“Hey girl, don’t you remember this old man? I used to hold you when you were little.”
He Tiantian: "..."
That's such an outdated excuse, there's really no need for that.
“Chief Tao,” Magistrate Liu said, sitting back down in his chair. “Those twenty-odd people from your village are currently locked up in the prison in the prefecture for theft. This is no small matter.”
Tao, the village head, quickly nodded. "Yes, yes, it's my fault as the village head for not managing the people well. Since they made a mistake, they should be punished."
Tao Tingzhang is no longer thinking about how to vent his anger; all he wants to do now is carry water.
Their village desperately needs water; it's their only hope.
"However, I will punish them by sending them to the western district to assist the doctors until the plague in this city is eradicated." This can be considered as them making amends for their crimes.
"The magistrate is wise and benevolent," Tao Tingzhang quickly echoed, trying to flatter him.
The dozen or so pavilion chiefs below each harbored their own ulterior motives.
There's water in Changfeng Village! It's safe to say that whoever grabs it first gets to keep it.
They couldn't wait to go home and organize the villagers to fetch water.
“Your Excellency, now that I have informed all the village heads about this water matter, I hope that we will not quarrel or fight over it.” He Tiantian looked at Magistrate Liu. “I request that Your Excellency send someone to guard the foot of Langshan Mountain and manage the water transport for each village.”
These words struck a chord with Magistrate Liu, who shared the same thought.
“What Madam He said is absolutely right. I will send men to guard the area tomorrow. You who are village chiefs, make sure you manage your respective villages well after you return. As for how to transport water, you will each find your own solutions,” Magistrate Liu instructed.
Finally, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, right, the head of each village must be present every time water is transported. If anyone harbors any ill intentions, they'll never be allowed to transport water again!"
He Tiantian, standing to the side listening, couldn't help but applaud Magistrate Liu.
There has been progress; compared to his previous soft-heartedness, Magistrate Liu was taken aback.
As the night deepened and all was quiet, the respective pavilion chiefs decided not to rush back.
Previously, whenever they arrived at the government office in the evening, Magistrate Liu would arrange accommodations for them.
Although it's a large dormitory-style room, it's still much better than sleeping on the streets.
Everyone else left, except for Tao Tingzhang, who stayed behind.
He Tiantian had already realized that he still had something to say, which was why she wasn't in a hurry to leave.
Having knelt for too long, Tao Tingzhang stood up shakily.
He looked at He Tiantian, and said somewhat shyly, "Miss He, it's been a long time since you've been back to your parents' home, hasn't it? Would you like to know how things are going at home?"
He Tiantian glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.
Tao Tingzhang didn't feel embarrassed at all. "Alas... although our Peach Blossom Village used to have the best conditions, since the drought, all the crops in the fields have died, and the villagers have nothing to eat. They can only go to the mountains to dig up wild grass."
"But in the end, the trees gradually withered and died, and later they could only eat tree roots and mud to fill their stomachs..."
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