When the Qin brothers arrived, they found that Lu Lin had invited not only them, but also the yamen runners, who all seemed a little reserved.
"Brothers Qin, you've come too!" Wang Da greeted them.
Qin Lang nodded and said, "Yes!"
Qin Ming blinked and said, "The food has already been served!"
Qin Ming saw several round tables set up in the hall, with several dishes already placed on them. However, they were covered with plates, probably to prevent the food from getting cold.
Lu Lin came out and said with a smile, "Since you're all here, please sit down. Don't be shy, make yourself at home."
Qin Ming scratched his head and said, "Sir, then we won't stand on ceremony."
"It's best not to be polite. We accidentally bought too much, and it would be a waste if we couldn't finish it. This must be Dazhi. It seems like he's grown quite a bit taller since I last saw him!" Lu Lin patted Qin Dazhi's head, thinking to himself: In the blink of an eye, Qin Ming's son has grown up so much!
Qin Dazhi seemed a little embarrassed and hid behind Qin Ming.
Seeing that Lu Lin's gaze had shifted away, Qin Dazhi curiously peeked out again, staring at Lu Lin and sizing him up. At Lu Lin's invitation, Qin Ming and the others took their seats.
Qin Ming and the others lifted the bowls covering the food, revealing a variety of exquisite dishes. Qin Ming subconsciously swallowed.
Crab congee, dry pot shrimp, sweet and sour fish, spicy stir-fried clams, stir-fried squid with scallions, braised eel with garlic, seafood noodles, and spicy crab.
Every dish was so tempting that it made one's mouth water. At first, the constables were a little reserved because the magistrate was hosting them, but once they started eating, they became uncontrollable.
Qin Ming ladled a bowl of porridge for his son, Qin Dazhi, who ate it with smacking lips.
Qin Lang and Qin Ming knew Lu Lin's abilities, so they weren't surprised that Lu Lin could prepare such a meal. However, one of the yamen runners was extremely surprised. This place wasn't very resource-rich, and many farmers were reluctant to use cooking oil or salt, let alone soy sauce or vinegar.
"This is eel! How can it be cooked so deliciously?" Sun Hu thought to himself: The master is indeed a master; even the chefs he employs are amazing!
Because these eels look like snakes, they are not expensive.
This cooked eel is so plump and tender that you can't stop eating it.
"This fish is actually sweet!" one of the constables exclaimed excitedly.
The bailiff, realizing he had lost his composure, blushed with embarrassment.
Qin Ming thought to himself: What's so strange about something sweet? He'd eaten sweet and sour fish several times before and wasn't surprised. However, the constables were different. Sugar was much more expensive than salt, and many families bought it only to sweeten their children's mouths; they wouldn't use it for cooking. Qin Ming completely forgot that he himself had been quite surprised when he first tasted sweet and sour fish.
With so many people, the food was devoured quickly. Two large tables of food were completely emptied. After eating, everyone felt a little embarrassed and helped clear the dishes before leaving.
"It was so delicious!" Several constables came out of the yamen with full bellies, but they still felt a little unsatisfied.
"Yes! The ingredients used in your household seem to be very inexpensive." If they're not particularly expensive, he could have his wife try making it.
"Although it's a very cheap ingredient, the dishes made from it are just as good as those made from silverfish." Silverfish is a type of silver fish that makes for a very delicious soup. Moreover, it's quite rare, and many wealthy families in Yucang County like to use this fish to make soup.
"Yes! The chef in this lord's mansion is amazing. He's only been here a short time and he's already made so many delicious dishes."
"I never expected squid to be so delicious. Now I think fish is too fishy."
"Yes! This eel is not bad either." Zhou Shier thought to himself: He always thought that eels were dirty, but he didn't expect that they would taste so good after being cleaned properly.
“It’s all gone!” Lu Lin blinked and said.
Chen Xiaomi smiled and said, "Isn't this great? It means the dishes are very popular! If you opened a shop, you could become an instant success."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yes! It seems quite simple to deal with these country bumpkins who have never seen the world."
Chen Xiaomi glanced at Lu Lin helplessly and said, "You! Don't get too cocky."
Lu Lin glanced outside the door. "It's still early, let's go for a walk."
"Going out for a walk is fine, but don't buy a bunch of stuff again." It's such a hassle to buy things you can't finish and end up wasting them!
Lu Lin felt a little embarrassed by Chen Xiaomi's words, "I know, I just went out to digest my food."
He didn't buy so many on purpose, he just couldn't stop himself.
In his previous life, he would also buy crabs and lobsters to eat when they were in season, but they were too expensive, so he would never buy too many at once. These things that were precious in his previous life had become dirt cheap here, and Lu Lin often got carried away with his pride.
Looking at Lu Lin's expression, Chen Xiaomi said helplessly, "If you really want to buy some, you can still buy some."
Lu Lin nodded and said, "That's right. We should buy more while they're cheap. By the time everyone realizes that these are actually good products, it might be too late."
Chen Xiaomi: "..."
Lu Lin and Chen Xiaomi were walking down the street when they saw a father and son being kicked out.
"Shopkeeper, please be lenient with me again," a middle-aged man pleaded with the waiter of the restaurant, holding his son.
The waiter looked at the man and said indifferently, "You haven't paid your rent for three days. How can we make an exception for you? Our boss also needs to do business. Hurry up and leave."
The waiter glanced at the child beside the man and thought to himself: This child looks sickly; if he were to die here at the inn, it would be a real mess. And if someone dies in this room, how will anyone live here in the future?
“He’s a fisherman!” Chen Xiaomi said.
Fishermen who pull ropes year-round will have some special marks left on their hands, which Chen Xiaomi can easily identify.
Lu Lin frowned. Many fishermen live on their boats. If they get sick and stay on the boat, their condition is more likely to worsen. Therefore, many fishermen will come ashore to stay when someone in their family is sick. However, staying in a guesthouse is a considerable burden for fishermen.
Judging from the man's appearance, he probably had no money left.
Lu Lin walked up to the middle-aged fisherman and said, "If you don't have anywhere to stay, you can stay at my place for now."
When the servant saw Lu Lin approaching, he said tremblingly, "Sir, I..." Lu Lin looked at the servant's flustered expression and roughly understood that the other party recognized his identity.
The innkeeper rushed out in a panic, inwardly lamenting his bad luck; he had run into the newly arrived magistrate while trying to kick the man out. "Sir, he hasn't paid his room fee for three days."
“I understand, it’s not easy for you to do business,” Lu Lin said.
The inn isn't a charity; if it offered free accommodations, it would go out of business in no time.
Seeing the shopkeeper's trembling appearance, Han Feng realized that he had met an important person and immediately became somewhat reserved.
Upon encountering Han Feng and his son, Lu Lin lost interest in shopping and said, "Come with me."
After seeing his son who was ill, Han Feng gritted his teeth and followed Lu Lin.
Upon arriving at the county government office, Lu Lin asked Wan Xiaofan to arrange a room for someone and also to fetch a doctor.
Lu Lin was sitting in his study, doodling and drawing, when Chen Xiaomi walked into the room and asked, "What are you busy with?"
Lu Lin glanced at Chen Xiaomi and said, "It's nothing. I'm planning to form a fishing team and gather some fishermen."
Chen Xiaomi blinked and said, "I see! But I'm afraid it won't be easy." Many fishermen are very spirited, and it won't be easy to get them to serve them.
Lu Lin nodded and said, "I plan to fence off a piece of land by the sea and build dormitories."
"A dormitory?" Chen Xiaomi had heard Lu Lin mention this before. When Lu Lin was in school, he lived in some kind of dormitory.
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Many fishermen live on their boats. It's alright when the sun is shining, but it's troublesome when it's windy and rainy. The cabins are also prone to mold on rainy days. It's not easy for children to live on boats!"
“If we build a dormitory, we’ll have a place to stay on rainy days,” Lu Lin said.
Chen Xiaomi blinked and asked, "Are we building it for them to live in for free?"
Lu Lin shook his head and said, "Of course not!"
Things that are free and obtained too easily are never appreciated. Moreover, if he treats some people unconditionally, it will inevitably make people feel that he is biased.
"You can only stay if you join my fleet!" The houses can be spaced closer together, and each room doesn't need to be too big, just enough to keep out the wind and rain.
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "That's a good idea."
After Han Feng and his son arrived, they stayed in the servants' quarters of the county government office. Naturally, everything in the county government office was of good quality, but the two of them lived in constant fear.
In particular, the county magistrate found a doctor for Han Xiaozhou, and after the doctor arrived, Han Xiaozhou's condition improved. However, this resulted in Han Feng owing the county magistrate money, which made him very uneasy.
Han Feng couldn't afford the medical expenses. The only thing Han Feng could think of was to pawn the small boat to Lu Lin. But if they lost the boat, how would the father and son survive?
His small boat wasn't worth much money, and I doubt even the county magistrate would have considered it.
Qin Lang knew that Lu Lin had taken in Han Feng and his son, and he had also come to visit the two.
Seeing the father and son, Qin Lang was reminded of his own past. Back then, when his younger brother was injured, his family was so lost and helpless. It was only after meeting Lu Lin and Chen Xiaomi that things took a turn for the better.
Han Xiaozhou looked at Qin Lang and asked cautiously, "Uncle Qin, are you really alright?"
Han Xiaozhou lowered his head. His father had spent all his savings to pay for his medical treatment, and Han Xiaozhou felt very uneasy. Qin Lang nodded and said, "It's alright. The master isn't a bad person. You'll find out later."
"Thank you for your trouble, sir!" Although Qin Lang had so many people, Han Feng was still a little nervous. Lu Lin was an official! There were still more corrupt officials in this world. In the minds of ordinary people, most officials would oppress the people. The only difference was how much they oppressed.
Normally, Han Feng would try to avoid contact with officials.
Qin Lang patted Han Xiaozhou's head and said, "Don't worry, you'll get better."
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