Chapter 22: Mother and Son in the Rain

  Xun Can and Wang Lei had a conversation, which was just a small episode of Wang Lei's trip north to Wuji County.

  It was soon thrown out of mind.

  A group of people continued northward, heading towards Wuji County.

  With Guo Yu and Guo Nvwang, the two sisters accompanying him, Wang Lei's group encountered many inconveniences. After all, Guo Yu and Guo Nvwang were girls, even if they were young girls, it was still inconvenient. However, Guo Yu had lost her parents at a young age and had matured early on, her presence actually reduced many tasks for Wang Lei, such as cooking and laundry.

  Because of the two sisters' arrival, Wang Lei also bought a new horse-drawn carriage and hired a simple-minded old man in his 40s from a nearby county town to drive it, as well as an assistant.

  Wang Lei's group of people started with three and became six, from one horse-drawn carriage to two. Even the cooking utensils increased in number, all placed in the horse-drawn carriage where Guo Yu and Queen Guo sat. In this era, there were no cars, trains, airplanes, not even bicycles or motorcycles for transportation, plus the road conditions were poor, sometimes encountering steep and rugged mountain roads, making travel particularly slow.

  From south to north, when arriving at Nanhe County in Julu Prefecture, it was already mid-June. It was the season of thunderstorms and frequent rain, so the speed of traveling was unknowingly reduced again.

  Rumble!

  Dark clouds gather, thunder rumbles.

  "Hiss!"

  A blinding white light flashed in the air, deafening.

  Heavy rain poured down, and the sky was shrouded in a thick mist. The surrounding air was filled with a hazy fog. This sudden downpour came quickly, but it also washed away the sweltering heat of summer, bringing a refreshing coolness.

  Xiao Hao wore a raincoat and brought an umbrella, driving on.

  After walking for a while, he found that the front was hazy under the heavy rain. He turned his head and raised his voice to suggest: "Young master, it's not convenient to continue on the road in such heavy rain. Let's stop temporarily and wait for the rain to pass before continuing." I looked around and saw that there were no villages nearby. If we rush out in the rain and encounter problems, it will be even more troublesome.

  His voice was very loud, but in the stormy rain, Wang Lei surprisingly didn't hear it.

  Helplessly, Little Hao loudly reminded once again.

  This time, Wang Lei heard Xiao Hao's words and responded: "Your suggestion is good, let Fu Bo also stop, wait for the heavy rain to pass, and then continue on the road."

  Fu Bo is an old man bought by Wang Lei, driving a carriage ridden by Guo Yu and Princess Guo.

  Xiao Hao's face lit up with a smile, excited that Wang Yue had adopted his suggestion.

  He turned his head to look at the carriage where Fu Bo was, shouting loudly, but unfortunately, under the sudden rain, he couldn't succeed even after shouting several times. Helpless, Xiao Hao had to stop the carriage and personally ran to the side of Fu Bo's carriage to remind him. The two carriages stopped on the official road, in the heavy rain, Wang Lei sat in the carriage, sighed and said: "Old master, this trip to Wuji County has been delayed for a long time, I don't know when we can arrive at Wuji County."

  The old man smiled, stroked his beard, and said calmly, "This situation is quite normal. In the summer there are thunderstorms, in the winter there's ice and snow. Only spring and autumn are suitable for traveling, unfortunately we didn't make it."

  "Yes! Didn't wait until it was too late."

  Wang Lei nodded.

  The old man changed his tone and said: "Let's slow down a bit, it's also good to let the people of Wuji County wait."

  Haha!!

  Wang Lei chuckled twice and didn't answer, lifting up the carriage window curtain to look out.

  Outside the carriage, it's misty and rainy.

  The cool rainwater splashed onto Wang Lei's face, refreshing and comfortable. Under the heavy rain, everything around was quiet, and as he gazed at the misty rain, Wang Lei's heart gradually calmed down, entering a state of stillness. He had suddenly crossed over from another world, and although he quickly adapted to his new life, too many things happened in succession, especially being suddenly appointed as the county magistrate, which was something Wang Lei was not prepared for.

  Everything came too suddenly, leaving him with a feeling of being caught off guard.

  Many things are not well-prepared.

  Wang Lei himself is also in a passive state of progress, which is not what Wang Lei wants to see.

  He carefully reflected, recalling the events that had occurred during this period. From the beginning of holding the prison officer hostage and escaping from prison, to cooperating with Zhū Shòu, then receiving Zhū Shòu's order to intercept Zhang Cheng, again meeting Diān Wèi, being appointed as the magistrate of Wú Jí County, leaving when encountering Qiáng Yì blocking the road, later encountering Xún Chén in Qū Liáng County and so on.

  Scene after scene appeared in Wang Lei's mind one after another.

  He carefully analyzed and sorted out everything, thinking about what to do next, thinking about his future path. Wang Lei quietly looked at the chaotic rain outside the window, and his soul seemed to be cleansed.

  In an instant, spotless and dustless.

  Du Lao sat beside Wang Lei and also felt the change in him.

  Wang Lei, although giving people a calm and steady feeling, still had the impetuousness and urgency of youth in the eyes of Old Master Du. In that instant, he clearly felt that the person in front of him had changed. The person was still the same, but somehow, there was an added air about them, as if they had truly settled down, like a massive boulder falling to the ground from mid-air.

  An old man's eyes flashed with surprise.

  This kid is done for!

  He returned to seclusion in Ye County, and his initial intention of teaching Wang Yue was only to find someone to pass on his legacy, and passing on his martial arts skills was just because he couldn't bear the thought of no one inheriting what he had learned. At first, he didn't think much of Wang Yue, because this kid was too impulsive and violent, not the kind of person who could achieve great things.

  After serving a prison sentence, everything changed dramatically.

  Things have become unusual before one's eyes.

  If cultivated, it may achieve a career. The old man shook his head in his heart, and he didn't think that he, who had already been calm as still water, would also have times when his emotions fluctuated again.

  The old man let out a long sigh and closed his eyes to rest his mind.

  "Ah!!"

  Wang Lei let out a long sigh of relief, his face breaking into a bright smile that shone like starlight.

  Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and stared at a place one zhang away.

  Heavy rain poured down, and two figures slowly moved forward in the rain. With Wang Lei's eyesight, he clearly saw the two people moving forward, an old woman and a young man. The old woman wore a raincoat, hunched over with her back, and walked slowly with a cane. On top of the old woman's head, there was also a bamboo umbrella to block the wind and rain, ensuring that the old woman was not affected by the rainwater.

  A young man held a bamboo umbrella for an old woman, while his own body was completely exposed to the rain. The torrential rain washed over him, and he was already soaked from head to toe. The two of them moved forward slowly, with the young man not moving the bamboo umbrella in front of himself at all.

  In the rain, two people, one bamboo umbrella.

  This scene was deeply etched in Wang Lei's mind.

  Such a person is admirable.

  Mr. Du suddenly opened his eyes and saw the scene outside the window curtain, with a look of admiration in his eyes, praising: "What a wonderful scene of motherly love in the rain! The old lady is blessed to have such good fortune, it's truly the result of accumulating virtue in her past life. A loving mother and filial son, it's really enviable!" After a pause, Mr. Du smiled slightly and instructed: "Tiger Head, tell Xiao Hao to invite them in to take shelter from the rain."

  Wang Lei nodded and immediately ordered it down.

  It's raining outside, writing about the rainy scene, refreshing!