Chapter 8 Cooperation Tang Suzi listened quietly to the old farmer's story, his mind...
Tang Suzi listened quietly to the old farmer's story, and gradually an image of a beautiful and strong girl emerged in his mind.
She imagined the girl wearing delicate makeup, walking around the auditorium doing makeup for the newlyweds.
However, her heart was also filled with doubts:
What happened to such a tough and outstanding girl that made the woman speak so harshly to her?
But looking at the old farmer's painful expression, she didn't ask after all. She just accompanied him silently and continued to move forward.
She followed the old farmer's footsteps and unknowingly arrived at a remote corner of an alley.
The old farmer said softly,
"Girl, we're home."
Tang Suzi looked around and saw a few simple adobe houses forming a small courtyard. The walls were mottled and time had left deep marks on them.
The roof was covered with sparse thatch, swaying in the cold wind, as if it would collapse at any time under the invasion of wind and snow.
An inconspicuous corner of the yard is surrounded by a bamboo fence, with rows of unknown plants planted inside. They are carefully wrapped and covered with straw, like little lives wearing winter clothes, surviving tenaciously in the cold.
The old farmer noticed Tang Suzi's gaze. He followed her line of sight towards the farmland, a trace of pity and nostalgia flashing in his eyes.
"This is a red and blue flower,"
He said slowly,
"My daughter planted them. In the past, when the rosy blue flowers were in full bloom, she would always enthusiastically pick the petals to make rouge, often forgetting to eat and rest..."
At this point, the old farmer's voice trembled slightly, as if touched by past memories.
After parking the trailer at the corner of the yard, the old farmer said to Tang Suzi,
"Girl, wait a minute."
He turned and walked into a simple kitchen, and soon came out carrying a basket of eggs.
"Girl, these are eggs laid by the chickens I raise. You can take them back. Thank you very much today."
Tang Suzi hurriedly declined, but the old farmer's insistence made her finally accept the basket of heavy eggs.
Before leaving, Tang Suzi said to the old farmer earnestly, "Uncle, there are some medicines for bruises and falls in the basket. Remember to apply them. Take care of yourself."
After saying this, she turned around and quickly left the yard, regardless of the old farmer's repeated refusals.
Walking on the way back to Fang Mansion, Tang Suzi's steps seemed to be extremely heavy due to his thoughts.
The experience of the old farmer's daughter was like a heavy scroll, slowly unfolding in her mind, making her feel deeply sad for the girl she had never met.
She imagined how the girl who was once full of enthusiasm and vitality gradually lost her luster under the pressure of life, and how she suffered from unwarranted accusations and misunderstandings.
This sympathy and compassion made Tang Suzi's heart tighten.
However, amidst this sadness, there is also a heartfelt feeling of being moved.
She saw the old farmer's deep affection for his daughter, and also felt the consistent care and concern for his daughter no matter what situation she was in.
She couldn't help but wonder how her relatives from her past life were doing now. Was there someone somewhere like this old farmer, always thinking of her?
But will I have the chance to meet them again?
An ancient house in Jiusu County.
To be more precise, it is a barren land.
Its roof has long since disappeared, as if the hand of time had wiped it away with a gentle wave, leaving only an empty sky background.
The place is surrounded by weathered and mottled adobe walls. The walls are covered with moss, and cracks and peeling marks are intertwined, just like the wrinkles on an old man's face.
The warm winter sun shines through the gaps in the dilapidated and uneven wooden door, falling on the two figures in gorgeous clothes outside the door, who look particularly out of place in the gray tones.
Shi Ying followed Zhou Jin closely, his eyes wandering between the prefect's back and the desolate scene.
He was full of confusion. He had clearly arranged a meeting with Pavilion Master Fang yesterday, but when the meeting was about to begin, Zhou Jin came to such a desolate place.
As Zhou Jin's aide for nearly three years, Shi Ying had long been accustomed to guessing his boss's thoughts, but at this moment, he felt unprecedented confusion.
A moment later, Zhou Jin slowly walked to the door, took out an old key from his sleeve, and gently inserted it into the rusty door lock.
With a slight "click", the door lock opened miraculously, which surprised even Zhou Jin himself.
He gently pushed open the door and stepped into this long-forgotten old house.
In the yard, weeds and wild flowers grow wildly on this seemingly forgotten land, silently telling the desolation of the past.
The main house consists of three rooms, each of which carries the memories of the Zhou family's past.
My parents' residence, the solemn hall, and the room that should have belonged to my elder sister and grandmother.
In the past, there were scrolls painted by my elder sister hanging on the wall, but after he was born, my elder sister moved into the simple little house next to the kitchen with my grandmother.
Looking at the ruins and scattered old things in front of him, Zhou Jin's thoughts were pulled back to the distant past.
That piece of stone slab with patterns on it was once an indispensable dining table in their family.
As I recall, unless it was raining or snowing, my family always loved to sit around it and have dinner together.
However, his mother always preferred to put the best dishes in front of him, while the elder sister in the corner could never reach those delicacies with her chopsticks, and most of the time she would just eat the white rice in front of her silently.
And the book half-covered by the mud seemed like my sister's unfulfilled dream.
Zhou Jin once learned from the teacher that his elder sister was once the smartest student in the school.
However, in order to fully support his schooling and medical treatment, his family finally decided to let his sister drop out of school.
His birth was a disaster for my sister.
He should have to bear his sister's resentment.
However, whenever he became the target of ridicule and bullying by other children due to his poor family background and frail body, his elder sister would always stand up without hesitation. Even though she herself was frail, she would do her best to protect him.
But he has always brought misfortune to my sister.
Especially his serious illness, which almost exhausted the family savings.
In order to save him, his parents even spent all their money to take him to the capital for treatment.
This decision was made shortly after grandma passed away, forcing my sister to face the cruel fate of being left alone after suffering the heavy blow of grandma's death. In the end, the flower of her life withered prematurely.
Entangled in the memories of the past, Zhou Jin's eyes gradually turned red. He stared at the desolate ruins in front of him, silently expressing his endless apologies and longings to his sister in his heart.
But he knew that those words could never cross the boundary between life and death and reach her ears.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment, until Zhou Jin's emotions gradually emerged from sadness and returned to his usual calmness.
At this moment, Shi Ying appeared beside him at the right time and reminded him softly,
"Sir, someone from the mansion has sent word that Pavilion Master Fang has been waiting in the mansion for a long time."
Zhou Jin snorted coldly, as if to vent some emotion. Then he looked around the courtyard full of memories again and walked out of the ancient house with Shi Ying.
Watching the sundial in the courtyard quietly slide past the hour mark, with Zhou Jin still nowhere to be seen, Guo Yan finally couldn't contain his inner anxiety and said angrily, "This Zhou Jin is clearly delaying on purpose!"
Fang Buyu sat quietly on the side, unconsciously stroking the teacup in his hand. The delicate touch seemed to temporarily soothe the turmoil in his heart.
"I understand,"
He said softly,
"I cannot deny the blame for Tiao Tiao's passing. It's only natural for him to feel resentment towards me."
"snort!"
Guo Yan snorted coldly and retorted dissatisfiedly,
"He still has the nerve to blame you? If he didn't have such a 'good' brother like him, why would Zhou Tiao have suffered so much in the Zhou family? You didn't care about him when he was alive, but now you're pretending to care after his death!"
"That's enough. Stop talking."
Fang Buyu stopped her softly. Every time he thought of Tiao Tiao's life full of ups and downs and sufferings, his heart seemed to be pierced deeply by countless tiny thorns. Waves of indescribable sorrow and pain intertwined together, making his breathing stagnate and unable to control himself.
Seeing this, Guo Yan also shut up tactfully, and the room fell into silence for a while.
About half an hour later, Zhou Jin finally arrived and walked into the hall.
"Sorry, Pavilion Master Fang, I kept you waiting."
Although his words were apologetic, there was no regret in his eyes.
He could never get over the fact that his elder sister sacrificed herself in the snow and wind to save him.
"No problem."
Fang Buyu stood up to return the greeting, his face calm and his words measured.
"Mr. Zhou has been appointed the new governor of Weizhou. I have been so busy with official duties that I have only been able to come and congratulate you today. I hope Mr. Zhou will forgive me."
"Master Fang, your words are too harsh. It is I, Zhou, who should apologize to you. You were ordered to inspect the Broken Bridge Case. As the prefect, I should have fulfilled my duty as a host. However, I have delayed it until today, which is truly a dereliction of duty."
After some pleasantries between the two, the atmosphere became a little subtle.
Then Zhou Jin looked directly at Fang Buyu and changed the subject.
"Pavilion Master Fang is here today, is it just to congratulate you?"
The two of them understood each other tacitly, and Zhou Jin knew that this visit must have a deeper meaning.
Hearing this, Fang Buyu nodded slightly and said seriously,
"Lord Zhou has a keen eye. I do have a favor to ask of you."
"oh?"
Zhou Jin's gaze lingered on Fang Buyu for a moment, with a complex look in his scrutiny.
The man before him was completely different from the ragged, scarred young man in his memory.
He wondered to himself how Fang Buyu had gotten to where he is today over the years.
From a helpless orphan to clinging to the powerful Silijian Admiral Liu Mingzhong, and then to becoming the helmsman of the highest supervisory agency of the dynasty, the hardships and opportunities in between are probably only understood by Fang Buyu himself.
If Ajie knew that the man she loved was actually associating with eunuchs and floating in the vortex of power, would she regret her original choice?
Fang Buyu seemed to see through Zhou Jin's thoughts. His eyes were firm and frank as he met Zhou Jin's scrutiny directly.
"Your Majesty has ordered me to thoroughly investigate the Broken Bridge case. After several days of investigation, I discovered that the case is complex and involves a wide range of people, including some high-ranking officials in Weizhou..."
As soon as these words were spoken, Zhou Jin's expression became solemn.
He had anticipated this, but hearing Fang Buyu's confirmation with his own ears still shocked his heart.
Although he had heard about the complicated situation in Weizhou before taking office, it was not until this moment that he truly realized that the water in Weizhou was far more turbid than he had initially imagined.
"I believe what Pavilion Master Fang said is true. I also have some understanding of the current situation in Weizhou."
Zhou Jin said in a deep voice,
"However, this case involves a wide range of people. If we really want to investigate it thoroughly, I am afraid it will affect the interests of many people."
Fang Buyu nodded, his tone sincere.
"That's why I need Mr. Zhou's assistance."
Zhou Jin fell into deep thought after hearing this.
Although he had some grudges against Fang Buyu, he also knew that he could not refuse Fang Buyu's proposal.
As the newly appointed prefect, he was responsible for promoting new policies and improving people's livelihood.
In order to achieve these goals, it is necessary to first break the dominance of local forces in Weizhou and clear the obstacles for reform.
Zhou Jin understood that this local force had long been deeply rooted, with intertwined interests and mutual collusion, forming a huge network of relationships.
If he does not completely eliminate and disintegrate this force, his new policies will be difficult to implement and may even encounter numerous obstacles, ultimately making his title of prefect become meaningless and become an empty title.
"How would you like me to assist?"
Zhou Jin finally asked.
Seeing Zhou Jin's words, Fang Buyu felt relieved. He adjusted his sitting position and continued,
"We currently have some clues, but to completely eradicate this corrupt force, we still need solid evidence. We have traced the key figure in the Broken Bridge case—Wang Gui, the chief clerk of Jiusu County. Before the incident, he and Lin Bowen had an unusually close personal relationship, and many signs indicate that many of Lin Bowen's illegal activities may be related to him. However, after Lin Bowen was imprisoned, Wang Gui was suspended from his post..."
Having said that, Fang Buyu paused deliberately, his eyes fixed on Zhou Jin.
Zhou Jin didn't understand what he meant and asked,
"So you mean... that you want me to remove him from his position completely?"
"No, I need you to reinstate Wang Gui and try to promote him."
Fang Buyu uttered these words slowly, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
Zhou Jin was stunned at first when he heard this, but soon he realized the deep meaning behind it.
He secretly praised it in his heart.
What a good trick to lure the snake out of its hole!
"Okay, I understand."
Zhou Jin nodded and exchanged a look with Fang Buyu that needed no further words.
Both men knew that this fight would be extremely difficult, but they had no choice.
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