As I looked around, I saw people riding horses or in carriages. The road was fairly wide, and they all waited for us to pass before moving on.
"The town here is divided into two areas. This area is where the rich and some retired people live, or where people who have made their fortunes can also acquire property. The other side is where the poor and ordinary people live, so there are more people here."
"Huh? Why are you making such a clear distinction?" I looked up and asked Xie Yuancheng. Could this town be a snob town?
“They were all one at the time. I only heard it from rumors, so I’m not sure if it’s true.” Xie Yuancheng straightened the jade belt around my waist. “Alright, the people who are going to greet us have arrived. Master and the others have already settled in. We’ll see them in a little while.”
"Alright, I'll ask you later." I straightened up. There was an official standing in front of me, who looked to be a low-ranking official of the ninth grade.
Xie Yuancheng dismounted first, then helped me down. I always acted very properly in public, and I would never embarrass him. Besides, I was wearing a veil, so as long as my eyes didn't wander, it would be fine.
"This humble official, Wang Fei, greets Marquis Anle and his wife." His voice and demeanor were quite good, and he exuded righteousness; even as a minor official, he was worthy of respect.
"Lord Wang, why did you come in person? We're just staying for one night, no need to be so polite."
"Yes, Your Excellency, please come in. Everything has been arranged." Lord Wang looked young, probably having just taken office not long ago.
He led us inside. This restaurant was quite large; staying on the road was better than staying in a tent. Xie Yuancheng let me go inside first, while he went out to talk to Wang Fei.
After I entered the house, I took a walk around. The house was like the rooms of a small family. There was a small hall to enter, plus the living area. The decoration was not grand, but it felt like home.
I saw tea on the table, along with tea-making tools, which I guessed were arranged by Wang Fei or were provided by the restaurant itself. It was better than the tea that was already brewed in the room.
I recently learned a few ways to brew tea. First, grind the tea leaves, then rinse them, and add a little something along with them. I only start boiling water when I can smell the aroma of the tea while it's being ground. Just as the water is boiling and I'm about to brew the tea, Xie Yuancheng comes in.
"Ying'er, when did you learn to brew tea? You look like someone who's always been waited on hand and foot."
"Stop talking nonsense. Even if my cooking skills aren't great, I can still cook vegetables and rice properly!"
I made him a cup first, and he really took it seriously, sipping it with such seriousness that I was on the edge of my seat. It felt like I'd been waiting for him to say it was good for centuries.
"They always come to comfort me, but where are the teachers? I haven't seen them at all."
"Don't worry, the people in the restaurant have been cleared out. They'll be here in a bit."
"Why are you cleaning people out? We're all here because it's our duty."
"Look, I just praised you, and now you're accusing me. How have I treated the people here badly? I went out just now to tell Lord Wang not to take it so seriously. This restaurant should remain the same as usual, otherwise we can't talk freely."
"That's right~ We must never be too extravagant." I went over to pour him tea. I know he likes tea, and I've been learning how to drink it for a long time without his knowledge.
“That’s right. When I get back, I’ll ask the people in the manor if they helped cover for you and kept me from knowing what you were doing.”
"Ugh~ I did something for you and you still blame me. I'll never be nice to you again."
"Hey~ We can do this openly, I won't say anything to you. It's all Ying'er's fault for overthinking and always saying bad things about me."
"No, that's not true~" I said, leaning on his shoulder. "Tell me quickly, why are things divided so clearly here?"
"You're such a curious little thing, come closer to my ear." I already had my ear very close, but he still wanted me to come closer, and with one more snuggle, I fell into his arms.
"Now it's all right, I'm holding you in my arms, you won't run away." Sometimes he just likes to tease me. I was so angry that I punched his chest, but before I could even reach out, he grabbed my hand. "I'll tell you right now."
I then leaned back quietly and listened to Xie Yuancheng's explanation. However, the person who spoke before Wang Fei was indeed very prescient.
This place wasn't like this a year ago. It was because a wealthy local man, while traveling, rescued a girl near the town. Apparently, she was a farmer's child bride. She had been beaten so badly that her head was bleeding profusely, and she was almost forced to die as a tree stump.
After she was rescued, the family took pity on her and took her in as a maid, ensuring she was well-fed and clothed. They planned to find her a good family to marry into after a few years.
However, this girl was not an easy person to deal with. She was quite obedient when she first entered the household, but later she always claimed to be sick. This family was honest, so they let her stay in the household to recuperate and stopped her from doing any work.
The girl was very good at talking; she was either helping the lady of the house find things or playing with their children, and she was well-liked by the family.
Rumors started circulating in the town that this family had taken in a peasant girl as their goddaughter, which was extremely rare. Later, the patriarch of the family sensed something was amiss, as he always complained that the girl didn't have enough money, so he sent people to inquire about her privately.
Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that the girl wasn't a child bride at all; it was all an act orchestrated by the family. Although the master was alarmed upon hearing the news, he carefully recalled that the girl had been in the household for six months and hadn't done any chores. She always claimed to be sick and needed money for medicine and doctors, and that her younger siblings needed money to survive, etc.
They had originally planned to send the maid home, but on his way home one day, the master was nearly shot through the head by an arrow. To be tricked right at his doorstep, he didn't even bother going inside and rushed off to report the incident.
The previous official was a skilled detective. He inquired about recent events at the master's house and paid special attention when he mentioned this girl. There were also robberies in nearby towns, all perpetrated by pitiful girls who claimed they couldn't survive and were taken away by wealthy individuals.
Once back home, the girls would feign pitifulness, constantly saying they needed money here and there, slowly draining these men of their savings. After scouting the place, if the man was truly wealthy, they would wait for the opportune moment to seize his property.
Because the matter was quite serious, this gentleman paid a large sum of money to get the authorities to solve the case quickly, and they actually managed to bring the people behind it all to light. They turned out to be a bunch of idle people from the village or town who had hired some thugs and maids to carry out their scams.
Later, many people in the town, especially the local gentry, began to petition to separate themselves from ordinary people and the poor, so as to avoid being taken advantage of in the future.
It was originally just a trivial matter, but a branch of this group extorted a fourth-rank official who had returned to his hometown from another town. Only then did they comply with public opinion and divide the town into two districts: a wealthy district and an ordinary district.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
