Chapter 212: Night Returner

On the fifteenth day of September, the moon is bright and round, and the road is bright even without turning on the lights.

Shen Duan hurried into the city before the city gate and did not stay in the city. After entering the city, he took his old friend home.

One man and one mule were walking on the smooth bluestone road. The mule had never walked on such a flat road since it was born, so it had to look up and sniffle from time to time.

The Shen family had closed the door long ago, and the doorman had already dozed off. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door, wondering who could be coming so late at night?

When I opened the door, I was suddenly sprayed with hot air by the mule, "Oh my god!"

The concierge was so frightened by the mule poking his face that he fell to the ground.

"General Gray, don't be naughty!"

The doorman was about to call someone when he heard a familiar voice. He stood up carefully, "Young Master? Is it Young Master?"

Shen Duan pulled his mule and said, "It's me."

"Ouch! Damn it, I didn't recognize you, Master!"

The doorman ran forward quickly, and Shen Duan handed him the reins. "Take Gray General to the stable and put him in a separate pen. He has a bad temper. Have someone give him some food and water."

After saying that, he took his bag and was about to go inside, then he remembered and said to the doorman, "Just arrange it. It's so late, there's no need to wake everyone up. I'll go back to the yard by myself."

"Yes, I understand."

When Shen Duan was outside, he had only a servant by his side to help with chores, and most of the time, he washed his own clothes.

The Yunyang County where he worked was a poor place, and the county government was very small. The previous county magistrate grew his own vegetables and raised chickens and ducks. When he went to take over, the old man entrusted him with the vegetable fields, chickens and ducks, and an old dog that often came to the county government for meals.

Although the Shen family is not extremely wealthy, they have never had to worry about food and clothing. When Shen Duan first arrived, he didn't even know how to use a hoe, but now he can clean up several plots of land by himself.

As he was thinking about this, he walked towards his yard with his bag on his back. When he saw the land at home where only flowers and plants were planted, he couldn't help but think how nice it would be if potatoes were planted on this land.

Shen Duan was away from home most of the year, so the only servants still in his yard were the two boy servants who had always followed him. Shen Duan thought that the servants were all asleep at this time, but he didn't expect that the gate opened as soon as he knocked.

"Master! You are finally back!"

"Xiao Yi, why are you still awake so late?"

"I knew you were coming back soon, so Xiao Ding and I took turns guarding you these days. Look, you are here for me."

Xiao Yi held Shen Duan's bag and smiled, "Mrs. Madam also has people clean your room every day, and the quilts are washed and dried."

When they reached the door, Xiao Yi opened it first to let Shen Duan in, and followed behind him. After putting down his bag, he hurried to light the lamp.

"Master, please take a rest first. I will fetch you some water for washing and ask the kitchen to prepare something for you to eat."

Shen Duan nodded. He was in a hurry and was indeed hungry now.

As soon as Xiao Yi left the house, he went to call Xiao Ding, "The eldest master is back! Go and ask the kitchen to prepare some food for the eldest master, and I'll go get some water to help him wash up."

Xiao Ding had fallen asleep, but when he heard these words, he suddenly lost all sleepiness and quickly got up and got dressed.

Shen Duan looked around the room. He hadn't been home for so long that he actually felt a little strange. He looked at the exquisite furnishings in the room, and then looked at himself who was covered in dust. It was as if he had entered someone else's house.

When they were washing up, Shen Duan said, "You can go out first. I don't need anyone to serve me here."

Now he is used to doing everything by himself, and is not used to being served by others.

Shen Duan took a long bath, changing the hot water twice before changing into clean clothes. As soon as he came out, he heard voices.

"Manman, Xixi, why are you two here?!"

Shen Xi was about to speak, but when she saw her dark and thin brother, tears started to fall and she was unable to speak.

Shen Duan was startled and hurried forward, wanting to take a handkerchief from his pocket, but then he remembered that he had just finished washing and was wearing pajamas, without a handkerchief inside.

"Xixi, why are you crying? What's wrong?" Without time to find a handkerchief, Shen Duan simply used his hands to wipe his sister's tears.

It was Shen Yuan who explained to Shen Duan, "Brother, my sister and I are sleeping together tonight. We couldn't sleep and were hungry, so we asked Zijin to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. Zijin ran into Xiaoding and knew that you were back."

Shen Xi also stopped crying, "Brother, why have you lost so much weight? Aren't you going to be the county magistrate? Why are you still not full?"

"I'm not thin, I'm strong. Most people can't be as strong as me."

Shen Duan raised his arm and asked his sister to pinch it. "Look, is it firm?"

Shen Yuan hasn't seen his cousin for a long time. Compared to a few years ago, his cousin has changed from a handsome young man to a thin and dark man. One can tell at a glance that he must have suffered a lot.

"Brother, if your aunt sees you like this tomorrow, she will be heartbroken."

"What can I do? I can't become fat in one night."

"You won't become fat in one night, but you have to eat more and take good care of yourself during this time at home."

Shen Duan's first few days in Yunyang County were indeed not easy. The people were reluctant to let go of the previous county magistrate, and they were even more distrustful of him because he was just a fair-skinned young man. Later, he took the initiative to go to the fields and interact with the people. He went to the fields to help with spring ploughing and autumn harvest, especially for those widows and orphans. He took people from the county government to help them plant the land and harvest food.

Yunyang County has many mountains, and people could not grow much just by farming. So he led the people to raise chickens. The chickens roamed the mountains and forests, and he sold the eggs and roosters. Gradually, the people's lives became better, and they began to trust him.

The kitchen knew that the eldest master had returned, so they quickly lit the fire. It was too late to cook, so they cooked a large bowl of noodles and fried some delicious meat sauce. The chicken soup that had been simmering in the casserole was also used.

There was no time to prepare delicate dishes, so I just quickly stir-fried a few side dishes.

Shen Yuan and Shen Xi had originally been planning to eat, so they simply followed Shen Duan and ate together.

For fear of scaring his sisters, Shen Duan held back his meals, but even so, they were frightened. They were even more certain that their brother had suffered a great deal outside.

"Brother, you've been there for a few years. As long as you pass the year-end evaluation, you can move to another place, right?"

Shen Duan shook his head before he swallowed the noodles in his mouth. "No, I can't leave. I saved some money from selling chickens and eggs in the past two years. With the money allocated to us by the prefecture, we will build a road next spring. I will also lead the people of Yunyang County to grow tea and medicinal herbs. When the road is built, it will be more convenient to sell them outside."

When Shen Duan talked about this, his dark eyes sparkled.