Chapter 94 Jinjiang First Release Chapter 94 How can an official obey his husband...
Dayan State had both an imperial examination system and a recommendation system. Magistrate Ma wanted to recommend Fang Shu because he truly saw Fang Shu's kindness in the disaster relief effort. Furthermore, Fang Shu had a supportive and thoughtful wife. Magistrate Ma felt that if he could secure Fang Shu's support, Huaitong County would undoubtedly rise to new heights, and his own future would also be bright.
He did not promise any reward at first, because he wanted to test whether these two people were really working for the people and whether they were as good as Cao Kuo said.
Now that the results were out, he and Cao Zhenshou were both very satisfied.
"Guardian, you're still young, and you should do something great," Magistrate Ma said. "Although Huaitong County is only a small town, it's one of the best in Dayan Country. I'm just short of someone like you, and you happen to have such talent. Why not take this opportunity to improve the lives of the people?"
"This... Your words, sir, really frighten me. I am grateful for your kindness in giving me this opportunity. However, our Dayan Kingdom has always practiced a system of avoidance. I intend to take the imperial examination next year in the autumn. If I become the county magistrate now, I will not be able to take the examination next year, so..."
"You kid, there are so many people taking the exam every year, how could it be that easy to pass? Besides, even if you did pass and were assigned an official position, you wouldn't be assigned to Huaitong County. You have to understand that this 'avoidance system' doesn't just require incumbent officials to avoid the exam, but also requires new officials to avoid their relatives, and that means your parents and fellow villagers. Then you'd have to move your whole family somewhere else to serve as an official, and that wouldn't be as good as our own hometown."
"But, but I never thought about becoming an official." Fang Shuyue's voice became lower and lower, feeling guilty. "I just want to pass the imperial examination."
"Ridiculous! How can you, a man of eight feet tall, be so unmotivated?"
"Please calm down, sir. I am just an ordinary person, used to being idle. If you really let me become an official, I am afraid it will cause trouble for you, sir."
"You! A man with great ambitions, how can he be idle? Mr. Fang, don't you have any other ideas?"
Seeing Yu Qinglong sitting there silently, seemingly not surprised at all, Magistrate Ma was very curious about what the couple were thinking.
It is good to pass the imperial examination, but is it really that easy to pass?
He recommended Fang Shu for the position of County Magistrate. This was a readily available 8th rank official, with a state salary, and he held considerable influence in the county. Huaitong County was a large one, and being County Magistrate there was even better than being a magistrate in many smaller counties. If he hadn't truly valued these two men's abilities and their concern for the people, he wouldn't have considered recommending them.
Yu Qinglong said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I will defer to my husband on these important matters. Besides, my husband and I plan to plant more potatoes after the New Year, so we really don't have time to spare."
Magistrate Ma's face was slightly puzzled. "Growing potatoes? You mean those ugly black roots that foreigners bring in to sell?"
Yu Qinglong said, "Yes, sir. This summer I had the good fortune to see this plant in the wild. Out of curiosity I pulled it out to have a look. The plant was laden with fruit, with dozens of potatoes under just one plant. However, I didn't know it was edible at the time, so I didn't dare take it home. It wasn't until I arrived in the county that I realized it was edible. My husband and I thought that with such a high yield, if we planted more, it would be very likely to alleviate the problem of food insecurity for poor families. So my husband and I decided to plant more and try, just in case we could help more people. But my situation now..."
Yu Qinglong rubbed his belly and said, "I can't grow that much by myself. But the other villagers don't know much about this plant, so I'll have to observe and record their planting situation."
Magistrate Ma had seen potatoes before. Along the coast of Huaitong County, any exotic item could be shipped thousands of miles across the sea. He'd even tried steamed potatoes. The taste wasn't particularly surprising, but it wasn't unpalatable either.
He really hadn't thought about planting it in large quantities to improve the problem of food shortage. After all, this thing was not produced locally, and it would take time for people to accept it.
But what if they could actually grow it? If the yield was truly as high as Yu Qinglong had predicted, and it could solve the problem of hunger, that would be a truly great thing. They were in the north, and people died of freezing or starvation every year. But, frankly, this was due to food shortages. If every household had a surplus, there wouldn't be such a problem.
And strictly speaking, the situation in their county is relatively good, as there are other places with more difficult situations than theirs.
Fang Shu then said, "Sir, potatoes have another great advantage: they grow in the ground. As long as they can survive the growing season, even if there's a locust plague, there won't be a complete loss."
Here, most of the time, only peanuts and radishes produce fruit underground, but according to her husband, the yields of these two are not as high as potatoes.
Magistrate Ma said, "So after all, you still don't want to be the county magistrate."
Fang Shu bowed and said, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness in nurturing me, Your Excellency. However, I would like to do more for the people in other ways, and I hope Your Excellency will grant me that. In the future, if Your Excellency needs me to do anything, I will be there at your service and do my best."
Magistrate Ma sighed, "Forget it. I asked you to be the County Magistrate because I wanted you and your wife to continue managing the disaster relief treasury. Since you're determined to continue taking the imperial examinations, I can't force you. Let's just leave it at that. Go on with the potato thing."
"Thank you, sir. Regarding these potatoes, my wife and I plan to plant them in our own fields first. We've already purchased a thousand kilograms of potato seeds. We plan to plant them once spring arrives. I'll record the planting methods and care, as well as the harvest and so on. If the results are good, we'll bring more people to plant them next year."
"You've already bought so many seeds?"
"Yes, sir."
"But I heard it sprouts easily. If you grow so much you can't eat it all and you can't sell it, what are you going to do?"
"Sir, this plant, like lotus root, can also be made into flour," Yu Qinglong said. "It's just that we have too few fresh potatoes, so we're not sure how much potato flour we can make from one pound of fresh potatoes. Regardless, my husband and I want to try growing some. It'll only take about a year, so we'll grow it first and then see if it's edible enough. If it's edible enough, that would be great. If it's not, that's not a problem. If it can produce so many fruits, it can't be too low. A single potato with so many sprouts can produce many potato plants."
Magistrate Ma secretly felt a pity. This Fang Shu was exactly what he wanted. He was both capable and virtuous. With Yu Qinglong, he was even more powerful. Most importantly, he was tall. If he followed him, it would bring him honor.
His small stature was his lifelong trouble.
But forget it, a forced melon is not sweet, and it is really not easy to let someone who wants to continue to take the imperial examinations become an official.
Magistrate Ma said, "In that case, you two should hand over all your tasks to Niu Quan. If I need you in the future, I will send someone to find you."
Fang Shu and Yu Qinglong both bowed and said, "Thank you, sir."
After much deliberation, Magistrate Ma decided to send a car to take the people back to Fuyue Restaurant. Yu Qinglong and Fang Shu only breathed a sigh of relief after arriving at the restaurant.
"My dear, if I become the county magistrate, I will no longer be able to take the imperial examinations?"
"It's not that I can't take the exam all the time, but I can only take it after I've completed six years in office. This is to prevent officials from being completely focused on the exam and neglecting their work. In other words, if I want to take the exam again after becoming a county magistrate, I have to wait seven years. That's too long." Fang Shu asked for water to wash his hands with Yu Qinglong, then sat down to drink tea. "My husband promised you that I would pass the exam, so there's no compromise on this matter. How can being an official be more important than listening to your husband?"
"You're just being a bitch. But being a county magistrate is an official position. Are you really willing to give up such an opportunity?"
"Why would you be reluctant to leave? Long'er, you may not know that the officialdom is also divided into different levels. Those who came from the imperial examination look down on those who came from the imperial examination. Everyone thinks that the imperial examination is the right path. If your husband really wants to be an official, then he can't be a county magistrate."
"I understand. Then you can help me plant potatoes next year."
"Okay, I'll plant it the way you say."
Soon the waiter brought some snacks. Yu Qinglong ate some to fill his stomach and was about to continue writing his storybook when someone came in.
It turned out to be Qin Yushuang and the owner of their Qin family's clothing shop.
Fang Shu then went to find Yan Xikuan and Ma Qinsui to make room for the three brothers.
Qin Yushuang introduced the middle-aged man across from him to Yu Qinglong: "Brother Long, this is Uncle Meng, the owner of Jinnian Clothing, our family's largest clothing store. He saw the pictures you drew for me and asked me to ask if you could draw a few more for him."
Yu Qinglong smiled and said, "You don't need to draw several pictures. In fact, the beauty of your clothes lies in the color matching. So just bring the patterns of the common styles in the shop and I will help you match the colors. If you follow that, it will naturally be different."
Shopkeeper Meng asked, "Mr. Yu, are you willing to cooperate with us long-term?"
Yu Qinglong said, "Of course. Shuang Ge'er is my good friend, so what would it be if I didn't help him with this little favor? I come to the city to stay for a few days every month, and Manager Meng can come to me if he needs anything."
Shopkeeper Meng said, "That's great. I heard from Shopkeeper Jiang that you have something called a 'color card' that was made in his cloth shop. We at Jinnian Garment Shop basically get all our materials from him. If you need to match colors, just follow the color card."
Yu Qinglong said, "No problem."
Shopkeeper Meng happily left. Qin Yushuang then said, "Brother Long, I'm here to invite you to go to the foreign exhibition in a couple of days. I heard that the foreign merchants have brought in a lot of new things and invited the young men and women from all over the country to enjoy them. If you like anything, you can buy it. Let's go and take a look. What do you think?"
Yu Qinglong thought this was a possibility. He had actually wanted to meet these foreign merchants when he asked Guo Hengan to buy potatoes, but at the time, he was too busy to go in person, and he also hadn't figured out how to develop the business next.
After hearing Fang Shu's words, he felt more confident and replied, "Alright, I'll go with you to broaden my horizons. Can I bring my husband with me?"
Qin Yushuang smiled and said, "Of course you can. It doesn't matter if a few people go, the main thing is to join in the fun. Then I'll come pick you up in person and we can go together."
Yu Qinglong thought it was a good idea, so he agreed. He had a meal with his friend and then continued to stay in the house to write his storybook.
Fang Shu asked the kitchen boy to prepare a small fruit plate and placed it next to Yu Qinglong. "Then let's go to the foreign exhibition the day after tomorrow. We can spend another two or three days writing and submit another storybook before going home."
Yu Qinglong said, "Do you really want to go home?"
Fang Shu said, "Yes, a little. You're always busier here than at home, and I can't bear to see you tired. Besides, there are so many people coming and going here, and I have to wait until nightfall to have my Long'er all to myself for a while. How can I complain?"
"After we go back this time, we won't have to come here again before the New Year. Won't we have plenty of time to spend together day and night? Don't bother me then."
"How dare I? Not to mention I'm reluctant, even if I was willing, my mother would beat me to death." Fang Shu said with a smile, "You are now the little ancestor of our Fang family."
"The little ancestor wants to stay in the county for a few more days and finish writing "Picking the Moon" before returning. What do you think, husband? That way we don't have to rush over after the New Year."
"Very good." Fang Shu said, "Write quickly. I have already polished what you wrote before."
Yu Qinglong has written that Gu Xiucai and Mo Lanzhou are in love with each other, and in order to be with Mo Lanzhou, Gu Huai'en studies hard and passes the imperial examination. He is willing to go to extremely poor places to help the local people and make their lives better.
In this way, he accumulated good karma in exchange for the opportunity to be with Mo Lanzhou.
Yu Qinglong has already written that the two will soon meet. Recently, fans of the book have been waiting for updates every day. He can hear about this even if he doesn't go to Dexin Academy, because many of the people who come to Fuyue Restaurant for dinner have read this book.
But still no one knew that he was the future lay Buddhist.
Yu Qinglong felt that he had a secret interest in it, so he never told anyone about it.
Unexpectedly, two days later, at a foreign exhibition, a fight almost broke out because of him.
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Author's words: Fang Shu: Long Ge'er, I feel like I was over-fermented noodles yesterday, unripe grapes today, and raw tomatoes tomorrow [melted].
Qinglong: What's the meaning?
Fang Shu: I’m jealous [bursts into tears]
Qinglong: Please give him some alkali [laughing and crying][empty bowl][empty bowl][empty bowl]
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