Duan Mansion.
A middle-aged man dressed in blue stood at the door, glancing around from time to time.
A short while later, a young man returned.
The boy walked with light steps.
"father!"
"I'm back."
"Um."
"I've heard about the cleaning Sima Jinping thing, Erlang, have you noticed anything strange about Chen Xian?"
Duan Zhujun hesitated for a moment, "Does Father mean that the uncle is too passive?"
Duan Wangshu nodded.
"You shouldn't get involved; this whole thing is suspicious."
I only recently learned that the magistrate's son lives in Qingxia Village, and that they have a pretty good relationship.
Normally, when faced with difficulties, the first thing a person would do is seek help from the county magistrate. But he seems to have no intention of going directly to the county magistrate from the beginning. Instead, he seems to be using the prevailing trend and his pen name, "Rural Hermit," "Old Man of the Streets," and "White-Browed Hero" to influence and manipulate the emotions of the townspeople.
For example, young people, especially those of you who are still studying, are easily swayed and manipulated by him.
There are also middle-aged people who enjoy listening to storytelling; this person's actions are far too cunning and deceitful!
Duan Zhujun shook her head and said, "I don't think he's cunning. He's just influencing things within his capabilities and maneuvering to achieve his goals."
Duan Wangshu's face turned serious, a rare sight for him.
"Naive! Foolish! The fact that Magistrate Lu is standing behind Chief Ma is the source of his arrogance. If he hadn't used the emotions of the common people to incite the merchants, Ma Jinping might not have been able to be dismissed!"
If he doesn't die, those who criticized him before will be the ones who suffer! Including you!
Duan Zhujun shook her head and said, "Father, I only care about one thing: whether Uncle Chen was wrong or not?"
"Of course he's not wrong. His only mistake is that although he holds a sinecure, he has no real power. His only mistake is that he is too weak."
"That settles it. I help the weak and fight against the strong. Even if Master question me, I will still believe I am right. There is justice in the world!"
Sigh!
"Foolish! Your life is precious too, you silly son!"
But I'm fine now, aren't I?
"Stubborn donkey, what your father means is that even if you want to help others, you should think about whether you have the ability to protect yourself, otherwise you should give up."
Duan Erlang nodded.
Duan Wangshu shook his head helplessly; his foolish son probably hadn't listened to a single word he said.
...
County Magistrate Lu laid out a table full of dishes.
They ate the meat and vegetables in small bites. It was a plate of chicken tongues, a whole plate full, without any other part of the chicken.
The pork only had the snout on the plate; there wasn't a single other cut of meat.
There was also a plate of braised pork belly and braised pork knuckle.
A cucumber salad, and a few steamed buns on the table.
"Master, what's the result over there?"
He ate his food in small bites, nodding occasionally.
"The braised pork at Baiweilou is really delicious."
"Master Dong, the merchants have all turned against us, saying that Magistrate Ma arbitrarily set up the sanitation management fee. The county magistrate has confiscated their property and is demanding three times the compensation from them. We need to prepare to submit this to Yingzhou Prefecture soon."
County Magistrate Lu sipped his food, his face relaxed and content.
He ate in small bites, casually wiped his mouth with a delicate, brand-new handkerchief, and tossed it on the table. Then he instructed the steward beside him, "Throw away all the food on the table, and don't give it to the homeless. I don't like people eating my leftovers."
Master Jin frowned. The plate full of braised pork, pork knuckle, chicken tongues, and large white steamed buns was barely touched by his chopsticks.
The steward nodded cautiously, "Yes, sir."
...
Taoranju has almost no customers left, and it's kept afloat by a few regular patrons.
News of the food street gradually spread.
Manager Tao looked ashen-faced with dark circles under his eyes. When he heard the news, he was working as a waiter in the lobby, greeting customers.
The news reached his ears intermittently.
"It's like a dream. The Chen family's stall on the food street is the farmer that was all the rage a while ago. I can't believe that a farmer could be granted the rank of Junior Ninth Grade General by His Majesty. Even in the history of Yingzhou Prefecture, I have never heard of such news before."
Shopkeeper Tao's head buzzed for a moment, then his face turned horrified.
Did I hear wrong? I turned around and looked at the wall outside, and saw that there were notices in all the bustling teahouses, restaurants and markets.
Even the head of the cleaning department was cleaned up by him?
A shiver of fear and terror coursed through my body; I leaned against the wall, bent over…
I was even trying to devise his prescription. This man is a devil from hell. He managed to take down a mere clerk like that.
He was certain that no matter who they were—a country hermit, an old man from the neighborhood, or a white-browed swordsman—they were all connected to him!
Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate that I was much luckier than Manager Ma.
Suddenly another thought occurred to him, his eyes dimmed slightly, and he looked up at his restaurant with deep longing!
Gritting his teeth, he made up his mind!
...
Uncle Fu hummed a little tune. Brother Chen's move was top-notch. After suppressing himself for so long, he could finally catch his breath!
Looking at the "Lu Pan" (a historical text), he chuckled, "It's time to have a heart-to-heart talk with my brother. One can't be too idle, or one will easily develop health problems."
The Chen family.
The eldest son's wife, Cuihua, Su Liniang, and Su Shuangshuang would occasionally glance towards the village.
Yang Xiaoshu also stood on the rock and looked around.
Cuihua felt uneasy.
Su Shuangshuang frowned, her round face full of worry. "Sister, do you think my husband might be able to handle that matter well?"
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