Chapter 97: Good Deeds

After entering the city, the three of them first found a small restaurant nearby to eat and drink their fill. They also asked the shopkeeper about places to repair the carriage.

Although the carriage roof was broken, the rest of the carriage structure was intact, so repairing the bottom would not affect its use.

The shopkeeper came out to look at their carriage and said, "The carriage looks expensive; an ordinary repair shop probably won't do a good job. I heard that the Sun Family Woodworking Shop in Jiangren Lane in the south of the city has a boss with excellent craftsmanship; no matter what kind of furniture or carriage, he can repair it until it looks brand new."

Xie Shouzheng thanked the shopkeeper and said to Dongfang Qi, "I will drive the carriage to the south of the city for repairs. Young Master, Young Lady, you don't need to come along, so as not to waste time."

Lin Qingyue looked at Hong Yao: "That's fine, we'll go to the Changshi Mansion."

Originally, they didn't need to pass through Donglin Prefecture, but it was because of Hong Yao that they had taken a detour to come here.

Before they reached the Changshi Mansion, halfway there, they suddenly saw a large shed set up by the roadside. Inside, it was full of people drinking hot soup and wolfing down steamed buns, and the whole shed was filled with the aroma of food.

A long queue had already formed outside the shed, and commoners in tattered clothes stood on tiptoe to peek inside, their Adam's apples bobbing.

It was only after stopping an old man carrying a bamboo basket to ask that they learned this was a charity shed set up by Lord Miao, which opened on the first and fifteenth of every month, specifically providing free food and drink to those who were too poor to afford a meal.

When Lin Qingyue, Dongfang Qi, and Hong Yao arrived nearby, they heard the manager greeting people loudly at the entrance:

"Everyone, line up properly. There is plenty of food today, everyone can eat, don't crowd!"

A few people who were dressed quite well also followed to line up for food, but were driven away by the sharp-eyed manager: "This is for the poor to eat. You are dressed in silk and satin; one look and it's clear you don't lack food or drink, so how do you have the nerve to come and snatch food?"

The people dressed in silk and satin said, "We are local merchants; we have long heard of Lord Miao's virtue and also want to taste the food from his noble house."

The manager refused coldly: "No, Lord Miao has ordered that it is only to be given to the poor and suffering masses. Go away, go away, don't get in the way here!"

The people dressed in silk and satin were driven away, but they weren't angry; they even kept praising Lord Miao for his benevolence.

Lin Qingyue glanced from afar and saw that the people already sitting in the food shed were holding steamed buns and eating a dish and a soup. There was even meat to be seen in the dish.

Don't look at how luxurious the meals of the wealthy are; the lives of the bottom-tier commoners are much harder. Many families don't get to eat a single meat dish all year round. Therefore, even if it was just for a portion of meat, many people would rush over to eat this meal.

Those people in the queue were all praising Lord Miao's good deeds incessantly. Some were even discussing giving him a "Ten Thousand People Umbrella."

And Dongfang Qi, before coming to Donglin, had secretly investigated Miao Dong's performance as an official in recent years.

"Miao Dong came from the bottom tier and only relied on recommendations to enter the officialdom in his thirties. Initially, he was just a candidate minor official of the seventh rank. Three years later, he was promoted to a seventh-rank County Magistrate. Five years later, sixth rank, sixth rank... and now, as the Donglin Changshi, he is already a fifth-rank official, capable of participating in state policy decisions; it is a position with real power."

Nowadays, the officialdom of Great Qi is controlled by the aristocracy, and people from other classes, even if they are lucky enough to break into the officialdom, find it very difficult to have a path for advancement.

Like Miao Dong, being able to rise from the seventh rank to the fifth rank in just ten years as a local official is quite rare.

Dongfang Qi said, "His political achievements are mainly based on the hearts of the people. When he was a County Magistrate, he often went deep into the grassroots, helping the poor and suffering masses, and was deeply loved by the people."

"Deeply loved by the people?" Hong Yao said resentfully, "But his official career was exchanged for the flesh and blood of my sister! He knew clearly that we sisters had already cultivated into human form and were not ordinary foxes, yet he was ruthless enough to do it! I don't believe a man like this would be a good official!"

"I don't believe it either!" Lin Qingyue said, "A person who can even sell out his wife, what kind of good thing can he be?"

Dongfang Qi said, "What I just told you is what is recorded in his resume. But the foundation of the Great Qi aristocracy is very deep, holding on to established rules and regulations."

"Many grassroots officials, even if their political achievements and the hearts of the people are quite good, still find it very difficult to rise. In other words, unless there is a special opportunity, relying solely on political achievements is not enough to let him rise so fast."

Lin Qingyue curled her lips in a smile: "So he must have other means."

Hong Yao said, "Forget what means he has; in short, he is not a good thing! I must kill him to avenge my sister and myself! However..."

She paused and felt a bit discouraged: "I was too impulsive before and went directly to kill him. I didn't expect that he would have two demon-catchers following him, and both were very capable. Not only did I fail to get revenge, but I was also injured. After that time, his vigilance must be even higher, making him even harder to kill."

Dongfang Qi said, "Miao Dong's matter still needs to be investigated carefully. I also want to know what secrets he is hiding behind his back. Although the salary of a Changshi is not small, it is not a small amount of money to spend year after year on so many good deeds."

"As someone who came from the bottom and has no big family to rely on, where does his money come from? But if he is truly a good official, even if he made mistakes before, he cannot be killed at will."

Lin Qingyue said, "Can a good official be pardoned for killing his wife?"

Dongfang Qi said, "That's not what I mean. It's just that everything must be done according to the law. If he committed a crime in the past, he can also be handed over to the Xuanjing Division for trial. If it cannot be tried locally, it can be transferred to the headquarters in the capital. Using private punishment at will would mean the Xuanjing Division has no reason to exist."

Just then, Xie Shouzheng drove the carriage with the broken roof from afar.

Lin Qingyue asked him, "Why are you back so soon? Didn't you repair the carriage?"

Xie Shouzheng said, "Sigh, don't mention it! I followed the shopkeeper's directions and finally reached the woodworking lane, finding that shop with the best craftsmanship. As a result, they were closed. They said their daughter had suddenly gone missing a few days ago, and the family had no heart to do business, so they closed the shop to look for their daughter. However..."

He suddenly changed the subject: "... I smelled the scent of blood inside at the entrance!"

"After I sensed that something was wrong, I went around to the back of the family's house and climbed through the window to check."

"There wasn't a single person inside. The tables, chairs, and furniture were all neatly arranged, and the pots and pans were scrubbed clean. But there was a scent of blood in the house, very faint, which ordinary people wouldn't be able to detect at all. My nose is sensitive, so I smelled it."

"I inspected the scene. What I can be sure of is that an accident happened to that family; it is definitely not as simple as the whole family going out to look for their daughter. From the bedroom, the main hall, to the kitchen, there were traces of blood. The scent of blood was strongest at the water well in the back. I suspect that after the incident, someone drew water from the well and gave the whole house a thorough cleaning, wiping away all traces." ===== CHAPTER 98 =====