The Husband is a Coward Chapter 29.2
The Husband is a Coward Chapter 29.2

Chapter 29 2/2

Back at home, Taoyu found the courtyard quite lively. Upon entering, she discovered that Huang Yinsheng had unexpectedly come to the village.

She was pleasantly surprised, “Uncle, why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to go to another prefecture these days? When did you come?”

“I just arrived.”

Seeing the young man whom he hadn’t seen for some time, Huang Yinsheng pulled him closer, looking him over, “You’ve lost weight again.”

Taoyu saw that Uncle Azu knew about the family affairs and said, “I’m fine.”

Huang Yinsheng rubbed Taoyu’s head, “Fortunately, Huo Shu helped, otherwise, this matter would have been really difficult to explain, even with a mouth.”

Ji Yangzong echoed, “Yes.”

“By the way, is Huo Shu available to come over?”

“He’s going to slaughter a pig, but he said he’ll come after he’s done.”

“That’s good.”

Several people walked through the courtyard into the kitchen. Huang Manjing had already stewed the chicken, and there was a hint of fragrance in the air.

Taoyu went to make a cup of tea for Huang Yinsheng, “The clinic is busy, and Azu specially came to the village to see me. If you miss me, send a message down, and I’ll go to the city myself, so Azu doesn’t have to come.”

Huang Yinsheng took the tea and said, “I didn’t just come to see you this time; I also have something to discuss with your father.”

Hearing that his father-in-law came specifically to find him, Ji Yangzong’s heart skipped a beat.

“The matter with the You family, I really didn’t expect it. I really misjudged…”

Huang Yinsheng took a sip of tea and smiled when he heard Ji Yangzong’s words, setting down the teacup, “Do you think I’m not busy with the clinic and came all the way to the village just to scold you? The matter has passed, and talking about it further is pointless.”

“What did Father-in-law come to the village for?”

Huang Yinsheng’s expression suddenly became serious as he said, “Do you know that a few days ago, when the villagers from Fan Village were delivering grain to the city, the grain was robbed by bandits on the official road?”

“What!”

Ji Yangzong’s eyes widened at the news.

Taoyu and Huang Manjing hurried over upon hearing such news.

“Such a major event happened within the jurisdiction of the prefecture! Fan Village is only fifty miles away from our village. Why haven’t we heard any news?”

“Was the stolen grain the grain prepared for the tribute to the court this autumn?”

Huang Yinsheng replied, “The incident happened suddenly, and even the government didn’t expect these bandits to be so bold as to openly rob the court’s grain.”

Ji Yangzong couldn’t believe it, “Since such a heinous incident has occurred, why hasn’t the government called for a gathering of villages? If the bandits dare to openly plunder within the same jurisdiction, what should we do if they attack the village? If we had been notified earlier, we could have taken precautions!”

“Father-in-law, could this news be wrong?”

“I have some acquaintance with the clerk of the government office. I went to his house to treat his mother just now, and he mentioned a few words to me, advising me not to go out unnecessarily during this period.”

“I didn’t go to another prefecture this time, but came here first to inform you. Until the bandits are subdued by the prefecture government, try not to go out as much as possible.”

After finishing speaking, Huang Yinsheng lowered his voice, “Prefect Zhang has been in the same prefecture for five years, and he will be transferred after the spring examination next year. At this critical juncture, such an incident has occurred. If not handled properly, it will affect his reputation. The prefecture government has temporarily suppressed the matter and sent troops to suppress the bandits and retrieve the grain secretly. They want to quietly resolve the matter to avoid leaking the news.”

“As for whether the bandits will enter the village, it’s hard to say, but Mingxun Village is only twenty miles away from the prefecture, and even if the bandits want to enter the village to plunder, they won’t do so in such a close location to the city.”

Taoyu opened her mouth and said, “The officials in the capital care more about their reputation and performance evaluations than understanding the local people. Not to mention whether bandits will enter the village, even if they don’t, what if the villagers encounter bandits while they are out doing business?”

“This clearly shows a disregard for the lives of the common people…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly realized he was getting too worked up. Despite being at his own home, he didn’t dare to criticize these officials rashly.

Huang Yinsheng sighed, “Many officials prioritize their own status and achievements, while the common people come last. Even if we have grievances, there’s nothing we can do except be cautious.”

“After the tax collection is complete, we must deliver the taxes and grain to the capital before the end of next month. With the chaos outside, what are we to do?”

Ji Yangzong worriedly said, “If the grain is lost, it’s a serious crime that could land us in prison.”

“I thought of this and came to remind you. While our safety is important, delivering the grain in the autumn is also a top priority. Pick a day to visit the county government office and see if they still have enough manpower to escort the grain. If they can’t, organize the strong men in the village to deliver it themselves.”

Ji Yangzong frowned tightly, his mind in turmoil over the sudden news:

“What kind of times are these, even the county is breeding such chaos, yet the government does nothing. What are we rural farmers supposed to do?”

“No worries, when the time comes, I’ll accompany you to deliver the grain.”

Suddenly, a voice came from the doorway. Everyone instinctively looked over and saw a person striding in, their faces showing a hint of smiles, dispelling the previous seriousness.

Da Niu led Huo Shu in.

Huo Shu’s gaze first passed over Taoyu, then he greeted everyone politely.

Huang Manjing quickly brought a chair for Huo Shu, and everyone courteously invited him to sit down. “You’re busy, yet you still came to eat with us. Thank you for going through the trouble.”

The people of the Ji family treated Huo Shu much more familiarly than when he first arrived in the village, with less restraint.

Since he was no stranger, Ji Yangzong continued the conversation, saying, “Having Huo Lang willing to accompany me to deliver the grain adds an extra layer of security. However, the bandits are fierce, and even with the strong men from the village, there’s still a great risk.”

“If the government can’t dispatch enough manpower to assist in transporting the grain, the village will have to find its own solution. If there’s any mishap on the road, it’s ultimately the farmers who will bear the responsibility. Collecting taxes has been difficult year after year, and although the tax revenue hasn’t necessarily increased with the grain production, collecting the taxes in full this time was already not easy. If we lose it and have to make up for it, it might be impossible.”

Huo Shu said, “Since the bandits are active within the territory, if the government can’t quickly eliminate them, the rumors will only be suppressed temporarily, and then every village under the jurisdiction of the government will be in trouble.”

“If the government doesn’t have enough manpower, the villages can help each other. Several villages can gather their strong men to take turns escorting the grain to the city.”

“That’s a good idea! I’ll privately contact the leaders of two nearby villages to discuss this.”

Ji Yangzong’s eyes brightened, and Huang Yinsheng also nodded in agreement, stroking his beard. “Then let’s wait for a while. It’s better to receive reprimands for being late than to lose the grain.”

“The village also needs to remain vigilant. We need to instruct several households near the village entrance to keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals entering or leaving the village and inform us promptly if there’s any unusual activity.”

Seeing Huo Shu’s arrival, Taoyu and Huang Manjing went into the kitchen to cook, leaving the three men outside to discuss matters.

With a plan in place, Ji Yangzong and Huang Yinsheng’s tones became much lighter. After discussing this, they also talked about the matter of the You family, taking the opportunity to express their gratitude to Huo Shu.

“I never expected the You family to be so petty. The cancellation of the engagement was mutually agreed upon by both families, not just one side’s insistence on breaking it off. Yet they would stoop so low as to harm Little Taoyu, using the incident to cause trouble and suppress the Ji family. Their methods are truly despicable.”

“If it weren’t for Huo Lang’s help, I’m afraid we wouldn’t know where to start, and the You family would have succeeded. How Huo Lang should repay the kindness to the Ji family is something we’re not sure of.”

Ji Yangzong said as he refilled Huo Shu’s tea.

Huo Shu was not someone who expected favors to be repaid. From the beginning, he didn’t do things to please the Ji family in order to gain something. He simply wanted to protect the people he wanted to protect.

Even if the Ji family gave Taoyu to someone else, he would still do the same.

“Helping each other in the same village is natural, there’s no need for the village head to worry.”

Ji Yangzong felt relieved at these words. Seeing that Huo Shu didn’t bring up the matter of Little Taoyu with him, but instead raised his opinion of Huo Shu a few notches.

As they talked, the smell of stir-fried meat wafted from the kitchen. Ji Yangzong and Huang Yinsheng stopped mentioning unpleasant matters and invited Huo Shu to the dining room for dinner.

They asked Huo Shu how he had been learning his skills under Qiao’s hands these days, and who slaughtered the pig today.

Before long, a table full of dishes was brought out one after another. There were stewed black chicken with vermicelli, shredded duck with ginger, steamed preserved meats, stewed pork trotters with radish… dishes of all sizes filled the table, still steaming hot from the pot, with an even richer aroma, as abundant as a New Year’s feast.

“These shrimp were just bought back from the village today, freshly caught from the pond. They’re very fresh. Dip them in the aged vinegar from Sifangfang, they’re sweet and fragrant. Huo Lang, try a few more.”

Taoyu sat next to Huang Manjing, with a space between her and Huo Shu. Seeing her father’s words, she nodded repeatedly in agreement:

“These shrimp are really big this time, they must be delicious.”

Huang Yinsheng saw Taoyu’s eyes light up at the sight of the bright red shrimp and chuckled, “Since we’re all familiar with each other, let’s not be too formal. Let’s eat.”

To thank Huo Shu, Ji Yangzong brought out a jar of his own wine collection.

Huo Shu didn’t bother with formalities either. He poured himself a cup and drank it. Ji Yangzong was even more pleased to see Huo Shu’s straightforwardness.

Taoyu saw her family starting to indulge in drinking again and picked up her chopsticks to eat the fragrant and nourishing chicken wings, followed by some oily and spicy tender duck.

The preserved meats included pork liver and heart, which were rarely served on the table. These items were considered too humble by wealthy families, but when salted and smoked, then cleaned and steamed, sliced thinly, they didn’t taste fishy at all, but instead had a distinctive flavor.

Their family only smokes preserved meats during the Chinese New Year when salt is expensive and the price of preserved meats is high. Normally, they wouldn’t bring them out to entertain guests.

There were also chewy fresh pig’s trotters, and there wasn’t a single dish on the table that Huo Shu didn’t like. Despite looking a bit thin, he had a big appetite and wanted to eat everything, but he never seemed to gain weight.

Huo Shu also felt comfortable with good wine and food, especially when he saw Taoyu disregarding formalities in front of her family and rolling up her sleeves.

With both hands holding large shrimp, he skillfully twisted off the shrimp heads, peeled off the shells, and dipped the plump and firm shrimp meat into a bit of vinegar before stuffing it into his mouth. With a satisfied expression on his face, it couldn’t help but bring a smile to his eyes.

Huo Shu ate a lot during this meal. After all, the dishes prepared by the Ji family weren’t something he had the chance to eat often, and he had only eaten here twice before.

Just as the family was enjoying themselves, an unexpected guest arrived.

“It’s exactly mealtime, yet she chose this time to come. Could it be she wants to stir up trouble?”

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