Chapter 138

The heavy rain hadn't stopped all night, and low-lying areas in the streets and alleys of Qingyun Xian had begun to accumulate water; the common folk were busy building up barriers at their doorsteps, temporarily forgetting the new county magistrate's forced fundraising.

Hu Xiaotian had just gotten up early in the morning and finished breakfast when Liu Kuohai arrived, holding an umbrella; his pant legs were rolled up high, he wore straw sandals, and despite that, his clothes were soaked in several places. As soon as he entered the door, Liu Kuohai said: 'Sir, the rain outside is very heavy; should we still go out today?'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'Of course we need to go out; I was just about to go to Tongji He to have a look—with such heavy rain, could the embankment be in danger?' Murong Feiyan then came out wearing a raincoat and bamboo hat; Hu Xiaotian could only put on this cumbersome rain gear, which, though bulky, could at least keep off the wind and rain. Hu Xiaotian told Liang Da Zhuang to stay home and tidy up, then took Murong Feiyan and Liu Kuohai with him out of the city to inspect Tongji He.

After just a few steps, they encountered flooded streets; the deepest parts had already submerged past the knees. Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but glance at Murong Feiyan, only to see that she too had rolled up her long trousers, revealing a pair of legs as white as jade, with exquisite curves, utterly tempting.

Murong Feiyan noticed Hu Xiaotian looking at her exposed calves, and she couldn't help but glare at him fiercely; this fellow not only wasn't scared off by her gaze, but moved closer and whispered, 'Another day I'll have a pair of seven‑inch pants made for you, so you won't have to go through all this trouble.'

Murong Feiyan whispered, 'Do you believe I could knock out your front teeth?'

Hu Xiaotian laughed heartily and quickened his pace to catch up with Liu Kuohai ahead.

Murong Feiyan watched his retreating back, and a pair of shallow dimples appeared on her pretty face.

The three arrived atop the embankment of Tongji He; although the wind and rain were fierce, the embankment was safe and sound, the water surface still about six feet from the bank, and while the current was swift, the rise of the water level was not rapid.

Hu Xiaotian walked along the embankment for a stretch, arriving at the broken section of Qingyun Qiao, where he saw that no boats were traveling on the river. Concluding that this area was temporarily safe from a breach, Hu Xiaotian then returned to the Government Office.

The Qingyun Xian Government Office usually saw few petitioners, let alone today with the torrential downpour; most of the clerks had gone home on leave. The office was quiet and deserted, and Hu Xiaotian failed to find Xu Qinglian in the main hall; upon inquiry he learned that Xu Qinglian was feeling unwell and resting at home.

Among the officials of Qingyun Xian, only Xu Qinglian was qualified to reside in the Government Office; Hu Xiaotian came to his dwelling under the pretense of paying a visit.

Xu Qinglian wasn't actually ill; he had simply drunk too much the night before, and upon waking felt his head splitting, so he abandoned the idea of going to the main hall—since a violent rainstorm had fallen, he decided to stay home and rest properly. As the chief official of Qingyun Xian, he still had that privilege. Hearing that Hu Xiaotian had come, Xu Qinglian couldn't help but frown; 'What does he want in such a downpour?' he thought, but since the visitor had reached the door, he couldn't very well avoid seeing him. Xu Qinglian had his wife's relatives withdraw, and Xu An escorted Hu Xiaotian inside. Although he lived in the Government Office, it was only five rooms, interior and exterior, and the lodging was merely ordinary.

Hu Xiaotian burst in, shouting, 'Oh dear, Sir Xu, this humble official has arrived late—how serious is your illness? Is it serious? Is it serious, ah!' This fellow hurried in two‑quick steps to Xu Qinglian's bedside and grabbed his hand. The concern was evident, though exaggerated and overly theatrical.

Xu Qinglian saw this fellow's feigned sincerity and inwardly cursed, 'Put on an act, let you pretend! Deep down you wish I were dead!'

Hu Xiaotian, sitting on the bedside, already smelled a strong reek of stale liquor, and he mused: 'Xu Qinglian is surely lying about being sick—he just drank too much. Damn you, old man, sending me out to do grunt work while you hide in the Government Office feasting on delicacies; why don't you drink yourself to death, you old turtle!'

Xu Qinglian pretended weakness: 'Sir Hu, you needn't worry; I'm fine, just need to rest a bit.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'Sir, your words are mistaken; you must not take this lightly—you are forty‑seven, and before you know it you'll be seventy.'

Xu Qinglian felt bewildered; 'What nonsense is this kid spouting? I'm forty‑seven, not seventy‑four—where does "the age of seventy" come from?' After a moment's thought he realized, 'This fellow is doing it on purpose, wishing me an early death!' Xu Qinglian sat up: 'My health has always been sound; I merely caught a slight chill last night.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'Sir, as I was saying, you're not like us youngsters; you must never neglect a minor ailment, for any serious illness develops from a small one. This time you must surely get cured—have you seen a doctor?'

Xu Qinglian replied: 'Just a chill; no need to see a doctor.'

'How could that be acceptable? Sir, you are the parent‑official of Qingyun Xian and the mainstay of us all; if you suffer any misfortune, what would we do? We would be leaderless, like a tree falling and the monkeys scattering.'

Xu Qinglian was so angry at this fellow that his moustache bristled; 'What grudge do I have against you, you wretch, coming early in the morning to curse me?' Xu Qinglian had a tendency: when angered he felt a sudden urge to urinate, and at his age his prostate often acted up, so he tried to get out of bed, but Hu Xiaotian shoved him back down, saying, 'Sir, under no circumstances should you move; you need bed rest.'

Xu Qinglian felt embarrassed to say directly that he wanted to use the privy, and instead said politely, 'I'm a bit thirsty.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'Sir, I'll take care of this.' He saw a large bowl of cool boiled water nearby, picked it up, and brought it to Xu Qinglian's lips; Xu Qinglian, having no choice, pinched his nose and took a sip, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Hu Xiaotian tipped the bowl and poured the water down his throat. Xu Qinglian underestimated this fellow's vindictiveness and his shameless tactics, and was forced to gulp down three large mouthfuls at once; he couldn't catch his breath, was choked, and burst into violent coughing. The coughing increased abdominal pressure sharply, and a hot stream shot out between his legs like an arrow.

Xu Qinglian's body stiffened there, his temperature seeming to drop to freezing point with the surge of that hot stream, and his face instantly turned ashen.

Hu Xiaotian still wore a smile and asked, 'Sir, are you feeling any better?'

Xu Qinglian looked at Hu Xiaotian with resentment; 'This kid is ruthless—if that bowl had been crimson crane top, would he have poured it into my stomach just the same?' He sat on the warm, wet patch of urine; it had been over forty years since he last wet the bed, and this kid's forced bowl of water dragged Xu Qinglian's childhood memories back to him, leaving him feeling wretched to the extreme, his mood at rock bottom. Xu Qinglian coldly said: 'Sir Hu, go attend to your own affairs first; I'm feeling unwell and want to rest.'

Anyone with a little perceptiveness could see Xu Qinglian's displeasure, but Hu Xiaotian just wanted to make that old fox uncomfortable; 'You aren't constantly scheming against me, are you? You plot against me behind my back, so I'll confront you openly—if you feel uneasy, heh heh, sorry, this is only the beginning.'

Hu Xiaotian had no intention of leaving immediately, still smiling narrowly and said, 'Sir, I know a bit of medicine; why don't I take your pulse?'

Xu Qinglian replied coldly: 'No need; with today's torrential rain, I don't know the current water level of Tongji He, and as I am indisposed, I can only trouble Sir Hu to look into it.'

Hu Xiaotian laughed: 'I've just returned from inspecting Tongji He and was about to report the situation to Sir Xu.'

After a moment, the area where he had urinated had cooled, becoming damp and chilly; sitting there was extremely uncomfortable, and yet Hu Xiaotian lingered, refusing to leave. Xu Qinglian felt vexed and impatiently said: 'Go on!'

'The water level of Tongji He is rising slowly, and the embankment is intact.'

Xu Qinglian said: 'That would be best; if the embankment were to breach and cause a flood, the higher authorities would investigate and we'd all be in trouble.' With that, Xu Qinglian hatched a plan, and he said earnestly: 'Sir Hu, I'll entrust you with the flood‑control and anti‑waterlogging work for the next two days.'

Hu Xiaotian immediately shook his head like a rattle drum.

Xu Qinglian asked: 'How so? You don't want to?'

Hu Xiaotian replied: 'It's not that I'm unwilling; I simply lack the ability—even if I exerted all my strength, I could not guarantee the embankment's safety.'

Xu Qinglian said: 'The Government Office has three squads of officers; if needed you can consult Lieutenant Liu Xianwei and allocate his men. The Tongji He embankment concerns the lives and property of all Qingyun Xian's populace—it must not be taken lightly.'

Hu Xiaotian said: 'You mean, Sir, that I should command the three squads of officers?'

Xu Qinglian only then realized he had unwittingly fallen into this kid's trap; he stared blankly for a moment, filled with regret, but then thought, even if he verbally handed it over, the officers wouldn't obey his written orders, since he had previously made clear that there is only one chief in Qingyun Xian.

Hu Xiaotian sighed: 'I've only just arrived; they may well refuse to obey my commands.'

Xu Qinglian said: 'Who would dare not obey? Just impose heavy penalties.' He now only wanted to get rid of Hu Xiaotian, sitting on the damp bedding, feeling utterly miserable.

Hu Xiaotian nodded, 'That's what you said.' He then rose and bowed to Xu Qinglian. Seeing Hu Xiaotian finally leave, Xu Qinglian exhaled in relief, threw off the covers, put on his shoes, and was about to look for a change of clothes when he didn't expect Hu Xiaotian to turn back at that moment. Xu Qinglian had no time to hide; he stood there foolishly, a large wet patch staining his underwear, which Hu Xiaotian instantly understood—not that he meant specifically to embarrass Xu Qinglian, but that he indeed had something to report.

Xu Qinglian's face flushed as red as pig's liver, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the earth; what annoyed him further was that this time Hu Xiaotian didn't come alone—Chief Clerk Guo Shouguang followed him in. Guo Shouguang's nose was extremely sharp; upon entering the room he smelled a foul odor, and upon seeing Xu Qinglian's trousers he immediately understood everything.

Ninth update, extra chapter for the Power Alliance Chief; from the Medical Way to Medical Union, the Power sis, three‑term alliance chief, your support for Zhangyu has been consistent from start to finish, letting Zhangyu know that we too have female readers, greatly satisfying Zhangyu's vanity—cheers for the sis, this extra chapter is for you!

First released on the high‑speed platform, the latest chapter of Medical Unification is Chapter Sixty‑two, 'Vengeful Heart' (Part I), an extra chapter for the Power Alliance Chief, address is