When Lu Yunfeng arrived at the county magistrate's office, the magistrate was listening to an imperial decree. Due to his outstanding achievements, Magistrate Sun was promoted to the position of Sima of Wanzhou.
Magistrate Sun respectfully accepted the imperial edict, made some arrangements, and then saw the messenger off. The county constable and others rushed forward to congratulate him, but Magistrate Sun laughed and clasped his hands in thanks, saying it was all thanks to everyone. Lu Yunfeng did not step forward but turned and went back into the shop.
Magistrate Sun is probably too busy to meet with a merchant like him.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that Lu Yunfeng finally met Magistrate Sun, who should now be called Sima Sun. Lu Yunfeng didn't beat around the bush and went straight to inquire about the situation in Linshui County.
Sun Sima did not reject the Lu family, after all, his promotion was also due to the Lu family's contributions. In the letter he received during the New Year, his father praised him, saying that he had governed Fenggu County very well, and Song Qiao, the Assistant Director of the Examination and Merit Department, specifically praised him.
"Did you know that Ye Su was once a centurion?"
Lu Yunfeng was not familiar with military ranks. "I only know that he once joined the army, and I know nothing else."
He had no connection with Ye Su, and if Li Zhen hadn't married this man, he wouldn't even know who he was.
Sun Sima was not surprised. "There was a riot in Linshui County. A military officer from the capital went to quell the unrest. The officer was an old friend of Ye Su and invited Ye Su to come and help."
Ye Su needed a travel permit to leave Fenggu County and go to Linshui County. When he came to apply for the permit, Magistrate Sun specifically inquired about the reason, so he knew all about Ye Su's movements.
Lu Yunfeng wasn't curious about others, but only asked, "Does Lord Sima know when he will return?"
"I don't know," Sun Sima said calmly. "The rank and position of the captain from the capital are far above mine, and I have no right to inquire about it."
Having received no information, Lu Yunfeng had no choice but to take his leave. The embroidery shop was managed by Granny Qian, the clothing store by Granny Zheng, the smooth sailing shop by Jing Shu, and even the barbecue restaurant had Ma Da Ge. Lu Yan only needed to check the accounts. The trading market was well-established during the day and did not need to be monitored every day. So, on a whim, Lu Yunfeng untied the small boat from the back door of the shop and went home.
As the ice and snow melted, Qin Xiaozhou's leg injury left her unable to move. She spent her days either lying down or sitting, and her back and buttocks were practically bleeding from the pain. Fortunately, Lu Yunfeng came back and was able to carry her to the eaves to get some fresh air. Qin Xiaozhou ate cake, something she hadn't had in a long time and had been craving.
“This Magistrate Sun has been promoted, yet he shows no regard for past relationships. Although he has not yet taken office, the imperial decree for his promotion has been issued, making him the de facto Sima of Wanzhou. Linshui County belongs to Wanzhou, and it is easy for a Sima to know about the troop movements and war situation in Linshui County.”
And he actually said he had no right to interfere.
Qin Xiaozhou couldn't help but complain, "Sure enough, we're all just stepping stones. But now that he's the Prefect of Wanzhou, it's not all bad for us. At least we can borrow his power for a bit."
In any case, no one in the county dared to cause trouble for the Lu family.
Lu Yunfeng shook his head, "They probably just want to distance themselves from us."
As the weather gradually warmed up, more people started moving around in the village. Someone spread the word, and Zhou Mei, sitting under a tree at the village entrance, said, "I heard that my eldest nephew of the Lu family has taken a concubine, and that woman is raising two children in the county town."
"With two children? What's their surname? If they change it to Lu, that's incredible. The eldest son of the Lu family will suddenly have two more sons. That's amazing!"
"Sigh, it's all Qin Xiaozhou's fault. She's been married for a year, and there's still no sign of pregnancy. Could she really be infertile?"
Rumors circulated for years that Qin Xiaozhou was overweight and unable to have children, but she eventually married into the Lu family, lost weight, and made money, which is why the villagers forgot about it.
Now that she hasn't had a child after a year, many people are starting to speculate about the possibility again.
Many relatives with unmarried daughters began to have designs on the Lu family. The fact that the Lu family had started taking concubines was a good omen. "Wealthy families like to have more women to continue the family line. The Lu family must have the same idea. They can't let their family line die out."
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, a group of people arrived at the north pipeline of the village. Wang Li, representing the village chief, went to greet them. The leader was Constable Li. "These are the refugees that the county took in a few days ago and assigned to your village. Please take them in. The household registration list is here. Please check it carefully. Your village has been assigned 34 people. The county magistrate has ordered that all the wasteland on the eastern barren mountain be incorporated into your village. He has also approved 10 mu of land in the southeast as a foundation. Each person will receive three fen of free foundation land and one mu of wasteland. Please make arrangements as soon as possible."
Wang Li didn't dare to delay. He first arranged for people to stay at the threshing ground in the north of the village. There weren't enough rooms, so men and women had to stay separately. "Squeeze in for the next two days. This afternoon, I'll take you to divide the land and wasteland. From now on, you are all people of Wangjia Village. You are not allowed to steal chickens or dogs, and you are not allowed to cause trouble. You have come from far away to escape famine. If you want to settle down here, you have to be diligent."
With limited farmland, the arrival of outsiders means the need for land reclamation. The farmland in Wangjia Village is mainly concentrated in the paddy fields in the north of the village and the dry land on the small hills in the south, while a large area of hilly wasteland in the east awaits development.
Tian Xiaohua and Tian Xiaoshu were also in the group. Even though they had found jobs to support their families in the county town through Officer Li, Wangjia Village was their registered residence, so they had to come here today.
After having lunch at the threshing ground, Tian Xiaohua led Tian Xiaoshu to knock on the Lu family's door. Tian Xiaoshu looked surprised and said, "Sister, the Lu family's old house is so big!"
The bluestone wall is two zhang high, both majestic and beautiful. Tian Xiaohua looked at the heavy gate and said, "The embroidered tower is really beautiful. It's a pity that men can't go in, otherwise I would definitely take you to see it."
The door opened, and Qin Jinxiu recognized the person who came out and led them inside.
Tian Xiaohua explained her purpose, "I heard that the shopkeeper is sick, so I brought my younger brother to visit him. This is a small token of my appreciation, and I hope the shopkeeper can get better soon."
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