Chapter 057: Luring Your Man

Chapter 057: Luring Your Man

After staying for a while, Feng Yi left. Chu Li, looking dispirited, watched as Ruan Qinghuan played with the child in her arms. "Sister-in-law, don't you have anything you want to ask?"

She felt that Ruan Qinghuan should at least inquire about Qian Yunxi and He An's past.

Ruan Qinghuan thought she was seeking comfort. "These things take time. You have to be patient."

"I'm talking about Qian Yunxi. Are you really not bothered?"

"Oh, that’s what you’re talking about." Ruan Qinghuan considered the question carefully before shaking her head. "I don’t really have anything to say. What’s done is done. Why worry about it?"

Chu Li didn't know whether to admire her open-mindedness or call her oblivious. Isn't this something every woman would want to know?

A few days after reaching Lu City, He An got busy. The construction of the dam required materials, and he had already instructed County Magistrate Bao to prepare in advance. The immediate priority was to relocate all the downstream residents to Mount Wangyue to prevent potential flash floods caused by heavy rains.

At night, after putting the child to sleep, Ruan Qinghuan sat for a while, her face clearly showing her displeasure.

He An's eyes shifted between Ruan Qinghuan and the child. "Is he still not familiar with Xia Lian?"

"Xia Lian has been unwell due to the change in environment and has to attend to the wounded. She gets up several times each night. The little one isn’t fussy, so we’ve left him here."

He An: "..."

This little one suddenly appeared and took his spot, leaving him to sleep in the main hall. It wasn’t about where he slept; it was the emptiness he felt without his wife beside him.

"The downstream villagers will be relocated tomorrow. I want to go with you."

"It's drizzling outside, and though the rain is light, it might not stop tomorrow. Stay home and wait for my return."

"It's fine. Tomorrow, I’ll go with Chu Li and help settle the elderly and vulnerable." Ruan Qinghuan genuinely wanted to go and take the opportunity to observe the situation around Mount Wangyue.

In the original story, the second prince's private soldiers were hidden in West Wind Cliff, which wasn't far from Mount Wangyue but still needed caution.

Mount Wangyue was currently the only suitable place for temporary relocation, but there were risks. They needed to avoid alarming the private soldiers, who might use the villagers’ safety as leverage if pushed into a corner.

He An glanced at the raincoat and hat she had prepared for the child. She had planned this long ago and only mentioned it to inform him.

His eyes grew darker. Most women would avoid such situations, but she insisted on moving forward despite the risks, not worrying about dirtying her clothes or the hardship.

Arrogant, unreasonable, selfish, and spoiled—these were the words once used to describe her. That’s why he delayed the marriage for two years. Now, thinking back, he felt a chill. Once they returned to the capital, he would investigate who had been slandering his wife behind her back.

"Ah... What are you doing?"

"My lord misses you."

Ruan Qinghuan: "..." She put the raincoat down, but before she could turn around, He An picked her up and carried her out of the room. Ruan Qinghuan was irritated but powerless.

From afar, one could see the makeshift houses on Mount Wangyue and some tents nearby. On the muddy path at the mountain's base, villagers were already making their way up.

**

Ruan Qinghuan had come fully prepared to help, but after being exhausted by He An the previous night, her legs were sore, and she could only assist in preparing food at the porridge tent.

About a dozen pots were lined up, with the cooked porridge being poured into barrels, ready for distribution at noon.

At such times, as a local official, County Magistrate Bao naturally had to be hands-on and not leave the sight of the Chancellor, eager to show his diligence and care for the people.

Someone gently nudged Ruan Qinghuan. It was Chu Li, who smiled. "You’re just in time. A few children over there seem hungry but are too afraid to come forward. Could you take some food to them?"

Chu Li took the porridge pot and nodded meaningfully toward the direction down the mountain. Ruan Qinghuan looked over and spotted a figure in light green.

It was raining at the moment. The girl held an oil-paper umbrella, standing not far from He An. She occasionally turned her head to say a few words, but He An didn’t respond, yet the girl didn’t get angry. She simply inched closer to him inconspicuously.

"See? The daughter of Magistrate Bao."

"Oh."

Seeing that Ruan Qinghuan remained unmoved, Chu Li became anxious. "The girl is so obviously trying to seduce your man, Madam. Aren’t you worried?"

"If he can be lured away, then he was never truly mine." Ruan Qinghuan took a sesame pancake out of the paper wrapping—this was bought for the little guy yesterday—but when she turned around, he was nowhere to be seen.

Ruan Qinghuan became anxious and searched through the crowd. After a while, she finally spotted him among a group of children. The little guy was squatting in front of them, gesturing animatedly.

At that moment, Ruan Qinghuan realized she didn’t even know the little guy’s name. She only called him "baby." If she couldn’t find him again, she wouldn’t even have a name to call out.

Relieved, she put the pancake away. One pancake wouldn't be enough to go around for all these kids. Giving it only to the little guy might cause jealousy.

Ruan Qinghuan decided that from tomorrow onwards, she would mobilize some women to make steamed buns specifically for the children. They were at a critical growing stage and shouldn’t be deprived.

Down the mountain, Magistrate Bao was drenched to the bone. Only after sending the last few refugees up the mountain did he head up with He An. "General Ji has been here for some time. Is he on a mission, stopping by Lu City for a rest?"

"We were just passing through, but now there’s a shortage of manpower to build the dam. This Prime Minister has already sent a letter to the capital, requesting the Emperor to allow General Ji and his soldiers to help with the dam construction."

"But General Ji has been guarding the frontier for a long time. If he stays in Lu City for too long..."

"What do you mean ‘too long’?" He An interrupted. "Or does Magistrate Bao have enough craftsmen to spare?"

Magistrate Bao choked.

Lu City had been hit by disasters year after year. Many families had been destroyed, and even those lucky enough to survive had to leave to make a living elsewhere. Those left behind were mostly the elderly, women, and children, leaving a severe shortage of labor.

As they were about to reach the top of the mountain, Ji Lingchuan approached quickly. "I just passed by the porridge tent, and Madam said she wants to make some buns for the children tomorrow. We can provide the manpower, but it’s difficult to gather enough flour on short notice."

"Given the current situation in Lu City, food is scarce. Even the rice is transported from Jiangnan. Where are we going to find that much flour right now?" Magistrate Bao lamented. "Moreover, the current weather makes transporting flour difficult. If it gets damp, it will spoil."

"Magistrate Bao is right. Getting supplies from outside would take too long and be too hard right now. Why don’t we look to the wealthy merchants of Lu City for help? I’ve heard that the Wu family runs a rice and flour business. Have Magistrate Bao negotiate with the Wu family about the flour."

Hearing this, Magistrate Bao was immediately troubled. "Lord, the Wu family is just a small business..."

"Oh?" He An lowered his brows, his eyes turning colder. "How come I’ve heard the Wu family’s rice business is among the most prominent in Lu City and even the entire Zhenjiang Prefecture?"

Magistrate Bao fell silent.

Magistrate Bao’s eyes flickered. It seemed the Prime Minister had secretly investigated the matters of Lu City.

He couldn’t afford to offend Lord He An, but he also couldn’t afford to offend the Wu family. As he watched Lord He An and General Ji walk away, Magistrate Bao could only sigh repeatedly.

Just as he was troubled, his daughter, who had been standing quietly beside him, spoke confidently. "Father, if the Prime Minister asks you to go, then go. Even if there’s not much, there’s still something. Deliver what you can for now, and it’ll be considered a contribution to the people of Lu City by the Wu family. A good family should contribute."

Upon hearing his daughter’s words, Magistrate Bao was enlightened. "Yes, yes, yes. I’ll take care of it right away."