Fire Breaks Out

Su Li was half-asleep, instinctively turning over and reaching beside her, only to find that Yuanbao was not there.

"Hmm, where's Yuanbao? Where could he have gone in the middle of the night?" Su Li mumbled, yawning as she got dressed and went downstairs, opening the door.

Usually calm Bai Lu looked panicked, holding a lantern and nearly in tears: "Madam, something terrible has happened! Our mushroom house and vegetable greenhouse are on fire!"

"What! How could... be on fire!" Su Li snapped fully awake, hurriedly putting on clothes while asking Bai Lu for details.

Bai Lu said, "Madam, I just found out from a field laborer who came to report. I haven't gone to see yet, came straight to inform you first."

"Let's go check it out together!" Su Li grabbed Bai Lu and headed outside.

Bai Lu glanced inside the house: "Where's Master? Why isn't he here?"

Su Li shook her head: "He wasn't here when I woke up. Maybe he went to the outhouse? Never mind, let's hurry to the fields."

Su Li and Bai Lu walked to the backyard and saw the servants, maids, and old women carrying buckets and rushing out to fight the fire. Steward Xiao Yuan, wrapped in a large cloak, was directing everyone.

"Bai Lu, you and Steward Xiao Yuan quickly lead everyone to put out the fire!" Su Li was frantic. The mushroom house and out-of-season greenhouse were not only her hard work but also the village's hope for prosperity!

Everyone was counting on Su Li's vegetable fields to make money and live well. Her fields must not be damaged!

The more Su Li thought about it, the more anxious she became. She grabbed a small wooden bucket from the kitchen and ran out with the servants to help fight the fire. Just as she left the kitchen, she ran into Ling Dang and three other disciples.

"Master, we'll go fight the fire with you!" Ling Dang and the others quickly grabbed water containers and followed Su Li to the fields.

Tonight, Xiao Zetian was away handling matters for Prince Ling, so Ling Dang and the others were responsible for closely protecting Su Li's safety, ensuring nothing happened to her.

Su Li bit her lip, her face pale, lifted her skirt, and charged forward shouting, "Everyone, hurry and put out the fire! Help me!"

The field laborers had already started fighting the fire, but the fire broke out in several places simultaneously. The winter was dry and arid, making it very difficult to extinguish. Without a well in the fields, everyone had to run to the river to fetch water, wasting precious time and allowing the fire to grow.

"My fields can't be burned!" Su Li's lips trembled as she directed the laborers to fight the fire, then turned to Ling Dang and the others: "You all go to the river and fetch water!"

Ling Dang and the others hesitated. They were responsible for closely protecting Su Li, and General Xiao had instructed them not to leave her side, especially since Xiao Zetian and Xiao Yun were away handling Prince Ling's affairs.

Ling Dang and the others dared not leave, but Su Li was too anxious: "What are you all standing there for? Every extra hand counts! Do you want to watch the fields burn to ashes?"

Su Li was so anxious that her tone lost its usual softness, almost shouting as she angrily urged her disciples to fetch water.

Ling Dang bit her lip, giving a meaningful glance to the three male disciples, then said to Su Li, "Master, Ling Dang is small and can't carry much water. I'll stay by your side to help. Let the other three brothers fetch water."

Su Li looked at Ling Dang's slender figure. It would indeed be too much to ask such a small girl to carry water, so she nodded, implicitly agreeing to Ling Dang's suggestion.

"Ling Dang, make sure to protect Master well," the three men said meaningfully as they left, casting a significant glance at Ling Dang.