Chapter 529 A Dream of Youth 61
On a sunny day, a warm breeze carries the scent of wheat; the lush green shade and secluded grass surpass even the beauty of flowers.
The displaced people who had received land officially settled in Quanzhou. The wind blew across the rice paddies, creating waves of green, and the straw figures dressed in old clothes swayed, startling a few birds.
Farmers rest under the trees to cool off, and drift off to sleep to the sound of cicadas. In their dreams, there is no hardship or displacement, only the peace brought by the heavy ears of rice.
The toddlers, carrying small bags, ran and played behind the adults, filling the air with laughter.
Some were happy, while others were sad. Magistrate Cheng, who worked in the government office, was one of the saddest. But his sadness was limited, as he was about to be promoted for his meritorious service in resettling refugees and successfully dealing with the plague.
Reaching the waterside pavilion, Magistrate Cheng looked at the carefree fish swimming below and sighed silently, "Qingyun, I wonder who the new magistrate is this time. There's still a mess here."
Although he waved goodbye and left, he had served as the local official for so long and still had compassion for the people.
Lin Qingyun lowered his eyes slightly and replied softly, "Hasn't Your Excellency already guessed it? The person who came to Quanzhou this time must be an official with a powerful background."
After all, being the magistrate of this prefecture is no easy task; one has to be caught between various powerful forces and act like a subordinate.
Magistrate Cheng was one such example. After all, he came from a humble background and had worked diligently all the way. He had a heart that wanted to do good things for the people, but he was rather soft-hearted and dared not offend anyone. He was a subservient person not only in front of the prefect but also in front of other wealthy and powerful people.
After reviewing the data reported today, Magistrate Cheng suffered a severe heart attack.
The people he had painstakingly saved, before he could even figure out how to settle them, were divided up by various forces, leaving only a small number for him to settle. Should he thank these people for leaving him a few refugees and not humiliating him?
This makes his previous behavior of scrimping and saving to squeeze out land seem stupid.
Lin Qingyun was well aware of what Magistrate Cheng was thinking, and only comforted him, "Prime Minister Zheng has already been dismissed from his post because he opposed the new laws. Now that Prime Minister Shi has taken office, we have already subtly mentioned this matter before, and Prime Minister Shi will make proper arrangements."
"actually....."
Magistrate Cheng was even more frustrated. "The candidate who previously suggested using the resources of mountains, forests, and marshes to provide for the people, allowing the displaced people to take them without permission, cited the disaster relief methods of Prime Minister Zheng. Those methods not only solved the immediate food and clothing problems of the disaster victims but also developed production, solving their future livelihood issues and saving more than 500,000 people..."
Zheng Xiang is a respectable man. On our way back to the capital to report on our duties, let's stop by Ruzhou.
He had even submitted poems to Prime Minister Zheng during the exams and received praise for them, so they had some connection.
Lin Qingyun stopped speaking. His thoughts should be aligned with the county magistrate's. Even though he was more inclined to support Prime Minister Shi, he had to admit that Prime Minister Shi was too hasty. The new laws had many drawbacks, and even with His Majesty's support, there were still many voices of opposition in the court.
A gentle breeze stirs the water, rippling the surface; the lotus seeds have matured, the lotus leaves have withered. Dew washes over the duckweed and reeds.
It was late summer, the time when lotus pods were ripe. Xie Ning sat on the small wooden boat and reached out to pluck a lotus pod.
Peel open a plump, white lotus seed and put it in your mouth; your mouth will be filled with its delicate fragrance.
There were also many children on the boat, including Chen. She had seen that the lotus pods in the pond in the village were growing well, and she couldn't resist having someone bring a wooden boat to pick them. However, one after another, the children jumped off the boat.
Holding a large lotus seedpod, her little face was filled with joy.
"Alright, it's getting late, let's go back." Chen looked at the pile of lotus pods at her feet and felt that she had enough.
"Mother, look at that one, it's so big, let's pick another one!"
"And over there, there's a whole patch of big lotus pods. Mother, I want to eat lotus seed cake. Lotus seeds can reduce internal heat and calm the mind, so let's pick some more."
Wouldn't it be a waste to leave them here unpicked?
Chen tapped Xie Ning's head, "You little glutton."
Xie Ning winked at the other children, and they all smiled. They didn't have many snacks, and even a lotus seed was a treat for them.
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