My Lady Says She Wants to Marry Me - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Early the next morning, before the sky had even begun to brighten, Lu Youming was already up. She pushed open the door carefully and frowned as she watched the rain continue to pour down relentlessly.

“Master, you’re awake?” Liu Qing and another maid brought washing water to serve her. Lu Youming reported for duty at the Chen hour (7:00 AM) and always rose early.

“Mmhmm. Liu Qing, did it rain like this all through the night?” Lu Youming stood under the eaves, staring at the screen of torrential rain.

“Yes, it didn’t stop for a single moment,” Liu Qing answered honestly. Having grown up in the Su household as the daughter of Su Wanrou’s wet nurse, Liu Qing had lived a sheltered life and didn’t quite understand why the Master was so concerned. To her, it was just a long rain.

Lu Youming estimated the rainfall. It had to be at least fifty millimeters by now. With such continuous, heavy downpours, flash floods were likely already occurring in some areas. Her brow furrowed into a tight knot. She quickly washed, changed, ate a hurried breakfast, and took a carriage to the yamen.

She found the Vice-Magistrate and the Master Secretary already there, both looking grim.

“Excellency, has the river official in charge of the Daqing River reported yet?” the Vice-Magistrate asked urgently.

Magistrate Chen shook his head, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night. “I’ve sent men out the city gates to check. We should have word soon.”

“Excellency, did you not sleep at all?” Lu Youming poured a cup of warm water and placed it by the old man’s hand.

“Thank you, Zijin. I slept a little, but as one gets older, sleep doesn’t come easily anyway.”

A quarter of an hour later, a river official, drenched to the bone, galloped into the courtyard. “Excellency! Disaster! Several villages downstream have been submerged!”

The Magistrate bolted upright, nearly knocking over his chair. He grabbed the official’s hand. “Tell me the details, quickly!”

“Five villages downstream are flooded. The water has swept over all the farmland and crops. Being in low-lying areas, they’ve been leveled by the water. We need your command on how to proceed with the rescue!”

Lu Youming stepped forward, pulling the official aside before he could even wipe the rain from his face. “Is the water still rising? What is the condition of the river channels surrounding the county seat? Tell me everything.”

While the yamen scrambled into action, Su Wanrou received reports at home about internal flooding in parts of the town. She immediately instructed Steward Lin to prepare sandbags as a precaution.

A messenger from the yamen arrived shortly after. “The Sheriff is leading the rescue efforts; he may not return tonight.”

Su Wanrou looked at the leaden sky. The rain showed no sign of abating. She felt a deep sense of unease, praying that Lu Youming would stay safe. She also worried for her grandmother and uncles in Jinling; with its many waterways, a storm of this magnitude could be devastating there as well.

Lu Youming and a group of constables rushed toward the downstream channels. Their first priority was to determine if the rising river would breach the county’s main defenses. The muddy, churning water had already reached the top of the embankments. Wearing a bamboo hat and her official robes, Lu Youming stood on the bank watching the torrent.

She couldn’t do much for the physical labor of shoring up the banks, so she stationed a clerk there. “Stay here. If the situation changes, report to the Magistrate immediately. I am going to the affected villages to see the extent of the damage.”

The trek was brutal. The mud was thick and slippery; every step was a struggle, and one lapse in concentration meant a nasty fall. They had to watch for mudslides along the slopes. The constables, seeing that Lu Youming didn’t utter a single word of complaint despite the grueling conditions, exchanged looks of silent approval. She was earning their respect.

When they reached the first village, Lu Youming’s heart sank. The entire area was a vast lake of brown water. You couldn’t even see where the houses had been.

“The rain was too sudden,” Constable Yang muttered, wiping water from his face. “The Magistrate had me warn the villages yesterday to move to high ground. I just hope they listened.”

“Search the perimeter,” Lu Youming commanded. “See if anyone is trapped. Everyone, stay safe.”

They found no survivors in the immediate area and were eventually forced to retreat as the water continued to rise.

By the time Lu Youming made it back to the county seat, the streets were flooded, with water reaching knee-depth in low-lying areas. Without a moment’s rest, she was sent out again to inspect the town for collapsed buildings.

She worked for a day and a night without closing her eyes. By the next morning, the heavy downpour had finally tapered off into a light drizzle. Two or three houses had collapsed, and the drainage system was blocked. She spent the morning overseeing laborers as they cleared the channels.

It wasn’t until the following afternoon that she finally returned home. She was so exhausted she could barely stay upright in the saddle, relying on her horse’s memory to find the way.

Su Wanrou saw her husband arrive—a weary figure caked in layers of mud. Knowing how much Lu Youming valued cleanliness, Su Wanrou felt a pang of pity.

“Madam, I’m back,” Lu Youming croaked. She hadn’t eaten or slept in over thirty hours.

“Husband, go rest. You can bathe after you wake up,” Su Wanrou said, seeing her swaying on her feet.

“No… I smell terrible,” Lu Youming shook her head. She could go without food or sleep, but she refused to lie in a clean bed covered in river mud and grime.

Su Wanrou hurriedly had the servants heat water. Since it was a warm day, it didn’t take long. While Lu Youming bathed in the side room, Su Wanrou sat outside the door, guarding it. She was worried Lu Youming might literally fall asleep in the tub and drown or catch a chill.

Listening to the sound of splashing water from the other side of the door, Su Wanrou felt her cheeks heat up. Is it inappropriate for me to be guarding a man’s bath like this? Am I being too forward?

Inside, Lu Youming was focused only on scrubbing the grit out of her hair and skin. Fifteen minutes later, the door opened. Lu Youming emerged, her damp hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She let out a massive yawn before noticing Su Wanrou.

“Madam? Why are you standing here?”

“I… I was afraid you’d fall asleep in the water,” Su Wanrou whispered, handing her a towel.

“Thank you, Madam,” Lu Youming smiled gratefully, drying her hair as she walked toward the study. “I’m going to sleep in the study.” She desperately needed the safety of her own space to truly collapse.

“Do you want to eat something first?” Su Wanrou followed her a few steps.

“No need,” Lu Youming waved a hand dismissively.

With her hair down and her makeup washed away by the bath, Lu Youming looked strikingly different. Without her official cap and the sharp lines of her “gentleman” persona, her features appeared much softer. Su Wanrou stared at her slender back as she disappeared into the study, a strange, indefinable feeling rising in her chest. She watched until the door closed, then turned back to attend to the household.