Zheng Gaoyi didn't even need to look to know who it was. He chuckled lightly and didn't rush out to greet them, letting them wait.
"No rush, let's eat first, and then we'll talk."
Song Ning glanced outside; this county magistrate was truly extraordinary.
"Stone, go and close the door in front."
"Alright." The group was getting closer and closer, but just as they were about to reach the government office, they watched helplessly as the gate closed in front of them.
The servant beside him whispered, "Sir, the gates of the yamen were just closed."
He Qiu sighed, jumped out of the car, and saw that the gate in front was tightly closed, but there were still sounds of laughter and conversation inside, indicating that there were quite a few people.
Aunt Yao also got off the car, and frowned when she saw the state of Tianxiang County.
"Sir, is this really Tianxiang County?"
He Qiu didn't speak. This was not only Tianxiang County, but Zheng Gaoyi was also a person whom even he had to respect.
They traveled all the way from Yuanzhou City to Tianxiang County, only to find that there was no one there.
After asking around, I learned that after the fight with the villagers, the group left. Before leaving, they said that even if we asked them to go back, they wouldn't care.
Enraged, He Qiu ordered his men to keep an eye on those involved in the fight, planning to settle scores with them once they were found.
Zheng Gaoyi personally intervened, so those people must have been brought to Tianxiang County, which is why He Qiu rushed over again.
The servant beside him quickly said, "Sir, shall I go and knock on the door?"
He Qiu waved his hand: "No need, I'll go knock on the door myself."
He Qiu knocked on the door a few times: "Brother Zheng, it's me, He Qiu."
There was no response from inside, so He Qiu continued knocking: "Brother Zheng, I've come to discuss something with them. I'm here to deliver grain and money."
Still no one answered. He Qiu patiently continued knocking and calling, until even Aunt Yao, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it anymore.
"Sir, you are the prefect of a prefecture, why are you being so polite to a mere county magistrate?"
He Qiu gave her a disapproving look: "What do you know?"
Just then, the door suddenly opened from the inside, and Stone's face was filled with a polite smile: "Lord He, my master said that it is lunchtime now."
"After my master and the guests in the courtyard have finished eating, we will discuss important matters with Lord He. Oh, by the way, my master also said that he is just a minor county magistrate, so Lord He really doesn't need to be so polite. If you don't want to wait, please leave."
With that, he slammed the door shut.
He Qiu turned around and glared at Aunt Yao, who quickly shrank back; she hadn't meant it.
Stone inside the door quietly spat. Even if his master was a county magistrate, he was still a person of noble status. How dare a concubine like her have the right to interfere?
The last sentence was naturally not Zheng Gaoyi's order, but just as Shi Tou was about to open the door, he heard the woman's words outside.
I was so angry that I said a few more words.
Everyone was eating in the courtyard. Tonight's meal was pork ribs stewed with potatoes, and a big pot of rice was steamed.
There were many of them, and they ate a lot; the magistrate has really spent a fortune today.
Only after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill did Zheng Gaoyi slowly stand up: "We should also meet Lord He."
Zheng Gaoyi went to see He Qiu, Song Ning accompanied her mother and several women to clean up the kitchen, and the others followed the village chief back to the tent through the back door.
He Qiu outside had lost his temper. He waited until the people inside finished eating, and even the mule carts that delivered the grain arrived, but no one came out.
The people who came to deliver the grain were Aunt Yao's eldest brother, second brother, and third brother. The second and third brothers had heard about this and rushed back from Jiangning County.
He stepped forward and bowed to He Qiu, but seeing that He Qiu had a sullen face and ignored them, he turned to Aunt Yao and asked, "Sister, why are you all standing outside?"
Aunt Yao rolled her eyes. "Yeah, why are they all standing outside? They like it, they just like being ignored."
"Where is Father?" Aunt Yao asked.
The second son, Yao Xingsheng, glanced at He Qiu not far away and whispered in his aunt Yao's ear, "Our father fell on his way back and hurt his leg. He's also feeling dizzy and is resting at home."
Aunt Yao is really going to be driven crazy by this father. This is no joke, he's clearly trying to avoid trouble. He's so energetic when he's causing trouble, but now that something's happened, he's playing dead.
Aunt Yao glanced timidly at He Qiu, but didn't dare to say anything.
Finally, the gate opened, and Zheng Gaoyi came out and said with a smile, "Oh, Lord He, I am truly sorry for not greeting you sooner."
He Qiu quickly cupped his hands and said, "Brother Zheng, I'm so sorry for disturbing you so late."
Zheng Gaoyi glanced at the people outside and asked knowingly, "What is this, Lord He?"
He Qiu had known Zheng Gaoyi for a long time and knew his temperament. He spoke in a gentle tone: "Brother Zheng, let's not beat around the bush. Don't you know about this matter? Are those people still around?"
Seeing that it was getting late, they wanted to resolve the matter quickly so they could get some rest.
He pointed behind him and said, "See the tent over there? It's over there."
He Qiu quickly cupped his hands in thanks, and before he could even say thank you, he hurried toward the tent over there.
As soon as Village Chief Luo and his men returned to the tent, they were stopped by He Qiu and his group.
He Qiu quickly introduced himself and explained his background.
When the crowd heard that it was an official, they were about to kneel down and kowtow, but when they heard that it was a relative of the old turtle family of Village Chief Yao, someone immediately spat.
The weasel was offering New Year's greetings to the chickens, but it had ulterior motives.
Village Chief Luo didn't act impulsively this time and immediately stated, "We'll have to wait until Er Ya comes back before we can discuss this further."
Then they started whispering among themselves, thinking that these people must be up to some bad trick, otherwise why would such a high-ranking official come in person?
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