Outside the front hall of the county government office, the sun was scorching, and cicadas were chirping noisily in the lush trees.
Jiang Yushu was nervous, but she looked calm and walked leisurely. She led Cuimei and Zou Gui, followed by Liu Tong and Zhuang Song, to see the county magistrate.
"Sir, this is the detailed account of Liu Village Xia Shou in Yuehu Town. Please take a look." The chief clerk Zhuang Song presented the document respectfully with both hands.
Liu Tong, the County Magistrate of Liangma, had just returned to the yamen after an outing, his official robes drenched with sweat. He took the document and paused under the shade of a tree, examining it closely. Nodding with delight, he praised, "Not bad, very good! The yield per mu is getting higher and higher. It's a whopping 3,000 kilograms per mu, truly remarkable. Xiaozhuang, thank you for your hard work, having stayed in this remote mountain village to look after the new grain. Your hard work is truly appreciated by Lord Pan and me."
"This is my duty, how dare I say it's 'hard'? Fortunately, I have this job because of your trust. Usually I just look after it, which is not hard." Zhuang Song bowed and clasped his hands in gratitude.
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Liu Tong held the document in his right hand and put his left hand behind his back, saying with satisfaction: "In short, you are a down-to-earth and hardworking person. I did not make a mistake in hiring you." He turned around, looked at Jiang Yushu, and said happily:
"And you!"
"You've worked hard, too. Coming from a prominent family in the capital, you've managed to harvest so many good harvests, which is truly astonishing. Food is the primary need of the people, and grain is the source of food. Heqin has suffered from famine for years, and there hasn't been a good harvest for a long time. You've made a great contribution!" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Jiang Yushu stepped forward, followed closely by Cuimei and Zou Gui, one on each side. Knowing each other well, she felt no hesitation, bowing slightly and replying, "No, Lord Liu, you're truly too kind. Honestly, I was just talking all along. Every grain of rice on our plates is the product of hard work, and the harvest is the result of the sweat of every household in Liu Village. I dare not take credit for it."
"Hahaha~" Liu Tong observed the convict, his composure neither humble nor overbearing, and he secretly admired him, his face beaming. "I'm not exaggerating, you're being modest." He suppressed his smile and said, "Let's go and see Magistrate Pan. Xiaozhuang, take her people to the side hall. I have a few words for you later."
"Yes." A mere clerk, lowly and unranked, could not easily be summoned by the magistrate. Zhuang Song, accustomed to this, waved his hand, and Cuimei and Zou Gui followed.
Liu Tong led Jiang Yushu, one in front and one behind, walking hurriedly under the scorching sun.
"Sir Liu," Jiang Yushu took the opportunity to inquire, tentatively asking, "Do you know why the county magistrate summoned me? Could it be that I have accidentally violated the law and will soon be put on trial?"
"Tsk, what are you talking about? That's not true at all!" Liu Tong paused, shook his head and laughed, "Don't worry, Lord Pan summoned you from Yuehu Town not to interrogate you, but to discuss something important."
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment, then asked in surprise, "What important matter does a county magistrate have to discuss with a fugitive?"
"Ah, there are tens of thousands of fugitives in the world, and you are special among them. You should never underestimate yourself." Liu Tong was quite emotional.
After a while, the two stood outside the threshold and heard a voice of "please come in" from inside. Liu Tong took the lead and led Jiang Yushu into the main hall.
Liu Tong bowed slightly, "Sir."
"The guilty woman, Guo Jiang," Jiang Yushu bowed her head politely, about to bow, "Greetings to Master Pan."
"No need to be polite, no need to be polite!" Pan Rui sat at the head of the table, with a pleasant expression. He raised his hand and said, "Stand up, sit down, no need to be polite."
If the prefecture official hadn't been present, Liu Tong wouldn't have needed to perform formal formalities. He quickly approached, handed the document presented by Zhuang Song to the county magistrate for review, and then sat down. The officer immediately served tea.
"Thank you, sir." Jiang Yushu sighed quietly, happy not to kneel. She stood up and looked up, only to see Pei Wenfeng sitting beside her. She was immediately stunned.
Pan Rui looked down from above, observing everything. He asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Are you scared to death when your cousins meet?"
"Oh!" Jiang Yushu quickly calmed down, collected herself, and replied with a smile: "It's true that I was a little surprised when we first met. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you."
Pei Wenfeng stood up, his official robes straight and straight, gentle and elegant, like a jade tree standing in the wind. He walked closer, pointed to the chair, and said gently, "Cousin, sit down."
"Cousin, please sit down too." Jiang Yushu sat down and took the hot tea offered by the yamen runner. It was too hot, so she put it on the table to cool down.
The two of them walked side by side. Pei Wenfeng turned his head, suppressing his excitement, and asked with concern: "It's so hot, you rushed all the way to the county government office. Are you feeling well?"
"I'm fine." Jiang Yushu nodded, returning the favor gracefully and politely, and asked with concern, "How about you? Are you no longer suffering from the climate issues?"
Pei Wenfeng paused, his eyes fixed on the patient, and replied calmly, "I've gotten much better since I took your doctor's prescription. Remember to thank him for me."
Your family? My family? The Jiang family? The Guo family?
Jiang Yushu suddenly remembered that the last time they had argued over "whose family" it was, they almost had a fight.
When they met again, he was chatting and laughing freely, as if he had let go of his worries. But when their eyes met, she felt something strange and felt a sense of unease.
"I'm glad my cousin has recovered. I'll thank you for you when I get back."
Liu Tong didn't know what was going on. After quenching his thirst with tea, he turned to Jiang Yushu and interrupted, "There's another relative of the Guo family in the back office right now. I'm telling you in advance to avoid another surprise."
"What?" Jiang Yushu was startled and asked hurriedly, "Who is it?"
"Mr. Gong, the prefect." Liu Tong said happily.
Jiang Yushu suddenly realized and asked in surprise, "It turned out to be my cousin's husband! We haven't seen each other since we parted in the capital, so why is he here in Heqin?"
"It's customary." Liu Tong took a sip of tea and briefly explained, "Officials conduct inspections at all levels, and provincial officials come to the county every year for inspections. This year, it just so happens that Lord Gong is in charge of Heqin."
Jiang Yushu nodded. "I see. So there are such rules in the officialdom. I was so ignorant."
Cousin-in-law?
Humph, how can Gong Yipeng be considered your cousin-in-law? He is a relative of the Guo family.
You call him "cousin-in-law" affectionately, but you are distant and cold to your serious cousin... Pei Wenfeng lowered his head to drink tea, his eyes darkened, and his heart sank.
At the top, Pan Rui opened his eyes wide, carefully examining it for a long while, then slammed the document shut, heaved a long sigh of relief, and said happily, "On the first day of the summer harvest, the news was rushed to the county. Based on the yield per mu, I made a rough estimate, but when I compared it with the actual yield, I underestimated it. The actual yield is as high as 1.2 million catties!"
"Hahahaha, the court only allocated 20,000 catties of new grain seeds, and the prefecture gave it all to Heqin. And in the blink of an eye, 20,000 catties has become 1.2 million catties. I don't know how many times it has multiplied, it's unbelievable." Pan Rui didn't hide his excitement and praised her highly, "Jiang, you've done a great job, far beyond my expectations. The Heqin County Chronicles will add a note saying 'Guo Jiang, who taught the cultivation of new grains.' Your name will be passed down through the ages."
Jiang Yushu was startled and subconsciously stood up, shaking her head vigorously. She said modestly, "Throughout history, how many people have been worthy of the title 'famous through the ages'? Compared to them, I am simply not worth mentioning. Your Excellency, thank you for your compliment."
"Your contributions are obvious to all. There's no need to be so modest. Sit down, let's talk." Pan Rui adjusted his official hat and leaned forward to ask, very amiably, "Well, according to your estimate, how much can we harvest from 1.2 million kilograms of potatoes in the autumn?"
What exactly is going on in the county government's gourd?
"This..." Jiang Yushu lowered her head, her mind racing. After a moment's deliberation, she answered cautiously, "If nothing unexpected happens, it will probably be around 10 million kilograms."
Pan Rui narrowed his eyes, pointed at the official booklet that detailed the new grain harvest, and asked slowly, "Isn't that right? It clearly states in the booklet that the yield per mu is 3,000 catties, and 300 catties of seeds are used per mu. Based on this estimate, the total should be 12 million catties."
Jiang Yushu's eyes were bright, and her words were sincere. She gently reminded him, "What's written in the booklet is correct, but in reality, farmers often live at the mercy of the weather and rely on God's will for their livelihood. If the weather is favorable, the time, the place, and the people are all right, then there will be a good harvest. If any one of these is missing, it will be difficult to have a good harvest."
"Therefore, I've made an estimate based on various possible adverse scenarios, and I anticipate that around 10 million kilograms is achievable. Of course, no one can be sure of the exact yield before we weigh it."
"Hahaha~" Pan Rui leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily. He pointed at her and said to the other two, "Humph, listen to her words. She's flawless, smart and clever, yet extremely humble. She's truly worthy of being the daughter of an assistant minister and the daughter-in-law of a marquis. She's truly exceptional and definitely not your average woman."
Liu Tong had been in Yuehu Town for quite some time and was familiar with the other party's character. He agreed wholeheartedly, "That's true." @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
"My cousin has become even smarter and more capable after all this experience." Pei Wenfeng turned his head, his gaze focused, his heart filled with pity. He thought to himself: If she hadn't married into the Guo family, how could my cousin have been implicated and convicted? Why would she have had to endure humiliation, expose herself to the public, and work hard on the farm in the harsh weather? All of this was the fault of the Guo family. Guo Honglei was guilty.
Was the magistrate praising my intelligence? Or was he laughing at my Tai Chi-style speaking?
Jiang Yushu stood up again and said awkwardly, "Who can truly deserve all these compliments from the three of you? Stop praising me, I don't deserve it."
"Sit down, sit down and talk!" Pan Rui took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and finally revealed his purpose. He said majestically, "Jiang, by the autumn harvest, if you can find a way to increase the total output of new grain to 15 million catties, I promise publicly that I will give you a great gift!"
"Fifteen million jin?"
Jiang Yushu was dumbfounded, shaking her head repeatedly and frowning, saying, "That's impossible! My Lord, let me remind you that 35% of the grain harvested this summer went to the villagers of Liu Village, leaving the government with only over 700,000 catties. With so little grain, it's almost impossible to turn over 15 million catties."
Pan Rui, however, was confident and relaxed, certain that the other party would agree. He asked kindly, "Strange, aren't you curious about the great gift I'm talking about?"
Jiang Yushu's curiosity was piqued, so she asked, "What kind of gift is this?"
The author has something to say:
Happy Dragon Boat Festival to my little angels, feed them a bite of fresh meat dumplings one by one~
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