The guards following Prince Jing also one by one took their bowls to get rice, leaving the County Official and his subordinates with nothing to do but stare.
Now it was a dilemma, to eat or not to eat.
Surrounding them were the sounds of everyone slurping up the vermicelli, and after being busy since the morning, to say they were not hungry would be a complete lie.
But to eat now, it seemed to be too beneath their dignity!
As a father-like figure to his people, Ye Jiu couldn’t truly offend them outright, so he took this opportunity to offer the County Official a way out, "Lord County Magistrate, aren’t you going to eat? If you’re not hungry, then we might just finish it all?"
"Eat, eat..." How could he not eat? If he didn’t eat, he would be the one to suffer hunger.
Moreover, looking at the mountainous pile like a small hill, one couldn’t tell when the work would be finished.
This was all physical labor, who could endure it without eating!
The Prince himself had started keeping track of the accounts; could he still have the face to just stand idly by and watch?
"What are you all dawdling for, go eat," the County Official commanded with a wave of his hand, and only then did the subordinates dare to go and fill their bowls.
The life of the subordinates wasn’t comparable to the County Official, so they knew well the life of the poor; these days, it was good enough just to have a full belly, only the wealthy had the luxury to be choosy.
Once they started eating, they all shared a common feeling; although the food wasn’t much to look at, the taste was actually quite good, and it was filling as well.
At the Ye Family, Mrs. He hadn’t seen Ye Jiu all afternoon and felt quite upset about it.
After inquiring, she learned that Ye Jiu had been taken away by someone sent by Prince Jing along with the Princely Heir.
Mrs. He panicked instantly, as if the sky had fallen.
It wasn’t just Mrs. He; even old man Ye felt pretty uneasy once he heard the news.
If they all knew the truth and didn’t return his daughter to him, what would he do?
With a face as gloomy as if at a funeral, Mrs. He called someone over, "Someone, hurry and fetch the fourth son for me."
The elder Ye didn’t understand, "What’s the use of calling the fourth son? Surely he can’t go argue with Prince Jing over someone?"
"The fourth son said he knew Prince Jing when he was in the capital city; he must know where the Prince stays. If he can’t go fight for her, I will. I can’t just watch someone take away my daughter!" Mrs. He said indignantly.
"This... this..." Knowing this wasn’t right, the elder Ye didn’t know how to begin persuading Mrs. He otherwise.
As a newlywed, Ye Gaosheng was all lovey-dovey with Qingyue in their room, extremely sweet to each other.
But suddenly, there was a knock on the door, "Fourth Master, the old mistress is looking for you and wants you to come right away."
Ye Gaosheng jumped, letting go of Qingyue who he was embracing, "What’s mother looking for me for at this hour?"
"Perhaps there’s some matter. You’d better go quickly and check," Qingyue said thoughtfully.
"Could it be that..." Ye Gaosheng had a suspicion, recalling what his younger sister had said after breakfast.
Could it be that his younger sister persuaded mother, so now she agreed to let them manage the money he earned?
Although he always said that he didn’t care much about money, at that moment, an excitement started to rise in Ye Gaosheng’s heart.
"Then I’ll go and have a look. I’ll be back soon. You shouldn’t move around too much, just lie in bed and have a good rest," Ye Gaosheng said, his face turning red.
It was all his fault for being excessive, which caused Qingyue harm; he had even made her endure discomfort while serving tea. Finally, having some peace, it was natural to ensure a proper rest for reassurance.
The usually gentle Qingyue’s face couldn’t help but blush, "I got it, you hurry on."