Chapter 59: Two Geniuses

Chapter 59 Two Unconventional Talents

Archivist Zhu greeted Lord Zheng with a salute, "Lord Zheng, the area has been sealed off, and no one will come near. Once the rain stops, we’ll send the construction crew to fix the bridge."

Lord Zheng glanced at the weeping women and children standing nearby and asked, "When was this bridge built? And who inspected it annually? We need to get to the bottom of this."

Scribe Jiang mopped the sweat from his brow and replied with a bow, "This bridge was built two years ago under Deputy Magistrate Qi’s administration. As for who built it, the construction department should have records."

Lord Zheng felt a shiver run down his spine, "Have someone quickly check what else Deputy Magistrate Qi oversaw. Everything needs to be re-inspected."

He wouldn’t have cut corners just this once.

"Yes."

Lord Zheng went to comfort the families of the eight victims, all pitiful souls, leaving nothing but sighs of sorrow. He spoke a few words, checked the water level in the river, which had not yet exceeded the line, and noted that the rain would ease up by evening, sparing Xinfeng County from further damage. Otherwise, if the rain continued for several days with such heavy downpours, the medicinal herbs in the fields would be affected, and the herbs stored in the county office might also mold.

Wang Fu shielded Lord Zheng with an umbrella as he walked, lost in thought. From a distance, it sounded like someone was calling him.

Lord Zheng turned around and saw Yu Lanyi leaning out of a shop window, shouting, "Zheng Shanci, come and get me, I don’t have an umbrella!"

Lord Zheng: "..."

It was bizarre yet somehow expected.

Lord Zheng entered the pastry shop, and someone rushed over, slamming into his chest, making him wince.

"..." His head was like a rock.

Yu Lanyi hugged his waist, burying himself in Lord Zheng, as if he’d been scared out of his wits.

Everyone had been stunned when Yu Lanyi called out Lord Zheng's name from beside the gray-clad man's window. They hadn’t expected Lord Zheng to actually show up, and now they dared not even glance at Yu Lanyi.

The man in gray, however, beamed with delight and hurried over to Lord Zheng, pulling out his appointment letter from his bag and bowing, "Lord Zheng, I am Ding Xuan, the newly appointed Deputy County Magistrate of Xinfeng County, assigned by the court."

Yu Lanyi stepped back from Lord Zheng's embrace and glared at Ding Xuan. A Deputy County Magistrate, yet here he was spinning ghost tales in a pastry shop.

Ding Xuan feigned innocence.

Lord Zheng examined the appointment letter, which indeed bore the seal of the Ministry of Personnel. Seeing Ding Xuan's impressive appearance, Lord Zheng said, "Why didn’t you have the city guards announce your arrival so we could have welcomed you? You can report to the county office tomorrow. For now, I’m heading home. Would you like to come to my residence?"

Ding Xuan gladly agreed.

Lord Zheng was momentarily taken aback but nodded, "Wang Fu, head home and have someone bring the carriage."

Wang Fu headed home to get the carriage, as one umbrella couldn’t accommodate so many people. Yu Lanyi had never encountered such audacity. It was clearly a courtesy, yet Ding Xuan jumped at the chance, proving himself to be another troublemaker.

With Lord Zheng by his side, Yu Lanyi’s spirits lifted. As Wang Fu needed time to return with the carriage, Lord Zheng sat down to chat with Ding Xuan. Yu Lanyi handed Lord Zheng a piece of pastry.

Lord Zheng smiled and ate it.

"I was in the capital, working as a private tutor for a young master. Since I’m also a provincial graduate, I took the opportunity to earn some money."

"Why not return to your hometown?"

Ding Xuan, with his handsome features, waved his hand, "I grew up relying on the kindness of others, an orphan with no attachments. The only person I cared for, my adoptive grandfather, passed away when I was seven."

He bowed and said, "As for my studies, I mostly attended classes by sneaking into the school. Fortunately, the teacher didn’t drive me away and allowed me to listen from outside the door."

Lord Zheng opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. You became a provincial graduate by sneaking into classes? How could anyone else measure up?

Ding Xuan said with some embarrassment, "I told you because I’m worried I might not be doing enough. Please bear with me, Lord Zheng, and I will strive to improve and not hold you back."

Yu Lanyi spoke up, "What else do you do to make ends meet?"

Ding Xuan scratched his face sheepishly and smiled, "I also tell stories for a living."

Yu Lanyi glared at him.

"Living in the capital is way too expensive. I managed to save some money while renting a place there, hoping to earn more from rich families before heading back. But then I got appointed as the Deputy County Magistrate of Xin Feng County. At least it’s a steady job with a paycheck, so I grabbed my stuff and came straight here."

Since he had just arrived, he was too shy to let the city guards know who he was. As a result, he got caught in the rain while munching on pastries. Turns out, he was in the same pastry shop as Lord Zheng’s husband—what luck!

When the carriage arrived, they returned to the residence. Zheng Shanci asked Deng Xue to arrange a place for Ding Xuan to stay. He went to put on his official robe, and Yu Lanyi followed him.

"Zheng Shanci, thunder scares me."

Zheng Shanci took off his outer robe. He wasn’t embarrassed around Yu Lanyi anymore, but being stared at like that still made him blush. He sighed, "Why are you such a softie?"

"I’m not as tough as you are," Yu Lanyi hugged Zheng Shanci’s waist. "You’ll have to tuck me in tonight."

Zheng Shanci agreed with a nod, running his fingers through Yu Lanyi’s hair, which was still dry—looks like he didn’t get wet in the rain. He patted Yu Lanyi’s shoulder, glanced at his fair neck, and quickly looked away, coughing lightly.

Yu Lanyi, usually so bossy, now clung to him like a little bird. Zheng Shanci couldn’t help but feel smug.

In the evening, since Ding Xuan didn’t have a place to crash yet, Zheng Shanci invited him to dinner. Zheng Shancheng and Zheng Qingyin were taken aback to see him. Ding Xuan greeted them politely, clearly a man of learning, though they were the most reserved.

When they found out he was a scholar and the Deputy County Magistrate, Zheng Shancheng and Zheng Qingyin hurriedly bowed back.

After dinner, Ding Xuan was finally stuffed and was led by a servant to rest. With an outsider present, Zheng Qingyin didn’t dare to take the chicken leg. Only after Ding Xuan left did he grab it and start eating.

"Brother, Mr. Ding will only stay for one night. Tomorrow, we’ll arrange a house for him."

Zheng Shancheng nodded. Today, Lin Geer had sprained her leg in the rain. A doctor was called, and though it wasn’t serious, she still needed to rest in bed. The kitchen prepared a meal box for her to eat in her room.

The drizzle continued, but in Qingxiang Village, the sun was shining brightly. Zheng’s father and Mr. Zheng welcomed the people sent by Zheng Shanci to the village—all loyal servants from the family, saying they were to take the elderly couple to Xin Feng County.

Zheng’s father quickly waved his hand, "I’m not going. Let them live there. We’re fine here. If we go, we won’t be used to it."

Mr. Zheng was feeding the chickens in the coop and smiled at this, "It’s the thought that counts. Going there would just make us uncomfortable."

The servant then brought out the specialties from Xin Feng County, along with the banknotes and some loose silver that Zheng Shanci had instructed.

"Oh my, why so much money?" Mr. Zheng looked at the banknote—a hundred taels of silver—and felt dizzy. The box also contained some loose silver. Mr. Zheng counted it—twenty taels in total. It seemed Zheng Shanci had thought of giving them some spare change.

The Zheng family had farmland and no longer needed to pay taxes. Last year’s harvest yielded four taels of silver, of which two were spent, and the other two were saved for buying seeds or a piglet. They had long envied the villagers who raised piglets and wanted to get one this year. With this money, they could not only buy a piglet but even start a pig farm.

Mr. Zheng and Zheng’s father exchanged glances, their expressions growing more serious instead of joyful.

Mr. Zheng whispered anxiously, "He’s just become an official. Where did he get so much money? Could he have embezzled it?"

The servant was speechless.

The servant had come by hired carriage. Their attire was different from the villagers’, and they stood out as they went to the Zheng family’s house in the village. It was afternoon, and the villagers had just returned from the fields, eager to see what was happening. They didn’t enter the Zheng family’s yard but passed by occasionally. They noticed the carriage had a box, likely containing gifts.

"It’s good to have a promising young man."

Seeing Zheng’s father and Mr. Zheng looking at him, the servant quickly explained, "Lord Zheng has opened a food shop in the county town. Some of the money is earned from there—it’s all clean."

Zheng’s father smiled, "That’s good. He mustn’t become a corrupt official. He should be honest and steady. This money is too much. We don’t need the banknote; the loose silver is enough."

The attendant hurriedly said, "Sir, if you don't accept it, we won’t be able to report back properly. Moreover, the official has also instructed us to come and serve you."

Mr. Zheng quickly shook his head, "No need, my husband and I can manage just fine here. Besides, having maids and attendants in the countryside would make me feel completely embarrassed."

He would be embarrassed in the village; what kind of behavior is that for a master?

Mr. Zheng also felt awkward thinking about that scene.

"Then let us help you fix up the house," the attendant compromised.

"What kind of changes?" Mr. Zheng was still interested in fixing the house, as they would be living there for a long time, and he also wanted to live in a good house.

The attendant smiled slightly, "Blue-tiled roofs and white walls."

Mr. Zheng and his husband's eyes lit up. In Qingxiang Village, only the village chief's house had blue-tiled roofs and white walls, which looked very impressive. It seemed much better than their current courtyard. If they could live in a house with blue tiles and white walls, their lives would be complete.

"Sir and Ma'am, if there’s anything else you need, please feel free to instruct us."

Mr. Zheng thought for a moment and made a small request, "I’d like to buy a cow."

A cow is a valuable asset, it can help with plowing, cow manure can be used as fertilizer, and traveling to and from town wouldn’t require an ox cart anymore, as they would have their own cow. A cow is expensive, costing about ten taels of silver, which the villagers can hardly afford. Owning a cow would also bring them prestige in the village.

The attendant agreed.

They would stay in town first and come over together when hiring workers to repair the house. There were also supplies and nuts brought by Zheng Shanci from Xin Feng County. He knew that giving money might make Mr. Zheng and his husband hesitant to spend it, so these items were already purchased, and they would stay to use them properly. There was also a ginseng root, which is valuable anywhere, and Zheng Shanci couldn't obtain it. This was sent by Yu Lanyi, and a ginseng root could save a life; wealthy families always keep a few on hand.

Mr. Zheng stayed quiet, but his husband’s eyes filled with tears, and he turned away.

"Sir, we will take our leave now. Here’s some meat and vegetables we bought, as a small token of our appreciation." The attendant trained by the Yu family knew how to handle social etiquette and kept it appropriate.

"This is very generous."

The attendants bowed and left.

Mr. Zheng took a puff of his pipe, "Shanci has really done well for himself."

In the evening, while the people of Qingxiang Village were having dinner, they were all talking about the Zheng family. After several months, the Zheng family's matters were still the most discussed. Many young men in the village would get scolded by their fathers for not measuring up to Zheng Shanci.

He Tian finished his meal at home and sneaked out to take a look at the Zheng family's house, but the courtyard was closed, and he couldn’t see anything. In the past, he could hear Zheng Qingyin's voice, but now only the two elders were left at home.

Zheng Qingyin had gone to Xin Feng County, and he didn’t know what kind of heavenly life he was living. It was all because his parents stopped him, otherwise he would have insisted on Zheng Qingyin taking him along.

The young men and women introduced by Old Man He, he wasn’t interested in any of them and turned them all down.

He Tian sighed as he looked at the Zheng family’s small courtyard and then headed back.

...

Xin Feng County

In the evening, after Zheng Shanci finished washing, Yu Lanyi was already lying on his chest, hugging his waist, covered with a quilt.

Hearing the thunder outside the window, Yu Lanyi shivered and held on tighter.

Zheng Shanci couldn’t read anymore, so he placed the book upside down and gently patted Yu Lanyi's back.

"Zheng Shanci, are you afraid of ghosts?" Yu Lanyi murmured.

Zheng Shanci got chills, why talk about such things at night? He smiled slightly, "No, I’m not afraid."

Yu Lanyi felt much more at ease, thinking his partner was reliable.

Zheng Shanci cut himself off when he thought of the eight people who fell off the broken bridge. To ease his mood, he told Yu Lanyi about the incident where eight people died on the broken bridge.

Yu Lanyi: "..."

Goosebumps rose all over his body, sending a chill down his spine.

"Let me tell you something too," Yu Lanyi said, recounting the ghost story Ding Xuan had told him. Despite being so scared earlier, he remembered it clearly now and added that Mr. Wang's coffin was carried away in front of them.

Zheng Shanci clenched his teeth, feeling on edge.

"It's all fake," Zheng Shanci comforted himself and Yu Lanyi.

"Yes, it's all fake," Yu Lanyi comforted himself and Zheng Shanci.

Listening to the thunder and rain outside, with no movement in the corridor, Yu Lanyi immediately latched onto Zheng Shanci, refusing to let go. Zheng Shanci glanced around the room, wondering if it was all in his head, but he felt the room was unusually cold.

"Since you're so scared, let's not blow out the candle tonight. We'll keep it lit," Zheng Shanci said gently.

Yu Lanyi felt a warmth in his heart. Who else would be so caring toward him if not Zheng Shanci? He immediately nodded, "Then let's keep the candle lit, it's no trouble."

Zheng Shanci let out a sigh of relief.

Yu Lanyi shivered in Zheng Shanci's arms, sensing that Zheng Shanci was trembling too. Sigh, it was all his fault.

He glanced up at Zheng Shanci. Under the candlelight, Zheng Shanci's face looked even more handsome, and Yu Lanyi leaned in to kiss Zheng Shanci's lips.

Zheng Shanci softened, lowering his eyes, and kissed back.

Both of them panted, and Yu Lanyi pushed Zheng Shanci slightly, suddenly saying, "Zheng Shanci, you won't bite your tongue off, will you?"

Zheng Shanci was speechless.

His scalp instantly went numb, and all the warmth in his body drained away.