Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1338 Ablaze with Fireworks

Mu Ruojue's injury was not serious.

Cui Jinyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and grinned foolishly, "It's good that you're alright."

Mu Ruojue smiled politely, completely captivated, and quickly asked, "Young Master Mu, have you had breakfast? I'll go get it for you!"

The smile on Mu Ruojue's lips was startled away by her enthusiasm.

Oblivious to her, she continued, "You haven't used it yet, right? Wait a moment! Would you like some sweet cake and soy milk?"

"Do not......"

"Okay, I'm going then!"

Mu Ruojue's polite refusal was scattered by the wind beneath her feet.

After she disappeared from sight, the courtyard fell silent once again.

As dawn broke, Shen Zheng could see the slate paved with charred marks all over the courtyard.

Her expression darkened slightly: "You've been busy with this all night?"

Looking at the mess on the ground, Mu Ruojue pursed her lips: "I... I just scattered the powder on the stone slabs to test it, I didn't seal it, it... it won't explode..."

Shen Zheng stared at him intently, pointing to his wrist hidden in his sleeve, and asked, "Then what's going on here?"

Mu Ruojue withdrew her hand.

"This... was just an accident."

"An accident?" Shen Zheng pointed to the bluestone slabs covered in black and gray dust. "Xiao Mu, you only have one life. Tell me, how many accidents can you experience in this life?"

Mu Ruojue suddenly felt a pain in the burned area of ​​her wrist.

Shen Zheng squatted down, dipped her fingertip in some burnt ash, and gently sniffed it.

“Salt water, sulfur, charcoal.” She held up her fingertips. “Which of them recognizes you? Which one will spare you if something unexpected happens?”

Mu Ruojue's fingers, hanging by her sides, secretly curled up.

Shen Zheng continued, "You have high talent and good comprehension. You managed to figure this out in just a few days. But have you forgotten what I told you before?"

“I haven’t forgotten…” Mu Ruojue lowered her eyes. “You said that making gunpowder must be done steadily, without being impatient, and must not be done in crowded places, let alone at night. If these raw materials come into contact with an open flame, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Shen Zheng laughed in exasperation: "You remember it so clearly."

Why hadn't she noticed before that Mu Ruojue was such a headache?

You must listen to what is said.

Even if it's a different tune, it still needs to be sung.

"I'm sorry." Mu Ruojue lowered her head even further.

Looking at the flawless face in front of her, Shen Zheng almost softened.

But the thought of the explosive power of gunpowder forced her to harden her heart: "Can you give me a reason?"

Mu Ruojue remained silent, seemingly determined to argue with her.

She frowned, lifted her leg and walked into the house: "Then you shouldn't touch these things anymore. Life is always more important than curiosity."

"Because I want to make the 'fireworks' you mentioned as soon as possible!"

Mu Ruojue strode over, her tone unusually urgent: "You said before that the New Year is all about seeing 'fireworks and silver flowers,' that's what makes it feel more festive, so I wanted to make it before the New Year to make you and everyone happy..."

In fact, he always knew how others perceived him.

— Difficult to get along with, unlikable, introverted, dull, not like a normal person.

Before coming to Tongan County, he had also made this assessment of himself, and he even thought that the real him was worse than these assessments.

They lack social skills and don't know how to say flattering things.

While others are lively and outgoing, he is aloof and withdrawn.

While others laughed, he remained silent.

Over time, even he came to believe that someone like him might have been born a mistake and shouldn't cause trouble for anyone.

But after boarding that beautiful multi-story ship, everything changed.

That chubby young master named Fang Ziyan would take the initiative to invite him to eat, drink, and have fun together. Even if he was rejected, Fang Ziyan would still persist in inviting him a second, a third, or even countless times.

The young lady named Cui Jinyin would keep staring at him with a silly smile and would take the initiative to talk to him a lot. Even if he didn't know how to answer, she would still keep talking and talking, without laughing at his dullness or asking for his response.

And Lord Shen...

Lord Shen never disliked his eccentric personality, and never hesitated to praise him.

When he made matches, Lord Shen would say, "Little Mu, are you perhaps a genius?"

He invented a shock absorber for the carriage, and Lord Shen would say, "Xiao Mu, you are simply a genius among geniuses!"

He thought that if he could quickly make the "fire tree and silver flowers" that Master Shen had mentioned, perhaps... he could truly become a part of Tongan County.

But it was this eagerness that caused him to break the rules set by Lord Shen.

He messed things up.

A morning breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying a cool dampness, and delivered the boy's somewhat clumsy explanation to Shen Zheng's ears.

Shen Zheng paused, then slowly turned around.

Silence fell over the courtyard again. She had one foot inside the threshold and the other outside, her posture of turning her head to the side was quite comical.

Seeing the helplessness that Mu Ruojue could not hide on her face, she sighed softly.

"Never mind..." She withdrew her foot from the threshold. "Just this once."

Mu Ruojue suddenly looked up: "You...you're not going to punish me?"

Shen Zheng walked down the stone steps and looked at the mess on the ground, saying, "Punishment is still necessary."

The light in Mu Ruojue's eyes dimmed slightly.

But she continued, "You are forbidden to touch these things today. You will come with me to the public fields to dig."

She paused, her gaze falling on his sleeve: "Xiao Mu, you only suffered minor injuries in that accident, but I hope you can remember the moment the gunpowder exploded. From now on, you will not only be responsible for yourself, but also for all your family members in the yamen."

"Home, family?"

Mu Ruojue pondered this unfamiliar word for a long time, not even noticing when Cui Jinyin returned with breakfast.

As the sun climbed higher, birds chirped and chattered.

Upon learning that they were going to the public fields later, Cui Jinyin tugged at Shen Zheng's sleeve, refusing to let go: "Teacher, teacher, I want to go too..."

Shen Zheng said, "The old lady will also be there."

Upon hearing this, Cui Jinyin's expression stiffened, and she abruptly let go: "Then...then I still won't..."

Before she could finish speaking, Mu Ruojue slowly raised her eyes to look at her and said softly, "Miss Cui, would you like to come along?"

Cui Jinyin's eyes widened.

Looking at the angelic face before her, she suddenly felt that she wasn't so afraid of the Empress Dowager after all.

"want!"

......

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), the group stepped out of the county government gate, with Shen Zheng and the Empress Dowager walking at the front.

The Empress Dowager raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned silently. She said to Shen Zheng, "You child, you had to say it at night. I didn't sleep well all night. I even dreamed about the new crop."

Before Shen Zheng could speak, she asked again, "Did you look at those paintings when you got back? Did you find anyone you liked?"

Shen Zheng paused in her steps.

You promised not to pressure me into marriage, but here you go again!

After taking a few steps, she winked at Yu Shizhang while chuckling, "This humble subject went back to sleep last night..."

The Empress Dowager chuckled: "Sleep a lot."