Chapter 76076 Playing Pigs to Eat Tigers
On the first day of November, Du Qingtang officially took office.
That day, she arrived at the government office early in the morning and went straight to the duty room after checking in.
The prefect, the associate prefect, and the assistant magistrate all had their own duty room. Du Qingtang had just opened the window to ventilate the room when a clerk brought in official documents.
The door faced the window, and a cold wind blew in, making the clerk shiver and clench his cheeks. "Your Excellency, this is the lawsuit from the past few days."
Du Qingtang pursed his lips and chuckled softly. His smile was immature and reserved, like someone who had just entered officialdom and looked easy to bully. "Thank you for taking this trip. Just leave it on the table."
The clerk was stunned by Du Qingtang's laughter. It took him a long time to come back to his senses. He put down the documents in a daze and walked out of the duty room with floating steps.
“Ouch!”
The clerk hit his head on the pillar and finally came to his senses. He covered his forehead and walked forward, muttering to himself.
"Wow, the new judge is so handsome!"
"She looks like she's barely 20, yet she's already a magistrate at such a young age. How amazing!"
Du Qingtang was completely unaware of the clerk's mumbling. He did not rush to open the document to find out what was going on. Instead, he went outside to fetch some clean water and wiped the desk and bookshelf.
It had been an unknown amount of time since the previous Tongpan was gone, and there was a thick layer of dust in the duty room.
Du Qingtang has obsessive-compulsive disorder and cannot stay in a room like this for even a second.
Du Qingtang didn't sit down until the not-so-spacious duty room was spotless, and then he opened the first document.
A villager from Dafu Village came to report that his chicken was missing and asked the government to find it.
The second one.
Villagers from Daliu Village came to report a case that the branches of their neighbor's tree had grown onto their wall, and the neighbor refused to cut them off, so they asked the government to seek justice.
The third book.
The owner of Shixiang Pavilion came to report that the ingredients in the kitchen were missing and asked the government to retrieve them.
.......
The thirty-eighth book.
Villagers from Shidun Village came to report a case. There were too many men in their village, so they asked the government to help them find wives.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Dozens of official documents, all about trivial matters.
If it were someone else, they would definitely stand up and question his superiors why they let him handle these messy lawsuits, and then fight for the rights that are commensurate with their official position.
But Du Qingtang refused.
She spent five days resolving the lawsuits one by one.
The chicken and the pot from Dafu Village were found.
The neighbors in Dalui Village cut off the branches that were over the wall, and the two families shook hands and made peace.
The cook returns the missing ingredients from Shixiang Pavilion.
......
At Du Qingtang's suggestion, Shidun Village joined forces with several surrounding villages to hold a blind date event.
On that day, a total of 26 pairs of unmarried men and women successfully held hands.
On the seventh day after taking office, the village chief of Shidun Village drove an ox cart into the city and walked into the government office carrying a basket of eggs.
"Master Du, thank you so much! More than a dozen children in our village have found wives!"
"These eggs were collected from various sources, and an old man like me delivered them to them. Lord Du, you must accept them."
The white-haired old village chief couldn't stop laughing, and in front of all the officials in the government office, he forced the egg into Du Qingtang's hand.
Lord Du blushed, his cheeks, ears, and neck flushed with shame. He resolutely refused to accept it, saying righteously, "As an official, I should help the people solve their problems and do practical things."
The old village chief was so moved that he burst into tears: "Oh my God, Master Du, you are truly an amazing judge!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Two co-magistrates and one assistant judge: “???”
Wang Tongzhi, Hutongzhi, and Xie Tongpan were dumbfounded.
No, we have been officials in Runing Prefecture for such a long time, but I have never heard you praise us as honest officials.
Du Qingtang has only been here for a few days, and you're already praising her so much.
Why does she do that?
Amid the background sound of the old village chief's profuse thanks, the three men looked at Du Qingtang with extremely unfriendly eyes.
"I was wrong. I never thought Du Qingtang was so cunning, using unorthodox methods to deceive the people!"
After the old village chief left, the onlookers scattered like birds and beasts. Wang Tongzhi sneered and became increasingly dissatisfied with Du Qingtang.
Hu Tongzhi and Xie Tongpan expressed their strong agreement.
"If the nobles in the capital knew that Du Qingtang had made a name for himself in Runing Prefecture and was loved by the people, it would be disastrous if they took their anger out on us."
Wang Tongzhi and Xie Tongpan were shocked.
Xie Tongpan was furious and said, "This won't do! We must report this to the prefect immediately!"
He came to Feng Shu's duty room with a heroic and high-spirited manner and explained in great detail what Du Qingtang had done in the past few days.
However, the imagined scene of the prefect being shocked and angry did not appear.
Feng Shu twirled his beard and said calmly, "Send all the insignificant lawsuits to her."
Xie Tongpan thought he had misheard and cried out in surprise, "Mr. Prefect?!"
Feng Shu glanced at him coldly and said, "Why are you so anxious? The love and admiration of the people is the most worthless thing. If she wants it, just give it to her."
After Feng Shu's guidance, Xie Tongpan suddenly understood.
That’s right, the love of the people is the most useless thing, far less important than the power in your hands and the money flowing into your pocket.
Thinking of this, the sour taste in Xie Tongpan's heart disappeared completely, and he smiled happily: "Your Excellency is wise, it is me who is short-sighted and only cares about the present."
Feng Shu picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote on the document: "Send someone to keep an eye on her. Report any small mistake to me."
Xie Tongpan's eyes rolled and he immediately understood.
It seems that the nobleman can't wait to get rid of Du Qingtang.
"Yes, I will arrange it right away."
That afternoon, Judge Xie personally went to Du Qingtang's duty room and not only brought two large baskets of official documents, but also two clerks.
"Lord Du is new here and probably isn't familiar with the complex and thriving procedures of the government. With these two around, it will be easier for Lord Du to handle the lawsuit."
After Judge Xie finished speaking, the clerk stepped forward and saluted.
"Your humble servant greets Lord Du."
"No need to be so polite, my lords." Du Qingtang was quite flattered, and looked at Xie Tongpan with eyes full of gratitude. "Thank you for your kindness, lords. I am deeply grateful and will repay you in the future with a gift of grass and a ring."
Xie Tongpan didn't take it seriously.
Du Qingtang can hardly protect himself, so how can he talk about repaying?
Judge Xie said a few perfunctory words to Du Qingtang, then walked away with his hands behind his back.
The clerk brought two tables and placed them in the corner of the duty room to assist Du Qingtang in handling official documents and litigation.
But this made the duty room, which was not spacious to begin with, seem even more cramped.
Du Qingtang seemed unaware of this and treated the two clerks with great courtesy. He took them to the provincial capital to handle a lawsuit today and to a remote village to resolve a dispute tomorrow.
Du Qingtang is young and strong. He runs around every day, leaving early and returning late without showing any signs of fatigue.
On the other hand, the two petty officials, one in his thirties and the other in his forties, could not withstand such torture. They lost a lot of weight in just a few days, as if their energy had been sucked away by a monster, and their legs were shaking.
Petty official: “…”
The two Tongzhi and one Tongpan who were keeping a close eye on Du Qingtang: "......"
Looking at the petty official who was barely breathing after being tortured by Du Qingtang, Xie Tongpan muttered to himself, "He has all the strength of an ox, and he's not afraid of being exhausted to death."
While complaining, he took the wine handed to him by the dancer and drank it all in one gulp.
"I have to say, this girl is quite capable. She's been able to resolve all those trivial and difficult lawsuits, and everyone in the community is full of praise for her."
"Not only that, but many people in the government office are also talking about how Du Qingtang is diligent, honest and capable, but she just doesn't deserve to be used by the governor. They feel sorry for her."
"So what? Regardless of praise or sympathy, she is destined to sit on the bench in the government office."
Wang Tongzhi agreed and no longer envied Du Qingtang.
The three old guys are so happy with beauties in their arms and wine in their hands!
......
Twenty days passed in a flash.
On this day, Du Qingtang took his two followers to the remote Shuiwa Village as usual to help the villagers find cows.
The three of them went up mountains and down rivers, and visited dozens of villages, and finally found the stolen old ox.
By the time he got on the carriage back to the city, the clerk felt sore all over that he collapsed on the cushion, motionless.
Du Qingtang opposite was still full of energy, drinking tea with great satisfaction.
Suddenly, she slapped her thigh and said, "Look at my memory. I almost forgot to go to the jewelry store. My Lords—"
The clerk leaning against the carriage, feeling sleepy, asked: "?"
The two of them opened their eyelids slightly, only to see Du Qingtang pursing his lips and smiling softly, with an apologetic look on his face. An ominous premonition came to their minds.
"Mr. Du wants to go to the jewelry store to buy jewelry for his sisters. The jewelry store is on a different road from where you two live, so I'll have to trouble you to walk back."
Petty official: “???”
After a few moments, the clerk stood on the street.
The carriage sped away, leaving them all in a cloud of dust.
Petty official: “…”
No, Du Qingtang is sick, right?
......
Du Qingtang sat in the carriage, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked coldly at the shops and pedestrians retreating on the street.
Passing the street corner, Du Qingtang's eyes swept across a plaque, and the four words "Qiong Yingwen Society" came into view.
For a moment, Du Qingtang thought it was an illusion.
The carriage passed by and she looked back again.
The plaque on the street corner clearly reads "Qiong Yingwen Society", and the endless stream of women coming and going in the door shows that this is not an illusion.
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly. The name of the Qiongying English Society had actually spread beyond Northern Zhili and into Henan Province?
Recalling the glimpse he had just taken, the scene of the women smiling, reading or practicing calligraphy, Du Qingtang smiled, as if the winter snow had melted, with softened eyes and eyebrows.
"Sir, we're here."
The carriage stopped in front of the jewelry store with the best business in Runing Prefecture.
It was evening and the jewelry store was unusually deserted, with only one or two female customers, who were being served by the female shopkeeper.
Du Qingtang stepped onto a small stool to get off the carriage and walked over the threshold.
The female shopkeeper was stunned for a moment when she saw her, then greeted her with a smile: "Sir, what would you like to buy?"
Du Qingtang looked at the dazzling array of jewelry, put his fist to his lips and coughed: "I want to buy some jewelry for my sister, but I don't know what to buy..."
The female shopkeeper understood and raised her hand to indicate, "The jewelry here is more suitable for young women. Young master, please take a look. Is there anything that suits your taste?"
Du Qingtang picked out a pair of jade hairpins for his elder sister.
Just as I was about to choose jewelry for my second sister, a female voice full of surprise came from behind me: "It's you?"
Du Qingtang raised his eyes and turned around. Standing not far away was the young woman whom he had met twice before.
Feng Shu's cousin, Tan Bitong.
Du Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly, revealing a look of surprise as well: "What a coincidence, you're also in Runing Mansion?"
Tan Bitong was somewhat dissatisfied with the respectful address she gave her. Her smile faded for a moment and then returned to her face again, so quickly that even the female shopkeeper, who was always good at observing people's expressions, didn't notice it.
Tan Bitong looked at the jade hairpin in Du Qingtang's hand and narrowed her eyes: "Sir, are you buying jewelry for your wife?"
Before Du Qingtang could speak, the female shopkeeper smiled and said, "Madam, you misunderstood. This young man is buying jewelry for his sisters at home."
"I see." Tan Bitong's hand, which was tightly gripping the handkerchief, suddenly loosened and she said calmly, "Manager Yao, you have misunderstood me. I am not some kind of lady."
Shopkeeper Yao smacked his lips and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I'm old and my eyesight is blurry."
Tan Bitong did not wear her hair in a bun, but she was over twenty years old and anyone could tell the difference between her and a girl waiting to be married.
Seeing that Du Qingtang did not show any strange expression, she felt relieved and did not bother with Manager Yao.
Du Qingtang quickly selected eight pieces of jewelry, paid and prepared to leave.
"Young Master!"
Tan Bitong asked the maid to pay and chased out herself.
Du Qingtang stopped and turned around, giving her a puzzled look.
Tan Bitong tried her best to suppress her excitement and shyness, and said softly, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to escape from the refugee camp last month. Meeting is fate, so why don't I host the banquet as a way to thank you for saving my life?"
Du Qingtang hesitated for a moment and politely declined, "I am just seeing injustice and do not deserve your life-saving grace. Besides, I have official duties to attend to, so I apologize for not being able to accompany you."
Tan Bitong was extremely disappointed, but she was unwilling to give up. She asked, "When are you free, sir?"
Du Qingtang looked embarrassed.
Tan Bitong clutched her handkerchief tightly and forced a smile: "Forget it, official business is more important. Bitong will not take up your time."
After saying that, he covered his face with his sleeves and ran towards the Feng family's carriage.
Shopkeeper Yao supported his chin and watched Du Qingtang enter the carriage and drive away, raising his eyebrows with interest.
"I have a lover but my lover has no feelings for me. It's really a good show."
......
But Tan Bitong left Du Qingtang and returned to the prefect's mansion, looking sad and miserable.
"Young lady is interested in Lord Du, and Lord Du doesn't seem to care about young lady's past. Why not let the prefect come forward and bring you two together?"
Tan Bitong felt a momentary excitement, but quickly dismissed the idea.
"No, Master Du is new here. If my cousin knew about my relationship with her, he would probably think that Master Du was trying to get close to me."
The old woman thought so too.
Feng Shu has always been suspicious. If he knew about this, not only would he not agree, but it would also bring trouble to Du Qingtang.
Tan Bitong rubbed her temples and sighed, "Forget it. There's still a long way to go. I'll always find a chance to thank Master Du."
Then we can slowly plan and get Du Qingtang into our pocket.
The old woman suddenly thought of something, glanced out the window, and whispered, "Miss, there's a letter from Yanqing Prefecture saying that someone claiming to be a distant relative of the Zhang family has come to the house, and the Zhang family plans to adopt him... That way, there will be someone to carry on the family line."
"Distant relative?" Tan Bitong scoffed and spat. "What a bullshit distant relative! I've been devoted to that short-lived bastard for over ten years, serving him day and night. I finally killed him with poison and inherited this immense fortune. How could I let anyone else take advantage of it?"
The old woman nodded in agreement: "Young lady, you are right. Fortunately, you have donated half of your wealth to the prefect. With his care, the Zhang family will not be able to cause any trouble."
The master and servant smiled at each other and talked about other things.
-
Du Qingtang watched the Feng family's carriage go away, then returned to the carriage carrying the jewelry box and gulped down two glasses of water to suppress the disgust in his heart.
"Go back home."
"yes."
When I returned to the Tongpan Mansion under the rosy clouds, Du Qi was already waiting there.
"Sir, the person has been found."
Du Qingtang walked through the corridor, his breath exhaled white mist, blurring his sharp and oppressive features. "Where is it?"
"Five years ago, Fang Jianhong's family perished in a fire. Liu actually escaped. She disfigured herself, changed her name, and fled to Dabie Village."
"I discovered someone was secretly monitoring Liu, so I didn't dare alert them. After confirming her identity, I rushed back overnight."
"It's a good thing to be vigilant." Du Qingtang pushed open the door of the study. If he disturbed Feng Shu, that old fox, things would be very troublesome. "Thank you for your hard work. You don't have to keep an eye on Dabie Village. Go back and have a good rest. We have a tough battle to fight soon."
Du Qi's heart trembled, and he immediately turned serious: "Yes, I will take my leave."
After Du Qi left, Du Qingtang took out a book, which recorded the results of Du Yi and other three people's investigation on the four giants of the government office.
From the places the four giants often visited to the tasks they had on hand, to their wives, concubines and children, it was extremely detailed.
Du Qingtang turned to the pages related to the assignment, browsed through them word by word, and finally stopped at an assignment that Xie Tongpan was doing.
There is a Yufu River in Runing Prefecture, which is a tributary of the Yellow River.
Xie Tongpan's job was to dig ditches and canals to divert the water from the Yufu River into the farmland.
Of course, digging ditches and canals was the people's job, and Pan Pan Xie was in charge of supervision.
Du Qingtang took out a hand-drawn map of Runing Prefecture, and his fingertips ran across the banks of the Yufu River, finally stopping at the downstream.
If you move your eyes slightly upwards, you will see Dabie Village to the north of the lower reaches of the Yufu River.
"It seems I have to find time to visit this Judge Xie." Du Qingtang said to himself.
Just at this moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Sir, Du San and Du Si are back."
Du Qingtang pushed the book and map aside, picked up the pen and dipped it in ink: "Come in."
Du San and Du Si pushed the door open and walked in, bowing and saluting.
"Sir, I have lived up to your expectations and have delivered the letter to Grand Secretary Yan."
Du Qingtang was writing swiftly on paper, drawing up a plan on how to take over the Yufu River mission. Without even looking up, he asked, "What's the situation in the capital?"
Du San replied, "Your Majesty has appointed Grand Secretary Yan as an Imperial Commissioner to tour the country on behalf of the Emperor, and has granted him the Imperial Sword, which allows him to execute first and report later."
Imperial envoy?
Du Qingtang sat up straight, stroking the pen with his fingertips, as if thinking about something.
The imperial envoy inspected various places, including Daming Prefecture and naturally Runing Prefecture.
This is undoubtedly an opportunity.
Emperor Qingyuan gave her the opportunity to transform Runing Prefecture.
Du Qingtang asked again, "How is Loushan Pass?"
Du San replied, "Du Si and I have been staying in Beijing for two days and have not received any news."
Du Qingtang was a little disappointed.
The Great Qi launched an invasion in September, and three months have passed with no outcome yet.
The northwest is bitterly cold, and the longer the war drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Xia army.
Du Qingtang's mind was filled with various thoughts. Du Si said again, "Sir, this is a letter that Master Yao asked me to pass on to you."
Du Qingtang was cheered up and immediately put down his brush and took the wooden box containing the letter.
There are more than just Yao Jingzhou's letters in the wooden box.
There is Fu Ci and the Du family’s sister’s.
In the letter, Yao Jingzhou stated that he received a letter from Qingyuan County in early October and was planning to send it to Du Qingtang. When Du San and Du Si returned to Beijing, he gave the letter to the two of them.
Yao Jingzhou also said that everything was fine in the Hanlin Academy, his superiors valued him very much, and the Duke of Changguo's Mansion no longer harassed him.
Finally, Yao Jingzhou mentioned Zhang Qingyu, who took away Du Qingtang's position as editor.
Emperor Qingyuan summoned Zhang Qingyu to lecture on classics and history, but he misbehaved in front of the emperor and knocked over the emperor's favorite inkstone.
His Majesty was furious and demoted him to the ninth rank of Shishu.
"My nephew was delighted when he heard the news. He even ate two extra bowls of rice that night. Now I am telling this good news to my uncle. I hope he will be pleased."
Du Qingtang couldn't help laughing and opened Fu Ci's letter again.
Fu Ci wrote to announce the good news that she had passed the provincial examination in August and ranked first.
In addition, Gu Tai and Liu Guang Liu Yao also passed the imperial examination and became juren.
Guo Qian failed the exam.
From the letter from the Du family, Du Qingtang learned that he failed the exam because he had a stomach upset during the exam.
Du Qingtang: “…”
After a brief silence, Du Qingtang put the letter into the cabinet and said, "Thank you for your hard work these days. Go back and recuperate. When you have enough energy, you can work for me again."
"yes."
Du San and Du Si retreated, and Du Qingtang refined and detailed the plan, read through it, memorized it, and then threw it into the incense burner, watching it burn into a pile of ashes.
-
Another twenty days passed like this.
Du Qingtang's daily task is still to handle lawsuits. He runs around with two clerks to deal with trivial and insignificant matters.
Due to the intentional or unintentional disclosure of the two associate magistrates and one assistant judge, all the officials in the government office knew that Du Qingtang had offended a noble in the capital and was therefore "exiled" to Runing Prefecture.
Otherwise, as a top scorer in the imperial examination, she should have been admitted to the Hanlin Academy and had a bright future.
Over the past month, the officials felt sorry for Du Qingtang as they saw her working tirelessly, leaving home early and returning late.
Now that I know what she went through, my sympathy is mixed with a bit of admiration.
"Mrs. Du is tenacious and hardworking. She possesses this invaluable spirit. No matter what she does, she will surely succeed!"
Two associate judges and one assistant judge: "......"
"This is truly bizarre. Did Du Qingtang cast a spell on them? He's such an unlucky guy, everyone should stay away from him."
"What bad luck! I was in a good mood, but after hearing them talking about Du Qingtang, I'm upset again. I've decided to go to Cuihonglou for some entertainment. Would you two adults like to come with us?"
Hu Tongzhi readily agreed, but Xie Tongpan refused.
"I rode to the Yufu River to supervise the work this morning, and now my bones are almost falling apart. I just want to go back and rest early. Let's make an appointment next time."
The job at Yufu River was hard and not very profitable, but it was the duty of the Tongpan, and Xie Tongpan could not shirk it, so he had to bite the bullet and go there every two or three days.
Wang Tongzhi did not force it and went to Cuihonglou with Hu Tongzhi.
Xie Tongpan rode in a carriage and returned to the Tongpan Mansion drowsy all the way.
"Master, someone from Magistrate Du's residence delivered a visiting card this afternoon."
Judge Xie narrowed his eyes. "Judge Du sent me a visiting card? When does she plan to—wait! Judge Du?"
The butler was startled by his master's sudden surprise, his heart pounding, and nodded in response: "It is Judge Du."
Judge Xie's sleepiness had vanished, and he raised his hand to rub his face. "Where's her visiting card?"
The housekeeper hurriedly handed over Du Qingtang's visiting card.
Panist Xie opened it and took a look. The visiting card said that Du Qingtang was very grateful for his care for him these days. He got a batch of good tea yesterday and planned to deliver it to him after he got off duty this evening.
Good tea?
Judge Xie threw the visiting card on the table and snorted coldly.
The weasel pays a New Year's visit to the chicken with no good intentions.
A young boy who is still wet behind the ears dares to play tricks on him?
However, despite this, Pan Xie never refuses benefits that come to him.
Judge Xie gave up his plan to take a bath and fall asleep immediately. He asked the housekeeper to make a pot of strong tea. He drank several cups to drive away his sleepiness and waited for Du Qingtang to come.
About an incense stick of time later, Du Qingtang came with two cans of tea.
"It's just a small thank you gift, not a token of respect."
Xie Tongpan opened it and smelled it. It was indeed a good tea. He raised his hand to signal Du Qingtang to sit down and asked directly, "Tell me, what do you want?"
Du Qingtang was stunned for a moment, then shook his head decisively: "Master Xie, you misunderstood. I don't want anything, but-"
Xie Tongpan sneered in his heart, as expected, the fox's tail was exposed.
"I just want to know if I have done anything wrong. Why are you and Lord Wang and Lord Hu avoiding me like the plague?"
Xie Tongpan was drinking tea and almost spit it out when he heard this.
That’s it?
You came to deliver tea with such eager eyes, just for this?
"And..."
Judge Xie sneered again. He was indeed as cunning as a fox and even knew how to keep people in suspense.
"Mr. Du has been in office for nearly two months. Why has he been dealing with various lawsuits? But who has Mr. Du offended?"
When Du Qingtang said this, he placed his hands on his knees, and his fingers rubbed the smooth fabric of his official robes restlessly. His black and white eyes were full of desire and confusion.
"I, Du, also want to be entrusted with important tasks by the prefect, just like Lord Xie, Lord Wang, and Lord Hu."
Xie Tongpan: “…”
So until now, you didn't realize that you had offended someone and were demoted to Runing Prefecture and sat on the bench for a month or two?
The corners of Xie Tongpan's mouth twitched, and he kept complaining in his heart.
He is so good at studying, but why is he so clueless and has no idea about the ways of the world?
Du Qingtang stood up and bowed respectfully: "Please give me some guidance, sir."
Judge Xie didn't dare to speak out, fearing the wrath of the nobles in the capital. He laughed it off and said, "That's not true. I just saw that you're good at handling these trivial lawsuits and you're so energetic all day long. I thought you enjoyed it, so I kept letting you do it."
Du Qingtang: "But..."
"No buts!" Judge Xie interrupted her, "I'm going to have dinner. Lord Du, would you like to join us?"
Du Qingtang hesitated for a moment and nodded in agreement.
There were all kinds of food and wine at the banquet, but Du Qingtang only drank the wine and did not eat any food.
After drinking one glass of wine after another, Du Qingtang's fair face turned red and his eyes became blurred and unfocused.
"Wow..."
Judge Xie was enjoying his wine when he suddenly heard a sob. His hand trembled and the wine glass fell onto his official robe.
Turning around, I saw Du Qingtang lying on the table, crying uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking.
Xie Tongpan: "...Why are you crying?"
Du Qingtang sniffed and whispered quietly, "I miss my parents."
Xie Tongpan: “…”
Du Qingtang choked up, raised his head slightly, and revealed red eyes: "Sir, actually every time I see you, I think of my father who is far away in my hometown."
Judge Xie: “?”
Du Qingtang leaned towards him and said in a low voice, "Can I call you dad?"
Judge Xie: “???”
Just as he was about to refuse, he heard a loud bang and Du Qingtang fell onto the table.
Judge Xie: “???”
"Master Du?"
"Du Qingtang?"
Judge Xie pushed Du Qingtang twice and found that she was already drunk to death.
Xie Tongpan: “…”
Judge Xie was silent for a moment, then asked the housekeeper to call the servants of the Du family who were waiting outside.
Du Yi took Du Qingtang away, and Xie Tongpan drank alone.
For some unknown reason, Judge Xie recalled Du Qingtang's questioning full of grievance, and his eyes, redder than a rabbit's, filled with tears.
After all, he is just a child.
He came alone to Runing Prefecture, where he was unfamiliar with the place, and encountered all kinds of unfair treatment.
To be fair, if it were him, he would have been devastated long ago.
But Du Qingtang persisted and successfully completed the lawsuit every time.
"Can I call you dad?"
"Can I call you dad?"
"Can I call you dad?"
Du Qingtang's pleading words echoed in his ears, and Pan Xie couldn't help but curse.
The next day, Du Qingtang came to the government office to report for duty as usual.
When Judge Xie came towards her, she stopped and saluted.
Her eyes were clear and she looked energetic, with no trace of the crying she had last night.
Judge Xie looked around to make sure no one was around, then whispered, "I'm very busy with my duties, so I can't help but be busy. They're digging a ditch down the Yufu River. Please go over there and supervise the work."
Du Qingtang's eyes lit up, and his smile was brighter than the sun in the sky: "Really? Can I really do other errands?"
Xie Tongpan felt a pang of conscience and responded vaguely.
He would never say that he threw this tiring and thankless job to Du Qingtang because he was too lazy to supervise.
Even if the prefect knew, he would probably not blame him.
Panist Xie turned and left, with Du Qingtang's clear and inspiring voice following behind him.
"Thank you, sir!"
......
That morning, Du Qingtang rode on horseback to the lower reaches of the Yufu River to supervise the work, accompanied by two minor officials.
In Daxia, digging ditches was a form of corvee labor, and those who came to perform the labor were all adult men living in the lower reaches of the Yufu River.
Feng Shu attached great importance to reputation and issued a clear order stating that if there were no adult men in the family and the family was poor, women, children and young children could come to help with cooking and doing odd jobs to avoid labor service.
It was noon and everyone was having lunch.
In the cold winter, the men were shirtless, holding their bowls and eating voraciously. After finishing the meal, they wiped their mouths and continued to work.
The bailiff was wandering around idly with his hands on his hips.
They know that men are the main labor force and should not be easily provoked. Out of boredom, they tease children and bully women.
When Du Qingtang got off his horse, several yamen runners were blocking the way of a young woman, teasing her with words and their eyes lingering all over her body.
The woman lowered her head tightly and trembled like a sieve.
It’s not that she didn’t want to call for help, but that no one saved her.
Her husband is dead, her parents-in-law are old, and her two children are still young.
She is the only pillar of this family.
She can only rely on herself.
The woman kept telling herself in her heart that they didn't dare to do anything real, and it would be over if she just endured it.
"Zhang Chunhua, come and wash the dishes."
The hoarse voice was like gravel grinding. The woman and the yamen runner looked in the direction of the sound and found it was Liu Pozi, who was in charge of cooking.
The bright midday sun shone on Mrs. Liu, illuminating the scar that covered most of her face, like a dead vine or an old tree.
The yamen runner showed a look of disgust on his face, and was dissatisfied with his entertainment being interrupted. He was so angry that he raised his whip and was about to hit Liu Pozi.
"You damned old woman, you look like a monster. How dare you show yourself to others?"
Just as the finger-thick whip was about to fall on Mrs. Liu, a loud shout came from not far away: "Stop!"
Turning his head, he saw a figure walking down the slope in the distance. He was wearing a dark green robe that symbolized a sixth-rank official.
The bailiff's face changed drastically. It was the magistrate!
However, when the dark green figure approached, the yamen runner realized that she was not Xie Tongpan. His expression changed again and he asked, "Who are you?"
They had been supervising the work by the Yufu River for nearly two months and had never returned to the government office, so they did not know that the new Tongpan had taken office.
"I am the magistrate of Runing Prefecture. From today on, I will be supervising the construction on behalf of Mr. Xie."
"In broad daylight, in the open air, you dare to bully women and children. Are you really that bold?"
Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back and asked sternly.
The bailiff's hand shook, and his knees fell to the ground as the whip fell to the ground.
"Please spare my life, sir! I know I was wrong!"
The cries for mercy echoed along the Yufu River, and men and women stopped what they were doing and looked up.
"Oh, it's Master Du!"
"Master Du? Do you recognize her?"
"Master Du helped me recover the stolen chicken."
"Master Du helped me recover the stolen cattle."
"Master Du helped a kid from our village find a wife!"
"Lord Du has helped us a lot. He's a good official!"
"I heard that Lord Du is from Xiajing and is this year's top scholar. He's quite impressive."
Mrs. Liu's eyes moved slightly.
Du Qingtang looked down at the yamen runner who was knelt and begging for mercy, and said calmly: "You shouldn't kneel before me."
The yamen runner was shocked all over, and under Du Qingtang's gaze, he had to bite the bullet and apologize to the woman and Liu Pozi.
This wasn't enough. Du Qingtang added, "You guys have to work with everyone else this afternoon as punishment for your dereliction of duty. Do you have any objections?"
The yamen runners dared not raise any objection and just carried their hoes and went to work.
The young woman's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude: "Thank you, sir."
Du Qingtang waved his hand and said gently, "Since I have taken over this task, I must be responsible to you all."
She comforted the frightened woman with a few words and took the clerk to inspect the other side.
Du Qingtang left, but the discussions about her did not disappear.
"Master Du is so kind. That Master Xie always let the yamen runners bully us."
"I bought a few acres of land a while ago and went to the government office to transfer the ownership. I heard people there say that Lord Du was not valued and had been marginalized."
"How could such a good Lord Du be ostracized?"
"I guess it's because she's so good that everyone else is jealous of her. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent her here to oversee the work."
Mrs. Liu did not join in the women's conversation. She was hunched over, her gray hair fluttering in the cold wind.
"Grandma, thank you."
Mrs. Liu paused while washing dishes and hummed.
The voice was still hoarse, but it made the young woman feel the long-lost warmth.
After washing the dishes, Mrs. Liu went to deal with the leftovers of the yamen runners.
Passing by a bush, she heard two people talking.
"They are just a bunch of untouchables, why make such a fuss?"
"Should we tell the prefect what happened today?"
"If the prefect knew what those people did, they would definitely be in trouble. They are all acquaintances, there is no need to kill them all."
"Ouch, my old waist has been aching every day since the prefect assigned me to monitor Du Qingtang. It's killing me!"
Mrs. Liu gathered her hair and walked away quietly.
......
After finishing her work, Mrs. Liu walked home tremblingly on her crutches.
"Milk!"
As soon as Mrs. Liu arrived at the door of her house, her grandchildren came jumping up and down to greet her.
The smile is innocent, but the beauty is ruined by the hideous scars on the cheeks and neck.
Mrs. Liu's eyes softened. After arriving home, she did not even have time to rest, but took her grandchildren into the mountains to collect firewood.
After collecting firewood, I started preparing dinner. By the time I calmed down, it was already dark.
The two children climbed onto the kang, wrapped themselves in the quilt, and soon fell asleep.
Mrs. Liu lay beside them, breathing steadily.
When the moon was at its zenith, she opened her eyes and quietly got off the bed in the dark.
Mrs. Liu fumbled around on the ground and dug out two bricks.
If there were others present, they would definitely scream out in surprise—
There was nothing under the brick!
Mrs. Liu knelt like a stiff stone statue, quietly looking at the book that she had hidden under the bricks for five years and was soaked in her child's blood.
After a long while, she slowly spoke.
His voice was hoarse and almost inaudible.
"Hong'er, tell me, can I trust her?"
No one responded.
The person who should have responded to her died in the fire five years ago.
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