When Xu Da returned to Wubao, it was when the sun was the hottest at noon.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, the sky was blue and windless, and it was stuffy and hot. It was like a layer of depressive air had condensed over the entire Uburg, which could not be dissipated. Even the air was filthy.
Gongsun's Wubao took advantage of the surrounding mountains to build two gates, inside and outside.
The inner ring is the private residence of Gongsun Yan and Gongsun Yu. There are watchtowers around it, so you can survey the situation in the entire Wubao at any time.
The outer ring occupies a very large area, with fields scattered all over it, and is where tenant farmers live.
The entire Wubao is a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack, thanks to the mountainous terrain.
In the event of an emergency, with two doors and one closed, even if the outer door is lost, the strong inner door can be consumed by the invading enemies until reinforcements arrive.
However, the premise is that the owner of this Uburg can use this advantage and always make the most appropriate decision.
Xu Da rode a horse and walked in from the outer door. The guard at the door had disappeared, only an old man with dim eyes was guarding the door.
Xu Da walked by without even looking at it, staring at something as if he was in a trance.
Gongsun Yue's death cast a shadow of death over the entire Uburg. White mourning flags hung high in the Uburg. The second-bedroom house was already a mess.
When Xu Da rode past the gate of the second house, he saw many people gathered at the gate. Everyone's face was full of anger and fear, and they were pushing and shouting with the guards of the second house.
It seems that the second lady Yan’s hiding of slaves infected with the plague has been exposed. People who feel deeply threatened by death are driven by anger and come to trouble the master’s family.
Xu Da only glanced at it lightly and walked past calmly.
When passing in front of the three-bedroom mansion, the closed door suddenly opened a crack, and the housekeeper Rong Bo poked his head out and called Xu Da in a low voice.
"Manager Xu, you are finally back. The master has been waiting for you for a long time!"
Xu Dale stopped his horse, turned around and saw Gongsun Yu. The Xu family and his wife were standing behind Uncle Rong, looking towards him anxiously.
Xu Da dismounted and came to the gate.
Uncle Rong turned aside to let him in, but Xu Da did not go in.
Uncle Rong said anxiously: "The owner of the house next door only knows that the tenants are already rioting. It's not safe for you to stay on the farm. Please bring the children over here quickly."
Gongsun Yu and Mrs. Xu nodded repeatedly from behind, their worried expressions not seeming to be fake.
Xu Dachong and his wife saluted. Unlike the anxious mood of the two elders, Xu Dachong was as calm as if the plague had not broken out in Wubao.
Thinking that his aunt had taken in many slaves before, Xu Da asked tentatively:
"Is everything okay at my aunt's house?"
Uncle Rong knew what he meant and hurriedly whispered: "We have all sent them away a long time ago. I got news from the second room this morning. The master's family is anxious and afraid. They have ordered people to smoke moxa inside and outside the courtyard and spread jealousy."
"
Xu Da rubbed his nose. No wonder he always felt a strange smell drifting into his nose. It was sour and astringent. He almost thought it was the smell of sweat caused by Uncle Rong not taking a shower for too long.
Uncle Rong didn't know what Xu Da thought of him. He looked back at the two masters standing behind him, and after being reminded by them, he said to Xu Da:
"Manager Xu, I heard that Miss Yue'er also contracted the plague, is it true?"
Xu Da nodded and waved his hand, "My young lady has woken up, but she is not fully recovered yet and is inconvenient to move. Therefore, my nephew appreciates the kindness of my aunt and uncle."
"Don't worry, if it comes to a desperate situation, my nephew will definitely come to complain."
When Mrs. Xu heard this, she glanced at her husband and saw that he didn't say anything. She thought she agreed to bring Xu Yue, who had been infected with the plague, to come to her home. She nodded to Xu Da and told him to take good care of his family, without further persuading him.
He just asked vaguely: "Xu Da, if Yue'er can wake up, is the prescription left by Dr. Gu..."
Mrs. Xu didn't say everything, but there was no need to tell her everything. Xu Da knew what her aunt meant just by looking at her.
He first looked at the house that had been smoked with mugwort and vinegar, thinking that after all, slaves who might have been infected had been kept here. Now that no one in the family had symptoms, it did not mean that they were not infected.
After thinking for a while, he beckoned Uncle Rong to come closer, and told them the antidote that Xu Yue had exchanged with the technology tree, asking them to drink it first as a precaution.
And he said to Xu and Gongsun Yu: "With my strength, I should be able to prepare a lot of these medicinal materials, right?"
Gongsun Yu, who had been silent until now, finally responded to him this time, and asked curiously: "What do you mean?"
Xu Da glanced towards the second room, and smiled meaningfully at the couple. There was naked ambition in those deep eyes!
Gongsun Yu and Mrs. Xu suddenly saw Xu Da like this, and their hearts skipped a beat.
There were no words from both sides, but everything seemed to have been made clear again.
The second wife Yan's methods of managing the rear house were harsh. Except for the eldest son Gongsun Yue, Gongsun Yan only had two concubine daughters.
Now that Gongsun Yue is dead, the second wife has no heirs.
According to ancient etiquette, Gongsun Yan could either let his legitimate son and eldest grandson inherit the family business, or find a child from a nearby brother to adopt him.
Gongsun Yue had never been in good health. After ten years of marriage, he only had a legitimate daughter who was two years older than Gongsun Yun and a young son from a concubine.
And this youngest son of a concubine, like his father, is a medicine pot. Whether he can successfully grow to adulthood is very uncertain.
Calculated in this way, according to general circumstances, Gongsun Yuan and Gongsun Yan, the eldest family members in Yuyang County, are brothers from the same mother. If they are to adopt, the first choice will definitely be chosen from the direct sons of Gongsun Yuan's family.
But Xu Da's several months of working as the accountant of the second house were not in vain. The brothers Gongsun Yuan and Gongsun Yan were not as harmonious as they seemed to outsiders.
It's true that they share the same mother, but that doesn't stop the two brothers from liking each other.
The second bedroom always felt dissatisfied with the fact that the eldest bedroom had been given an official job.
But the boss has to take care of it, so the second house has to send money to the first house every month to let them take care of things.
It's just that in this corrupt dynasty, no amount of silk cloth is enough. If things go on like this, the second wife blames her eldest brother for making things difficult for her, and scolds herself for being worthless and not understanding officialdom.
The eldest brother also felt that his younger brother was disobedient. He held the money in his hand but did not use it for himself. Obviously the money belonged to the family members, but the second brother counted it as his own. He felt that his younger brother was becoming more and more selfish and did not care about the overall situation.
Xu Da once heard that these two brothers, who were over fifty years old, were arguing in the study room to the point where they almost drew their swords and killed each other.
These two have a lot of grudges.
Xu Dachong raised his eyebrows at his aunt and uncle. He had already pointed out the road to them. It was up to them whether they wanted to go down this road.
