Chapter 60 Lin'an, Father, Be More Bold

"Um?"

Si Yao paused slightly.

Then he stood up and lowered his head to sniff the body.

Apart from a faint smell of alcohol, there was no other smell.

She looked at Fang Zhiyue, whose eyes were wide open, and asked, "Little Father, do you dislike the smell of alcohol on me?"

Fang Zhiyue had already sat up, covering his nose and leaning towards the inside of the bed.

Disgust was written all over his body.

The voice sounded muffled. "...The smell of powder on you is so unpleasant... It makes me want to vomit..."

"cosmetics?"

Si Yao's tone was filled with confusion.

Then he thought of something and it dawned on him.

It must have been contaminated on her by the dancer when he got close to her just now.

She was silent for a moment.

Fang Zhiyue saw that she had been silent, as if she had thought of something.

I felt inexplicably blocked and anxious.

Suddenly, she became furious. "It stinks! It's even stinking me and the kids. Go wash it off right away, or you won't be able to sleep in the bed tonight."

He rarely loses his temper.

Si Yao raised his eyes and looked at him quietly.

Looking at his slightly puffed cheeks, I felt a little weird in my heart.

Fang Zhiyue bit his tongue secretly after he finished speaking.

When he met her calm eyes, his body subconsciously tensed up.

He opened his mouth and was about to say something else.

Si Yao suddenly started laughing. At first, her laughter was quite low, but by the end, the whole room was filled with her joyful laughter.

Fang Zhiyue was irritated again. "What are you laughing at?"

"Is my young father jealous?" Si Yao curled his eyebrows.

"What?"

Fang Zhiyue was stunned when he heard this.

After realizing what was happening, he hurriedly covered it up: "Who, who is jealous? You, don't talk nonsense! You already smell bad."

"My father is just jealous."

The smile in Si Yao's eyes grew wider and wider.

She was obviously very happy with his performance.

She reached out and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. "Don't worry, little father. I didn't let those people touch me. I just got it accidentally. How could I let anyone touch me besides little father?"

Fang Zhiyue fell on her legs and screamed.

Spread your legs and protect your stomach carefully.

He rested his head on her shoulder, his face flushed. "Don't talk nonsense! I, I don't care about you."

In fact, my eyes were so panicked that I couldn't focus.

“Okay, okay…”

Si Yao reached out and touched his back, patting it gently.

She did not argue with him, but only chuckled and replied, "Whatever my father says is what it is."

She moved her palm up and pinched the back of his neck, causing him to lift his head.

The red lips pressed down, directly blocking his mouth.

“Mmmmm—”

Fang Zhiyue was caught off guard and snorted twice.

Before he could struggle, Si Yao pushed open his teeth, penetrated straight in, locked onto his tongue and began to suck on it.

The saliva that could not be swallowed in time flowed out from the corners of the lips.

Fang Zhiyue shook his head, feeling short of breath.

Si Yao finally let him go until his little face turned red.

She pulled out of his mouth, pulling out a silver thread.

When Fang Zhiyue was breathing rapidly, she leaned over and kissed the corner of his lips a few times.

His voice was a little hoarse. "Little father, you have to learn to be bolder, understand? I am yours. Let alone touching me, even if I say a few more words, you should firmly say no. That way, no one can snatch me away..."

Fang Zhiyue's heart was beating a little faster.

I don’t know if it was because of the lack of oxygen just now, or because of Si Yao’s domineering words.

His long eyelashes drooped and trembled violently.

The voice was a little weak, "Just like you did to me..."

"yes."

Si Yao slowly raised the corners of his lips, "Just like how I treat you... what is there for you to be afraid of..."

She lowered her hand to rest on his bulging belly, "You have the greatest support now."

Fang Zhiyue didn't say anything else.

But when Si Yao put her arms around his waist, he stretched out his slender arms and hooked them around her neck, burying his head tightly in the crook of her neck.

Have a good night's sleep.

The next morning, they boarded the carriage again and left Linzhou.

Walking towards Lin'an County.

Although Lin'an County is under the jurisdiction of Linzhou, it is completely different from other counties and towns.

Several huge mountains rose from the ground, locking this small county town inside like a trapped beast.

Not only is it difficult to get in, it is even more difficult to get out.

After the carriage entered the small road leading to Lin'an County, it stopped moving after going not far.

There was no other way, Si Yao and the other two could only abandon the car and leave.

The path is rugged and winding, extending downwards.

Shi Qi was exploring the way ahead.

Si Yao supported Fang Zhiyue and followed behind.

After about half an hour, we finally saw the small county in the distance.

At the dilapidated city gate, there were a few soldiers holding weapons guarding it.

A fifty-year-old woman in official uniform looked forward, and when she saw Si Yao and the other two, she immediately came over to greet them.

Her eyes fell on Si Yao, and seeing her extraordinary demeanor, she asked, "You are the Si County Magistrate, right? I am the Chief Clerk of Lin'an County, my surname is Chen. I am honored to meet you, sir."

"Master Shen, there's no need to be so polite."

Si Yao stepped forward and helped her up.

Looking at the deserted streets inside the city gate, he casually asked, "Why is Lin'an County so sparsely populated? And there are only a few soldiers guarding the city. On the way here, even carriages couldn't pass, so I had to walk. Didn't Governor Pei send someone to open an official road here?"

Shen Zhubu didn't expect that the new county magistrate would ask the key question as soon as he arrived.

She hunched over, sighed deeply, and said, "Don't worry, my lord. Let's go back to the yamen first and I'll explain everything to you in detail."

Having said that, he turned around and led them towards the city.

When they arrived at the government office, they looked at this shabby office building, which was not even as good as the small courtyard Si Yao had in Yunzhou.

I was really stunned.

Shen Zhubu also knew that the yamen was a bit shabby, and he felt a little embarrassed. "Please forgive me, sir. Our Lin'an County is really poor and can't even build a decent yamen. I'm afraid I'm wronging you."

"Your Excellency, please—"

She continued walking inside. "The small courtyard at the back is where you, my lord, will rest. Please let my husband go there first. I have already ordered someone to clean it up."

Shi Qi and Fang Zhiyue went to the backyard first.

Leaving Si Yao alone, he entered the yamen with Chen Zhubu.

This yamen gave the same feeling as the entire yamen, shabby and embarrassing.

Aside from a plaque with a bright mirror hanging high above, there was only a table and an official chair in the center. Si Yao glanced around, his gaze landing on Chief Clerk Shen behind him. "If I remember correctly, in addition to the Chief Clerk, there should also be a County Magistrate and a Dianshi in the yamen. Why are you the only one here?"

"Your Excellency has seen that Lin'an County is extremely poor and short on manpower. One person could do the work of three. Except for this humble official, the Chief Clerk, all other positions are still vacant."

"Pei Zhizhou doesn't care?"

Si Yao frowned.

Lin'an County is under her jurisdiction, so logically she should be in charge of it.

Chief Secretary Shen said, "The previous county magistrate reported this matter to the prefect long ago, but even after Magistrate Hong retired, the prefect didn't send anyone. He just said he hadn't found a suitable candidate yet."

"Why is no one willing to come? Is there anything special about Lin'an County?"

It was said that when she went to see Pei Zhizhou with the appointment documents that day, she was too eager.

She felt something was strange at the time.

"Your Excellency may not be aware of the situation in Lin'an County..."

Shen Zhubu sighed, his posture becoming increasingly hunched. "In fact, Lin'an County used to be the richest county town in Linzhou. It was surrounded by mountains, which were rich in orange trees. The people of the county and the surrounding villages relied on these trees for their livelihood. In addition, there was a large river flowing from south to north within Lin'an County, which was rich in river pearls, which also provided a means of livelihood for the people. But since who knows when, a group of mountain bandits arose in the surrounding area, occupying not only the mountains and forests but also the river routes for travel."

"The state sent troops to suppress them several times, but they could never find their lair. Gradually, they left them alone, and Lin'an County became increasingly poor, from having abundant food to struggling to make ends meet."

"Every county magistrate has tried to improve Lin'an County, but these bandits are so cunning that it's impossible to track them down. As a result, they're becoming even more powerful."

After Shen Zhubu finished speaking, his expression became more depressed.

She came from Lin'an County when it was prosperous, and also witnessed its decline and sadness.

Now it is not far from her retirement.

Shen Zhubu's only wish is to see Lin'an County become prosperous again.

After hearing what she said, Si Yao was silent.

After Shen Zhubu left, she sat alone in the yamen for a while, and only got up and went to the backyard after a long time.

"Sister Yao, are we going to live here from now on?"

Fang Zhiyue saw her coming.

Asked in a low voice.

Si Yao reached out and took his hand, holding him in his arms, and said softly, "Little father, do you not like it here?"

She looked around the room.

His voice was a little low. "It's true that this place is a bit shabby. I'll have someone tidy it up again someday."

Fang Zhiyue shook his head and sat obediently on her lap. "Isn't this the government office? Can people live here? Will it affect your work?"

"So this is what my father is worried about..."

Si Yao chuckled and couldn't help but stretched out her hand to pinch his little face: "Don't worry, little father, it won't affect me. I can't wait to be with you. I'm so happy."

"alright…"

She stood up, carried him to the only bed in the room, and gently put him down. "You've walked such a long way, little father, you must be tired. Get some sleep first. I'll ask someone to prepare some food."

After watching him close his eyes, I left the room.

As soon as I walked out, Shi Qi was standing in the corridor waiting with a serious look on his face.

"Female..."

She called out.

It seems like he has something to say.

Si Yao's eyes fell on her quietly. He walked aside and asked, "If you have anything to say, just say it directly. Have you been here before?"

She had noticed something strange about Shi Qi before.

When she mentioned Linzhou and Lin'an to her, she was visibly stunned. It was obvious that there was some story behind it.

"Back in Yunzhou, I asked you, my lady, to avenge me. Do you remember?"

Si Yao nodded, "I remember."

"In fact, I fled from Linzhou to Yunzhou. I had no choice but to sell myself out to avoid being pursued by my enemies."

Hearing this, Si Yao's eyes deepened.

He looked at her and asked, "Are you familiar with the bandits hiding in the mountains of Linzhou?"

She asked suddenly.

Shi Qi was silent for a few breaths, then nodded: "Yes."