Before the magistrate could respond, she continued, "These jars contain some fruit preserves made by a woman. They're nothing precious, and we only ate them fresh in winter."
We also sell it at our tavern. If you like it, just let me know and I'll send you some more.
As astute as the county magistrate was, he immediately understood the purpose of Xu Han's visit.
Even though I know I might be being used, I can't help it because the person is so nice to talk to; their words make me feel good.
The magistrate thought to himself, "Besides, the other party is Madam Lu, a mysterious figure who has been frequently mentioned in the court recently. I am willing to be used by her."
While she still has some use to him, she needs to make Madam Lu owe her a favor. That way, when the Lu family becomes successful, she can at least establish a connection.
Of course, Xu Han was completely unaware of what the magistrate was thinking at this moment, and continued to politely try to get closer to the magistrate.
The magistrate didn't mince words and directly promised, "Madam Lu, please rest assured, as long as I am in office, I will definitely protect your shop. In the future, I will also remind my subordinates to take good care of it."
From now on, in the county town, as long as it's your shop, I guarantee absolutely no one will dare to cause trouble.
The magistrate was able to say this because, firstly, the Taoist priest had specifically instructed him, and secondly, because the method of composting manure given by Xu Han had indeed benefited the people of Yuanqing Kingdom. This was definitely a good thing that benefited the country and its people and deserved respect.
Xu Han said politely, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Magistrate."
After exchanging a few polite words, Xu Han and Lu Chuan got up to say goodbye.
The trip to the county government office went exceptionally smoothly, and the county magistrate was particularly friendly, even a little ingratiating.
As soon as they stepped out of the county government office, Xu Han couldn't wait to say, "I didn't expect the magistrate to be so easy to get along with. Judging from his clothes and his manner of speaking, it's not hard to tell that he's a good official."
Lu Chuan smiled and said, "Ever since this county magistrate was transferred here after the disaster year, he has been working on his achievements."
Whether it was repairing official roads and river embankments, restoring county towns and villages, or reviving the county's economy and making donations for war relief, he accomplished a great deal.
It must be said that, from the perspective of ordinary people, our county magistrate is truly a good official who cares about the people.
Xu Han said with a smile, "Indeed, it is a great blessing for the people of our county to have such a magistrate."
However, why is the magistrate suddenly being so nice to us? Is it really because of the composting method?
Since Yunhua brought back the reward money last time, Xu Han has not asked about anything related to composting. The Taoist priest had mentioned it before, but Xu Han interrupted him.
At the time, I was only busy tending to my small plot of land and didn't want to worry about anything else. So I just told the Taoist priest that he could handle the composting himself, since I had already given him the method and I wouldn't concern myself with the rest.
After that, I never inquired about the follow-up and effects of composting again. It had been too long, and I had long forgotten about it.
After listening, Lu Chuan frowned slightly and shook his head. "I don't know. In any case, this is a good thing for us. Let's ask Master when we see him later. He will definitely know."
"Well, we can only ask the elder."
The two walked toward the tavern as they talked. It was only a few days before it opened, and the servants were busy at the temporary workshop.
Apart from Li Wen, almost no one else came to the tavern. The couple mainly came today to distribute and jar the wine.
The fruit wine I brought from home was all stored in large wine jars. It will definitely be repackaged and sold after the opening in a few days.
Since the servants didn't have time to come over and do the work, the two of them had to do it themselves.
We can't wait until the store opens and customers order before repackaging; that would be too slow.
With two days left, I'd better quickly portion some out so that customers can just take it when they come to buy.
The two opened the shop door and went straight to the backyard. Lu Chuan first washed the newly delivered wine jars inside and out, then turned them upside down on the ground to dry.
The shop has two storefronts and a fairly large courtyard, big enough to hold many empty wine jars.
The weather is nice today, and the sun is shining brightly. I washed it this morning, and it will be completely dry by mid-afternoon, so I can start bottling it by evening.
Xu Han took a basin, filled it with water, and went outside to wipe the cabinet.
It's been several days since the last cleaning, and although the shop has been closed, some dust has still accumulated.
I took some time today to clean all the cabinets and the floor. We can open for business in a couple of days.
The couple were both busy with their own things, and before they knew it, it was lunchtime.
Xu Han looked up at the sun. "It's getting late. Let's go back first. The Taoist priest and the others should be arriving soon."
"Okay, let's go home first and come back to do it this afternoon."
As soon as Lu Chuan finished speaking, Xu Han immediately threw the rag on the cabinet, thinking that she would soon see her beloved son and had to hurry back.
On their way back, both of them walked much faster than usual, eagerly anticipating their return.
I haven't seen my two sons for many days, and I really miss them terribly!
Not only do the couple miss their children, but the children also miss their parents.
Before leaving, Xu Han told Wei Yan that he would be back for lunch and also mentioned that his children might come over, asking him to cook lunch as needed.
If the children come, we'll add an extra dish; if they don't come, we'll just have a normal meal.
The Taoist priest led the two children back to the house first. Mu'er and Ze'er knew that their father and mother would be back for lunch, so they waited for them in the front yard.
Hearing Xu Han and Lu Chuan talking, he quickly went forward and opened the door.
Upon recognizing who it was, the two children each grabbed one of Xu Han's legs, repeatedly saying, "Mommy, I missed you so much!"
Xu Han squatted down and hugged them. She also gave them a quick kiss on the cheek, saying, "Mommy missed you too."
"Let Mommy see if you've grown taller."
The two children cooperated by turning around once, and Lu Chuan, who had been left out in the cold, spoke up at the right moment, saying, "They've both grown taller and stronger. Especially Mu'er, she's much taller than before."
Lu Chuan has now gotten used to his two sons' double standards; after being hurt so many times, his heart no longer aches.
Although his two sons were rather cold towards him—well, you could say they were much more affectionate towards their mother than towards their father—his father missed them too!
Lu Chuan ignored the two children's indifference, picked up his youngest son, and headed straight for the main hall.
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