Insufficient balance

  Yang Ling accompanied Ma Ang and his sister out of the house, and indeed saw a large cart parked at the door. The small official had not gone to extremes and had not taken this big cart back either. Yang Ling accompanied Ma Ang and his sister to buy coffins, funeral banners, gold and silver baskets, and hastily moved them onto the big cart, pulling it to the post office, where people were tidying up the room and setting up the mourning hall.

  The little official of the post house heard that Postmaster Yang had arrived and hurried to meet him. Yang Ling saw that his cheeks were swollen high, and he couldn't help but frown. As a modern person, he didn't have the idea that those in higher positions are superior to others, and if he himself was slapped in the face, he would probably turn against them too.

  So he didn't scold him for maintaining Mao's brother and sister, but instead politely asked him to invite a few people to help with the funeral. The little official saw that it was his superior who came forward, so he had no choice but to find a few yamen runners to help the master busy himself.

  This season, there's nothing good to offer as sacrifice, only a few simple things are placed in front of the incense burner. Next to the coffin are funeral couplets, white flags, and paper money and paper ingots burning in an earthenware basin. Two white candles burn on the spirit tablet, while Ma Ang and Ma Lian'er keep vigil in front of the coffin, one side burning paper money, the other sobbing with tears streaming down their faces.

  Yang Ling could no longer bear the dismal atmosphere and, after offering some words of consolation, bid farewell and left. Someone called out from behind him: "Brother Yang..."

  Yang Ling turned his head, and saw Ma Lian'er walking slowly from under the corridor. The swaying lamp light in the wind cast a pale white glow on her clothes, with a filial piety belt around her waist, her slender figure seemed to be about to float away with the wind, Yang Ling's gaze was involuntarily fixed.

  Ma Lian'er walked to Yang Ling's side and said in a low voice, "Brother Yang, adversity reveals true feelings. Thank you so much." She then bowed her head and was about to kneel down when Yang Ling hastily supported her with his hand, saying, "Miss Ma, you're being too polite. My uncle is my elder, this little thing is what I should do, such a big courtesy is not necessary."

  Ma Lian'er slowly got up, and bitterly smiled: "I thank you, it's as if I'm thanking myself. My brother only has brute strength and is good at fighting, but nothing else. And I am just a weak woman. If not for you, we wouldn't have been able to fulfill our filial duties today."

  Her voice was choked with sobs, and she let out a long sigh: "I've always hated Father for driving Mother to her death, I've always hated him, so although it's sad, I don't feel utterly heartbroken".

  She smiled and withdrew her gaze, looking at Yang Ling and asked: "Am I being rebellious again by saying this?"

  In his past life, Yang Ling had seen many beautiful women with stunning looks and elegance. Even the current emperor might not have the ability to see all the beauties in the world. Logically speaking, with his experience, he shouldn't be charmed by Ma Lian'er.

  But as the saying goes, 'a woman should be charming and filial', and also 'looking at a beauty under the lamp makes her even more beautiful'. Ma Lian'er's appearance was already very beautiful and charming, and now she was wearing a simple yet elegant mourning dress, with an air of elegance and purity. At this moment, her starry eyes were covered with a layer of tears, and her pitiful expression was truly moving, Yang Ling didn't dare to look at her directly.

  Ma Lian'er said sorrowfully: "I'm heartbroken, but what I regret more is that until now, I just realized that if it weren't for Father, I wouldn't be able to live so carefree. No matter what, Father has been good to me, and I shouldn't have been so distant from him, always making him angry."

  Yang Ling sighed silently, is this another interpretation of "the child wants to support the parents but they are not around"? Why do people always realize what they should cherish only after losing it?

  Ma Lian'er's mouth curled up in a bitter smile: "Father had managed to secure the position of postmaster, originally there were two counties with vacancies, I thought this place was closer to Guanwai, I prefer life outside Guanwai, so I begged Father to come here, it turns out I harmed Father, if I could have foreseen what would happen...".

  "Who can predict the future?" Yang Ling comforted her, "Miss Lian'er, this isn't your fault."

  What's the good of knowing the future, if I hadn't known that I only had two years left to live, I would have been even happier with my young daughter now. Yang Ling said sorrowfully: "If we can't predict the future, then we should live earnestly in the present, grasp what we should cherish now, and there will be no regrets later, Miss, do you think so?"

  Ma Lian'er saw him staring at her with a complex gaze, and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't know that Yang Ling was thinking of Han Youniang and feeling heartache, so she thought crookedly: "Should I cherish what I have now? Is he... hinting something to me? But he's already married!"

  Ma Lian'er felt a burning sensation on her face, and she was somewhat flustered by his gaze. She stuttered: "Seize the present... what should be cherished? What can I seize? Our family has no constant property, no land to our name, and although my father has some savings, we can't just sit back and exhaust them. Here, my brother and sister have no relatives or friends, perhaps... perhaps after some time, I will return to our hometown with my brother's coffin."

  She said, her heart racing like a runaway horse: "Will he keep me? If he keeps me, what will I do? It's clear that he likes that young girl very much and won't divorce her for my sake. If he expresses his love to me... ...will I, Ma Lian'er, become someone else's concubine?"

  Ma Lian'er was not only unashamed to be someone's concubine, but also had a crush on Yang Lingfeng's elegant and refined temperament, especially her own unconventional views that were unacceptable to women in the Central Plains, which only this man could understand and tolerate.

  Now that his family's decline is a foregone conclusion, he has already taken the position his father worked hard for half his life before he even came of age, and his future prospects are boundless. Is this really the choice she can make? Ma Lian'er's heart was racing with anxiety, not wanting to face it, but a thread of tender feeling in her heart quietly rose up, and the conflict and tension had reached an extreme.

  Yang Ling bore the weight of Han Youniang's deep emotions, not knowing how to repay her yet, and had no mind to entangle himself in another emotional debt. Although Ma Lian'er's exquisite beauty was indeed admired by every normal man, he didn't understand that Ma Lian'er's subtle expression was just giving him an excuse to stay with her.

  Yang Ling thought carefully from his friend's point of view and also felt that this border town was not suitable for them to live in, so he said: "This small border town is always chaotic with soldiers and horses, leaving is good, returning to their hometown is also good, there are relatives and friends to help".

  Ma Lian'er's tightly strung heartstrings relaxed, her clenched fists loosened all at once, and a hint of disappointment that couldn't be concealed flashed in her eyes.

  Yang Ling took his leave and departed, completely unaware of the deep resentment in Ma Lian'er's eyes. He went to the small official to request a horse and rushed straight to the county government office, found the head of the night shift, and told him that the next morning all the officials would come to pay their respects at the home of the deceased Magistrate Ma.

  These county officials, with Huang Xiancheng holding the highest position, have always taken care of him. Others, because he is Master Min's teacher, also show great respect and courtesy. Yang Ling believes that his special identity still has some appeal.

  Having finished giving orders, Yang Ling was about to turn around and head home when he remembered that Magistrate Min had already moved back to the county yamen. He didn't know how his illness was progressing, so he decided to go in and take a look. He arrived at the rear courtyard, where two household servants were sitting on the kang drinking wine. On the table were a plate of stir-fried peanuts and a plate of pig's ears. When they saw Yang Shiye, whom the Magistrate relied on most heavily, come in, the two men hastily got down from the kang. Old Li smiled, showing his teeth: "Yang Shiye, you've come to visit the Master?"

  Yang Ling nodded and asked: "How is the master?"

  Old Li took his outer garment and said with a smile, "The master's fever has gone down, but he hasn't woken up yet. I'll accompany you in."

  Yang Ling waved his hand and said: "Don't bother, it's the New Year, you two rarely get to rest for a while, just take a break, I'll go see the adults."

  He lifted the cotton curtain and walked into Min Wenjian's bedroom. On the small table on the kang, a oil lamp was placed. Mr. Min lay at the head of the kang, sleeping soundly with his quilt wrapped around him. Yang Ling sat in front of the kang and saw that Min Wenjian was sleeping on his back, his beard pointing towards the sky, and couldn't help but chuckle.

  Taking a closer look, the dark complexion of County Magistrate Min had regained some color, and his forehead was lightly touched, the high fever had receded. It seemed that the toxins in his body had been cleared, and there shouldn't be any danger anymore. Yang Ling couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as he stood up to leave, when suddenly County Magistrate Min groaned softly and muttered: "Water... water... I want to drink water."

  Yang Ling was overjoyed and hastily fetched a teapot from the table. As soon as the spout reached his mouth, Min County Magistrate gulped down water like a whale, swallowing more than half of the pot in one go before slowly opening his eyes.

  He squinted his eyes for a long time before he could see clearly that the person in front of him was his own teacher, Yang Ling. The county magistrate blinked repeatedly and looked around, muttering to himself: "Am I at home? What's the current military situation?"

  Yang Ling smiled and said, "Sir, you have slept for a whole day and night. Today, the Yongning troops arrived, the Tartars retreated to the mountains, and the siege of Chicken's Cry has been lifted. Sir, there is no need to worry."

  Min Zhi County listened, his expression changed to joy, he closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, looked around and sighed: "Are you the only one here? A long journey tests a horse's strength, time reveals a person's heart. His mother, did everyone think I was dead?"

  Yang Ling couldn't help but sweat, today's affairs were too many, several officials with ranks had to accompany He Can and the others, everyone knew that Min Zhixian was not in danger of his life, so for a while no one came to see him. If it weren't for the Ma family's affair tonight, he wouldn't have thought of coming to the county government office either. Unexpectedly, Min Zhixian, such a rough person, was also so sensitive. It seems that the saying "more courtesy is not a fault" is really true. The ancients attached great importance to etiquette, and from now on, one should pay attention to it at all times.

  Yang Ling busily helped everyone explain, and Minister Min finally understood. However, since he opened his eyes from the sickbed, only Yang Ling was here, which still made him feel very comforted, and he felt that trusting Yang Ling as his confidant was not a mistake.

  Yang Ling mentioned He Can's temporary appointment, and told him about it. Min Zhixian listened and stared with his eyes wide open, saying: "How can that be? If you leave, who will take care of this government office?"

  He thought for a moment and felt that he shouldn't be too hard on himself, so he said: "Alright, this way you can also be considered to have officially entered the official circle. My brother-in-law is the governor of Datong, tomorrow I will send someone to inform him and help you get an official appointment as a postal clerk, it's more convenient to transfer to an official position, it won't take long."

  "Heh heh, don't underestimate this district magistrate. The position may not be high-ranking, but it's lucrative. If I give it to you, that's fine, but if someone else takes it, I won't be able to bear it."