Chapter 83 Let’s Eat Fruit
"A bunch of losers! You can't even guard the warehouse, and yet you're making excuses!" The county magistrate kicked them angrily. "The Black Eagles must have come back last night, knocked you unconscious, and then took away all the food!"
The county magistrate's head hurt so much that he couldn't even straighten his back. The food had been stolen. How was he going to explain to these starving refugees?
He held his head and returned to the carriage, where he found a scholar in a long gown waiting for him.
The county magistrate ignored him and got on the carriage directly.
"Please stay, sir. I have been waiting for a long time."
The county magistrate sat in the carriage and said impatiently, "You are that Huo... Huo..."
"Commoner Huo Zhongnian."
"Huo Zhongnian, I did say before that 60% of your tax could be refunded! But now all the grain that Heihe Village handed over has disappeared. Even if you come to me now, I can't give you any grain to return!"
Huo Zhongnian bowed and said, "I'm here just to find the missing grain. Perhaps I can help the county magistrate resolve his worries!"
"Just you?" The county magistrate looked at Huo Zhongnian coldly. "You are just a poor scholar. What can you do for me?"
"I forgot to tell the County Magistrate last time that the reason Heihe Village was spared from the locust plague was because of one person! She single-handedly made the locusts that once covered the sky suddenly vanish!"
"How dare you!" the county magistrate shouted. "I'm very busy and don't have time to listen to your nonsense! Drive!"
The wheels began to roll, and Huo Zhongnian trotted along beside them. "Sir, County Magistrate, what I said is true! I saw it with my own eyes, not just me. Everyone in Heihe Village saw it! If she can make the locusts disappear, she can make the grain disappear too! Nine out of ten times, the grain in the granary was taken by her!"
"Stop!" The county magistrate stopped the carriage, lifted the curtain, and said, "Huo Zhongnian, are you telling the truth? Is there really such a sinister demon in Heihe Village?"
"I'm not lying! That person is my own daughter!"
"What?!" The county magistrate looked at Huo Zhongnian in confusion. "Since this evil woman is your biological daughter, why do you, as her biological father, report her to me?"
"Although she is my biological daughter, she despises the poor and loves the rich, insisting on recognizing others as her parents! I really don't want to see her go astray, so I have no choice but to be cruel and kill my own daughter for the sake of justice!"
Dislike the poor and love the rich?
The magistrate suddenly thought of something, "Could her new father be that man with immense strength?"
"That's right!" Huo Zhongnian said.
The county magistrate frowned. If this witch was really as powerful as Huo Zhongnian said, and had a father with great strength as her backer, if he tried to force his way up to her, not only would he have no chance of winning, he would also most likely get into trouble.
Moreover, if the witch could take away the food at will, even if he arrested her, he would probably not be able to get the food back.
Huo Zhongnian saw through the county magistrate's thoughts. "Sir, as long as you don't use harsh measures, you won't anger the witch and her father! What you need most right now is to divert the attention of the refugees. As long as you force that witch to use her magic in front of everyone, you can blame her for the missing food. Then she and Heihe Village will become the target of public criticism, and your dilemma will be easily resolved!"
The county magistrate was tempted.
Huo Zhongnian was right. Whether or not food could be found was not the most important thing at the moment. What was important was to eliminate the crisis caused by the refugees' deep hatred for him.
"Huo Zhongnian, you scholar do have some brains," the county magistrate said. "Today, I will listen to you! Tell me, how can we force that witch to use her magic?"
Huo Zhongnian lowered his head and said in a reserved tone, "I dare to ask if I can help the county magistrate solve this problem. Will the county magistrate grant me a wish?"
"What do you want?"
"I want the position of advisor."
The county magistrate said, "My advisor must be at least a scholar, but if you can truly handle this matter for me, I can make an exception for you!"
Huo Zhongnian's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, County Magistrate! I will do my best to help you achieve this!"
…
Heihe Village, martial arts training ground.
The children were practicing martial arts when the woman on the city wall cried out, "Oh no! The bailiffs are here again!"
Only two yamen runners came this time.
The village head's tone was very unfriendly. "Why are the two officers coming to Heihe Village again? Heihe Village just handed in the grain yesterday!"
The yamen runner said, "Village Chief, the grain delivered by Heihe Village has helped the county magistrate solve his urgent needs. The county magistrate heard that the reason Heihe Village was able to escape the locust plague was because of a little kid named Xiaojiu..."
When the villagers of Heihe Village heard this, their expressions changed drastically, as if they were facing a great enemy.
"Why are you bringing up Xiaojiu? Who told you about Xiaojiu?!" It was Luo Qiuyue's angry voice.
The yamen runner was very patient today. "Don't be nervous, everyone. The county magistrate means no harm. He has always liked little kids. He just wanted to invite Xiaojiu to the county yamen as a guest. He wanted to get to know this clever little kid."
"My little Jiu'er is only a little over a year old and doesn't know how to be a guest!" Luo Qiuyue said bluntly, "Please go back and tell the county magistrate that a country kid has never seen the world, is crybaby and timid, and would never dare to meet a great figure like the county magistrate. Thank you for your kindness, county magistrate, but little Jiu'er won't go!"
"Madam, I advise you not to refuse the County Magistrate's kindness!" the bailiff said. "If Xiaojiu doesn't go, the entire Heihe Village will be in trouble!"
When the villagers heard this, they were immediately furious.
"What do the officials mean by this? Isn't it enough that they've collected 60% of our taxes? Are they looking for another excuse to cause trouble for our village?"
"Before, you used the village head to threaten us, and now you use Xiaojiu to threaten us! You are forcing the people to rebel!"
"Xiaojiu will definitely not go this time! If the county magistrate is unhappy, he can just send people to attack Heihe Village! We're out of food anyway, so the worst that can happen is we fight to the death!"
The villagers threw stones at the yamen runners and said, "Get lost! Go back and tell the bastard officials! Our village will never hand over Xiaojiu!"
The yamen runners hid here and there, complaining, "What are you doing? We're just here to deliver a message! If Xiaojiu doesn't go today, we'll come again tomorrow!"
"Who is it?" A soft and tender voice of a baby came. Xiaojiu climbed onto Luo Qiuyue's back and stretched out his little head to look outside the city wall again and again.
The yamen runner saw the cute little face and couldn't help but smile. "You are Xiaojiu? The county magistrate invites you to the county government office! There are lots of delicious snacks for you. Do you want to go?"
"Today's?" Xiaojiu asked, tilting his head.
"Really! The county magistrate has prepared a lot of delicious snacks, and Guoguo, as long as you go, everything will be yours, Xiaojiu!"
"Okay, okay!" The little dumpling clapped his hands happily, "I'm going!"
"Xiaojiu!" Luo Qiuyue looked at the little girl seriously, "Be obedient, we won't go!"
"Anai! Qiguoguo!" The little dumpling laughed foolishly.
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