47 Mysterious Man
◎Where have you seen that knife before?◎
"Ouch!" Madam Cuihua fell into the house after hitting the threshold. Half of her body was in pain. She grimaced and said, "Brother Jingshan, why are you scaring me?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt that the surroundings were extremely quiet. Only then did Cuihua realize:
I followed County Magistrate Han and actually entered the house he entered!
Her mind raced, and she reacted very quickly. She glared at Chen Jingshan and said, "I was just picking up the handkerchief! Brother Jingshan, why are you so startled..."
When Madam Cuihua saw Chen Jingshan was about to explain, she hurriedly got up from the ground and took a look at the furnishings in the room. It was very elegant, but there was only one woman and one man, and the man was not County Magistrate Han!
But she had just seen County Magistrate Han come in, how could this happen?
She didn't have time to think about it, and quickly bowed to the people in the room: "I'm so sorry everyone..."
She gritted her teeth and said, "How about this? I'll treat you to dinner today as an apology."
The person sitting at the table didn't say anything, just waved at the two of them. Madam Cuihua kept her eyes down and didn't see it, so Chen Jingshan hurriedly pulled her out the door.
He specifically asked the waiter to send a few more dishes as an apology.
Chen Jingshan naturally noticed Madam Cuihua's unusual behavior, and as he passed by the private room, he deliberately asked, "Madam Cuihua, let's go upstairs and discuss the pastry cooperation in detail."
Their voices grew farther and farther away, and from behind the screen in the room came out a man familiar to Madam Cuihua—Han Xiancheng.
The mysterious man at the wooden table smiled and said, "You're pretty quick."
Han County Magistrate snorted coldly: "If others see me drinking with you at the same table, then I will naturally no longer need to wear my official hat..."
"Maybe... both your head and mine will fall to the ground..."
The mysterious man took a sip of Qingfenglu and said leisurely, "Since you are so scared, why don't I send someone to..."
As the man spoke, a half-smile appeared on his face. He raised his hand and stroked his neck, the meaning of which was self-evident.
County Magistrate Han threw his chopsticks on the table and said angrily, lowering his voice, "How dare you! She and the new county magistrate are close friends. If you kill her today, the county magistrate will turn Lingnan County upside down tomorrow!"
County Magistrate Han has been working with Ye Yunzhao for over a month, so he naturally knows her personality well. She looks like a soft persimmon that is easy to pick on, but in fact, she is very stubborn and does what she says!
He calmed down: "You have to always remember what you have to do. If you can't do it well..."
The woman across from the wooden table raised her hand and grasped the mysterious man's arm, then said, "Brother, Honglang still needs medicine."
The mysterious man glanced at Han Xiancheng and asked, "Are you sure no one saw you coming here?"
"I'm sure!"
*
"I'm really sure I saw County Magistrate Han!" Madam Cuihua said hurriedly.
Chen Jingshan said in a deep voice, "So you weren't picking up the handkerchief just now, but eavesdropping on their conversation?"
She nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "It's really County Magistrate Han, but the clothes he's wearing are a bit strange..."
Chen Jingshan recalled the scene in the room just now. A man and a woman were sitting face to face, but there was no Han County Magistrate mentioned by Madam Cuihua. What's more, if Han County Magistrate really came, is it possible that so many waiters didn't recognize him?
"What's strange about that?"
Madam Cuihua held her forehead in her hand, thinking, "I can't really explain it. County Magistrate Han always wears his hair tied up and a crown, but why is it a little disheveled today... The material of his clothes is shiny, and I've never seen trouser boots like that before..."
Chen Jingshan was stunned: "When did you follow him? Why are you watching him so carefully?"
Madam Cuihua waved her hand: "Brother Jingshan, let's not talk about this anymore. Why isn't County Magistrate Han in the room? I don't know why he came here so secretly..."
"Could it be that County Magistrate Han has taken a fancy to a certain girl and is specifically looking for someone to mediate?"
Chen Jingshan was speechless at her strange idea: "If you want to see each other, why hide like this? You also said he is not in the room."
The more Cuihua spoke, the more she felt she was right: "Well, Brother Jingshan, you don't know that County Magistrate Han will be forty in a few years. It's no different for him to meet a new bride at this age than it is for you."
Seeing that she was bringing up himself, Chen Jingshan quickly changed the subject: "Madam Cuihua, go downstairs and learn how to use an abacus with Meng Tong. I know about County Magistrate Han's affair. If you come again, I will investigate thoroughly. However, you must not tell anyone else until this matter is fully understood."
Madam Cuihua said, "I'm not stupid, I naturally understand this principle."
After seeing her off, Chen Jingshan stood in the room in silence, pacing twice. Suddenly, he remembered that the man in the room had a long sword on his waist. He felt that it looked familiar, but at the moment, he really couldn't remember where he had seen it before.
Where had you seen that knife before?
*
Chen Jingshan was racking his brains here, and Ye Yunzhao was not having an easy time in the county school either.
At this moment, she was holding a wet burlap and wiping the outer windows of the library again and again, staring at the open door. From time to time, people passed by and some stopped to look.
But... no one came in.
When Ye Yunzhao first arrived at the county school this morning, she had already adjusted her mindset and waited patiently. But two full hours had passed, and the situation remained the same. It was no wonder she was anxious.
At this moment, Ye Yunzhao felt a strong sense of frustration in her heart, or perhaps it was because she had lived too smoothly since coming to this world, and this was the first time she encountered such an invisible and intangible rejection, which made her feel helpless.
Zhuang Xue, standing by, seemed to notice her unhappiness. She approached her with a feather duster and said soothingly, "Hey, County Magistrate Ye, this isn't a big deal. Maybe everyone forgot that the county school is recruiting people today. I thought we should have runner Liu write a few more notices and post them in the East and West Townships. I'm sure many people will come!"
In order to comfort her, Zhuang Xue said something full of loopholes. If she really wanted to come, she would probably remember the day when the county school would be reopened and count the days until she could enroll.
What’s more, the notice was just posted three days ago. Could it be that they forgot about it in just three days?
Ye Yunzhao didn't say what was in his heart, but forced a smile: "Xue Niang, I'm fine, this situation is normal."
The sun had already climbed from the other side of the mountain to the top. Today was a clear and sunny day, a change from the gloomy and cloudy days of the past few days. It looked like a good day, but both of them could not smile.
Ye Yunzhao stuffed the burlap into the window frame, patted the stains on his palms, and breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, Xueniang, I think it's time for lunch. I'll go make something simple. You wait here first. After dinner, you can go back to the county government office. There's no need for so many people."
Zhuang Xue opened her mouth and after a moment, she said, "What are you talking about, County Magistrate Ye? Who knows, someone might come this afternoon."
He then said, "I brought some bread this morning. Why don't I go heat it up and we can have a bite to eat today."
Zhuang Xue saw that she was a little uneasy, and remembered how confident the two of them were in the kitchen this morning, so she was reluctant to keep her busy.
Ye Yunzhao didn't answer, took the two mixed-flour pancakes, and walked towards the kitchen in a daze.
As soon as she left, a woman stood by the gate of the county school. She knocked lightly on the red door and timidly asked Zhuang Xue, who was sitting in a daze in the courtyard, "Can I come here to learn skills?"
Zhuang Xue was startled, then stood up abruptly. She immediately turned and ran towards the kitchen, shouting, "County Magistrate Ye! There's a student! County Magistrate Ye! There's a student!"
With a clang, the kitchen door slammed against the mud wall, shaking slightly a few times, bringing up a lot of dust in the air. Ye Yunzhao asked anxiously, "Really?!"
Zhuang Xue didn't say anything, and immediately raised her hand and pointed to the gate of the county school.
Ye Yunzhao looked in the direction she pointed and saw a man with rough hair, washed-out clothes, and colorful patches of pudding on the corners and sleeves of his clothes. He looked a little funny.
It is now mid-autumn and the weather is getting colder, but the little girl is still wearing coarse linen pants that just reach her ankles. The cloth shoes on her feet have holes in them, and the big toe of her left foot is embarrassingly exposed.
Perhaps she noticed Ye Yunzhao's gaze, the little girl tried to straighten the hem of her clothes and pull her exposed toes inward.
Then he timidly asked, "Can I come here to learn skills?"
Ye Yunzhao immediately replied: "Of course."
As she spoke, she walked quickly forward and welcomed the timid-looking little girl in. Zhuang Xue went to the kitchen and looked at the mixed flour pancakes that were heating up in the small iron pot.
"Sit here first." Ye Yunzhao smiled and pointed to the small wooden bench in the yard. "I'll go get you a bowl of hot water to warm you up."
Ah Sheng nodded gently and sat down slowly. She blinked her watery eyes and watched Ye Yunzhao enter the kitchen. She looked around and had never seen such a large courtyard. Sitting on a wooden bench and looking at the smoke rising from the kitchen, her heart finally settled down.
"Drink some water." Ye Yunzhao handed her the ceramic bowl in his hand, "My name is..."
Ah Sheng took the hot water and said in a whisper, "I know you are County Magistrate Ye..."
Ye Yunzhao was stunned and said with a smile: "Do you know me?"
Ah Sheng nodded and then shook his head.
Zhuang Xue came over with the hot mixed-wheat pancakes, took a closer look at the little girl's clothes, and asked tentatively, "County Magistrate Ye, could it be that she was brought back by you before..."
Zhuang Xue swallowed the word "refugee", and Ye Yunzhao naturally understood.
Ah Sheng nodded again.
Ye Yunzhao smiled and said, "She is Zhuang Xue, and I am Ye Yunzhao. You know me, but I don't know your name yet."
The little girl said timidly: "My name is...A Sheng..."
"Ah Sheng?" Zhuang Xue asked, "That's your nickname, right? Why don't you have a surname?"
Ah Sheng was stunned, and he lowered his head pitifully, shaking his head: "Ah Sheng doesn't have a last name..."
At this point, the two people opposite him immediately fell silent. What could they not guess? He must be a poor man whose family had been in trouble.
Ye Yunzhao realized belatedly that she was too thin. To be honest, she was much shorter than the girls of Lingnan County who had reached marriageable age.
She asked, "Have you reached the age of marriage?"
Ah Sheng nodded quickly. She had heard that the county school only accepted girls who had reached the age of marriage. "I'm sixteen, Magistrate Ye. I can chop wood and carry water. Please allow me to learn some skills."
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