Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 148 Extra Yun Zhao (2)

Yun Zhao was thin-skinned, and his face turned ashen upon hearing this. Meng Yong was about to speak in his defense when a sudden "thump" startled him.

It turned out that two people carrying the box had accidentally tripped, causing it to fall to the ground and break open, spilling all the documents inside. The ground was muddy, and the fallen documents were immediately soiled.

Yun Zhao hurriedly went to pick it up, and Meng Yong also rushed to help. They saw that the manuscript was full of construction drawings!
After Meng Yong finished picking up the manuscript, he stood up, his hands trembling slightly with excitement. He bent down and asked Yun Zhao in a low voice, "Are these the blueprints for the dam construction?"

Yun Zhao's eyes were clear, and he nodded firmly: "Yes, there are not only blueprints for the dam construction, but also blueprints for various other buildings. My father once served as the Vice Minister of Works, and this is the culmination of his life's work. Before he passed away, my father specifically instructed me to compile this manuscript and bring it to you, Lord Meng. In his last few months, even on his sickbed, my father insisted on drawing blueprints every day. He said that the dam in Taoyuan Town was not easy to build, and he had conducted many on-site investigations. Only with well-designed blueprints could it last a long time."

Meng Yong was deeply moved, his eyes reddening slightly. He bowed deeply to Yun Zhao, deliberately raising his voice, which was slightly choked with emotion: "Sir, you are so righteous. On behalf of the people of Taoyuan Town, I thank you, sir, and Miss Yun. This is an immense blessing for the people of Taoyuan Town!"

Upon hearing this, the young men behind Meng Yong who were helping to move the boxes also stopped what they were doing, their expressions solemn, and earnestly imitated Meng Yong's manner, bowing deeply to Miss Yun.

A simply dressed middle-aged woman grabbed the ear of the middle-aged man who had just made sarcastic remarks, twisted it hard, and glared at him angrily, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting? Lord Meng brought people here, and you dare to talk nonsense? If it weren't for Lord Meng, we would have died in some desolate wilderness long ago. Why are you allowed to gossip here? If you have hands and feet, why don't you go and lend a hand?"

Knowing he was in the wrong, the middle-aged man begged for forgiveness repeatedly: "Madam, please forgive me this time! I will never dare to do it again!"

Everyone burst into laughter, and those who could help stepped forward to lend a hand. The women spontaneously prepared the food, and even the young children lent a hand. Everyone had a smiling face, a far cry from their previous wary and indifferent demeanor.

Meng Yong was a little embarrassed: "They are all poor people who have had enough of this world. They are unfortunate people. It is inevitable that they will feel indignant when they mention corrupt officials. Miss Yun, you don't need to take it to heart."

Yun Zhao nodded in understanding. Seeing this bustling scene, she couldn't help but be moved. She turned to Meng Yong, who was standing beside her, and said, "Brother Meng, it's so good that these people have met you. I believe that one day, Taoyuan Town will truly become a paradise on earth."

Meng Yong smiled and said, "I only gave them a place to live. Every blade of grass and every tree here was created by everyone working together. It's not my achievement alone. However, I believe that what you said will definitely come to pass one day."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

----------------

Five or six horse-drawn carriages sped along a mountain path, led by Yun Zhao and Ma Yuan.

"Ma Yuan? How much longer?" Yun Zhao shouted from the carriage, the wind scattering his voice. He gripped the carriage railing tightly to steady himself and prevent himself from falling off the speeding vehicle.

"Almost there! We should be at Taoyuan Town in about an hour!" Ma Yuan urged the carriage on as fast as he could and shouted back. "No, we're too late. The rain is about to start." Yun Zhao looked worriedly at the dark clouds rolling in from the sky. "If the flash flood comes down and then there's a landslide, everyone here will be doomed."

“I know there’s a cave nearby, Miss Yun, shall we go and take shelter there?” Ma Yuan said with a serious expression, his usual playful demeanor long gone.

“No, I know that cave you mentioned. It's in a low-lying area. If a landslide buries us all, we're all doomed.” Yun tried to stand up straight and shouted to the people behind her, “There’s a high ground ahead, flat and sparsely wooded. There used to be an altar there. Do you believe me? If you do, let’s go there to take shelter! This cart is full of seeds for the people of Taoyuan Town. It’s related to the town’s harvest next year, and it’s about the lives of everyone in the town. We must protect it. If… if… whoever survives must deliver this message so that the people in the town can take the seeds back!”

The crowd exchanged glances. Over the past few days, they had witnessed Miss Yun's skillful dealings with the grain merchants—bargaining, inspecting the grain—and her decisive, courageous, and resourceful approach to tasks. They were all deeply impressed. Ma Yuan, steeling his resolve, shouted, "Let's go! We'll listen to Miss Yun and give it our all!"

The group hurried to urge the carriages on, finally reaching the altar before the rain started. The altar wasn't large, and having fallen into disrepair over the years, half of it had collapsed. They found a flat, sheltered, high spot, raised the ground with bricks and wood, stacked the seeds wrapped tightly in oilcloth on top, and weighed them down with stones. The wheels of several carriages were also removed and stacked to one side, and the horses were all tied up. After completing these tasks, everyone was exhausted, and before they could even rest, large raindrops began to fall.

Everyone was wearing raincoats and they surrounded Yun Zhao, sitting in a sheltered spot.

The rain was getting heavier and the wind was getting stronger. A gust of wind came and tore a corner of the tarpaulin. Everyone quickly got up to try to cover it up, but the tarpaulin had already been torn open and water was seeping in!
Without saying a word, Yun Zhao took off his raincoat and covered the opening in the oilcloth, but it was only a drop in the ocean.

"Miss Yun!" Ma Yuan was anxious as he watched. If Miss Yun got sick from being in the rain, wouldn't Brother Meng make an example of him?

Ma Yuan took off his raincoat and draped it over Yun Zhao. Yun Zhao hurriedly said, "Don't worry about me, the grain seeds are more important!"

As Yun Zhao spoke, he took off his raincoat and covered the hole. Seeing this, everyone followed suit, taking off their raincoats to cover the hole. They then weighed it down with some stones to ensure it was completely covered before finally letting out a sigh of relief. After finishing all this, they were all soaked to the bone and covered in mud.

Everyone looked at each other and burst into laughter. They then hurriedly chopped down a lot more banana leaves, which would at least offer some protection from the wind and rain.

"Miss Yun, have some strong liquor to warm yourself up," Ma Yuan said, handing her the wine flask in his arms. Yun Zhao didn't hesitate, uncorked it, and took a big gulp, immediately choking and coughing.

"Miss Yun, have you never drunk such strong liquor before?" a burly man in the crowd laughed.

Yun Zhao was a little embarrassed, shook his head, and laughed, "Good wine, good wine!"

The crowd burst into laughter again, but a sense of admiration arose in their hearts!