Over the next few days, without wind or rain, Hong Xiaoduo and her group finally arrived at their destination, Jiaozhou City, on a bright afternoon.
Hong Xiaoduo originally wanted to stay at an inn, but Lan Zechen said that he had a house here, and with so many people of all ages, staying at an inn was not as convenient as staying at his place.
So Hong Xiaoduo didn't stand on ceremony and agreed.
Although Lan Zechen's residence was not on the main street, it was not in a remote place either; it was located in an alley behind the main street.
The three-courtyard house was kept very clean and tidy.
The guest rooms were also very clean, with all the necessary bedding, toiletries, and other amenities provided, and they were all brand new.
Needless to say, this must have been arranged in advance by Pavilion Master Lan.
After putting away her luggage, Tianxuan, upon hearing that she could use the kitchen in the mansion, immediately wanted to go out to buy groceries. Lan Zechen said that he would treat her to dinner and that Tianxuan should rest.
Hong Xiaoduo said, "Since we can use the kitchen, let Tianxuan do it."
Seeing his second disciple, Tianxuan, happily following the people arranged by Pavilion Master Lan to make purchases, Quan Jinghuai clenched his fist and followed them out.
"Xiao Duo, if you need anything, just tell A Yan," Lan Zechen said, walking over and pointing to the young man dressed as a servant behind him.
“Alright, now that I’ve moved in, I won’t stand on ceremony with you, Pavilion Master. By the way, Pavilion Master, you can go about your business. I’m going out for a stroll later.” Hong Xiaoduo replied with a smile.
Upon hearing that she was about to go out, Lan Zechen hurriedly called out to someone not far away. Soon, a man dressed as a servant ran over and pointed at her, saying, "Girl, go out and take Ah Xian with you. He is very familiar with this place."
After saying that, without waiting for Hong Xiaoduo's reply, he instructed Axian to follow Xiaoduo and listen to her instructions.
Xiao Duo didn't refuse the other person's kindness. Having someone familiar with the area would make things easier for her, so why should she refuse?
He had only taken a few steps when he remembered something, stopped and turned around, and sure enough, he met Xiao Yaoguang's expectant gaze as she watched him leave.
Hong Xiaoduo's heart softened, and she waved to the little girl. After a moment of surprise, the girl happily ran towards her.
"Mother, is there something you want to tell me?" Yao Guang asked uncertainly as she approached Xiao Duo.
She knew that if Xiaoduo didn't take everyone out, it meant she had important business to attend to, so even if she wanted to go along, she had to resist. After the New Year, she was a year older and needed to be more sensible.
"No, I just wanted to take you with me. What, you don't want to go? Then you can..."
"I want to go, I want to go, I promise I'll be good," Xiao Yaoguang hurriedly promised.
"Yes, our little Yaoguang has always been very well-behaved." Hong Xiaoduo took the little girl's hand and walked outside.
Seeing Tianquan's envious expression, Tianji chuckled and teased, "Fourth brother, if you want to go, you could try chasing after him and begging for his attention, maybe that would work."
"What a joke! I'm already nine years old. How can I be as playful as my little sister?" Tianquan said sullenly.
Feiyan and Yuheng listened, but just smiled and said nothing.
Hong Xiaoduo and the other two left the house and saw a carriage waiting at the gate. A Xian asked her if she wanted to ride in a carriage or a sedan chair, and said he would go and call it if she wanted a sedan chair.
Hong Xiaoduo said she liked to stroll around, so the two adults and one child walked through the alley and onto the main street.
Jiaocheng is quite large. Although it cannot compare with the prosperity of the capital, it is more lively than the cities and prefectures along the way.
Hong Xiaoduo looked at the clean streets and the passersby. The beggar leaning against the wall, squinting in the sun, was dressed in tattered clothes, but he wasn't emaciated from hunger.
“This Prefect Ye has done a good job governing this place,” Hong Xiaoduo said.
Ah Xian, who was following behind her, was actually wondering how this young lady, who was not yet married, had become a mother.
Hearing her words, he quickly replied, "Young lady, Prefect Ye is indeed an upright, honest, diligent, and benevolent official. Let alone committing crimes, even if you wanted to find a pickpocket, it would be very difficult."
Even if there are thieves who steal, they are mostly outsiders who commit the crimes here.
Furthermore, the elderly and infirm who beg here are taken in by charitable organizations, but the young and strong are not allowed in. Whenever there is work to be done, such as building city walls or irrigation canals, they are given priority in being hired.
The people of Jiaocheng are afraid of nothing now except for the transfer of Prefect Ye.
Upon hearing this, Hong Xiaoduo nodded.
"I wonder where this government office is. I really want to see what this good official looks like," Hong Xiaoduo said casually.
"It's not far, about seven or eight hundred meters from here. It wouldn't be difficult for the young lady to see the prefect. Unless there's a major case, he usually leaves the prefectural office at the beginning of the Shenshi hour (3-5 PM) to return home."
"Now that we've gone there, it should be about time," Ah Xian said, estimating the time.
“Okay, then I’ll trouble you to take us there,” Hong Xiaoduo said.
Upon hearing this, Ah Xian hurriedly said, "My master sent me along just to serve you, young lady. There's no trouble at all. Please come this way, young lady."
Although it's unclear who this young lady is, the fact that the Pavilion Master values her so highly suggests she must be an important person.
Hong Xiaoduo strolled along the way, not in a hurry. It didn't matter if she couldn't see anything; they'd only just arrived. Along the way, she even bought Xiao Yaoguang a string of candied hawthorns.
Yao Guang only took one bite before saying that her second brother's candied hawthorn was better. The sugar coating on the outside of this candied hawthorn wasn't crisp enough and it was very sticky. Also, the hawthorn berries weren't pitted.
Listening to the little girl's disdainful evaluation, Hong Xiaoduo thought to herself, "If your second brother is really the son of Prefect Ye, you probably won't have the chance to eat candied hawthorns made by him again."
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