100: Chapter 100 Cheap Uncle

Su Bai led his convenient uncle through the corridor to the bathroom in the back courtyard of the mansion.

Hot water had already been prepared.

Lin Weiwei and Su Mei stood respectfully to one side, their demeanor completely submissive when facing Su Bai.

Uncle Su He stood at the doorway, his feet seemingly rooted to the spot, adamantly refusing to take another step forward.

"Bai... Bai, this, this is too wasteful!"

Uncle rubbed his calloused hands together, speaking to Su Bai in a somewhat flustered manner, "Such good water, such a big tub... I can just wipe myself down by the well, really!"

He had never seen such a luxurious setup for bathing in his entire life.

In his eyes, this was practically an imperial level of enjoyment; how could a countryman like him be worthy of it?

Su Bai noticed his uncle's unease and waved his hand at Lin Weiwei; Lin Weiwei and Su Mei retreated tactfully.

Afterward, Su Bai looked at his uncle and said:

"Uncle, now that you are my, Su Bai's, uncle, you should enjoy this blessing."

"There are no outsiders here, only the two of us uncle and nephew."

"Wash away the old and the dirty. Now that we are in Yunzhou City, we, the Su family, must have a new look."

Su He's body stiffened as he allowed Su Bai to take off his clothes and press him into the bathtub.

The moment the warm water enveloped his body, he felt so comfortable he almost groaned aloud, but he forcibly held it back, his lips trembling and his eyes reddening again.

Su Bai said nothing more, turned around, closed the door, and left the room.

An incense stick's time later.

Su He had changed into a brand-new silk garment and returned to the front hall with Su Bai.

The fabric was slippery, and wearing it made him feel uncomfortable, as if it belonged to someone else.

He didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

In the main hall, tea had already been brewed.

Su Bai gestured for him to sit down.

Uncle glanced at the rosewood chair with a silk cushion and dared only to sit on the very edge, feeling even more nervous than when he met the Clan Chief back in the village.

"Uncle, you can speak now."

Su Bai poured him a cup of tea himself, pushed it in front of him, and asked, "What exactly happened in the village?"

The aroma of the hot tea helped Su He calm down a little.

He picked up the teacup, the scalding temperature radiating from his palms, yet he was completely oblivious to it.

"The Yao Race... when the Demon army attacked, they passed by the north side of our village."

Su He said in a still-hoarse voice, "Our village is too small and poor, tucked away in a mountain hollow; those monsters probably didn't think much of it, so they didn't come in."

"We hid in the cellar, listening to the sound of hooves and screams outside... all day and all night, no one dared to make a sound."

"When there was no movement outside, we sent someone to look. Outside... everything outside was finished. The nearby Wang Family Village and Li Family Flats were all burned to the ground; not a single person survived."

Su He's body began to tremble, not because of the cold, but because of fear.

"We survived, but the crops in the fields were all trampled by the Demon Soldiers, and there isn't much grain left. What's even scarier is, who knows if those monsters will return?"

"Everyone discussed it all night and agreed that we couldn't stay in that place anymore; the only way to survive was to enter Yunzhou City."

"The villagers had no choice but to find someone to come to Yunzhou City to look for a way to survive, so... so they scraped together some dry rations and let me come to see if I could find a way for the more than one hundred people in the village to live."

"Su Bai, it is fortunate that I, your uncle, met you; otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what to do."

After speaking, Uncle put down the teacup and was about to rise and kneel before Su Bai again.

Su Bai was quick-eyed and nimble-handed, pressing down on his shoulder and saying:

"Uncle, I said it before, family members don't talk like strangers."

Hearing this, Su Bai understood in his heart.

This was about what he expected; they really had no other choice, which is why they came to Yunzhou City.

This was a good thing for him.

"Getting more than a hundred people into the city is indeed not a small matter; it requires official approval from the government," Su Bai mused for a moment, then said seriously, "Especially now that it is wartime, the city defenses are under martial law, and inspections are extremely strict."

Uncle's heart instantly jumped into his throat.

"However,"

Su Bai changed the subject, smiled confidently, and then said, "Just because others can't do it doesn't mean I, Su Bai, cannot."

"For this matter, I need to see the Yunzhou Prefect."

"Uncle, you rest here for now, eat something, and wait for my good news."

Su Bai stood up and instructed in a calm tone.

Uncle stared at him blankly; this nephew was a completely different person from the silent boy in his memory.

"Good... good! Uncle will listen to you!"

Uncle said after nodding vigorously, tears welling up in his eyes once again.

Su Bai did not delay any longer, turned around, and walked out of the mansion with long strides.

Once he left, the main hall suddenly became quiet.

Su He sat there alone, looking at the luxurious furnishings in the room, feeling as if he were dreaming.

At this moment, a fragrant breeze drifted over.

Su Mei swayed her slender waist and walked over gracefully, carrying a plate of pastries.

She said to Uncle with a beaming smile:

"Uncle, Young Master has gone out to attend to some business; please have some snacks to tide you over."

Her voice was soft and sweet, tickling one's heart.

Uncle looked up abruptly, and upon seeing Su Mei's pretty face, his old face instantly turned the color of pig liver.

He had lived for over forty years, and compared to the woman in front of him, Cuihua, the prettiest girl in the village, was practically mud on the ground.

"No... not hungry, won't eat!"

Uncle, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, hurriedly waved his hands and said flusteredly.

Due to his excessive movement, he almost knocked the teacup on the table to the ground.

Su Mei let out a "pfft" of laughter, her whole body trembling with mirth as she stood there.

She gently put down the pastry plate and said softly to Uncle: "Uncle, don't be nervous; we won't eat you. This is the osmanthus cake that Young Master specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare for you."

She leaned forward intentionally, and a scent of powder and perfume wafted toward him.

Su He was so scared that he hurriedly shrank back, his back pressed tightly against the chair, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground, and he stuttered: "No... no need, I... I am not worthy of eating such good things..."

He felt all the blood in his body rushing to his head, and his heart was beating as if it were about to jump out of his throat.

How... how are the women in this nephew's mansion all like fairies?

On the other side.

Su Bai had already arrived at the Prefect's Yamen.

Nowadays, he could be considered a prominent figure in Yunzhou City; his deeds in the battle at the North City Gate, leading the Handao Camp Demon Soldiers, had already spread through every street and alley.

The Yamen Runner at the door immediately straightened his back as soon as he saw him.

One of them even ran inside to report.

Before long, a man who looked like a steward hurried out to greet him and respectfully invited Su Bai inside.

The Prefect's Yamen was much more solemn than Su Bai's mansion, exuding an air of authority everywhere.