Chapter 1190: Chapter 1172: Hidden Talent
Xi Lian took her leave, but didn’t go far, instead waiting at the street corner for Shen Ruhui to return, thinking that if Shen Ruhui hadn’t returned, then Yu Cong surely hadn’t returned either.
The gatekeeper closed the gate again, shaking his head and sighing as he headed to the back courtyard, where they were pulling cabbages.
The maid saw him dawdling and couldn’t help but get extremely angry, loudly asking, "Who is it?"
The gatekeeper glanced at her and said, "A lady, unfortunately she’s already married. I thought she was someone who wanted to marry our lord, what a pity."
The maid was silent upon hearing this.
Shen Xian, who was returning from the cellar with a load, heard the words and said quietly, "Don’t worry about this, the lord has no such mind. Marrying a new wife would only delay her."
He put down the load and then asked, "Which lady came? Why did she visit? Did she leave a note?"
Upon hearing that someone came to apologize, Shen Xian frowned. He understood their lord well: intelligent but clumsy, appearing gentle and introverted, tongue-tied, yet mindful and wise inside, knowing everything.
However, since he couldn’t articulate it, Shen Ruhui often remained silent with strangers but complained continuously with those he knew well, like his servant, or Minister Fu of similar rank.
Because of such temperament, Shen Ruhui was self-aware of his shortcomings, seldom taking trivial matters to heart, thereby earning a reputation for being agreeable.
So, for a lady to come personally to apologize, either she had ulterior motives, hoping to take advantage of the situation, or their lord was greatly wronged outside, and the apology might be to avert disaster.
Shen Xian frowned deeper and started paying attention to the movement outside.
As the sun set and the sky was filled with splendid sunset, there was finally movement outside the house. Shen Xian stuffed the half-peeled cabbage into the gatekeeper’s arms and rushed outside.
Shen Ruhui was stopped outside by Xi Lian.
Upon learning she was Imperial Censor Lu’s wife, Shen Ruhui didn’t want to accept her gift, but seeing the box Xi Lian opened, Shen Ruhui couldn’t move.
The gift was too precious. Wanting it, yet not wanting it, how could this be?
Father knows best, ahem, although Shen Xian and Shen Ruhui were not father and son, growing up together, Shen Xian knew what Shen Ruhui was thinking at a glance. Seeing him glance at the box, then look away, then glance again, Shen Xian knew he liked it, so he stepped forward, took the box, and said warmly to Xi Lian, "This gift is too precious. Our lord wouldn’t want to take love, but indeed our lord likes it. How about borrowing it for a while, then returning it after our lord has read it?"
Xi Lian: "Since it is given to Doctor Shen, then the book belongs to Doctor Shen. Today, Doctor Shen was startled; my husband has been troubled with guilt at home. Once his injury heals, he will certainly come in person to apologize."
Seeing Shen Xian accept the box, Shen Ruhui was even less willing to return it, so he politely replied, "Recognizing mistakes and amending them is good. The Great General has always been impartial, focusing on issues rather than people. If Imperial Censor Lu is careful with his words and doesn’t commit such actions in the future, it will be fine."
Xi Lian immediately agreed on behalf of her carefree husband and informed Shen Ruhui she would soon go to apologize to Dr. Yu and inquired whether Dr. Yu had finished his duties for the day.
Seeing she hadn’t overlooked Dr. Yu, Shen Ruhui looked even more pleased and said, "He came back from his duties with me."
Xi Lian understood and promptly left after paying her respects, heading to Yu Cong’s house.
No need for a carriage; a turn back was the Yu Family.
The preferential treatment Zhao Hanzhang gave Yu Cong showed her regard for him.
Not all officials could receive housing; apart from those with talent like Shen Ruhui, who sought refuge with Zhao Hanzhang early on, subsequent officials recruited would be provided with public rental housing by the court. Those without money to buy houses were renting from the court, such as agricultural doctors, doctors, extraordinary ministers, etc.
Cheap, spacious, and dignified, it was the court’s favor for talent.
Yu Cong, an Agricultural Doctor at the Ministry of Agriculture and Imperial College, though holding dual positions, was not high ranked; he should rent or buy with his own money.
However, Zhao Hanzhang selected a house near Shen Ruhui’s for him, and there’s talk of a settlement fund for the Yu Family to settle safely in Luoyang.
Feeling her husband was foolish, failing to see this insight, Xi Lian smiled and knocked on Yu’s door.
Unlike the tranquility of Shen Ruhui’s house, the Yu Family’s three-courtyard residence was filled with people. Yu Cong had just returned home, and his father and brothers had also just returned from the fields, with the door open, leaning on their hoes, talking to Yu Cong in the yard, "...We turned over a few shovels, all larvae. If not killed during winter, next year we might face a pest disaster."
Children in the yard chased and laughed, circling the talking adults, joyfully giggling; Yu Cong seemed not to hear the noisy laughter, telling his father and brothers, "I’ll go with you to the fields tomorrow to see if it’s only our area or more widespread. If extensive, those larvae must be turned over before freezing to see if they can be frozen to death..."
"Who are you looking for?" A child noticed Xi Lian standing outside the door and asked crisply.
Yu Cong and his father turned to look hearing the sound.
Xi Lian returned to reality, paying respects outside the door, handing over gifts to Yu Cong, and apologized on behalf of her husband.
Yu Cong, even more reserved than Shen Ruhui, did not take today’s conflict to heart, having spent the afternoon focused on crossbreeding of good and wild seeds, almost forgetting this matter.
Thus he directly forgave her and then took the bamboo strips she handed, eyes alight as he opened them.
Seeing this, Xi Lian sighed, having learned from Shen Ruhui’s example, she had removed the bamboo strips from the box early, and explained their contents before his refusal, indeed leading Yu Cong to accept.
Yu Cong’s father and brothers stood aside, also curious, looking at the bamboo strips in his hands.
The Yu family’s heritage was not high; they were simply literate farmers.
Their grandfather farmed well during the Three Kingdoms chaos, surviving with villagers due to having grain, allowing their father to learn some letters.
Throughout grandfather’s life, only five books were kept at home.
Yu Cong and his three brothers were enlightened by these five books from childhood, Yu being the youngest yet most able to read, earning admiration from his brothers for also being the best farmer.
He was particularly clever, naturally having different insights, the Yu family becoming locally renowned after decades of village management.
The local County Magistrate once wanted to recommend Yu Cong for Filial Piety.
Yu Cong told his brothers, "The world will enter great chaos; being an official won’t protect family and villagers better than now. More farming, grain storage, hiding food and wealth in mountains or cellars might allow survival."
