Chapter 103: Linhu County 2/2

Peng Jingliang and the others spoke up, “Chongcheng County is really well-governed!”

“County Magistrate Gou is a good official!”

“I want to compose a poem!”

“I want to paint a picture!” 

These people were all in high spirits, instructing their attendants to fetch their tools, and they began to write poetry and paint.

Li Qingzhi couldn’t help but admire them.

After reading a large number of poems, he could barely compose poetry himself. Although the poems he wrote during the county exam might not have been very refined, they were still decent.

But he completely lacked the poetic inspiration to compose based on what he saw.

In comparison, the aroma wafting from the kitchen made him even more eager. He really wanted to taste the dishes.

Li Qingzhi had dinner before returning home that day. As soon as he got home, Jin Xiaoye told him that she had already recruited twenty female workers to work at their house and planned to recruit ten more from Miaoqian Village.

“You found workers so quickly?” Li Qingzhi was somewhat surprised.

This was ancient times, and women generally had to do household chores.

And because this was ancient times, the household chores they had to do were much more than in modern times.

For example, in modern times, cooking only takes a short time; just wash the rice, put it in the rice cooker, and press a button. But at this time… Cooking requires watching the fire!

Because of this, Li Qingzhi had been quite worried before, fearing that Jin Xiaoye wouldn’t be able to find workers.

Jin Xiaoye said, “I told them that if they come to work for me, those who work diligently can earn two taels of silver a month. Their families are also willing to let them come out.”

Ordinary families weren’t wealthy, so if the women in the family could earn money, no one would stop them.

As for household chores and children, there were always ways to manage.

In the county town, after some women earned more money, their husbands were even willing to do all the housework.

Li Qingzhi thought about it. Two taels of silver a month… Some women who went to work as wet nurses or servants in wealthy families might not even earn this much in a month, and they had to leave their newborn babies at home and couldn’t return.

Jin Xiaoye continued, “I plan to recruit all the unmarried young girls from Miaoqian Village. When they come, I’ll tell their parents that they’re apprentices and won’t be paid. But after they come, I’ll pay them.”

Not all parents were good, and some parents lacked affection for their children, especially daughters. Because they thought daughters were meant to be married off and wouldn’t belong to their family in the future.

This was how Jin Xiaoye thought. Jin Xiaoye had suffered a lot because of this before.

Now she wanted to help unmarried young girls in the village. If they earned money with her, they would have more choices in the future.

Jin Xiaoye spoke a lot, and Li Qingzhi listened attentively, occasionally offering support.

Jin Xiaoye’s idea was quite good.

After their conversation, Li Qingzhi took a bath.

He ate a lot, and his metabolism was very fast. If he didn’t bathe for a few days, he would accumulate a layer of dirt on his body.

Since moving to the county town and having the conditions, he almost took a bath every day.

The next morning, Li Qingzhi took Peng Jingliang and the others to stroll around the county town again.

Peng Jingliang and the others quite liked Chongcheng County, and their impression of Magistrate Gou was getting better and better.

The people of Chongcheng County were all smiling, and they showed great respect to Magistrate Gou. This was enough to prove that Magistrate Gou was a good official.

“Chongcheng County is really nice,” Gu Xiucai exclaimed. “The people in our Linhu County don’t live as well.”

“Brother Gu is from Linhu County?” Li Qingzhi asked.

“Yes, I am from Linhu County, but I’ve been living in the capital city,” Gu Xiucai replied.

Li Qingzhi smiled and said, “I’ve been to Linhu County before. The scenery there is quite nice.”

The original host was digging stones, actually in Linhu County.

It might not necessarily be Linhu County; there was also another county beside Linhu County, not belonging to Hexing Prefecture. Li Qingzhi wasn’t very clear about where exactly the original host was digging stones.

But the original host did escape through Linhu County and back home. This much was certain.

At that time, the original host was no different from a beggar, and his mind wasn’t very clear either. Fortunately, some people in Linhu County took pity on him and gave him some food, allowing him to hold on and return home.

But judging from what the original host saw at that time… The lives of the people in Linhu County were not as good as those in Chongcheng County.

The original host fled all the way and finally chose to settle in Chongcheng County because it was a relatively  good place.

Li Qingzhi chatted with Gu Xiucai for a while about Linhu County, inevitably recalling Magistrate Zhang.

He had written a letter to Magistrate Zhang before. He didn’t know if Magistrate Zhang had sent someone to investigate Linhu County.

Of course, Magistrate Zhang did send someone to investigate Linhu County.

He didn’t know who wrote the letter to him, but that person described the miserable appearance of the people in Linhu County who were digging stones… After Magistrate Zhang returned to the provincial capital not long ago, he immediately arranged for his confidant to investigate Linhu County.

In this investigation, he not only found that the lives of those stone diggers were very miserable but also discovered some other things.

Magistrate Zhang didn’t dare to act rashly. Plus, with the Chinese New Year approaching and the county exams held in various counties, he hadn’t done much until now.

Today, Magistrate Zhang got up early and began to handle various miscellaneous matters. While dealing with them, he saw a report from the magistrate of Linhu County saying that there was a pest infestation this year and the tea gardens in Linhu County had a poor harvest, hoping to reduce related taxes.

A similar report had been seen by Magistrate Zhang last year. At that time, he thought that the county magistrate was considerate of the people, so he helped to submit a petition to the court, ultimately reducing some taxes in Linhu County. But now…

Magistrate Zhang put this matter aside and planned to make a decision later.

Then he saw a report from Magistrate Gou, saying that there were scholars accusing him of favoritism and corruption, hoping that Magistrate Zhang would send someone to thoroughly investigate and clear his name.

Magistrate Zhang immediately asked someone about this matter.

Chongcheng County was not far from the capital city, and the incident that happened during the county exam had long been spread to the capital city. In the process of spreading, it was exaggerated to some extent.

Now, people in the capital city knew that there was an extraordinary case in Chongcheng County, where a person with extraordinary memory, Li Qingzhi, had challenged Peng Jingliang and even surpassed him!

Li Qingzhi had not yet been to the capital city, but people in the capital city already knew about him and were very curious about him.

Of course, some people were very angry, such as Peng Jingliang’s teacher, who felt that Li Qingzhi had bad intentions and was using Peng Jingliang to gain fame.

Magistrate Zhang had seen Li Qingzhi’s handwriting and admired him very much. Hearing about this incident, he said, “Li Qingzhi indeed deserves to be the case leader. Sun’s student has gone too far.”

Magistrate Zhang had a bad impression of Sun’s student, and he knew Li Qingzhi’s talent very well, so naturally, he didn’t think Magistrate Gou was showing favoritism and corruption.

However, without evidence, he couldn’t come to a conclusion.

After thinking about it, Magistrate Zhang said, “Regarding the matter of Chongcheng County, let the magistrate of Linhu County investigate.”

For this matter in Chongcheng County, Magistrate Gou couldn’t investigate it himself. It had to be investigated by someone else.

According to past practice, when there was a problem in one county, the magistrate would find the magistrate of another county to investigate.

As for why he asked the magistrate of Linhu County to investigate this time… He wanted to check on Linhu County.

With this thought, Magistrate Zhang felt much relieved.

He was a bit tired and wanted to rest for a while. Before, he used to play chess with Wang Bohan, but now…

Magistrate Zhang thought for a moment and finally decided to go to the theater to watch a play.

The plays in Jiangnan were completely different from those in the north, and they were quite interesting to listen to.

However, when Magistrate Zhang sat down in the theater and heard the name of the play being announced, he instantly regretted it.

What on earth was going on? The play being performed in the theater was actually about his investigation of the new dock in Chongcheng County and eventually punishing Sun Juren!

Magistrate Zhang didn’t like to watch those romantic plays, but he liked the ones that praised honest officials.

He believed that the way to be an official was to seek the welfare of the people.

But now, the person being portrayed on stage was him… Magistrate Zhang felt extremely embarrassed and wished he could leave immediately.

However, the theater was already full of people at this time, and leaving alone would definitely attract attention… In the capital city, many people knew him!

Magistrate Zhang could only sit there uncomfortably and continue listening.