"Thank you." The old woman smiled and gave him a small piece of silver.
The villager was flattered; this was too much! He had only asked for directions.
The carriage went straight to Zhao Lizheng's house.
The villagers looked at each other, wondering if they were looking for the Qiao family.
When passing the Qiao family's house, the carriage curtain was lifted slightly, then lowered again.
Qiao Lian'er is currently teaching Ling Yin and her two older sisters to read, and she's even teaching Qiao Yunni along with them.
It's outrageous that the daughter of an official can't read a single word.
Qiao Yunni also studied very hard, but she was a bit older when she started learning, so it was more difficult for her.
Knowing that she would inevitably have to deal with the daughters of officials and noblewomen when she went to the Chu family, she couldn't afford to make a fool of herself, so she gritted her teeth and continued to study.
She could just sleep less and make sure she digested what she had learned that day.
Suddenly, Qiao Lian'er felt unwell and frowned.
I think it might be because she started menstruating. Just last month, she had her first period.
The carriage stopped at the gate of Zhao Lizheng's courtyard. A man in his early thirties lifted his robe and got off. He wore a blue turban and dark brocade, with a lark pattern embroidered on his chest. His face was dignified and imposing, like someone who was used to giving orders.
Following closely behind was a woman in her thirties. Although her clothes were also understated, she wore a bracelet with excellent luster and exuded an air of being pampered and privileged.
Then there was a brother and sister. The brother looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old, and the sister was about twelve or thirteen. Both of them were very handsome, with slender figures and fair and smooth skin, where even the finest downy hairs could be seen.
Zhao Lizheng happened to be at home when he saw that the people who came seemed to be looking for him, but he didn't recognize them.
"My lord, what are you doing—"
"Are you Zhao Lizheng?" the man asked directly.
"Exactly."
The man took out a document from his sleeve: "We have already received approval from the county government to settle in Datian Village. We would like to ask Village Chief Zhao to allocate a plot of land for us to build houses. As for farmland, we will buy a few acres from any family willing to sell."
Zhao Lizheng was stunned. This family was obviously not simple. They were either rich or noble and could have settled down in any prefecture or county. Why did they choose Datian Village?
Moreover, when outsiders settle in the village, they usually come to him first. He first determines the location of their settlement and then goes to the county government to report it.
The family went to the government office to settle the matter before informing him.
He examined the document and confirmed that it bore the county government's seal. The matter concerned registering the family's household registration in Datian Village, which was indeed true.
I couldn't help but ask, "You don't look like country folk, so why did you settle in the village?"
Exile seems unlikely; perhaps he sought refuge beforehand? The latter is more probable.
He wanted to find out more to avoid causing trouble for Datian Village by accusing him of harboring criminals.
"I have already explained the reasons to the county government, but I cannot disclose them here. Don't worry, it's not what you're thinking."
"Please follow the procedure, Zhao Lizheng."
Zhao Lizheng took another good look at the document. This family was also surnamed Qiao. There was also a household registration certificate attached to the back of the document, which contained basic population information.
He glanced at their names, a slight jolt ran through him, and he looked up.
The girl in front of me is named Qiao Lian'er.
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