Chapter 82 Persuading the Magistrate

Jiang's mother looked worried: "How can a family like ours easily get close to the county magistrate? Oh, right, the other day the county magistrate's daughter wanted to marry the second son. Maybe the second son and his family have connections. Come on, let's go find your second brother."

Jiang Mi thought of the county magistrate's daughter she had met that day—arrogant and domineering, yet she still wanted to marry into their family? Jiang Mi was the first to disagree!

But none of that matters, as long as the magistrate is a good official who loves the people.

Without further ado, Jiang Mi asked Liu Ergou to take her and her mother to town, this time directly to the entrance of the county government office.

"Thank you very much. We'll have to trouble you to wait here for us a little longer." Mother Jiang took out another string of copper coins and stuffed it into Liu Ergou's hand. This time, Liu Ergou gladly accepted it.

"Okay, you guys go ahead, I'll wait for you here." Liu Ergou smiled very honestly. He did the same last time. When he was hungry, he would buy a big pancake from the stall next to him and ask the owner for a bowl of water. The string of cash that the Jiang family gave him was enough for him and his father to live on for a long time.

Unfortunately, they arrived at the wrong time. The sound of reading could be heard coming from Wutong Academy, indicating that the teacher was giving a lesson. Jiang's mother and Jiang Mi did not want to rush in.

Jiang's mother slapped her thigh and said, "Why don't we go directly to the magistrate's residence? Your brother and the others have worked very hard to study, so let's not bother them."

Jiang Mi thought so too, so the mother and daughter went to the magistrate's residence.

Just as Jiang Mi and her mother were about to knock on the door, they were stopped by the two security guards at the entrance.

"Hey, what are you two doing? Is this a place for you to stay?"

Seeing their arrogant attitude, Jiang Mi was about to retort when her mother stopped her.

"This is, after all, a government office."

Jiang's mother whispered a reminder to Jiang Mi, then said to the two gatekeepers in a kind and gentle tone, "Gentlemen gatekeepers, please have mercy. We have important matters to discuss with the county magistrate, and we would appreciate it if you could go in and inform him."

The two gatekeepers looked Jiang's mother up and down, then exchanged a smile.

"You? You want to discuss things with our county magistrate? I say, old woman, are you sleepwalking or have something wrong with your head? Are you running around here acting crazy? Get out of here, don't get in my way."

Jiang Mi can tolerate others talking about her, but she cannot tolerate others treating her mother like this!

"How dare you two talk like that? Aren't you just gatekeepers for the magistrate? If you didn't know better, people would think you were the magistrate's sons!"

The two security guards were shocked that a young girl like Jiang Mi would dare to say such things to them, and they immediately started cursing.

"What did you say, you fat pig? I'm more capable than you! I'm a government official, so what if I'm a gatekeeper? We're guarding the magistrate's gate, while you're only fit to guard old sows, hahahaha..."

The two men burst into laughter. Jiang Mi wanted nothing more than to rip their heads off. She spat and said, "Watchdogs, bullying their master!"

The two men's laughter stopped abruptly.

"What did you say? You fat pig, daring to cause trouble at the county magistrate's residence! I'll teach you a lesson!"

Two guards were about to come and attack Jiang Mi, but Jiang Mi wasn't afraid. Just as she was about to use her strength, someone suddenly blocked her way.

"Is this how you treat your guests?"

This person was none other than Huo Ran!

He stood with his broad shoulders in front of Jiang Mi, protecting her completely. This feeling was strange, but it warmed her heart.

"A guest?" The two guards exchanged a glance. "What guest? Do they have a visiting card?"

Huo Ran took out the village head's invitation. The two guards glanced at it but didn't take it seriously, though they had already dropped their contempt for Fang Cai.

"Oh, so you're a guest of the village head. Please come in."

Huo Ran made a mental note of the two guards, planning to find another opportunity to deal with them.

However, when Jiang Mi and her mother tried to go in, they were stopped by the gatekeeper again.

"You can go in, but these two women can't."

Huo Ran took out the visiting card again and waved it in front of them: "This card was given to the three of us by the village head. If you don't believe it or are not convinced, you can go and ask the village head."

Seeing this, the two gatekeepers had no choice but to let them pass.

As Jiang's mother passed by them, she spat in satisfaction: "Pah, you're so snobbish!"

The two guards dared not speak out in anger and could only silently endure it.

Once inside, Jiang Mi asked softly, "Young Master Huo, what brings you here?"

Huo Ran slowed down and lowered his voice, saying, "The notice posted by the village head was useless. I thought people would trust the magistrate's words more, so I got a visiting card from the village head and came here specifically to talk to the magistrate about this matter."

So that's how it is. Then the two of them are in the same boat.

The servant led the way, and when they reached the door of the study, he said to the three of them, "Please wait here for a moment, I will go in and report."

A moment later, the servant came out again and gestured for the three of them to come in.

"Please come in, gentlemen. Our master is already waiting inside."

Huo Ran stepped in first, followed closely by Jiang Mi and her mother. As soon as they entered the study, both Jiang Mi and her mother couldn't help but sigh, "The lives of the rich are so different from those of ordinary people like us!"

The inkstones on the magistrate's desk were all made of gold, and many of the decorations in the room were also made of gold, making it look dazzling. It was as if the magistrate had simply put gold all over his study.

"You are Huo Ran?" The county magistrate lifted his eyelids and glanced at Huo Ran. He was surprised by Huo Ran's outstanding temperament, which made him look at him with new eyes.

But what good is a good face? These days, family background matters. A good family background is the only real thing.

"Exactly." Huo Ran looked down at the county magistrate as if he were a superior looking at a subordinate.

The magistrate felt a little guilty under Huo Ran's gaze, as if he were being scrutinized by someone of high rank. After thinking for a moment, he realized that the other party was just an ordinary citizen, while he was the official. He immediately put on his official airs again.

"Speak, what is it?"

Huo Ran then told the county magistrate that locusts could not only be eaten, but also bring disaster.

The magistrate dismissed the question, saying, "Nonsense! In all my years, I've never heard of locusts being edible. Do you even know what you're talking about?"

Huo Ran guessed that the county magistrate would not believe it: "The village head didn't believe it either, but it is indeed true. I can eat locusts in front of everyone. In this way, as long as the villagers see that I am fine, they can eat them with peace of mind."