Le monde des arts martiaux est un véritable cloaque

Chapitre 41

Yang Huan glanced at Xu Jinrong, who was staring intently at him, and grunted, indicating that this was a trivial matter and not worth mentioning.

Xu Jinrong smiled and said, "This method sounds simple, but it is ingenious. Only an extremely intelligent person could come up with it. I am not very talented, but I am curious how Lord Yang came up with such a brilliant plan?"

Since he spoke in this way, the other two county magistrates echoed him and asked him the same question.

Yang Huan frowned. That night, he was so preoccupied with how to overpower Xu Shirong that he forgot to ask her why she had come up with this idea. Now that someone was asking him, he was momentarily at a loss for words. Just as he was about to laugh it off, he suddenly remembered what he had seen the other day when he stopped to rest and drink water at a salt farmer's house by the sea. A thought struck him, and he said with a smile, "I just happened to see a ring of rice husks floating on the rim of the bucket that the local villagers used to feed their pigs, and that's when I came up with this rustic method. It's really nothing special. Please excuse my poor attempt to impress you all."

Upon hearing this, the two county magistrates praised him repeatedly, and Xu Jinrong also smiled and glanced at the steward standing beside him.

The man from the Neng family was the same one who had come before regarding Xu Dahu's matter. Seeing the head of the family looking at him, he quickly stepped forward slightly, bowed to the seated guests, and then respectfully said, "Although my third master was in the prefecture some time ago, he was preoccupied with the dike repair work in his hometown. Hearing that Lord Yang was leading the effort effectively and that the work was progressing smoothly, he was delighted. However, he learned a couple of days ago that there was a shortage of funds for the dike repair. It would be a real pity if this project, which benefits the people, were hindered by a lack of funds. Therefore, he has taken the liberty of inviting the two magistrates from the neighboring county here today, precisely for the purpose of this dike repair work."

The two magistrates from the neighboring county, invited here by Xu Jinrong's men, were not given a reason. They were only briefly asked a couple of times on the way, but seeing that the magistrates wouldn't elaborate, and intimidated by Xu Jinrong's power, they dared not say anything more. Since entering and taking their seats, they had been somewhat puzzled. Now, hearing the Xu family's steward mention this matter, they perked up, exchanged a glance, and both looked over at him.

Steward Xu paused for a moment before continuing, "My third master intends to cover all the shortfall in funds for the dike repair. What do you three gentlemen think?"

After Steward Xu finished speaking, not only was Magistrate Judu Wanqiao dumbfounded, but Yang Huan was also somewhat surprised. In Qingmen, although the people had spontaneously donated money last time, and some money had been embezzled from sixteen wealthy households, there was still a shortage of about 30,000 compared to the budget. In addition, with the neighboring two counties, if they were to agree to all the donations, it would probably take at least 100,000 strings of cash to solve the problem.

Yang Huan was somewhat surprised to hear that Xu Jinrong had sent a note yesterday and was now coming to deliver money. He glanced at Steward Xu, who stood there after speaking, his expression still somewhat unseemly, but with a hint of barely suppressed smugness in his eyes. Xu Jinrong, on the other hand, sat there with a calm expression. When Yang Huan looked at him, he met his gaze and nodded with a slight smile.

Without a second thought, Yang Huan instinctively tried to refuse. But before he could speak, the other two county magistrates stood up and thanked Xu Jinrong, saying, "Although we have never met Magistrate Xu before, we have heard that you are a generous and righteous man. Meeting you today, we can see that your reputation is well-deserved. Your generosity and righteousness in benefiting the people of our three counties is truly a blessing, and we admire you greatly."

Xu Jinrong glanced at Yang Huan before speaking, “You two are too kind. Although I have lived in the prefecture for a long time, Qingmen is my ancestral home. My mother moved to the prefecture with me a few years ago, but she has not been used to living there for long, and being of advanced age, she misses her homeland and longs to return day and night. I was worried about floods, so I had to stop her. My mother was displeased and often scolded me for being unfilial, which made me feel very ashamed and my heart was in turmoil. This time, I heard that Lord Yang intends to rebuild the seawall, which is exactly what I wanted to do. If the seawall is strengthened, I can rest assured that I can fulfill my mother's wish and move back to my ancestral home.” "I've been living a peaceful and comfortable old age here. The other day, while chatting with Lord Lu, I learned that the village is short of funds for dike construction. Although I am not wealthy, I want to do everything in my power to help, and we must not allow the project to be abandoned due to a lack of funds. Therefore, I have come today to visit you gentlemen and explain my intentions. Firstly, building this seawall is a virtuous act that will benefit future generations, and if I have the means, I will certainly lend a helping hand. Secondly, it is simply to fulfill my filial duty so that my mother can return to her hometown and enjoy her remaining years. I hope you gentlemen will not find this amusing."

These words were truly reasonable and justified. Not to mention the two county magistrates, even Yang Huan, who wanted to refuse, was immediately silenced. He could only chuckle awkwardly as the two men beside him praised his filial piety repeatedly, saying it was incredibly moving.

After Xu Jinrong finished speaking, he only instructed the Neng family to deliver the money on another day. He didn't stay long before getting up to take his leave. After seeing the three men off, Yang Huan hurriedly ran back to the back office. When he saw Xu Shirong, he told him what had just happened and frowned, saying, "This Xu fellow spoke very logically, but I still feel something is off. I'm afraid he has some ulterior motive."

Xu Shirong was somewhat surprised to hear that Xu Jinrong had come specifically to deliver money for the construction of the seawall. He pondered for a moment, unable to pinpoint exactly what was wrong. He glanced at Yang Huan, who had already removed his hat and tossed it onto the table with a plop. Yang Huan stretched and chuckled, "Forget it, no need to overthink it. Since he's bringing money, I can't stop him from fulfilling his filial duty to his mother. I'll just accept it. Even if he has some ulterior motive, I'm an upright man, I'm not afraid of him causing trouble. Like I said, I'll meet force with force!"

Xu Shirong noticed that he had been frowning just moments before, but had immediately forgotten about it. Having spent so much time with him, she knew his easygoing nature, so she smiled slightly and said, "You're just a straightforward person. It was fine when you were at home, but now that you're an official, you're still so headstrong. Don't come crying to me if you suffer a loss later!"

Yang Huan chuckled and hugged Xu Shirong's waist, saying, "As long as you don't mistreat my wife, I don't care about anything else. Crying? I haven't known what crying feels like since I can remember!"

Xu Shirong was hugged by him and felt his hands rubbing around her waist, which tickled her. She laughed and slapped them away before saying, "You can ignore everything else, but repairing the sea dike is a matter of great importance. You must not take it lightly and must do your best."

Yang Huan was taken aback, then said seriously, "Don't worry, my wife. I, Yang Huan, have done all sorts of mischief since I was a child, but I've never done anything serious. My father used to scold me as a troublemaker, saying I was born to bring shame to him. Now that I have this opportunity, if I still can't do well, I won't even need my father to scold me; I'll be too ashamed to face anyone."

Hearing his words, Xu Shirong couldn't help but feel a little happy. Just as she was about to praise him, he suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I'm still waiting for my wife to be considerate in bed!"

Xu Shirong was taken aback, only then remembering that she had casually mentioned before that if he took good care of the dike repair work, she would treat him well. The "treat" she mentioned was just the literal meaning, but he misinterpreted it and kept bringing it up every few days, and now he took the opportunity to remind her again.

After Yang Huan finished speaking, seeing that she was speechless and only had two peach blossoms on her face, he couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek. Remembering that Magistrate Mu was still waiting outside, he left triumphantly.

Yang Huan was a man of his word. For the next few months, he inquired about the dike repair work almost daily. Despite the increasingly harsh weather, he frequently inspected the progress at the seaside, even wading barefoot into the mud pit himself to examine the soil with the laborers and discuss whether it was suitable for foundation work. This earned him great popularity. The generosity of Master Xu was initially praised by the people of the county, but the praise gradually faded. Instead, everyone spoke highly of Lord Yang.

Xu Shirong initially sent someone to secretly inquire about Xu Jinrong's movements. They learned he was repairing the ancestral home, seemingly intending to bring his mother back to live there permanently. However, he only stayed for a few days before leaving again, only occasionally visiting and then hurriedly departing again after a couple of days. There was nothing else unusual. Xu Shirong gradually relaxed and stopped paying much attention. Yang Huan, on the other hand, saw that Xu Jinrong had been working hard for months, doing a very professional job, and had become quite tanned. Upon returning, Xu Jinrong complained of backaches and pains. At first, Xu Shirong felt very sorry for him, preparing various tonics for him to drink and giving him massages in the evenings. Inevitably, Xu Jinrong sometimes took advantage of him. But as this happened every night, and the complaints grew louder each time, Xu Shirong realized Xu Jinrong's little scheme. Although she found it slightly amusing, she thought that he was indeed doing things seriously, so she didn't expose him. She just turned a blind eye and coaxed him. When he became too persistent, she simply turned away and ignored him. Yang Huan, having no chance of getting any attention, was afraid of really angering her, so he restrained himself a little.

It was mid-November, more than three months since the construction of the seawall began. The fifty-mile-long seawall across the county was divided into five sections for separate construction, each to be joined together once the foundation piles were in place. Thanks to the concerted efforts of everyone involved and the laborers working tirelessly, progress was remarkable. On this day, amidst the sounds of gongs and drums, the two closest sections were finally joined together. The seawall was three zhang wide at the base, one zhang wide at the front, and one zhang and five chi high, constructed entirely of crisscrossing stones in a straight-inner-sloping-outer-side configuration. The back of the seawall was reinforced with rammed clay to prevent seepage. Following the advice of the local salt farmers, culverts were added at intervals, allowing seawater to flow to the west side of the seawall, facilitating water extraction for the salt fields. From afar, the completed section of the seawall resembled a giant dragon lying across the seashore, magnificent and awe-inspiring. Many of the elderly present were moved to tears, praising it for keeping the raging waves at bay and protecting thousands of acres of fertile land within. Mischievous children also climbed to the top of the embankment, running around cheering and creating a lively atmosphere.

Xu Shirong was also squeezed into the crowd. Seeing Yang Huan surrounded by people, seemingly expressing their gratitude, she felt gratified and suddenly even felt a sense of pride. She watched from afar until the people around him dispersed and he returned to her side. The two smiled at each other and walked towards the carriage parked outside. Just as they were about to get on, they suddenly saw some local women gathered around them, including the mudfish's mother. They were all putting their baskets into the carriage, which were filled with eggs and red dates.

Xu Shirong hurriedly refused, but the mudskipper woman raised her voice and said, "I'm a rough man, and my eyesight isn't very good. I've met you a few times, and only now do I realize you're the county magistrate's wife. Lord Yang has done such a great thing for us people, and we don't have much to offer in return. These are just some things we made ourselves. They're a bit rough, but they come from the bottom of our hearts. We just felt that you were different from other officials' wives, so we discussed it and shamelessly sent them over. If you don't accept them, it means you're looking down on us."

After she finished speaking, the other women all nodded. Xu Shirong sighed, glanced at Yang Huan, and then thanked them one by one with a smile. The women then exchanged glances, smiled, and dispersed.

The two got into the car, and Yang Huan rummaged through the contents of the seven or eight baskets, muttering, "With so many dates and eggs, when will we ever finish them?" He then reached for the innermost basket covered with a cloth, lifted it, and suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, why is there another bag here?"

Xu Shirong looked over and saw that he was holding a cloth bag. She took it and untied it. It looked like there was a piece of red cloth inside. She pulled it out and shook it open, and her face immediately turned red. It was a red cloth bib, embroidered with a picture of a qilin delivering a child. She didn't know who embroidered it, but the embroidery was extremely exquisite, in no way inferior to that of the top embroidery shops in the capital. A chubby little boy sat astride the qilin, holding a lotus flower and a ruyi in his left hand and holding the qilin's horn with his right hand. He looked so cute that he seemed about to jump down. Above were auspicious clouds supporting the sun and moon, and below were ingots and flowers and butterflies.

Author's Note: Thank you xixibaby77 and shsweetfox. Two updates today. Thank you all so much for your support...

Chapter Fifty

Xu Shirong only glanced at it before immediately rolling it up and trying to put it in her sleeve. Yang Huan, however, was quick-witted and snatched it away. He unfolded it and chuckled. He looked at the embroidered unicorn bringing a child on it, then at her, his eyes narrowing into slits. He leaned close to her ear and said with a grin, "My lady, when will you wear it for me to see? Don't let their good intentions go to waste."

Xu Shirong blushed, slapped his arm, and was about to snatch it back when she suddenly heard the mudskipper woman's voice outside the carriage again: "Madam, I forgot to tell you earlier, so I came back again. The items in that bag were specially prayed for at the Temple of Fertility. Wearing them will surely make your wishes come true." After saying this, the women's laughter gradually faded away.

Yang Huan told the driver to drive off, then approached Xu Shirong, gently nudged her shoulder, and whispered, "You see, if you don't make a sound, who knows what people will say about you behind your back. My mother specifically asked about this in her last letter, and I replied to her..."

Xu Shirong took the bodice back from his hand, folded it, and held it in her hand. Hearing him speak like this in her ear, her heart stirred. Last time, her mother-in-law, Madam Jiang, sent a letter saying that another child had been born in the south courtyard, making the old lady overjoyed. Remembering her eldest grandson, who was far away in Tongzhou, having been gone for over half a year and taken a concubine with him, she sent a letter to inquire about the news, saying that if there was still no word, two more maids would be sent. Yang Huan showed her the letter; they had exchanged a few playful banter then, and she hadn't taken it to heart, not knowing how he had replied. Hearing him bring it up again now, her heart clenched, and she felt a lump in her throat. She couldn't help but snort, "Your mother said she'd send you two more maids; you should accept them so you can have a son sooner. Why did you go back?"

Yang Huan found the words familiar. After a moment's thought, he remembered that she had said the same thing during their playful banter after he showed her the letter last time. That time, she had said it with a coquettish smile, but this time, although the words were the same, her tone and manner were completely different, sounding almost annoyed. He, who had always been so confident in his ability to navigate romantic relationships, hadn't noticed her jealousy and thought she was genuinely angry. He hurriedly said, "Jiaoniang, don't mind my mother and the others. I already wrote back to refuse them. I was going to show it to you before sending it out, but you said you were too lazy to look, so I didn't let you see it." Seeing that she remained silent with her head down, he said fiercely, "If I ever stray and get involved with someone else, may I be struck by lightning and reborn as a tortoise carrying you in my next life..."

When Xu Shirong heard him speaking loudly, she realized he was really getting serious. Afraid that the driver in front would hear and laugh at her, she quickly reached out to cover his mouth to stop him. However, he took the opportunity to pull her into his arms and kissed her on the lips.

These past few months, although Yang Huan had been working hard outside, he would sometimes fall asleep soundly after returning to bed at night, after saying only a few words. Only occasionally, when the fire he had stirred within her hadn't subsided, would he secretly engage in intimate acts in the middle of the night, which she discovered several times. At first, she found it amusing, but gradually felt more and more reluctant. Lately, she even felt...

She meant she would give in if he really wanted it. Perhaps because she had disciplined him so harshly in the past, he had become a hypocrite, only wanting to grope her a couple of times for a fleeting thrill, but lacking the courage to actually do so. As for asking her to greet him first, she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd been feeling rather awkward lately. Just now, he had reminded her of her mother-in-law, who was always eyeing him and ready to shove someone into his bed, which was why she'd taken her anger out on him. Now, being embraced and kissed by him like this, she felt as if she were melting into cotton, completely at his mercy.

Seeing her eyes slightly closed, her eyelashes trembling, and her soft panting, Yang Huan could no longer restrain himself. Not caring if anyone saw them, he pulled her onto his lap and lifted her fur coat, slipping his hand inside her clothing. The air was chilly, and his hand was cool too. The moment he touched her delicate pink nipple, it immediately became erect.

Xu Shirong sat on his lap, burying her head in his shoulder, feeling a warmth spreading through her body, her chest pounding wildly, as if he had noticed. After a moment's hesitation, she felt his other hand slowly slip inside her skirt, moving upwards, until it was almost there, when she suddenly grasped it.

Yang Huan was somewhat disappointed and sighed. Just as he was about to coax her a couple more times, he suddenly realized that she had turned his face towards her. Before he could react, the beautiful woman gave him a sweet kiss.

Since arriving in Qingmen County, the two had shared a bed for so long. Although Yang Huan had kissed her a few times before, each time it was just him taking the opportunity to steal a kiss, and she only half-heartedly resisted. If he was unlucky after stealing a kiss, he might even get a few scoldings from her. This beautiful woman taking the initiative to kiss him, their lips meeting, and sucking on each other's lips, was truly a first for them.

Yang Huan felt as if all the blood in his body was rushing to his ears, making a throbbing sound. In that instant, he felt intoxicated and his mouth tasted incredibly sweet. When she couldn't breathe and released his mouth, he grabbed her shoulders, suppressing the joy surging in his heart, and whispered, "Jiao Niang, you..."

Xu Shirong dared not look him in the eye, but lowered her head and said in a voice barely audible, "I just got my period this morning... I'm not feeling well... I'll wear it for you to see after I'm clean..."

She mustered her courage and finally finished speaking, but after a long silence, she felt both ashamed and angry. She hit him lightly and was about to push him away and stand up when Yang Huan suddenly realized what was happening. He grabbed her waist and forced her back onto his lap, then said in a trembling voice, "You... what did you just say? Did I mishear you?"

Seeing his wide-open eyes and incredulous expression, Xu Shirong knew he must have been severely suppressed by her in the past, and now, hearing her suddenly change her mind, he couldn't believe it. A sudden surge of tenderness welled up within her, and the shyness she had felt earlier vanished. She sighed softly, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, her breath sweet as orchids, "I am your wife..."

Yang Huan then realized what was happening, grabbed her shoulder, stared at her for a long time, and then pulled her hand to his face, saying, "Wife, pinch me off and see if I'm dreaming."

Xu Shiren suppressed his laughter, and indeed