Leaving the city, the rain became heavier and heavier.
Even where the prefect's palace is located on a higher ground, the surrounding moat is much higher than usual. The water in the square can reach up to the ankles, not to mention some of the low-lying streets and alleys around the city. The situation of water entering the house.
So people got busy. The men blocked the door with cloth bags filled with soil, or filled the corners of the yard where water began to seep. The women and children used ladles and other objects to collect the water that entered the house. Scooping out, eager and panicked.
Compared with people who own a house or even a yard outside the city, poor people and even refugees do not have such happy worries. They only need to carry a wooden board to cover their heads and faces, or find some hay or the like to put on their heads. The rain penetrated everywhere, making them wet, and when they got wet, they got wet.
As for those who are very lucky, it can be said to be a happy thing to be able to take shelter under the porch of someone's house on higher ground or under the bridge. When people are driven away with sticks, they can stay there with a smile until the rain stops. Occasionally, they can see a figure running past in embarrassment under the rain, which can make them happy for several days.
There have been heavy rains in Licheng in the past, but this year, it seems to be particularly heavy.
The rain brings hope to the people outside the city, but also brings inconvenience to the people inside the city.
But for wealthy people, the impact is minimal.
Just when the entire city became clean and quiet due to the continuous rain, three wealthy carriages drove into a remote alley behind a teahouse in the core city. .
The carriages are drawn by two horses. The horses are fat and strong. The carriages are wide and sturdy. The wheels of the carriages are all carved with magic circles. Obviously, in addition to being comfortable, they are also strong and safe enough.
The first carriage and the second carriage drove into the exclusive area in the tea house's backyard one after another. The back door opened and closed without disturbing any outsiders.
After the third carriage drove in, the teahouse waiter who had previously opened and closed the back door trotted to the door again, quickly stuck his head out, scanned the alley, then closed the door tightly, and locked it from the inside. , then as if avoiding something, he silently exited the backyard from the corridor on the side of the teahouse.
The driver of the third carriage was wearing a bamboo hat and raincoat. After he stopped the carriage, he jumped out of the carriage, opened his umbrella, and picked up an ordinary-looking but dignified middle-aged man from the carriage. After he was carefully delivered to the tea house, he returned to the carriage and sat down. He waved to the coachmen on the two carriages next to him. They were obviously familiar with each other.
But as soon as the middle-aged man entered the teahouse, a capable man in rich clothes came up to salute him. The two of them went up to the third floor of the teahouse one after another without stopping or talking.
The first and second floors of this tea house are not small. There is no one at the moment. However, the third floor of the tea house is not big. After the capable man guided the middle-aged man upstairs, he returned to the second floor to guard the stairs alone. , very solemnly.
On the third floor, there is a circular hall with windows all around, making it clear at a glance.
At this moment, half of all the windows were open, and the eaves outside the windows stretched out several feet away, and the rain curtain was like a curtain, as if it was within reach, but it was actually out of reach.
The hall is luxuriously decorated, with sandalwood tables and chairs, red silk cushions, white gauze candles, porcelain vases, rockery pools, burning incense pouring down like waterfalls, and green trees and bamboos, making the hall full of life.
It is a place that is quiet and comfortable in the bustle.
When the middle-aged man came in, there were already two people on the seats in the hall.
An old man with a half-white beard, long eyebrows, and a calm demeanor looked like an old man basking in the sun in the alley next door. Perhaps it was because of the rainy day, but it was just a cool weather, so he was already wearing a thick Chinese robe. , it was none other than Chen Yu, an important minister of Li County and the chief official of Agriculture.
The other one looks slightly younger. He has a short beard and long hair, and his eyes are like the moon. He wears ordinary clothes, but has several extraordinary jade pendants. He looks like an ordinary wealthy idler, but he is also an important minister of Lijun and the chief treasurer. Thank you Wushang.
Seeing the middle-aged man come in, these two ministers who are also very important in the Lijun court came together.
They all stood up and bowed their hands in greeting, "I've met Jun Cheng."
The middle-aged man called Jun Cheng was suddenly Dou Qiushi.
"Hey, we're not in the palace," Dou Qiushi quickly walked over and put his hand on the hands of the two important ministers, casually pulling them to find a seat in front of the tea table and sit down together, "Today is just a gathering of old friends. Regardless of top or bottom, just talk about you and me."
Chen Yu agreed with a smile, sat on the chair next to Dou Qiushi, and shrank back.
Xie Wushang sat on the other side of Dou Qiushi. As expected, he was as interested as old friends gathering for leisure. He picked up the tea cauldron and placed it on a small stove filled with charcoal. He also took clean water from the mountain spring nearby and poured it into the cauldron. Use a small spoon to add a little tiny green tea leaves into the tea cauldron, then stop.
The tea pot was simmering slowly, and the three important court officials leaned on the generous chairs and chatted.
Dou Qiushi folded a thin blanket at hand and put it on Chen Yu's knees, "In this weather, if you don't have a stove in your house, your legs and feet will be a little uncomfortable."
Chen Yu put his hand on the thin blanket that Dou Qiushi covered him with, rubbed it and said, "It's an old habit. While it's not too difficult, I'll protect the children from the wind and rain for a few more years. When I get older, I'll have to The court is left to the young people."
Dou Qiushi nodded, "Since the Grand Administrator came to the throne, major events in Li County have come one after another. It has indeed become a bit busy. After a while, the people below can perform their respective duties and fill in all the vacancies. We can also When you have a little more leisure time, you can devote more energy to the training of the next generation. Now is the time for the governor to employ people. There are more places to employ people in Li County, so there are more opportunities."
Chen Yu smiled and nodded, "Now the Grand Administrator has opened the Civil and Military Examinations, but now it will be easier for the younger generations of the family to get down to work. In a few years, when we are all old, we will no longer be able to take care of it."
Dou Qiushi also smiled and said, "Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. We people, after all, can't protect them for their entire lives. Following the prefect, the world in the future will be bigger. What they can do depends on themselves."
Chen Yu nodded, while Xie Wushang, who was taking care of the tea tripod on the other side, smiled and said, "Both adults are still very young. I think it will be too early to say these words in ten years."
Chen Yu laughed loudly, "Master Xie is still very young, but with his old body, he has to consider these things."
Xie Wushang didn't argue. Seeing the tea cauldron boiling, he took another small spoon and added a few more cups to the cauldron. He then placed the teacups in front of the three of them in another small pot of boiling water and took them out. , poured the tea soup in the cauldron into the teacup, and sent it to Dou Qiushi and Chen Yu in turn, "Do you know, sir, that the prefect has returned to the city today?"
