Chapter 187 The Calm Before the Storm
There were no warning signs whatsoever.
Longcheng County is located in a corner of Jiangzhou in Jiangnan Province, downstream of Yunmengze.
Rain fell in the last two days.
There was no thunder.
Only rain.
At first, it was a light, sparse drizzle.
The next day, it started to rain heavily, with a light drizzle.
Another day passed, and then a torrential downpour began.
Just as the people of Longcheng County and the county government were becoming increasingly worried, the sky suddenly cleared up.
The rain has stopped.
As dusk fell, the dark clouds dispersed, and the sky after the rain was cleared was ablaze with bright orange-yellow sunset clouds.
Against the backdrop of the setting sun.
It was exceptionally gorgeous and beautiful.
It's like a reward after going through hardships.
The county officials and their servants, standing under the damp, dripping eaves, relaxed, exchanged glances, and showed some joy.
In many parts of the county town, this scene of people breathing a sigh of relief and feeling joyful is a common occurrence on the streets and alleys.
The beautiful sunset captivated many people under the eaves.
Because, apart from children who are still too young to understand, the locals of Longcheng, who have long suffered from the unpredictable floods of Butterfly Creek, are naturally cautious about any rain during the plum rain season.
Based on the experience of the elderly regarding the twenty-four solar terms.
This should be the last heavy rain of the plum rain season, and it seems to be finally coming to an end.
Only now has the immense pressure that has been weighing on the hearts of officials and residents of Longcheng County since the start of the rainy season finally been released.
"It rained for three days, and it finally stopped. Prefect, what a beautiful sunny day! What a beautiful sunny day!"
In the main hall of the county government, County Magistrate Diao's head, resembling a duck's neck, peeked out from under the eaves, with a series of water droplets from the roof hitting his eyelids.
The old county magistrate, without even wiping his face, ran to the open space, gesturing wildly, and turned to report the good news to Ouyang Rong and the others who were waiting solemnly in the main hall.
The latter still retained some of the serious tension from the torrential rain not long ago.
At this moment, Ouyang Rong, Yan Liulang, Liu Ashan and the others did not look at the County Magistrate Diao who had slipped on the wet bluestone slab in the courtyard. They exchanged glances and all let out a long sigh.
"My lord, the new season will change in a couple of days. We've finally made it through the plum rain season."
Yan Liulang turned his head and smiled.
Ouyang Rong ignored him and turned his head to ask, "Has the latest water level information from the upstream water level marker been sent back?"
Liu Ashan organized his thoughts and nodded, saying:
"Master, we're still on the way. The news only came back half an hour ago. If the brothers ride at full speed, it will probably be another hour before we get another report."
Ouyang Rong nodded and looked around the relaxed atmosphere in the county government hall.
Besides him, County Magistrate Diao Yan Liulang, and others, officials at all levels in the county government were also on high alert.
This is because Ouyang Rong attached great importance to it from the very beginning of his tenure in Longcheng, and gave warnings in advance without getting tired of it.
These past two days, with what seems to be the last heavy rain of the plum rain season, everyone in Longcheng County has been on high alert.
Fully equipped and ready to go, everyone is in position, mentally prepared for another flood to arrive.
Therefore, the atmosphere in the county government hall was quite oppressive all day, with Ouyang Rong in charge of the central command.
Meanwhile, the officials upstream who were monitoring the water level markers were also working around the clock, sending people to deliver messages and update the latest water level as determined by Ouyang Rong.
Half an hour earlier, when the heavy rain had not yet stopped, the water level at the latest water level marker was quite high, approaching the danger line.
The heavy rain has finally come to an end, seemingly indicating the cessation of the flooding.
"Continue to monitor the water level, and notify me immediately if there is any news. As for the rest of you..."
Ouyang Rong glanced around the county government hall, his gaze sweeping over the tired yet relaxed faces. He paused, then nodded and said:
"Everyone, go back and rest for now, have some dinner. You've all had a long day. But those of you on duty tonight, remember to be on time. The county office needs someone to keep an eye on things..."
Ouyang Rong muttered a few words, then a smile appeared on his serious lips. He waved his hand, dismissing everyone from their shifts.
After giving some more instructions and making some arrangements, Ouyang Rong was the last to leave the county government hall. At the county government gate, he met Ye Weilai, who was carrying an umbrella and visiting him.
The latter's face was full of worry, her temples were damp, as if she had been waiting for him for a long time.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, lowered his head, and gently rubbed her white-haired little head:
"I'm fine, the rain has stopped, don't worry, let's go home."
Ouyang Rong glanced back at Deer Cry Street under the setting sun, let out a soft breath, and turned to lead Ye Weilai back to the Plum Grove Courtyard.
Inside the study, Ouyang Rong had just wiped his face with a hot towel handed to him by a maid with white hair when his ears twitched slightly, and he turned to look in the direction of the plum grove behind the courtyard.
"Hmm, Master, the young lady from the Su family is calling you again."
Ye Weilai, who was standing with her back to the basin, swayed her twin ponytails and bounced back. She turned around and chuckled.
"Speak too much, you're asking for a beating."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, tossed the towel back to Ye Weilai who was blinking, straightened his appearance, picked up a chessboard, turned and went out, following the melodious sound of the zither.
Ye Wei wiped her hands and followed behind him with practiced ease.
Ouyang Rong, accompanied by his white-haired maid, arrived at the elegant pavilion in the plum grove and walked around the screen wall.
Sure enough, a young woman with a pale face and plum blossom makeup was playing the zither with her eyes downcast.
A chubby-faced maid, dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), squatted with her knees drawn up in front of a small red clay stove in the pavilion, pouting foolishly as she blew air into the stove to start a fire and brew tea.
Ye Weilai seemed to have expected this, and took out a small round fan that she had prepared. She stepped forward, squatted down next to Caishou, and helped to fan the fire.
However, it's quite obvious that one of the two is a bit of a fool.
Ouyang Rong and Su Guo'er paid no attention to the two maids.
Neither of them even looked up at the other.
Su Guo'er sometimes frowned, sometimes relaxed her eyes, and her slender fingers plucked the strings.
Ouyang Rong sat down opposite her, set up the chessboard, grabbed a handful of black chess pieces, and occasionally turned his head to look at the night view gradually enveloping the pavilion.
The moon rises above the willow branches, and we meet after dusk.
As long as Ouyang Rong had nothing to do and finished his shift early, the two would often have a small gathering in the plum grove in the evening.
After spending these days together, the two pairs of masters and servants, who are neighbors, have developed a rather tacit understanding.
"Why didn't you come the other day?" Su Guo'er glanced at him.
"Busy." Ouyang Rong didn't look up, and with a "click," a black stone fell to the ground.
The man's casual manner was nothing new to Su Guo'er. She put down Baoqin, reached for the white chess set, and prepared to play a game.
She glanced at the chessboard, and her hand, which was holding a chess piece, paused.
"Why are you playing this game called Gomoku again?"
“A defeated opponent.” Ouyang Rong uttered the four words without looking up.
"..." Su Guo'er.
She took a deep breath.
Recently, Su Guo'er was surprised to find that Ouyang Rong did not know how to play Go, so she prepared to teach him. However, as she taught him, he led her astray and started playing in a crooked and unorthodox way.
What's with the name "Five in a Row"? The latter even swore that this is the true orthodox form of Go.
He's practically a member of the demonic path.
Su Guo'er's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly:
"That day I casually taught you some chess moves, and you were able to apply them to other situations. You clearly have such a talent for chess, so why are you still fixated on other messy, rural games?"
Ouyang Rong nodded and said, "A defeated opponent."
"...??"
Su Guo'er frowned, forcefully plunging her small hand into the pile of white chess pieces in the box from her sleeve. The back of her fair hand made the top-quality white jade chess pieces in the box appear somewhat yellowish.
With a "click," the young woman in plum blossom makeup sitting in front of Ouyang Rong silently picked up the white chess piece with two fingers and placed it down heavily, so forcefully that Ouyang Rong almost thought she was going to break the chessboard.
Look at that competitive nature of his; even though he knows it's just a casual provocation, he's still not convinced...
Ouyang Rong chuckled and shook his head. He then started playing Go with Su Guo'er across from him.
Ouyang Rong has always been adept at dealing with arrogant people. For example, he used to discipline his junior sister, although Su Guo'er's arrogance is quite different from his junior sister's...
Half an incense stick later.
Su Guo'er suddenly stood up, dropped the half-full chess box of white pieces, and quickly walked to the eaves of the pavilion. She looked around, her small face tense, and raised her fair chin.
"The rain has stopped."
This seamless shift in topic left even Ye Weilai and Cai Shou, the two girls who usually pretend to be naive, speechless.
"Go down," Ouyang Rong urged.
"Do you want it to rain?"
"No, I mean, hurry up and make your move," Ouyang Rong gently reminded him.
"Oh, I'm not playing anymore, it's boring." Su Guo'er pouted.
Ouyang Rong chuckled lightly, lowered his head to tidy up the chessboard, and didn't insist any further.
This is a young woman who refuses to accept defeat.
You can get a general idea of someone's personality just by looking at how they play chess.
However, she was also extremely intelligent. Although she had just praised Ouyang Rong for his talent in chess, Su Guo'er was also incredibly talented in Ouyang Rong's eyes.
She had only been exposed to this strange game of Gomoku for a few days under Ouyang Rong's provocation, but now she could calculate in her mind that she would lose within five moves, so she immediately got up and ran away with an impatient expression.
Both of them were fully aware of this, but Ouyang Rong did not say it in front of Cai Shou and Ye Weilai.
Su Guo'er couldn't help but turn around and glance at the young county magistrate who was carefully tidying up the chessboard with his head down, seemingly without any anger.
As soon as he raised his head, Su Guo'er immediately looked away, pretending to look outside the pavilion:
“The rain has stopped,” she repeated.
"Um."
"Has the water level in Butterfly Creek stabilized?"
"almost."
"According to your previous view, if the last rainfall of this plum rain season is over, does that mean that there will be no more major floods in Yunmengze upstream this year, and Butterfly Creek can be safe until next year's plum rain season?"
Su Guo'er asked with concern.
Ouyang Rong paused, then looked up at the sky outside:
"That's right. You've seen the map of Butterfly Creek I drew before, and the reason is obvious."
"The Butterfly Creek floods in previous years were all caused by the low-lying terrain of Yunmeng Ancient Marsh upstream, which accumulated water from the surrounding mountains during the plum rain season, causing the water to rise naturally and overflow when it was full."
"The Yangtze River behind us is the best outlet for flood discharge. Unfortunately, the Jiangzhou area, especially Longcheng County, is located between the two. Butterfly Creek is too narrow and too winding to discharge floodwater immediately. If we are not flooded, who will be flooded?"
Su Guo'er nodded thoughtfully:
"So, you built the Zheyi Canal and the Digong Sluice Gate in succession to deal with the floods?"
She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement:
"That makes sense. The Zheyi Canal discharges floodwaters, while the Digong Sluice Gate controls flooding."
"The former is a radical cure, a one-time solution, but the construction period is long."
"The latter is a stopgap measure that can temporarily control flooding and has short-term effects. Once the former is completed, it will be a permanent solution."
"Your principles of water management are ingenious. If they were widely adopted, they could control the vast majority of floods in the world today..."
Su Guo'er looked over with bright eyes. Ouyang Rong noticed that this young lady of the Su family, although she had lived a secluded life for a long time, always liked to utter the words "the world".
It's a pity that while the youngest sister of the Su family has a broad mind in one aspect, she lacks another, which contrasts sharply with her junior sister.
Ouyang Rong nodded without saying anything, not going into further detail, as these were all old, familiar topics:
He had said it countless times in front of the county government and the villagers, but few could truly understand it as thoroughly as Su Guo'er in front of him.
Most people still ask him repeatedly whether there will be another flood this year, and whether the Digong Sluice Gate can withstand the rising waters of Yunmengze.
Regarding the Butterfly Creek flood, Ouyang Rong was quite helpless to find that the people of Longcheng County showed more awe in their eyes.
All Ouyang Rong could do was nod confidently, giving affirmative answers again and again.
Providing them with peace of mind and uniting people's hearts is probably the greatest role that most local officials play.
"What are you thinking about, young master?"
"It's nothing."
Su Guo'er glanced at Ouyang Rong's calm expression, opened her mouth slightly, then closed it again, as if she had swallowed back the sharp and sarcastic words she was about to say.
A young woman with plum blossom makeup organized her thoughts, then nodded in praise:
"No matter what, the rain has stopped now, and we've finally made it through the rainy season. Young Master's efforts have not been in vain. Once we enter the height of summer, the water level upstream will definitely drop."
"The next flood will be in May or June of next year. By then, the second phase of the Zheyi Canal will have been completed, and Digong Sluice will no longer need to worry about flood control during floods, as the Zheyi Canal will help with flood discharge."
"In that case, all matters can be settled. At that time, Young Master Ouyang can take some time to compile a memorial on flood control and submit it to the court. Who knows, he might become famous throughout the world by taking advantage of the matter of eradicating the floods in Jiangnan."
Ye Weilai, who was helping to light the stove and make tea, turned her head with a happy expression upon hearing this, but she and Su Guo'er, who was also glancing sideways, saw someone with a normal reaction.
"Is the young master unhappy?"
Ouyang Rong smiled at them and said, "No, I'm quite happy."
I'm really happy.
However, it was the kind of joy that comes from being a "civil servant" who works year-round without a break and finally getting a long holiday.
Instead of the joy of outstanding performance and the prospect of being appreciated by a benefactor and having a bright future.
After several months, the flood control efforts are finally coming to an end.
Ouyang Rong murmured in a weak voice, "...Return home, my fields are overgrown with weeds, why not return?"
Su Guo'er, with her sharp ears, heard the poem "Returning Home" and couldn't help but glance at the young magistrate, as if about to speak.
Just then, the sound of boots stomping heavily on the wet leaves in the forest came from outside the pavilion.
The people in the pavilion were taken aback and turned their heads.
Travel-worn Liu Ashan and his companions rushed to the steps of the elegant pavilion, panting heavily:
"My lord! My lord! Something terrible has happened! Upstream...upstream..."
Ouyang Rong slowly put down the chess box without turning his head. "Stop stuttering, speak."
Liu Ashan's pale lips trembled as he uttered the words:
"The rain stopped overnight, but the water level at the upstream dam is still rising rapidly! It has exceeded the flood warning line you set, and it keeps rising. People from the Digong Sluice Gate have also been notified of the abnormal water level!"
The pavilion and its surroundings fell silent instantly.
Not long ago, the exceptionally beautiful sunset clouds suddenly became the most terrifying thing in people's minds.
Panicked gazes converged on a young county magistrate whose back remained unmoved inside the pavilion.
Rumble—!
At that moment, a muffled rumble of thunder could be faintly heard from the distant horizon.
The wind fills the forest, and the pavilion sways.
A few raindrops drifted into the pavilion from the dark sky, pattering on the back of a fair hand that was preparing to tidy up the chessboard.
Suddenly, someone stood up and plunged headfirst into the drizzle and slanting wind.
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(End of this chapter)
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