When Sheng Yuan was studying, I often heard from my husband that after serving as an official for one term, when he left office, people would often form a team to see him off with the Ten Thousand People Umbrella.
When talking about this incident at that time, some classmates laughed and said that this was mostly done by outgoing officials for political achievements and good looks, but it was actually a man-made thing.
Sheng Yuan also agrees with this. After all, ordinary people are already working hard to make a living. Who is still in the mood to worry about who has replaced their superior parents?
I haven't heard of it mentioned in the folk songs: The yamen door opens to the south, so don't come in if you have no money!
Ballads often represent the common opinions of the people who sing them; how can the people who keep a distance from the government offices have a close dependence on the chief officials who sit in the high hall of the government offices?
Without contact, understanding or familiarity, why should ordinary people come together to create the Wan Min Umbrella with real feelings?
How can the common people, who rarely have enough to eat and hold on, are in the mood to sing praises to an invisible official who knows his last name?
The above were the thoughts Sheng Yuan had just a moment ago.
But this idea was reversed the moment the city gate was completely opened.
…
When Sheng Yuan looked at the crowds of people outside the city gate, she was stunned.
Faces that were either familiar or unfamiliar, full of the purest and simplest emotions, looked at her with tearful eyes.
"Lord Fu Yin!"
"Shengfu Yin!"
"Shangda people!"
The people of Shou'an City, who were supporting the elderly and the young, shouted excitedly when they saw Sheng Yuan.
In this endless sea of people, there are children being held in the arms of adults, girls wearing scarves, students wearing uniforms, doctors carrying medicine boxes, and people on crutches. Common people, including old farmers with dark and wrinkled skin... Of course, there are also officials at all levels in the government offices, the officers and soldiers stationed in the city, and the internal guards of the internal guard station.
"Shengfu Yin, we are friends who share weal and woe. You didn't even say hello when you left, and you showed no regard for our friendship. It's really not interesting for you!" General Chai, the garrison general, laughed and stood up, looking inward. Commander Wei Cen said, "If Lao Cen's information hadn't been accurate, we wouldn't have known that the ruler had a new person!"
"Well, Shengfu Yin is indeed not interesting enough." Commander Cen nodded, without any embarrassment that his surveillance actions were exposed.
"Sir! You should tell us." All the officials from the government office came forward one after another and bowed their hands.
"I originally thought not to stir up trouble, but I didn't want to, and I still alerted everyone." Sheng Yuan bowed her hands and saluted everyone. After greeting her, she looked at the old men in the front row.
"Sir, these old men are the elders of our city. Most of them are ordinary people, and they are the most simple and honest. Ever since the news that you were resigning came out, these old men have sent their children to inquire with the prefecture and county about the time when you will leave the city." A colleague stepped forward and introduced Sheng Yuan, "Everyone in our city is thinking of seeing you off!"
"Man Shanda!" The leader of the old man, wearing a newly made short shirt, stepped forward and smiled. Even though his face was full of wrinkles, it could be seen that this old man had gone through many vicissitudes of life.
"You came to our city not long ago, but in just a few months, you have made the people of our city have a lot more income, and you have also helped us all to preserve the city where we have lived for generations. You have made our people literate and read, and you have solved problems for us. No worries... Every little bit of kindness is like the parents of ordinary people!
There is no way to repay the kindness of our parents, so the old man and everyone thought that when the food we planted came down, we would make Baijia rice wine and Baijia rice porridge and send it to the capital for you to try! But I didn’t expect that you would be resigning now!
We, the common people, are grateful for your sacrifice, but have no chance to repay you, so every household has to weave a piece of cloth overnight. Each piece of cloth has everyone's name written on it! We want to use these fabrics to make Wanmin umbrellas for you.
Originally, we wanted to make one for each of us. However, we all know that you are eager to return to Beijing and are afraid that these umbrellas will become a burden to you. Therefore, we use counties as a unit and provide one umbrella for each county. Sir, these umbrellas are all ours. I hope you don’t dislike it! "
