Chapter 179 Chapter 179 The Official is Here
Hearing this, Qin Run didn't know what to say, so he changed the subject. "How can you be so bold? If Jing Mingze is really an official, then those people around him can't be simple people. You are alone, and two fists can't fight four feet. You can help Sixth Brother, and I don't blame you, but next time you encounter something like this, if they have mouths but can't speak, you should also be mute."
According to Xu Yunfan, Jing Mingze should not attack Li Liu, but that may not be the case for Xu Yunfan.
"I know." Xu Yunfan scratched Qin Run's straight nose. "Don't worry, I'm very smart. I've been spoiled since I was a child. I would never do such a thing as being at a disadvantage. What should I do with Sixth Brother? Let him cry?"
"I'll go and persuade him."
Qin Run added, "You came back at the perfect time. I cooked some corn. If you're hungry, go eat it. I'll go see Sixth Brother."
Outside the yard, Qin Run looked at Li Liu's back, which was almost curled up into a ball, and couldn't help feeling a lot of emotion.
The fact that men like other men is really surprising to the villagers.
How could a man fall in love with another man? Even if it was just a curiosity, they could understand it occasionally, but if it was really about love, to them, this was simply perverted.
When he was pursuing Xu Yunfan, countless people were not optimistic about him, thinking that he was dreaming, not clear about his own status and position, and not considering his own weight. Sun Tiantian even told him to his face that there was no possibility between him and Xu Yunfan.
It was unacceptable for them to see an ugly girl paired with a handsome man, let alone a relationship like Li Liu's that was not accepted by the world.
When a person is sad, perhaps what he wants to hear is not comfort, but time to calm himself down, sort out his emotions or vent them.
Qin Run waited for a long time, and only stepped forward when he felt that Li Liu had cried enough and calmed down enough.
"Sixth Brother, do you think he's living a better and happier life now because of the choice you made?" Qin Run squatted in the yard with Li Liu, his eyes dimly gazing at the vaguely visible rolling hills in the distance. Some words came out without thinking, "Yun Fan said that he looked very unhappy. Tell me, if he also... knew that you had someone else you loved and wanted to spend your life with, how would he feel? The person he couldn't forget in his heart finally slapped him. Tell me, isn't this ridiculous?"
"If it were me, and Yun Fan had someone else he liked, even though I love him so much, my heart would be broken and I would die of pain. I dare not even think about such hypotheticals, let alone hear them in person. That would undoubtedly determine my fate."
Li Liu was stunned for a moment.
He turned his head mechanically, his eyes blank for a long time, but every word Qin Run said kept replaying in his mind.
After a long time, Li Liu was trembling and could not speak coherently, "Run'er, did I do something wrong? If I had..."
"I don't know whether what you did is right or wrong. After all, I'm just an outsider."
"But whether it's right or wrong, wrong is wrong. Six years have passed, so why do you keep regretting it? Sometimes, regret and self-blame are just another form of self-torture. If only you hadn't done this or said that, it would have been fine. This 'if' itself represents regret. Sixth Brother, people should look forward, not back. That's why our eyes are in front of us. Besides, what can't be said clearly? People have mouths, not for decoration. If you have something to say, say it. If you don't say it, he won't know why you did it, and in the end, you'll be in a state of panic. Why bother?"
"When I was pursuing Yunfan, other people thought I was a fool, a swan who wanted to eat swan meat. As for my conditions, you know that I have nothing and I have a younger brother at home. Other men couldn't accept me, let alone Yunfan. When I learned that he might not stay, I was scared. At that time, I was thinking that life should be wanton and courageous without any scruples, so I confessed my feelings to him without saying a word. If I cared about other people at the time, I would think too much and look back and forth. I might never say those words, but I said them. So, look at me now. I stayed, so I don't have to imagine any "ifs" when I regret it in the future, because I have a mouth. If I like you, I will say it. I never leave myself with regrets. You should learn more from me."
These words have a bit of Xu Yunfan's flavor.
Li Liu was speechless for a moment.
Qin Run spoke bluntly, but did he say anything wrong?
He is not mute, so why can't he explain things clearly to Jing Mingze?
…
The village chief was still working for Xiao Qin's family in the afternoon when a small figure came running over from a distance. The anxious Sun Xu was sweating profusely. When he ran to the village chief, he put his hands on his knees and took a few deep breaths. After catching his breath, he hurriedly said, "Grandpa Sun, please go to the village entrance and take a look. Some officials have arrived in our village."
"What?"
The village chief was so frightened that he dropped his work and hurriedly asked, "What official? Could it be that someone got into trouble just because I was away from the village for a while?"
Sun Xu couldn't explain clearly for a long time. After all, he was still young and hadn't heard what the officer said. Then a few men sent him over and quickly called the village chief back.
Village entrance.
Suddenly, several officials came, and the villagers working in the fields stood up straight and stopped weeding.
"What's going on? Why are the police coming to our village? Who has committed a crime?"
Except for collecting taxes every year, villagers rarely see officials. In their minds, officials are often associated with "committing crimes."
Now several police officers appeared at the entrance of the village. The first few villagers who saw the police officers at the entrance couldn't help but wonder, could it be that someone in their village had committed a crime?
They wanted to ask, but who would dare to ask a pair of officials with expressionless faces and noble demeanor?
A brave man came over and hesitated for a moment before asking, "What brings you to our village?"
Among the few people, it was their master who communicated the most with the villagers. They were guards, and their main responsibility was to protect the master. Therefore, even though the master had been away from Beijing for several months, he had told them to smile more. Otherwise, with their expressions as if others owed them hundreds of taels of silver, which villager would rush forward?
But there is no way. These guards have been trained for more than ten years and have long been accustomed to having no expression. How can they change it easily? Jing Mingze still has to do the daily communication in person.
Jing Mingze took a few steps forward and said, "My fellow villager, I heard from people outside that the Qin family in your village sells corn cobs. This kind of corn is only sold by them. I came here today to ask the Qin family something. I wonder if you can give me some directions."
"Oh, you are looking for Xiao Qin's family. I know where they are. I will take you there." The official spoke calmly without any official airs at all. He looked approachable at first glance.
Jing Mingze, whose smile didn't reach his eyes, showed a standard smile, "Then I'll trouble you, fellow villager."
When the village chief arrived, Jing Mingze was already halfway there. The villagers who were leading the way consciously withdrew, leaving the village chief to lead the way.
Upon learning that the man had come regarding the corn, the village chief hurriedly asked, "Sir, is there something wrong with this corn cob?"
Jing Mingze shook his head, secretly forcing himself to suppress other negative emotions, "No, it's just that I... I was curious, so I came to take a look."
It was Jiang Lanfang who told him about the corn cobs sold by Xiao Qin's family in Dali Village. Jiang Lanfang said that these corn cobs were very sweet, and some were very sticky. They were completely different from the corn cobs he had eaten before. Moreover, when he ate the corn cobs, he looked at them carefully. Those corn cobs were well-grown, with full grains. Some of them were so juicy that they burst with juice when bitten, and the sweet taste of corn instantly filled his mouth.
Jiang Lanfang ate four handfuls of such delicious corn cobs in one go, and took the remaining handfuls back to share with his wife.
When he met Jing Mingze, Jiang Lanfang immediately thought of the corn cobs brought by Xu Yunfan. He talked about the corn cobs with Jing Mingze and said that since he was about to reach Qingling County, he could stop by and take a look.
Jing Mingze was responsible for inspecting many prefectures this time, and other prefectures were under the responsibility of other people. When he came here, he had planned to visit other places. After Jiang Lanfang said this, he made a detour here. However, he did not expect to receive such an unexpected surprise halfway.
Perhaps this accident did not make him feel too incredible.
This is the county town where Li Liu is located. He had expected to meet Li Liu, but he didn't expect... The only thing he forgot was the possibility that there might be other people around Li Liu.
In the past, he deliberately did not come here for inspection, but every time he would choose to come to Yiping Prefecture. What he was planning was obvious to everyone.
He had deliberately avoided looking for her before, but he still wanted to get closer to that person.
Even if they couldn't meet, he wanted to be closer to him, walk the same roads he might have walked, eat the local special snacks he might have eaten, etc., as if this could make up for the gap left by Li Liu's absence for six years.
Jing Mingze shook his head. Why was Li Liu so persistent, taking root in his mind and unable to be shaken off?
Now that his lover no longer belongs to him, he can only work hard and go further and higher.
This was Li Liu's expectation for him back then. Even though Li Liu already had someone in his heart, the good memories they had together in the past were still worth keeping deep in his heart and working hard for his ideal back then.
Jing Mingze calmed down, but his smile remained forced and bitter. "Village Chief Sun, do you know who grows this corn in the Qin family? To be honest, I bought some at the store in town, and it's just as others have said: very sweet and sticky. The cobs are large, and the kernels are very firm. I saw what other customers were eating, and almost every handful was so good, so I came here to take a look."
I see.
The village chief was relieved and even more enthusiastic than before. "Oh, oh, oh, so that's what you came for, sir. Those corn cobs were indeed grown by Xiao Qin's family. Their corn is really growing well. They only applied fertilizer once before, but when it first came out, the corn was really growing well. Almost an acre of land didn't need to be replanted. Look, sir, that greenest cornfield over there is Xiao Qin's field. They haven't picked the corn cobs from this field yet."
The village chief pointed in a direction, a look of pride on his face.
It is no exaggeration to say that as a farmer for decades and as the "boss" of the village, the village chief knows the conditions of several nearby villages like the back of his hand. It can be said that Xiao Qin's family's corn is the best corn he has seen in decades.
"Sir, do you think the corn over there is growing better than the corn in the other cornfields?"
When Jing Mingze saw the green cornfield, his eyes bulged and he almost flew into the cornfield.
Since he took office as the Minister of Agriculture, he has visited countless prefectures, walked through countless villages, and seen countless cornfields. Just as the village chief said, Xiao Qin's corn does grow much better than other corns.
Although the corn silk had not yet turned completely black, the corn cob was already larger and longer than the corn cobs with completely black silk in the nearby cornfield.
Jing Mingze was very surprised, "Village Chief, can we go closer and take a look?"
"Yes, of course." There's nothing wrong with that.
The village chief immediately led the way, "Sir, go this way."
"Village Chief, are these corn seeds from Xiao Qin's family?"
"I don't know, but this kind of corn is different from the kind we grow."
"Oh, what's the difference?"
"I remember their corn seeds were red. According to Xu, those seeds were poisonous and contained other things. So after planting the corn, they wouldn't be eaten by mice, birds, or insects, and the corn would grow better."
Jing Mingze: "Red corn seeds? And they're poisonous?"
Is this true?
"Sir, this is absolutely true. I saw it not only myself, but other villagers saw it too. Oh, if you don't believe me, you can ask Xu. I heard that he was the one who took out the corn seeds."
"good."
After saying that, Jing Mingze was suddenly stunned, "Xu kid? Isn't your last name Qin?"
Village chief: “No.”
“Isn’t Xiao Qin’s family the Qin family?”
"Xiao Qin's family is from the Qin clan, and his brother is from the Qin clan, but his husband isn't. You can't say he isn't. Xu has already married into the Qin clan, so he's also a member of the Qin clan." The village chief added, "Selling corn cobs was Xu's idea."
Jing Mingze murmured, "Xu brat, Xu brat?!!"
Could it really be such a coincidence?
I just met a man named Xu today. Is there also a man named Xu in the family I’m going to visit?
One of them married into the wife's family, and the other was with Li Liu, so they are not the same person at all.
But for some reason, Jing Mingze still asked, "Xu? Village chief, what's the name of the Xu kid you mentioned? And where is he from?"
If someone else asked these questions, the village chief would definitely not say anything, but the person asking these questions was Jing Mingze, an official. Even if he didn't say anything, others had plenty of ways to find out everything he wanted to know. So it would be better for him to say it, at least he could guarantee that what he said was absolutely true and good.
"Xu is from overseas. He's so handsome... Oh, he's so handsome that you wouldn't find one in the surrounding area. He was picked up by Run'er from our Qin family, or Little Qin's, half a year ago. Xu has no relatives here, so he can only stay at Run'er's house. Over time, he's developed a relationship with Run'er. The adults just mentioned buying corn cobs in town, so they must have bought them at Yunrun Shop, which was opened by Xu and Run'er together... Xu is also a teacher. Even though he often goes out and seems out of place, he's actually working honestly. Every day after school, he either returns to the village or is busy with other things. In his own words, he's truly a rare good man."
After saying so much, the village chief still didn't say what Xu's name was, but it didn't matter anymore.
With a buzzing sound, Jing Mingze's brain went into chaos. He could no longer remember what the village chief said next.
He only knew the Xu boy mentioned by the village chief, and the person in the family he was going to visit turned out to be Xu Yunfan.
If it weren't for the few key words from the village chief, Jing Mingze would have thought that all this was just a coincidence of having the same name and surname, but the Xu Yunfan the village chief said was very handsome, and the Xu Yunfan he saw with his own eyes was even more handsome than him. Besides, wasn't Li Liu from Dali Village?
So, is there a possibility that Xu Yunfan married into the family and, after making some money, started to pursue women and have many affairs?
Jing Mingze couldn't believe it. The lover he cherished and doted on, the one he still thought about so deeply even after six years apart, was now just a concubine marrying into a man's family?
At this moment, Jing Mingze almost vomited blood. Is this how Li Liu treated him?
After breaking up with him, she actually chose such a person?
I'm not even as good as this rotten guy?!
A surge of anger rushed to the top of his head, Jing Mingze frowned and stopped asking about other things.
Damn it.
How could he be calm now?
The village chief didn't understand why the adults' faces changed when he was telling the truth. Now, the village chief didn't dare to say anything else, for fear that he would make more mistakes and cause trouble for Xu Yunfan.
…
Hearing the knock on the gate, Qin Run and Li Liu didn't know what they were doing in the backyard, so Xu Yunfan had to go and open the door himself.
"Xu boy, open the door quickly." As soon as the village chief arrived outside Xiao Qin's courtyard, he ran a few steps quickly before he got close, for fear that Xu Yunfan, Qin Run and others would be slow to open the door, which would make the adults, who already had gloomy faces, even more unhappy.
Just as Xu Yunfan pushed open the courtyard door and revealed his face, a fist shadow came towards him on the door.
"Fuck!" Xu Yunfan screamed and quickly turned his head to avoid the attack. He heard the sound of a fist in his ears. Xu Yunfan reacted quickly and subconsciously raised his leg to kick the man out.
Xu Yunfan held back a little on this kick because he couldn't see the person clearly. What he didn't expect was that before he could see who was kicked away, several dangerous auras approached.
After just one round, Xu Yunfan knew that those fighting with him were all martial artists.
This strength and this way of attacking are enough to prove that the opponent is not just showing off, but has developed anti-enemy skills after special training, which is really powerful.
Xu Yunfan frowned slightly, turned sideways and head to avoid the oncoming attacks. His dodging was so smooth that the guards who attacked him but missed were shocked.
impossible!
They have received more than ten years of training. Even the secret guards of the current emperor could not have remained unscathed with their combined efforts.
While dodging, Xu Yunfan still had the mind to look at the man who stood up with his hands covering his abdomen and a distorted face.
Jing Mingze!!?
Oh my god, it turns out the person who tried to attack him just now was Jing Mingze.
At that moment, Xu Yunfan only thought about the possibility of being repaid later.
"Come back." Jing Mingze gritted his teeth as he watched Xu Yunfan, who was dodging like a loach among the guards.
The reason why Jing Mingze called the guard back was not because he had a change of heart, but because he didn't want to let others beat Xu Yunfan. He wanted to do it himself so that he could feel better.
Several guards gritted their teeth and said honestly, they had used so many tricks, but not only did they not catch the man, what was even more embarrassing was that they couldn't even catch the corner of the man's clothes.
If this matter were to get out, they would probably be laughed at by their peers.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
