Chapter 252 Contract Signing
On the morning of the third day, Chen, the yamen runner, rode a horse soaked by rain and hurried to Taohua Village.
Shaking off the chill from his body, he opened his throat and shouted, "Miss Gu! Lord Zheng has ordered us to go to the county town to sign the agreement today!"
Ever since following Lord Zheng, he finally understood why his Lord liked Miss Gu.
Hey, you know what? My Lord is handsome, and Miss Gu is also very beautiful. Most importantly, they are both extremely intelligent people, a perfect match. If Miss Gu and my Lord really become a family in the future, and the two of them work together to build Annan County, he can't even imagine how prosperous Annan County will be.
Hearing the urgent cry, Gu Jiayue suddenly stopped burning the fire.
She quickly put down the tongs, walked quickly to the courtyard and opened the gate. "Chen Yayi, what did you just say?"
The yamen runner Chen said respectfully, "My Lord has already drawn up the contract and is waiting for you to sign it."
Gu Jiayue's already bright eyes were now sparkling with surprise.
She quickly wiped her hands on her apron, turned around and went back to the house to pick up the box of money, and ran out in a hurry.
Hearing the noise, Li rushed out from the inner room. But Gu Jiayue was faster. When she caught up to the gate, she could only see Gu Jiayue's back gradually disappearing. She shouted, "Eat your meal first!"
However, the only response she got was the howling cold wind and the snow foam rising from the corner.
Inside the lobby of the county government office, several charcoal braziers were burning brightly. The red charcoal fire crackled and emitted bursts of warmth, illuminating the entire lobby and also reflecting the golden light of the patch on Zheng Qinghe's official robe.
Zheng Qinghe was working at his desk, reviewing documents, the wolf-hair brush in his hand making rustling sounds on the rice paper.
Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, and his hand holding the pen stopped in mid-air, and he raised his head to look towards the door.
When the sound of footsteps came from far away, he immediately stood up, his eyes passed through the half-open door, and met Gu Jiayue who was rushing over.
Everyone who was busy in the room also put down the files in their hands.
County Magistrate Zhang stroked his beard with curiosity in his eyes, looking back and forth between Zheng Qinghe and Gu Jiayue, with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Lord Zheng, how are you?" Seeing Zheng Qinghe wearing official uniform, Gu Jiayue hurriedly bowed and greeted him.
"No need to be so polite." Zheng Qinghe walked forward quickly, and the corner of his robe embroidered with exquisite patterns swept across the files piled on the ground.
"It's snowing hard outside. Are you frozen? Have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up first." As he said that, he turned around, picked up a celadon teacup from the table beside him, and skillfully filled it with hot tea for her.
The teacup was still emitting wisps of white mist, and the hot steam blurred Gu Jiayue's face.
Then, he bent down and moved the carved brazier in the corner to her feet. Sparks of charcoal splashed on the blue bricks, emitting tiny lights that added a touch of warmth to the cold lobby. It also instantly relieved Gu Jiayue's frozen legs.
County Magistrate Zhang and Lawyer Wang looked at each other, and there were meaningful smiles hidden in the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes, as if they were silently communicating something.
It was freezing rain outside, and Gu Jiayue was indeed shivering from the cold. So she didn't hesitate to drink some tea and put her hands on the charcoal brazier for a long time before she gradually regained some warmth.
Seeing that Gu Jiayue had almost recovered, Zheng Qinghe waved to Master Wang. "Bring the prepared contract here."
"Yes." Master Wang then took out the contract from the carved sandalwood box.
As he handed the deed to Gu Jiayue, he secretly looked up at her. He was a little confused. Besides her good looks, what else was so special about this girl that could attract their county magistrate to be so obsessed with her and even willing to do such a ridiculous thing.
Yes, in Mr. Wang's opinion, renting land was as absurd as playing house. It was nothing more than the county magistrate using public power to seek benefits for his beloved.
But these are not things that a small advisor like him can worry about.
Besides, compared with the previous county magistrate, Lord Zheng is already a very diligent and people-loving official, so it’s okay to have some selfish motives.
"Thank you." Gu Jiayue took the contract, lowered her eyes slightly, and looked at it with a focused and serious expression.
Her long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under her eyes, and her fingertips slid along the ink line by line, not missing a single word or clause.
When she saw the part that said "30% of the profits go to the county government", she was suddenly stunned, and finally the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
On the contract template given to Zheng Qinghe that day, Gu Jiayue wrote that 40% would go to the county government.
That faint smile, like a red plum blossom blooming in winter, brought a different color to the serious atmosphere, making Master Wang look at her a few more times.
"No problem, shall we sign the contract now?" Gu Jiayue gently placed the contract she had carefully reviewed on the table, and her action brought up a faint scent of ink.
Zheng Qinghe naturally had no objection. He immediately took the cinnabar ink and the two of them signed. Zheng Qinghe even took out the official seal and stamped it on the deed.
Gu Jiayue felt even more grateful. The contract was stamped with the official seal, which gave it a different meaning.
After collecting the contract, Zheng Qinghe's official authority seemed to fade a bit. "When will you start the work? I'll send someone over to learn from you."
Gu Jiayue had already made up her mind: "Let's wait until after the New Year. It's too cold these days and not suitable for work."
The contract clearly stated that all the mountains surrounding Taohua Village were leased to Taohua Village, and Gu Jiayue would organize the villagers of Taohua Village to build an experimental base there to plant tea and mulberry trees.
If it is profitable, 30% of the income will belong to the county government.
During this process, the county government needs to formulate a series of rules and send people to supervise. They can also send people to learn at any time. Taohua Village cannot hide anything. They must teach those who come to learn wholeheartedly.
Zheng Qinghe nodded. "Where are you going to find the tea and mulberry trees?"
From where? Of course, from the system.
But Zheng Qinghe couldn't tell any of this. "Don't worry, I've already found a supplier, and he'll deliver the saplings after the New Year."
Seeing that Gu Jiayue had really considered everything, Zheng Qinghe said no more.
Zheng Qinghe opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but his Adam's apple moved as he managed to squeeze out an invitation: "It's noon now, why don't we have lunch together?"
Hearing this, Gu Jiayue subconsciously took a half step back and politely refused: "No, I have an appointment."
At the moment of rejection, she caught a glimpse of Zheng Qinghe's shoulders slumping slightly, and his whole body looked like a bird with wet feathers, with a hint of loss in his eyes.
There was an inexplicable ripple in Gu Jiayue's heart, but she suppressed the complicated emotions in her heart and bowed to say goodbye.
As she walked out of the county government office, the biting cold wind immediately blew ice chips into her collar, and Gu Jiayue couldn't help but shiver.
Hu Zi had been waiting next to the stone lions at the door. There was a thin layer of snow on the brim of his cotton hat. He kept stamping his feet on the ground, trying to dispel the cold.
Seeing Gu Jiayue coming out, he hurried forward and asked, "Miss, are we still going to Southeast Alley?"
Gu Jiayue looked up at the sky, where the clouds hung low, and pondered for a moment. "Let's go eat first."
Hu Zi naturally had no objection.
At Gu Jiayue's instruction, the two came to a small restaurant at the entrance of the southeast alley.
The small restaurant was filled with steam and the aroma of food wafted through the air.
The wooden walls are covered with faded New Year pictures. Although the characters in the pictures are blurred, one can still feel a strong sense of life.
The boss, wearing a grease-stained apron and a warm smile revealing a gap in his teeth, walked over quickly and said cordially, "What would you two like to eat?"
Hu Zi took the menu as usual, subconsciously wiped it carefully with his sleeve before handing it to Gu Jiayue for inspection.
Seeing this, Gu Jiayue's heart skipped a beat. She nervously glanced at her boss, fearing that he would be angry.
However, the boss still had that smiling face. Not only was he not angry, he even jokingly said, "This guy is really a meticulous person."
Hu Zi finally came to his senses and realized that his behavior was inappropriate. An embarrassed blush appeared on his face and he smiled shyly.
I've been used to serving others since I was a child, and it will take me a while to change this habit.
Gu Jiayue also breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and then lowered her head to order the dishes seriously.
At this moment, a guest at the next table, whose face was flushed with alcohol, suddenly said loudly: "Look, Wang Xiangui went to see his master again."
Another guest joined in the commotion: "Zizizizi, it's time to say it, Wang Xiangui is truly a man of integrity. After all these years, he still cares about that useless old man."
Someone echoed, "Hey, no matter what kind of person that old man is, once a teacher, always a father. Wang Xiangui's success today is indeed inseparable from Old Man Qian, so it's only right that he be more filial."
The people at the next table were chatting animatedly.
Gu Jiayue and Hu Zi looked at each other, and excitement gleamed in their eyes at the same time.
Gu Jiayue raised an eyebrow, and Hu Zi immediately understood what she meant. He stood up and deliberately raised his voice and said, "Little...sister, you wait here. I suddenly remembered that I forgot to buy something my mother asked me to buy."
Gu Jiayue nodded knowingly and said, "Brother, go ahead and come back for dinner soon."
The people around them just turned their heads to glance at them casually, then looked away and continued their conversation.
Hu Zi's departure did not attract special attention from others, but Gu Jiayue's intuition told her that this time, they would encounter another big event.
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