Chapter 145: The Luckiest Thing in the World

As the crest of the flood receded, cheers erupted all along the river embankment.

Shortly after, reports coming in from various sections of the river left everyone shuddered with lingering fear.

Aside from the treacherous bend overseen by Yushu Bay, out of more than sixty miles of riverbanks within the entire Dangyang County, earthen dikes had breached in three separate places!

In contrast, the stone embankments poured with cement and concrete stood as unyielding as solid rock. Not only did their main structures remain completely intact, but even the individual division dikes showed not a single hair-line crack, let alone collapsing like the earthen barriers!

Having survived this flood, everyone gained the most direct and vivid understanding of this novel mortar called cement.

Dangyang County did not normally suffer from waterlogging. The floods brought by the rare weather phenomenon completely subsided after two days. The scorching sun baked the earth, as if determined to return every ounce of heat owed to the people of this land over the past month or two.

The flood prevention headquarters withdrew from the Liu River embankment, but the vast majority of corvée laborers did not leave. The riverbeds needed dredging, the destroyed earthen dikes required repairs, and tens of thousands of workers still had to labor here for some time.

Zhao Hengyi, whom many had secretly labeled as a madman, no longer needed to stand guard on the embankment. By selflessly donating the cement formula, he had indirectly saved countless commoners of Dangyang County and protected endless fields and properties for the wealthy elites. At present, Zhao Hengyi’s popularity was unmatched, and his reputation had soared to the heavens.

Had it not been for Magistrate Liu Rui’s insistence on rebuilding the river embankments, and had it not been for Zhao Hengyi producing such a miraculous substance as cement concrete, Dangyang County would undoubtedly have been doomed during this disaster.

The river embankments in several upstream counties had been breached, resulting in heavy casualties and countless displaced civilians. Even the traditionally aloof gentry and wealthy households had suffered widespread ruin. When these tragic accounts reached Dangyang County, they inspired even more people to sing the praises of Magistrate Liu and Master Zhao!

Magistrate Liu Rui, who had just withdrawn from the river embankment, was overwhelmed by a tangled web of pressing duties: post-disaster epidemic prevention, preparing to receive refugees from neighboring counties, and countless other intricate matters kept him spinning in circles.

Even so, Liu Rui did not forget to report everything that had happened in Dangyang County truthfully to Jiangling Prefecture and the imperial court. In his official dispatches, Baron Cangwu Zhao Hengyi was credited as the primary contributor to Dangyang County's successful flood defense!

At the same time, Magistrate Liu detailed all the advantages of cement concrete, declaring it an invaluable weapon for building houses and fortifying cities, and petitioned the imperial court to promote its widespread use.

After leaving the river embankment, Zhao Hengyi went straight to the Subsidiary Estate of the Marquis of Dangyang in the county town. For dozens of days, Miao Xiaoyu and her younger sisters had lived in daily terror and anxiety; any piece of news coming from the embankment was treated by them as a precious treasure.

Fearing that she might distract her husband, Miao Xiaoyu, terrified as she was, clenched her teeth and endured. She dared not visit the embankment to check on him, nor did she dare to send messages casually.

Sometimes, people dispatched from the embankment to the county town on official business would be intercepted by Zhao Hengyi with inquiries about Miao Xiaoyu and her sisters. The replies were invariably that everyone was safe and well. Although the husband and wife could not meet, their affection did not diminish in the slightest; instead, fueled by worry and shared hardship, it grew all the more fervent.

The moment they caught sight of Zhao Hengyi, the six little ones could no longer restrain themselves. They swarmed around him, clutching his legs and tugging at his sleeves, crying out "Brother-in-law!" over and over. Their tear-streaked little faces were enough to tug at anyone's heartstrings.

Miao Xiaoyu, standing behind her sisters, also had red rims around her eyes and tears brimming in her ducts. Yet, with Princess Wei Linglan of Xiangcheng watching with a gentle, smiling gaze from the side, she felt too shy to throw herself directly into her husband’s embrace the way her sisters did.

"I'm fine. Look, aren't I completely well?"

Thinner and darker, looking thoroughly exhausted yet wearing a smile of profound relief, Zhao Hengyi comforted them. "The embankment wasn't lacking in food or clothing, and I didn't have to do physical labor myself, so I wasn't worn out. Patroling the dikes with Magistrate Liu every day actually made my physique much stronger."

While soothing the girls and Miao Xiaoyu, Zhao Hengyi’s gaze quietly met Wei Linglan’s.

That rare, independent woman of the Great Yan Kingdom still wore her signature ambiguous, half-smiling expression, though the slightly reddened rims of her eyes betrayed her true emotions.

With everyone returning safely and the embankment successfully defended, laughter and joy instantly filled the entire courtyard, dispelling the gloom and oppression that had lingered for days.

The happiest person of all was Steward Song San. This steward’s anxiety for Zhao Hengyi had been no less intense than that of Miao Xiaoyu or Wei Linglan.

People often said that a scion of wealth never sits beneath a tottering wall, yet the Marquis's sworn brother possessed truly staggering boldness!

Not only did he lead men to patrol the riverbank day and night in person, but even Song San had heard that when the flood crest arrived and the waves were at their most violent and terrifying, this Master Zhao had actually stood tall atop the dike, spreading his arms and laughing wildly toward the heavens!

Even as a seasoned veteran who had endured hardships for decades in the Mighty Martial Marquis's Manor for the sake of his master, Song San could not help but be deeply awed by Zhao Hengyi's extraordinary daring!

He is truly worthy of being my master's sworn brother; this single measure of courage alone is enough for him to stand proudly above the world!

What was more, Zhao Hengyi was no mere reckless brawler. Every single thing he did surpassed ordinary comprehension, seemingly creating one miracle after another!

Unlike outsiders, Song San was privy to many classified matters due to their business cooperation, and his high regard—even reverence—for Zhao Hengyi grew deeper by the day.

Even in his midnight dreams, Song San had sighed more than once, marveling that his master having such a dragon among men as a sworn brother was a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes!

With the floods gone, Zhao Hengyi naturally had to lead Miao Xiaoyu and Wei Linglan back to Yushu Bay.

Although Dangyang County had escaped this disaster, other places were not so fortunate.

Jiangling Prefecture, already plagued by refugees, found itself in an even more difficult predicament. According to Wei Linglan’s estimation, things would likely not stabilize until after the autumn harvest.

Back in Yushu Bay, although the mass mobilization of able-bodied men to the embankments and the heavy rains had affected production in the various workshops, the strict regulations previously established by Zhao Hengyi and the long-term cultivation of discipline meant the village remained orderly.

Every three days without fail, a steward would make a special trip to the county town to report on various matters to Miao Xiaoyu.

While crafty individuals were hardly rare in this era, honest people were even more numerous.

When Zhao Hengyi and his party returned to the village, they discovered that not only had the workshops suffered no damage whatsoever, but because all the buildings were constructed with red bricks and concrete, the weather had caused very little disruption to daily life!

Such a sight could not be found anywhere else in Dangyang County!

Even after holding the embankments and sparing most of Dangyang County from the inundation, the days of gloomy rain coupled with the final violent storm had destroyed an untold number of civilian homes!

In some villages, barely one out of ten crude houses remained standing!

Most of the sense of happiness in this world stemmed from comparison. When the villagers of Yushu Bay learned from workers coming in from other villages about the wretched conditions elsewhere, every single one of them rejoiced that they lived in Yushu Bay and that their master was Zhao Hengyi!

Faced with a natural disaster, countless people lost everything and even sacrificed their lives, yet the people of this village not only lived in sturdy brick-and-tile houses without having to worry about food, but they could also work and earn wages. Was there any luckier or happier existence in all under heaven?