Chapter 259

Two hundred and sixty-nine, Clothes are not as good as new, people are not as good as old

"Who wakes up first in the big dream? I know myself in my life. Napping in the plum house in summer, the sun outside the window is late... Interesting."

By the study windowsill, the little girl with plum blossom makeup, whose upper body was leaning into the room, nodded, her pretty face thoughtful.

"Su Guoer, come back quickly. Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan's study cannot be entered randomly. If he comes back and sees it, it won't be good. We are guests, we must not lose the etiquette of visiting."

Behind Li Su Guoer, Li Su Xian's serious voice came.

"I didn't enter the room. He opened the window himself. It's only natural to take a look while passing by."

Li Su Guoer's upper body was almost entirely leaning into the window, examining a piece of calligraphy on Magistrate Ouyang Rong's desk. Under her veil, her pink lips parted slightly, and she said so.

At this moment, feeling the gazes cast from behind, the little girl with plum blossom makeup turned around nimbly and jumped down, lowered her eyebrows, and muttered in a low voice:

"Fine. Father and Mother have been full of Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan lately, even closer than their own son. My daughter and brother have become outsiders."

"Sister, Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan has always ignored us. Maybe it's because we lost etiquette in our interactions in the past. I also think Father is right. Let's wait outside; we must not lose etiquette."

Li Su Dalang interjected worriedly.

Li Su Guoer: "..."

Alright, alright, you are treating me like this too, right?

The little girl, who had already deeply experienced the feeling of being an "outsider" before getting married, said unhappily:

"What if he did it on purpose? Now I don't know where he is out there having fun with the Chenjun Xie sister, deliberately keeping us hanging.

"Hmph, even the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage weren't this hard to invite. There isn't even a place to shade in the courtyard. What if we get heatstroke in this big sun? You guys wait."

Li Su Guoer made a straight face and turned to leave the plum forest courtyard.

The crowd in the courtyard saw this and wanted to speak but stopped, their faces showing difficulty.

But not long after, they saw the figure of the veiled little girl appear at the courtyard gate again.

Li Su Guoer brought her maid Sister Caishou, each carrying a parasol, and returned.

She walked up, handed a parasol to Li Su Dalang beside Li Su Xian unhappily, and she herself silently opened a parasol, stood beside Wei Mei, and shaded together.

Li Su Xian turned his head and smiled gratifiedly. Li Su Guoer turned her face away and didn't look at them.

Scorching midsummer, plum forest courtyard.

Under the big noon sun, the four members of the Li family stood in the courtyard, sweat dripping from their temples, silently waiting for someone.

In front of the four, there was a food box each. The food boxes were sealed, and cold mist and cool air were faintly emerging from inside, seemingly delicious cool things to relieve the summer heat.

However, the four members of the Li family, who were waiting until they were drenched in sweat, did not move at all.

Instead, they carefully protected them, occasionally ordering people to fetch new ice from the cellar.

A group of maids and servants in Meilu Garden saw this and wanted to step forward to serve and help, but were all refused.

At some point, Li Su Xian wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, raised his head to look at the scorching sun, and couldn't help but sigh:

"Sigh, Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan was busy with official business the past few days, so it was normal. But today is a rest day, why isn't he at home either? Could it be that there is an emergency at the county office?"

This middle-aged scholar who "is not a wealthy squire" looked worried.

For ten consecutive days, Li Su Xian had warmly invited Magistrate Ouyang Rong to have a meal at the Li mansion. Later, even he and his wife Wei Mei came over in person every day, sometimes waiting for most of the day.

It's just a pity that every time, he was politely declined by the young county magistrate.

Clearly, there were no maids or servants in Meilu Garden to take care of him, and Magistrate Ouyang Rong's daily life was handled by himself.

But he just wouldn't go to the Li mansion next door, which had fine food and warm hospitality.

The plum forest path connecting Meilu Garden and the back mansion of the Li mansion had been stepped on so cleanly by the Li family members who came in an endless stream these days that it was no longer desolate.

It's just a pity that the falling flowers have intentions, but the flowing water seems heartless.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong was polite and courteous every time, but he just couldn't be invited to the Li mansion.

These days, Li Su Xian's white hair at his temples had visibly increased.

Today, they found out it was a rest day for the county office.

They also found out from the little Xie Xiao Niangzi Chenjun Xie that Magistrate Ouyang Rong should be resting at home. The little Xie Xiao Niangzi Chenjun Xie even went to find him this morning.

But just after dawn, in the morning sun, Li Su Xian, Li Su Dalang, Li Su Guoer, and Wei Mei each prepared a portion of food to relieve the summer heat and hurried over.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong and Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang were both gone, nowhere to be found.

Actually, Li Su Guoer was right about one thing: even the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage weren't this hard to invite...

Moreover, no matter how bad they were, they were still the Li clan of the Imperial family.

Although they had suffered downfall and demotion, the status of being the descendants of Emperor Taizong was still a golden signboard in this era where the imperial examination had just started and people still paid great attention to family background.

There is a saying, "Emperor Taizong's long-term strategy, earning heroes until their hair turns white." No matter how you put it, Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan also entered officialdom through the imperial examination.

Speaking of the blessings valued by the world, "The kindness of a gentleman is cut off after five generations." It hasn't been five generations yet, including the Southern Long Magistrate Ouyang clan from which Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan came; they were all recipients of Taizong's shade.

According to secular requirements, one should be somewhat polite and respectful to Taizong's descendants.

It is estimated that this is also the reason why the proud and aloof Li Su Guoer was a bit unhappy waiting in the courtyard under the scorching sun.

However, Li Su Xian, Li Su Dalang, and Wei Mei, who were with her, did not show the slightest unhappiness.

Instead, they reflected and pondered whether they had done something wrong, waiting humbly and carefully.

"Wang Qilang, relax. Maybe Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan has some sudden matters to handle."

Wei Mei patted the back of her husband's hand, who had a fearful expression, and comforted him:

"We have endured so many years of suffering, so it's not a difference of this moment. I have always felt that Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan is a person who is particular about doing things and clear about reason. Many things have their causes."

Hearing this, Li Su Guoer pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, quietly reflecting on whether she had offended Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan in the past.

Does bickering with his Junior Martial Sister count? But the Chenjun Xie sister doesn't look like someone who would snitch...

"Father, Mother, I'll go out and find Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan."

Li Su Dalang suddenly spoke and stood out, saying:

"You guys rest here. Sister, take good care of Father and Mother, and be careful of heatstroke."

This eldest son of the Li family handed the parasol to the maid, picked up a food box, turned around, and left the plum forest courtyard.

Li Su Guoer lifted her feet to follow, but was gently declined by him.

The crowd in the courtyard couldn't help but watch his back go away.

Li Su Dalang carried the food box and went to the Longcheng County Office first, finding no one. He looked around and turned to walk toward the outskirts of the city.

Along the way, Li Su Dalang was surprised to find that the county town was a bit different.

Compared to the county town before the Zhe Yi Channel was opened and the Liu family was still there, the current Longcheng County was full of vitality.

Many closed shops had reopened for business, and abandoned buildings affected by the flood were being rebuilt.

Sword shops, fertile fields, and mansions—all the industries of the Liu family on the west bank were confiscated by the county office, or auctioned off, or returned to the people who had been forcibly robbed in the first place.

The Liu family, which had always been the largest landlord in Longcheng, had all its thousand acres of fertile land taken back by the county office.

Along the way, Li Su Dalang saw many county office clerks registering land and re-creating registers in every street and household.

Having lost the Liu family, the leading landlord, other gentry were obedient and honest, cooperating with the county office's census for the Equal-Field System.

The county office, which had regained land reserves, seemed to be picking up the Equal-Field System again, distributing land to new households.

If such a "reform" were placed in the past, the obstacles and backlash would be enough to easily make a county magistrate step down.

But now, in front of the young county magistrate who carried the prestige of overthrowing the Liu family and the hearts of the whole city, it was like a clay chicken or a pottery dog, pushed down and rebuilt, easily but not lightly.

The people on the street talked about it with great interest.

Everything was thriving.

Arriving outside the city, Li Su Dalang saw that the twenty-four disaster relief camps had been completely removed.

Also, the people of the whole city no longer had to worry about floods. A Zhe Yi Channel had completely changed the thousand-year internal worry of Longcheng County and filled the shortcomings.

The change in the status and position of this county in the Jiangzhou region was simply immeasurable.

And the change most easily seen by the naked eye was that there were many strangers inside and outside the county town.

They were all merchants and tourists from other places.

The original Butterfly Creek and a Peng Lang Ferry could not carry such a large passenger flow.

If Li Su Dalang guessed correctly, they should have poured into the county town in large numbers from the new ferry of the Zhe Yi Channel outside the city.

Butterfly Creek was originally the only passage between Xie Xiao Niangzi Yunmeng Great Marsh and the Yangtze River, but it was winding and difficult to pass before.

And the current Zhe Yi Channel was not only a water conservancy project that cured the flood.

It also invisibly became a shortcut for water transport.

It intercepted part of the huge passenger flow of the Yangtze River.

The commercial benefits brought to a remote small county town between poor mountains and bad waters were immeasurable.

The word "prosperity" was appearing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

And right now, the new channel was completed, but the new ferry at both ends of the new channel, which contained huge business opportunities, had not been completely built.

The Longcheng County Office, together with more than a dozen large grain merchants such as Wang Caozhi, was impatiently pouring huge amounts of money into it to start construction.

It is estimated that the grain merchants like Wang Caozhi who invested in shares also never expected that the Zhe Yi Channel, which Magistrate Ouyang Rong strongly promoted, would have such good results after completion and operation.

No exaggeration, it was even an understatement.

No, everything you said is true, not painting a pie, right?

And building a new ferry created a huge demand for workers and stone materials, stimulating the economy of Longcheng County, which was closest.

Even Li Su Dalang saw many young and strong people from the surrounding counties rushing over to seek a living.

Inside and outside the county town, it was a scene of heat and activity.

This was the most intuitive feeling along the way out of the city.

"Meritorious in the present, beneficial for a thousand autumns... Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan is truly a national scholar." Li Su Dalang muttered.

He looked at the Zhe Yi Channel in the distance, seemingly infected, and couldn't help but feel refreshed.

This Zhe Yi Channel was like a strong heart-strengthening agent with minimal side effects, which would inevitably bring new prosperity to Longcheng County.

Li Su Dalang felt from the bottom of his heart that Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan's water control achievements could not be praised enough.

Only after seeing it with his own eyes could he know what it meant to change the world.

And these vibrant grassroots scenes could only be witnessed and experienced by walking out of the wealthy and quiet Luming Street.

Li Su Dalang, who hadn't been out for a long time, sighed:

"So Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan was busy with these important things by leaving early and returning late recently. Perhaps, in Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan's eyes, these current things are more meaningful than the rise and fall of our family and the private plans of the family, no wonder he delayed and ignored us."

He carried the food box and made a guess, his face both happy and sad.

But for some reason, even though such a guess and explanation would clearly make people feel neglected, Li Su Dalang's mood became happy for no reason.

Li Su Dalang looked around and suddenly wanted to see Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan even more.

On a rest day, where would he go?

Li Su Dalang looked thoughtful. On the way, unfamiliar as he was, he honestly asked passersby for directions. Half an hour later, he arrived at the residence of Liu Ashan's family in the outskirts of the city first.

Walking into a simple-feeling house, Li Su Dalang saw Saving Aqing, who had a slender figure and was pitiful, and Liu's mother, who was lying in bed in a coma.

In addition, he also saw a strange young woman in mourning clothes, taking care of the old lady at the bedside, who seemed to be Ashan's widow.

Li Su Dalang stepped forward to comfort and greet them.

Saving Aqing hurriedly entertained him, but here, Li Su Dalang didn't see the figure of Magistrate Ouyang Rong he had guessed.

"Is Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan not here?" He asked.

"The master hasn't been here." She lowered her head and answered.

Li Su Dalang found that the expression in the eyes of this Saving Aqing girl was a bit complicated.

Li Su Dalang was about to say goodbye and leave. Just as he walked to the door, his face froze; he actually saw Yan Yan Liulang and others in casual clothes.

The latter was burying his head and leading a group of men, carrying or backing or shouldering medicinal materials, rice bags, furniture, etc., into the courtyard. Behind them followed a serious-looking elderly doctor, carrying a small medicine box on his back.

After Yan Yan Liulang approached, he noticed Li Su Dalang's figure and raised his head to ask strangely:

"Why is Su Dalang here? Are you here to visit Saving Aqing?"

Li Su Dalang nodded and couldn't help but ask: "Does Six Lang know where Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan is?"

Yan Yan Liulang was silent for a moment and glanced at Saving Aqing's house behind Li Su Dalang.

"Su Dalang, wait a moment. I'll settle things here, and then I'll take you over."

Li Su Dalang nodded and waited patiently, during which he looked back curiously.

Only to see in the house, the blue-clothed constable and his party, amidst Saving Aqing's waving and pushing away with her little face, put down the various daily necessities sent.

They also went to the sickbed to visit Liu's mother, introduced the doctor they brought behind them, and then spoke a few words of comfort to Saving Aqing, who was lowering her head and wiping tears, before slowly leaving, leaving two people behind to guard and take care of them before leaving.

"Let's go. If there are no accidents, the Magistrate should be there."

Yan Yan Liulang passed by Li Su Dalang and walked in front to lead the way.

"Where?" Li Su Dalang looked back at the direction of the Zhe Yi Channel and was curious: "Isn't he over at the Zhe Yi Channel? He's not there, I was just about to go there to find him."

Yan Yan Liulang shook his head and led the way in silence.

Li Su Dalang found that they were rushing toward the county town, and his face became more and more curious. He first asked:

"How is Saving Aqing's family now? What's the matter with Liu's mother?"

Yan Yan Liulang sighed and said:

"On the fifteenth of the seventh month, she was stimulated and fainted. During this period, she has been sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious, but when she wakes up, her mind is confused, she talks nonsense, and even thinks Brother Ashan is still here, saying she wants to see him...

"After the doctor checked, he said the person is fine, but warned us that we must not tell the old lady about Ashan's matter, as it might lead to fire attacking the heart and lungs, which is not good for the elderly... So including Saving Aqing, everyone dares not say anything, and even the funeral hasn't been mentioned."

Li Su Dalang wanted to speak but stopped: "Listening to Saving Aqing, why doesn't Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan come to visit?"

Yan Yan Liulang said in a low voice: "On the fifteenth, before the Magistrate went to rescue Brother Ashan, he swore an oath in front of Liu's mother and Saving Aqing that if he couldn't bring Ashan back, he would have no face to see them...

"During this time, the Magistrate has been instructing us every day to come and take care of them. Even though he is busy with official business, he asks about it every day, but he never comes himself.

"For other county office affairs, the Magistrate is decisive, but only for Ashan's family, he paces back and forth in the public hall, and his instructions are hesitant...

"Let's go. Today is a rest day, no need to be on duty. The Magistrate finally has a day off, he should have run there again."

Li Su Dalang fell silent.

After a while, following Yan Yan Liulang all the way, he unexpectedly discovered that they had crossed the river and arrived at the Gu Yue Sword Shop on the west bank of Butterfly Creek.

Arriving in front of an ancient high platform, Li Su Dalang saw the beautiful figure of the Chenjun Xie girl standing with a sword in the shade of a tree under the high platform.

Seeing Li Su Dalang and Yan Yan Liulang arrive, Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang didn't speak, just simply glanced at the food box in the former's hand, and turned her head to look back calmly.

Li Su Dalang followed her movement and looked up.

Finally, on the ancient high platform above, he saw a familiar slender back.

Under the sun, Magistrate Ouyang Rong was sitting on the ground at will, surrounded by seven or eight old craftsmen with dark skin, sitting around him, smoking dry pipes, and talking from time to time.

The young county magistrate tilted his head, as if listening intently to something, and the river breeze blew his black hair in bursts.

This sleep made me stupid, I slept on the sofa for eleven hours... By the way, there's more! But brothers, sleep first, read when you wake up!

(End of chapter)