Chapter 137: Ezhou Governor [VIP]

If we want to explain the situation of each village clearly, it will take a long time.

Yang Jizong recommended Li Xin and Liu Chuang to Peng Dingqiu. As for Zhao Xiaofu, after he passed the college entrance examination in February, he would be brought to his side to gain experience.

So I didn’t mention it.

After the hour of You, Li Menghong's son came to Huixianju to pick up his drunken father and said goodbye to everyone present.

Although Peng Dingqiu was a little drunk, he was still able to walk by himself, so he refused Chen Yao's kindness to let Li Xin and Liu Chuang see him off.

Chen Yao and her cousin got on the carriage and headed back to the post station. She couldn't help but lift the curtain of the carriage to take a look at Yang Jizong who was walking alone on the long street in the cold wind.

"Ayao, he chose the path himself, so don't be soft-hearted." Tian Baolai pulled the curtain tightly to block Chen Yao's sight.

Since Yang Jizong chose to divorce A Yao, it has nothing to do with them.

Yang Jizong watched the carriage disappear into the night. He was not in a hurry to return to the post station, but went to the old house. Three years had passed and everything had changed.

Looking at the long-abandoned old house, Yang Jizong became more determined.

In early April, the grass is green and the birds are singing.

Chen Yao and Tian Baolai followed the new Fang County magistrate Peng Dingqiu and returned to Xiahe Village under the escort of the imperial guards and yamen runners.

The villagers looked at the flags fluttering in the wind, listened to the words of the royal guards, and knelt on the ground as if they were dreaming.

A Yao, no, their village head went to the capital and unexpectedly became the county lord of Fang County, and they also had a new prefect.

After the Royal Guards safely sent Chen Yao and others back, they did not stay long and left Xiahe Village on the same day.

As soon as the outsiders left, the villagers surrounded Chen Yao and Tian Baolai, asking them what was going on.

Now that A Yao becomes the county lord, will there be someone who can speak for these tenant farmers in the court in the future?

Seeing that his daughter and Baolai looked exhausted, Shen Qingshan quickly asked his wife to take them home first.

As for why Yang Jizong did not come back, Shen Qingshan and others sent the villagers away before going into the house to ask.

After not seeing each other for two months, everyone has a lot to say.

Huang Xing took out some pastries from home and let the two children eat them first. She would go and make dinner later.

"Ayao, why didn't Zi'an come back with you?" Huang Xing asked this question, and everyone in the room looked at the two of them.

Tian Baolai glared at Yang Wenying who was huddled in the crowd, and explained loudly to his family on behalf of his sister.

"You little rascal, what are you talking about? A Yao and Zi An have always had a good relationship, how could they get divorced?" Huang Mei stood up from her chair, and her original heartache and longing disappeared in an instant.

"Brother, this is no joke." Tian Baozhu also stood up from the chair.

Even when his mother grabbed his ears, Tian Baolai refused to change his words: "Mother, it's true. He personally told the saint so that he could become an official."

"Oh my god, wouldn't that mean all the officials in the capital would know about this in front of everyone?" Miao exclaimed.

Huang Dongsheng leaned on a crutch in one hand, hopped in front of Chen Yao on one foot, and held Chen Yao's hand: "Cousin, you have suffered such a great injustice in the capital, why don't you write to us so that we can go to the capital to support you."

"Ayao, where is this brat? Dad will go find him and ask him clearly. How did he swear to me? How could he be so treacherous?" Shen Qingshan clapped his hands, and everyone echoed in unison.

You must ask clearly in person.

Chen Yao looked at her parents under pressure, took out the divorce papers from her bosom, and said casually, "Dad and Mom, the divorce is true. It's natural for him to want to be an official. We are not the same kind of people, so please don't ask any more questions."

Shen Qingshan and his wife exchanged a glance, clutching the divorce agreement, fearing his daughter would be upset. "Okay, Mom and Dad won't ask. Mom and Dad won't ask."

The atmosphere in the hall was a little depressing for a moment. Shen Qingshan looked at everyone and suddenly said, "Okay, it's good that Ayao and he are divorced. My daughter is so outstanding, are you afraid that she won't find a better person in the future?"

Yang Wenying, who knew the truth, opened her mouth to say something for her brother, but Chen Yao shook her head at her.

This small movement was captured by Huang Mei.

"Wenying, Coach Xing will come to the village to pick you up to take you to Ezhou in two days. You should not go to the rabbit house in the next two days." Chen Yao spoke to Yang Wenying.

"Okay, I get it." Yang Wenying stood up and apologized to everyone. "I know it's useless to say anything on my brother's behalf now, but if it weren't for you, my brother and I wouldn't have survived these past two years. I apologize to you on my brother's behalf."

Yang Wenying fell to her knees on the ground.

Huang Xing hurried over and pulled her up, brushing the dust off her knees with tears in her eyes. "You silly child, after two years, don't we know what kind of people you and your brother are? Even if your brother really divorces A Yao, as long as you want to come back, you'll always be welcome here."

"That's right, you are you, and your brother is your brother, Wenying, hand over your handkerchief.

Yang Wenying took it and wiped the tears from her face and shook her head, "No, you are all my family, how could I forget you."

Tian Baozhu and Yang Wenying.

Huang Mei gave Huang Xing a wink, and the adults went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, leaving the children inside to talk.

"Big sister, did you notice that Ayao, as a mother, just saw her daughter take out the divorce papers without saying a word, and she was

Huang Mei brought a basket and asked the two of them to sit at the kitchen door to pick the fruits, while keeping an eye on the children's movements.

"I have some guesses, but I don't know if they are correct." Huang Mei took out all the ingredients.

"Sister, please stop keeping me in suspense and tell me now." Miao helped her husband sit outside on the porch to bask in the sun.

"We all know the character of these brother and sister. Zi'an is not someone who seeks fame and fortune. Although the divorce is true and the official position is also true, is this mixture of truth and falsehood just to deceive us and those nobles, so that they will stop targeting us and stop harming us?"

"Sister, what you mean is that Zi'an and A'yao divorced to protect us, and he wants to deal with those bad guys by himself?" Huang Xing stared.

Huang Mei clapped her hands. "Yes, think about it carefully. Think about Wenying. Isn't she surprised at all that Ayao and her brother are getting divorced?"

Everyone nodded immediately.

Shen Qingshan held the leek and whispered, "So this child knew all along. I said she'd been at home for the past two months, and I don't know where her soul had gone. It turns out she was hiding something so serious."

The more the elders analyzed the situation, the more they felt that this was the truth.

"Since the kids want to hide it from us, let's just pretend we know nothing. Once the matter is settled, we can question them properly."

"That's right, we can't hold the children back in secret. Let's just tell everyone that the two children are not meant to be together, and don't say anything else."

The sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen.

Chen Yao was gone for two months, and a lot of things happened in the village during these two months.

Zhao Xiaofu passed the imperial examination in February and became a scholar. Xu was so happy that she asked the young man from the Zheng family to buy a sheep in the county town, kill it in the village, and distribute it to the villagers.

Zhao Xiaofu not only brought hope to poor children, but also became a role model for all the students in Shenjia School.

The children in the school study hard day and night. According to the village teacher, he will select a few children to try this year, including Luo Dunzi.

"Cousin, don't you want to give it a try?" Chen Yao glanced at Huang Dongsheng and Tian Baolai.

Huang Dongsheng continued, leaning on a cane, "Of course I have to go. Don't worry, cousin. My legs are almost healed. I've been studying hard at home during this period of recovery."

Chen Yao couldn't help laughing when she looked at his round face.

Huang Dongsheng naturally knew what they were laughing at, but it was good to be able to make everyone laugh at this time.

At the beginning of spring, the villagers in the two villages would go to reclaim wasteland and tidy up the wheat fields as soon as they got off work. They would work from morning to night just to fill their children's stomachs and allow them to continue their studies.

When the news of Chen Yao and Yang Jizong's divorce spread throughout the village, Yang Wenying had already been taken away by Xing Fang, and Zhao Xiaofu from the village also left with her.

Xu did not go with them. She remained in Xiahe Village and led the embroiderers in the rabbit house to make velvet flowers and fur goods.

When the shopkeepers Ren and Tong Li of Qingfeng Town learned that Chen Yao had become the county lord, they came to her the next day with milk tea dividends and carts of gifts.

Chen Yao accepted the dividends, but she confiscated the gifts. "I appreciate the kindness of the three shopkeepers, but I cannot accept these things. Our friendship doesn't need to be so unconventional."

Compared to the two shopkeepers Tong and Li who were at a loss, Shopkeeper Ren was a shrewd person. After all, he had dealt with Shen Yao the most times.

"County Lady, I brought back some writing brushes, inkstones, and paper, which are what the children need. Please accept them on their behalf. I will consider it as sponsoring their next imperial examination this year."

"Then Manager Ren, please come with me to the school. We must let the children know your kindness."

"No need, County Lady, you can accept it for the children."

Outside the Shen family school.

The students lined up according to their height and thanked Manager Ren in unison. The cart of pens, ink, paper and inkstone was then distributed among the children.

At the students' cordial invitation, the three shopkeepers had a meal in the school that they would never forget.

Looking at these students lining up with their trays to get food, they did not forget to check each other's recitation while eating. Some children even made a booklet. When the shopkeeper Ren leaned over to take a look, he found that the handwriting was neater than his.

The three shopkeepers rode a mule cart out of Xiahe Village and looked at each other. They believed that Xiahe Village would undergo earth-shaking changes in a short time.

A lot of people have been coming in and out of the Shen family these days.

When the grandmothers learned that the two children were divorced, they pooled money to ask Chen Youfu to go to the temple to pray for Chen Yao. They also sent two free-range chickens to the Shen family so that Shen Qingshan and his wife could nourish Chen Yao.

During this period, Chen Yao felt the kindness of countless people, but she felt bad for Yang Jizong.

Yang Jizong, who was far away in Ezhou, didn't care how others viewed him.

As the prefect of Ezhou, he took three actions upon taking office. The first one was to take out the maps of the counties in Ezhou and asked Xing Fang to summon the prefects of all the counties under his jurisdiction to a meeting.

The main purpose of the meeting was to have the county governors report on the land conditions in the villages under their jurisdiction and the annual harvests of the tenant farmers.

This included Fang County, so when Peng Dingqiu received the order, he took Li Xin and Liu Chuang there without saying a word.