Look at the fighting prowess of these two. If the Prefect still can't see the situation clearly, then he's wasted all these years as an official of the imperial court.

This is clearly dissatisfaction. Not only that, but there are also signs of anger.

Putting everything else aside, the force with which that kick could shatter a stool...

That's something no one in his prefectural office, not even a yamen runner or guard, could have done.

The prefect's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly ordered someone to bring over two more chairs.

He also gave the clerk a symbolic scolding.

Zhao Minggeng and Xu Dongsheng could easily tell that this was an attempt to shirk responsibility. But they didn't care.

So, while the prefect and other county magistrates were making snide remarks, the two men truthfully recounted their respective heroic deeds.

Although these matters were not directly reported at the time, the person in the palace must have been fully aware of them.

It is true that Zhao Minggeng went to Northern Mongolia, and it is even more true that Xu Dongsheng became a martial arts instructor.

If these two didn't have the ability to use violence to control violence, they wouldn't even be able to keep their positions as county magistrates, let alone save their lives.

There's nothing they can do; they have such a capable daughter (wife).

The father-in-law and son-in-law, who are usually not very talkative, really showed off today.

It was incredibly thrilling, full of twists and turns, and fraught with danger.

The father-in-law and son-in-law spoke fluently, while the listeners were on the edge of their seats. When the story was over, everyone was in harmony.

Whether it was the prefect or the county magistrate, their attitudes all underwent a complete 180-degree turn.

Of course, these people would not admit that they were afraid of the fighting prowess of the father-in-law and son-in-law.

What they cared about was that the two men were the cornerstone of their stable official positions in the area.

With the two of them guarding the front, even if something goes wrong in Mengzhou, these two will be there to handle it.

Those weak scholars should just stay in the background and reap the benefits.

Zhao Minggeng and Xu Dongsheng's debut among their colleagues was perfect.

Upon returning to their respective posts, a few days later, the county magistrates personally came to Kenching City to meet with Dawar.

They're all here to buy high-yield grain seeds.

Neither Zhao Minggeng nor Xu Dongsheng were the type to be coy.

They sent people to the countryside to do the statistics as soon as they returned.

The farmers were overjoyed to hear that they could sell potato and sweet potato seeds at the same price as wheat seeds.

They planted wheat every year, but they never managed to eat a decent wheat meal.

They were all eaten by the rich.

It's horrible to think about. Now that they've sold those seeds, will they finally be able to afford a meal?

That's what the common people think.

Before they ate the wheat porridge, the county magistrate introduced them to a new type of agricultural tool: a stone mill.

"What? This stone mill can grind off the husks of wheat, corn and other grains?"

"It can be ground into powder? I've never heard of that."

A village chief was quite surprised, but after trying it at the county government office, he finally confirmed the use of the stone mill.

They also learned that the wheat husks, once ground off, could be kept to feed chickens and ducks.

People can just eat the fruit inside.

When the farmers tasted wheat noodle soup for the first time, they were so excited they almost cried.

"This is so delicious! It's so smooth and chewy. There's nothing better than this wheat soup."

A farmer's wife ate while talking.

What this thing is called is unimportant. What matters is that they got to eat it.

The worst thing is that, whether in Kenchin, Dawar, or other counties, stonemasons do very good business.

Stone mills are in short supply.

Wealthy families buy a small one for their own use.

For families without money, the whole village would buy one large one, place it in the center of the village, and use it collectively.

In their minds, this thing is made of stone, and it can be used not only for a lifetime, but for generations to come.

It's often said that the potential of ordinary people is limitless; ever since they learned that grain could be ground with a stone mill,

These ordinary people have come up with all sorts of creative ways to grind grains.

Putting everything else aside, even corn stalks—aren't they sweet?

The common people felt that since oxen liked to eat this stuff, they wondered if it could be ground up and mixed with wheat bran to feed the oxen in winter so they could gain weight.

Why not give it a try? How will you know if it will work if you don't try?

What everyone lacks most right now is what to feed the cattle in winter; what they have in abundance is their physical strength.

Before, we worked ourselves to the bone and still couldn't get enough to eat; now we have plenty to eat and don't have to work ourselves to the bone anymore.

Happiness is revealed through comparison.

Zhao Minggeng and Xu Dongsheng always took a step-by-step approach to improving people's livelihoods, rather than providing all the methods at once.

The greatest benefit of doing this is that it gives people hope.

Every now and then, something exciting happens.

Once the initial excitement has subsided and things have settled, another exciting event will occur in a few days.

With one pleasant surprise after another, the happiness index of ordinary people has been steadily rising.

At the same time, we are proud that they have acquired a brand new skill.

The label of "incompetent Magistrate Zhao" has gradually been removed.

All the county magistrates, including the prefect, once again focused their attention on Zhao Minggeng.

They were all thinking about which girl in their family would be the most suitable to introduce to him.

They were reluctant to part with their own legitimate daughters, but they were quite willing to part with their illegitimate daughters if they could arrange marriages.

After several attempts to persuade him, it was discovered that Zhao Minggeng was completely unyielding.

Let alone a concubine's daughter, they don't even want a legitimate daughter. In short, "This official has no intention of starting a family."

The young ladies, who had been worried about being married off to some old man by their own fathers, breathed a sigh of relief.

I wonder if I'll regret it when I finally meet that "old man" in person.

Zhao Minggeng is really good-looking.

If it weren't for that specially grown beard, he would look like a man in his twenties.

He doesn't seem like a father of a child in his thirties at all.

"Dad, what's the point of keeping that beard? It doesn't look good."

This was the third time Zhao Qingyan had seen soup stains on Zhao Minggeng's beard.

Zhao Minggeng didn't take it seriously.

"I kept it because it's ugly. Your dad has been having too many bad romantic encounters lately."

Sigh, even though things are so rough around the edges, people still try to arrange a marriage for your dad.

Isn't this ridiculous? I didn't take a liking to your father's talent at all; I took a liking to your father because I'm a county magistrate.

But what is a county magistrate anyway? Once you enter the capital, you have to kneel before every official.

I don't want to take advantage of a beautiful young woman.

The brain of your father's is only suited to be used by one person in this lifetime.

Back then, if your father hadn't spoiled your mother so much, perhaps we'd be living a pretty good life now.

Zhao Qingyan was stunned. "Father, do you still miss Mother?"

Zhao Minggeng turned to look at his daughter, "How is this possible?"