When Song Fengsui returned home, it was already getting dark. He not only brought back a lot of things in big and small packages but also carried a small stew pot.
Seeing that it was getting dark, Duan Yan didn't stay long at the Song family's place. After safely sending Song Fengsui back, he bid farewell and returned to the manor.
Song Wushen saw that the young man who had gone to the manor early in the morning had just come back at this hour and was with someone else. Naturally, without even asking, he knew that the two had made up again.
"Did you go shopping in the town for a whole day?"
Song Xuemu picked up the things they had brought back and wondered, "That Xiao Duan is really a bit of a dullard. Who takes a young man to the market to buy cotton, lamp oil, soapberries, and fire starters?"
"What's the deal with this small stew pot?" As Song Xuemu said, he reached out to take a look. Just as he touched the pot, he let out an "ouch" and quickly withdrew his hand. "It's still hot!"
Seeing this, Song Fengsui covered the lid with a towel and lifted it. Immediately, a tantalizing aroma wafted out.
The lamb chops in the pot were cooked to a soft and tender state, and the meat could easily fall off the bone. It was incredibly soft and smooth.
"Doesn't it smell good?"
"I haven't smelled the taste of mutton since I left the capital. This meat is cooked so well. I think it's no worse than the mutton dishes at Xiujinlou in the capital."
Song Xuemu said, "Where did you buy it? Is there a restaurant in Yan Town that can cook meat this well?"
Song Wushen and Mu Linghui also came over to have a look. "It's a bit similar to the cooking skills of Madam Fei at home before."
Hearing his second uncle's praise and his parents' compliments, Song Fengsui raised his chin proudly and said, "Well, I'm the one who cut the meat and stir - fried the seasonings, the so - called Master Song!"
Song Wushen smiled with his hands behind his back. "Was it taught by Master Duan?"
A knowing and sly look flashed across Song Fengsui's eyes. He bent down to pick up the pot and put it on the small square table, then invited his family to the table.
"Come on, everyone, have a taste while it's still hot. It not only smells good, but Master Duan also said that my cooking skills are good enough to graduate."
The originally quiet family became lively as soon as Song Fengsui came back.
"It's not fishy or smelly. The meat is tender and not tough. It's really delicious."
"If Master Duan's apprentice has such good skills, then the master himself must be even more amazing. We have to keep him here someday and make him show off his skills."
After coming to Liucun, it was a rare occasion for the whole family to be happy together. They originally wanted to help Grandfather Song to the main hall to have some food, but the old man refused to get out of bed. In the end, he had his meal beside the bed and occasionally mumbled something about the turbulent times.
Seeing this, the atmosphere in the room dropped a bit.
After the meal, Song Fengsui sorted out all the things they had bought today. "Although I went out early and came back late today, I saw five or six patients in a row and earned some loose copper coins. I bought all these daily necessities with my own money."
Then he took out a sewing kit and put it in Mu Linghui's hands. "Mom always says that after you got sick, Dad and Uncle Second didn't let you do farm work in the fields. You feel sorry about it and want to do more for the family."
"Dad and Uncle Second are also thinking about you. Your health is not getting better. If you go to work in the fields and get heatstroke and fall ill again, what can we do?"
"Today when I went to the town, I happened to meet a woman in a cloth shop. Her shop is willing to accept embroidery works from embroiderers. So I asked for a favor and brought back some needles and threads. Mom, you can make a sample for the shop first. If the shopkeeper is satisfied, you can sell your embroidery works in the future."
Mu Linghui was overjoyed when she heard this. "Really?"
"Yes. The woman said that if she likes it, she'll provide the materials, and you just need to make the embroidery works and send them back."
When they first came to the village and were still settling down, there were always exhausting chores. The men in the family went out to do physical work, and the women did more delicate work like cleaning and weeding.
In short, the whole family never had a moment of leisure. At that time, even if they wanted to earn some extra money by doing embroidery, they didn't have the time, and they couldn't even afford a piece of cloth and a few needles to make a sample.
Song Fengsui held Mu Linghui's hand. "Although it's a bit hard for you to do this kind of tiring work, this is the only thing we can do for now. Just hold on for a while. When our family situation gets better in the future, we'll find other ways."
Mu Linghui held Song Fengsui's hand back. "How could I feel wronged? I'm so happy that I can do something to help the family. It's you. You're still young, but you've been running around for the family like this."
Song Wushen and Song Xuemu were sitting beside them, and they also felt a bit sad, thinking that they were sorry for Song Fengsui.
"If Mom doesn't feel wronged, I don't think it's tiring either. Although our life is not as good as before, I think it's meaningful and full of hope. The hearts of our family members have never been as close as they are now."
Song Fengsui smiled. "God has given our Song family a test, but it has also given us some more precious things. Even though we haven't received any news or help from the outside world, our family can stand on our own and not worry about waiting every day."
After hearing Song Fengsui's words, everyone in the room felt a warm feeling in their hearts. Seeing the youngest member of the family so optimistic, they were even more inspired.
"What Sui Sui said is right. Although our house is small and cramped now, we can see each other all the time. If it were in the capital before, we wouldn't have these advantages."
"Although the daily work is hard, we can fall asleep right after washing up at night. A delicious dish and a basket of eggs can also bring us satisfaction and joy. Life has become much simpler."
Everyone laughed, and the whole family gradually cheered up. They just hoped that Grandfather Song could cheer up soon.
Song Fengsui slept soundly all night, not knowing that Duan Yan was sitting in front of an oil lamp, having a hard time falling asleep.
He was lying in bed with the window open. When he looked up, he could see the full moon hanging outside. There was still someone on his mind.
After tossing and turning for a while, he simply sat up, took out two agricultural books collected from the manor, and started to read them.
He was studying what crops were suitable to plant during the drought and how to survive the snowy season... He wrote and made notes. The ink dried up, and he piled up a stack of papers. By the time the moon had moved to the west, he was really tired and finally lay back in bed.
So, a few days passed. The team that went to buy seeds set off in the direction of the county town. For the management of the medicinal fields in the manor, Herbalist Ye sent his son, Ye Xiuzhi, to guide the tenant farmers instead.
Song Fengsui went to Xiaoyaner Village to see patients again on the way and met Ye Xiuzhi. The two got along well when talking about medicinal herbs.
Two days later, Mu Linghui finished an embroidery work. Song Fengsui took the finished product and went to the manor first. He wanted to find Duan Yan, but unfortunately, Duan Yan had gone back to the city.
He knew that Duan Yan had been busy with the grain store these days and mostly stayed in the town. However, he would ride a horse back to the manor in the village at night.
Manager Lü said that if Song Fengsui wanted to go to the town, he could go with him because they were going to transport some rice to the grain store as inventory today.
Song Fengsui was glad to go with him.
At this moment, Duan Yan was in the newly - selected store, directing people to clean up.
The newly acquired grain store wasn't very large. It was just a short distance from the blacksmith shop, making it easy for them to keep an eye on each other. However, the location wasn't very good, just like the blacksmith shop, which was near the edge of the town.
When choosing the shop, many people advised him that unlike the blacksmith business, where theirs was the only one in the city and the location didn't matter much, the grain store required a better location. The grain business wasn't a monopoly. A good location in a bustling area was essential for a thriving business.
Although there were many large storefronts near the blacksmith shop and the rent and purchase price were low, it couldn't compare to the prime locations in the town center.
But Duan Yan was as stubborn as if he had swallowed an iron weight. No matter how many times people tried to persuade him, he remained unmoved, and the store was eventually set up here.
He didn't do any major renovations. He just hired carpenters to repair the damaged parts of the store, including fixing the roof, and that was it.
So, it only took a few days to get the place in order. After transporting some grain from the village to the store for display, the grain store could open for business.
Just as he was busy, the sound of horses' hooves clattered towards him. Duan Yan, who was supervising the work at the front door, couldn't help but glance at the street. He thought it was someone from the village who had quickly transported the grain, but when he looked up, he saw Third Son Qian on horseback.
Duan Yan ignored him and turned around, intending to continue with his own work. However, Third Son Qian insisted on calling him over to talk.
"I heard a few days ago that Big Yan was going to open a new grain store. I looked around in the bustling areas of the city, but I didn't see any place under construction for a new store. I thought it was just a rumor.
It's quite a coincidence that I came to this out - of - the - way place today and unexpectedly ran into you."
Third Son Qian said with a smile, "Hey, Big Yan, if you can't find a good store, just tell your brother. There are plenty of prime - location stores in the town for you to choose from.
Stop this useless effort. I have three stores on the prosperous street that are rented out. If you want to do business, I'll take them back and rent them to you. Selling grain in this god - forsaken place, do you think you can sell even two bushels before it gets moldy?"
After he finished speaking, the people following Third Son Qian burst into laughter.
"Brother Qian sure has a lot of free time. He even has the time to come all the way here to watch the show."
Seeing that the man had ill intentions, Duan Yan wasn't going to tolerate him. "It's so hot. You'd better go back to your stall and shout your lungs out. It's not a big deal if the meat goes bad, but it's a big problem if it stinks people out."
Wang Quan also cooperated by pinching his nose. "I was wondering where that stinky meat smell was coming from. It turns out Butcher Qian is here!"
Third Son Qian snorted. "Enjoy your little show. Just watch out for your own actions. You'd better be careful!"
After saying that, Third Son Qian didn't say anything more and shouted at his men to leave.
"What a weirdo. He's so jealous of Big Brother that he had to come here to pick a fight."
Wang Quan spat hard in the direction where the men had gone.
Duan Yan knew that there would be people who would laugh at him. They thought that opening a grain store on the edge of the city showed that he wasn't good at running a business. They suspected that he was using his position to make money through the grain business.
He didn't care what others thought. He just let them laugh.
Not long after, just as the people in the store stopped scolding Third Son Qian, two constables suddenly showed up.
They said that Magistrate Sun had summoned Inspector Duan to the yamen.
Duan Yan was a little surprised when he heard that Sun Youhua had sent for him. "Did Magistrate Sun say what it was about?"
The constables only replied, "You'll know when you get there, Inspector Duan. We're just following orders."
Duan Yan frowned. He hadn't heard of any recent issues. He wondered if there was a change regarding Chen Hu's case.
"Big Brother."
Lin Er and Wang Quan became worried when they saw the constables' vague attitude.
"It's okay. It's normal to be summoned occasionally. I'll go and see what's going on."
He quickly tidied himself up, gave some instructions to the people in the store, and then went to the yamen with the constables.
Upon arriving at the yamen, Duan Yan was led to a study. Sun Youhua was sitting in front of the desk, looking through official documents.
He didn't say a word when he heard someone enter the room.
Duan Yan, observing his attitude, vaguely guessed that this summons wasn't going to be good news. He knew that this wasn't the time for him to speak, so he silently and respectfully stood to one side.
After about a quarter of an hour, Sun Youhua finally closed the official document in his hand. He looked down at Duan Yan, who was patiently waiting, and said, "Duan Yan, you've been quite busy lately, haven't you?"
Duan Yan's eyebrows twitched. He quickly went over recent events in his mind. He remembered that the yamen hadn't assigned him any tasks, and the previous epidemic situation had been successfully resolved. He hadn't used his position for personal gain. So, he was confused by this sudden question.
He sincerely asked, "Your Honor, why do you say that?"
Sun Youhua gave a cold snort. "Have you been getting quite close to the Song family in Liucun recently?"
Duan Yan immediately understood. It seemed that someone had reported him to Sun Youhua. Otherwise, how would the magistrate know about the relationship between a part - time constable and a particular family?
He hadn't deliberately hidden his association with the Song family. Since someone had reported it, he admitted it. "I do have some interactions with the Song family."
"Do you know who the Song family is?"
"They're a family exiled from the capital."
Hearing this, Sun Youhua slapped the table hard. "How dare you! Since you know that the Song family are convicted officials, you still dare to get so close to them!"
Duan Yan wasn't intimidated. He said, "Your Honor, is there a clear law stating that local villagers can't interact with exiled former officials? I'm not aware of such a new order."
Sun Youhua was taken aback for a moment, then scolded, "You're good at making excuses!
Such a thing doesn't need an official order from above. Any decent person should know to keep a distance from such a family. But you, with the inspector position bestowed upon you by me, are doing things that draw unnecessary attention!"
"I think you don't want this inspector position anymore. You might as well resign and go hang out with the family of a convicted official every day."
"I'm extremely sorry, Your Honor."
Duan Yan quickly bowed and said, "Your Honor, I also thought there was something inappropriate about this matter, but I really had no choice."
Sun Youhua gritted his teeth angrily. "Then tell me, what were these so - called unavoidable reasons!"
"The Song family was exiled to the village. The whole family, old and young, were weak. Moreover, the village head bullied them repeatedly, making their situation even worse. Originally, these weren't my business to take care of. But once, on the farm, the young master of the Song family came to the village to beg for medicinal herbs to treat an illness. Seeing his desperate plea, I got to know the Song family."
Duan Yan continued, "To be honest now, the prescription for the previous epidemic was provided by the Song family. They originally wanted to present it directly to you, Your Honor. However, because they were a family of convicted officials and were closely watched by the village head, they didn't dare to be too noticeable. So, they secretly came to me and asked me to pass the prescription on to you.
Afterward, the Song family never asked for any credit. Instead, they just worked honestly in the village. I accidentally gained great merit because of the Song family. How could I just sit back and watch as their house leaked and they were attacked by wild animals coming down the mountain?"
Hearing this, Sun Youhua frowned tightly. "You mean the prescription was provided by the Song family?"
"How dare I tell lies, my lord," the servant replied.
Duan Yan said, "At that time, the village was under lockdown, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. Only messages could be passed. I received a message from the estate and thought that the epidemic couldn't be allowed to spread further. So I took the risk of bringing the person out."
Sun Youhua fell into deep thought. After a moment, he murmured, "You're a person who values kindness and knows how to be grateful. I didn't misjudge you."
Seeing Sun Youhua's attitude change, Duan Yan continued, "My lord, I have some humble opinions. I'm not sure if I should say them."
Sun Youhua glanced at Duan Yan. "Since you're being so frank today, just say what you have in mind."
"Previously, I knew nothing about the outside world. I only knew that the Song family was exiled here. After having some interactions with them, I just found out that the Song family used to be a prominent and well - known family in the capital. Although the Song family has declined and been exiled to a place like ours, they still have some relatives and friends outside.
Old Lord Song was once a grand scholar and had taught many students. It's hard to estimate how many officials in the court and local areas have received favors from Old Lord Song."
Duan Yan slowly said, "If the Song family is in trouble and no one takes care of them, and they all end up dying here..."
Sun Youhua's heart tightened. Without Duan Yan finishing his words, he understood the stakes.
"What you've considered does make some sense. However, the reason why the Song family ended up in this desolate place in Qianzhou is that they offended another powerful family. If I were to help the Song family, what good would it do me?"
"My lord has thought it through thoroughly, but I've also heard a saying. It's easy to add flowers to the brocade, but difficult to offer timely help. As an official in this position, it's very easy for you, whether to help or suppress the Song family."
Duan Yan said, "If you suppress the Song family, it's like adding flowers to the brocade for the powerful family outside. But how much gratitude can a powerful family that is already prosperous remember? However, if you slightly help the Song family, it's like offering timely help in the snow. This kind of gratitude is extremely profound."
Sun Youhua stared directly at Duan Yan. He didn't expect this young man to have such insights. He really took Duan Yan's words to heart.
The powerful family that was in conflict with the Song family had already won the battle. Even if he tried his best to suppress the weakened Song family now, it might not catch the eye of the powerful family. However, turning a blind eye and letting an official's assistant help the Song family was a completely different kind of favor...
If the powerful family asked about it later, he could pretend to be deaf and dumb and say he didn't know, claiming that it was all done spontaneously by an unofficial civilian behind his back. If the former subordinates of the Song family asked, he could also mention his act of offering timely help.
Sun Youhua immediately felt relieved. His term of office in Yan Town was almost over, and he would be transferred to another place soon. It was time to pave the way for himself.
"A family head should feign ignorance at times."
Sun Youhua showed a smile on his face. "Duan Yan, sit down and talk."
Hearing this, Duan Yan secretly let out a sigh of relief.
"I've heard a lot of unpleasant things about you, but I'm not a muddle - headed person who only listens to others and doesn't see the facts. I called you here today not to blame you. I was just afraid that you might go astray at a young age, so I wanted to give you some advice."
Sun Youhua said leisurely, "Now that I know you can think long - term, have unique insights when dealing with things, and are a person of affection and righteousness, I'm relieved."
Duan Yan found these polite words amusing in his heart, but still responded with equally nice words on his face.
"Just do your work well. Those above will notice, and you won't be treated badly."
Sun Youhua painted a beautiful picture for him, ordered tea for Duan Yan, and after discussing the important matters, they chatted casually for a while. He also praised Duan Yan's father for being efficient when he was the village head...
Song Fengsui rode a horse and followed the grain - delivering team to the shop. He nimbly jumped off the horse.
Lin Erlang saw Song Fengsui and quickly invited him in. The people below all politely greeted him as Young Master Song.
Song Fengsui saw that the grain shop was almost tidied up. He looked around but didn't see the familiar figure, so he couldn't help but ask, "Where's your boss?"
Lin Erlang looked at Wang Quan, and Wang Quan stammered, "... Big brother has gone out."
Song Fengsui originally thought that if he wasn't here, he would go to the cloth shop to look for Madam Xu. But seeing the strange expressions on their faces, his eyebrows twitched.
"Where did he go!"
Wang Quan was startled. When Big Brother left, the atmosphere was not good, and he was told not to tell others and make them worried. It was obvious to anyone with a bit of sense who that "them" referred to. Coincidentally, this master had really come.
If he told the truth, Big Brother would be angry when he came back. But if he didn't tell according to Big Brother's words, this master had a sharp eye.
Often, he thought it was the dog San'er who was capable of pleasing both masters.
"Did he go to some shady place that you're hiding from me?"
"Where are you getting that from, Young Master Song? You know our big brother. He's the most upright person. How could he go to any shady place?"
Song Fengsui said, "Stop changing the subject!"
Wang Quan immediately shut his blabbering mouth.
"Big brother went..."
"To the yamen," a voice came.
Hearing this, they all turned around and saw Duan Yan coming back.
Song Fengsui frowned tightly. "What happened?"
"It's not a big deal."
This was said to his subordinates. After that, Duan Yan waved his hand, indicating for them to go about their business.
Then he led Song Fengsui into the inner room to talk.
Since the matter had been resolved, Duan Yan told Song Fengsui everything. Previously, Song Fengsui had been worried that his close association with the Song family might bring trouble. Now that the matter was over, telling him would relieve one of his concerns.
"I guess it was Third Son Qian who reported me. He's the only one who's so idle and can see Sun Youhua. He and I have been on bad terms for a long time. He acted strangely here at the shop this morning and left. Then the yamen sent someone to ask me to go there and talk."
After hearing about Duan Yan's visit to the yamen, Song Fengsui was very worried. He didn't expect Duan Yan to resolve the situation with his clever words. If Sun Youhua really wanted to cause trouble, not only the Song family but also Duan Yan would be in trouble. This was the last situation he wanted to see.
"Third Son Qian showed his pride so openly, as if he was afraid you wouldn't know he was the one behind the scenes. It's just that he doesn't have much brains. Sun Youhua also didn't try to hide the fact that it was Third Son Qian who reported. His purpose is simple. He just wants you and Third Son Qian to fight each other and keep each other in check.
"You two are both local powers in Yan Town. If you get along well, he's afraid it will be difficult for him to deal with you. Previously, Third Son Qian led the price increase during the epidemic, causing chaos in the city. Sun Youhua must have known about it, but was busy with the epidemic and still needed Third Son Qian to do things, so he pretended not to notice. In fact, he kept it in mind.
"Then he promoted you, which was exactly a lesson for Third Son Qian."
"Today, someone probably wanted to take advantage of Third Son Qian's complaint to give you a warning. It's just that he didn't expect to be silenced by your words instead," someone said.
Duan Yan smiled and replied, "Sure enough, it's you. You can see through things at a glance. No wonder you're from a prominent family."
However, Song Fengsui didn't feel happy about Duan Yan's praise. Looking at him, he said, "Actually, you're quite right. There are still people outside the Song family. For our whole family to survive the journey to Qianzhou, if there wasn't some prior arrangement, even though I know medicine, it would have been hard to guarantee our lives on that long exile journey.
"Logically speaking, after we arrived here, the people outside would have found a way to help us. Previously, we thought it was the epidemic that cut off the communication. But now, more than half a month has passed since the epidemic was cleared, and there's still no sign from the outside.
"Today, when you talked with Sun Youhua, you were also testing the supervisor for us. Judging from his attitude, it seems that he hasn't received any instructions from the people outside. Father and Uncle are a bit worried. They're afraid that the emperor's purge of the Song family isn't over yet, so the people outside dare not act."
Duan Yan frowned and pondered for a moment. Then he said, "Is there a possibility that it's not that the emperor is still punishing the old subordinates of the Song family, but that there's chaos in the court..."
Song Fengsui's body suddenly tensed up. He looked at Duan Yan, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes.
The emperor doted on Concubine Lian, who came from a humble background, and allowed the imperial relatives to interfere in politics and disrupt the court order. He even exiled Grandfather Song, who had a lifetime of integrity and had given honest advice. At that time, some people said that the court would be in chaos, but Grandfather and Father remained silent. Maybe...
Song Fengsui was in a complete mess. Especially after hearing what Duan Yan said, the sense of unease became even stronger. He didn't know why.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Duan Yan said. He didn't expect his words to make Song Fengsui so uneasy. He guessed that the Song family had already had some concerns in this regard, which was why Song Fengsui changed color when he heard the words.
"No matter what, even if the worst-case scenario happens as we guessed, I'll definitely protect you and keep you safe."
Song Fengsui looked into Duan Yan's determined eyes and felt a little calmer.
He lowered his eyes slightly and pursed his lips. "If there really is a war at that time, most people will take care of their own families. Why would you still spare the effort to protect me? Do you think you're more capable than others, or what?"
Duan Yan was silent for a moment and said somewhat awkwardly, "You regard me as an elder brother. Isn't protecting you just like taking care of my own family?"
Hearing this, Song Fengsui, who had been looking down, suddenly looked up. Looking at Duan Yan with his deep, big eyes, the corners of his eyebrows twitched a couple of times.
It's really like playing the lute to a cow! It's like winking at a blind man!
Song Fengsui stood up abruptly and said, "I'm going to the cloth shop."
