Lu Lin was in a hurry to sell his shop, and many people in Dashi Village had heard that Lu Lin was going to sell his business. However, they only found out that it was true after Lu Lin actually sold the business.
Lu Lin really did sell the business.
"I heard that he went to become an official, so he sold the business."
"Lu Lin really has guts; he sold such a large trading company just like that."
"He's already become an official, why would he care about a trading company?"
"I thought Lu Chengyu would become an official, but I didn't expect Lu Lin to become an official first."
"Is it Lu Lin? Not Chen Xiaomi?"
"Shuang'er cannot be an official; Chen Xiaomi bought the position for Lu Lin."
"I didn't know that was the case. I thought Chen Xiaomi and Lu Lin didn't get along. I heard from the Lu family that Lu Lin is henpecked and has to go through Chen Xiaomi to get money. If Chen Xiaomi doesn't give him money, he won't have any. Chen Xiaomi has always treated Lu Lin like an outsider."
"Can we trust what the Lu family says?"
"It's true that life is unpredictable. When Lu Lin heard that he was going to marry into Chen Xiaomi's family, he was so scared that he fell into the river. I never thought that he would become an official now."
It's not easy for an official to come from this village. For a time, the whole village was talking about Lu Lin becoming an official. When they learned that Chen Xiaomi had spent three thousand taels to buy the position, the villagers all sighed that Chen Xiaomi was too low-key. She had made so much money, but she never showed off.
With Chen Xiaomi gone, who knows if our embroidery can still be sold to Huaxia Trading Company? It certainly won't be as convenient as before.
Thinking about the consequences of Chen Xiaomi's departure, the villagers began to miss her good qualities.
The old lady was very excited about Lu Lin becoming an official. She couldn't understand how this good-for-nothing Lu Lin had suddenly become an official.
Lu Chengyu told her that the official position she had bought was not a good one. Shaxian was close to the frontier, and if war broke out, the county magistrate would be the first to be killed.
Hearing Lu Chengyu's words, the old lady's anger finally subsided a bit. She felt that Lu Lin was destined to die young and that he would be killed sooner or later after taking the official position.
Lu Lin and his group of fourteen people, in four mule carts, headed towards Shaxian County in a grand procession.
After deciding to go to Shaxian, Lu Lin dismissed some of his staff.
Those who remained included Wan Xiaofan's family, who had signed a contract of servitude, as well as Xique and Lin Chun, who had also signed contracts of servitude.
In addition, Qin Yi's family also came along. Qin Yi had already bought a house in the town, but when he learned that Lu Lin was going to Shaxian to take up his post, he resolutely sold the house.
Lu Lin was very grateful for Qin Yi's decision. Qin Lang and Qin Ming of the Qin family had grown into young men over the years and had even learned some martial arts, so they were quite skilled.
Over the years, the Qin family father and his two sons have made a lot of money with him. If they wanted to stay in Lin County, they should have been able to find a way to make a living and do quite well. But Qin Yi sold his house and came here.
The journey from Linzhen to Shaxian was long and there was a risk of bandits appearing along the way. With Qin Yi's family accompanying him, Lu Lin felt much more at ease.
Zhang Rui wanted to come along, but his wife had given birth to a son a couple of years ago and just had a daughter. With two children in the family, Zhang Rui couldn't leave.
Seeing Zhang Rui's situation, Lu Lin didn't let Zhang Rui go with him.
Although Lu Lin was instructed to report within three months, he wanted to arrive in Shaxian County before winter, so he left a little earlier.
The journey to Shaxian was long, and Lu Lin was somewhat worried about Yuanbao.
Among the group, Yuanbao was the youngest. Having endured wind and rain all the way, Lu Lin was worried that Yuanbao might get sick.
Fortunately, Yuanbao is a child and was very enthusiastic about this trip. He chattered excitedly the whole way.
The saying goes, "A poor family can be rich on a journey." Lu Lin was quite willing to spend money along the way. He didn't hesitate to stay at inns and restaurants and take away food. Therefore, he didn't suffer too much hardship along the way.
On the way, Qin Ming hummed a song softly as he drove the mule cart.
"Little brother, you're so happy!" Qin Lang said.
Qin Ming nodded and said, "Yes, Brother Lin is a county magistrate now. I might be able to get a job as a yamen runner. Even a yamen runner is an eighth-rank official. How prestigious is that!"
Qin Lang smiled and said, "With your meager skills, it won't be easy for you to become a yamen runner."
"Brother, don't underestimate me. I'm very capable. Those yamen runners in Lin Town are no match for me. However..." The other party is a government official, so he couldn't provoke him.
Qin Lang smiled and said, "Being by Brother Lin's side always makes me feel excited."
In fact, the three members of the Qin family, father and sons, have lived quite well in Lin Town over the years and have made a name for themselves.
Knowing that Lu Lin was going to sell the business and go to Shaxian to take up his post, the father and his two sons sold the house without hesitation.
Qin Lang would go to Shaxian with Lu Lin without hesitation. On the one hand, the journey to Shaxian was long and the three of them were grateful for Lu Lin's kindness and worried that the Lu family would encounter bandits on the way. On the other hand, they felt that only by following Lu Lin could they live a wonderful life.
Chen Xiaocai sat in the mule cart, flipping through a book.
Chen Chi looked at Chen Xiaocai and asked, "Do you want to take the imperial examination?"
Chen Xiaocai smiled and said, "I did have that idea, but I didn't expect Brother Lin to actually become an official."
It's so prestigious to be an official! No matter how big the business is, offending an official can cause a lot of trouble, not to mention that the status of a merchant is too low.
Chen Chi blinked and said, "I didn't expect Brother Lin to become an official."
In Shen Chi's mind, officials were unattainable figures, and he was still a little confused when Lu Lin suddenly became a county magistrate.
Chen Xiaocai puffed out her cheeks and said, "Brother Lin is such a spendthrift. He spent thousands of taels of silver on a county magistrate position, losing most of the money he's earned over the years. If I pass the exam, I can save this money."
Hearing Chen Chi and Chen Xiaocai's conversation, Lu Lin glanced at Chen Xiaocai and thought to himself: "That brat Xiao Lai is really delusional. Passing the imperial examination isn't that easy. Lu Chengyu, that hypocritical fellow, has been taking the exam for so many years and only barely passed the lowest level. This brat is something else, she even dares to complain about him being a spendthrift."
After nearly two months of arduous travel, Lu Lin finally arrived at his destination.
Upon arriving in Shaxian, Lu Lin discovered that the locals were not fond of him, the new official. Their gazes towards him carried a hint of schadenfreude, as if to say, "You won't last long."
Lu Lin shook his head inwardly, thinking: "Comparing officials is infuriating! No wonder the same county magistrate only costs three thousand taels in this godforsaken place, while in other places it costs ten or twenty thousand. The people here are too arrogant." However, thinking that many of the original inhabitants had moved away, and those who remained were mostly veterans from the battlefield, he felt somewhat relieved.
Many of the people who joined the army came from poor families. Some of them served for a long time and had nowhere to go after their discharge, so they stayed in Shaxian.
"My lord, this is your residence," the young man said.
Lu Lin glanced at the boy, gave him twenty coins, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Luo Wen, his eyes shining, accepted the money Lu Lin handed him and said, "Sir, you seem to be a good official. It is a blessing for Sha County that you have come here."
Lu Lin smiled helplessly upon hearing Luo Wen's compliment.
The boy's name was Luo Wen, a local child from Shaxian County. He exuded a cleverness. After Lu Lin and his group arrived, the residents of Shaxian County ignored Lu Lin and looked at him with disdain. However, this boy came up to them and said that he could be their guide, but of course, he would need some money.
The child's clothes were tattered, and when he approached, he seemed poised and confident, but Lu Lin could still sense his nervousness, and figured he must be a pitiful child.
Although buying the official position had cost Lu Lin most of his fortune, he still had a considerable amount left. Since he was new to the area, Lu Lin wouldn't be stingy with a small guide fee for the children.
Looking at the mansion in front of him, Lu Lin said, "This is the county magistrate's office?"
Luo Wen nodded and said, "Yes, the previous magistrate has been gone for a while now, and the county office hasn't been repaired for some time."
Lu Lin frowned, thinking to himself: This building is in such a dilapidated state? Even if the previous magistrate had left, it shouldn't be this run-down. This county government office is the face of the county!
"The county's facade is really not impressive! Brother Lin, the magistrate's residence is so dilapidated, it's no wonder that the magistrates here don't last long." Qin Ming said casually.
Do scholars become officials truly to speak out for the people? Perhaps some do, but most are simply after wealth and a better life. If they can't live a good life, what's the point of being an official?
Luo Wen looked at Lu Lin, rolled his eyes, and said, "Sir, your residence is right behind this government office. I won't keep you company any longer, I'll be going now."
Lu Lin glanced at the child who had run away and felt that the child's behavior was somewhat strange.
Looking at Luo Wen's retreating figure, Chen Xiaocai vaguely sensed that the kid seemed to be fleeing in panic.
"Brother Lin, this place is so strange!" Chen Xiaocai said.
Lu Lin sighed and said, "Let's go inside first."
Chen Xiaomi was stunned when she arrived at the magistrate's residence behind the county government office.
The roof is gone! It's been in disrepair for years, but it shouldn't be like this!
Lu Lin frowned, thinking to himself: No wonder no one wants to come to this godforsaken place. The mansion is so dilapidated and the locals are so fierce. Coming here is just asking for trouble.
Compared to the residences behind the government office, the dilapidated government office itself seemed quite respectable.
Qin Yi said with some concern, "This house has been in disrepair for many years, but it shouldn't be in such a dilapidated state. I guess someone took advantage of the fact that no one was around at the government office and secretly took away the tiles and bricks from the house."
Lu Lin: "..." Tiles and bricks also cost money. If farmers don't have money, they should try to save as much as possible.
Qin Yi looked at Lu Lin and said, "Brother Lin, what do we do now?"
Lu Lin said helplessly, "What should we do? Let's find someone to repair the house first." No wonder that kid ran away just now. He was probably worried that the kid would get angry when he saw how dilapidated the house was, so he ran away.
Before Lu Lin came to take up his post, he spent a lot of effort inquiring about the situation here. There was a border patrol camp with a general named Ji Chengkang, who was upright, incorruptible, and hated evil. The people trusted that general more.
That general seemed to have made great military achievements and should have returned to the capital to be promoted and made a fortune. However, he was too upright and inflexible, so he was exiled here to guard the frontier.
In many places, the emperor was far away, and the county magistrate held absolute power in the city, able to do whatever he pleased. For example, if the imperial court collected 15% of the taxes, the county magistrate would collect 30% in the name of the imperial court, and the excess tax revenue would naturally end up in the county magistrate's pocket. Or, if a disaster occurred in the county and the government provided disaster relief, the county magistrate could withhold most of the relief grain and money.
However, the magistrate here is no good. There's a ruthless general here. If the magistrate dares to make any trouble, that general, who can't tolerate any nonsense, will chop him up.
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