Everyone was scrambling for chairs just now, and Jiang Zhi couldn't possibly push and shove a bunch of smelly men around.
Xia Xiucai was too weak and alone to carry out such a robbery.
As a result, the two of them standing there were particularly conspicuous.
Song Lizheng snatched the chair at the head of the table, feeling pleased. He looked up at Jiang Zhi standing there and a mocking smile appeared on his lips: "A woman is a woman. So what if she is appreciated by the magistrate for her work? It's shameful for her to join in the fun on this occasion."
Now that he knows that Magistrate Zhang praised Xu Family Village highly and even went to the village to check on it, he can no longer say that the woman is ignorant, but he still feels uncomfortable.
Since Magistrate Zhang was not present, he no longer needed to hide anything: "Madam Jiang, this is a meeting of men. It is not appropriate for a woman like you to be here. Please leave!"
They spoke so fluently, as if it were a matter of course.
Jiang Zhi smiled slightly: "How did Song Lizheng know it was inappropriate?"
"Your family's ancestral tablet has 'Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher' written on it. Why didn't you remove the word 'parents'? Your mother, grandmother, and grandmother are also listed there. There are a lot of female relatives in your Song family. It's very inappropriate to leave them on the ancestral tablet."
"You!" Song Lizheng was immediately embarrassed and annoyed when someone mentioned his own relatives: "You sharp-tongued woman!"
"You old geezer with the popped eyes, you don't know what's good for you!"
(“Puffy eyes” is a derogatory term used to describe men in their fifties or sixties whose physical functions are declining, who are thin and weak, and who naturally bulge their eyes when they want to speak loudly.)
Upon hearing Jiang Zhi's rebuttal, several local gentry members burst into laughter.
Among them were scholars like Song Lizheng, wealthy merchants in town, and landlords with farmhands and fertile land.
They were all scheming for the position of village head of Lihua Town. When they heard that the county magistrate was coming to inspect Xujia Village in Lihua Town before the New Year was over, they abandoned all their social engagements and followed him.
However, Song Lizheng had served as the village head for many years and had many acquaintances in the county government. Being close to the source, he had already received news that he would be the head of the pavilion in Lihua Town, which disappointed and made everyone jealous.
At this moment, Song Li was being insulted by a village woman, and the others naturally joined in the mockery.
Song Lizheng was about to say something with a dark face when Xia Xiucai spoke up, "Last time you said that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, which I found unreasonable. Now is the perfect time to argue with that!"
Song, the village head, was immediately speechless with anger: "The matter is over, let's not talk about it anymore!"
Scholar Xia replied, "A lamp won't shine if you don't adjust it, and a principle won't be clear if you don't discuss it. Village Chief Song is well-read; he should understand this principle..."
While Xia Xiucai and Song Lizheng were arguing, Jiang Zhi went out of the main hall, found the newly appointed postmaster, and asked for two more chairs.
This man, surnamed Cao, was young and was among the first batch of soldiers who had recuperated from their injuries in Xujia Village.
Like Zhang Juntou, he got a government job through military merit.
Although the postmaster was a low-ranking official, merely a minor clerk, he was still considered to have donned a uniform and become a member of the system.
Because the two families on the mountain were hiding tightly while he was recuperating, and the medical shed had plenty of medicine, he did not know Jiang Zhi.
Upon hearing that there was a shortage of chairs in the main hall, Cao Yicheng, who was busy running around, pointed to the room next door. The door was open, and you could see that it was filled with various furniture, including tables, chairs, and benches.
"Village Chief Jiang, it's not that I'm deliberately making things difficult for you, but if you need a chair, please go inside and get one. I really don't have time right now!"
The absence of seats in the hall was not intentional; the post station had not yet been officially opened.
It's only the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and even the postmen and servants are still celebrating and haven't all arrived yet. He came with Magistrate Zhang.
While Magistrate Zhang was in the village, Cao, the postmaster, took the key and opened the post station. In his haste, he could only tidy up one main room and a reception room, so it was inevitable that there were few chairs and other items.
Jiang Zhi didn't necessarily need a chair. Seeing two small stools that Zhao Shuli and the others had made in the corner of the corridor, she picked them up and went back to the hall.
At this moment, Scholar Xia and Village Head Song were talking animatedly, quoting various classics and historical allusions with ease.
However, Xia Xiucai sometimes acted strangely, and his words were often disjointed and not entirely coherent.
This unreliable tactic infuriated Song Lizheng, who pointed at Xia Xiucai and shouted, "That's not what you said just now! You're a two-faced scoundrel!"
Xia Xiucai looked innocent: "A gentleman helps others to achieve good, not evil. To be trustworthy in word and sincere in deed is the greatest filial piety."
Hearing him steer the conversation to another point, Song Lizheng nearly vomited blood in anger: "I said east, you said west, you're going in the opposite direction!"
Those around him burst into laughter again. They had clearly seen through Xia Xiucai's madness. Someone spoke up to quell the anger: "Reason cannot be clarified without debate. This matter needs to be explained from the beginning!"
Jiang Zhi stood aside and listened for a few moments. She knew that if she continued, Xia Xiucai's mind would become even more confused, and his words would become a laughing stock.
She stepped forward and stopped Xia Xiucai, who was about to argue his point again: "Why should you teach this group of ignorant people? You didn't even charge them tuition."
Don't make them too clever. From now on, explain these principles to the stone monkey, the spring, and the stream!
Xia Xiucai was in a state of excitement and fervor, and was about to argue his point to the end, but after hearing what Village Chief Jiang said, he suddenly realized something.
That is indeed the case.
Every time he lectured in the village, not only did the children listen attentively, but even Tian Gui and the others said it was good, and that it was a waste of breath for him to reason with a group of ignorant people.
He raised his head and said, "You are all hopeless scoundrels, so let's not argue!"
When a madman pointed at him as rotten wood, everyone in the hall changed their expressions.
Jiang Zhi laughed: "They're all just arguing with a madman because they're full of themselves. They're all a bunch of lunatics."
Song, the village head, wanted to retort, but was stopped by the others: "Brother Song, the magistrate is here. It would be impolite of you to argue any further!"
If the debate continues, the courtroom will descend into chaos again.
The person in front of us is insane. If the magistrate sees us, he will think that everyone is bullying a sick person, which will leave a very bad impression.
Song Lizheng blushed, shut his mouth, and turned away, refusing to look at anyone.
There weren't many chairs left in the hall; let's see how this shrew and the madman handle themselves.
The weather was cold and gloomy at the time, and a large basin of charcoal fire was placed in the center of the hall for warmth.
Jiang Zhi took out two small stools, pulled Xia Xiucai to sit by the brazier, and started warming herself by the fire in a carefree manner.
Xia Xiucai had been in Xujia Village for a year by this time. Although he still spoke in classical Chinese, he had taken off his long gown and was now wearing a coarse cotton-padded jacket like an ordinary person.
He sat on a small stool, warming his hands by the fire, while being looked down upon by a group of gentry sitting in chairs.
Jiang Zhi didn't care anymore. "I'm a shrew, who am I afraid of? It's more comfortable to be by the fire in the dead of winter. Let whoever wants to sit on that high chair sit there."
Seeing that these two were scoundrels, no one in the hall spoke for a moment. They all stared at the sky and the ground, looking at their noses and their hearts, like clay sculptures or wooden statues.
Fortunately, after only a short while, Magistrate Zhang changed his clothes and entered the hall, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.
Song, the village head, led the way in bowing and greeting. Amidst the commotion, Jiang Zhi and Xia Xiucai, standing at the back of the crowd, were surprisingly separated from the group and unable to move forward.
Magistrate Zhang responded to everyone and asked them to sit down. After he sat down, he looked up and found that two people were missing.
Behind the crowd, Jiang Zhi and Xia Xiucai sat down on small stools to warm themselves by the fire.
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