40 County Court Disturbance

◎Hurry up and step back a little, or you might fall into the rice pot.◎

When everyone arrived at the courtyard on the first day of the new year, a few ignorant laborers rushed into the kitchen. The reason was simple: the food smelled so good!

They had just finished their work when they could smell the rich aroma of meat from afar: "Auntie, quickly open the lid and let us see what delicious food you made! It smells so good!"

"Yes! I'm so hungry I'm almost like a wooden board..."

Lü Dayuan smiled and waded into the crowd: "Alright, alright, all of you, step back a little. Be careful not to fall into the rice pot."

The dark and strong man beside him also laughed and said shamelessly: "I am willing to fall into the rice pot. Then you can bring me and the pot to my house!"

"Ouch! Ergouzi, how can you be so shameless..."

Everyone laughed and teased him. Lu Dayuan stealthily said to Aunt Xiangyun, "Mom, please uncover it quickly and let everyone have a taste. Look how anxious you are."

Aunt Xiangyun laughed and said, "Why are you so impatient? Just wait and eat."

As she spoke, she and the other aunts took off the steaming lid on the top layer of the steamer. The rich aroma of meat mixed with the special fragrance of snow mustard rushed straight into everyone's nose.

"It's a big bowl of braised pork!" Ergouzi swallowed and said firmly.

"Hey, you have a really sharp nose." Aunt Xiangyun smiled and brought down a bowl of braised pork.

"Er Gouzi Er Gouzi, of course it's a dog's nose!" Someone behind joked with a smile.

Er Gouzi was reluctant to look back, staring at Kou Shou without blinking: "Go to hell."

Aunt Xiangyun placed a ceramic plate upside down on a ceramic bowl covered with snow mustard greens, and then quickly flipped it over. The fragrant red sauce and meat juice flowed from the ceramic bowl to the plate. Aunt Xiangyun gently lifted the ceramic bowl up, and the fat and lean braised pork with a strong sauce aroma came into everyone's sight.

Gulu...

Gulu...

I don’t know who was swallowing frantically, or maybe everyone was swallowing frantically. Ergouzi raised his hand and wanted to pick up a piece to taste.

Aunt Xiangyun was quick-witted and quick-handed. She pulled her left hand, which was holding the ceramic plate, behind her and slapped Ergouzi's hand with her right hand: "Go wash your hands! Wash your hands first before eating the braised pork!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone scattered like birds and beasts, scrambling to get water to wash their hands. Those who were quicker were already waiting at the kitchen door with their large bowls in hand.

Ye Yunzhao was not idle. She served bean rice to everyone in the yard. Because she was doing heavy work, she always served half a bowl of bean rice.

After they went to the kitchen and added a large spoonful of wild leek fried tofu, Aunt Xiangyun put a large piece of braised pork into each of their bowls.

Someone who was sensible quickly said, "Auntie, you guys are so kind. This celebration dinner has so many good things!"

After such a situation, Aunt Xiangyun couldn't help but praise County Magistrate Ye and County Assistant Secretary Han, and she always couldn't escape the words "the county magistrate is kind" and "he has a heart of a bodhisattva".

In addition to the braised pork, the snow mustard greens with a mixture of meaty aroma and minced meat underneath are also something that everyone is fighting for. Although the snow mustard greens are green vegetables, they are steamed together with the fatty pork and are already full of thick gravy. Those who get an extra spoonful of snow mustard greens will hold the bowl and walk home proudly, much like a general who has won a battle.

In the past, celebratory meals could only be eaten at the host’s house, but because of the new atmosphere brought by Ye Yunzhao, everyone now takes the meal home to eat. One reason is that they can go home and rest, and the other is that their family members can also share in the good news and taste the rare meat.

After finishing this busy period, Ye Yunzhao went out and walked towards the wasteland. She wanted to see what the wasteland looked like now.

Needless to say, the small mud house was small but had everything needed. Ye Yunzhao entered two or three small houses, which looked to be about twenty square meters in size. There was only a small window on the east wall, which not only allowed for light, but also provided minimal insulation.

Behind the small mud house are several acres of wasteland allocated to each family. County Magistrate Han had already asked the refugees to draw lots and choose their own places. Some diligent ones have already borrowed tools and opened up a lot of wasteland.

Ye Yunzhao was very satisfied with this. It was worth it for her to use the recipe to replace everyone's quilts. As she walked and looked, she saw that more green sprouts were gradually emerging in the fields that had been sprinkled with silkworm manure.

However, in the shady vegetable plots of several families, the radish was still a thin little seedling, while those planted in the sunny fields next to it had already grown to the height of an arm.

Why don’t you hurry up and keep warm?

Ye Yunzhao was puzzled. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. After a while, the gate opened and a young girl came in. "County Magistrate Ye? Why are you here? Please come in."

Ye Yunzhao is now on good terms with the people of Xixiang. At the beginning, a three-legged plow cart opened the eyes of the people of Xixiang. Later, when the strategy of hiring workers for eight cents came out, people became more and more satisfied with her and wanted to put her on the table.

Ye Yunzhao waved his hand: "I noticed that the radish behind your house isn't growing well. Do you know why?"

The little girl thought Ye Yunzhao was here to call her to task. She shook her head timidly, then nodded. "I've been fertilizing, catching insects, and watering the plants all day long. I'm very dedicated, but... maybe there's no sun... I don't know why it's not growing. County Magistrate Ye, I'm sorry... I wasted the radish seeds..."

The little girl was probably afraid, so she spoke incoherently. Ye Yunzhao smiled and said, "How could I blame you? It's just that since you're in the shade, haven't you thought of any solution?"

The little girl was stunned: "Could it be that County Magistrate Ye wants me to turn the house upside down? That way the vegetable fields can face the sun..."

Ye Yunzhao smiled helplessly and pointed to the rice stalks and straw piled in her yard: "Weave a rice mat and spread it on the vegetable field at night. Put it away during the day. It should be better in a few days."

She'd learned this method from the village Party Secretary in her previous life, but back then, they'd used plastic wrap. When the temperature difference between day and night was too great, or when the vegetables were about to sprout, covering them with plastic wrap not only kept them warm but also kept them moist. Since plastic wrap wasn't readily available, Ye Yunzhao had her try using rice mats instead. She'd come back in two or three days to see if it worked. If it worked, she'd have to promote it.

The little girl nodded hurriedly after hearing her instructions, "Don't worry, County Magistrate Ye, I'll hurry up and finish it today."

"If anything happens to the seedlings, just come to the county office and find me. Don't let them get any worse."

Ye Yunzhao walked along the muddy country road in Xixiang, and unexpectedly, a familiar person came towards him.

Zhuang Xue was carrying a shoulder pole with a small bamboo box hanging on each end. One of them was filled with green leaves, and the other was covered with a wooden lid, so it was impossible to see what was inside.

"Xue Niang? What are you doing?"

Zhuang Xue bent down, put the shoulder pole down, and said with a smile, "County Magistrate Ye, I'm a courier now."

Ye Yunzhao had been going out early and coming back late recently. It seemed like she hadn't seen Xueniang in a while. Hearing this, she was startled, and suddenly remembered what they had discussed earlier. They had agreed that Cuihua would set up a stall in the market in Yuezhou City, while she would hawk her wares in the countryside. Unexpectedly, it had already begun.

Zhuang Xue added, "Well, calling her a peddler isn't quite right. She's basically just hawking something on the street."

The peddlers or vendors sell many different things, unlike Zhuang Xue, who only sells one kind of crystal cake.

Ye Yunzhao asked with concern: "How is business?"

Zhuang Xue finally laughed heartily at this, "Thanks to you, selling five or six pieces a day is no problem."

Zhuang Xue's crystal cakes were cheap and simple, selling for only two cents a large piece. But even two cents was too much for many, so many people traded soybeans, old rice, millet, and other grains for them. Zhuang Xue had lived a hard life before, so she naturally wouldn't embarrass others. Each family could exchange a few buckets of soybeans for a piece of novel cake, which would last for several days.

Ye Yunzhao felt relieved only when he knew that she was doing well. Zhuang Xue was also very enthusiastic and insisted on cutting a piece of crystal cake for her to take home and try.

Ye Yunzhao refused left and right, and pretended to be angry before she managed to escape. She had a salary, and she was considered a person who lived a comfortable life in Lingnan County. Although a piece of crystal cake was cheap, she was embarrassed to accept it.

"That's fine, County Magistrate Ye. I still have to check out other villages, so I'll be leaving first."

After the two parted, Ye Yunzhao looked at her back and felt that the current Zhuang Xue was completely different from the Zhuang Xue of the past. It seemed like a different person. When he met her on the cliff, she was crying with her face covered, which seemed like a dream that was both real and unreal.

*

She was filled with emotion here, but she didn't know that County Magistrate Han was in dire straits in front of the county government office.

"Han County Magistrate, tell me the truth, what is going on?"

"Yes! Could it be that you received some benefits from Wang Cuihua?"

"That's right! We are all citizens of Lingnan County, how can we be treated differently? County Magistrate Han, are you really our people's father and mother?"

"Oh, I can't live anymore..."

County Magistrate Han was surrounded by a crowd, filled with the sounds of discontent from all directions. He covered his ears and dodged again and again. The crowd was like a solid wall of steel, and no matter how hard he squeezed, he couldn't get out. Helplessly, he looked up to the sky and cried out:

"Alright! What's going on? Tell us one by one!"

The crowd was quiet for a moment, then became excited again:

"I'll speak first!"

"Let me start by saying, that's the one..."

"Let me speak!"

…

"Give it all to me! Shut up—"

County Magistrate Han put his hands on his hips and roared loudly with full energy. Seeing that the mild-mannered county magistrate had lost his temper, everyone belatedly took a half step back and fell into complete silence.

Han County Magistrate's face flushed red from holding back his breath. He took a deep breath and pointed at the very strong woman in front of him: "Dong Bai Niang, tell me first, what's going on?"

Dongbai's mother was taken aback when she was suddenly called upon. She then spoke, "Han County Magistrate, you know that my Dongbai is frail and can't do heavy work. That's why I wanted her to learn to read and write, so that she can pass the imperial examination and become an accountant in the shop."

County Magistrate Han tsk-tsked, "Why are you saying so much useless things? Just tell me what's going on. Why do you have to mention your Dongbai in every sentence..."

As soon as he said this, the crowd let out a few low laughs. Dongbai's mother rolled her eyes and spit flew everywhere: "Who is so heartless as to make fun of me! I just love my Dongbai, so what!"

Dongbai Niang had been married for many years without a child. Fortunately, her husband's mother-in-law was kind and never criticized her. Her husband was also easy to talk to. He complained a few times at first, but eventually came to terms with it. However, the more they tried to comfort her, the more guilty Dongbai Niang felt. She had been married for decades but hadn't left a child. It was all her fault.

Later, she prayed to Buddha every day, and perhaps her sincerity moved God. When she was nearly forty years old, she finally became pregnant. She risked her life to give birth to the child, which finally put her mind at ease.

There were always a few unscrupulous neighbors who scoffed at her for being "old and giving birth to a pearl." But Dongbai's mother didn't care. What was wrong with old and giving birth to a pearl? Having a daughter who was like a kitten, she cared for her every day, holding her in her mouth for fear of her melting, and holding her in her arms for fear of her falling.

The family even went to Yuezhou City and used half a pound of pork to ask a learned teacher to name the girl. Because she was born at the end of the year, they borrowed the name Lin Dongbai, which means evergreen cypress, in the hope that she would be as strong as pine and cypress and grow up safely.

The reason why she came to the county government office this time was very simple. She heard that the county had reopened the county school. If she could let her daughter learn to read and write in the county school, she would not ask for an official position in the future, but could find a job that saved her labor. Then, as a mother, she could die in peace.

"Han County Magistrate, since the county school has been reopened, why didn't you post a notice? We only found out about it from what others told us."

Han Xiancheng was stunned. Although Ye Yunzhao had told him that he wanted to reopen the county school, hadn't he said that only adult girls would be admitted? Didn't he only teach skills and not the classics?

Besides, where can we find a teacher in the county?

He asked suspiciously, "How come I don't know about this? Who told you this?"