Chapter 225 Flood
Good times always pass quickly, and three months went by in a flash.
When Chen Shiyi and Pei Luoshu are together, they always feel that the time goes by especially fast.
Sometimes she didn't know what she had done, and then the day was gone.
The weather has been a bit bad recently and it has been raining all the time.
Under the purple hangings, there was a lounge chair on the veranda. Chen Shiyi opened a book and flipped through it leisurely.
Pei Luoshu has been a bit busy lately, leaving home early and returning late.
Sometimes when he was too busy, he would send Fu Feng back to tell him that he would not be back at night, so that she could have a good rest and did not have to wait for him.
Chen Shiyi found it very strange. What on earth was keeping him so busy?
After waiting for a long time, he finally came back one day. He looked extremely haggard, with stubble on his chin, which was all blue. He looked very pitiful.
"Ah Luo, what happened?"
Pei Luoshu's brows were tightly wrinkled.
"The recent rains have not stopped. The water level of the Lingcang River is about to rise to the warning level. If it continues to rain like this, I am afraid there will be floods."
Chen Shiyi was startled and quickly sat up with a serious expression.
She took off Pei Luoshu's clothes, sat him down on the bed, and put her hands on his shoulders.
"Water control is a difficult problem throughout history. It's either blocking or draining. What solutions have you come up with?"
"We have sent people to reinforce the levees in Yufeng County day and night, and I have also sent people to widen the waterways. I have walked around in recent days and found that these two methods may not be able to prevent the flood from coming."
Chen Shiyi was very worried.
"You must have not rested for a long time. You should get some sleep."
Pei Luoshu took a breath and leaned his whole body against Chen Shiyi.
"Eleven, I might be home late during this period. If you don't see me coming back, go to bed first."
"Okay, you don't have to worry about me, but you should take care of yourself."
The next day, Pei Luoshu woke up and found that Chen Shiyi was not around. He opened the door and saw Fu Feng waiting for him.
"Where's the lady?"
"Someone has come from Anzhou, and my wife is handling the matter."
Pei Luoshu nodded.
"Please prepare some food and clothes today. I may need to stay in Yufeng County for a while."
"Okay, sir."
Chen Shiyi talked to Jing Ran, and when he returned, he found that Pei Luoshu had already left.
"When did Ah Luo leave?"
Bai Ling said hurriedly.
"My brother-in-law drank two mouthfuls of porridge early in the morning and went to take Fufeng out. He asked me to tell you that he will be staying in Yufeng County for the time being, so you can stay at home without worry. It's raining too much outside and it's dangerous."
Chen Shiyi sighed.
"He couldn't even eat a few mouthfuls of food."
After a while, she thought about it.
"Bai Ling, help me pack some clothes. I'm going to Yufeng County to find him."
Bailing hurriedly advised.
"It's dangerous outside, so don't go."
"Instead of waiting here, I might as well go and take care of him. He's busy like this, and I can't even take care of his food or drink. Besides, I can't sit still at home because I'm worried about him."
The rain had not stopped, and the carriage was difficult to travel on the muddy road. Chen Shiyi asked the driver to take the carriage back, borrowed two horses at the post station, put on a straw raincoat, wrapped the package in oil paper, hung it on the horse's back, and rushed towards Yufeng County.
Pei Luoshu, wearing a straw raincoat and a straw hat, was standing on the river, discussing the direction of the water flow with local water management officials.
"The embankment cannot be raised any higher. If it is raised any higher, if the water level rises, there is a risk of the embankment bursting."
"Yes, I also think that it is better to open up than to block."
“How to unclog it?”
"The heavy rain is not just in Jiangzhou, but all over Jiangnan. There is water everywhere. How can we drain it?"
"I have observed that there is actually a place where the water can be diverted."
"Where?"
"In the upper reaches of the Lingcang River, there is a river running southeast called the Mican River."
"Nonsense! The Michang River is nearly a hundred miles away from the Lingcang River. Moreover, neither of them is in Jiangzhou. There has never been a lot of rain there."
Pei Luoshu stood in the rain, his legs and feet covered in mud. He went to the embankment to check it himself, but it was inconvenient to wear shoes.
He pondered for a while and then asked the water conservancy official who had just spoken.
"Please tell me more about what you just said about Yonekura Jiang."
"Yes, in fact, there is a very close intersection between the Lingcang River and the Michang River. In Zimu County, the outermost part of Jiangzhou, there is a place called Black Wind Gorge. The distance between the two rivers is no more than twenty miles."
Pei Luoshu heard this and asked.
"You mean, we need to open up the Black Wind Gorge and divert the water from the Lingcang River? What if the water level of the Michang River is higher than that of the Lingcang River?"
The official continued.
"Sir, Lingcang is located higher than the Michang River, so the water level is naturally higher than it. If you want to completely solve the flood problem in Jiangzhou, this is a good idea."
Pei Luoshu carefully looked at the official opposite him. He looked shrewd, but the sincerity in his eyes was not fake.
"Are you Zhu Yu from the Water Conservancy Department?"
"That's me."
"Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. Sort out all the issues. In the next two days, I need to see a comprehensive solution."
When he returned to the temporary wooden house covered in mud, he saw Chen Shiyi standing outside the door holding an oil-paper umbrella and was stunned for a long time.
Chen Shiyi looked at Pei Luoshu, who was covered in mud and looked very miserable, and smiled.
She walked forward, her beautiful eyes smiling, and helped him untie his brown raincoat. When she pulled the rope, she found a hand full of mud. She raised her palm and smeared the mud on Pei Luoshu's face.
The handsome face became dirty at this moment, and the instigator Chen Shiyi smiled with a look of triumph.
Pei Luoshu ignored her nagging, untied his raincoat, grabbed Chen Shiyi and stuffed her into his arms, rubbing her body until she was dirty and her face was covered with mud, like a cat dug out of the mud.
Chen Shiyi was the first to file a complaint.
"You are so mean. You have made me dirty."
Pei Luoshu smiled.
"I can be even more bad. Do you want to try?"
"Come inside quickly, there are so many people outside."
"What are you afraid of? Everyone knows that the governor of Jiangzhou is newly married. Let them be jealous."
Chen Shiyi pressed his forehead.
"Be serious."
The two washed and changed their clothes, then sat at the wooden table to have dinner.
"Didn't I tell you to stay at home? We live in a wooden house here, with simple meals and tea, and there are strangers outside. Stay here tonight, and I'll let Fufeng take you back tomorrow."
Chen Shiyi shook his head.
"I'm right here, otherwise I'd be hard to rest alone in Jiangzhou. We all have simple meals here, so why are you afraid that I won't get used to it?"
Pei Luoshu smiled.
"Okay, even if you cry then, I won't let you go."
Chen Shiyi shook her head. She didn’t know what he thought of her. Was he treating her like a child?