Chapter 50: Nonsense
After a simple breakfast, the children went out with rags and brooms. After a few steps, they met Doctor Chang who was squatting at the bottom of the earthen wall in a daze.
The old man looked starving.
He was so busy chasing after the Shen family yesterday that he even forgot about the meals prepared by the government office.
Now that I have arrived in this deserted village, even if I have money, I don’t know where to buy it.
"Old man, you really have time to spare. Others eat after they walk, but you walk until you're hungry before eating."
Chen Chunxing made a joke and pushed open the half-closed wooden door next to him.
This yard is much smaller than the one at Shen's house. It has only four rooms and a front yard. Apart from the main hall and kitchen, there are only two bedrooms, which is just right for the old man to live in.
From the outside, the thatched roof and walls are basically intact and do not require major repairs.
"You are quite good at picking." Chen Chunxing praised and led the way into the yard.
"That's..." Doctor Chang agreed shamelessly. In fact, he didn't see it clearly last night. He just pushed it casually.
Just when he was about to boast about his "brilliant plan", a bun suddenly hit him under the nose.
Shen Zhixia pushed the plate forward, her skinny little hands like chicken claws.
"This..." Doctor Chang swallowed hard and refused, "Good boy, I'm not hungry, you eat it yourself."
Shen Zhixia did not change her movements, stretching her arms stubbornly, her dark eyes full of purity.
Shen Mingqiu, who had been leaning against the door and watching for a long time, was about to speak for her when Shen Chunxing turned around and glanced at him, and Yang Yi immediately took him away.
That brat never says anything nice, and he can turn even the best things into bad ones.
"Then I bought it." Doctor Chang finally couldn't resist the hunger, took out a few copper coins from his belt, and carefully put them into the little girl's hands.
Shen Zhixia held the money, at a loss.
Doctor Chang didn't get her response just now, and now she can't refuse Doctor Chang.
He had no choice but to run into the yard quickly and put his little hand under Chen Chunxing's nose.
Chen Chunxing glanced at the old man squatting outside the door and wolfing down his food, and said softly, "Just take it if I give it to you, he won't lose anything."
Don't you see we're going to have to clean a whole yard? Hourly laborers are charged extra.
Shen Zhixia thought about it, clenched her fists, smiled sweetly, then stuffed the copper coin into Shen Chunxing's hand, picked up a broom and ran away happily.
"He got a good deal." Shen Mingqiu's muttering was interrupted by Yang Yi again.
"I'll get some water and you wipe the table."
A rag was thrown at Shen Mingqiu's head, and he was so angry that he ran over and hit someone, no longer pretending to be deep as before.
After all, he is just an eight-year-old child.
Chen Chunxing chuckled, cleared a corner, and carried little Lao Si to a clean place. The two little ones who followed him immediately jumped over.
"Don't leave this piece." Chen Chunxing drew a circle.
“Ouch!”
"No!"
Chen Yandong stood up straight as if obeying the order.
Diao wrapped him like a dumpling, with a caracal standing on one side of his shoe and Xiaoju lying on the other.
All three are round and very cute.
Chen Chunxing couldn't help but rub Xiao Laosi's head. When he turned around, he found that his special "mop" had been snatched away.
"You take a break, I'll do it."
Xue Yongan rolled up his sleeves swiftly and mopped several rooms one by one.
I couldn't go with you yesterday, so Susu had to work hard all night. I must not tire her out again today no matter what!
He wants to increase his score!
When Doctor Chang entered the yard, he found the county magistrate squatting in the corner pulling weeds. He took a big step forward in surprise.
If someone else were here, even if it was Diao, they would never let the county magistrate do the rough work of sweeping.
But it happened to be Doctor Chang.
He glanced at the eldest daughter of the Shen family who was sitting on the threshold of the main hall in boredom and daze, and suddenly calmed down.
When it comes to matters between men and women, it’s always a matter of one willing to fight and the other willing to be beaten.
Don’t meddle in other people’s business.
This cleaning took half a day.
It was not until noon that Diao pushed open the door of the Shen family.
Several of them had just returned and were sitting in the house looking at each other.
No matter how good the Shen family is at finding food, they need space to do so. The area around the narrow village is all wasteland, and they have to run several miles away to find a forest. As a result, they forgot about lunch while cleaning up.
"Sister, didn't you say we were going to have noodles with meat today? Where's the meat? Where's the noodles?" Shen Mingqiu was talking to Shen Chunxing, but her eyes were looking at Xue Yongan.
Everyone - including Dr. Chang who came with them - looked over.
Xue Yongan...curled the corners of his mouth politely.
A good cook cannot cook without rice.
He really regrets it!
Investigating a case is not as important as showing courtesy!
Chen Chunxing lay on the table, secretly grinning at Xue Yongan.
It's no big deal to watch the fun.
Fortunately, Diao returned at this time, which made Xue Yongan secretly relieved.
I made a decision in my heart.
How could such a remote place not have a market? As the local leader, I should relieve the people's worries!
——Next time he comes, he must spend the money! He must not let Susu's family down again!
"Oh my god, you don't know, these people are really good at making up stories..."
As soon as Diao entered the room, she reached for the teapot and poured three bowls of water into it. Only then did she see Xue Yongan, and the words on her lips hesitated.
"Master Xue is here too..."
At that time, everyone at the village entrance watched Chen Chunxing take him away. If they asked him again now, Xue Yongan felt that he could not answer.
I just had to try hard to keep smiling.
"It's just a food distribution, why did it take so long?" Chen Chunxing had expected this and deliberately brought the conversation back. "What kind of nonsense is this? Grandma, tell us."
"It's still those people. They all have their own little ideas. I say we should divide it according to the number of people, but those who don't have children at home feel they're being cheated. They insist that children eat less than adults and therefore deserve less."
Diao sat down, glanced at Xue Yongan, and hesitated before finishing her words.
"After arguing for a long time without any conclusion, they insisted that I make the decision. I said that we should divide it according to the number of households. There will be a fixed quota for three, five or seven people. As for how to eat after returning home, that is our family's business.
"It's not like we don't have to pay back this relief food. If we take more now, we'll have to pay it back later, and it's the same for everyone. If we really just want to satisfy our hunger for a while, we'll probably end up with nothing next year."
Several people nodded as they listened.
"The old lady has a very clear vision and is a person of great wisdom." Doctor Chang praised.
As soon as Chen Chunxing gave a thumbs-up, all the children immediately followed suit.
Xue Yongan was a little slow and was glanced at by Diao. He suddenly became restless and thought carefully about how to flatter the master quietly and make the other person happy.
However, before he could come up with a plan, Diao slowly finished the rest of the sentence.
"What wisdom is that? I just know my own limitations and am a bit less greedy than them... But I don't know what's wrong with those people. They praise me to the skies with every word and insist on making me the village chief..."
"Tell me, has there ever been a woman serving as village chief? Even if I wanted to, the imperial court wouldn't agree..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
