The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 70 A Pit to the End

Upon hearing this, Lord An sighed deeply, but did not continue the conversation on that topic. Instead, he inquired about the situation in Elm Tree Village.

When Shen Qi and Shan Dajun returned that day and reported the casualties in Yushu Village, he was truly taken aback.

Now he wanted to hear what Lu Chengjing and Shang Wanhui had to say.

Shang Wan was impatient with saying so much, so she had Lu Chengjing do it all for her.

Lu Chengjing's narration was well-balanced, highlighting what needed to be highlighted and concealing what needed to be concealed, and he took the opportunity to steer the conversation toward disaster relief grain.

Upon hearing this, Lord An frowned and said in a deep voice, "In recent years, there have been constant border clashes between our country and the Xia Kingdom, and frequent domestic disasters have led to an empty treasury. This time, only Qingyang Prefecture was affected by the disaster, and many people in the court thought the disaster was not serious. The Ministry of Revenue only allocated 10,000 taels of silver for disaster relief, and this money was sent along the way..."

Before he finished speaking, he picked up his teacup and gently stirred it with the lid.

Lu Chengjing's eyes darkened slightly.

Ten thousand taels of disaster relief silver were sent from the capital. After layers of embezzlement, how much of it would be left by the time it reached Dongning County?

His expression changed, and a hint of anxiety appeared between his brows.

"Sir, the houses in the village have been severely damaged, and the grain in many households has been soaked and rotted by the rain. The seeds have also been damaged. Many of the wheat seedlings in the fields have been damaged, which will inevitably affect this summer's harvest."

"Spring came early this year, and most families have already planted their millet. We don't know if this earthquake will have any impact. It's almost April, and the sorghum should also be planted then, so we can have a good harvest in the fall. If we don't have enough to eat, how will the villagers have the strength to work in the fields?"

"If Elm Tree Village is in such a state, Willow Tree Village will only be worse off, and the situation in other affected villages and counties is no better. There are still three months until the summer harvest, and without the imperial court's disaster relief grain, we probably won't make it to that time."

Millet is also known as foxtail millet, while sorghum is known as yellow millet. The rice that ordinary villagers eat is made from yellow millet that they grow themselves. If they are willing to spend money, they can also buy some rice from the south from the rice shop and cook it together.

Lu Chengjing learned all of this from Old Man Wu and the others. Although he was trying to gain sympathy in front of Lord An, it was also the true situation in the village.

He looked worried, and Lord An's expression grew increasingly serious.

Shang Wan clicked her tongue inwardly. These two were pretending to be ignorant, putting on an acting show.
Lord An held his teacup and looked at Lu Chengjing, "You seem to know quite a bit about farming in the countryside."

"Most of it I heard from the village elders." Lu Chengjing understood the implication and answered truthfully, "I've also read some miscellaneous books on agronomy in my spare time, so I know a little bit about it."

Lord An nodded, as if it were a casual question, and continued talking about the disaster relief grain.

"There is no need to worry too much. I have sent people to Ping'an Prefecture and Yan'an Prefecture to borrow grain, and I have also asked the gentry in the prefectures and counties to raise grain and funds. There should be results in the next two days, which should be enough to deal with the disaster."

His words undoubtedly reassured Lu Chengjing.

With him around, even if the imperial court's disaster relief funds didn't come through, the funds he raised could still be delivered to the villages and counties in a timely manner.

“It is a blessing for the people to live under the rule of the great man.” Lu Chengjing looked grateful. “When I was still at home, my father often taught my two brothers and me to do good deeds. He also set an example by setting up soup kitchens to help the victims in years of disaster.”

"Over the years, our family has accumulated some grain reserves. Now that we have suffered a great disaster, Father must be extremely anxious and want to do his part to help the people affected by the disaster. If you are raising funds, you might as well consider the Lu family."

Lord An's eye twitched, and he secretly sized up Lu Chengjing. This was the first time he had ever seen someone betray their own father like this.

However, considering that Lu Chengjing had already been expelled from the Lu family clan and had been framed by the manager of the Lu family rice shop, it was understandable that he would take the opportunity to swindle the Lu family out of his anger.

Lord An coughed twice and said in a deep voice, "I will remember this and will never disappoint your father's kind heart to help the poor and needy."

Lu Chengjing smiled, “Four years ago, a sudden flood occurred. My father led the local gentry to raise a large sum of money and grain, which was highly praised by the former magistrate. If you trust me, sir, you may entrust this matter to my father. He will surely be able to share your burden.”

Lord An: This is a case of a son ruining his father's life, ruining him completely?
After he was promoted to the position of prefect of Qingyang, he reviewed the account books and records from previous years. Being in officialdom, he was naturally aware of some of the shady dealings involved.

Now, hearing Lu Chengjing specifically mention the flood four years ago, his mind raced and he began to have a plan. Some of his worries dissipated, and he praised Lu Chengjing for his filial piety.

While teasing Yuanyuan, Shang Wan listened to the two exchanging pleasantries, and felt so bored that she wanted to yawn.

Gradually, the conversation between the two turned to Tian Sheng, who had committed suicide by poisoning himself.

"I have investigated all the suspicious persons and found a constable who was in charge of serving meals," Lord An said. "That constable took money from Madam Tian and delivered a message to Tian Sheng that night."

Shang Wan finally heard something interesting and pressed for details, "What did you say?"

The gist of it is that my son has a high fever.

Shang Wan: "Just this one sentence?"

Lord An nodded. "The constable thought that getting two taels of silver for passing on a message wasn't a big deal, so he agreed to help."

Lu Chengjing asked, "Has Your Excellency sent someone to inquire with Madam Tian?"

“Of course,” Lord An said. “However, when Guard Shen arrived, Madam Tian and her two children had already disappeared, most of the servants had left, and the remaining old servants did not know where the three had gone.”

Shang Wan frowned and wondered, "Could someone have harmed him?"

After all, Tian Sheng is dead. If the person behind him wants to eliminate all traces of the problem, there's no reason for them to let Madam Tian and the two children go.

Lord An was also unsure, only saying, "The soldiers guarding the city did not see the three leave the city, and they could not find anyone in the city either."

They were nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead. Only the three of them probably know what became of them.

Lu Chengjing lowered his eyes in thought.

Lord An brought up another matter, "The imperial document has been issued, and the new magistrate will take office in a few days. Once the new magistrate arrives, I will return to the prefectural city. Madam Shang, if you have made any new medicine, please send a letter and I will send someone to collect it."

Shang Wan wanted to say that it wasn't necessary to go to so much trouble, and that she would have someone take it to the prefectural city. But before she could speak, Lu Chengjing suddenly gave her a barely perceptible nod.

Shang Wan's words, which were about to come out, took a different turn; her refusal turned into a yes.

After bidding farewell and leaving the county government office, Shang Wan asked Lu Chengjing, "Why did you agree?"

Lu Chengjing wiped away Yuanyuan's drool and said gently, "Why should my wife refuse such a kind offer from you, sir?"

Good intentions?

Shang Wan blinked. "Be more specific."

“This is not the place to talk.” Lu Chengjing glanced at the passersby beside him. “We’ll discuss this further with my wife when we get back.”

Shang Wan leaned forward, staring at Lu Chengjing's profile. "What did you call me?"

"My wife," Lu Chengjing turned his face slightly away, feigning composure as he asked, "we are husband and wife, what's wrong with this form of address?"

"That's a good idea." Shang Wan straightened up and continued pushing the wheelchair forward. "That's how you'll call me from now on."

Lu Chengjing's lips curled up slightly, but the smile in his eyes disappeared before it could even appear, his dark eyes fixed on the red carriage that drove past him.

The wind lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a familiar face inside.

(End of this chapter)