Huayang woke up from a nap and learned that Chen Jingzong had been sent by his father-in-law to inspect the back mountain to see if there were any signs of landslide. He would then take people to find a flat area to build some sheds in advance, so that if the people in the town needed to be evacuated, they would have a place to rest and shelter from the rain.
Not long after, her mother-in-law, Sun, also came in person and explained to her that the whole town had to prepare for flood prevention, and asked Siyitang to put the valuables into boxes and cages so that those that were convenient to take away could be taken with them during the transfer, and those that were inconvenient to take away should be moved to the table and tied up to prevent them from flooding.
"Don't worry, Princess. We are just preparing for any eventuality. There may not really be a flood."
All these are similar to the previous life.
Huayang knew the result, so she was not afraid. But Chaoyun and Chaoyue were different. The two palace maids who also grew up in the palace turned pale when they heard the word "flood".
"Princess, do you want to go to Lingzhou City and hide there while we can still cross the river?"
Chaoyun paced around the room like an ant on a hot pot. She was in no mood to pack up, so she went to her master to give her advice. She was afraid of death, and even more afraid that something would happen to the princess.
Huayang leaned on the couch, holding a storybook in his hand.
She had already finished reading the few books she brought from the capital, and was now reading new books that Chen Jingzong had exchanged for prey from other towns a while ago. Most of them were shoddy works, ranging from a servant who saved the eldest daughter and became a son-in-law, to a poor scholar who won the imperial examination and married the princess.
Huayang simply treated these as jokes and to pass the time.
Seeing that Chaoyue and Chaoyun were equally anxious, Huayang explained: "The town is only for flood prevention. The flood may not come. If we leave now, the people will be panicked, and panic will easily lead to chaos."
Chao Yun asked quietly, "What if the flood really comes?"
Huayang smiled and said, "There is a mountain behind us. No matter how big the flood is, it won't be able to flood us. The elder and the local people are experienced. We should just follow their instructions and don't cause any more trouble."
Because her master was too calm, Chaoyun and Chaoyue grasped the main point and gradually calmed down.
"Princess, you are amazing. You remain calm even when a mountain collapses in front of you. That's what I mean."
Chao Yun really admires his master very much.
Huayang smiled but said nothing.
In her previous life, she was more panicked than the two maids. Her father-in-law had suggested sending her quietly to Lingzhou City, forty miles away, to stay temporarily at dusk. However, Huayang was very concerned about her reputation. She was afraid that if the flood did not come, she would be ridiculed by everyone in the Chen family, so she rejected her father-in-law's kindness.
"Each person should bring a change of clothes, shoes and socks, and toiletries. Move all other valuables to the table in the east wing, lock the door and take away the key."
Huayang instructed them how to clean up.
Chao Yue was surprised and asked, "You didn't even bring any silver, banknotes, or jewelry?"
Huayang recalled that in his previous life, Siyitang had packed up four boxes and asked the guards to carry them up the mountain, which wasted manpower and ended up carrying them down for nothing.
"No need, lock them all in the east wing."
The whole family will start moving tomorrow afternoon. If all the things are piled up in the upper room now, it will be an eyesore and in the way.
Chaoyun, Chaoyue and Zhener were busy running around, while Huayang sat calmly by the window, finishing reading a cheap storybook.
It was getting dark when Chen Jingzong finally came back. He was not even wearing a straw raincoat as he was soaked through by the rain. The thin summer fabric stuck tightly to his body, outlining the tall and strong body of a military officer.
He walked in dripping with water, and Chao Yun quickly retreated.
Chen Jingzong was wet and cold all over, and he was not a very particular person to begin with, so as soon as Chao Yun left, he closed the door of the inner room and started to take off his clothes without caring that Huayang was watching next to him.
Huayang turned his face away and only took a quick glance when Chen Jingzong walked towards the closet.
After being soaked in the rain for too long, his light wheat-colored skin seemed to have turned a little whiter.
When Chen Jingzong wiped his body and changed into a white middle-length coat, and sat on a chair and wiped his head with a towel, Huayang frowned and asked, "Why aren't you wearing a straw raincoat?"
Chen Jingzong: "It's raining too hard. The raincoat is useless and it gets in the way."
He had to lead people to transport wood to the mountain. Whether it was going up the mountain or building a rain shelter, he had to work freely.
Huayang looked at his clothes, which were still dripping with water and casually hung in front of the washstand, and asked, "Did father arrange jobs for the eldest and third brothers?"
"Well, the eldest brother is responsible for verifying the families in the town who are inconvenient to relocate, and the third brother is responsible for collecting dry firewood and food. If we really go to the mountains to avoid the flood, we have to make fire, cook and boil medicine."
A hint of sarcasm flashed across Huayang's face.
Although all three brothers had tasks, Chen Jingzong, the youngest brother, did the most dangerous and tiring work.
The whole family dislikes Chen Jingzong for being a rough and violent man, but shouldn't he make the best use of his talents when necessary
Chen Jingzong was just wiping his hair. After a while, he suddenly raised his head, looked at Huayang and asked, "Why are you asking about the eldest brother and the third brother?"
His eyes were bright, and Huayang avoided them with a guilty conscience. After all, in her previous life, before Chen Jingzong died in battle, she was the one who disliked him the most.
"I'll ask the kitchen to make you a bowl of ginger soup."
Without giving Chen Jingzong a chance to ask further questions, Huayang turned and went to the main room.
Chen Jingzong looked at the falling curtain, paused, and continued to wipe his hair.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Jingzong had tied up his hair, and Chaoyue had cooked the ginger soup and brought it over, a big bowl full of steaming water.
The soup needed to cool down for a while, so Chen Jingzong asked Huayang, "Everyone in the courtyard is packing up their boxes and cages, why is there no movement here?"
Huayang: "I have packed it up and locked it in the east wing. I will just take the key with me. With my father's reputation in the local area, there shouldn't be any thieves who will take the opportunity to steal here."
Chen Jingzong: "No one dares to come except those who want to die."
Huayang smiled.
It was already evening and the light was dim, so the maids lit the lamps in advance.
The light was soft, making the beautiful face look like a dream.
But Chen Jingzong had never dreamed of such a beautiful woman before.
"Aren't you afraid?" Chen Jingzong still felt that she was too calm, which was beyond his expectations.
Huayang said in a relaxed tone: "Why should I be afraid? My father is here to take care of me."
Chen Jingzong: …
Ever since she got married, he discovered how much she disliked him and how much she admired and trusted the old man!
In the storybooks, many princesses would marry the top scholar in the imperial examination. Chen Jingzong was very suspicious that if Huayang and the old man were of the same generation, when the old man was the top scholar in the imperial examination, he would probably have been spotted by Huayang and snatched away to be a prince consort!
As soon as I thought of Cao Cao, here he came. Zhen'er came trotting in with an umbrella, saying that the master and the mistress were here.
Chen Jingzong didn't move, but rubbed the soup bowl with his fingertips, which was still very hot.
"Father, mother, why are you here at this time?"
Huayang stepped aside and invited the two elders in.
Chen Tingjian waved his hand, pointed at his raincoat and said, "It's too troublesome to take it off and put it on again. I'll just stand here and talk."
Huayang listened attentively.
Chen Tingjian glanced at his youngest son who was still sitting inside, snorted, and then respectfully told Huayang about going to Lingzhou City to take shelter from the rain.
Regardless of whether a flood is coming or not, or how serious it is, Chen Tingjian and his family will not abandon the people and flee on their own. But it is different for the princess, and he cannot let her take risks.
Hua Yang smiled and said, "Father loves the people and is willing to stand with them. Am I, a princess, going to run away from the battlefield?"
"What's more, I am now the daughter-in-law of the Chen family. There is no reason for me to leave my family and go away. If my father continues to persuade me, he will force me to be a coward."
With just two sentences, Chen Tingjian was successfully shut up.
Chen Ge Lao, who had been in the officialdom for more than 30 years, respected the princess only because of his status. He never thought that the little princess, who was only 18 years old, could say such words.
He bowed in shame: "Princess, you are very wise, I am just being clever."
Hua Yang gave a little help and looked at Sun and said, "I heard from the prince consort that father has been running around outside all day. Mother, please help father go back and rest. We have prepared everything here. You two don't have to worry about it anymore."
Chen Tingjian's heart moved slightly. Did the fourth brother mention his deeds in front of the princess
He looked towards the main seat in surprise.
However, Chen Jingzong understood that sentence as Huayang's roundabout way of complimenting his father. He sneered, and without paying attention to Huayang's parents who were trying to fawn on him at the door, he picked up the bowl of soup and took a sip tentatively.
It was a little hot, but not wanting to be laughed at, Chen Jingzong took another sip as if he was enjoying it.
Chen Tingjian's brows were twisted into a "川" shape. The more the princess understood the righteousness of the cause, the more rude and disrespectful the fourth brother seemed!
"It's getting late. We will take our leave first."
It was not convenient to lose his temper in front of the princess, so Chen Tingjian could only suppress his anger and leave with his wife.
As soon as he walked out of Siyi Hall, Chen Tingjian could not help but blame his son for his disrespect to his wife: "Even if he doesn't respect me, I have to respect you, right? The princess is standing at the door to welcome us, but he is so blind that he even has the nerve to drink the soup!"
Sun pretended to be confused: "Yes, where did he get the ginger soup?"
Chen Tingjian was so smart that he paused and then said, "It's just that the maids are careful. It's raining so hard, they are worried that the prince consort will catch a cold. It's normal to make a bowl of ginger soup. It doesn't mean that the princess really cares about the fourth child."
Sun: "You have your reasons, I have my eyes. Anyway, I see that the princess and the fourth son are no longer the same as when they just got married."
Chen Tingjian snorted in response.
If the princess is the phoenix, then the fourth child is the wild boar in the mountains. How can a phoenix fall in love with a wild boar
In Siyi Hall, Huayang also scolded Chen Jingzong: "You two elders came here in the rain, why don't you come over to pay your respects?"
Not to mention that he was educated, even ordinary people who could not read or write would not treat their parents like this.
Chen Jingzong looked at her dimly: "They came for you. If you stand over there, it will make them happier than if I kowtow to them three times. Why should I go over there and get in the way?"
Huayang: …
Neither the new nor the old top scholar of the Chen family could get the upper hand over him, so Huayang tactfully shut his mouth and didn't waste words with him.
It rained heavily that night and the residents of the town could not sleep well.
Huayang slept soundly, but he also felt that Chen Jingzong got up several times in the middle of the night.
By noon the next day, the flood had flooded into the town just like in the previous life.
Chen Tingjian acted promptly and, together with the village head, directed the people to move to the mountains.
Siyi Hall.
Huayang brought two sets of oil clothes from the capital. Oil clothes are made of silk and coated with grease on the outside. They are light and can keep out rain. They are much more convenient than heavy straw raincoats, and are especially popular among dignitaries.
They were all women's styles. Huayang wore one set himself and asked Zhuer to give the other set to his mother-in-law.
According to her observation, her father-in-law and mother-in-law are both relatively frugal people and rarely use these fancy things.
"He is so filial, he even makes me, his own son, look better than him."
Chen Jingzong went outside for a walk and came back just in time to hear her instructing Zhu'er.
Hua Yang ignored his sarcasm, pulled him aside, and asked in a low voice: "Now do you believe that the old lady told me in my dream?"
Chen Jingzong remained silent and just looked down at her.
He is obviously a frivolous and rough man, but once he stares at someone seriously, his eyes are very sharp, as if he can see into the person's heart.
Huayang was nervous, afraid that Chen Jingzong would just refuse to believe her. How could he use the old lady to order him to do other things if he couldn't even take the first step
"Go up the mountain first."
This was not the time to delve into this, so Chen Jingzong took the lead in changing the subject.
Si Yitang didn't have much to take with him, so the four maids could set off with each carrying a bag wrapped in oil paper.
The most precious and the one that needs the most careful care is Huayang.
The oil coat could prevent her hair and body from getting wet by the rain, but as long as she stepped on the ground, her shoes, socks and trouser legs would definitely get wet.
Huayang watched Chen Jingzong walk out the door, stand at the steps at the door, and turn around to call her: "Come here, I'll carry you."
He was a rough and rude man, his tone was not gentle, and he looked at her with a bit of disgust, as if she was a burden.
Exactly the same as in the previous life.
This day was also the day she thought about the most after his death.
(End of this chapter)