Divine Doctor: Daughter of the First Wife ( Yang Shi Liu) 515

434

Feng Jin Yuan asked him: “Where’s the clan elder?”

Upon asking about the clan elder, the large group fell silent. Even the child that was crying stopped making any sounds.

The third granduncle picked up on this subject: “The clan elder told us to escape to the capital and come to seek shelter from you. He himself went up the mountain, saying… saying that he wanted to die with the family ancestors.” While saying this, he squatted down and put down the bundle that he had been carrying. The third granduncle continued, saying: “These are the memorial tablets for the ancestors. Clan elder said that it is not easy for you to be establishing a foothold in the capital. Although we are escaping a disaster, we cannot cause you any trouble. That’s why our meaning is if it’s convenient for you to take us in, we will stay. If it’s inconvenient, we will search for another place. But these memorial tablets, we hope, can be left here. In any case, you have an ancestral hall here. We can cause grief to anyone, but we cannot cause grief for our ancestors.”

Upon hearing these words, the matriarch felt that she truly did not have any face left. They had come from far away to escape a disaster. How could they not take them in. If word were to spread, what would become of the Feng family. Thus she quickly said: “It’s convenient! How could it be inconvenient! In such a large manor, how could it not house this many people!”

Cheng Jun Man also nodded, saying: “With it raining so heavily outside, where else can you go? Just stay here. In any case, wait until the rain has stopped.”

The matriarch and Cheng Jun Man had spoken, thus Feng Jin Yuan could not say anything else. Although he sighed repeatedly to himself, he still had to welcome them into the manor.

Upon hearing that they could stay, the children were extremely happy. Kneeling on the ground, they kowtowed to Feng Jin Yuan. This caused Feng Jin Yuan to feel even more embarrassed to say that they could not stay, thus everyone returned to Peony courtyard’s main hall. For a while, the hall was very full.

Cheng Jun Man took the initiative to arrange: “Right now, there happen to be a few courtyards that are empty. Kang Yi, Ru Jia and Chen Yu’s courtyards can all be lived in. Right now, there is no time to tidy up too much. Just live in them directly.” At the same time, she ordered the servants: “Quickly go boil some water to prepare baths for the guests” Saying this, she turned to the second granduncle: “It’s raining heavily outside, so it’s not quite possible to buy fabric and have a tailor come. All that we can do is give you some of husband’s clothes for now. I hope that the two granduncles will not dislike them.”

The second granduncle waved his hand: “It’s fine, we do not dislike it. Being able to stay is already fortuitous. Where is there any need to pick new clothes. Also, with it raining so heavily outside, it would be best if nobody went outside.”

A young child said: “On our way here, we saw someone fall into a muddy ditch and be unable to climb out. Even the carriage sank into the mud.”

The matriarch became worried upon hearing this, “Is the flooding very severe in Feng Tong county?”

The second granduncle nodded, “It’s not just severe. The entire Feng Tong county is gone.”

Feng Jin Yuan was a little shocked. Feng Tong county was not a very small county. For the flood to be able to ruin the entire county, what was the situation outside? He had been a prime minister for many years. To say that he did not care about the citizens of the country was impossible. Otherwise, the Emperor would not have kept him in the position of prime minister for that many years. Now that he heard that the situation of the flood was so severe, Feng Jin Yuan felt a little restless; however, he had already been demoted to fifth rank. What could he do even if he was restless?