It rained heavily all night and didn't stop until the next morning. The sky was still gloomy and showed no sign of clearing up.
Water accumulated in Lequn Courtyard again, and the water was deeper than last time, fully a foot deep. Fortunately, the palace building was different from the outside. Even the wing rooms had a one-foot-high platform, so the rainwater did not pour into the house.
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Looking at the water on the ground, and then looking up at the gloomy sky, Dao Chi felt heavy in his heart. Even though the house at home was renovated last year, water accumulation was inevitable due to the terrain.
After everyone had breakfast, they went to Dacheng Hall.
After a while, the prince brought Lu Bing, followed by the teacher, and classes continued as usual.
After class was over, Dao Chi asked the prince to stay and said: "Your Highness, the house in my house is small and old, and only my grandmother and sister are there with their old servants and servant girls. There are no other healthy people. It has been raining continuously, which makes me very worried."
, I would like to take half a day off with His Highness to visit home."
The nominal person in charge of Fu Xue is Yuan Zonggao, the chief official of the palace. In fact, he is just in name. He only comes to give history lectures on ten days. Dao Chi is worried about his family, but it is difficult to find the chief official to ask for leave, so he can only ask for leave.
The prince talked about this matter.
The prince knows the situation of Dao Chi's family, and after listening to his words, he can sympathize with his worries. Although the terrain of the North City is higher than that of the South City, it is not just for the big families, but the water for small families is also a problem. Although the current situation is
Most of the buildings that came up were collapsed in the south city, but the north city may not be safe and sound.
He nodded and said: "Okay, then you go home. Mr. Yuan's office will tell someone. If nothing happens, just leave it. If there is something wrong, you don't have to rush back and send someone back to the palace."
Just let me know. If you need help, don't be polite."
Because he was worried about his family, after his son asked for leave, Dao Chi took Jingzhe and left the palace. For this reason, he even complained to Wang Qi, saying that if he had told him about asking for leave earlier, he could have taken him with him.
The Taoist idiot also made an impromptu idea. Although the roof is not afraid of leaks, it can easily become a dangerous house if it is soaked in water for a long time. Think about the people in the family, except for Lamei, a rough girl, who can drain water?
From the palace to the outer nine-room house, you have to pass through several streets. Due to the high terrain in the north of the city, there is not much water on the streets. However, there are many houses on both sides of the road with their doors open, and they are draining water in a rush of people.
Although the door to the outer ninth room was not open, it was not as tightly closed as usual. It was ajar. Before Dao Chi could get closer, he saw the door being pushed open. It was Twelfth Moon who came out with a bucket and fell a few steps away.
culvert
Then, there was Yan Bo's hunched figure, also holding a bucket in his hand.
Seeing that Uncle Yan's body was covered with mud, Tao Chi's heart tightened and he took two quick steps, without even bothering to talk to Uncle Yan, he entered the gate and strode towards the inner courtyard.
After entering the yard, the first thing you see is a yard of accumulated water. This scene is not surprising. This house is an old house, and has been lived in for several generations, but the streets outside have been raised one after another. The outside is convex and the inside is concave, and the rain is light.
After that, it can slowly seep into the ground; when the rain is heavy, it is easy to accumulate water.
However, after looking around quickly and seeing that no house had collapsed, Dao Chi breathed a sigh of relief. Then he stepped back and looked at the south room and the roof room outside, but they were also fine.
Shun Niang and Aunt Yan stood in the side room with their skirts tucked up and wooden ladles in their hands, leaning over to fill the water.
Seeing Dao Chi suddenly come in, stand at the door, and then exit, shivering, Shun Niang stood up and looked at him and said: "Why is Erlang back? What are you doing running around?"
The Taoist Chi asked in confusion: "Sister, since the house at home is fine, why did Uncle Yan get covered in mud?"
After hearing this, Shun Niang looked sad and sighed: "The house of the tenth master in the back street collapsed. Grandma heard the letter and asked Uncle Yan to help there just now."
After hearing this, Dao Chi realized why after half a day, the water in the yard had not been drained out much. He didn't take it seriously that Wang Ning sent Uncle Yan to help.
Uncle Yan was bedridden for three months last year, and his legs and feet are still a little weak, thanks to the gift of the tenth house. It was not easy, because of his "warning", that the other side did not dare to mess around anymore, and the relationship between the two houses was also far away. After a while, I came forward again, not because I was making myself uncomfortable.
Although the old lady means well, she can easily cause trouble, so there is really no need.
The two siblings exchanged a few words outside, but there was still no movement in the upper room. Dao Chi asked, "Is grandma okay?"
Shun Niang replied: "Grandma was not in a good mood, so I persuaded her to take a nap, so she thought she fell asleep..." At this point, she lowered her voice: "The tenth and third aunts are gone, and the seventh son is dead... Wu My cousin also injured her leg... Only Uncle Santang escaped by resting in the shop because he was checking accounts. Although I didn't see it in person, I just heard what my grandma said and I felt unbearable. "
After hearing this, Dao Chi frowned and said, "Where are the others in the tenth room?"
Shun Niang said: "Everyone else is fine. Most of the collapsed houses were kitchens and bathrooms, which were occupied by people. The south house where Uncle Third's family lived collapsed... Grandma found out about it and felt uncomfortable. Although Aunt Third was also a bit rude, It’s pretty good compared to those two; the third uncle is also a kind and honest man, and when my brother was young, the third uncle also came to help him..." When he said this, he also choked up unknowingly.
Although there are many people in the Wang clan, there are five extra families, and only eight families and ten families are married with the nine families.
Among the ten houses, the third child is the "good bamboo shoot" in the saying "bad bamboo produces good bamboo shoots", a rare honest person.
However, it is precisely because of his honesty that he is often suppressed in the family. He works as a steward in the shop in the third house, and his income is considered to be above average. He is the only man in the tenth house with a serious income. However, because the tenth master is still alive, The brothers did not separate their families. He was suppressed by his brother and sister-in-law and lived in the shabbiest house. His wife and children were responsible for most of the housework.
If it had been anyone else, they would have made a fuss long ago, but he could only suffer in silence.
No matter whether it was his neighbors or his clan members, no one complained about him. But after all, this was a family matter of the tenth family. He himself did not say anything, and it was difficult for others to speak out.
Now that something happened to the tenth house, everyone else was intact, except for the good old third brother. His wife and children died, and he had a family of four who had been living well for a year, leaving only two father and daughter.
Evil people will never be punished, and good people will not be rewarded. It's strange that the old lady doesn't feel uncomfortable.
Even the Taoist idiot, who has always been cold-hearted, felt a little uncomfortable after hearing what happened to Shifang. It was just uncomfortable for a little while, but then he still frowned and said to Shun Niang: "Grandma is getting old and can't bear to see these things. It would be better for my sister to give her more advice. After all, it is other people’s business.
Shun Niang nodded and said: "I know that I will advise my grandmother, Erlang, don't worry about the family."
Dao Chi is not only happy but also scared at the moment. The house with nine rooms outside looks cleaner than the house with ten rooms, but in fact the two houses are about the same age. If the house was not repaired last year, I don't know what it will look like this year.
He went back to the east chamber, changed out of his long clothes, put on some old clothes, came out, called Jingzhe into the inner courtyard, drained the water with him, and replaced Uncle Yan and Aunt Yan.
Nanny Yan was ordered by him to go to the kitchen to cook, and Uncle Yan was ordered to go to the street to buy some vegetables, meat and fruits.
In the yard, only their sister, brother and Wintersweet, and Jingzhe, the four young ones, were left. Shun Niang took Wintersweet to clear the water in the wing, and Dao Chi took Jingzhe to drain the water directly in the yard.
Although Shun Niang's forehead was dripping with sweat, her gaze towards Dao Chi became softer and softer. Who in the family didn't know that Lamei had already taken over the cooking duties, and even Erlang himself praised Lamei for her talent in cooking and even bought out
Give her a few recipes. But now why did Erlang ask Aunt Yan to go to the kitchen to cook instead of wintersweet? It's just to show mercy to the old and the weak.
At this moment, Dao Chi was also thinking about Grandma Yan and Uncle Yan. Since these two were loyal servants of Waijiu Fang, they had served their ancestors and grandchildren for three generations, so it was their duty to provide for them and their husbands in their old age.
.
The couple are older than the old lady, both in their sixties. Grandma Yan is not in good physical condition, and Uncle Yan has become older since he was seriously injured last year. As a result, when he was in school,
There is only wintersweet in the family as the main labor force. Wintersweet is on the stove and does housework, doing the work of several people. Shunniang's wedding date has been set again, whether wintersweet will marry with Shunniang or stay at home, at home
Everyone should add more people.
But the old lady still refuses to nod, what should I do?
The water in the palace is one foot deep. In the courtyard of the outer nine rooms, there is rainwater pouring in from outside, which is a foot and a half deep. In addition to the courtyard, there is also water in the house that needs to be cleared.
Even if the four of them didn't rest for a moment, Nanny Yan and Uncle Yan helped each other from time to time. It took more than an hour to drain the water in the house and yard. Now only the water on the ground is left.
Just wait for it to seep in slowly.
Shun Niang's tired face turned white, her hair was wet with sweat, as if it had been washed with water, and she was holding on to the door frame and shivering; Lamei and Jingzhe, their faces flushed, sat on the ground regardless, panting hard.
.
Only Dao Chi seemed to be doing better, but he was just holding on, standing there leaning on a pole, his back was so sore that he didn't dare to move.
Uncle Yan was even more unsteady on his feet, and was helped back to his room by Aunt Yan.
The Taoist Chi glanced at the upper room and complained in his heart. If he hadn't cared about the old lady's mood, he would have paid for it and asked Jingzhe to ask someone to fetch water.
But in that case, the old man would be annoyed, which was why he had not bought anyone yet. Although the old man accepted the property he handed over at his request, in terms of living habits, the old man still maintained his usual frugality.
style.
The bamboo curtain in the upper room was opened, Wang Ning came out, and saw everyone who was extremely tired.
Dao Chi forced out a smile and said: "Grandma is awake..."
Looking at the potholes on the ground, Wang Ning sighed: "My old lady was confused. She forgot about drainage and fell asleep..." At this point, he hesitated and said to the Taoist idiot: "I'll do this next time.
Just ask someone to drain the water."
For a moment, everyone looked at Wang Ning.
Wang Ning looked at the Taoist idiot and nodded, saying: "My old lady is wrong. Compared with money, people are the most important..."