Zhao is working hard, constantly dispatching troops to provide disaster relief. Madam, please don't be fooled by the fact that the city can only provide one bowl of rice porridge per person per day. The government of Jingzhou is completely ignoring the disaster and letting the people drown and starve. In this chaotic world, there are few places as peaceful as Yizhou. Lord Zhao is such a kind-hearted lord."
Mi Yao should be.
Since the chief envoy didn't mention Zhao Tianhe's health, Mi Yao didn't ask any further questions. She invited the ladies of various families to raise funds together, but she didn't visit any wealthy households she wasn't familiar with.
Taking advantage of the clear weather, a group of people took boxes and went to every street to beat drums and gongs. One person loudly explained the reason, while another person took a book and recorded the amount of money donated to each household.
Although donations were not mandatory, the people who went to the door of each wealthy household and banged drums and gongs lingered for a longer period of time.
When Mi Yao heard that some people knew she was raising funds, they were all making donations, saying they didn't believe anyone but trusted her. While thinking that this might be something her subordinates were deliberately saying to flatter her, she still lost her appetite for a long time.
When Xiao Chuan barged into her room, she was wondering what else she could do and couldn't sleep because of anxiety.
The fishy smell of water rushed in, but she wasn't frightened by the tall figure in a raincoat, covered in water vapor and looking like a water ghost. Her eyes were fixed on him from the moment he entered until he walked to the table to light the candle.
When he took off his straw hat, their eyes met. Her eyes were still half-asleep and dazed, without a trace of fear.
"I thought you were asleep."
So you want to scare me by pretending to be a ghost, making me so afraid to sleep that I'll never be able to sleep again?
Xiao Chuan took off his raincoat and inner oilcloth, wiped the water droplets off his face with a handkerchief, and then walked to the bedside.
"I didn't mean to scare you..."
The magnetic, slightly cool voice paused for a moment. Not knowing how to explain his impatience, he simply changed the subject, saying, "I took off my spiked boots outside so they wouldn't get your blanket dirty."
They were so eager to see her; what other reason could there be?
Even knowing that she might be asleep, unable to speak to him, or unable to open her eyes to look at him, he still wanted to glance at her first.
As Xiao Chuan approached, Mi Yao's brows gradually furrowed.
Because the raincoat provided good insulation, Xiao Chuan's clothes didn't get wet, and naturally there was no musty smell. What she frowned at wasn't the smell, but Xiao Chuan's face.
The person's facial features are no different from a few months ago; they haven't gained or lost weight, but their skin...
"Why are you so tanned?"
Mi Yao frowned and sat up. If it were the height of summer, it would be understandable that Xiao Chuan had become tanned from working outside, but with rain every day, where did he go to get sunlight?
He's already this dark now, will he still be able to look good in August or September?
Seeing that Mi Yao not only expressed surprise but also reached out to wipe his cheek, trying to restore his complexion to what it was a few months ago.
Xiao Chuan didn't feel anything was wrong. Instead, he pressed his leg down on the couch and moved closer to Mi Yao so that she could wipe him more easily.
"I thought your face was dirty."
Mi Yao didn't realize she had used any force, but seeing Xiao Chu's cheeks redden from being rubbed by the handkerchief, as if they were about to break, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
Hearing the woman's soft, sleepy voice, Xiao Chuan felt his throat dry and grasped her soft, delicate hand.
He realized why Mi Yao thought he had darkened when his skin, which he hadn't noticed before, overlapped with the milky white. However, more than the difference in skin color, his vision was occupied by the extreme colors, and his mind began to uncontrollably imagine a deeper intertwining of black and white.
On the way, he learned that Mi Yao had been busy with disaster relief during this period. He felt sorry for her hard work and thought that when the two of them met face to face, the first thing they would say would probably be about business.
"I think this is very good..."
The man's deep, husky voice echoed in the night. Mi Yao watched as his dark, crimson eyes drew closer and closer until their vision blurred and her lips were enveloped in his burning heat.
Xiao Chuan's kiss was urgent and fierce, and Mi Yao lost her balance and was knocked back onto the pillow.
Although it didn't hurt, the sudden feeling of weightlessness made her so scared that she bit Xiao Chua.
Xiao Chuan took Mi Yao's biting tongue as a joke. He held Mi Yao's fingers tightly, eagerly taking everything from her. He sucked on her lips again and again before reluctantly taking a moment to speak: "Hurry up and finish so I can pack your things and send you out of Yizhou."
Mi Yao: ...
Xiao Chuan spoke hastily and vaguely, but Mi Yao still heard him clearly.
Is this even human language?
Since he was in such a hurry to send her out of Yizhou, it was clear that something serious had happened in Yizhou that threatened her life. So he thought he should satisfy Niu Zi first.
Where did she put the dagger that Qi Niang gave her?
Let her feel whether it's the left or right side of the pillow.
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