Seeing this, Yan Qingqing said to Yuan Huiniang and the others, "Alright, let's go. There won't be any results today."
Yuan Huiniang nodded obediently and followed Yan Qingqing.
Ada was worried that Yan Qingqing and the others would get tired from walking for too long, so he went ahead to the shop to catch the carriage.
After leaving the yamen, Yuan Huiniang finally asked, "Mother, in your opinion, which of those two women is the child's biological mother?"
Yan Qingqing replied calmly, "Magistrate Gao's judgment is probably correct; those two are probably not the child's biological mother."
We're all mothers, and honestly, if it were truly our own child, we'd be heartbroken. How could we stand by and watch our child struggle without doing anything?
Yuan Huiniang nodded and replied, "Mother is right, that's what I think too."
It's just a pity for that child; he doesn't even know who his biological mother is.
Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "That's not something we should worry about."
There are so many pitiful people in the world. We don't need to pity others for their generosity.
At least the child is still well-fed and clothed; regardless of their motives, those two women are even vying to raise him.
Yuan Huiniang felt that Yan Qingqing's words made a lot of sense. Back when their family was poor, they couldn't even afford to eat, and little Jinxiu was so thin that she was skin and bones.
Yan Qingqing and the others hadn't walked far when A-Da arrived in the carriage.
Having seen enough of the sights and excitement, Yan Qingqing led Yuan Huiniang and the others home.
After returning home, I distributed the things I bought in the county town to everyone.
Ruyi and Ruxue each received an exquisite silver hairpin.
There were also two maids who were later promoted to serve in the house, one named Xiaoman and the other Xiaoqi, both of whom were carefully selected by Ruyi.
Don't let Ruyi's lively and playful nature in front of Yan Qingqing fool you; she's very proper and methodical in front of everyone else, always careful not to embarrass her mistress.
She was very strict with the maids below her, and even Ruxue was somewhat afraid of her.
The two maids she chose were also very capable and diligent in their work.
Yan Qingqing also brought them gifts, a pair of exquisite silver earrings for each of them.
The two were overjoyed to receive the gifts and came to express their gratitude.
They never expected that the lady would bring them gifts. Could it be that the lady saw how diligent they were and genuinely approved of them?
The thought of this possibility filled them with joy.
Yan Qingqing looked at the two people kneeling on the ground to express their gratitude and said with a smile, "You two get up. You've been with me for a while now, and I've seen how diligent you've always been."
To me, you are the same as Ruyi and Ruxue.
They both know I don't like this kind of kneeling ceremony, so it's unnecessary to do it again.
Upon hearing this, the two quickly expressed their gratitude.
A few days later, while Yan Qingqing was handling the affairs of the workshop, a gatekeeper came to report that the newly arrived county magistrate was requesting an audience.
Upon hearing this, Yan Qingqing did not put down what she was doing, but replied, "I understand. Please go to the flower hall and treat them well."
It wasn't that Yan Qingqing was arrogant or putting on airs.
There are only two reasons why Magistrate Gao took so long to visit her. First, although she was a Mingzhao Shuoren bestowed by the emperor, Magistrate Gao looked down on her as a widow and wanted to give her a hard time.
Secondly, he had just taken office and was indeed very busy, so it was understandable that he couldn't attend to everything.
Whatever the reason, it's only polite to reciprocate. Yan Qingqing had to return the favor.
Magistrate Gao sat in the flower hall, drinking cup after cup of tea, but he still did not see Ming Zhaoshuo's face.
He knew in his heart that Ming Zhaoshuo probably thought he was impolite and hadn't come to pay his respects to her immediately after taking office.
It's not that he's ignorant of manners, but rather that he has his own reasons, and it's unclear whether Ming Zhaoshuo can understand.
Thinking of this, Magistrate Gao felt uneasy, but he remained calm on the surface.
In fact, he had already decided in his heart that if Yan Qingqing was really vengeful and difficult to get along with, they would simply leave each other alone.
He was, after all, the county magistrate, and Yan Qingqing couldn't do anything to him.
However, Magistrate Gao's idea did not last long. Half an hour later, Yan Qingqing arrived.
Magistrate Gao was visibly taken aback when he saw Yan Qingqing, and then quickly lowered his head and bowed, saying, "This humble official, Gao Zhiyan, greets the esteemed Lord Mingzhao."
Magistrate Gao thought to himself, "Isn't this the lady who was in the crowd listening to the public trial of the child abduction case that day?"
He glanced at Yan Qingqing again, not out of lust, but because Yan Qingqing's appearance and demeanor were unlike that of an ordinary person.
Unexpectedly, it was none other than the famous Ming Zhaoshuo.
Yan Qingqing walked to the head of the table and sat down. Then she smiled and said, "Lord Gao, there's no need for such formalities. I didn't know you were coming today. I had some urgent matters to attend to at home, so I'm a little late. Please forgive me."
Upon hearing this, Gao Zhiyan quickly replied, "This humble official dares not. It is already an impolite act of me to only come to pay my respects to Lord Mingzhao after being in office for so long."
I humbly request that Your Excellency Mingzhao not blame me.
Yan Qingqing laughed and said, "What are you saying, Lord Gao? You have just taken office and there are many things to deal with in the county government. I am not the kind of person who does not understand things."
Yan Qingqing had made up her mind: when dealing with unfamiliar people in officialdom, she had to act cool when necessary.
Otherwise, others might really think they're easy to manipulate.
Magistrate Gao immediately agreed.
Seeing that Magistrate Gao looked a little nervous, Yan Qingqing said, "Why are you still standing, Magistrate Gao? Please sit down."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Gao sat down.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Magistrate Gao, in order to pledge his allegiance, told Yan Qingqing all his secrets.
He was from Xishan Prefecture, and came from a family of farmers and scholars.
His family had high hopes for him since he was a child.
After studying diligently for more than a decade, he only managed to pass the imperial examination with the rank of Tongjinshi.
Because he had no connections in the court, he was simply sent to a remote place to serve as a minor clerk.
However, he has been studying diligently over the years, accumulating a lot of experience in both people's livelihood and criminal cases.
He remained in the position of registrar for more than a decade.
It wasn't until the emperor was evaluating the performance of officials that he finally noticed him.
Because every time the county magistrate was transferred in that area, a memorial would be submitted requesting that he temporarily assume the position of county magistrate, and the emperor naturally remembered the name Gao Zhiyan because it appeared so often.
Therefore, an immediate investigation was ordered.
Having learned that he was indeed a good official who served the people, and with Ling Ziyuan being transferred, this vacancy came about.
Yan Qingqing was quite impressed with Gao Zhiyan, even though he was exaggerating his own abilities and playing the victim.
However, Yan Qingqing had to admit that he was very inspiring. Moreover, Yan Qingqing wasn't a harsh person, so at least for now, they were able to get along peacefully.
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