Chapter 30: Newcomers are not easy to mess with
Since Ling Tianshui's identity was confirmed, Qiandeng decided to use this person. She briefly recounted the previous case and handed the case file to him.
After he had given it a quick glance, she continued, "There's no time to lose. Since Ling Sijie is familiar with the work of a coroner, please go to the backyard and settle down, then come with me to the charity cemetery... Will Cui Shaoqing go?"
"Go." Cui Fufeng stood up calmly, "Ling Sijie isn't familiar with you yet, I'll take him over to introduce him to them."
Because it was a holiday, everyone was in the backyard.
For a new man to enter Qiandeng's backyard, it is naturally impossible for him to be like a drop of water merging into the sea. Instead, it is like a bucket of water poured into a large oil pot, which naturally stirs up a large amount of smoke.
Everyone gathered in the Chrysanthemum Garden where Ji Linyou lived, waiting for the arrival of the newcomer with their own thoughts.
Ji Linyou said to the crowd with a smile, "My cousin has a miserable life. He has been meek and timid since childhood. The county magistrate has really allowed him to enter the government office. I hope everyone will take good care of him. I would like to thank you all on his behalf."
Xue Xiyang stroked the chrysanthemums blooming outside the threshold with his usual smile on his lips. However, when he thought about the fact that the slander he had made in front of the county lady had no effect, his smile inevitably dimmed a little.
Shi Jingning had a food box on his knees, which contained the goat milk cakes that people in Longyou loved, and the aroma was fragrant.
Yan Penglai was in a trance, waiting for the newcomer to come with the Book of Changes in his hand, wanting to see what was special about the physiognomy and destiny calculated by the Sitiantai.
Only Shangluo couldn't wait and kept peeking outside, looking impatient.
The bamboo forest moved slightly, and two figures appeared in the distance on the bluestone path, walking slowly towards this side.
Shangluo caught a glimpse of the figure in front of him and was so shocked that he was speechless. He turned around and ran inside, shouting, "This is terrible! This is terrible!"
Ji Linyou patted his head, signaling him not to make a fuss: "What's wrong?"
"That...that person...the new candidate!" Shang Luo gasped, clearly terrified. "He, he is..."
"It's me." A casual voice came from outside the door. Then, Cui Fufeng appeared at the door and nodded slightly to everyone, "Everyone, long time no see."
The five people in the room quickly stood up and saluted him: "Mr. Cui."
Aunt Xuanji, who had led him here, smiled and said, "Shaoqing Cui will be staying at Jinzhu Hall. If you need anything, you can ask Shaoqing Cui for advice."
Everyone looked at each other, unable to believe that he was the "newcomer" entering the mansion today.
The person who selected them in the first place has now selected himself as well, and wants to squeeze in the county lord's backyard with them?
Looking again, there was another person behind him, standing silently behind Cui Fufeng. His clothes were simple, almost plain, but with that sharp aura like a blade, who would dare to mistake him for Cui Shaoqing's follower?
An ominous premonition arose in everyone's heart.
As expected, Aunt Xuanji continued, "This is Ling Tianshui, one of the new candidates for the Husband. Please be friendly to him."
Not only did the county lady immediately accept new people after the incident, but she also accepted two at once!
There was silence in the hall, and the five old friends could clearly hear the sound of their own heartbreaking.
Aunt Xuanji was concerned about cleaning up Jinzhutang and Yuansongju, so she left in a hurry after introducing them.
At that awkward moment, Shi Jingning opened the fragrant food box. The delicious food eased the tense atmosphere a little. "Brother Ling, this is a pancake I made according to the Longyou style. How about you try it?"
Ji Linyou finally came to his senses. He was obviously shocked by his cousin's transformation. He introduced him to everyone in a daze: "This is my cousin Ling Tianshui. He..."
Reluctantly swallowing the introduction of "pitiful life experience", he looked at this cousin who was taller than him, scratched his head, and said, "Anyway, everyone is in the backyard, please take care of me."
Everyone looked at Ling Tianshui and thought, does this kind of person still need our care?
Shi Jingning put down some snacks and asked Shangluo to take out the tea stove. The seven of them gathered around the stove to make tea, which finally made the atmosphere a little more lively.
Xue Xiyang blew away the foam on the tea, smiled coldly, and looked at Ling Tianshui: "Are you the poor little cousin that Lin You mentioned?"
Ling Tianshui clearly wasn't into such refined things as drinking tea. She crossed her long legs and leaned against the pillar behind her, glancing at him. "Are you the so-called wild vixen in the county lord's backyard?"
Xue Xiyang was surprised to have such a good reputation. He felt a little embarrassed and annoyed, and his usual smile faded. "We are all familiar with Mr. Cui, but I wonder where this Ling Tianshui came from, and what he is up to now?"
Ling Tianshui picked up the teacup and said, "Ling Tianshui, twenty-three, just arrived in Chang'an, currently serving as a rank officer in the Shen Ce Army of the Northern Yamen Forbidden Army."
Cui Fufeng smiled, lowered his eyes, sipped tea, and said nothing.
"Of course, cousin. The Northern Yamen Forbidden Army is very powerful, and the Shen Ce Army is even more incredible. Without extremely strong skills, it's impossible to get in." Ji Linyou was overjoyed and immediately stood up and waved at him. "So, I think you are not bad either. Come, let me test your skills!"
Everyone else was watching the show, but Cui Fufeng said calmly, "We just got here today, why bother fighting? Why don't you guys spar in private some other day?"
Ji Linyou was young and impulsive, so how could he listen to him? "Let's have a little fight, let me see how good my cousin is!"
Ling Tianshui looked up at him and said casually, "It's better not to. If I attack, I will hurt people and I won't be able to stop."
When Ji Linyou heard his arrogant words, he was unwilling to let him go. He immediately raised his hand to pull him, forcing him to stand up and compete with him.
Unexpectedly, before his hand touched Ling Tianshui's arm, his eyes blurred. It seemed that the other party just bent his arm slightly, but Ji Linyou immediately felt a sharp pain in his shoulder joint. He tilted his body to the side and fell to the bottom of the stairs.
He was about to fall flat on his face when they met, but fortunately Ling Tianshui hooked his right foot and lifted his waist. Ji Linyou spun around and stood up, but his center of gravity was unstable and he stumbled and hit the pillar behind him. His arms also hung down and he was unable to move for a while.
The fight happened so fast that it was over before anyone could see clearly. They only saw that they seemed to make contact, and then Ji Linyou retreated, but no one knew who won or lost.
Shangluo quickly ran to the pillar and asked curiously, "Brother Linyou, did you fight?"
Ji Linyou smiled bitterly, pressed his aching shoulder, and leaned against the pillar, not daring to speak at all, for fear that he would moan as soon as he opened his mouth, which would damage his image as a master.
Therefore, he just nodded silently to Ling Tianshui and slowly moved to the chair and sat down.
Seeing him like this, everyone could tell, Shi Jingning quickly came over to help rub his shoulders.
"We all live in the County Lady's backyard. It's fate that we're here together. We should value harmony. What do you think, Ling Sijie?" Cui Fufeng took charge of the situation as a matter of course. "Everything has a first come, first served. Since we're latecomers, we should be more cautious and live in harmony with everyone."
"I told you, attacking will hurt people." Ling Tianshui retracted his long legs, stood up lazily, and brushed the hem of his clothes. "Alright, I'm here for the county lady. Your thoughts have nothing to do with me, so don't mention them to me in the future."
Seeing that everyone had grim expressions but didn't respond, Ling Tianshui raised his sharp jaw towards them and said, "Greetings everyone, the county lady is waiting for me—I'm sorry, she insisted that I accompany her."
After leaving behind these annoying words, he walked away. Everyone in the hall watched him and Cui Fufeng leave, feeling depressed and helpless.
After a long moment, Xue Xiyang looked at Ji Linyou, who was still stroking his chest. He smiled coldly and said in a long drawn-out voice, "Congratulations, Mr. Ji. This cousin you've brought in is truly extraordinary. Our backyard is going to be bustling with activity from now on."
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