In the days leading up to the workshop's opening, Shuxia Village was already bustling with activity.

Villagers from several villages set up a meeting place, and many peddlers and vendors also came here with their goods, going wherever there were crowds.

Looking at the crowd, even the organizer, Li Xuming, was somewhat taken aback.

Perhaps because there aren't many entertainment options on a regular basis, the public is very enthusiastic about such a major event.

Not everyone who came was there to register; some brought their families to watch the spectacle, hoping to catch a glimpse of the county magistrate. That certainly provided plenty of fodder for conversation.

People in the countryside are most afraid of seeing officials, because seeing an official means imprisonment.

Such an opportunity to watch the spectacle and even see what the county magistrate looks like is extremely rare.

There were also vendors setting up stalls at the rally, and so on.

—On the opening day.

Not only the workshops, but also every household in Shuxia Village was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

Everyone had a smile on their face, and even their clothes were newer and more formal than usual, almost as if it were Chinese New Year.

The village guards stood tall and proud, practicing in the village's open space, attracting envious glances from passersby.

Upon hearing this, the guards straightened their backs even more, their sense of honor rising within them.

"Thank you all for your hard work. I won't say much more. Today's opening and recruitment has just been a quick affair. We'll discuss and reward you all after this is over!"

"Yes, village chief!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices deep and resonant.

The leader of the guard team was Li Xuluan from the Seventh Branch.

Today he also took out the new clothes he made for the New Year and wore them, looking very energetic.

For a fleeting moment, he felt as if he were still in Nanze.

The village of Shuxia is revitalized by the arrival of the Li family.

The previous period of decline was swept away by the new emperor's unforgiving policies.

Today, Shuxia Village is taking off because of the Li family; tomorrow, Shaoguan County will also shine brightly because of the Li family.

"Listen up, everyone! The magistrate is here today, so we need to be on our guard and make sure those petty thieves don't mess things up."

"Don't worry, Brother Luan, no one has ever dared to cause trouble in front of the magistrate. If anyone does get bold enough, I'll definitely teach them a lesson!"

"right!"

"Okay, let's go."

Li Xuluan was very satisfied with everyone's condition and led the team to patrol various places.

Nowadays, the guard team consists not only of people from Shuxia Village, but also young men selected from several surrounding villages. They line up in a row, which is quite intimidating.

Li Xuming walked with the village chief and several village chiefs, with Li Qingyao following behind him.

Li Qingyao was a direct descendant of the main branch of the family, so it was necessary to bring him along on this occasion. Moreover, Li Xuming hoped that the county magistrate could give Li Qingyao some pointers.

Although Li Qingyao grew up in the capital and was quite learned, his father was a government official in the capital, and he might not have as much experience in local affairs as Lin Pei. He could learn whatever he could.

Wang Jiao, who usually followed Li Qingyao around, was nowhere to be seen; he had gone to hide with Pan Jinhua.

Li Xushi and Li Xuyue were assigned to receive the wealthy merchants and clan members who had accompanied the county magistrate. This was a significant matter, as the sales of the Li family's products depended on these people.

Before the county magistrate's carriage even arrived, Li Xuming had already received the news and led his men to greet him at the village entrance.

"The magistrate is here! The magistrate is here!"

When the sun was high in the sky, the carriage finally slowly approached from afar.

Lin Pei and his wife got off the carriage, which was then guided by Li Xuchang and parked in an open space outside the village to avoid crowding.

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate!"

Li Xuming stepped forward and knelt down, and everyone around him followed suit.

"Greetings, Your Excellency, Magistrate."

"This humble subject pays his respects to Your Excellency."

As the saying goes, "The emperor is far away, so the county magistrate is like a local emperor." Power is truly wonderful.

Li Qingyao knelt down with the crowd, feeling deeply moved.

"Rise, there's no need for that. I've come here today to share joy with the people."

Lin Pei quickly called out.

He was dressed in official robes, had a refined appearance, and exuded a dignified air.

After many people got up, they looked at Lin Pei with satisfaction, thinking, "We've finally met the magistrate!"

Not only did Lin Pei bring his wife, but Cao Qian's wife and daughter also came.

The main purpose was to keep Madam Lin company, as she was afraid the countryside would be boring and that Madam Lin would not have anyone to talk to.

The Gu family also sent someone; it was the head of the Gu family, with whom they had cooperated before.

Many wealthy families from the county also wanted to see what was so special about this workshop, and even the county magistrate wanted to come and unveil the plaque himself.

These people, all with the same ambition, brought their wives and daughters, hoping to take this opportunity to establish a relationship with Madam Lin and become friends.

Therefore, the procession following behind Lin Pei was quite grand.

Li Xuming was extremely satisfied. In terms of influence, Magistrate Lin was the best. Li Xuming gave him a thumbs up.

Li Xuming then led Li Qingyao to pay their respects to Lin Pei.

"Sir, this is my nephew, Li Qingyao."

"Qingyao greets Your Excellency."

Lin Pei smiled and nodded.

"This is Magistrate Cao."

"Greetings, Magistrate Cao of Cao County."

"What a handsome young man."

Cao Qian patted Li Qingyao on the shoulder.

The village chief and several village heads also stepped forward to greet him, and Lin Pei asked them a few questions in a very kind manner.

"As we traveled along the way, Shuxia Village proved to be a place of natural beauty and natural charm. It's a great place for a spring outing."

Indeed, the wild trees and flowers at the village entrance took his mother and the family's nephews and nieces a lot of effort to grow.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!