New county magistrate takes office
That day, Ling Zhan held the cotton yarn order he had just received and examined it carefully twice.
The inscription on the white paper, in black ink, was clearly signed—County School Procurement Office.
"The county school's list?"
Ling Zhan raised an eyebrow slightly. Su Wan always handled these small orders perfectly, rarely handing them to him directly. Her gaze swept over the order details; they were nothing more than ordinary cotton yarn.
“Big Girl,” Ling Zhan called out, “come with your mother to the county school to deliver goods.”
"Why!"
The girl responded crisply and quickly began to tidy up.
The horse-drawn carriage rumbled into the secluded unloading area behind the county school.
Ling Zhan had just lifted a corner of the carriage curtain when his gaze froze.
Not far away, under the eaves of a side courtyard, her husband, Shen Yan, was surrounded by three or five classmates. He had his sleeves rolled up and was personally fiddling with a small clay stove, on which a copper kettle hissed and steamed. Shen Yan was talking animatedly as he deftly poured tea, eliciting bursts of laughter from his classmates.
That carefree, hedonistic demeanor was practically ingrained in his bones; you could feel his joy even from a distance.
"mother--!"
The girl sitting next to me hesitated, glancing over there with her eyes.
Ling Zhan withdrew his gaze and calmly asked, "Did you see the little bull?"
Da Niu immediately craned her neck to scan the area, and quickly pointed to a large locust tree in the distance: "There it is! Little Bull is practicing his calligraphy, and he's very focused!"
Sure enough, by the stone table under the tree, even though it was late autumn, Little Bull sat upright, his small figure taut, writing with utmost concentration, a stark contrast to his father's "tea party" over there.
"Hmm," Ling Zhan responded indifferently.
The eldest daughter understood her mother's meaning—as long as her father didn't cause trouble or delay his studies in literacy and law, whether he spent his time socializing or discussing philosophy at school was none of her concern. Let him do as he pleases.
Over here, the aroma of tea fills the air, and the conversation is in full swing.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his own carriage and the familiar figure standing beside it, and Shen Yan's eyes lit up instantly!
He immediately stood up, exaggeratedly dusted off non-existent dust from his body, smoothed the few carefully styled strands of hair on his forehead, and flashed a dazzling smile that could dazzle anyone, waving vigorously in the direction of the carriage.
"Wife—! Big Girl—!"
The voice was filled with intimacy and...smugness.
He was recently quizzed on his homework by his wife. Although he was so nervous that his palms were sweating, he managed to answer half of the questions correctly, albeit haltingly!
In Shen Yan's eyes, this progress was an enormous achievement, enough to make him stand out among his peers!
Seeing this, his classmates laughed in good-nature, which made Shen Yan feel even more proud.
Look, my wife came to pick me up (drop me off) herself!
With a virtuous wife (or a shrewish wife?), what more could a husband ask for?
This life is simply blissful, like being in paradise!
Ling Zhangang had just finished directing the servants to unload the goods and was returning to the carriage when he heard the calf's cheerful bellowing coming from afar.
"Mom! Sister Da Niu! What brings you here?"
The little guy, clutching his calligraphy practice book, rushed over like a small cannonball, his face still smudged with ink, his eyes sparkling.
Almost simultaneously, Shen Yan also strolled over with light steps, carrying the scent of tea and an undisguised air of smugness.
He first reached out and ruffled the little bull's head in a very natural manner.
Then she looked at Ling Zhan with a bright smile and a sweet tone.
"Oh dear, my wife! It's already hard enough managing the factory every day, and you still have to personally take your husband to the county school. That's already tiring enough. How can I trouble you to come and pick me up from school?"
He said "I'm sorry".
But his expression and tone clearly suggested he wanted to announce it to everyone—
Look! My wife misses me so much! She makes me so proud!
Ling Zhan looked at him, his fingertips unconsciously flicking lightly across the county school order form.
This order came at just the right time.
Shen Yan was completely oblivious to his wife's subtle speechlessness; his gaze swept over his small "team"—
A woman with a heroic and imposing presence!
A beautiful and graceful young lady!
A chubby-faced, excited little bull!
Then I realize that I am now a "scholar"!
An unprecedented sense of satisfaction and pride as the "head of the household" welled up within me!
He waved his hand enthusiastically and suggested, "My wife has worked hard today! It's rare for Da Niu and Xiao Man Niu to come with us! It's getting late, the children at home should have already eaten, it's too much trouble to start a fire and cook for us again. Come on, come on! I'll treat you to a meal at a restaurant today! Let's go... um..."
His eyes darted around, and he remembered that his wife seemed quite satisfied with the mutton soup restaurant.
"Let's go to Yunlai Restaurant! The four of us will have a good meal!"
"Yay! Let's go out to eat! Dad's the best! I want to learn how to make mutton soup."
The little bull was the first to cheer and jump high.
Da Niu couldn't help but smile and look at Ling Zhan.
Shen Yan straightened her back, looking at Ling Zhan with an expression that seemed to say, "Praise me for being considerate."
Her eyes clearly said: Look how considerate I am! How well I create a loving family atmosphere!
Ling Zhan's gaze lingered for a moment on Shen Yan's face, which was filled with the desire for praise.
Then it swept past the cheering calf and the expectantly smiling woman.
She gave a barely audible "hmm," which was taken as her agreement.
"Okay!"
As if he had received a royal decree, Shen Yan was instantly invigorated and moved with the speed of the wind.
"Let's go! Heading to the mutton soup restaurant! Wife, Big Girl, Little Bull, keep up!"
He took the lead, his head held high and his spirited back looked just like a general who had just won a battle.
Before long, he even started humming a little tune.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the bluestone road, casting long shadows of the family of four.
Ling Zhan looked at the figure in front of him that seemed to be floating away.
A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
The mutton soup restaurant was bustling with activity during lunchtime, the main hall filled with lively chatter and steaming heat.
The innkeeper, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the "grand" family, especially the radiant Shen Yan at the head of the group. He promptly came forward to greet them, beaming, "Oh! Mr. Shen! Madam Ling! Miss Wansu, Little Bull! Please come in! There's a private seat available!"
As he led them to a slightly quieter corner, he quickly instructed the waiter to serve tea, the signature mutton soup, steamed buns, and a few refreshing side dishes.
As soon as the family sat down, a steaming bowl of fragrant mutton soup was served.
When the little bull saw his mother nod, he immediately grabbed the steamed bun.
Shen Yan then diligently served food to Ling Zhan and Da Niu, saying, "Wife, try this soup, it's very nourishing! Da Niu, eat more, you're growing! Little Bull, eat slowly, don't choke!"
He appeared to be a loving father and a virtuous husband, but the smugness in his eyes was impossible to hide.
Just then, a slight commotion came from the doorway.
The innkeeper's voice rang out with utmost respect, even a hint of nervousness: "Lord Huo! Please come in! A private room upstairs has been prepared for you!"
The address "Lord Huo" instantly silenced the hall.
All eyes turned to him, and there he saw a young man dressed in a brand-new blue seventh-rank official robe, walking in surrounded by two attendants.
He was tall and handsome, with a refined and aloof air characteristic of scions of noble families. He was none other than the newly appointed magistrate, Huo Heng.
Huo Heng walked with ease, his gaze casually sweeping across the lobby.
His gaze paused slightly as it swept over Ling Zhan's table.
His gaze lingered for a moment on Ling Zhan's calm face, carrying a hint of scrutiny and subtle inquiry.
Then his gaze swept past Chen Yan, who was busy wiping his son's mouth, his face beaming with family satisfaction.
Finally, he quietly put it away, gave the shopkeeper a slight nod, and walked straight towards the stairs.
Only after Huo Heng's figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs did the oppressive atmosphere in the lobby relax and return to its usual hustle and bustle.
The shopkeeper wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and strode over to Ling Zhan's table.
While diligently refilling the tea, he lowered his voice and said with a mix of lingering fear and gossip, "Oh my, you scared me to death! This is the new magistrate, Lord Huo Heng! A distinguished person from the Huo family in the capital! A newly appointed scholar, he looks quite extraordinary!"
He paused, as if remembering something, lowered his voice even further, and glanced at Ling Zhan: "Madam Ling, did you see that notice board at the door? It's newly posted, offering a reward of three hundred taels of silver to wipe out the bandits of 'Soul-Severing Cliff'! Tsk, the magistrate put it up as soon as he took office, and not a single real hero dared to take it down... This new broom sweeps clean, I'm afraid Lord Huo is getting anxious too!"
The shopkeeper was simply expressing his feelings and wanted to share some interesting things happening in the county with Ling Zhan, since Ling Zhan was the county magistrate's most famous bandit-suppressing hero.
However, before he could finish speaking, Shen Yan's expression changed instantly!
The happiness and pride that had just been there vanished instantly, replaced by extreme tension and panic.
He abruptly turned to look at Ling Zhan, his eyes filled with warning and a pleading "Don't even think about it."
In a moment of desperation, he even used his toe to quickly and forcefully kick Ling Zhan's shin under the table!
"cough!"
Ling Zhan was startled by the kick and looked up at Shen Yan. Shen Yan was staring at her with an unprecedentedly serious expression, her lips moving silently, clearly saying, "Don't even think about it!"
Ling Zhan: "..."
Before she could react, Shen Yan quickly adjusted her expression, forced a stiff smile at the shopkeeper, and changed the subject.
"Haha, shopkeeper, your mutton soup is getting more and more authentic! Give us two more steamed buns! Little Bull, is that enough?"
His abrupt turn of events even made Da Niu look at him with a puzzled expression.
The shopkeeper was a shrewd man; he immediately sensed something was amiss, chuckled, and went to urge the staff to prepare the food.
Because of Shen Yan's neurotic behavior, everyone at the table focused solely on eating and no one spoke.
Fortunately, Huo Heng left quickly.
Shen Yan put down her chopsticks, took a breath, and her tense nerves relaxed slightly, but the smugness she had felt earlier was completely gone.
He pushed aside the bowl of mutton soup, leaned forward slightly, and whispered to Ling Zhan across the table in an extremely serious tone, even with a hint of lingering fear.
"My lady! Did you hear what the shopkeeper said? The Cliff of Broken Souls! Three hundred taels! It sounds tempting, but what kind of place is that? It's the steps to the King of Hell! You've forgotten... forgotten the past..."
He seemed to want to mention Ling Zhan's past "heroic deeds," but then felt it was inappropriate in front of the children, so he swallowed it back, his tone becoming even more urgent, "Our workshops and shops are all doing well now, and life has just settled down! Little Bull is still young! Little Stone is even younger! You...you can't take that risk again! Do you hear me? We'll earn the money slowly, safety is the most important thing!"
His beautiful eyes were now filled with genuine worry and pleading, and he even forgot to maintain his dignity as the "head of the household."
Seeing his tense expression, Ling Zhan was about to say something.
The curtain at the entrance of the restaurant was lifted again.
A burly, travel-worn figure strode in; it was none other than Chief Escort Qi.
He had just returned from delivering a batch of goods to the cotton mill, his face showing the fatigue of a long journey, but his eyes remained sharp.
He spotted Ling Zhan's family in the corner at a glance, a hearty smile spreading across his face, and walked straight over.
"Haha, Madam Ling! Husband Shen! What a coincidence! I just finished my errand and was thinking of coming here to have a bowl of hot soup to warm my stomach, and then I ran into you!"
Qi, the镖头 (bodyguard), had a loud and clear voice, exuding a sense of heroism.
He unceremoniously dragged over a stool and sat down, and the innkeeper, being perceptive, immediately brought him a bowl and chopsticks.
"Thank you for your hard work, Chief Escort Qi." Ling Zhan nodded in acknowledgment.
Shen Yan forced a smile and greeted them, but the wariness in her eyes had not completely disappeared.
Qi Biaotou was clearly starving. He first gulped down a large mouthful of hot soup and sighed contentedly.
His gaze swept over the people at the table. He noticed that Shen Yan looked strange, while Ling Zhan seemed to be deep in thought. Then, recalling the brand-new bounty notice he had just seen at the door, he understood.
He put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and the smile on his face faded, becoming somewhat serious.
“Lady Ling, Mr. Shen,” Chief Escort Qi leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice so that only their table could hear, “you…you saw the notice at the door, didn’t you? The bounty on those bastards from Broken Soul Cliff has been posted again.”
Shen Yan's heart jumped into her throat, and she subconsciously wanted to speak again to stop Ling Zhan from continuing.
But this time, Ling Zhan spoke first.
Her voice was calm and even: "I saw them. Chief Escort Qi has traveled all over the country and seen a lot, but how much does he... know about this group?"
Qi, the镖头 (bodyguard), frowned deeply. He glanced around to make sure no one was paying particular attention to them before saying in a deep voice, "When Lady Ling asked, I, Old Qi, won't hide anything. This group has been entrenched at Broken Soul Cliff for some time now, and their actions... are quite sinister!"
He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"You might call them ordinary bandits, but their gear is too conspicuous! They have good knives, fine horses, and a lot of equipment. It doesn't look like something a bandit could get by any random means."
He gave Ling Zhan a meaningful look and continued.
"Moreover, every time the government launched a raid, it was as if they had prior notice; they escaped completely, leaving no trace. Isn't that strange?"
“What’s even stranger is…”
Qi, the镖头 (bodyguard), lowered his voice even further, almost whispering, "They rob on the road, and while it looks like they're just looting randomly, if you think about it carefully, they have some 'rules.' They didn't even touch the cotton cloth we escorted from Weiyuan. But some caravans, even those that clearly don't seem to have much profit, they keep a close eye on, especially those... well, those carrying novelties or blueprints—they suffer the most! Rumor has it that they have... powerful connections! The kind that have connections everywhere! Otherwise, with all the things they've done, how could they still be alive and kicking? This three hundred taels bounty sounds like a lot, but you need to be alive to collect it!"
Qi Biaotou's words were like several heavy stones thrown into a calm pond.
Shen Yan's face turned completely pale, and his eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Ling Zhan, as if to say, "See? I told you so!"
Ling Zhan's gaze suddenly sharpened, pointing directly to the most crucial piece of information in Qi Biaotou's words—
A caravan that specializes in acquiring novelties and blueprints!
Her fingers, gripping the teacup, unconsciously tightened a little.
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