Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Cousin, I Love You
The rainstorm was fierce and torrential, pouring down like buckets. The water accumulated on the ground quickly overflowed the snow-white horseshoes. The long eyelashes turned into a curtain of falling water. The useless ink-and-wash umbrella fell down in the wind and rain, and the wet and cool taste gathered into strands and flowed down the tip of the nose into the corners of the mouth.
Suo Ye wiped the rain from his face and could only shout amid the humming sound of the downpour, "Sir, this rain is too heavy. You are not well yet and you can't stand the cold!"
His scalding body was drenched by the overwhelming rain, and the sudden combination of cold and heat made him seem to be on the verge of collapse. Pei Zhiji's eyes were already distracted while he was walking, but he still insisted on hurrying on. He knew that if he didn't support his sick body and move forward today, he was afraid that he would not be able to get up for a while after the illness came like a mountain.
The winding mountain road was muddy and dangerous, and now it was slippery and difficult to climb. Suo Ye walked forward and drove side by side with him, paying attention to the reins in his hand.
The two of them were traveling in the rain when they were suddenly blocked from moving forward. Several villagers gathered at the suspension bridge that led to the county.
The long suspension bridge is backed by dangerous peaks and valleys. The flood triggered a mudslide, and huge rocks rolled down during the landslide, blocking the bridge head tightly. Upon hearing the news, villagers living nearby rushed over in twos and threes, holding hoes, shovels and various farm tools to move the rocks.
"Dad, what should we do? The bridge here is about to collapse." The young man in the straw hat looked at the shaking and crooked suspension bridge, feeling very anxious. This was the only way to the county.
The white-haired old man sighed repeatedly, and had no way to deal with it. He could only wait until the rainstorm was over before repairing it. He watched two young men riding horses from a distance, so he narrowed his eyes, took a few steps forward with heavy legs, wiped the rain from his face that could not be wiped off, looked at Pei Zhiji and Suo Ye, pointed at the suspension bridge with his rough old hands, and shouted loudly in the rain.
"Are you two going to the county? I advise you not to go. Go home quickly! This rainstorm has triggered a flash flood. The bridge deck will collapse soon. You can't get across now. If you keep waiting here for it to be repaired, who knows how long it will take!"
After saying that, the old man went back to continue directing the young people. Soon the stones at the bridge head were moved away. Without the pressure of gravity, a crack appeared in the middle of the bridge, and it shook terribly in the storm.
Pei Zhiji immediately dismounted to investigate. The river was surging and the water was rising rapidly. If the bridge collapsed and fell into the water, both the people and the horses would be washed away. However, the cracks on the bridge seemed to be acceptable. If he controlled his speed, he could perhaps rush across.
"My lord, please think twice. We don't know when the rain will stop. If the bridge is not repaired in time, it will definitely delay our return to Beijing!" Suo Ye's raincoat had fallen somewhere in the wind and rain, but he had no time to care and just kept trying to dissuade him.
As the two sides were in trouble, the collapse of the bridge became more and more serious. Pei Zhiji no longer hesitated, leaned forward and galloped his horse wildly. The horse neighed and neighed, galloping with its handsome face. The muddy water splashed by its four hooves dripped into his eyes.
When Suo Ye crossed the bridge and looked back, the bridge in front of him collapsed with a loud bang and broke completely in the middle. Half of the bridge was mired in the turbulent white waves and swept into the rapids without a trace.
The sky and the earth were covered in a white haze. Every household in the county had closed its windows and doors. All the roadside stalls and shops had been removed, leaving only some worthless broken tabletops soaked in water. Twelve years ago, the flood was so devastating that everyone who had experienced it prayed to the gods and Buddhas at home, chanting for the protection of the Bodhisattva.
Pei Zhiji rushed to Chen's house without stopping, fearing that he would regret it if he was a step late.
Since the rain got heavier, Lu Suizhu felt anxious and uneasy, and had difficulty falling asleep at night. The water that suddenly flooded over her ankles was so cold and creepy. She couldn't control her body shaking and hid in the quilt.
Chenzhuo led his subordinates from the county government to resist the flood. Uncle Zhang and Aunt Li supported each other as they nailed doors and windows in front of and behind the house. Wu Lianjin placed the precious fabrics on the highest place in the silk shop. Lin Yan was busy clearing the drainage ditch. Fangdian moved the chickens, ducks and dogs raised in the yard into the house.
Lu Suizhu covered her ears with her hands, gritted her teeth and her cheeks bulged. The fear overflowing from the bottom of her heart was running wildly through every pore. When she heard footsteps coming from behind, she screamed "Ah!" and saw Yueying coming with tea. She ignored her and rushed out the door in her embroidered shoes. She picked up a shovel and shoveled water out. The water splashed farther and farther, but it still kept flooding over her embroidered shoes.
The sound of raindrops dripping on the tile shed was so loud, yet so quiet, as if the only sound of rain could be heard in the world. She concentrated on shoveling the water, trying to dispel the gloom in her heart, and had no sense of the approaching danger.
The hand holding the knife was only an inch away from her. Just as it was about to fall, the neighing of a horse was heard outside the door.
Pei Zhiji almost fell off his horse, and his hand was stretched out before he could stand firmly.
Lu Suizhu felt the force of a palm rubbing against her shoulder blade. With a groan, Yue Ying was accurately hit in the knee by the sleeve arrow shot by Suo Ye. She retreated repeatedly, whimpering in pain, and then knelt on the ground. Suo Ye stepped forward and captured her alive, and quickly took out a thick rope to tie her hands and feet.
Lu Suizhu was still immersed in the terrifying shadow of her childhood until the weight suddenly increased on her back, causing Pei Zhiji to fall down. She turned around in shock and supported his sagging shoulders. Pei Zhiji's palm was pierced by the dagger, and blood flowed down, but was soon washed away by the heavy rain.
She was stunned on the spot. It all happened too suddenly and she had no time to react. Pei Zhiji's head was still hanging on her shoulder, his body was burning hot, and only a weak breath remained. He said confused words, "Fortunately, I made it in time."
The moment she was captured by Suo Ye, Yue Ying decided to bite her tongue. She had already made up her mind to die, and now that revenge had failed, she would have no chance. Seeing the movement of her lips and teeth, Suo Ye quickly pinched her cheeks with such force that she was forced to spit out the root of her tongue. As expected, there was blood in her mouth when she vomited painfully, and half of her teeth were also spit out.
Pei Zhiji collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on. Lu Suizhu panicked and touched his face, her limbs stiff and numb. "Pei Zhiji, get up, talk to me, Pei Shou, yes, did you say I can call you that? Pei Shou, open your eyes, get up."
Tears blurred her eyes, and she could not see Pei Zhiji's face clearly. She called out to him again and again in the rain, but she did not dare to check for his breath.
After dealing with Yueying, Suo Ye came over and carried Pei Zhiji on his back. Lu Suizhu wiped her tears and followed closely behind, lifting the curtain to lead the way for him.
"My master had a high fever the day before yesterday and was caught in the rain. Now he has been injured even more and has fallen into a coma." Suo Ye bit the bandage in his mouth and quickly wrapped it around Pei Zhiji's palm. After saying these words, he asked Yueying to be sent to the county government to surrender according to Pei Zhiji's previous instructions. He looked at Pei Zhiji with some worry.
"I'll watch him." After all this trouble, Lu Suizhu seemed to have just woken up from a dream. She felt much more at ease and let Suo Ye go about his business.
When they were the only two left in the room, her tears still rolled down. She was really going to be filled with water today. Lu Suizhu touched his burning cheek and murmured something that sounded like an angry complaint: "Since you left, why did you come back?"
The gauze that had just been wrapped was soon soaked with blood. The piercing pain made the unconscious man unable to sleep well. Lu Suizhu wiped the sweat from his forehead and wiped it with cold water again and again to cool him down.
In the county government office, Yueying confessed to her intentional homicide. She admitted that she was Liuli, the lover of mine owner Zhang Ding, and the woman he redeemed from Xiangyi Garden.
Originally, Zhang Ding was worried that the private mining business would be exposed and bring disaster. After thinking about it over and over again, he was not willing to leave Liuli outside, so he simply redeemed her, changed her name, and sold her under the nose of County Magistrate Shen, which was the safest and most reliable place. In the eyes of outsiders, Yueying was completely separated from him.
Before Zhang Ding was executed, he calmly considered the relationship between him and Yue Ying as master and servant and allowed the two of them to meet.
The man who hadn't shed a tear even after being tortured by words and actions, now beat his chest and said sadly: "Why are you doing this? Find an honest man to marry, and you will have a better life in the future."
"Go away! I've given my body to you, who else can I marry? I wanted to help you get revenge, but I'm too stupid. I can only go to hell with you, this unlucky guy."
Chen Zhuo, who was standing by, was also surprised. The Yueying at Shen's house was completely different from the fierce girl in front of him.
The case is over, there is no way to trace it back, and the right and wrong are beyond words.
Pei Zhiji has been in a coma for two days. He has not eaten or drunk anything and is relying on bowls of medicine to stay alive. He vomits out everything he drinks and cannot take much.
Lu Suizhu didn't dare close her eyes. She and Suo Ye watched over her day and night. They didn't dare to speak loudly or breathe hard, for fear that the person would die if they were not careful.
Despite such a difficult situation, the rain still falls like jade beads from a broken string.
Lin Yan was so calm that Wu Lianjin couldn't get a word in. Seeing Lu Suizhu so distraught, Lin Yan felt a surge of pain in her heart. She didn't care who the man lying there was. She only knew that her daughter was very concerned, so she went to the Buddhist temple and knelt down to pray for the man's safety.
Upon hearing that his hometown had suffered a disaster, Shen Wenjian, who was far away in Beijing, wrote several letters in succession to express his wishes, but the suspension bridge had collapsed, so how could he easily deliver them?
The relief money and food sent by the imperial court had not yet been dispatched. After the previous incident in Yunshui County, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager did not dare to send officials lightly, and no minister in the court was willing to do this thankless and difficult task.
The court officials frowned, their eyes drooping, their faces stern and timid. Xu Ruogu's eyes shifted twice, and after a brief thought, he came up with an idea. He stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, I recommend Minister Pei to go to the southeast to provide disaster relief."
Pei Zhongke was stunned. Just as he was about to say that Pei Zhiji had gone to see a doctor and was not at home at the moment, he heard His Majesty say, "Okay—" and immediately retracted his outstretched foot silently.
"Pei Qing has been on leave for such a long time, so he should have recovered from his illness by now, right, Prime Minister Pei?"
The Empress Dowager asked the question herself, so how could Pei Zhongke say that he didn't know? He nodded repeatedly and said that it was thanks to Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager's blessing, which was already a very smooth and empty statement.
"Alright, since Lord Xu has mentioned it, you and Lord Pei should go together. We must ensure that no further corruption of disaster relief funds, which would harm the nation and the people's livelihood, occurs."
Xu Ruogu, who had not wanted to go, felt his beard twitch. He clenched his teeth and immediately knelt down to accept the order with an unwavering devotion: "Minister Pei and I will rescue the people of Fanxi from this dire situation and fulfill our mission."
After two days of heavy rain in Fanxi, Pei Zhiji's condition finally stabilized. He finally looked like a living person who would not be dragged away by the King of Hell at any time.
Wu Lianjin knocked on the door and entered. He had rarely spoken to Lu Suizhu these past few days. He looked at her solemnly and began, "I'm sorry. I didn't verify Yueying's identity properly before bringing her into the Chen residence and leaving her with you. If... if this gentleman hadn't appeared, I don't even dare to imagine what would have happened..."
"Cousin, don't blame yourself. I don't blame you, and you didn't mean it." Lu Suizhu interrupted him in time. She had been exhausted these past two days and spoke weakly.
Suddenly, Wu Lianjin stepped forward and hugged Lu Suizhu. Her body stiffened and her hands stopped in mid-air.
Suo Ye went to the pharmacy to get medicine early in the morning. Now, there was only Pei Zhiji who was still unconscious in the room.
In this situation, Lu Suizhu's body softened a little. The masculine scent spraying on her ear made her feel a little uncomfortable, but she still patted Wu Lianjin's shoulder soothingly, saying that she was fine and told him not to blame himself or worry.
Wu Lianjin tossed and turned, thinking about the shocking scene of that day, and his heart was filled with endless fear. He looked at Pei Zhiji lying on the sickbed, and his heart became more and more impatient. He let go of Lu Suizhu with both hands and stared at her closely.
"Cousin, I like you, are you willing to be with me?"
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