Logically speaking, on an occasion like today, the Taoist priest should have made a token appearance, but he has been waiting here for so long and hasn't found a single clue.
He had no one with him and limited energy, so after thinking about it, he decided to take the dog with him to the county government office.
This county magistrate was appointed not long after the emperor ascended the throne, so he was considered reliable and went directly to him.
The county magistrate was quite diligent; when Lu Baichuan went to look for him, he was working in the yamen, so he wasn't impossible to find.
In order to avoid letting too many people know his identity, Lu Baichuan went inside to find the person without alerting the guards outside.
The magistrate was carefully examining the book in his hand when he sensed someone approaching. He frowned and asked, "What is it?"
"Lord Lu, it's been a long time."
Upon hearing the voice, the magistrate felt both unfamiliar and familiar. Looking up, he instantly recognized Lu Baichuan.
"General Lu, what are you doing here?"
He hurriedly stood up and bowed to Lu Baichuan, and Gou'er also respectfully bowed to him as a junior.
"Young master, please do not stand on ceremony. Does the general have any orders to give?"
The magistrate was very respectful and invited them to take a seat. Just as he was about to have tea poured, Lu Baichuan stopped him, saying, "No need for that. The fewer people who know I'm here, the better."
The magistrate knew that Lu Baichuan had something to give, so he waited respectfully for Lu Baichuan to speak.
"Does Lord Lu know the reason why there have been so many people in the city recently?"
Lu Baichuan stared intently at the county magistrate, not missing a single reaction.
The magistrate replied casually, "I know, but the news about the treasure is all from people in the martial arts world. I don't think it has caused any casualties among the people. On the contrary, it can generate income for the local people and increase the government's tax revenue. I think it's harmless, so I let them be."
When these people first arrived, the county magistrate kept a close eye on them, worried that they would harm the people in the city. He didn't expect that they were just looking for someone and asking around about some treasure. It sounded like a scam, so he didn't pay much attention to them.
Lu Baichuan thought the reason was acceptable; the arrival of so many people would indeed make his record look much better.
"Does Lord Lu know that behind all this is a group of bandits? I heard it with my own ears. The wife and children of the owner of Xilailou are in their hands, which is why they are helping them."
Lu Baichuan continued to probe, fearing that Magistrate Lu might be colluding with the mountain bandits.
The magistrate was shocked: "What? Weren't those people here for a Taoist priest? How did it get involved with the owner of Xilai Restaurant?"
After asking this question, the county magistrate was quite embarrassed. He felt ashamed that he knew nothing about this.
He immediately replied, "General, rest assured, I will send someone to investigate right away!"
As he got up to leave, Lu Baichuan instructed, "Tell them to be careful and not to alert the enemy."
"yes!"
After the magistrate left, Lu Baichuan picked up the notebook on his desk and casually glanced at it. It contained cases from previous years, and the magistrate was checking for any oversights, as there were still traces of his markings on it.
This person is indeed reliable, so Lu Baichuan can rest assured.
The magistrate returned after a while, bringing in a pot of tea and a plate of pastries to entertain the father and son.
Neither of them stood on ceremony. They sat down, drank tea, and talked about things in the city. Lu Baichuan told him everything he knew.
The magistrate then fully realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately promised to investigate thoroughly and not let those bandits escape justice.
Lu Baichuan said, "The wife and children of the owner of Xilailou are still in their hands. Don't act rashly. Let me go and rescue them first. You should focus on finding the whereabouts of that Taoist priest."
The magistrate repeatedly agreed, and only then did Lu Baichuan leave with the dog.
Back in the village, Lu Baichuan left the dog at home, briefly explained the situation to Jiang Jiuniang, ate something, and then left again; he had to investigate personally.
Gou'er told Jiang Jiuniang everything he had seen, and Jiang Jiuniang blurted out, "That Taoist priest is either still alive or already dead."
Dog: ...Well said, don't say it again next time.
Jiang Jiuniang had been strolling around outside with Zhang Saozi all day and was quite tired, so she went back inside to rest. Gou'er felt that what he had seen that day was that those people were like madmen, insisting on spending money no matter what others said. He had never seen such a phenomenon before and had to record it.
Later that evening, Gou'er diligently carried a small stool to the kitchen to start cooking. Since his father wasn't there, he was responsible for taking good care of his mother and the baby in her belly. He had been traveling around a lot lately and had learned to cook a few simple home-style dishes, so he wouldn't have to keep going to Aunt Zhang's house for meals.
While I was busy with my work, the gate to my courtyard was pushed open, and an old woman walked in. She looked around and then asked in a loud voice, "Is anyone home?"
That's what she said, but the person had already gone straight into the kitchen, and she had seen the smoke coming out of the chimney a long time ago.
Before the dog could answer, it stared at the old woman who had just barged in.
"Hey, aren't you that guy? What's your name again, Er Gou or Gouzi?"
The dog remembered who it was after hearing that sharp, unpleasant voice.
This person is Li, the elder sister-in-law of his grandmother, Sun, who lives in a neighboring village. I never expected to hear news of their return here.
Gou'er had a very bad impression of Li Shi, but thinking that they hadn't seen each other for many years, he still made sure to be polite. He jumped off the small stool and said respectfully, "Hello, Auntie, I am Gou'er."
"Oh my, that's rare, little puppy, you actually remember me!"
Mrs. Li burst into laughter, but Gou'er, with a serious face, insisted, "Grandma, my name is Gou'er, not Gouzi!"
"They're all the same!"
Li waved her hand dismissively, looking around and said, "Didn't you say your whole family was back? Where are your parents? Why did they leave you, a little kid, to cook? You're a boy, so precious! Only your Lu family doesn't value boys. In our Sun family, boys are treated like royalty! Your family's reputation has been ruined by your grandmother!"
Li smacked her lips hard, feeling that it was a very unseemly thing for the men of the Lu family to cook.
The dog immediately became unhappy and retorted, "Auntie, my grandmother is very good. That's why she raised my father and us all very well. My mother is pregnant and needs to rest, so it's only right that I take care of her. Didn't Uncle take care of you when you were pregnant?"
One sentence left Li speechless, and she glared at him with her teeth bared.
"I'm not going to tell you, you little brat, to call your mother out. I've been here for so long, and not a single junior of hers has come out to greet me. Does she really think that just because she's successful, she can ignore us poor relatives?"
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