34 Every autumn rain brings a chill
Isn't the county school a place where people learn to read?
A group of peasant women were still a little bit incredulous when they were carrying hot corn porridge and holding slightly hot meat rolls.
"County Magistrate Ye, are you going to give us all this to eat?"
Ye Yunzhao, who was busy serving porridge to others, looked up and saw her eyes wandering and uneasy. "This is all for you!"
"No money?"
"Why would you ask for money? Didn't Sergeant Liu tell you that picking silk would provide you with lunch?"
Everyone nodded hurriedly: "I said it, I said it..."
But I didn't say it was such a good lunch! I thought I could have a bowl of vegetable porridge and two mixed noodle steamed buns.
Unexpectedly, there was meat!
It’s really meat!
Ye Yunzhao instructed, "Don't worry. Everyone will get four meat rolls. Eat two and take two home."
Hearing this, three or two peasant women suddenly burst into tears and quickly wiped them away.
"Oh, why are you crying? Good days are yet to come. Isn't it worth being happy that County Magistrate Ye is treating everyone to meat?" Madam Cuihua said with a smile.
The peasant woman burst into laughter and sobbed, "I didn't expect..."
"County Magistrate Ye, Madam Cuihua, please don't take it personally. They didn't expect County Magistrate Ye to be so kind and let everyone take it home. This is meat, such a precious thing. It would be a waste if we eat it." Another peasant woman explained.
"You're not right." Ye Yunzhao suppressed his smile. "No matter how precious meat is, it's not as precious as humans. How can you say it's a waste? It's hard enough for you to pick and break the silk. Just eat it boldly! Madam Cuihua is right. Good days are yet to come!"
"eat!"
“Hey!”
The peasant women responded in unison, then carefully drank a mouthful of corn porridge, lowered their heads to smell the aroma of the meat, and then reluctantly took a bite.
Just now, Ye Yunzhao specifically stated in advance that each person would be given four meat rolls to prevent people from eating too hastily. People who haven't had a full meal for a long time would suddenly eat meat and hurt their stomachs, which would not be worth the loss.
In fact, Ye Yunzhao's worries were a bit unnecessary. These peasant women came from poor families, and the meat rolls falling from the sky seemed more precious to them than gold. They wanted to take smaller and smaller bites of them, hoping that they would never be able to finish the hot meat rolls.
"Don't be busy, just try it. Sometimes you can bring some to Brother Dazhuang." Ye Yunzhao said.
Madam Cuihua smiled and picked up a meat roll, whispering, "Okay, let him take advantage of my influence and taste Master's cooking skills."
The meat rolls were slightly hot, and the aroma of meat rushed into her nose domineeringly. Madam Cuihua lowered her head and took a bite. The mixed noodles that had been irritating to her throat became oily and moist, and the chopped meat filling filled her mouth. The aroma of meat and the fragrance of bracken complemented each other, making people want to eat more.
Ye Yunzhao was very confident in his cooking skills. Seeing her surprised expression, he said proudly, "It's delicious, right?"
"Delicious! I'll try it at home next time!"
Madam Cuihua quickly finished her meal and slurped up a bowl of corn porridge. "County Magistrate Ye, I'm leaving first. It seems Dazhuang is about to get off work, so I'll go back and check on him."
"Okay, be careful on the road."
Ye Yunzhao filled a ceramic pot with four or five meat rolls and helped her put them into her backpack. Then the two of them parted ways.
However, on her way home, Madam Cuihua ran into Wang Laiwang who was coming to the county government office.
"Cuihua? Where are you coming from?"
Madam Cuihua smiled and said, "I just came back from the county government office. County Magistrate Ye had a lot of things to do, so I went to help him. Oh, I won't say much to you. It seems that Dazhuang is about to leave work."
"Hey? Brother Laiwang, didn't you go build the house today? Why are you back so early? Have you seen Dazhuang?"
Wang Laiwang wiped his sweat and said, "It's been scorching hot these past few days. Today, the mud movers will leave work half an hour early. Tomorrow, it's the woodcutters."
Madam Cuihua nodded, then remembered that the laborers were responsible for providing lunch, and asked curiously, "What delicious food did the aunties make for you today?"
"I don't know, I haven't been there yet. By the way, you..." Wang Laiwang hesitated to speak.
"Oh! Hurry up and serve the rice! I don't want to chat with you any more. I have to go back and boil some water..."
This time, without waiting for Cuihua to finish her words, Wang Laiwang gritted his teeth and asked bluntly, "Cuihua, tell me the truth, does County Magistrate Ye plan to reopen the county school?"
Madam Cuihua guessed that it was Aunt Wang who asked her to ask. The two of them had been having some trouble getting along recently, so naturally she didn't want to tell him.
"Go ask County Magistrate Ye about this matter. Ask me what I am doing."
Seeing her about to leave, Wang Laiwang slapped his thigh and said, "Cuihua, just tell me, you used to hold Erya and Erdan when they were little. Are you really so cruel as to watch Erya stay at home farming for the rest of her life?"
As soon as these words came out, Madam Cuihua stopped in her tracks. She had long cared for Erya as if she were her own daughter. After a long pause, she said, "I can only tell you that the county school can't read. You should hurry back and serve the meal!"
After saying that, he immediately turned around and ran away. Wang Laiwang stood there stupidly, scratching his head.
What does it mean that a county school student cannot read?
Isn’t the county school a place for learning to read and write?
*
Ye Yunzhao's meat rolls were widely praised. Because they were steamed in large quantities, the county yamen runners each had two. Even Li Xianjiang, who was temporarily staying in the county yamen, got one, not to mention County Magistrate Han, Zhuang Xue and Chunhua.
Ye Yunzhao had divided the meat rolls into three steaming trays. He was about to take out the last two to save for dinner when Liu Mazi suddenly ran in and said,
"County Magistrate Ye, Manager Chen of Ruyi Tower requests an audience."
What good could come of him, a cunning businessman who deceived Cuihua?
"No." Ye Yunzhao refused decisively.
"But...but he has already..."
"Why doesn't County Magistrate Ye see me?" Chen Jingshan, wearing a long green gown and holding an oil-paper bag in his left hand, walked into the yard.
"Is it because you are afraid that Liu Yayi will know——"
"Alright, alright!" Ye Yunzhao interrupted immediately, fearing that the profiteer would say something inappropriate. She said to Liu Mazi, "You go down first."
After Liu Mazi left with a confused look on his face.
Ye Yunzhao secretly rolled his eyes and asked unhappily, "Shopkeeper Chen, what do you want from me?"
"Of course..." Chen Jingshan took a few steps forward and suddenly saw the strange "steamed buns" in the steamer. He blinked and said, "I haven't eaten yet."
As he said this, he pointed his chin towards the steamer, his meaning was obvious.
Ye Yunzhao was afraid that he would talk nonsense, so he gave a fake laugh: "Eat, eat..."
Chen Jingshan put the meat roll into his mouth with satisfaction:
It tastes good and can be sold.
"Manager Chen owns such a big restaurant, yet he still comes to me for food. This is not the behavior of the owner of Ruyi Tower if you tell others about it." Seeing that he was eating with relish, Ye Yunzhao spoke with sarcasm.
But she didn't expect him to be so shameless. Not only was he not angry, he even praised her: "County Magistrate Ye's craftsmanship is very good..."
If someone else said this, Ye Yunzhao would definitely be happy for a while, and might even offer the remaining meat roll, but this was said by Chen Jingshan.
Firstly, she didn't want to deal with unscrupulous businessmen, and secondly, whenever she saw him, she would be reminded of her own embarrassing moments. She said quickly:
"What on earth do you want from me?"
"I heard from Sister Cuihua that you taught her how to make crystal cake. I came to your house specially to ask if you could sell me the recipe."
Look! He is indeed a profiteer!
Seeing him staring at the last meat roll in the steamer, Ye Yunzhao quickly put it into the ceramic bowl, glanced at him with some concern, and closed the ceramic bowl.
As Chen Jingshan spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped the oil stains from the corners of his mouth. He was quite elegant, as if he was not the one who had just eaten a meat roll in three bites.
"No, okay, I've finished asking questions, you can go now."
"I am willing to pay ten taels of silver for it. If you sell me the recipe, I will give you three tea cakes every year."
The best tea cakes are extremely expensive to come by, and a small county magistrate like Ye Yunzhao would never have been able to enjoy such treatment, but the shopkeeper Chen was generous and offered three tea cakes as soon as he opened his mouth.
It turns out that he is not only a profiteer who cheats ordinary people, but also a profiteer who takes bribes!
Ye Yunzhao chuckled: "Shopkeeper Chen, I don't like drinking tea, but I don't lack ten taels of silver."
Chen Jingshan seemed to sense her resistance and began to explain, "I wonder what I said to offend you, sir? Buying and selling prescriptions is a good thing that will benefit both you and me. If you're worried about Sister Cuihua, I can find her a job at the restaurant."
Xixiang was so poor before that they didn't even know how to find jobs for the villagers. But now, in order to buy a house, they can arrange anything. Ye Yunzhao became more and more unhappy.
She said coldly with a blank expression, "I've already taught the recipe to someone else. How about this? You can buy it from Madam Cuihua."
Chen Jingshan opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something else: "But..."
Ye Yunzhao placed the steamer heavily into the pot and turned sideways: "Show the guests out!"
When she turned around again, Liu, the yamen runner, had already sent Chen Jingshan out, but the oil-paper bag he had just carried was placed on the bamboo basket in the yard.
Chen Jingshan was not discouraged after being rejected by Ye Yunzhao. Buying a house was the best choice, but seeing the county magistrate's angry and determined look, she could only choose another day to find Madam Cuihua to talk to her.
*
Ye Yunzhao carried the oil-paper bag that smelled of salty food all the way to Xixiang. He entered the courtyard of the Xixiang village chief, looked at Aunt Xiangyun who was busy in the courtyard, and said with a smile:
"Aunt Xiangyun, is today's lunch ready?"
"Ah! County Magistrate Ye, why are you here? It's done. The workers have put it in bowls and taken it home! Haven't you eaten yet? There's still some at home. I'll get you some."
Ye Yunzhao quickly pulled her back and handed her the oil-paper package. "Auntie, I've already eaten. The owner of Ruyi Tower knows that everyone is helping the refugees build houses, so he sent this specially to improve our meals."
"Jingshan is a good boy," said Aunt Xiangyun, opening the oil-paper package. "It's roast goose!"
Ye Yunzhao smiled, but he was very contemptuous in his heart. He thought that the man had no conscience at all, and was more like a black heart.
Forget it, I'll help this black-hearted businessman change his reputation today.
"It's a pity that I'm late, otherwise I could let everyone taste it today's lunch."
Aunt Xiangyun smiled and said, "You've arrived just in time! With so many workers, each with a bite, there's not enough roast goose to go around. Tomorrow we can mince it and steam it into rice and beans, and boil the bones into a delicious soup. It'll be delicious."
As she spoke, she put the oil paper bag into a wooden barrel and sank it into the well. The current weather and the chilly deep well formed a natural refrigerator. This was the wisdom of the common people.
Ye Yunzhao was about to leave after he finished speaking when the village head suddenly emerged from his room. "County Magistrate Ye, you've arrived just in time. I was thinking of visiting you these past two days."
"Is there something wrong with building a house?"
Xixianglizheng stood with his hands behind his back, shook his head, and nodded outside the house: "Would County Magistrate Ye like to go and take a look at where he works?"
Ye Yunzhao was naturally willing, and the two of them walked out one after the other. They did not go east to their work place, but went south to Xixiang Diba.
"It's been raining a bit at night these past few days. Every autumn rain brings a chill, and it's getting colder day by day. Last night I came to the dam to take a look. County Magistrate Ye, it's too cold..."
Ye Yunzhao followed him, went up to the embankment, and stood in the house with ventilation on all sides. It was noon, but the wind was still cold. Many refugees were lying on hemp mats, you squeezed me, I hugged you, and took a nap with your eyes closed!
These days, Ye Yunzhao was only thinking about spreading silkworm manure and teaching them how to make crystal cakes, and he almost forgot that there were more than 200 refugees who had no place to live!
Ye Yunzhao sighed and blamed himself: "This is my fault. I actually forgot."
As they talked, they came out of the dam and headed towards the clearing area. The village head also sighed:
"After spending more than ten days with these people, I've come to realize that they're not bad people, nor are they lazy. They spend their days pulling weeds and moving gravel. They're all very hardworking, so seeing them living there, I feel a little sorry for them..."
"County Magistrate Ye, see if the county can provide them with a few quilts. I don't ask for cotton quilts, but a few feet of coarse cloth with some cattails to keep them warm will be fine."
Cotton is expensive and ordinary people cannot afford it. Cattail and reed look like cotton, but they only look thick and are not actually wind-resistant. However, it is already very good for the people of Xixiang to have such a "soft quilt".
Ye Yunzhao understood their difficulties, but Lingnan County was so poor that they could barely make ends meet. After paying the laborers the few taels of silver they had previously swindled from the refugees, there would be almost nothing left.
"Village head, please let me think about this matter. I will definitely find a way to solve it in the next two days."
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