Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 149 Extra Yun Zhao (3)

It rained heavily all night, and the next day, the sky finally cleared up.

"Everyone is fine, and apart from two bags of grain that were a little damp, the rest are all dry!" Ma Yuan exclaimed happily after checking.

Despite having survived the ordeal and not having slept all night, everyone was in high spirits and efficiently loaded the truck.

Yun Zhao smiled slightly and breathed a sigh of relief.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Miss Yun, the last truckload of grain will be unloaded soon. We can go home for dinner after that." Ma Yuan ran over to report to Yun Zhao. Everyone had unconsciously come to regard Yun Zhao as their backbone. "I just inquired and found out that Brother Meng was worried about problems with the dam project yesterday and didn't come home all night. I reckon he'll be back soon."

"Little Stone, time to eat!" Ma Yuan's mother called out, leaning out of the alleyway.

Actually, despite being the leader of these young men, Ma Yuan was still just a teenager. He scratched his head a little embarrassedly, turned around and replied, "Mom, I'll be right there. Don't call me by my nickname! I'm all grown up now!"

Yun Zhao chuckled: "Having your mother call you by your nickname is a kind of happiness. Go and eat!"

Ma Yuan blushed slightly, scratched his head, and smiled sheepishly, "Miss Yun is right..."

Yun Zhao smiled and said, "By the way, don't call me Miss Yun anymore, it sounds too formal. I'm a few years older than you, just call me Sister Yun Zhao."

Ma Yuan's face was flushed, but his eyes were shining as he nodded firmly: "Yes, Sister Yun Zhao!"

Yun Zhao replied with a smile, "Hey! Good boy."

Ma Yuan pretended to be unhappy and pouted, "I'm not a child anymore!"

Yun Zhao looked at him with a smile.

The others were called away by their families one after another. Ma Yuan's mother also urged him several times at the alley entrance. Ma Yuan looked at Yun Zhao, who was alone, and felt a little embarrassed.

"Go ahead, don't keep your mother waiting," Yun Zhao said with a smile.

Ma Yuan nodded, but before he could answer, his mother grabbed his ear and said, "I've called you so many times, why don't you answer?"

While cursing and swearing, Ma Yuan's mother turned her head and saw Yun Zhao, and her expression changed completely. She immediately smiled and said, "Miss Yun, why don't you come to our house for a meal? Lord Meng might be back anytime soon! It's just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks, and it'll be more lively with more people!"

Yun Zhao smiled and politely declined, "No, I'm tired too. I'll go back and tidy up, prepare some food for my brother, and then I won't bother you any longer. Maybe next time!"

Ma Yuan's mother didn't stand on ceremony anymore: "Alright, we're going back now, you should go back too!"

"Hmm!" Yun Zhao watched them walk away.

"Mother, why don't you let Sister Yun come to our house for dinner?" Ma Yuan asked in a low voice.

“What do you know? They’re a young couple, and absence makes the heart grow fonder. We should know what’s good for them! We’ll have plenty of opportunities to invite them to dinner, what’s the rush?” Ma Yuan’s mother thought she had lowered her voice.

“Mother is right, but could you please let go of my hand first? Hey, hey, hey…” “Don’t interrupt, I called you just now, why didn’t you answer…”

……

The two walked further and further away, the setting sun casting long shadows. The aroma of food and the sounds of laughter drifted from house to house. Going home for dinner—what a beautiful phrase! But she had no home anymore; no one would call her home for dinner. Yun Zhao looked up at the sky; the setting sun was like blood, breathtakingly beautiful, yet her heart was filled with endless sorrow: Father, Mother, are you alright? I miss you so much…

Exhausted, Yun Zhao sat on a large rock, hugging her knees, watching the sunset. Her clothes had been soaked and dried repeatedly since last night, clinging to her body uncomfortably, and she could smell the sour stench emanating from herself. But she couldn't move; overwhelming sorrow was threatening to drown her. Her eyes were dry, her throat hoarse, and she couldn't cry.

"Yun Zhao!" A cheerful voice rang out. Yun Zhao looked up and saw a person standing in front of her under the golden sunset. His whole body seemed to be coated with a warm golden light, like hope shining into her heart.

It was a familiar figure—Meng Yong! Although he was also disheveled, his clothes soaked with mud and water, and not a single part of his body was dry, his smile was so pure, reaching straight to his eyes. He carefully carried a basket in his hand, and the moment he saw Yun Zhao, his eyes instantly curved into a wide smile. He quickly ran forward, his eyes filled with joy mixed with worry.

He looked her up and down and asked, "Miss Yun, are you injured? I heard about what happened between you two last night. I was so worried about you back in Bashang. Now that I see you're alright, I'm relieved. Were you frightened?"

Meng Yong didn't give Yun Zhao a chance to interrupt at all, and bombarded her with a bunch of questions.

Looking at his smile, Yun Zhao felt a lump in her throat. Her eyes, which had been dry just moments before, instantly filled with tears. The tears fell silently, slowly turning into a wail, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances in her heart.

Meng Yong was at a loss at first, but he quickly came to his senses. He didn't ask anything, but simply put down the basket and gently embraced Yun Zhao.

The person in his arms cried for a long time before gradually calming down. Yun Zhao looked up at Meng Yong, wiped away his tears, and instantly turned into a big mess. Yun Zhao burst out laughing.

Meng Yong smiled too.

In the midst of chaos, the two finally found someone they could rely on.

Yun Zhao looked at him quietly, smiling, feeling a warmth in her heart. She realized that there was still someone in this world who cared about her: "Brother Meng, don't worry, I'm fine. Let's go home!"

Meng Yong was somewhat surprised. She had just said "go home"? This was the first time she had said that. Although she had never said it before, he could sense that she only regarded this place as a place to stay and did not have a sense of belonging.

Moved, Meng Yong smiled even more brightly: "Okay, let's go home, let's go home!"

Meng Yong launched into his talkative mode again, chattering about everything from the dam's progress to the construction of Taoyuan Town, and even the vegetarian noodles Aunt Chen had given him in the basket. Meng Yong was actually quite eloquent, making even the most mundane things sound incredibly interesting, which kept Yun Zhao laughing.

Meng Yong suddenly changed his tone, looking somewhat troubled, and continued, "The stone materials for the dam have been basically sorted out, but the main structure of the dam is a bit of a challenge. The river's current is so rapid that a dam with an ordinary structure probably wouldn't withstand it for more than a few years... I'm sorry, Miss Yun, I just can't stop talking about dams, it's so boring, isn't it?"

Yun Zhao was very understanding and smiled, "No, I am also very concerned about the progress of the dam, after all, it is my father's last wish."

The two walked and talked, and soon arrived home.

"Miss Yun, before I left I asked my neighbor Aunt Ma to boil some hot water for me. I just checked, there's plenty of hot water in the pot, why don't you go wash up?"

Yun Zhao stopped refusing and quickly finished washing up.

"Miss Yun, if you're hungry, you can eat first. You don't need to wait for me. I'm going to wash up and change my clothes." Meng Yong said, taking out the bowl of vegetarian noodles and placing it on the table before leaving.