Chapter 170: The Magistrate of the Neighboring County

Wang Jinhe turned to look at Su Yu, thinking she might have misheard.

“A return gift for Xiao Bao?” Was this for real?

“Yes,” Su Yu said, looking at Wang Jinhe’s bewildered expression with a playful smile. The look of confusion on his wife’s face was truly adorable.

“Is Xiao Bao the first child to receive a reward from the Emperor and the Empress Dowager based on his own merits?” Wang Jinhe asked Su Yu seriously.

Su Yu nodded with a smile. “Yes, he’s the first.”

Wang Jinhe almost applauded for Xiao Bao. “Xiao Bao is really impressive.”

From the return gifts of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, it seemed they were curious about Xiao Bao. Not to mention, they probably liked him as well.

“Our son is indeed impressive. Xiao Bao is naturally the most talented,” Su Yu said without reservation.

In his heart, Xiao Bao was not only the most talented but also the most adorable.

“There’s nothing more to say, when he has a father like you,” Wang Jinhe teased Su Yu. In Su Yu’s eyes, Xiao Bao was mischievous, but he found the child incredibly cute. Not everyone could compare to that.

Su Yu laughed heartily. “We don’t need to get involved in this matter. We’ll just see what Xiao Bao thinks in the future, what he likes, and go with it.”

“Okay,” Wang Jinhe paused for a moment, instantly understanding Su Yu’s meaning.

If the Emperor and the Empress Dowager genuinely liked Xiao Bao, he would undoubtedly have a promising future in officialdom with abundant opportunities.

But if Xiao Bao didn’t like it, they wouldn’t force him.

After all, Xiao Bao have the right to choose his own preferences.

“However, if Xiao Bao’s choices align with yours, I wonder if they would be frustrated, especially if Xiao Bao surpasses you in the future,” Wang Jinhe suddenly thought of Xiao Bao’s determination to surpass Su Yu’s three consecutive victories and his pace of earning money.

If Xiao Bao truly managed to surpass Su Yu and became the youngest Jinshi, he would undoubtedly attract even more attention. In that case, Wang Jinhe wondered if the Emperor would be frustrated.

“They’ll get used to it. If Xiao Bao doesn’t like it, we can’t force him, right? But for now, it seems there’s a good chance they might get frustrated,” Su Yu said, suppressing a laugh.

Xiao Bao not only looked like him but also had a similar personality. He currently liked gold, and he would definitely not change in the future because he and Xiao Bao were alike.

Wang Jinhe looked at Su Yu strangely. “Why?”

“I also had a special liking for gold when I was three years old,” Su Yu said, looking at Wang Jinhe with a suppressed smile.

Wang Jinhe stared at Su Yu in confusion. Was this guy being polite?

Having a child who looks like him is one thing, but copying and pasting his personality was a bit much.

Seeing Wang Jinhe’s inflated look, Su Yu burst into laughter. “In the future, let’s have a daughter who looks just like you.”

“Get lost, who’s having a daughter with you?” Wang Jinhe gave Su Yu a disdainful look.

“You.”

Wang Jinhe couldn’t be bothered to deal with Su Yu, so she went to inspect the second batch of harvested grapes.

Seeing that Wang Jinhe ignored him, Su Yu could only touch his nose and follow behind her.

Looking at the harvested grapes, Su Yu was surprised. “Why does this batch of grapes look much better than the previous ones?”

“It’s always like this. The first batch is a bit inferior, and the best is the second batch. You can have people start picking them.” Wang Jinhe looked at Su Yu and said.

“Okay.” Su Yu had earned quite a bit from the first batch, and he wouldn’t miss out on this one either.

Wang Jinhe, along with Qiuchan and others, began making wine from the grapes. With the experience from the first batch, they were much faster this time.

Before long, all the wine was sealed in jars.

“Is everything done?” Su Yu finished his tasks and came to find Wang Jinhe. Seeing that the wine was already made, he was a bit surprised.

“Yes, with some experience from the first time, this time was much simpler relatively.”

“Really? Was the previous batch good?” Su Yu asked curiously.

“It’s already good, but you can’t see the effect with these cups. It’s best to use cups made of glass. I’ll draw them for you to see.” A good set of wine glasses could enhance the appearance of the wine, even for fruit wines.

Wang Jinhe drew the shape of the glasses for Su Yu to see.

“I’ll have someone make them as soon as possible. When the time comes, we can send the wine to the palace together.” Su Yu thought it through. Since they were sending a gift, they should include everything, not just one item, right?

Wang Jinhe’s eyes lit up as she looked at Su Yu. “That’s a good idea.”

Since the grapes ripened, the fruits on the estate had also ripened one after another. Once the fruits were ripe, Wang Jinhe and Su Yu became busy again.

While they were busy, a carriage stopped. “Is this the place?”

“Yes, sir, it’s Wang Jinhe’s house. It’s right here.”

“Let’s go in.”

A group of people, led by someone, entered and saw Wang Jinhe tidying up vegetable seeds.

Seeing the newcomers, Wang Jinhe frowned and asked, “Who are you?”

These people didn’t seem to be up to any good, especially the one in the middle. It was obvious he wasn’t a good person.

“I am the magistrate of Dinghe County.”

Dinghe County? Wang Jinhe knew it was the neighboring county. However, why would the magistrate of the neighboring county come here?

“What are you here for?” Wang Jinhe asked with a furrowed brow.

These two counties were not the same place. What was the purpose of these people?

“I am here for a marriage proposal,” said the magistrate of Dinghe County, looking at Wang Jinhe with impatience.

The way he looked at her seemed like he was bestowing a favor upon her.

Coldly observing the magistrate of Dinghe County, Wang Jinhe asked, “I wonder, sir, who is the person you are proposing to?”

“Of course, it’s you.” The magistrate of Dinghe County frowned. Wasn’t he clear enough?

Apart from having some ability, this person didn’t have much in terms of looks. Wang Jinhe couldn’t understand why they were so wary over there.

Wang Jinhe rubbed her ears, looking at the person in front of her in disbelief. Could there be something wrong with this person’s head?

“Sir, I have already been promised in marriage. I will be getting married soon. I appreciate your kindness, but I must decline,” Wang Jinhe said expressionlessly.

The magistrate of Dinghe County frowned, “How dare you refuse me? I’ve already offered you a position as my concubine, which is quite generous. Yet, you dare to reject me? Simply outrageous.”

Wang Jinhe couldn’t help but spread her hands. It seemed that this magistrate’s mind was not in good shape—not only was it not working properly, but there might also be something wrong with it.

“Concubine? I appreciate your kindness, sir, but I would rather be a poor man’s wife than a concubine for someone else. Besides, my husband doesn’t lack money,” Wang Jinhe said, looking at the magistrate without any courtesy.

For the magistrate, Wang Jinhe’s words were a humiliation.

“Wang Jinhe…”

“What’s wrong, Xiao He?” When Su Yu brought the magistrate over, he noticed people in the yard, and they looked similar to bailiffs.

“It’s the magistrate of Dinghe County. He said he came to propose a marriage for our family.”