When the watchman saw the carriage, he immediately brought out two umbrellas, one for Song Wan Yue and one for Daya, and held them up as they got out of the carriage and walked inside.
Meng Cheng also got off his horse and followed the two.
The caretaker hurriedly brought him a straw raincoat, but Meng Cheng didn’t want it, as he was already wet anyway, so it didn’t matter if he got wet for a while longer.
Song Lin had just changed his clothes and came out of the house. When he saw them, he waved, “Come down to the veranda.”
Song Wangyue and Daya closed the umbrella, Song Lin saw the water dripping down on Meng Cheng’s body and pulled him to the compartment, “I’ll ask someone to fetch hot water, you should take a hot bath, don’t catch cold.”
Meng Cheng was uncomfortably wet, so he didn’t push back.
Kong Qing heard the commotion and came out, just in time to see Meng Cheng’s drenched body, turned around and went into the house, took his own set of clothes and brought them in for him.
He came out and asked, “Why did you come here in such heavy rain?
“Brother-in-law, don’t worry, nothing happened, it wasn’t raining when we came out, it only rained when we walked down the road.”
Kong Qing was relieved, since he had learned that the entire Gu family had been killed, his heart had never been at peace, lest anything happen to Song Wan Yue.
“Yue’er, father has caught a lot of fish in the past few days.”
Song Lin couldn’t hide his excitement. When he first started fishing, it was just a curiosity, but after half a day he got bored, but there was nothing else to do, so he could only sit there pretending to enjoy it.
But after catching fish every day for several days in a row, he really got into it and couldn’t wait to go with the old man every day after dinner.
“My dad is the best.”
Hearing such praise from his daughter, the corners of Song Lin’s mouth almost grinned to the back of his head, “Father will go and pick out some of the fattest ones and have the kitchen make them for you.”
After saying this, even before the words left his mouth, he had already turned around and walked towards the kitchen.
It had been a long time since Song Wangyue had seen him look so happy, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile.
“Brother-in-law, I’m going to go see grandfather, and when cousin comes out, you can take him there too.”
Kong Qing smiled and responded.
The old gentleman had also become addicted to fishing in the past few days, and went there today too. He didn’t care when the rain first fell, and only came back later when it got a little heavier. Although he had brought his straw coat with him, he was still drenched, and was persuaded by Xu Liang to take a hot bath when he came back, and just after he had washed and changed his clothes and came out, he took a book and was just about to sit down and read it when he heard Xu Liang shout, “Miss Sun.”
He immediately put the book back and looked at Song Wangyue as she entered, “Why did you come over in such heavy rain?”
“I haven’t seen you for several days, I’m afraid you’ll miss me, I came over after being busy over there, but ……”
Song Wan Yue looked at his still not completely dry hair and smiled, “It seems you don’t want me.”
The old gentleman’s wrinkles stretched out in delight, “I don’t have time to think about you. I never knew that fishing could be such a great pleasure.”
“More fun than playing chess?”
Song Wangyue teased.
“It can’t be compared, each has its own pleasures.”
Song Wan Yue took a dry hanky and gestured for him to sit down to help him slowly twist his hair dry, “Just now I was that happy to see my father too, it looks like I’ve come to the right place.”
“Who says it isn’t, I’ve been thinking about it for the past few days, do you think Gu Yi knew we would come in the first place and found such a good place.”
Song Wangyue’s hand twisting her hair did not pause in the slightest, as if she no longer cared that someone had mentioned Gu Yi, “He looks silly but is actually very smart, he probably really thought we would come.”
The old gentleman had always wanted to help Song Wan Yue open her heart, and now was a good time to do so, so he didn’t stop talking and continued, “You’re right, at that time I often felt that the boy was very smart, and now it seems that my intuition was right, he is indeed smart. It’s just a pity how he’s still a child; if he had been a year or two older, he would have been able to avoid that scourge.”
After saying this, he saw that Song Wan Yue did not say anything and thought that she was still immersed in grief, so he spoke again in a slow voice, “Yue’er, the deceased has passed away. You are still young, there are still good days ahead.”
“I can’t let go, I’m saving my strength for the day when he comes back from the dead, I’ll settle the score with him.”
Song Wangyue was half-truthful.
But the old gentleman listened with alarm, stopping her from wiping her hair into motion, pulling her to her feet and looking her in the eyes, “Yue’er, tell grandfather, do you have any bad thoughts?”
Song Wan Yue’s intention was to give him a precautionary shot first, so that he wouldn’t be shocked when Gu Yi really appeared in front of them alive one day. But to her surprise, the old man became more and more worried about her.
Song Wan Yue laughed, “What are you thinking? I was just joking with you.”
The old gentleman looked deeply into her eyes and saw that she did not look like she was lying, so his frightened heart rose a little.
Song Wan Yue’s eyes were slightly warm and she nodded solemnly, “I remember, I will never say such things again to make you worry.”
For several days in a row, the rain did not stop, but got heavier and heavier.
The people could not go out, so they all stayed in the house.
Song Wan Yue made her own deck of leaf cards and Xu, Gu Wen, Daya and Huang Yu played them in the courtyard, while Er Ya watched and occasionally gave Daya a few pointers on which one to play.
Song Lin and Kong Qing and Meng Cheng, Song Wan Yue were on the old man’s side.
Song Wangyue was holding Xiaobao and standing under the porch at the entrance to let him hold out his hand to catch the rainwater, and Xiaobao was giggling with delight.
Kong Qing looked out at the rain with worry, “This year’s rain is too unusual.”
It’s not even May yet and it’s raining so heavily, if it comes to June, there’s no telling what will happen.
“The water level of the river has risen by more than three inches.”
Song Wangyue paused for a moment as she carried Xiaobao out to catch the rainwater, and she looked back at Kong Qing, “It’s risen so much?”
Kong Qing nodded his head.
“Aren’t there any drains upstream to drain the water?”
“There is, isn’t there?”
Kong Qing wasn’t sure, “It only rose three inches in one rainy season last year, I didn’t pay much attention.”
Song Wangyue came back and sat down with Xiao Bao in her arms, “Brother-in-law, send someone to watch more, if the water level rises quickly, we’ll leave the area.”
“That’s not necessary, even if it rains for another ten days and half a month, the river won’t be full.”
“You are extrapolating from common sense, don’t forget that we are at the foot of the mountain, the terrain is lower, if there is a drainage channel upstream it is fine, if not, by then all the water will come downstream and the water level will rise faster than we expected.”
“No, it can’t be?”
“Yue’er is right, indeed ……”
The old gentleman stroked his beard, “You send someone to keep an eye on it at all times, if the water level really rises, we must leave here immediately.”