The fake daughter married into the mountains and had meat to eat every day during the famine

The midday sun was very strong, and every household stayed at home to rest. There were few people going out in the village.

Song Yuntang pulled Xu Qingye for a long way before letting go of his arm.

She rubbed her hands and said, "I'm sorry, if it weren't for me, my father wouldn't treat Brother Xu like this."

Xu Qingye shook his head and said gently, "It's okay. It's normal for them to be worried."

Song Yuntang lowered his eyes.

"Brother Xu, do you think the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words are important?"

Xu Qingye smiled.

“It’s both important and unimportant.”

She turned her head to look at him, "What do you mean?"

Xu Qingye spoke objectively, "Marriage is a union between two people, but ultimately, it involves their respective families. If we can get the blessing of our families, that would naturally be the best."

"What if you can't get it?" Song Yuntang asked again.

"If you can't get it, then you have to weigh it yourself and see if it's worth it." Xu Qingye looked at her. "Until Miss Song withdraws, I will still keep my promise and persist. If you want to withdraw, just tell me. You can do it at any time."

His words made Song Yuntang feel at ease.

It felt like no matter how she struggled, there was always someone backing her up.

"When will the Xu family come to propose marriage?"

"In the past few days, my family has found a matchmaker and is preparing the things needed to propose marriage." Xu Qingye replied.

"It doesn't need to be too grand, just a token of appreciation will do." Song Yuntang said half-jokingly, "My family's financial situation is limited, and my relationship with my family is strained right now, so I'm afraid I won't have much dowry."

Xu Qingye smiled.

"The girl cured my illness and is willing to marry me. I have already taken advantage of her. It doesn't matter whether she has a dowry or not. Although I am not rich, at least she will have food and clothing in the future."

Song Yuntang pursed his lips and smiled. The more he interacted with Xu Qingye, the more he felt that the decision he made on a whim was not wrong.

At least being with him made her feel comfortable, without any feeling of being restrained or suffocated.

"You haven't told me yet who wants to see me." she asked with a smile.

"The adult is already waiting at the private school. You will know when you get there." After Xu Qingye said this, he led Song Yuntang to quicken their pace.

When Xu Qingye opened the courtyard gate, Song Yuntang immediately saw a middle-aged man sitting under the eaves drinking tea. He was about thirty or forty years old, with a beard on his lips, his hair tied high on his head, and he was wearing a dark blue long gown with dark patterns. His temperament looked completely different from that of the farmers in the village.

Xu Qingye smiled and led Song Yuntang into the yard.

"This is Mr. Zhu Deming, the magistrate of Anyang County. He has come to Rongshu Village to inquire about the waterwheel."

After hearing this, Song Yuntang hurriedly bowed to Zhu Deming.

"Meet Master Zhu."

Zhu Deming quickly stood up and helped her up.

"Brother Xu told me in his letter that a girl in Rongshu Village came up with something remarkable that solved many farmland water problems. How did she come up with this thing that benefits both the country and the people?"

Before coming to find Xu Qingye, he took a detour to see the waterwheel. The design was really ingenious. He never expected that it was made by a young girl.

If this was a boy, he would definitely take him to the county town and keep him by his side as an aide.

Song Yuntang chose his words carefully.

"My father and brothers were working in the fields every day, and I just had a sudden idea, so I drew a blueprint and asked the village carpenter to make it. I didn't expect it to actually work. It was a completely unexpected move."

Seeing that she looked frank and not timid like ordinary women in front of him, Zhu Deming's eyes showed a hint of admiration.

"You've shown such courage before even knowing if it can be used. You're truly capable of great things." He looked at Song Yuntang. "I wonder if Miss Song could draw another blueprint for me? I'll copy one and send it to the capital. If it can be implemented among the people, it would be a great deed."

After thinking for a while, he said, "As for what kind of reward the capital will give to the young lady, this official cannot promise."

He couldn't promise either.

Although Song Yuntang was short of money, he also knew that not everything could be earned. "Since this is a project that benefits the country and the people, whether there is a reward or not is actually not that important. I will draw another blueprint of the waterwheel for you, sir."

Xu Qingye immediately walked towards the study.

"I'll go prepare the writing brush and ink. Miss Song, please come with me to the study."

Song Yuntang bowed to Zhu Deming and followed Xu Qingye into the study.

His study is also simple and elegant. The entire structure of the room is made of wood. There is a table, a chair and a bookshelf with more than ten books in the room.

There was also an oil lamp on the desk, and all the necessary pens, ink, paper and inkstone were available.

The study door and the bedroom door next to it faced the yard side by side. She sat down behind the desk, and in front of her was the lotus pot in the yard.

Xu Qingye stood beside the table, dripped some water into the inkstone, and then held the ink stick in his hand to grind ink for Song Yuntang. His movements were neither fast nor slow, and extremely graceful. His tall body, slightly bent over, blocked most of the light on the desk.

Looking at the calm man in front of him, Song Yuntang's eyes seemed to flash with surprise.

But it soon disappeared again.

Soon, Xu Qingye placed the ink stick on the inkstone and said softly, "The ink is ready."

Song Yuntang nodded, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink and began to paint on the paper seriously.

Zhu Deming sat back in his previous seat and continued drinking tea. After Xu Qingye ground the ink, he did not leave the study. Instead, he stood beside the desk and watched Song Yuntang draw the pattern of the waterwheel bit by bit.

Notes are added next to some key parts.

Her painting skills seem to be very good. Although her handwriting is not as good as that of others, it is also elegant and fluent, with its own style.

"Miss Song, have you ever practiced painting before?" Xu Qingye couldn't help but ask.

Song Yuntang hummed.

"I liked it when I was little, and I did study it for a while."

In her previous life, she started learning to paint at the age of four or five. Although she did not end up pursuing this path, it was a hobby she always maintained.

Xu Qingye nodded and said nothing more.

Just as I was about to go out to Zhu Deming, I saw that the courtyard door, which was originally ajar, was suddenly pushed open and several figures rushed in.

The leader was Song Yuntang's cousin, Song Zhimei.

She stood in the courtyard, looked around, and pointed in the direction of the study. "Uncle Head, look, Song Yuntang is still unmarried, but she's hanging out with an unmarried man. Such an unruly woman should be kicked out of Rongshu Village! Lest she tarnish the reputation of the girls in our Rongshu Village!"

A woman's reputation has always been important.

She was broken off from engagement because of Song Yuntang. After learning today that Song Yuntang had come to the private school with Xu Qingye, she immediately went to the village to find the head of the village and spread the news of Song Yuntang's secret meeting with her lover throughout the village.

Many villagers along the way followed here. Originally, after Song Yuntang did a few good things in the village, everyone's impression of her had changed. Now, when everyone looked at Song Yuntang who was painting in the study, there was curiosity and contempt in their eyes.