Chapter 271: Only You

Hua Zhi couldn't help but smile wryly at the thought of Shao Yao's unbridled temper when she was upset. But she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Shao Yao wasn't someone who was unreasonable or lacked a sense of right and wrong.

"How's your wound? Is it serious?"

"It's just a little blood. It's fine now. It's not as bad as that time at the manor."

Yan Xi's worried expression was too obvious. Although Hua Zhi appreciated it, she also felt a little uncomfortable. Changing the subject, she said, "The hot water should be ready. You should go wash up and change your clothes."

Gu Yan Xi resisted the urge to hug her again. Once he'd done something once, he wanted to do it countless times. But that would be too presumptuous. He had finally seen a glimpse of her emotions towards him in Ah Zhi, and he didn't want to ruin it. Following her words, he walked to the next room.

Hua Zhi steadied her heart, which had been flustered by Yan Xi's arrival, and got up to go to the kitchen. She didn't have any intention of washing her hands and cooking a big meal. It was just that cooking was really not difficult for her. Thinking that he had been traveling for a long time and his appetite might not be very good, she asked Bao Xia to pick out one of the several cold dishes she had prepared earlier and made him a bowl of sour and spicy noodles.

As soon as she had finished setting the food, Gu Yan Xi came over after tidying up. Bao Xia covered her mouth and laughed, "These noodles were made by our young miss herself. Mr. Lu must eat every last drop."

Gu Yanxi was startled. Could this be... a bowl of noodles made by Ah Zhi herself?

Hua Zhi glanced at Bao Xia with a hint of annoyance. "What's there to talk about? And what's with that look, Yanxi?"

"It's not like you haven't seen me cook before. I used to teach Fu Dong personally."

Bao Xia chuckled mischievously, "But it can't be the same, can it, Mr. Lu?"

"Of course not," Gu Yanxi replied to Bao Xia, but his eyes didn't leave Hua Zhi. "I'll make sure to eat every last drop of the soup."

Hua Zhi tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Eat slowly. I'm going to change."

Bao Xia turned her head and snickered, but then her nose felt inexplicably sour. When Miss had first gotten engaged, they thought Shen Qi was a perfect match, a suitable alliance. But when the Hua family fell on hard times and the Shen family stood idly by, they were furious and worried for Miss. Their Miss was so kind, so capable, it seemed like no one was good enough for her.

But who could say if that was a good thing?

If no one was good enough for her, did that mean she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life?

Thankfully, Mr. Lu had appeared, standing by her side during her most difficult times. He was her support, but unlike other men, he didn't confine her to the inner chambers in the name of love. And thankfully, thankfully, their Miss was wise and kind. Mr. Lu's sincerity was not in vain; he had finally waited for the clouds to part and the sun to shine.

If Mr. Lu became her husband, Miss wouldn't need to restrict herself to live the life she wanted.

Turning her back to Miss, Bao Xia bowed deeply to Gu Yanxi with reddened eyes. Their Miss deserved the best treatment, and she only hoped that Mr. Lu would not let her down.

Gu Yanxi watched the mistress and servant leave, sat at the table, and looked at the four cold dishes and the steaming bowl of noodles. The softness in his eyes was unseen by others. And just as he had said, he did not leave a single drop of soup.

In this life, he only wanted Hua Zhi. Nothing else mattered.

Perhaps it was the sour and spicy taste, or perhaps it was the warmth in his heart, but his whole body felt as warm as if he had been soaking in hot water. Overcome by drowsiness, he insisted on going back to his room and fell into a deep sleep, his heart so at ease that he even let down his usual guard. When he woke up, it was already the next morning.

Outside, there was only faint light, and thunder rumbled, but the room was stiflingly hot.

A glance at the water clock revealed it was already the fourth watch of the night. Stepping out of his room, Gu Yanxi didn't even have to look up at the sky to see that someone was already waiting for him on the porch.

Their eyes met, and Gu Yanxi approached. "Been up for a while?"

"It's so stuffy," Hua Zhi gestured for him to look up. "It's going to rain."

Even though it should have been bright by the fourth watch on a summer morning, the sky was dark and heavy, weighed down by thick clouds. If the rain did come, it would likely be a downpour that wouldn't let up for a while.

Just then, Shao Yao and the Sixth Prince emerged from their rooms at the same time. Shao Yao held a sunshade, looking hurried and ready to go out. The Sixth Prince was also dressed briskly. Upon seeing the others outside, both of them paused.

The Sixth Prince bowed and called out, "Brother Yanxi."

Shao Yao also greeted him, "It feels like a storm is brewing. I'm going to the government office."

Gu Yanxi had been sound asleep the night before and hadn't gotten a chance to ask about certain things. Seeing her about to leave, he called out to her, "There's no point in rushing at this hour. First, tell me how things are going with the river channel."

"I've had everyone working on it one by one, and we've only managed to clear two channels in the past few days. Even that was only possible because I was cracking the whip. They all think they're working for me! Who am I doing this for anyway?" Shao Yao gritted her teeth in frustration, but there was nothing she could do. She could punish officials, but she couldn't do anything to the helpless common people.

"The peasants have been numb to corvée labor for years. They just endure their yearly quota," Hua Zhi sighed.

In the Great Daqing Dynasty, the corvée labor system required that for every seven people in a household, three would perform labor; for every six people, two would perform labor; and for every five people, one would perform labor. Xiangyang was a large county, and with the Seven Stars Bureau overseeing and not allowing for commutation, the number of laborers should be around eight thousand. The fact that so many people had only cleared two relatively short river channels in five days showed just how inefficient they were.

"Yanxi, about what I mentioned in my letter..."

"Those in the Seven Stars must learn a bit of everything to deal with all sorts of situations. Among the people I brought this time, there are those skilled in engineering. Their horses aren’t as fast as Lin Ying’s, but they should have arrived last night."

Yu Tao replied, "Yes, they’ve all arrived. After a short rest, Wu Xing took some things and went outside the city. He hasn’t returned yet."

"I hope he gets back in time. Caocao, have you cleared all the celestial masters in the city?"

"They were cleared out long ago."

"Have we still not received any water reports from upstream?"

"No."

But the water was clearly receding slowly. Even after these few sunny days, the water had only receded by two inches. And the river water was murky, a clear sign of rain upstream!

Hua Zhi felt a sense of powerlessness. How could people in this area be so slow to react to floods?

Shao Yao put on her veil, "I’ll go to the yamen."

The thunder roared louder, and lightning flickered faintly behind the thick clouds. Hua Zhi looked at Xiao Liu, who was also about to leave to follow her, "Go to the kitchen and bring a few buns. Take a few more."

The Sixth Prince nodded, casting aside all rules, and ran off swiftly.

Gu Yanxi watched and said, "It’s good that you have him by your side. He’s grown a lot."

"With more experiences, he’ll naturally grow. He was injured before, but I didn’t hear him cry out in pain once."

Gu Yanxi couldn't help but laugh at her proud tone. Anyone who didn't know better would think Xiao Liu was her child!