It was just daybreak, the morning breeze was cool, dewdrops were hanging on the grass and trees in the fields, wetting the shoes of the pedestrians.
"Gee!" Two officials drove the carriage, cracking their whips and sending it creaking forward. Besides Zhuang Song, the chief clerk, the carriage was also loaded with various farm tools needed for canal construction, as well as water bags and dry food.
"Several dozen feet wide?" Cuimei couldn't believe it. She asked in surprise, "Is it really that wide? I've never seen a big river before. I'd like to go and broaden my horizons."
Just like during their exile, the three of them walked side by side, supporting each other. Xiao Tao was also curious and asked, "The Cang River is so wide. Wouldn't it be difficult for people from Yongzhou and Xicang to cross the river?"
Jiang Yushu was in the middle, walking as she answered, "I saw with my own eyes that the river is indeed wide. I heard there are several ferries along the shore, so anyone who wants to cross the river can take a boat."
"Is Cangjiang far from Liujia Village?" Cuimei asked with great interest.
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment, "We walked for about half an hour that day. It wasn't far."
Liu Sanping listened for a moment, then cheerfully replied, "Well, not far!" He leaned over, pointed to the mountains to the north, and said with a smile, "Look, just across that valley is the Cang River. There's a ferry crossing in our Liujia Village, about seven or eight miles east of the riverbank."
"Yes, I remember the way." Jiang Yushu gazed into the distance and exclaimed happily: "Last time, just as I walked out of the valley, I looked up and saw the river surface covered with white mist. The rocky bank was steep, and the sound of the water was rumbling. It was majestic and the scenery was magnificent."
The steward Zhou Yan said with fascination: "If I hear that, I must go and see it if I get a chance!"
"Huh?" Cuimei kept turning her head, staring at the mountains to the north in thought. She asked, puzzled, "Village head, I estimated that Liujia Village is thirty miles from the Mu River, and the Cang River isn't much farther. Why don't you just divert the water from the Cang River?"
"Divert Cangjiang? No, that won't work!" Liu Sanping shook his head repeatedly.
Cuimei asked, "Why not? The Mu River is just a tributary, and its water volume is not as large as that of the Cang River."
Jiang Yushu burst out laughing, patted her companion on the shoulder, and reminded him, "Didn't I just tell you? The rocky bank at the valley entrance is steep and difficult to dig."
"It's more than just a stone bank. They are several stone mountains. I'm afraid it will take forever to dig through them." Liu Sanping carried a long-handled hatchet as a weapon.
"So that's how it is." Cuimei suddenly realized.
Liu Sanping added: "In fact, even if we can dig through, we dare not divert the water from the Cang River."
Jiang Yushu was stunned and asked in surprise: "Why is this?"
"Hey, think about it, what did everyone go to Cangjiang for that day?" Liu Sanping was very taboo.
Jiang Yushu pondered for a moment, then answered, "Oh! I understand."
"Why exactly?" Zhou Yan's wife took a few quick steps closer. "I don't understand."
Jiang Yushu whispered, "We encountered the enemy that day and narrowly won. The captain of the army ordered the enemy's bodies to be thrown into the Cang River to feed the fish. Perhaps this has been a custom since ancient times."
"Tsk tsk." Zhou Yan's wife shrank her neck. "Now that you put it that way, people who are superstitious simply won't dare eat Cangjiang fish! 'Dirty', it means bad luck."
Fish munching on corpses? People eating fish?
Jiang Yushu couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine. She shuddered with fear and her body tilted.
Oh no! Will she fall? Liu Dong, who had been following her all the way, became anxious and couldn't help but blurt out, "Hey little——"
Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, he accidentally stepped on empty air and fell into the nearby ditch, "Ah!"
Everyone was shocked and stopped to take a look.
Liu Sanping, who was standing nearby, was startled. He quickly bent down to pull the child away, and asked with concern, "Dongzi, are you okay?"
"No, I'm fine." Liu Dong climbed ashore, his body covered in rotten black mud, smelling terrible and looking in a miserable state.
Because Liu Laozhu and his wife were mean and greedy by nature, they often acted like scoundrels and made many enemies, and even their children were not liked by others. At this moment, their companions showed dissatisfaction and said in unison:
"What's going on? I was walking on flat ground, but I fell into a ditch!"
"He's almost twenty, and he's not very steady. He's clumsy."
"If you can't even walk steadily on a flat road, how can you expect to build a canal later?"
One of the burly men glanced at Liu Dong and shouted, "Sanping, as far as I know, Lao Zhu and his wife would never allow their son to build the canal. Did you trick Dongzi into coming here? If so, send him home quickly! Otherwise, Lao Zhu will cause trouble again."
"That's right! Lao Zhu and his wife are too noisy and always act like scoundrels. My family can't handle it."
Liu Sanping hurriedly said: "Who coaxed me? I didn't coax him! Dongzi came to help willingly."
Liu Dong blushed, shrank back awkwardly, and stammered, "Brother Sanping is right. I'm happy to help build the canal. My family's land also needs water, so I should help dig the canal."
"Hmph." The strong man snorted and said angrily, "It's our duty! The villagers take turns repairing the canal every year, but your family always finds excuses to be lazy. You're lucky if you come once out of ten."
New hatred and old grudges, long-standing resentment. Several strong men were furious and started talking at the same time again.
"I, I... my family was wrong. I'm really sorry. I will never shirk responsibility again!" Liu Dong was extremely ashamed and embarrassed. @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Liu Sanping kept trying to smooth things over, saying with a headache, "Father and mother are father and mother, son is son, just keep quiet and stop arguing!"
Jiang Yushu asked her family to step away. She had no idea about the grievances in the village, so she didn't want to interrupt and had no intention of meddling in other people's business. She just watched quietly.
Zhuang Song, assuming his position as chief clerk, disdained to engage in conversation with the uncouth villagers. He ordered two officials to intervene, but they couldn't stop trying. Impatient, he stepped forward to rebuke them, but his voice was completely drowned out, and his face darkened with anger.
The sky brightened and the sun gradually rose above the treetops.
The downstream canal had dried up, but the villagers ignored the important task of repairing the canal and dissuaded others. Instead, they took the opportunity to air their grievances, their faces flushed and their necks thick with anger, and surrounded Liu Dong, blaming his parents one after another.
Liu Dong looked like a criminal on trial, his face turning red, purple, blue, and pale. He tried to explain at first, but eventually shut up, not daring to utter a single word. His eyes flushed with grievance, tears welling up in his eyes from embarrassment.
Seeing this, Jiang Yushu worried about the disruption, yet also felt a surge of sympathy for the young man being attacked. She checked the sky and patiently waited for a moment. Seeing the villagers' accusations simmering, she sighed and reluctantly stepped forward, seizing a moment to remind them, "Everyone, it's getting late. Repairing the canal is urgent. Every day the canal is short of water means one more day of drought for the crops, impacting the entire village's harvest."
"Right!" The helpless Liu Sanping immediately agreed, and tried to persuade him earnestly: "What are we doing together today? To repair the canal! There are some grudges that Dongzi has no idea about. You should go talk to Lao Zhu and his wife."
"Tsk, I don't bother to argue with a scoundrel!"
The strong man and others scolded the enemy's son severely, vented their anger, felt relieved, and stopped.
She is so nice and kind-hearted. She took the initiative to help me out... Liu Dong was surprised and deeply moved. He hurriedly wiped away his tears, fearing that he would appear cowardly in front of the woman he admired.
"Let's go! Calm down and go build the canal." Liu Sanping frowned and first pushed the few people who had just quarreled fiercely to go ahead, then warned: "Dongzi, you stay behind and don't come forward. I won't intervene if we quarrel again."
"Oh." Liu Dong, frustrated and submissive, listlessly walked at the rear, unable to resist secretly scrutinizing Jiang Yushu, from her raven black hair, her fine white neck, her slender shoulders and waist... all the way to her heels. He couldn't take his eyes off her, entranced, his mind racing.
Jiang Yushu was ahead, completely unaware. Her anxiety grew, and she walked faster and faster, unknowingly becoming the leader. After being exiled for three thousand miles, the Guo family had already mastered the art of treading water. Several of them walked with a swift pace, their eyes fixed on the road.
The strong man in the village asked in surprise: "It's strange, these women of the Guo family look thin, but they walk very fast."
"It's true that 'you can't judge a book by its cover'!" They murmured, but at the same time, unwilling to be outdone, they strode forward with arms wide open and quickly caught up.
So, the two groups competed secretly, vying to be the leader. They walked north along the canal until noon, when they discovered the first collapse.
Jiang Yushu panted, raised her hand and pointed, saying happily: "Look, that's where it's blocked!"
"Finally found it." Xiaotao and Cuimei's faces turned red with heat. They took water bags from the car and distributed them, wiped their sweat and drank water.
Liu Sanping ran closer to take a look and frowned. "There's no water at both ends. The upstream must be blocked too! Oh, let's dig this first." He led by example, jumping into the canal with a hoe on his shoulder and shouting, "Come on, get to work."
Liu Dong followed closely behind, swinging the hoe vigorously, "Brother Sanping, let me help you!"
According to the prior arrangement, Jiang Yushu led her family and used a horse-drawn carriage to drag the baskets of excavated soil to a distant place. It only took three trips back and forth to dig through this area, and then continued to explore to the north.
The group walked and stopped, and after digging through the collapsed areas everywhere, the water in the canal was still shallow and was never sufficient.
Liu Sanping, sweating profusely, said as he carried his hoe, "Is there still a blockage upstream?"
"Three miles ahead is the Mu River," his companion speculated, "perhaps the source is blocked? Spring and summer rains, dead branches, rotten leaves, and silt, it's been blocked before."
Liu Sanping nodded, "I guess so." He hesitated, "Should we go and take a look?"
"Of course we must go!" Zhuang Song, young and energetic, held his head high and chest puffed out, commanding with authority, "It's still early, and we have plenty of manpower. Since we've come all this way to repair the canal, how can we give up halfway? Stop dawdling, let's go and see the source together."
The crowd was helpless and moved forward in fear.
Xiao Tao was apprehensive and whispered, "Do we really have to follow?"
"Can I not go? I, I'm a little scared." Cuimei trembled with fear.
Jiang Yushu replied in a low voice, "Although Zhuang Song is only a clerk, he represents the government. We are prisoners... Given his temper, he won't allow prisoners to offend him."
"Alas." Cuimei dared not complain but dared not speak.
As they walked forward, Jiang Yushu casually asked Liu Sanping, "I wonder how long the Mu River is?"
"Not long!" Liu Dong, who followed silently, blurted out.
Liu Sanping looked around, fearing he might encounter the Beiyao people. Liu Dong mustered his courage and approached, saying, "The Mu River is a tributary. Its source is in Yongzhou. It makes a detour and flows into the Cang River from our Xicang."
Jiang Yushu seemed to be thinking about something, and then asked, "Whenever the Beiqi people launch a surprise attack, do they cross the river or the river?"
"Ah? I don't understand." Liu Dong stammered, "It should be mostly about crossing the river, right? There are some places in the Mu River where the water is so shallow that even a mule can wade across."
Jiang Yushu nodded and said, "That makes sense. The Beijiao people are good at riding and shooting. Crossing the river on horseback is easier than crossing the river."
"Hmm!" Liu Dong stared eagerly, with a lot to say, but unfortunately the beauty didn't say anything else.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yushu finally saw Mu He.
The irrigation canal of Liujia Village is drawn from here. The source is blocked by thick dead trees and branches and leaves, and the water flows slowly.
"Oh my! The source is blocked!" Liu Sanping wiped his sweat, looked nervously at the other side, and urged, "Hurry, dig it up! The other side is Yongzhou, be careful not to run into the Beiqi people."
Without saying a word, Liu Dong picked up a hoe and walked forward, smashing the dead branches and rotten leaves with all his strength, letting them flow away with the water.
When the villagers saw that the "son of a scoundrel" was diligent and willing to work, their expressions softened a little and they were willing to talk to him.
Zhuang Song and two officers were guarding with swords, not daring to relax and looking around vigilantly.
"This river water is so clear," Cuimei's voice trembled. The Guo family had no place to intervene, so they squatted by the river and hurriedly washed their faces.
Jiang Yushu looked at the lush jungle on the opposite bank, sometimes feeling suspicious, and sometimes comforting herself: the Heqin Guards were stationed not far away, and the enemy soldiers should not dare to do so in broad daylight - but the last time they encountered them, the enemy soldiers even entered the village.
She was worried and thought: However, after the last failure, the enemy soldiers should have restrained themselves to some extent.
The next moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from downstream!
"Ah? Are they from Beiqi?" Cuimei stood up suddenly, without thinking, pulled Jiang Yushu up, turned around and ran, shouting in fear: "Girl, run!"
When the villagers heard the word "Northern Qiang people", they were immediately panicked and at a loss. Some of them even dropped their farm tools and ran away.
"Hey? Stop!" Zhuang Song's hand trembled as he drew his sword, and he shouted sternly: "All of you stop right there! We are many in number, what are we afraid of? Come back quickly!" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
The sound of horse hooves approached quickly. The two officers felt weak and asked helplessly, "What should we do? Should we run too?"
"Run, why are you running? Only cowards run!" Zhuang Song's face turned pale, but he stood still.
Then, the sound of horse hooves came around the corner, and the people who came appeared. They were five Heqin border soldiers wearing Dagan uniforms.
"Hahaha!" Zhuang Song sighed deeply, then turned around and roared, "Hurry back and start repairing the canal! Don't worry, these people aren't from the Northern Qi Dynasty, but from the Heqin Guards, we're one of them!"
What? Our own people?
The people who instinctively wanted to escape stopped, looked at each other, watched cautiously, and then returned embarrassedly.
"Coward! Coward!" Zhuang Song, without caring about his status, scolded him: "Before we came, we clearly discussed it again and again and agreed to work together. But when the time came, you ran away with your heads in your arms, abandoning the three of us!" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
"You, please calm down, we really didn't mean it. We were just too scared just now." Liu Sanping explained with a smile. His companions were also embarrassed and kept silent while being scolded.
Jiang Yushu had just recovered from the shock and felt very ashamed. She had secretly disliked Zhuang Song's frequent abuse of power, but now she couldn't help but change her mind.
Moreover, as soon as she heard the words "Heqin Guards", she immediately couldn't move her feet. She was full of anticipation and excitement. She crossed the crowd and squeezed forward eagerly.
The border troops patrolling the shoreline saw a group of civilians and reined in their horses. The leader, Qian Xiaoshuan, shouted, "Who are you? Why are you here? Don't you know there are Northern Qiong bandits in Yongzhou on the other side?"
Jiang Yushu's heart was beating like a drum. She squeezed forward excitedly, held her breath, and took a quick look. But she was instantly disappointed. Her smile disappeared and her bright eyes became dim.
"Is the young master here?" Xiao Tao was also anxious. Cui Mei looked around and immediately curled her lips, "I don't see the four of them, my son-in-law, but here comes this lecher."
Ding Yuan, who was not far away, heard it all clearly. He felt very aggrieved and dismounted.
Jiang Yushu forced herself to cheer up and whispered, "Didn't I tell you? The lecher isn't him, but the one called Tian Bo."
"Well, I've gotten used to cursing and it's hard for me to change it in a short time." Cuimei felt uneasy when she saw Ding Yuan striding towards her, and she lowered her head to look at the tip of her shoes.
Zhuang Song stepped forward and bowed, answering, "My name is Zhuang, the chief clerk of the county yamen. I've been ordered to Liujia Village on errands. Because the canal is blocked and there's no water for irrigating the crops, I have no choice but to follow the canal to clear it. Please see, the source is blocked."
Qian Xiaoshuan nodded. "So they're repairing the canal. This place is dangerous, and we shouldn't stay here for long. Be quick and clear it quickly. Make sure you stay away from the rivers before dark! Otherwise, you might run into the Beiqie people who raid Xicang at night and lose your lives in vain."
"Thank you for the reminder. We understand and will do it as soon as possible." Zhuang Song spoke in an official tone, tilting his head and waving his hand. Liu Sanping and the others understood and, feeling guilty, worked tirelessly, even jumping into the river to pull out dead branches.
Jiang Yushu calmed herself down, took two steps forward, and said with a smile, "What a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you."
"What a coincidence indeed." Qian Xiaoshuan pressed the handle of the knife, smiled kindly, and asked curiously, "Why did you guys come along to repair the canal?"
Jiang Yushu replied briefly, "We were farming in Liujia Village, and the canal was blocked, and the crops needed water urgently, so we had to come along to clean it up."
"Oh." Qian Xiaoshuan hesitated, unable to conceal his sympathy. "Farming in the fields is tough, exposed to the sun and wind. It's busy all year round. Besides, Liujia Village is too close to the river, so there's always trouble. You better be careful."
"We've been very careful." Jiang Yushu took a deep breath and asked softly, "We're both under Captain Pan, so why isn't Hong Lei with you?"
Qian Xiaoshuan answered readily, "We are a team of five, each responsible for patrolling different areas. He is in a section of the Cang River, which is quite far from here."
"Have his old injuries healed? Have he fought in the battlefield? Have he suffered new injuries? In addition, three male members of the Guo family have joined the Heqin Guard, namely Lin Qin, Peng Changxing and Peng Changrong. How are they?" After more than a month of separation and no news, Jiang Yushu was worried and concerned, fearing that her family members would suffer new injuries before their old ones healed.
"Don't worry, don't worry." Qian Xiaoshuan waved his hand, knowing full well that the other party was worried, and answered them one by one: "The four of them have recovered from their old injuries. They have only been on the battlefield once since joining the army, and they are unscathed and uninjured."
Jiang Yushu stroked her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good. I was really worried that they would go into battle injured. That would be too dangerous."
"Haha, you worry too much. Captain Pan treats his men with great care and love, not that harsh!" Qian Xiaoshuan smiled and was naturally talkative. "When I get back, I'll tell your husband, and he'll definitely regret patrolling the Cang River instead of the Mu River."
Jiang Yushu's mind raced, and she suddenly felt a surge of anticipation. She asked, "Does each of your squads patrol fixed locations? What time do you set out every day? What time do you return to the garrison?"
"Ahem." Qian Xiaoshuan shook his head and replied implicitly, "If you ask in general terms, I can give you a general idea. But you can't ask in too much detail... Understand?"
Jiang Yushu was startled, slapped her forehead, and hurriedly explained, "I'm sorry, I didn't think much about it at the moment. I was just curious and had no intention of spying on military intelligence."
Qian Xiaoshuan pressed the hilt of the knife with his right hand and waved his left hand, "Don't panic, I know what you mean. There are military orders that many things are strictly forbidden to be spread outside. In short, I tell you: the four members of the Guo family are safe and sound!"
"Thank you for telling me." Jiang Yushu bowed gratefully.
Qian Xiaoshuan was startled and subconsciously dodged, blurting out: "Oh, this is absolutely not allowed! I am just an ordinary person, and you are from the Jingyang Marquis Mansion--"
"It's not been that long ago," Jiang Yushu interrupted calmly. An idea struck her, and she gave a wry smile, feigning sadness as she said tentatively, "Some of us are now exiled to the army, some are farming, and our entire family is exiled. Our status is not as high as yours. Alas, I don't know if my family is doing well in the army. After all, we are exiles, of lower status. I'm sure there are some, some..." She paused, sighing deeply.
Qian Xiaoshuan was stunned for a moment, then laughed and shook his head, sighing, "You're worrying too much again! Although Guo Honglei is a new recruit, he's very skilled and usually wins in duels on the training ground. He's not arrogant or mean-spirited, and I've never seen him being harassed or humiliated."
"Really?" Jiang Yushu felt relieved. "That's good."
Qian Xiaoshuan sighed, "Although he's an exile, he's talented in both civil and military matters, and is highly regarded by the centurions. He lives a more comfortable life than we do."
Jiang Yushu wanted to laugh for some reason, but she forced herself to hold it back. She said modestly, "No, he's very young, and he's new to the army. He must have many shortcomings. I think you're exaggerating." After a pause, she looked at Ding Yuan, who kept wanting to say something but stopped. Finally, she found the time, moved a little closer, and took the initiative to ask:
"Ding Yuan, right? Captain Pan told us everything about you. Although you took the blame for others and caused the misunderstanding, we've been scolding you both openly and covertly for quite a while, and we feel bad about it. I want to apologize. Let's put this matter behind us and don't bring it up again to avoid embarrassment, okay?"
Ding Yuan, as if pardoned, quickly replied: "Okay, of course, I just ask you not to call me 'lecher' as soon as you meet me! I was wrong too, and I apologize to you." After saying that, he solemnly clasped his fists and bowed to Xiao Tao.
"You—" Xiao Tao stepped back awkwardly, at a loss as to what to do. She said shyly, "Since this is all a misunderstanding, then, then I won't scold you anymore. I'll scold Tian instead."
Jiang Yushu smiled and was about to smooth things over when she heard another round of horse hooves from upstream.
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