County Magistrate Qian was surprised that Registrar Li would retort to him like that. He stood up abruptly and said, "Lord Li, you must understand that you have been here for more than ten years and may continue to do so in the future. Lord Xu came from the capital and will be returning to the capital in the future. You should know what to do."
Li, the registrar, built a large new courtyard, which many people thought meant he was going to settle down there. The courtyard was so big that it cost a lot of money to build, and even if he wanted to sell it, it wouldn't be easy to do so.
This is what many people see on the surface, but Clerk Li knows very well how the house came about. Moreover, Prince Wei and Lord Xu have assured Clerk Li that Xu Rao will take him with him when he leaves. In other words, Clerk Li and Xu Rao will be in the same boat from now on. Clerk Li is a very reliable person, and with Wei Lang and Xu Rao's assurances, he will truly follow Xu Rao's lead. Clerk Li fully supports all of Xu Rao's decisions.
Li, the registrar, took a sip of tea and said, “Lord Qian, I am just a lowly registrar. I have been in this Hexi County for more than ten years. I have feelings for this place and I really hope that the people here can live a good life. I am of humble status and power and cannot do great things. I can only do some small things that I think are right.”
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Qian glared at Registrar Li with hatred, turned around and left. Just as he reached the door, a yamen runner was about to enter the room to invite Magistrate Qian and Registrar Li to the dining hall for a meal. He happened to meet Magistrate Qian at the door and quickly bowed, saying, "Lord Qian, the meal is ready. Please go to the dining hall for your meal."
Magistrate Qian snorted and walked towards the main gate of the county government office without replying.
Seeing that Magistrate Qian had left, the yamen runner hurried over and whispered to Registrar Li, "Lord Li, what happened to Lord Qian?"
Li, the registrar, said with a smile, "I don't know what's wrong with him. Is the food ready? If it is, let's go eat quickly, and then go home and rest. I've been busy all day, and my back is killing me. If I keep doing this for a few more days, I'll be lying in bed at home. You young people are so lucky; you can work all day and still be full of energy."
The yamen runner quickly stepped forward to help Li, the clerk, to his feet. Li, supporting his back, followed the yamen runner toward the dining hall.
After Xu Rao arrived, because he often had to work overtime, he set up a fairly large room next to the county government's kitchen, put in a lot of tables and chairs, and used it as the county government's canteen. He also took out a sum of money from the county government's revenue so that those who worked for him could have hot meals, and there would be overtime pay so that they wouldn't work for free.
Several lamps with shades have been lit in the canteen. They are oil lamps covered with glass shades. I heard that these glass shades came from the south and are quite expensive. Xu Rao only thought of buying these things because of Zhang Zhaozhi. The canteen is a big place, and it's not comfortable to eat if you work overtime and come here to eat in the evening without some light. After asking Zhang Zhaozhi to buy them, he put them in the canteen.
When Clerk Li was helped in by the yamen runner, there were already quite a few people sitting inside, making a lot of noise. The yamen runners and servants in the county government office were all locals from Hexi. They could have gone home to eat, but the food in the county government office was good. Xu Rao knew very well that if you want a horse to run, you have to give it enough fodder. So he instructed the cooks to make sure the food was good and juicy.
For dinner, there was stewed mutton, along with large sesame flatbreads from the street vendor. Zhao Pozi's husband had been preparing the mutton since morning, stewing it in a clear broth. By now, the broth in the large pot had turned milky white. The large sesame flatbreads were made with wheat flour, baked until crispy, and seasoned with pepper, oil, and salt, with a layer of sesame seeds sprinkled on the outside. Holding the flatbread in one hand, you had to support it from below with the other. Taking a bite, the crispy outer layer would crumble off, and you would catch it in your hand before putting it in your mouth, filling your entire mouth with the aroma of roasted sesame seeds.
While eating sesame flatbread and drinking mutton soup, the bowl of mutton soup contained many chunks of tender mutton. Pepper powder was added to the mutton soup, and there was also chili sauce made by Xu Di on the table. If you wanted it spicy, you could add some to your bowl. Taking a sip, the fresh and delicious flavor combined with the spiciness made you feel comfortable all over.
After finishing the meal, all the fatigue in my body seemed to come out along with the sweat from eating spicy food, and I felt incredibly comfortable.
Xu Rao also ate two sesame cakes and drank a bowl of mutton soup, but he didn't add chili sauce. Xu Rao's diet is very bland, and he has never been able to handle the spiciness of chili peppers.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they all went home.
Clerk Li, walking at the back, called out to Xu Rao, saying, "Lord Xu, I feel that Lord Qian may have some misunderstanding about you?"
Xu Rao sighed and said, "Old Li, a person's energy is limited. I'm not like money, and everyone will like me. I can't be so charming that everyone will like me. So, I'll just do my job well, fulfill my responsibilities, and be worthy of the Emperor, the court's trust in me, and the salary they give me. As for the people under my rule, I'll make sure they have enough to eat and live well while I'm in power. Then I'll have a clear conscience."
Upon hearing this, Clerk Li nodded repeatedly and said, "Lord Xu, your words are truly invaluable. One should live with a clear conscience. If you do something wrong, you may not realize it now, but you will regret it later. Well, it's getting late, I must hurry home. Goodbye, Lord Xu."
Xu Rao smiled and nodded, saying, "Greetings, Lord Li."
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